Tag: Black Cat

Light Novel & Manga Haul July-August 2024

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About

I wasn’t going to have enough books for a haul, yet, but then I read a light novel I’d been sitting on for a while. I ended up loving it, and immediately had to get more volumes. Then, I found an out of print manga volume available for a decent price, so I had to get that, too. My expected three book pile turned into an eight book pile.

Everything in this haul, except one, is in new condition. Most of them were ordered from Amazon, but two of them came from physical stores.

Comics

Avatar: The Last Airbender: North and South

I bought this out of order, because it was on sale. I think this omnibus is sixth in the reading order. There are only two more of these that I don’t have. After that, I will probably have to move on to newer single editions or work on Korra’s comics.

What is it?

A comic omnibus of North and South that continues the story from the TV show, Avatar: The Last Airbender.

Light Novels

Ascendance of a Bookworm, Vol. 2-5

This series is numbered a little strangely. It’s broken up into parts with their own volume numbers. These are indeed volumes two through five by the standard count. The volumes are Part 1, volumes 2 and 3, and Part 2, volumes 1 and 2.

Most of these came from Amazon, but volume three was a Barnes & Noble in-store purchase. For some reason, that volume was sold out absolutely everywhere, except for some websites that seemed sketchy. The stores near me didn’t have it either. I had to travel an hour away to get my hands on a copy. Only two Barnes & Noble locations in the entire state had it.

I’ve had volume one sitting around for a few years and only recently got around to it. It’s so good I feel like I can’t get more volumes fast enough. Thankfully, I’ve got three to work on, now, before I run out. I already read Part 1, volume 2, so reviews for that one and the first are already available.

What is it?

An isekai about a bookworm who wakes up as a five-year-old girl in a world where books are unobtainable by the general public, so she decides to make her own.

Manga

Black Cat, Vol. 18

I’m so excited to have this volume. This series is out of print, so some of them are expensive and hard to find. Now that I have this one, I’m only missing one more, and then I’ll have the whole series.

What is it?

An action adventure starring an ex-assassin gunman turned bounty hunter, and supernatural powers.

Daemons of the Shadow Realm, Vol. 5

This book went on a little trip. I bought it from a local store, while a friend was in town, and we shared a bag. We both forgot to take it out of the bag, so it went home with her, seven hours away. It’s back now, so I’ll be able to read it.

This volume came out August sixth, so my collection is currently up to date. Reviews for volumes one through four are already available. I’ll get this one up whenever I get around to it.

What is it?

An action adventure featuring spiritual duo companions and special powers as well as a generations old feud.

Soul Eater: The Perfect Edition, Vol. 5

I’m still working on a buffer for these. They should make a good spooky season binge at some point, likely not this year. I want a larger volume count before I get around to it.

What is it?

A fantasy setting where people are trained to be warriors called meisters and wield weapons, that are actually people who become the weapon. They collect tainted souls in hopes of someday turning their weapons into their ultimate form to be used by Death himself. Sometimes this task involves saving the world.

This series is said to be in the same universe as Fire Force, which I have not yet read.

Manga Haul June 2023

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About

While the book haul for this month is huge, my manga haul is actually normal. I believe all of my manga this month come from Amazon. Three of them are new, and one of them is from a marketplace seller pre-owned.

Black Cat, Vol. 16

This volume puts me at only two remaining. I’m grabbing them pre-owned as I manage to find them in reasonable condition at reasonable prices. It’ll be nice when this out of print collection is complete so I will be able to focus on another one. I’ll likely focus on Flame of Recca for my out of print collection after this one.

What is it?

An action adventure starring an ex-assassin gunman turned bounty hunter, and supernatural powers.

The Titan’s Bride, Vol. 2 & 3

These volumes catch me up to the current releases. Volume four is supposed to come out sometime in December. I’ve already read these and posted reviews for them, so feel free to check out my reviews for all three available volumes.

One Two Three

Minor content warning for this series, it has dubious consent in some parts, so just beware if you are sensitive to that kind of thing. Also, it’s completely uncensored. There are no black/gray bars, no blurring, and no bright light to hide things. It is entirely explicit.

What is it?

A cute and sweet smutty BL isekai featuring size difference.

Yashahime: Princess Half-Demon, Vol. 1

I’m not in a rush to get all of these. They seem to be releasing rather slowly, and I’m in no hurry to read them. I still need to finish the anime, which is apparently very different.

