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.
I wasn’t actually expecting to have many manga for a haul this month. I thought I’d have maybe four. Obviously, I ended up with more than that. A pleasant surprise. Everything in this haul was purchased new from various sources or received as gifts, except for one manga.
Light Novels
Bofuri: I don’t Want to Get Hurt, so I’ll Max Out My Defense, Vol. 2
This book was gifted to me by the same friend who initially recommended the series and also gave me the first volume. I have seen some of the anime since reading the first book, but not the manga. Based on what I’ve seen of the anime, I think the light novel is the better version. I couldn’t read certain information in the anime without having to pause many times, because it seems like the anime doesn’t consider the forum posting as important as the light novels do. The forum posting parts are so wholesome. I feel like that’s one of the many reasons I like the light novel as much as I do.
I plan on reading this series long term, but it’s not a high priority on my collection list. The reviews for it will likely not be frequent. This one is also twice as thick as the first book, so that’s nice.
Just a warning, the light novels for this series are bound with flimsier paper than usual. If you so much as set it down wrong or drop it on the floor from a small height, there is a strong possibility it might tear. I’m two for two on that, so far.
What is it?
A funny and interesting VRMMORPG themed series.
Heaven Official’s Blessing: Tian Guan Ci Fu, Vol. 1
I’m dipping my toes into the danmei genre. I read the first volume of The Scum Villain’s Self Saving System and really liked it. This series is by the same author, so I got the first book to try. If I like both series, I’ll expand more deeply into the genre. So far, I’m optimistic.
What is it?
A historical BL (danmei) of some kind.
Manga
Ai Ore, Vol. 1
This is the only pre-owned manga in my haul. I bought it in the same store as some of my pre-owned novels the same month, in one of the same stores. The manga section of the store was closed the day a friend and I were shopping. We kept checking back in to see if they’d opened it. When we were finally allowed to enter that area, I felt like it would be rude not to buy something, since we kept asking about it.
The selection was pretty small, but this manga stood out to me. It’s pretty thick, like twice the size of a regular volume, and it’s a gender queer romance. It was half cover price, so I figured why not?
What is it?
A romance with two gender queer characters and a rock band.
Cat + Gamer, Vol. 1
This book was gifted to me from my wishlist. It’s about someone who gets a cat and uses their video game knowledge to help them learn how to take care of it. It sounded super cute when I came across it, so I’m looking forward to reading it. I think it’s great how many slice of life series about cats there are these days.
What is it?
A cute series about a gamer who adopts a cat and has no idea how to take care of it.
Daemons of the Shadow Realm, Vol. 3
Volume one hooked me. As a fan of Fullmetal Alchemist, this series does not disappoint. I’m excited to read this volume. I hope it keeps going strong. This is probably a series I’ll be collecting long term.
What is it?
An action adventure featuring spiritual duo companions and special powers as well as a generations old feud.
Dragon Ball: That Time I Got Reincarnated as Yamcha
I was a huge Dragon Ball fan when I was growing up. I’m generally not a fan of the modern stuff for it, though. My preference was for Dragon Ball, Dragon Ball Z, and I’m one of those weird people who actually likes Dragon Ball GT. So, I don’t pay much mind to anything Dragon Ball these days.
THIS, however, is a gift I received that I am absolutely excited to read. After reading the description and flipping through the pages a little, this manga seems hilarious, and I love the concept. It’s definitely on my short list of things to read in my immediate pile of manga.
What is it?
A stand alone isekai story that, I strongly assume, is a comedy.
Fangs, Vol. 2
I like volume one of this series, but it’s definitely not for everyone. It’s not exactly a happy series. I thought this was the final volume, but I did some quick checking, and people are saying there is likely more to come, because there’s supposedly a cliff hanger. Now I have concerns, because this volume came out two years ago and I don’t see any release information anywhere about a third volume. I’ll definitely be reading this soon to find out for myself. It’s on my short list pile.
What is it?
A vampire BL romance with some depressing themes.
Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End, Vol. 6 & 7
I’m still a little behind on volumes for this series. I’m hoping to catch up before I get around to watching the anime. The other day, I saw volume ten came out, so I’m not too far behind on the English releases.
Reviews for the volumes I’ve already read can be found in the index section.
What is it?
A fantasy story about an Elf mage coming to terms with how long her lifespan is compared to those around her.
Moriarty the Patriot, Vol. 1
I’m a fan of mysteries and Sherlock Holmes, so this series has been on my list of things to try for a while. This copy was gifted to me, and I’m looking forward to reading it. I don’t know anything about the contents, but I’m aware of who Moriarty is. I don’t think I’ve actually read any Sherlock Holmes stories that had Moriarty in them, though, so I don’t actually know a whole lot about the character, aside from them being Holmes’ rival. The only exposure to Moriarty I’ve had was the TV show Elementary, where if I remember right, Moriarty was a woman.
What is it?
A mystery series featuring Sherlock Holmes’ rival, Moriarty.
