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Her Royal Highness Seems to Be Angry, Vol. 3

By Kou Yatsuhashi and Mito Nagashiro. Released in Japan as “Ojou Denka wa Ookari no You desu” by Overlap Bunko. Released in North America by Tokyopop. Translated by Katie Kimura. Generally speaking, it must be fun to be a petty noble in a world like most of these otome game-esque magic academy worlds. The protagonist being a little too perfect, a little too attention-grabbing, reinventing all of modern magic to replace it with the powerful ways of old? Just do your best to discredit and ruin her. What’s that? Didn’t work? Her fiancee the prince is now seemingly a vegetable? Not a problem. She has friends. You just have to show them what a bad idea it is to be friends with her. Make it really clear that being tight…

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The Brooding Duke’s Guide to the Lie-Detecting Lady

By Mayo Momoyo and Wan Hachipisu. Released in Japan as “Fukigen na Koushaku-sama wa Uso Hakkenki Tsuki Reijou no Torisetsu wo Goshomou desu: Ophelia ni wa Uso wa Tsukenai” by Maple Novels. Released in North America by Cross Infinite World. Translated by Victoria Kasahara. I saw the premise for this and I thought it would just be another one of those “girl has an ability that no one understands except the guy who is perfect for her” books, sort of the distaff equivalent of “everyone says my power is useless but it’s the strongest power”. But the author does not go down that road, mostly as Ophelia’s power is literally crippling. Being able to tell someone is lying is bad enough given how the world functions around lies, but her…

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Loner Life in Another World, Vol. 14

By Shoji Goji and Saku Enomaru. Released in Japan as “Hitoribocchi no Isekai Kouryaku” by Overlap Bunko. Released in North America by Airship. Translated by Andrew Schubauer. Adapted by Zubonjin. This is the second volume in a row that can be described as “nothing happens except dungeons and fanservice”, with one exception, but even that exception stays pretty local. Haruka even remarks on the fact that the Empire, who you’d expect would be very angry about everything that’s been happening in the four months (!) since the arrival of our main cast, are instead being ominously silent. So instead Haruka concentrates on improving himself so that he can run dungeons without everyone being terrified he’s going to die, which he manages to make… some progress on. And he also manages…

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Goodbye, Overtime! This Reincarnated Villainess Is Living for Her New Big Brother, Vol. 7

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. This is a relatively plot-lite book. Apart from introducing the next presumed antagonist (who shows up to be menacing and then goes away until the next book), the main thrust is that, as much as Ekaterina would like to just quietly work behind the scenes and let other people shine instead of her, that’s simply not going to fly. Not only is she gorgeous, smart, compelling, etc, but everyone around her also sees her as if… well, as if she’s the main character in a light novel. When she tries to deflect, people interpret it in the best…

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Manga the Week of 4/8/26

SEAN: It’s April! The best month! Let’s see what manga treats we have post-Easter. ASH: There must be some, right? SEAN: Yen Press has a third volume of Super Ball Girls. No debuts for Viz, but we get Astro Royale 5, Blue Exorcist 32, The Bugle Call: Song of War 6, Dandadan 18, Dragon Quest: The Adventure of Dai 6, Firefly Wedding 6, Gokurakugai 5, Ichi the Witch 2, Kill Blue 6, Marriage Toxin 12, Otaku Vampire’s Love Bite 7, and Phantom Busters 3. ASH: I’m definitely behind with most of these series, but there’s good reading in that list. SEAN: I have no idea what Honkai Impact 3rd: Second Eruption is, but it’s coming from Tokyopop, and I suspect it’s related to a mobile game. Tokyopop also has The…

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From Two-Bit Baddie to Total Heartthrob: This Villainess Will Cross-Dress to Impress!, Vol. 5

By Masamune Okazaki and Hayase Jyun. Released in Japan as “Mob Dōzen no Akuyaku Reijō wa Dansō Shite Kōryaku Taishō no Za wo Nerau” by TO Books. Released in North America by J-Novel Heart. Translated by Caroline W. All otome game villainess stories are, by definition, somewhat metatextual. It has characters who are trapped in a world based on a game, trying to avoid Bad Ends. Even if they don’t talk to others about their choices, they narrate to the reader about them. But Two-Bit Baddie is even more meta than most. We have two people who’ve both played the game and know what’s coming, and discuss it with each other. We have a narrative that occasionally tries to lure them back into canon, even if they both want to…

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Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End ~Prelude~

By Mei Hachimoku and Tsukasa Abe, based on the manga by Kanehito Yamada. Released in Japan as “Sousou no Frieren: Zensou” by Shogakukan. Released in North America by Yen On. Translated by Jenny McKeon. It’s another tie-in novel, and by now I think we know what to expect with these. The title says “Prelude” because it’s the safest place to play around it. You can’t change the story the original author is still getting to, and sometimes you can’t even tell stories set at the same time as the manga. But things that take place before the manga starts, or in the past, are fair game, provided you don’t change the future. As such, it’s no surprise this is a short story collection, and honestly of the five short stories…

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Though I Am an Inept Villainess: Tale of the Butterfly-Rat Body Swap in the Maiden Court, Vol. 10

By Satsuki Nakamura and Kana Yuki. Released in Japan as “Futsutsuka na Akujo dewa Gozaimasu ga: Suuguu Chouso Torikae Den” by Ichijinsha Novels. Released in North America by Airship. Translated by Tara Quinn. Something we’ve seen throughout this series but especially in this volume is the idea of what an “ideal” woman is in this Court Intrigue series. The series began by showing us that Reirin was delicate, fragile, and good at all the things that men prized in a woman, whereas Keigetsu was boorish, clumsy, and the one thing she’s really good at she has to keep hidden. Of course, we now know that delicate flower is not the word anyone would use to describe Reirin – except maybe Seika, and even she, by the end of this volume,…

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Too Many Losing Heroines!, Vol. 7

By Takibi Amamori and Imigimuru. Released in Japan as “Make Heroine ga Ōsugiru!” by Gagaga Bunko. Released in North America by Airship. Translated by Matthew Jackson. Adapted by Hayame. The strength of this series does tend to be the fact that, in regards to everything except his own attractiveness to women, Nukumizu is a pretty savvy guy. While you want to beat his head in with a shovel during casual, downtime moments, when the chips are down and you’re having a crisis, he will be the one that’s there to offer the best thing to say that will make all your problem feel like they’re in focus. Unfortunately, it won’t make all your problems go away, and in other respects, as the girls note, Nukumizu is the worst. Not only…

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