Tag: Manga

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.

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.

Light Novel & Manga Haul May-June 2024

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About

I haven’t been buying many books lately, so my hauls are smaller and farther apart. This haul covers both May and June, because I didn’t have enough books to bother posting one in May. The books are a mix of things ordered from Amazon and others purchased from a local store. Three of the light novels were gifted to me. All of the books are in new condition.

Light Novels

The Apothecary Diaries, Vol. 1

I’ve been waiting for this for a long time. This has only been available in digital format until fairly recently, and I don’t like to read light novels or manga on digital devices. I absolutely love the manga, but the light novel is the original material. Now that the physical editions are releasing, I’m excited to read them and see what the similarities and differences are.

The book itself is great. It feels durable, and it’s thicker than I was expecting. It’s definitely a quality product.

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.

Bofuri: I Don’t Want to Get Hurt, so I’ll Max Out My Defense, Vol. 3, 4 & 5

Every volume I have of this series has been gifted to be by the friend who initially recommended it to me. Based on the little I’ve seen of the anime, I think the light novel is the best way to experience the story. I just like how clearly everything is shown. The character stats and skills, the forum posts, and the admin sections are all so clear in this format. The light novel is apparently the original content for the series, anyway.

Reviews for volumes one and two are already available.

What is it?

A funny and interesting VRMMORPG themed series.

Manga

Kaiju No. 8, Vol. 2 & 3

My first volume was a gift from a friend who had an extra. I put off reading it for a while, because my to-read pile is absolutely huge. I think I got around to it shortly before the anime was announced. Now the anime is ahead of me, and I need to read more of these before continuing. My personal collection is a little behind, because I borrowed volumes two and three before owning them.

What is it?

A sci-fi police force series with strong Attack on Titan similarities.

Soul Eater: The Perfect Edition, Vol. 4

I’m still working on a buffer for these. They should make a good spooky season binge at some point. It looks like the volumes are still currently releasing, and there are a lot of them for me to catch up to.

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.

Daemons of the Shadow Realm, Vol. 4

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Daemons of the Shadow Realm, Vol. 4 by Hiromu Arakawa
Series Name: Daemons of the Shadow Realm
Genres: Action, Adventure, Supernatural
Intended Age Group: Older Teen
Publisher: Square Enix
Edition: Paperback 
ISBN: 978-1-64609-259-8
Rating: 3/5
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Description from the Book

Dera suddenly arrives at the manor, as if to interrupt Yuru’s somber thoughts about Asa’s past. Though a tense debate about the twins unfolds, it’s Yuru who has the last word: a brash declaration to all hostiles! As he leaves the Kagemoris behind for Dera’s secret lair, however, a vicious pair of Daemons lies in wait. Right and Left must take on a primal evil to keep their master alive!

Personal & Info

I feel like maybe I should have read volume three fresh before starting this one, but my reading gap wasn’t as far apart as some of my other ones, so I think it’s fine. When I picked it up to get started I couldn’t help feeling like it was just so small, and that makes me disappointed that I have to wait for the next volume to release. At least August is not that far off compared to some of the longer waits I’ve experienced with other manga.

Characters

Yuru is the older male twin of the two main characters. He has great hunting skills and a helpful nature.

Asa is the younger female twin of the two main characters. She is Yuru’s younger sister, and she seems to adore her brother with an unusual intensity.

Gabby is Asa’s best friend and bodyguard.

Ryuu Tadera, who goes by Dera, is a seer. This means he can see Daemons. He is half of the Higashi Village retainer pair, and he acts as supply runner and liaison. He is currently posing as Yuru’s father and guardian.

Hana Danno is Dera’s partner, the other half of the Higashi Village retainer pair. She’s also a seer, but she’s never been to the village. When Dera goes up to the village, she usually waits somewhere outside as his transportation. She’s currently masquerading as Yuru’s step mother.

Ken Tadera is a new character introduced in this volume. He’s thirteen, and obviously related to Ryuu Tadera.

Jin Kagemori is the youngest of the three Kagemori brothers. He’s a high rank in the family organization in which Asa chooses to reside. His current goal is to try to recruit Yuru willingly.

