Month: February 2023

Book Haul February 2023

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About

Most of these novels are things I purchased for myself for my birthday. They are overstock items from a bargain store, so they are a little random. I like to choose books this way once in a while to try some new things I may not have seen or heard of before, or just find some things I might not expect.

The Beast Player by Nahoko Uehashi

This is volume one of a series called The Beast Player. It apparently contains volumes one and two. My copy has a sticker for a Michael L. Printz Award for Excellence in young adult literature as an honor book, so it must be good, right? The description sounded interesting.

What is it?

A fantasy about a girl who can communicate with magical beats. That was enough to sell me on it.

Mrs Frisby and the Rats of Mimh by Robert C. O’Brien

This sounds familiar and was not expensive, so I figured why not grab it. Apparently there is a movie based on it. I swear I’ve seen it, but I must have been rather young at the time, because I don’t remember anything about it. It’s also volume one of a trilogy.

What is it?

An animal story for children, possibly kind of dark.

Never After: The Thirteenth Fairy by Melissa De La Cruz

This is volume one of a series called The Chronicles of Never After. I’m not going to lie, I don’t know anything about this series. I added it to my pile when I saw the description mention a girl interacting with a character from her favorite book series.

What is it?

A fantasy adventure of some kind that has something to do with fairies and fairytales.

The Outcast by Taran Matharu

This is a volume zero prequel to the series Summoner. I have not read anything in this series, nor do I have volume one. I guess I will be starting with volume zero and working my way from there. Hopefully the series is will be equally enjoyable starting with this volume as opposed to others.

What is it?

Something involving fantasy and magic. I don’t know, it’s been a long time since I added the series to my list.

The Princess Diaries: Princess In Love by Meg Cabot

This is volume three of The Princess Diaries series. I have no idea if it’s anything like the Disney movies, but considering this series appears to be fairly lengthy, probably not.

What is it?

Seems like a coming of age series regarding a teen princess, possibly with romance?

The Princess Diaries: Princess in the Spotlight by Meg Cabot

This is volume two of The Princess Diaries series. The series is approximately twelve-ish books long, plus maybe some middle and side stories. I likely won’t be delving too deeply into things until I start actively reading the series. They didn’t have volume one at the store, so I will likely have to order that later in order to start reading these.

What is it?

Seems like a coming of age series regarding a teen princess, possibly with romance?

The Rise of Kyoshi by by F.C. Yee

This is the first volume of the Chronicles of the Avatar series, as in The Last Airbender, not the blue people. The first two are the Kyoshi novels, and the third is about Yangchen. They can be divided into sub-series by which Avatar they feature. I don’t know if there will be more than just the three novels, yet. If you’re familiar with the show, you’ve already heard of Kyoshi and Yangchen. This was given to me as a birthday gift, and I’m excited to read it. I grew up watching Avatar.

The Wolf of Cape Fen by Juliana Brandt

This one is a stand alone novel. I don’t really know anything about it. It’s one I grabbed a bit randomly.

What is it?

Sounds like a Rumpelstiltskin-like mystery adventure thing.

Light Novel and Manga Haul February 2023

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About

I didn’t expect to have enough books for any kind of haul this month. I neglected to consider my birthday. This haul contains the usual purchases for myself, as well as birthday gifts.

Light Novels

Bofuri: I Don’t Want to Get Hurt, so I’ll Max Out My Defense, Vol. 1

This is a gift from a friend. That same friend recommended this series to me initially, which led to me putting it on my wishlist. I’m aware the anime is available, but I haven’t seen it, yet.

What is it?

A funny and interesting VRMMORPG themed series.

Manga

Flame of Recca, Vol. 13

Thirty more volumes to go for this series. It’s going to be a while. This one was an Amazon order as a pre-owned copy since it’s out of print.

What is it?

An action adventure featuring supernatural powers and magic items with a similar vibe to Yu Yu Hakusho.

Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End, Vol. 3

This is a fantastic series. It does a great job portraying how elves think compared to the average person. I’m behind on volume releases, but I’ll catch up eventually. I highly recommend this if you enjoy fantasy or D&D type settings. Thankfully my local bookstore carries these, so I can get them quickly when I want them.

