Manga Bookshelf

Discussion, Resources, Roundtables, & Reviews

Latest Picks

LATEST FEATURES, ESSAYS, COLUMNS, ROUNDTABLES, & REVIEWS

By

Goodbye, Overtime! This Reincarnated Villainess Is Living for Her New Big Brother, Vol. 8

By Chidori Hama and Wan Hachipisu. Released in Japan as “Akuyaku Reijō, Brocon ni Job Change Shimasu” by Kadokawa Beans Bunko. Released in North America by J-Novel Heart. Translated by Rymane Tsouria. We’ve now caught up with the series in Japan, for the most part (I think the new volume comes out there this month), so it’s worth checking to see if this series is anywhere near a conclusion. The trouble is, if I’m being honest, the series could end anytime, but can also be stretched to 45 books. The conflict is “these two are so brocon/siscon that they will never allow anyone else to be a romantic partner”, with a side order of obliviousness on Ekaterina’s part. Once someone sits them down and says that they need to actually…

Read More

By

Zero Damage Sword Saint: I Enrolled in a Magic School and Wound Up in a Contract with the Demon Queen, Vol. 4

By Isle Osaki and kodamazon. Released in Japan as “Kougekiryoku Zero kara Hajimeru Kenseitan: Osananajimi no Oujo ni Suterare Mahou Gakuen ni Nyuugakushitara, Maou to Keiyakusuru Koto ni Natta ” by Overlap Bunko. Released in North America by J-Novel Club. Translated by Stephanie Liu. I do appreciate that this series knows the lane that it’s chosen to drive in, and it’s not going to move out of it, even when circumstances indicate that it really, really should. Towards the end of this book there is a threatened apocalypse, hideously overpowered monsters, and a chapter with “despair” in the title, so you would assume that things are going to take a darker turn. And then you remember what series you’re reading, and realize that the closest we get to suspense in…

Read More

By , , and

Manga the Week of 7/29/26

SEAN: As July ends, we know what that means. It’s time to climb over the Yen Press Mountain. ASH: I had a feeling. SEAN: Beneath the Fur (Kegawa to Nakami) is a new seinen series from Kurage Bunch. As a fox is about to kill a rabbit… the rabbit delivers a love confession! Can predators and prey live together without mass hysteria? MICHELLE: I saw what you did there. ASH: Haha! SEAN: The Bubble Love of the Mermaid (Ningyo no Awakoi) is a manga adaptation of the light novel that Yen will be releasing in a couple of months. It runs in Seasons. A girl shunned by her family for a cursed birthmark goes to an exclusive academy… and meets her hot new teacher. This is from the creator of…

Read More

By

Lady Bumpkin and Her Lord Villain, Vol. 8

By Ageha Sakura and Kurodeko. Released in Japan as “Imokusa Reijou desu ga Akuyaku Reisoku wo Tasuketara Kiniiraremashita” by Overlap Novels f. Released in North America by J-Novel Heart. Translated by Vasileios Mousikidis. When I reviewed the 7th book in this series, I had not realized that this 8th book would be the final one. It does its absolute best to cram everything in so that we’re not disappointed, though. There’s lots of Nazelbart spoiling Agnes, being overprotective of Agnes, and trying to seduce Agnes. (There is a joke made here that if Agnes dies, Nazelbart will destroy the entire world, only to everyone but Agnes, it’s not a joke.) There’s Agnes saying that she’ll be careful and wait right there, and then heading into battle anyway. There’s another guy…

Read More

By

The Tale of a Little Alchemist Blessed by the Spirits, Vol. 3

By yocco and Junsui. Released in Japan as “Outo no Hazure no Renkinjutsushi: Hazure Shokugyou datta node, Nonbiri Omise Keieishimasu” by Kadokawa Books. Released in North America by Airship. Translated by Andria McKnight. Adapted by Lex Reno. Everyone has their own pet things they don’t like in fantasy light novels. Well, pretty sure almost every right thinking person hates “welp, guess I gotta have slaves”, but leaving that as a given, there are others that grate on me, and one of them is front and center at the start of this third book. I’m sure it’s from some JRPG or other, but the whole “you are given a god-given talent at Age 5 and if the common wisdom is that it sucks you are abused, disowned, abandoned, or even straight…

Read More

By

I’ll Become a Villainess Who Goes Down in History: It Seems Turning into a High-Born Baddie Makes the Prince All the More Lovestruck, Vol. 4

By Izumi Okido and Jyun Hayase. Released in Japan as “Rekishi ni Nokoru Akujo ni Naru zo: Akuyaku Reijō ni Naru hodo Ōji no Dekiai wa Kasoku suru yō desu!” by B’s-LOG Bunko. Released in North America by Yen On. Translated by Sarah Moon. Last time I was worried about what the series was going to do with Liz, but I ended up reading into the setting too much. Just like Alicia, I am far too aware of the otome game origins of this world, so I naturally assumed that Liz’s stubborn hyper-idealism and unconscious charm power were going to be near impossible to get rid of without sterner methods. As it turns out, though, Liz lives in reality like the rest of the cast do, and therefore all it…

Read More

By

Re: ZERO ~Starting Life in Another World~, Vol. 29

By Tappei Nagatsuki and Shinichirou Otsuka. Released in Japan as “Re: Zero Kara Hajimeru Isekai Seikatsu” by MF Bunko J. Released in North America by Yen On. Translated by Dale DeLucia. I had heard, when I began the 7th arc in this series, that I would not enjoy it as much as the previous ones, as I’ve said in previous reviews. And yet I was unprepared for how much of an absolute grind this book was, especially in the first half. I suppose the reason that everything comes to a grinding halt is to show how important an ally Yoruna is going to be, and how it should be fairly easy to get her on their side, which a lot of people don’t want. But man, this really felt like…

Read More

By

A Certain Magical Index NT, Vol. 6

By Kazumi Kamachi and Kiyotaka Haimura. Released in Japan as “Shinyaku To Aru Majutsu no Index” by Dengeki Bunko. Released in North America by Yen On. Translated by Alice Prowse. It is something of a shame that the light novels in this series don’t get any love in North America – well, at least the official releases, I’m sure hardcore Index fans are still swearing by the fan TL as they check out Genesis Index’s latest volume. They may be full of gobbledegook, posturing, and sophistry, but they’re very entertaining despite all that. In particular, before I started this review I glanced at my review of the previous book. First I got sad, as I realized we’re down to twice a year, so this gets even further behind the thirteen…

Read More

By

Who Killed the Hero?, Vol. 3

By Daken and toi8. Released in Japan as “Dare ga Yuusha wo Koroshita ka” by Kadokawa Sneaker Bunko. Released in North America by Yen On. Translated by Kim Morrissy. This was well-written, and I enjoyed it, but I have to say that diminishing returns are starting to set in. I am wondering how many times we can go to the well of what it means to be a hero, and how many times we’re going to get a clever identity twist. The bulk of this book is written knowing that the reader will be trying to “work out” what is happening, so there are lots of false clues and real clues scattered throughout. More importantly, though, we’re back with the cast of the first book, and we get to see…

Read More

More Features & Reviews