Divine Guardians Left and Right are the most important daemon characters with ongoing appearances. Yuru is their master and they rarely ever leave his side. They are made of stone, and their abilities are intended to be direct counters to Break and Seal.

Story & Thoughts

I wasn’t entirely in the mood to read this when I started, so it’s possible this might deserve a higher score than what I’m giving it. It starts with the imminent fight volume three sets up, with the Daemon pair Tenaga-Ashinaga, also known as Long-Arm and Long-Leg. The fight takes up a good chunk of the book, but once it’s over, the story turns in a plot building direction.

A few new characters appear, some foreboding, others beneficial. We get some info dumps, and detective work, to find out even more information. Who can they talk to who might know where the Tadera head and Yuru’s parents went? How did people get into the compound through a gate that doesn’t exist? These are the main questions everybody is trying to answer.

We don’t really learn much, but we do get some new plot hooks. It seems the village is not yet done being tormented, and Yuru or Asa might have some rescuing to do later. I would guess Yuru, since he is the one who currently has the freedom to do what he wants.

Despite this being the lowest rating I’ve given any volume, so far, I still enjoyed it. I love the characters. Their personalities are so distinct from each other, and the comedy of their actions is so well placed. I’m also just a huge fan of Hiromu Arakawa’s portrayal of facial expressions. The story has so much to build on at this point, and I am excited to see what happens.

FANGS, Vol. 2

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FANGS, Vol. 2 by Billy Balibally
Series Name: FANGS
Genres: BL, Fantasy, Vampires
Intended Age Group: M 18+
Publisher: Tokyopop
Edition: Paperback 
ISBN: 978-1-4278-7187-9
Rating: 3/5
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Description from the Book

As the sole survivor of a vampire attack, En wakes up to find that his hair has gone white as snow…and, worse, that he’s developed a craving of his own for blood. Since then, he’s been living with Ichii, his handsome guardian and mentor, who works with the vampire health and welfare organization FANGS. Life is good…except En can’t quite figure out what to make of his relationship with Ichii. There’s certainly mutual attraction, devotion, playful teasing, and yet — he can’t shake the sense that Ichii is hiding something from him.

The more the naïve and outgoing En learns about the lonely reality of his new existence, the more isolated he feels among his fellow jaded vampires. Without knowing the secrets of Ichii’s dark past, can En trust in him enough for the two of them to become paired partners?

Personal & Info

I can’t help noticing how good of a job this series does drawing hands and toes. Those are difficult, and there are several panels that show close-ups of them. They look great. I aspire to be able to draw hands and feet so beautifully.

The censorship method used in this book is different than the first one. The first book uses the “light saber” method. This one occasionally uses that, but usually shows more of the shape of things and colors them in with gray to avoid showing any details.

Content Warnings

-Depression
-Dubious consent

Characters

En is the main character. He’s a homeless nineteen year old who was lucky, or unlucky, enough to survive a vampire attack. En is the first new vampire in approximately fifty years. He now lives with Ichii, and is currently in the process of adapting to his new life as a vampire.

Ichii is the love interest. He’s so old that other vampires occasionally refer to him as grandpa. His job is to oversee the criminals and troubled clientele of the community. He does things like wellness checks and supplies them with blood.

Utsugi is one of the first vampires En meets. He’s paired with Aogiri, but apparently has a history of cheating.

Aogiri is paired with Utsugi. He’s a plastic surgeon, and incredibly dedicated to Utsugi.

Sugi is a grieving vampire. He was a bit of a wreck in volume one, but seems to be doing better in this one. He’s no longer cooped up in his house alone.

Umesaki is high up in the vampire community. She is present at vampire related crime investigations, and she helps produce specialty vampire items.

Story & Thoughts

I like this, but I think the first volume is better. It feels like volume one covers more things, but that makes sense, because all of the most important characters have to get introductions in that one. There are a decent number of characters, so now that all of them are covered, the story is focusing more on En coming to terms with life as a vampire.