The reviews for volumes one and two are already available. Volume three will be up soon.

What is it?

A fantasy story about an Elf mage coming to terms with how long her lifespan is compared to those around her.

Kamisama Kiss, Vol. 1-4

I originally found this anime on Hulu, and loved it. The anime does not have a complete ending, so of course, I added the manga to my wishlist. These volumes were gifts from two people.

What is it?

A romantic comedy about a girl who takes over a shrine as its god.

Noragami Omnibus, Vol. 3 (volumes 7-9)

I’m making steady progress on obtaining these as they release. Another volume or two and I might have enough of a buffer to work them into my reading schedule.

What is it?

An urban fantasy focused around gods and the spirit world

Ouran High School Host Club, Vol. 4-5

These were gifted to me. I’m excited to be making progress on my collection for this series. It’s been on my list of things to finish reading for so long that I have to start over. I’m so glad I’ll have my own set eventually. Originally I read them by borrowing from a friend.

What is it?

A gender bend, slice of life, comedy, romance.

The Rising of the Shield Hero: The Manga Companion, Vol. 1

I’ve never had a manga labelled as a manga companion before, so I’m not entirely sure what that means. I THINK it means it’s just not the original source material. If that’s the case, then I’ve had a lot of manga companions that were not labelled as such. The original material in this case is the light novel version of the series. This book was a gift.

What is it?

An isekai featuring a poorly treated protagonist in a world similar to a video game.

Spice & Wolf, Vol. 1-3

This is the manga version of the popular light novel series, Spice & Wolf. Every volume is marked as explicit content, but upon flipping through a bit, it looks like that’s just because Holo is frequently naked. Nipples are included in the art, so they have to be more careful about the rating. These volumes were gifts.

Reviews for one through five of the light novel editions are already available, with six coming soon. Manga reviews will get done more slowly depending how frequently I get the books. I’m curious to see the differences.

What is it?

A commerce slow burn romance between a human merchant and a snarky wolf girl.

Headhunted to Another World, Vol. 1

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Headhunted to Another World, Vol. 1 by Benigashira, Muramitsu
Series Name: Headhunted to Another World: From Salaryman to Big Four!
Genres: Adventure, Comedy, Demons, Fantasy, Isekai
Intended Age Group: 13+
Publisher: Seven Seas
Edition: Paperback 
ISBN: 978-1-64827-602-6
Rating: 3.5/5
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Description from the Book

Uchimura Denosuke í your normal, everyday salaryman trying to climb the corporate ladder. But then he’s summoned to a terrifying fantasy world by the demon overlord, who offers him a new job – as one of the heavenly kings in his army, with full benefits! Uchimura may not have muscles or magic, but he does have an office worker’s skills and savvy. Will they be enough to keep him alive?

Personal & Info

Whenever I go to the bookstore, I feel an obligation to buy something, even if it just costs a dollar. I grabbed the first two volumes of this on one of those days. Sometimes reading the first volume of a series is enough to get a good feel for the series, but other times it takes two, so I don’t think it hurts to have the first two volumes of this to start. I ended up liking it anyway, so it’s convenient to already have number two.

I don’t have many isekai on here, yet, but if that is a genre you are into, maybe check out my review for His Majesty the Demon King’s Housekeeper.

Characters

Ulmandra, Queen of Assault and Hellfire, is one of the big four. She’s a magic wielding demon who assists Uchimura with his negotiations.

Uchimura Denosuke ís an average business man summoned to this fantasy world to use his business skills to assist the Demon Overlord as one of his big four.

The Demon Overlord is a surprisingly good boss.

Orl is the daughter of the ogre leader. She is a cheerful and kind person.

The rest of the big four are named in this volume, but they do not play any active role, so I’m not listing them here.

Story & Thoughts

Isekai are a dime a dozen, so I’m always wary going into them. This one is pretty good. I already have a copy of volume two, so I’ll probably read that and get a review up for it at some point.

