Tag: Blue Exorcist

Light Novel & Manga Haul September-October 2024

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About

This haul contains all comics, light novels, and manga for the months of September and October. I had enough to post a haul at the end of September, but I ended up delaying long enough that I decided to just do a two month haul instead.

Everything here is purchased in new condition. Some books come from Amazon, some from Barnes & Noble, and some from local stores.

Comics

Archie: Halloween Special

The only thing Archie I’ve ever tried is the TV show, Riverdale. Archie and Sabrina are in the same universe, so they often have crossovers. I like Sabrina, but I’m new to the comics, so, Halloween Archie special crossover with Sabrina.

What is it?

One-shot Halloween comic of Archie, featuring Sabrina. People not familiar with the comics would likely recognize the characters from the Riverdale TV show.

Sabrina The Teenage Witch: Annual Spectaculars & Holiday Special

These three comics are not trade paperbacks. They are stand alone stories as single comics with the carboard backing and sleeves to keep them in good condition. Every year or so, Archie Comics releases an annual comic for Sabrina, that’s what these Annual Spectaculars are. The Holiday Special is just a separate one-shot story.

I’ve always liked everything Sabrina ever since I was a young child. These were given to me to try to encourage me to read more non-manga comics. I have not read any Sabrina comics before, except one four book series that was published in a manga style, so these are a new format of the Sabrina universe for me.

What is it?

One-shot comics of Sabrina The Teenage Witch. People not familiar with the comics would likely recognize the character from the old TV show or the more recent Chilling Adventures of Sabrina.

Light Novels

The Apothecary Diaries, Vol. 2

I love the manga for this series so much that I waited years for the light novel to get a physical release. Unfortunately, I had some bad luck with this volume. After ordering, the bubble packet was delivered empty, with a giant hole in the side, as if the book were too heavy and just fell out somewhere along the way. Customer service was contacted and a new volume was sent to replace it.

I ended up giving the replacement book a quick mold treatment upon arrival, because it had some gross black stuff on it, and I wanted to be absolutely certain it was not mold. It probably wasn’t mold, but the treatment was also the only way I could think of to get the gross stuff off of the book. Needless to say, my experience getting a copy of this was stressful and frustrating.

On the upside, the book itself is great. The light novel volumes feel durable, and decently thick. This one has twenty chapters, plus a prologue and epilogue, which is a lot for a light novel. It’s definitely a quality product.

I have not reviewed any of the light novels, yet, but if you want to read my reviews for the manga volumes, they can be found in the index section.

What is it?

A Chinese inspired historical mystery romance, mostly taking place inside the Inner Palace of the emperor’s consorts.

Ascendance of a Bookworm, Vol. 6-9

This series is numbered a little strangely. It’s broken up into parts with their own volume numbers. These volumes are Part 2, volumes 3 and 4, and Part 3, volumes 1 and 2.

Most of these came from Barnes & Noble, because that’s the only place I could find Part 2, Volume 3 in stock. Part 2, Volume 4 and Part 3, Volume 2 were included in the order, because I wanted free shipping, and it doesn’t hurt to have more volumes ahead of time. I could only find Part 3, Volume 1 on Crunchyroll, so I had to order that, too, since Barnes & Noble didn’t have that one, and I didn’t want to have a gap. As I collect the series, I keep encountering volumes going out of stock in most places, so I end up panic buying multiple books at a time.

I already reviewed all of the volumes before these ones. They can be found in the index section.

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 and strive to make them more accessable.

Manga

The Apothecary Diaries, Vol. 12

I’m late in reading this, because I haven’t been in a manga mood lately, but I’m still trying to keep up with the releases. Despite not wanting to read it right away, I did purchase this volume on the day of release. Reviews for volumes one through eleven are available, so at least I’m not too far behind.

What is it?

A Chinese inspired historical mystery romance, mostly taking place inside the Inner Palace of the emperor’s consorts.

Blue Exorcist, Vol. 8 & 9

I can say for sure that I have no plans to binge read this series this year. Maybe next year I’ll have more volumes and more motivation. As it is currently, I’m not in the mood for manga, and I’d rather have more than just these nine volumes before digging into this series.

What is it?

An action adventure starring demons and exorcists. The main character wants to be an exorcist even though he is the son of Satan.

Manga Haul March-April 2024

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I didn’t get enough manga to have a haul in March, so this haul is for both March and April. It’s a mix of things bought from Amazon and a local store. All of them are in new condition.

The Apothecary Diaries, Vol. 11

I highly recommend this series. It’s one of my favorites. I keep up with it pretty closely, so reviews for the volumes can be found in the index section. The review for this volume is already available.