Soul Eater: The Perfect Edition, Vol. 2
I love Soul Eater, but my first exposure was the anime. I hear the manga is significantly better. Either way, I already planned on getting the manga. The perfect editions are hardcovers, and I see no reason not to get a favorite series in hardcover, so these are the ones I will be going with. It’ll likely be a while before I get around to reading them.
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.
Miscellaneous
Fullmetal Alchemist 20th Anniversary Book
I don’t even really know what’s in this book. I just saw a 20th anniversary book was being released and I had to have it for my Fullmetal Alchemist collection. It’s approximately the same size as the hardcover editions of the manga, so it should look nice next to them on the shelf. I’ll likely read this after I get around to rereading the series.
What is it?
A collectable anniversary book with extra comics and information pertaining to the main series.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
This haul is a mix of purchases from a local store, an order from Amazon, and a gift from a friend.
The Apothecary Diaries, Vol. 9
I highly recommend this series. I can’t get enough of it. The review for this volume is already available, and you can use the index to find reviews for all of the volumes that came before it.
What is it?
A Chinese inspired historical mystery romance, mostly taking place inside the Inner Palace of the emperor’s consorts.
Fangs, vol. 1
I stumbled across this when the release was new. It got thrown onto my wishlist and forgotten for a while. The series only has two volumes at the moment, and I’m unsure if it will be getting any more than that.
What is it?
A vampire BL romance.
Kaiju No. 8, Vol. 1
A friend of mine had an extra copy, so this book was a gift. I don’t know much about it, but I’ve heard good things.
What is it?
Sounds like a sci-fi action series involving fighting off Kaiju. The description gives me Attack on Titan or Fire Force vibes.
My Hero Academia, Vol. 3
I mostly bought this to fill in a gap. My collection for this series is far behind current releases. I haven’t even started reading it. Before getting this volume, my collection only had one, two, and four. This series is not a priority for me. It’s long, and it has multiple spin-offs, so I’m not quite ready to delve into reading it. I plan on building a significant buffer before taking the plunge.
What is it?
An action manga themed around a school for super heroes, in a world where it’s normal for everyone to have a super power, except for a very minute portion of the population.
I was expecting to barely have enough books to even do a manga haul this month. My self control obviously needs work.
The books in this haul are a mix of Amazon orders, new and used, and purchases from my local store.
Comics
Avatar: The Last Airbender: The Rift
This is the fourth omnibus in the recommended reading order for the Avatar comics, at least as far as I know. I think this is the library edition. For most of the Avatar comics, the paperbacks seem to be the individuals, and the hardcovers tend to be the omnibus library editions.
What is it?
A comic omnibus of The Rift that continues the story from the TV show, Avatar: The Last Airbender.
This book is a danmei, which is a genre that is exploding in popularity right now. Danmei is essentially the Chinese equivalent to Boys Love. I generally love stories with BL couplings, so I got this book to try some danmei.
I specifically chose this one to try, because it’s rather short as a series. It only has four volumes in total. The series is a trilogy, with a fourth book that covers content for both past and future. So, if I like the series, it won’t be a huge commitment to finish it.
What is it?
From what I can tell, it’s a historical isekai BL romance.
Manga
The Apothecary Diaries, Vol. 8
The Apothecary Diaries is a fantastic series and I highly recommend it. The review for this volume is already available. Volume nine will release on August, 15th.
What is it?
A Chinese inspired historical mystery romance.
Flame of Recca, Vol. 18, 19, & 22
Flame of Recca is out of print, but I started my collection in middle school, so I want to finish it. The remaining volumes are higher in price, so they likely will not be seen in my hauls very frequently. I also will be purchasing them out of order from here on out, because it’ll be entirely based on what I find at reasonable prices based on availability.
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. 5
I love this series. I’m a little behind on the English releases, but I’m trying to catch up. My goal is to catch up to the current releases before I watch the anime. There’s still time before that airs.
At the time of this post, reviews for the first four volumes are available. Five should be up in the near future.
What is it?
A fantasy story about an Elf mage coming to terms with how long her lifespan is compared to those around her.
Inuyasha VIZBIG Edition, Vol. 5
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. Reviews for this series will likely wait until I feel like doing a re-read, which will probably be a good while.
Recently, I’ve also started getting the sequel series, Yashahime. I haven’t read any of it, yet, but reviews for it will be up eventually.
What is it?
A Japanese time travel adventure romance with demons.
Noragami Omnibus, Vol. 6 (volumes 16-18)
I’m getting these as they release, and I have plenty to get started on whenever I feel like it. This series is one of the manga I’m looking forward to reading the most. I just haven’t found the right time to start it.
What is it?
An urban fantasy focused around gods and the spirit world.
Tail of the Moon, Vol. 15
This is the final volume of the Tail of the Moon series. It completes my collection, so after all these years, I can finally finish reading it. This series will be on the short list for manga I will be reading.
What is it?
A romance story about an incompetent ninja girl sent to woo Lord Hanzo.
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.
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.
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.