The story is simple, but well executed. Ironically, the Demon Overlord is a better, more understanding, boss than the typical ones you would find on Earth. Not only that, but he’s not just going around conquering everything for the heck of it. The Overlord legitimately makes life better for everyone in his domain. Villages that join the army gain the benefit of supplies and their economy gets better.

The art is wonderful. There’s a picture of Uchimura getting cheerfully thrown into the air by a minotaur, and it’s glorious. The characters look great. I even noticed a Food Wars reference in one picture with Ulmandra.

Ulmandra is probably my favorite character so far. She is adorable and very expressive. We see many facial expressions from her throughout the book. She also functions as the fan service eye candy, because she wears hardly anything. There is even straight up a nude picture of her at one point, but it doesn’t show anything graphic since the book is rated for ages thirteen and up.

I suspect as the series continues, Uchimura and Ulmandra will probably develop a romance. It seems like there are hints about that in this volume. Ulmandra was acting like she likes him, and Uchimura was saying and doing things that could be construed as the same.

Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End, Vol. 2

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Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End, Vol. 2 by Kanehito Yamada, Tsukasa Abe
Series Name: Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End
Genres: Adventure, Elves, Fantasy, Magic
Intended Age Group: Teen
Publisher: Viz/Shonen Sunday
Edition: Paperback 
ISBN: 978-1-9747-2723-0
Rating: 4/5
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Description from the Book

Elf Mage Frieren and her courageous fellow adventurers have defeated the Demon King and brought peace to the land. But Frieren will long outlive the rest of her former party. How will she come to understand what life means to the people around her?

At Eisen’s urging, Frieren and her apprentice Fern head north seeking the land where heroes souls are said to rest, which also happens to be the location of the Demon King’s castle. Along the way, they meet Eisen’s apprentice, whose fighting skills may come in handy – though the Demon King is long gone, his surviving minions have unfinished business with Frieren!

Personal & Info

I forgot I already bought this. Well, I guess that means I can read it sooner than I expected. At the time I am typing this, I already have volume three, so it will follow soon. Anything after three is going to take a little while to get and review. I don’t know when, but I’ll review them quickly once I obtain them.

I highly recommend this series for anyone who likes elves or D&D or fantasy. It’s so good it might even be one of my new favorites.

Characters

Frieren is an elf mage famous for defeating the demon king with her companions around 80 years ago. She’s a bit of a slob and rather lazy. Her hobby is collecting any and all types of magic spells, no matter how useless they may seem.

Fern is Frieren’s mage companion and apprentice. She seems to take a motherly role in caring for Frieren.

Stark is Eisen’s apprentice. He is a powerful warrior whose never seen any actual combat.

Story & Thoughts

Frieren recruits another traveling companion in this volume. Eisen has an apprentice who has run out on him. His name is Stark, and while he has great skill, he lacks confidence. A warrior will be a helpful addition to the group.

The story is gaining more traction as Frieren sets out to complete a goal. She is heading to Ende in search of Aureole, so she may speak with her dead friend Himmel. It takes approximately ten years to reach Ende, and with Frieren’s leisurely pace, it could take far longer than that.

Things get more intense toward the end of the volume. A town is dealing with demons, and in imminent peril, because they are not as aware of demon nature as Frieren. Apparently her reputation is well known among demons.

I love how Stark and Fern interact. Their conversation while clearing the landslide cracks me up.

The art is beautiful. I never tire of looking at it. There’s just something about the style that makes it cute, but also serious, and the backgrounds are always so detailed.

The elf perspective is still done great. Frieren is ready to wait possibly more than three years for permission to pass through a gate, but her comrades are having none of that. We also get a vague idea of how long Frieren will live. Ten years is apparently less than one one-hundredth of her life. It’s mind boggling to think about.

The Night Circus

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The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
Genres: Historical, Magic, Romance
Intended Age Group: Young Adult
Publisher: Anchor
Edition: Paperback
ISBN: 978-0-307-74443-2
Rating: 4/5
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Description from the Book

The circus arrives without warning. No announcements precede it. It is simply there, when yesterday it was not. Within the black-and-white striped canvas tents is an utterly unique experience full of breathtaking amazements. It is called Le Cirque de Rêves, and it is only open at night.