My review for the first book states that this is a depressing story. If you are hoping it gets cheerier as it goes, it doesn’t. En struggles with his feelings throughout the entire volume. Now that he’s met everybody and learned a little about vampire life, he has concerns. He’s starting to understand what he’s in for, and on top of that, he’s unsure about Ichii, the one person he feels he can trust. The romance continues to be mostly physical as they figure things out.

In the mean time, the story is taking a bit of a crime drama direction. The true culprit responsible for the party that led to En becoming a vampire is likely still out there. As the only survivor of that party, En might potentially be in danger.

If you read the first volume, you know everyone constantly makes baby jokes about En. This book pushes those jokes harder. They’re one of the primary sources of comedy in the series, but this one shows En in a baby style of art much more frequently. Most of the time it’s fine, but sometimes it feels oddly placed.

I heard this volume ends in a cliff hanger, and that is correct. I won’t say what it is, but it definitely throws a wrench into En and Ichii’s relationship. Volume three was recently announced, but there is no date for it, yet, so anyone reading the series will have to be patient.

Manga Haul March-April 2024

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About

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.

Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End, Vol. 7

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Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End, Vol. 7 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: 978-1-9747-3620-1
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?

After all the dangers the examinees have faced, passing the first-class mage exam will come down to a simple interview with Serie, whose intuition will determine success or failure. Then, Frieren, Fern, and Stark set out again on the road to Aureole, the land where souls rest. The journey provides new challenges – though the most challenging thing Stark and Fern may have to face is a date with each other!

Personal & Info

I bought this at the same time as volume six, and read them one after the other after my reread of the series. At this point, there are ten volumes available, so I’m still a little behind. When I eventually get caught up, I plan to try to keep up better with the current releases.

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. Her perspective on magic is that the pursuit of the art itself is the greatest joy.

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

Stark is Eisen’s apprentice. He has great skill as a warrior, but tends to be easy to scare.

Story & Thoughts

This one felt long. It’s not, but the pacing makes it feel like both a lot and nothing are happening in a way that makes the volume feel lengthy. I think the beginning and end sections were the best parts.

The first part of the volume covers the third part of the exam, picking up where the previous book leaves off with Fern. The rest of the examinees are then evaluated. If you read volume six, you know that this part of the test is simply Serie choosing to pass or fail them based on reactions or questions. I found this part amusing, because Serie’s questions and judgements about who passes and fails says a lot about her personality. It’s an interesting way to learn more about her character.

After the exam, there are the goodbyes to all the friends everyone made during the test. Some are seen again on the road, but things mostly get back to the travel montages and various flashbacks of things from Frieren’s past.

The part that excites me, and probably other readers with ships, is the latter end of the book. Stark and Fern actually go on their first date. It’s cute, but don’t get your hopes up too high. No drastic changes or improvements to their relationship occur during or because of the date.

There isn’t much action now that the exam is over, but this is still a good volume. I found myself smiling at multiple parts throughout the story. Despite the series starting off on a depressing note, I think it’s very heartwarming. It’s a comfortable and cozy feeling to read almost any volume.

Negima! Omnibus, Vol. 1

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Negima! Omnibus, Vol. 1 by Ken Akamatsu
Series Name: Negima! Magister Negi Magi
Genres: Action, Adventure, Comedy, Ecchi, Fantasy, Magic, Romance
Intended Age Group: 16+
Publisher: Kodansha
Edition: ebook 
ISBN: 978-1-61262-820-2
Rating: 2/5
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Description

Negi Springfield is a young graduate fresh out of a magic academy. The next step in his education is a work study. His assignment is to be a teacher…at an all girls junior high!? Can he balance a job as a child teacher and manage to attain his goal of becoming a great wizard?

Personal & Info

Amazon does not appear to have an active listing for this book, so the link leads to the series list where volumes two and up can be found.

I don’t really know anything about this series, aside from that it was wildly popular at one point.

This is the first 3-in-1 omnibus edition of any manga I’ve ever read. I wasn’t sure how I was going to format the review, because I wasn’t sure if the volumes have clear dividers. It turns out they do, so I’ll be reviewing each individual volume, as well as the omnibus as a whole.