A little extra information, because I’ve seen people confused about this. Yes, Inuyasha’s child is a quarter-demon. She is not the main character here. The half-demon for the title mostly refers to Towa, one of Sesshomaru’s twin daughters. Towa is the main character of the group in the same way Kagome is in Inuyasha.

What is it?

A sequel series to the renowned Inuyasha, starring the daughters of both Sesshomaru and Inuyasha.

Manga Haul May 2023

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About

All of the books in this haul are either from Amazon or my local bookstore. Two of the manga are pre-owned purchases. Everything else is new.

Don’t mind the purple dot. My camera app just has that randomly now.

Comics

Avatar: The Last Airbender: The Promise

From what I can tell, this is the second omnibus in the recommended reading order. This is the library edition. There’s another version of the omnibus, but it looks like it is paperback only. This one is hardcover, and the description implies it has more content than the other version. After getting this one, I now have one through three.

What is it?

A comic omnibus of The Promise that continues the story from the TV show Avatar: The Last Airbender.

Manga

Black Cat, Vol. 20

These are out of print and tend to be expensive, so it’s a slow journey completing my collection. I’m grabbing whichever volumes I can find at a decent price, and in decent condition, whenever I find them. This volume puts me at three left. I almost have them all!

What is it?

An action adventure starring an ex-assassin gunman turned bounty hunter, and supernatural powers.

Inuyasha VIZBig Edition, Vol. 4

I’ve already read the Inuyasha manga, but I’ve never had my own physical copies. I’m working on that with these editions. It’s not a high priority, though, so I won’t be getting them often. This puts me at approximately twelve volumes out of fifty-six. Each VIZBig volume contains three standard volumes.

What is it?

A Japanese time travel adventure romance with demons.

My Happy marriage, Vol. 2

I read and reviewed volume one of this manga already. It appears to be releasing rather slowly compared to the norm. Both the light novel and manga currently only have a few volumes each in English, but I highly recommend trying the series in whichever format you prefer. It’s very good. I just hope volume two holds up. I’m not sure when I’ll get around to reading this volume, yet.

What is it?

A Cinderella inspired historical romance with paranormal aspects.

Noragami Omnibus, Vol. 5 (volumes 13-15)

I’m getting these as they release, and I have plenty to get started on whenever I feel like it. It’s just a matter of fitting them in. I have no idea when that will be, but they are on my long list of things to get to.

What is it?

An urban fantasy focused around gods and the spirit world.

Skip Beat! Vol. 48

I’m up to date on my collection for this series. It’s in my pile of things to read in the near-ish future, and I will be keeping up on purchasing the latest volumes as they come out. I’m excited to catch up on reading these. This series is one of my favorite shojo manga.

What is it?

A revenge showbiz story with comedy and romance.

Tail of the Moon, Vol. 14

One more volume after this one and my collection for the series will be complete. Once I have them all, I will add it to my read soon pile.

What is it?

A romance story about an incompetent ninja girl sent to woo Lord Hanzo.

Manga Haul March 2023

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About

This haul also contains some comics, because I figure they are similar enough to share the same post. Any time I get comics, they will be in the manga hauls. They will be in the manga section of the index as well whenever I review any.

All of these are Amazon purchases, except for Noragami and Detective Conan.

Comics

Avatar: The Last Airbender: The Lost Adventures & Team Avatar Tales

This is the first comic omnibus recommended to read for this series. The Lost Adventures are stories that take place during the events of the TV show. Team Avatar Tales takes place later. A reading list I looked at implied that section should be read way way later, but I doubt it matters. My guess is they were both put in this book because they can be read close together.

This is the hardcover library edition. It looks like the library editions might be the best ones to get. Some of the comics only have the library editions as hardcovers. They seem to have more content than the paperback versions, too. At least, that’s what the descriptions seem to imply.

What is it?

A comic omnibus of The Lost Adventures & Team Avatar Tales building more onto the story from the TV show Avatar: The Last Airbender.

Avatar: The Last Airbender: The Search

From what I gather, this is the third omnibus in the reading order. I got the third before the second because it was cheaper at the time. I think this one is the library edition. There’s another version of the omnibus, but it looked like it was paperback only. This one is hardcover, and the description implied it had more content than the other version.

What is it?