But behind the scenes, a fierce competition is underway: a duel between two young magicians, Celia and Marco, who have been trained since childhood expressly for this purpose by their mercurial instructors. Unbeknownst to them both, this is a game in which only one can be left standing. Amidst the high stakes, Celia and Marco soon tumble headfirst into love, setting off a domino effect of dangerous consequences, and leaving the lives of everyone from the performers to the patrons hanging in the balance.

Personal & Info

I’m reading this as a recommendation from a friend. Upon receiving this recommendation, I was told the ending is probably the weakest part of the story. I disagree. I think the ending is pretty good. The book feels like a Romeo and Juliet type story, so the ending seems fitting in my opinion.

If anything, I think the first half of the book is the weakest. Everything takes forever to actually feel like things begin. It took me several months to get through the book because of that. It’s interesting enough because of the concept and writing, but it just feels so slow. About halfway through, everything seems to pick up drastically. That’s also when the romance starts to get emphasis.

This is a rather complicated book. Events can be hard to keep track of because chapters tend to jump forward and backward in time. The events involving Bailey occur in the future for most of the book until the main story catches up to that point. I recommend paying extra attention to which year the story is on, and maybe flipping back to double check the dates.

Characters

Hector Bowen, Prospero the Enchanter, is Celia’s father. He doesn’t come across as the greatest dad.

Alexander, Hector’s rival, has different ideals than Hector. He chooses to teach a child from an orphanage to compete against Celia.

Celia Bowen is the female lead. She is the daughter of Hector Bowen, and appears to be naturally gifted with the same talent as her father.

Marco Alisdair, the male lead, is the boy from an orphanage Alexander chooses to teach.

Chandresh Christophe Lefèvre is a theatrical producer. Bowen describes him as wealthy, eccentric, forward thinking, a bit obsessive, and somewhat unpredictable. He assembles the committee to create the circus without knowing it is the venue for the competition.

Ana Padva is a retired Romanian prima ballerina. She’s known for her impeccable sense of style, and she helps plan the circus.

Tara and Lainie Burgess are sisters who look very much alike. They do a little bit of everything, and help plan the circus.

Ethan Barris is an engineer. He commissions the famous clock for the circus, helps plan the circus, and collaborates with elaborate projects for both sides of the competition.

Friedrick Thiessen is the artisan who makes the clock for the circus. He also becomes a huge fan of the circus itself.

Bailey Clarke is an average farm boy. His family has an orchard and sheep. He loves the circus.

Poppet and Widget are fraternal twins born on opening night of the circus. They have unique talents.

Tsukiko is the contortionist Chandresh hires for the circus, but there is more to her than anybody knows.

Isobel is a girl Marco meets early in the book. She seems like a love interest right off the bat, and her role in the story is more important then one might think.

Story & Thoughts

As the description says, there is a competition occurring in the circus. However, I don’t think the competition itself is the main aspect of the story. To me, I get the feeling the story focuses more on what surrounds the competition and the effect it has on everything around it.

The competition itself is extremely inhumane. The contenders have no choice in the matter and are arranged to compete at young ages. Hector and Alexander both use rather inhumane and cruel methods of teaching. Marco is left alone constantly to study things he doesn’t understand. Celia is taught more psychologically in ways that could be as traumatizing as they are productive. The rules of the game are not even made clear until near the end.

There are first person perspectives throughout the book to portray the perspective of a circus goer. I’m not fond of these. They seem unnecessary, but I guess they are probably trying to emphasize the amazement of the circus experience.

The writing is very vivid. Morgenstern knows how to paint a picture with her words without doing too much or too little. All of the descriptions make for an enjoyable read.

I like all of the characters. They seem well defined and detailed despite there being so many. The interactions and reactions are as enjoyable as the detailed descriptions. I especially like the scene where Marco first lays eyes on Celia for her audition. His reaction there is priceless, probably one of my favorite parts in the whole book. I just love how her performance rattles him.