Recently, I watched the new anime for the series. It’s accurate to the manga, except for some word choices and leaving out a few details that don’t change the story. The anime also does a better job generally expressing the emotions the characters are feeling. So, if you like the manga, or would rather watch a show than read, you can watch the anime without losing anything from the story. No adaptation is ever perfect, but this is definitely one of the better ones.

What is it?

A Chinese inspired historical mystery romance, mostly taking place inside the Inner Palace of the emperor’s consorts.

Blue Exorcist, Vol. 7

I’m not sure if it will be this year, but I’m hoping to build a decent buffer of these to be able to binge during spooky season. The series is pretty long and ongoing, so I’m not exactly sure how many volumes I want to have before I start. I know I’m going to like it, so I want to make sure it’s a good chunk.

What is it?

An action adventure starring demons and exorcists. The main character wants to be an exorcist even though he is the son of Satan.

Daemons of the Shadow Realm, Vol. 4

Reviews for volumes 1-3 are already available in the index. I like this series, and I’m trying to get more friends to try it. It’s obviously still pretty new if it only has four volumes, but I think anyone who likes Fullmetal Alchemist would probably enjoy it.

What is it?

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

Princess Jellyfish, Vol. 1

This series is a difficult to explain. I saw the anime and loved it, but it was incomplete. From what I can tell, the English release of the manga is considered an omnibus, without actually saying omnibus or special edition or anything on it. It’s at least as thick as a two-in-one. I’m looking forward to reading the series to see how similar it is to the anime and seeing what happens after the parts where the anime ended. Upon a quick flip through, the art is beautiful.

What is it?

A series about various types otaku living together and exploring a love of jellyfish and fashion.

Soul Eater: The Perfect Edition, Vol 3

I don’t get these often, because they are on the pricier side. Building a buffer of them is going to take some time. When I get a good number of them, I think they’ll make a good spooky season read. Until then, I’m looking forward to seeing how the manga differs from the anime.

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.

Light Novel & Manga Haul January 2024

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About

This isn’t a big haul, but I got some things I’ve been wanting for a while. There are three light novels and one manga. None of them are first volumes, so no new series, but I’m making progress on things I’ve already started.

Light Novels

The Scum Villain’s Self-Saving System: Ren Zha Fanpai Zijiu Xitong, Vol. 2, 3 & 4

I read volume one back in September. These are a little more on the expensive side, so I had to wait a while to get the rest. I liked the first book enough to commit to buying the rest of the series, so I got all of the remaining volumes as soon as I was able.

My plan is to reread the first one before delving into these three. I don’t often reread things so closely after reading them the first time, but want to make sure I read all of these close together for the best experience. The series is only four volumes in total, so it’s not a huge commitment. I’ll definitely be trying other danmei books after this.

The review for the first volume of this series is already available.

What is it?

A historical isekai (or transmigration for the Chinese term) BL (danmei) romance where the main character is put in the body of a novel villain.

Manga

Blue Exorcist, Vol. 6

I’m collecting these slowly. I’m hoping to have enough of them to start binging them around Halloween. From what I can tell, the series is still ongoing with the Japanese version of volume 30 just releasing this year in early January. I doubt I’ll be caught up on all the current volumes by October, but I’m hoping I’ll be in the mood to at least start reading the series around then.

What is it?

An action adventure starring demons and exorcists. The main character wants to be an exorcist even though he is the son of Satan.

Manga Haul December 2023

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This haul is a combination of books I grabbed from the store while Christmas shopping and some that I received as gifts. I don’t have as many books as last year for December, but I’m still happy with what I have.

Due to the holiday season, and the following holiday lethargy, this post is a little late. Don’t worry, January will still have a haul of its own.

Blue Exorcist, Vol. 5

My buffer for this series is slowly expanding. I hope I love it as much as I love what I have seen of the anime. Either way, the series holds sentimental value to me. I’m hoping to have enough volumes to start binge reading in October. As a series with demons, I think it’ll make a decent seasonal read.

What is it?

An action adventure starring demons and exorcists. The main character wants to be an exorcist even though he is the son of Satan.

Daemons of the Shadow Realm, Vol. 2

I haven’t gotten around to reading the first book, yet, but it’s on my shortlist. Expect a review for volume one soon. In the mean time, I’m expecting to like the series due to it being by Hiromu Arakawa, so I didn’t hesitate to get the second book.

What is it?

Some kind of action adventure.

Ouran High School Host Club, Vol. 6-8

I don’t think I need to explain anything about this series. It’s been around a long time, and most people know what it is. If you don’t, you should definitely check it out, especially if you like rom-coms. I think I only need ten more volumes after this until my collection is complete. Once I have all of the volumes, it’ll go on my list of things to binge read.