A comic omnibus of The Search that continues the story from the TV show Avatar: The Last Airbender.

Manga

Black Cat, Vol. 14

I only need four more volumes for this series: 15, 16, 18, and 20. They’re out of print, so my collection for these advances slowly with pre-owned copies.

What is it?

An action adventure starring an ex-assassin gunman turned bounty hunter, and supernatural powers.

Detective Conan, Vol. 2 (Japanese Edition)

This book is a late birthday gift. With this volume, I now have one through three of this series in Japanese. I like to look through them every so often to see which words and phrases I can pick out. It’ll be a while before I can actually read them, but they are good motivation to keep me learning the language.

What is it?

A mystery series in which a secret organization turns the protagonist into a child via medicine.

Flame of Recca, Vol. 14 & 15

I think there are about eighteen more volumes in this series. Slowly, but surely, I’m working my way to getting them all.

These are out of print, so I buy all of them pre-owned.

What is it?

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

Noragami Omnibus, Vol. 4 (volumes 10-12)

I can probably start reading these any time now. As long as I don’t read them one after the other and work them into a rotation, it should be okay. I just don’t want to catch up to the release and have to wait. At this point, I’ll just add them into my rotation whenever I feel like getting around to them.

What is it?

An urban fantasy focused around gods and the spirit world.

Tail of the Moon, Vol. 13

This series is almost complete. There are only two more volumes left, and then I can put it on my list of things to read.

What is it?

A romance story about an incompetent ninja girl sent to woo Lord Hanzo.

Light Novel and Manga Haul January 2023

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About

I’ve been ordering too many books. My wallet is crying. I’ll have to try to slow down.

All books in this haul are orders from Amazon and ThriftBooks. Yu Yu Hakusho volume two is the only one not pre-owned.

Light Novels

Spice & Wolf, Vol. 8 & 9

I am steadily working my way through this series. It’s pretty great. Reviews for volumes one through five are already up.

What is it?

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

Manga

Black Cat, Vol. 17 & 19

This series is out of print, and most volumes are expensive. I found these two, by chance, for about $20 total. I wasn’t going to pass on that. There are only five more volumes remaining until I have them all. Due to the prices, this may take some time.

What is it?

An action adventure starring an ex-assassin gunman turned bounty hunter, and supernatural powers.

Detective Conan (Japanese), Vol. 1 & 3

I love Case Closed/Detective Conan. Mysteries are one of my favorite genres. I already have 1-10 in English, and I’ve seen a lot of the anime. Because I love this series so much, I figure getting them in Japanese is a good way to practice reading the language. My vocabulary isn’t big enough, yet, but having these around is a good motivator to stick with my lessons.

These are pretty cool, because as the Japanese editions, they actually have a book jacket. The cover underneath is in black and white.

What is it?

A mystery series in which a secret organization turns the protagonist into a child via medicine.

Flame of Recca, Vol. 12

I have a long way to go before I finish collecting this series. I’m only about one third of the way done. It’s out of print, so every volume I buy is pre-owned.

What is it?

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

Tail of the Moon, Vol. 10-12

There are only three volumes remaining until I complete this series.

What is it?

A romance story about an incompetent ninja girl sent to woo Lord Hanzo.

Yu Yu Hakusho, Vol. 2

This series is one of my favorites from my childhood. I have never read it, but I used to watch the anime all the time. I also have the DVD collection and the PS2 fighting game. Volume one was gifted to me a couple years ago, so I’m only just now starting to get moving on collecting the manga.

I had problems getting this one in. At first, there were stock issues, so it was entirely unattainable. When it finally got a restock, I ordered it, and it got lost in the mail. I ended up resolving the issue by re-ordering it with another larger book in hopes the larger book would prevent the package from getting lost in the mail, like it did the first time. When it finally came in, the delivery person left it in the wrong place. I feel like I’m lucky I managed to get it at all. I swear if I didn’t re-order it with that larger book, it probably would have gotten lost again.

What is it?

An action adventure featuring supernatural powers, demons, and fighting tournaments.

Light Novel and Manga Haul November 2022

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About

This haul size is closer to my average high end quantity. Usually I don’t even get this many. I’ve been buying way too many books lately, though, so they have not looked like this the past couple months. I’m going to try to use some self control to maintain a small reasonable amount of books each month, instead of the massive piles I’ve had.