Rosario+Vampire, Vol. 10

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Rosario+Vampire, Vol. 10 by Akihisa Ikeda
Series Name: Rosario+Vampire
Genres: Action, Comedy, Ecchi, Fantasy, Harem, Monsters, Romance, Vampires, Witches
Intended Age Group: Older Teen
Publisher: Viz/ Shonen Jump Advanced
Edition: Paperback 
ISBN: 978-1-4215-2355-2
Rating: 4/5
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Description from the Book

All-around average teenager Tsukune can’t get accepted to any high school save one…but on his first day, he finds the rest of the student body doesn’t appear average in the least. Best of all, the cutest girl on campus can’t wait to fling her arms around his neck! Wait a sec’ – are those her teeth around his neck too…? Tsukune’s going to have one heck of a hickey when he gets home from Monster High! But does he have a chance in H-E-double-hockey-sticks of raising his grades at a school where the turf war isn’t between jocks and the nerds but the vampires and the werewolves?

Personal & Info

Since I’ve already read a large chunk of the series before, I’m giving the volumes I’ve already read a slight bump in rating to show how much I liked it my first time through. I don’t want my familiarity with the series to hurt the score. There is less thrill when you already know what happens, so I’m accounting for that. The bump is only about a half star.

Characters

Tsukune Aono is your every day incredibly average underachiever human with no special skills…But the human part might be changing permanently.

Moka Akashiya is the beautiful vampire love interest.

Kurumu Kurono is beautiful love interest number two. She is the passionate big booby lady.

Yukari Sendo is an eleven year old genius, and a witch.

Mizore Shirayuki is love interest number three. She is shy and a bit of a stalker, but she’s also the most considerate of Tsukune’s happiness.

Ruby, the witch from volumes four and five, works for the school now.

Kyoko is Tsukune’s cousin. She’s like a big sister to him.

Story & thoughts

The first two chapters continue the events from the previous volume, and wrap up the festival. Things get chaotic as Hitomi Ishigami, the former art teacher, makes her first reappearance since the events of the protection committee. The school gets absolutely trashed.

Students are sent home, so we get a fun chapter where the girls visit Tsukune in the human world. Each of them thinks they are the only one to have the idea, so chaos ensues, again. It’s too much for Tsukune’s poor mother to handle. I love Mizore’s hiding spots in this chapter.

There’s a bonus chapter at the end. It looks like it’s from back before Mizore was part of the group, because it shows her in passing with her long hair. The plot touches on a traditional vampire law.

The bonus comics in this volume are great. They are more Q&A four panel shorts, but one of them always sticks with me. I remember the one about Mizore’s suckers as a factoid from my first read several years ago.

Volume ten completes season one of the this manga. The next one is the start of season two. It’s still called Rosario+Vampire, but it starts all over at one again like it’s its own series.

Notable Issues

There’s another translation oddity regarding Mizore. She refers to herself as a snow fairy. I’m not sure where that came from, because as far as I know, yuki-onna, the folklore creature she is supposed to be, is a spirit or demon.

Wotakoi: Love is Hard for Otaku, Vol. 1

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Wotakoi: Love Is Hard for Otaku, Vol. 1 by Fujita
Series Name: Wotakoi: Love is Hard for Otaku
Genres: Comedy, Romance, Slice of Life
Intended Age Group: 16+
Publisher: Kodansha
Edition: Paperback 
ISBN: 978-1-63236-704-4
Rating: 4/5
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Description from the Book

Narumi Momose has had it rough: Every boyfriend she’s had dumped her once they found out she was an otaku, so she’s done to great lengths to hide it. When a chance meeting at her new job with childhood friend, fellow otaku, and now coworker Hirotaka Nifuji almost gets her secret outed at work, she comes up with a plan to make sure he never speaks up. But he comes up with a counter-proposal: Why doesn’t she just date him instead?

Personal & Info

I’m an otaku, so when I heard about this series, I was sure I wanted to read it.