Individual ratings for the volumes:
Volume 1: 2/5
Volume 2: 1/5
Volume 3: 3/5

Characters

Negi Springfield is about 10 years old, and a graduate from a magic academy. He’s from Wales, and his school assigns him to be a teacher in japan at the all girls school, Mahora Academy, for the purpose of working toward his chosen career.

Asuna Kagurazaka is a blatant bully, and most likely the love interest. She’s also Negi’s roommate/guardian.

Konoka Konoe is the Headmaster’s granddaughter, and Asuna’s roommate.

Konoemon Konoe is the headmaster. He is aware that Negi is a wizard, and his head is shaped like a pear.

Takamichi Takahata is the teacher Asuna is crushing on. Negi takes over his class, and Takamichi is not around much after that.

Shizuna is one of the school guidance councilors.

Ayaka Yukihiro is the class representative. She has a rivalry with Asuna that dates back to when they were small.

Negi’s entire class makes up the main cast, so I’m not going to list them all. They are all rather unique and quirky. Their names and general information can be found on a page that shows the class roster. More detailed information about each can be found between chapters where they list student bio information in small groups. The characters I chose to list here are the ones I feel are most important or are not included in the roster because they are faculty.

Story & Thoughts

Volume 1

My first impression is that this is a very dated type of humor. It doesn’t appeal to me right now, but it’s probably absolutely hilarious to twelve-year-olds. The main character, Negi, repeatedly sneezes girls’ clothes off throughout the volume. I wouldn’t mind it so much if there were a logical reason behind it. The way it’s done makes it feel forced just to have an immediate comedic effect.

There is a huge amount of fan service in this. I don’t think I’ve ever read a manga with this much fan service in it that was not intended to be explicit. This has way more ecchi in it than any other teen series I’ve ever read. That’s what stands out the most, but there are some good things I like.

There’s a large cast of characters. The entire class all has names. It’s not one of those series where most of the students are nameless blobs that only exist in the background. The cast size isn’t important to me. It’s more impressive that they bother to show the class roster with everybody’s names and activities on it next to their photos. That’s a good page to reference if anyone ever needs a refresher on who is who.

Aside from that, I like one of Negi’s quotes. “Courage – even a little bit of it – is the real magic.” It’s simple, but inspiring. It’s also probably Negi’s only solid teacher moment in the entire volume one section.

As for the story itself, the concept is simple and straight forward. Negi must be a teacher at this all girls school until March to meet the study requirements for his magic school. Nothing goes according to plan, because he’s younger than the class, and the little bit of magic he can do both causes and remedies problems. Plus, he has Asuna as his own personal bully.

I’m hoping there will be more to the story than all the nonsense and fan service. It’s apparently a romance, and I can only guess that Asuna and Negi are going to be the pairing. That’s a little strange due to their age difference.

I see plenty the story can build on for plot points, already. There’s a part where Asuna seems to be the only person immune to a spell that effects the whole class. I hope there is an actual reason for this that gets addressed later. Negi didn’t seem to notice, but it has to mean something.

Volume 2

The more I read this, the more problems I notice. One of the big things is Negi is too close to his students. He allows them to call him by his first name. He’s more of a friend to his students than a teacher. It would be wise for him to set some boundaries.

I have an issue with the ongoing types of humor and fan service. They’re highly inappropriate, and quite frankly, give me the ick. The story thus far is full of scenarios that surround Negi with naked girls and regularly shove people’s faces into boobs. This is a normal type of comedy for the time period, but the ages involved make it gross, and there’s just far too much of it.

Negi says he is in his tenth year, which makes him actually nine. All of his students are approximately six years older than him. It’s disgusting for teenagers to act this way. They keep saying he’s just a kid, but realistically speaking, he’s old enough that he should not be treated like he’s still a toddler when it comes to nudity.

The story itself is pretty weak. Negi is supposed to be doing a normal non-magical job as a teacher, but he resorts to magic for everything. We find out in this volume that all of his athletic ability comes from his magic. He literally cannot function without it. He becomes a child that needs to be coddled if he can’t use it. Not only that, but whenever a problem arises, he thinks he should use magic to fix it. Maybe he will grow to stop relying on it so much as the series goes on. I would hope that he does.