Light Novels

Fullmetal Alchemist: The Ties that Bind

This finishes my collection of the Fullmetal Alchemist light novels. It’s volume five out of six, but I already have the rest. Next time I read the Fullmetal Alchemist manga, I will read these, too.

What is it?

Volume five of six non-confirmed canon light novel stories for Fullmetal Alchemist. Written by Makoto Inoue with the original concept from Hiromu Arakawa.

Manga

Black Cat, Vol. 13

Only seven more volumes to go after this one! Some of them are going to take some digging to find affordably. This series is pretty much exclusively available as used copies. I will read and review them at some point after I have them all.

What is it?

A former assassin turned bounty hunter adventure with some super powered villains.

Fruits Basket Collector’s Edition, Vol. 12

Complete! This is the final volume of the series. I will be reading and reviewing the series at some point. From here on out, I need to start getting Fruits Basket Another. I believe it’s still fairly new and releasing volumes. Volume four is the last one I saw come out, so I probably won’t rush to get going on that.

What is it?

A charming series about a girl who meets a family that turns into the animals of the Chinese zodiac when hugged by someone of the opposite sex.

My Hero Academia, Vol. 4

I’m way behind on this as both anime and manga. I love the series based on what I’ve seen. It’s wildly popular, though, so I probably don’t have to tell you how good it is. With this volume, I have one, two, and four. The store did not have volume three.

What is it?

A story about a rising hero in a world where almost everyone has super powers.

Skip Beat! Vol. 47

The latest volume that came out this November! I’m starting to get an itch to read the series, but I still have that gap to fill. Once I fill that gap of volumes I’m missing, I will probably read and review this at my earliest convenient opportunity.

What is it?

A revenge showbiz story with romance.

Tail of the Moon, Vol. 9

There are six volumes left after this one for a total of fifteen. I will definitely be reading and reviewing the series at some point after getting them all. I already know I like the series, because I’ve read a chunk of it before.

What is it?

A romance story about an incompetent ninja girl sent to woo Lord Hanzo.

Light Novel and Manga Haul October 2022

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About

Most of this haul is pre-owned manga. It’s going to take a while to finish some stuff I’m collecting, so expect to see some of the same series appear frequently in monthly hauls.

Light Novels

Spice & Wolf, Vol. 6 & 7

I love this series. I’m way behind the current releases, but I’ll catch up eventually. Volume twenty three, I believe, is coming out in the second half of November.

Reviews for volumes one through four have already been posted. Feel free to check those out. I will continue to review the series as I read it.

Update: The review for volume six is now available.

Manga

Black Cat, Vol. 10, 11, & 12

I absolutely love the Black Cat anime. I saw the anime before I read any of the books. Initially, I borrowed the first few volumes from a friend, but I didn’t get very far at the time. There are about twenty volumes, and I’m currently in the process of obtaining them for myself. This haul puts me about a little over half way through completing the series. Most, if not all, of them have to be purchased used these days. If you’ve also seen the anime, be aware the manga is a bit different.

Flame of Recca, Vol. 10 & 11

This is another of which I’ve seen the anime first. I love the anime because it is drastically similar to Yu Yu Hakusho. It has the same story formula, while being unique enough to capture my interest. I think there are thirty three volumes, so I’ve still got a long way to go to complete this one. I’m waiting until I complete it to read it. Like Black Cat, this one is mostly only available used.

Fruits Basket Collector’s Edition, Vol. 10 & 11

After these, I only have one more volume! I’m excited to be able to binge read the series soon. I’ll also be collecting Fruits Basket Another once this series is complete.

While I’ve been a fan of Fruits Basket for a long time, I haven’t been able to read it, and I’ve only seen the original anime. It’ll be nice to finally be able to read it, and I should get around to watching the new version of the anime at some point.

Tail of the Moon, Vol. 7 & 8 + Prequel

I read a chunk of this series before, but I can’t remember how much. I just know I loved what I read. There are fifteen volumes, plus the prequel shown here. I didn’t know the prequel existed until recently, so I made sure to grab it.

Light Novel and Manga Haul September 2022

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About

I’ve been over spending the past couple months. This haul is still bigger than my usual. I’m endeavoring to get better at taking pictures, but I have shaky hands and I’m not good at composing artful arrangements.