There are translation notes in the middle, after the first half, which would technically be volume one of the Japanese version, and again at the end of what would be part two of the Japanese version. Be sure to take a look at those if you think you might need them.

There are also little notes next to the page numbers on most pages. They aren’t significant information, but they do add some small details to the story. These are easy to overlook.

Characters

Narumi Momose is the cute incompetent type character. She’s the fujoshi of the group, but she enjoys multiple nerdy mediums, like playing various video games and reading manga.

Hirotaka Nifuji is the video game otaku. He’s tall and good at his job. It’s stated he would probably die without video games.

Hanako Koyanagi is Narumi’s work friend. She’s into the arts, as well as crossplay, anime, manga, and BL. She also easily gets drunk, and can be highly aggressive.

Taro Kabakura is Hirotaka’s friend. He is dating Hanako, and they have known each other since high school. Like Hanako, he can be a bit aggressive. He apparently keeps up with the most current anime and manga.

Naoya Nifuji is Hirotaka’s little brother. He is not an otaku, and he has a job as a barista.

Story & Thoughts

Part 1

There are four main characters, and they all work in the same office. All four of them are some type of otaku, and they are basically two couples. Narumi and Hirotaka know each other from middle school, and Hanako and Kabakura know each other from high school.

The story is so cute. It’s mostly these four people just living their lives with their day to day struggles. Hirotaka doesn’t express himself well, except in text. Narumi isn’t good at her job, and can’t even manage her own deadlines for her doujinshi for comiket. Hanako and Kabakura are always fighting. Honestly, their relationship might be a little toxic.

The interactions between Narumi and Hirotaka are adorable and funny. Hirotaka seems to have a good understanding of Narumi. He helps her out, and they often play video games together. Narumi doesn’t seem sure how to handle being with Hirotaka, yet, but she’s positive it’s more comfortable than being with someone she has to hide her hobbies from.

The bonus comics are amazing. They are mostly just the four of them hanging out together doing random shenanigans. Some of it otaku related, and some of it just regular stuff, like Hirotaka trying to learn how to wink. The silliness of it all is great.

Part 2

This section introduces Naoya. He comes across as kind and cute, but he is very much a “normie.” For some reason, he thinks otaku terms are business terms.

The general shenanigans continues. We learn a little more about Narumi and Hirotaka’s childhoods. The series seems to like flashbacks for that, which are usually cute and heartwarming.

I don’t have much else to say about this part. It keeps the same consistency as the first half and maintains the same feel and type of comedy. If anything, it’s good that it holds up.

Overall

I love the characters. They’re all amusing and have their own separate otaku hobbies, but they come together to have fun easily. Their personalities and interests overlap enough to make them a good group of friends, and while some don’t like to participate in the hobbies of others, they are supportive and enjoy spectating.

As an otaku myself, I find the story relatable and heartwarming. I think I relate to Narumi the most, but I think there’s a little from everyone to relate to.

There are some character bios scattered throughout the book that cover some general information about everyone, as well as a section that talks about their Sunday morning habits. I love all the extra pictures, colored sections, and comics.The art in general is just really nice.

This is a series I definitely intend to finish. It only has six volumes in the English edition(covering eleven Japanese volumes), so it shouldn’t be a huge commitment.

Rosario+Vampire, Vol. 9

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Rosario+Vampire, Vol. 9 by Akihisa Ikeda
Series Name: Rosario+Vampire
Genres: Action, Comedy, Ecchi, Fantasy, Harem, Monsters, Romance, Vampires, Witches
Intended Age Group: Older Teen
Publisher: Viz/Shonen Jump Advanced
Edition: Paperback 
ISBN: 978-1-4215-2354-5
Rating: 4.5/5
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Description from the Book

All-around average teenager Tsukune can’t get accepted to any high school save one…but on his first day, he finds the rest of the student body doesn’t appear average in the least. Best of all, the cutest girl on campus can’t wait to fling her arms around his neck! Wait a sec’ – are those her teeth around his neck too…? Tsukune’s going to have one heck of a hickey when he gets home from Monster High! But does he have a chance in H-E-double-hockey-sticks of raising his grades at a school where the turf war isn’t between jocks and the nerds but the vampires and the werewolves?