I did like the concept of Library Island. It’s strange that a library like that would exist and nobody would question it or think it odd, but it’s still an interesting idea. I don’t think teenagers should be the ones doing expeditions for it, though. I think I would have enjoyed this section more if it wasn’t also riddled with fan service. Adventure and lore about the library could have been interesting enough if made the main focus of the dungeon delve.

To be perfectly honest, I considered abandoning this omnibus maybe halfway through. Finishing this section was difficult, but I’m determined to complete the book. I’ve heard enough about the series over the years to know how popular it was, so I want to be able to say I gave it a fair shake by getting through the first three volumes.

Volume 3

This is the best volume in the omnibus. The fan service is downplayed significantly compared to the other two sections. It’s actually a relief. The addition of a perverted animal seems redundant when the series already has a ton of fan service as it is, but thankfully that behavior dies down after the character’s introduction.

There is much more to like about this section than the previous two. The story itself stands out now that the fan service is tamped down. We learn information that creates questions to actually try hooking the series better. A magic system regarding a mage and a combat partner gets an explanation, which leads us to magical combat.

The battle was enthralling. Renewal of the contract seemed pointless, but I guess it functioned as a way for Asuna to distract Chachamaru while Negi fought the vampire. I finally found some comedy that actually appealed to me in this part, too. The speech sounds people make when they get hit or knocked around during a fight are hilarious.

If the whole series were more like this volume, I’d like it better. This is what the series should be like. Volumes one and two are horrible introductions.

Overall

This series gives me Love Hina vibes, but with a younger age group. That’s not a compliment. I don’t like Love Hina.

As a whole, it gives me the ick. Negi is nine, because he claims to be in his tenth year, and according to the character information between chapters, Asuna is approximately five or six years older than him. That kind of romantic pairing is gross, and the amount of nudity thrown at Negi is abhorrent.

This is supposed to be a comedy, but I don’t find it funny. The comedy types and tropes are dated and probably appeal better to a younger audience. I didn’t get a laugh until part 3, and it came from the noises people made when being hit or knocked back. I doubt I would have enjoyed this series back when I was in the target age group, either. The comedy seems to be on the level of twelve year olds, but the series is recommended for sixteen and up.

If the whole series was like volume three, I would be interested in reading more. Unfortunately, I can’t predict if the series is more like the first two or the third. Only one good volume out of the first three doesn’t bode well, so I don’t plan on looking into it any further.

Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End, Vol. 6

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Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End, Vol. 6 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: 978-1-9747-3400-9
Rating: 4.5/5
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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?

The mages begin the second stage of their certification exam: a dangerous expedition into the innermost depths of the ruins of the king’s tomb. This time, there are no teams and it’s every mage for themselves. Whether they want to team up or not, the challenge they will face – their own clones – will push their skills to the limit.

Personal & Info

I haven’t been keeping up with this series as well as I should. There are long gaps between some of my volumes getting read, and I don’t buy them as often as I would like. I did a reread of volumes 1-5 before reading this one, because it’s been more than six months since I read anything from the series. The reread was worth it. It made the transition to my newer volumes smoother and refreshed my memory.

Everybody probably knows this already, but there’s an anime for this series available now.

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. Her perspective on magic is that the pursuit of the art itself is the greatest joy.

Fern is Frieren’s mage companion and apprentice. She seems to take a motherly role in caring for both Frieren and Stark. Her skill shines during the exams.

Kanne and Lawine are both third-class mages. They were Frieren’s teammates for the first part of the exam. Both of them attended the same academy of magic, and are good friends, despite how often they fight.

Übel and Land are third and second class mages. They were Fern’s teammates for the first part of the exam. Übel apparently learns magic via empathy and she’s pestering Land because she wants to learn his ability.

Denken, Laufen, and Richter are mages from a team in the first part of the exam. Richter appears to run some kind of store. Denken comes from an imperial mage background, and Laufen gets treated like she’s his granddaughter. Richter and Denken are second class mages while Laufen is third class. Denken is their leader.