I am aware Inuyasha is not a book, but I got him this month, and thought he should be in the picture. He is a PopUp Parade figure, and I highly recommend that brand for quality affordable figures.

Light Novels

Spice & Wolf, Vol. 5

I love this series. Unfortunately, I discovered it a bit late, so I’m about twenty volumes behind the current releases. I’m sure I’ll catch up eventually.

Reviews for this series are already in progress, so feel free to check those out. I’ll include a link to volume one for people who’d like more information.

Update: The review for this volume is now available.

Manga

The Apothecary Diaries, Vol. 6

After having to wait a couple weeks for volume five, I’m making sure to get these as close to release day as possible. I love this series. It’s currently one of my favorites. This volume came out around September, 13th, and I already have a review done for it. I can’t wait for volume seven. Why does it have to be so far away?

If you’re new the the series, here’s a link to my review for volume one.

Black Cat, Vol. 8 & 9

I absolutely love the Black Cat anime. I saw the anime before I read any of the books. Initially, I borrowed the first few volumes from a friend, but I didn’t get very far at the time. There are about twenty volumes, and I’m currently in the process of obtaining them for myself. Most, if not all, of them have to be purchased used these days. If you’ve also seen the anime, be aware the manga is a bit different.

I can’t exactly recommend this series since I haven’t read it all myself, yet, but if you like gunfighting characters, this might be right up your alley. The main character is a former assassin turned bounty hunter who uses a pistol as his primary weapon.

If you like stories about secret organizations, super powered people, and human science experiments, this might also be for you.

Flame of Recca, Vol. 8 & 9

This is another of which I’ve seen the anime first. I love the anime because it is drastically similar to Yu Yu Hakusho. It has the same story formula, while being unique enough to capture my interest.

I have not read any of the manga, yet. Maybe volume one and two forever ago, but that’s about it. I have no idea how similar it is to the anime. My plan is to binge read all thirty three volumes once I have them. These are also generally only available used.

If you like Yu Yu Hakusho, and want a similar experience, consider checking this series out. You’ll likely have better luck finding it digitally, though.

Fullmetal Alchemist Fullmetal Edition, Vol. 18

I’ve already read the entirety of Fullmetal Alchemist years ago. I absolutely love it. It’s one of my all time favorites, and it will always hold a special place in my heart.

I never got to own the whole series before now. This volume completes my collection. Before this, I think I had volumes one through four of the regular editions. I found these gorgeous hardcovers around the time I was considering purchasing more of the series, so I decided to upgrade instead.

I recommend this series to everybody. It’s absolutely amazing.

His Majesty the Demon King’s Housekeeper, Vol. 1

I already have a review for this. I grabbed it at my local bookstore because the cover caught my eye, and also because I saw the word library in the synopsis. Sometimes I choose books for purely impulsive reasons.

Maids and housekeepers have always been popular in anime and manga. I haven’t tried many with that theme, though, maybe a couple. This is definitely the first I’ve purchased. I saw a couple episodes of Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid, if you want to count that.

This is a rather wholesome isekai compared to the norm. Check out my review for more information.

My Happy Marriage, Vol. 1

I have a review for this typed up and ready to go for Wednesday, October, 5th. Because of that, I don’t want to say too much here.

I saw this book popping up in my social media feeds and at the bookstore, so I decided to buy it and give it a try. It released around the same time as The Apothecary Diaries volume 6, and it has a light novel version as well. Normally I would choose the light novel, but the manga was right in front of me at the store. The light novel is also fairly new, so it didn’t really matter which I started with.

Noragami Stray God Omnibus 1-3

I had heard of this series for a while, and only recently, sometime this year, got around to watching it on Hulu. I love the anime. It’s unfortunate it doesn’t have a real ending. It just kind of drops off and doesn’t get any more seasons. Regardless, it was enough to make me want to own the manga.

I did a little research on the manga before getting invested. Apparently, it’s better, but also darker, than the anime. That just further intrigues me.

The timing for this omnibus worked out great. It released the same day as The Apothecary Diaries volume six. I saw it on the shelf at my local book store and had to have it. Omnibus editions will probably make it so much easier to collect and read the series. The only downside is I have to wait for each volume to release.

SpyxFamily, Vol. 3 & 4

I have not started this series, yet. I’ve heard such good things about it, though, so I just went ahead and started buying it. My list of things to read is long, but I’m sure I’ll get to it eventually.