Personal & Info

Since I’ve already read a large chunk of the series before, I’m giving the volumes I’ve already read a slight bump in rating to show how much I liked it my first time through. I don’t want my familiarity with the series to hurt the score. There is less thrill when you already know what happens, so I’m accounting for that. The bump is only about a half star.

Characters

Tsukune Aono is your every day incredibly average underachiever human with no special skills…But the human part might be changing permanently.

Moka Akashiya is the beautiful vampire love interest.

Kurumu Kurono is beautiful love interest number two. She is the passionate big booby lady.

Yukari Sendo is an eleven year old genius, and a witch.

Mizore Shirayuki is love interest number three. She is shy and a bit of a stalker, but she’s also the most considerate of Tsukune’s happiness.

Ruby, the witch from volumes four and five, works for the school now.

Tsukune’s older close cousin, Kyoko, visits the school.

Mizore’s mother, Tsurara, and Kurumu’s mother also visit the school. I don’t think Kurumu’s mother’s name was stated.

Story & thoughts

This volume picks up where eight left off with the climax of the monstrel problem and Hokuto. Two of the four chapters wrap up that crisis. We also get a brief look at Hokuto’s past to see what his life was like before the academy, and what his time at school was like.

Once that’s over, it’s time for the school festival to begin. Alumni and parents visit the school, and various shenanigans ensue. We get to see some of the girls’ mothers, and both of Yukari’s parents in maybe two panels. Mizore’s mother and Kurumu’s mother hog most of the event.

We also get to meet Tsukune’s cousin, Kyoko. She should be nowhere near the school, but I think we’ve all learned by now how incompetent they seem to be at enforcing their own rules and regulations. Tsukune does his best to try to convince her the school is completely normal.

The volume leaves off on a small cliff hanger. I think the series does this on purpose. Most events that encompass more than one chapter get divided into two volumes. It’s a good way to keep people buying the books, but frustrating for people who can’t get them right away.

I love how this volume shows yet again how Mizore is considerate of Tsukune. Yes, she asks him for a favor that makes him uncomfortable, but she also releases him from an obligation because she knows it’s not what he wants. She doesn’t pressure him to do anything he doesn’t want to. None of the other girls seem that considerate.

The Hero Life of a (Self-Proclaimed) “Mediocre” Demon! Vol. 1

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The Hero Life of a (Self-Proclaimed) “Mediocre” Demon! Vol. 1 by Shiroichi Amaui, Konekoneko, Tamagonokimi
Series Name: The Hero Life of a (Self-Proclaimed) “Mediocre” Demon!
Genres: Action, Adventure, Comedy, Demons, Fantasy, Magic, Vampires, Wolves
Intended Age Group: 16+
Publisher: Kodansha
Edition: Paperback 
ISBN: 978-1-64651-334-5
Rating: 4.5/5
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Description from the Book

Now that he has reached 20 years of age, self-proclaimed mediocre demon Chrono Alkon is eager to begin his mandatory year of schooling in the Demon King’s castle. It’s his dream to spend the year having fun and making friends, but when he gets a shocking result in his class designation test, that dream is put in jeopardy. To make things even more difficult, Chrono is from a small remote village and has little sense of what is considered “normal” at school. As the resident country bumpkin, he finds himself facing maddening misunderstandings and unexpected adventures. Will this “mediocre” demon ever have the peaceful school life he’s always wanted, or will he be derailed by the demons who understand him better than he understands himself?

Personal & Info

I found this at my local book store on a day when I wasn’t sure if I wanted to buy anything.

It does have slavery aspects in it, so if you don’t like that kind of thing, it might not be for you. The way the story presents it is not abusive or anything, though. It’s actually accidental and contributes to the main story. Kind of like how How Not to Summon A Demon Lord starts off with accidental slavery.

Characters

Chrono Alkon is the main character. Apparently he is a Jinn, but I’m not sure which lore, if any, this series uses for that.

Grude Vogney is the class bully, but he seems easily disarmed by Chrono’s antics. I get some Bakugo vibes from him.