Scharf, Ehre, and Wirbel are mages from a team in the first part of the exam. All three are second class mages. Wirbel appears to be their leader.

Sense is a first class mage, and the proctor for the second part of the exam.

There are more characters, but these are the ones that are most significant due to having played important parts in the first part of the exam. They are also the ones who get the most screen time in this section. Others mentioned in the book get less time, but may still be important.

Story & Thoughts

This is a great volume. The second part of the first class mage exam begins. It’s much simpler in comparison to the first part. Catching the stille was convoluted compared to this. For the second test, the goal is simply to make it to the end of an unmapped dungeon. What they don’t tell you is it’s not an ordinary dungeon.

Much like the the previous book, there’s a lot of magical combat. This is paired well with more information about various types of magic. So, if you like learning about how the magic of the world works, it’s pretty interesting.

I didn’t like Übel at all when she was first introduced, but the more screen time she gets, the more I like her. She’s a little psychotic, but sometimes the best characters are. I’m looking forward to more content with her if she makes any appearances after the exam.

The third exam is also in this book. It’s pretty pitiful compared to the first and second, but Fern’s turn makes me giggle. Her reaction must have felt so insulting, and then the volume just ended right there.

Overall, this volume was really good. It has comedy, strategy, competition, magic battles, and magic lore. I was torn on giving it a five, but I don’t think it was quite perfect. I’m enjoying the exam section a lot, but I also miss Stark. We’ve hardly seen him since the exams started. Poor guy can only wait around and kill time while the girls are taking the test.

When We’re in Love, Vol. 1

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When We’re in Love, Vol. 1 by Fuyu Kumaoka
Series Name: When We’re in Love
Genres: Comedy, Romance, Slice of Life
Intended Age Group: Teen
Publisher: Kodansha
Edition: ebook 
ISBN: 9781646597048
Rating: 1.5/5
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Description

Nanase Sakashita never looked twice at school delinquent Daiko Hana. At least, not until he rescued her from an awkward conversation and she saw his smile for the first time. What influence will these opposites have on each other, and does Sakashita have a chance if he’s already in love with someone else?

Personal & Info

I’m reading this book on BookWalker. It looks like it’s only available in digital. The Thrift Books link leads to the all editions menu, and it only has the Japanese print. So, if you want to read this series, you’re going to have to do it digitally or track down the Japanese hard copies.

Characters

Daiko Hana is the trouble student. Other students are afraid of him and spread wild rumors about how scary he is, when the truth is that he is probably not scary at all.

Nanase Sakashita is the class rep of class 1-1 at Tohoku High. She is a smart, kind, and well-behaved girl.

Komari is a teacher at the school, possibly a substitute according to some context. She’s also Hana’s childhood neighbor and friend.

Kaoru Kitada is the 40-year-old guidance counselor for the school.

Nishino is a guy Hana apparently beat up for saying something he didn’t like.

Tsutomu Birukawa is a guy who repeatedly confesses his feelings for Sakashita and insists he will wait for her for as long as it takes.

Story & Thoughts

I think this manga is rather dull. This is entirely based on this volume alone, and there could be a chance that it gets better when sampled in multiple volumes. However, I got this digital volume for free, and I don’t plan on spending money to try more of it.

The only thing I knew going into it was that it was a romance set in a school. I see the direction it’s trying to take, but it doesn’t implement it well.

Sakashita is the goody-goody class representative, who has a chance encounter with the school deviant. This somehow leads to her inadvertently crushing on him. She’s never dated or been interested in anyone before, so she doesn’t understand why she feels so interested in being around him and getting to know him. Eventually something clicks, and she realizes she’s crushing.

The volume is too short for the pacing to make it interesting, and the story is easily predictable. The most interesting part is the end of the volume when Hana hears something he wasn’t intended to hear. That’s the cliffhanger.

It’s not necessarily bad, though. I just don’t find it particularly good if the best part of the whole book is the bonus comics in the back. I don’t recommend it, but it’s probably more appealing to teens who have not read a ton of other romance. It’s a chill and kind of cute read. I can’t exactly describe it as okay, which is why it’s not a two, but I can’t say I didn’t like it at all, either.