What is it?

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

Manga Haul October – November 2023

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I didn’t have enough books in October to bother doing a haul at the end of the month, so this haul combines the manga from both October and November. All of these books are in new condition. Two of the manga are Amazon purchases. The rest are from a local store. I prefer to buy locally if I’m able.

The Apothecary Diaries, Vol. 10

I highly recommend this series. It’s become one of my favorites. I keep up with the series pretty closely, so reviews of most, if not all, of the volumes can be found in the index section. Volume eleven is scheduled for release in March of 2024.

There is an anime out now. I’m not sure how accurate to the manga it is, because I have not yet seen it. It’s on my list of things to watch.

What is it?

A Chinese inspired historical mystery romance, mostly taking place inside the Inner Palace of the emperor’s consorts.

Blue Exorcist, Vol. 3 & 4

I’m building up a buffer for this series to hopefully read it for fall of 2024. My first exposure to the series was the anime. I’ve only seen the first season, but I absolutely loved it. I hear the manga is a little bit different, but I expect to enjoy it just as much.

What is it?

An action adventure starring demons and exorcists. The main character wants to be an exorcist even though he is the son of Satan.

My Happy Marriage, Vol. 3 & 4

Volumes one and two already have reviews available.

I’m excited to read more of this series. The first two volumes are great. These two catch me up to current release. Five was supposed to be out this past October, but I think it got delayed. I think it’s slated to be released this coming January of 2024.

There is also a light novel version of the series, which I plan on getting eventually. I think that has more volumes out than the manga, so it is probably a bit farther into the story.

I haven’t seen the anime, yet, but I’m excited about it.

What is it?

A Cinderella inspired historical romance with paranormal aspects.

Noragami Omnibus, Vol. 8 (volumes 22-24)

I love the anime for this, but unfortunately it’s one of the many that were never finished. The manga is apparently supposed to be darker than the show, but better. I’m looking forward to reading this series. It’s just a matter of figuring out when. I’ll probably start it on a whim one of the days when I’m not sure what to read.

What is it?

An urban fantasy focused around gods and the spirit world.

Light Novel & Manga Haul September 2023

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About

I actually didn’t think I’d have enough books to bother with a haul this month. I expected to have maybe two at most, and I don’t do hauls unless I have at least four. But then, I remembered my one year milestone of learning Japanese happened this month, so I bought myself a few books to celebrate. So, anyway, on with the haul!

All books except two were purchased locally. The light novel came pre-owned from an Amazon seller, and Blue Exorcist came new.

Light Novels

Spice & Wolf, Vol. 10

I actually have two copies of this book. One of them is very damaged on the inside, because it was poorly inspected by the seller. It was not included in the haul for whichever month I got it, because I don’t count books like that as things for hauls. You can actually see the second copy in one of the piles in the background of the image. I’ve had rather bad luck with pre-owned book orders recently. I’m actually not yet sure what to do with the bad copy.

Reviews for several volumes are already available and can be easily found in the index. It has a spin-off series as well, but I’ve seen people say it’s best to wait until at least volume 17 of this before starting that. Slowly, but surely, I’ll get there.

What is it?

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

Manga

Blue Exorcist, Vol. 2

At this point in time, I’ve only seen the first season of the anime, but I absolutely loved it. If I can get enough volumes, I might read this series for spooky season, 2024.

What is it?

An action adventure starring demons and exorcists. The main character wants to be an exorcist even though he is the son of Satan.

Daemons of the Shadow Realm, Vol. 1

All I really know about this is that it’s by the same person who made Fullmetal Alchemist. FMA is one of my all time favorites, so it’s a given I need to try this new series.

What is it?

Some kind of action adventure. I’ll know more when I read the volume.

Noragami Omnibus, Vol. 7 (volumes 19-21)

I love the anime for this, but unfortunately it’s one of the many that were never finished. The manga is apparently supposed to be darker than the show, but better. I’m looking forward to reading the manga. It’s just a matter of figuring out when.

I thought the series was finished since they have omnibus editions, but apparently it’s still going. The omnibus editions are almost caught up to the current releases of the standard print.

What is it?

An urban fantasy focused around gods and the spirit world.

Spy x Family, Vol. 5

I have not started reading this series, but I have seen the anime. From a quick flip through of the volume in the store, it looks like the anime and the manga are very similar, so I don’t feel like I need to read it any time soon. I can build up a buffer to binge later, while I enjoy season two of the anime.

What is it?

An action comedy featuring a family with a spy, an assassin, and a telepath.