Sofia Grave is a vampire princess. I have no idea what kind of lore they are using for this. She has wings, and nobody mentions anything about any sunlight issues.

Liza Malta Philanikos is the current Demon King. She’s short and busty.

Dante is one of the faculty members of the school. He seems to be the primary instructor, and some sort of canine in the furry category.

Yukino Salmard is a lycanthrope. She does not appear to be one in the traditional sense, but more of the person with animal ears way. She’s a veteran in the Special Exploration Unit.

Story & Thoughts

I’m wary of trying isekai and fantasy manga these days because they are so popular and there are so many. Because of that, I don’t want to commit to any unless I try reading the first volume. I am so glad I tried this one. It’s fantasy, starring demons, with an over powered main character.

Generally, I tend not to like over powered main character tropes, but this one does it right. Chrono is powerful, without being intentionally cool or edgy. He doesn’t even think he is powerful, hence the, “self proclaimed mediocre,” part of the title. It makes the story so much more enjoyable, and adds wonderful comedy.

The characters are charming and amusing. I think the Demon King seems a little weak for her title, but that might just be a reflection of how strong Chrono actually is. Even the bully character, Grude, is amusing. His interactions and reactions with Chrono are hilarious.

By the end of the volume, I think I’m getting some possible harem vibes, but I don’t know enough about the series to be sure. What I do know is the three girls in his life all seem very fond of him. I would not be surprised if it goes in that direction.

Rosario+Vampire, Vol. 8

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Rosario+Vampire, Vol. 8 by Akihisa Ikeda
Series Name: Rosario+Vampire
Genres: Action, Comedy, Ecchi, Fantasy, Harem, Monsters, Romance, Vampires, Witches
Intended Age Group: Older Teen
Publisher: Viz/Shonen Jump Advanced
Edition: Paperback 
ISBN: 978-1-4215-1910-4
Rating: 4.5/5
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Description from the Book

All-around average teenager Tsukune can’t get accepted to any high school save one…but on his first day, he finds the rest of the student body doesn’t appear average in the least. Best of all, the cutest girl on campus can’t wait to fling her arms around his neck! Wait a sec’ – are those her teeth around his neck too…? Tsukune’s going to have one heck of a hickey when he gets home from Monster High! But does he have a chance in H-E-double-hockey-sticks of raising his grades at a school where the turf war isn’t between jocks and the nerds but the vampires and the werewolves?

Personal & Info

Since I’ve already read a large chunk of the series before, I’m giving the volumes I’ve already read a slight bump in rating to show how much I liked it my first time through. I don’t want my familiarity with the series to hurt the score. There is less thrill when you already know what happens, so I’m accounting for that. The bump is only about a half star.

Characters

Tsukune Aono is your every day incredibly average underachiever human with no special skills…But the human part might be changing permanently.

Moka Akashiya is a beautiful vampire love interest.

Kurumu Kurono is beautiful love interest number two. She is the passionate big booby lady.

Yukari Sendo is an eleven year old genius, and a witch.

Mizore Shirayuki is love interest number three. She is shy and a bit of a stalker.

Ruby, the witch from volumes four and five, works for the school now.

Story & Thoughts

The school festival is fast approaching. Tsukune is obligated to assist the student council during one of the newspaper club’s busiest times. People suspect there is a mole in the festival committee, and it’s up to Tsukune to ferret them out.

There’s a lot of action and intrigue in this volume. We’re reaching the climax of the events with the monstrels, and things are getting intense. The monstrel leader reveals their identity, and explains their grand scheme.

Moka has a huge moment at the end. The events will continue in the next volume. For now, we have to wonder what this will do to Moka, and if our group will make it through everything alive.

I am getting a little tired of the Moka getting kidnapped scenarios. At this point, they happen way too often. Stop being so easy to kidnap, Moka.

I feel like this volume did well with the villain faces. There are some pretty dang good villain facial expressions.

Also, I’m surprised the headmaster is so squishy. Shouldn’t they have someone super powerful and unbeatable running the school?