Tag: Manga

My Happy Marriage, Vol. 4

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My Happy Marriage, Vol. 4 by Akumi Agitogi, Rito Kohsaka, Tsukiho Tsukioka
Series Name: My Happy marriage (Manga)
Genres: Fantasy, Historical, Romance
Intended Age Group: Teen
Publisher: Square Enix
Edition: Paperback 
ISBN: 978-1-64609-248-2
Rating: 3/5
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Description from the Book

Miyo Saimori, the eldest of her clan and yet unblessed by the supernatural talent that graced her father and half sister, is sent off to marry into the Gifted Kudo clan. The young and aloof clan leader, Kiyoka Kudo, finds himself intrigued by this girl who stands worlds apart from the spoiled, social-climbing women who usually vie for his hand.

All too soon, Kiyoka comes to regard Miyo with affection and they make their engagement real and official, but Miyo still worries she lacks the training to be a wife worthy of the Kudo clan. Enter Kiyoka’s older sister, Hazuki, who takes it upon herself to tutor Miyo – and tease Kiyoka along the way!

Suddenly Miyo and Kiyoka cross paths with a mysterious man named Arata Tsuruki. What does he want, and what connection does he have to the enigmatic and powerful Usuba clan that Miyo’s mother hailed from?

Personal & Info

I bought this at the same time as volume three, and I read them back to back. Unfortunately, there is no word of the existence of, or any plan for, volume five. I hope the manga continues, but in the mean time, I’m going to work on getting the light novels. The light novels seem to be still ongoing with new releases.

Characters

Miyo Saimori is the leading lady. She has a long history of suffering abuse at the hands of her own family. Now that she’s out from under their roof, she can finally start to heal.

Kiyoka Kudo is the male love interest. He has high political and military standing as well as wealth, and he is the current head of the Kudo family. His job is getting very demanding.

Yurie is Kiyoka’s housekeeper. She has taken care of him since he was young, and he trusts her implicitly. She is a kind older woman and she is fond of Miyo.

Hazuki Kudo is Kiyoka Kudo’s older sister. We learn more about her history in this volume.

Yoshito Godo is a young man who works as Kiyoka’s aide in the grotesquery military branch. We see him frequently in this book as Kiyoka spends a lot of time at work.

Arata Tsuruki is 24 years old, and the heir to the Tsuruki family, which owns a trading company.

Story & Thoughts

This seems like a plot building volume. Miyo’s immediate family problems are behind her and no longer a threat to her health or wellbeing. The story is moving forward with Miyo’s education and dealing with her trauma.

Her biggest problem in this book is her nightmares. The cause is unclear, but they’re obviously related to her trauma. She’s not receiving scathing verbal abuse from her family anymore, so her mind is supplying it while she sleeps. While she’s struggling with that, Kiyoka spends most of the volume busy with work.

Some important and interesting things go on in this volume. I can’t say I’m satisfied with it, though. It’s good for the story progression, but I also feel like it’s a step backwards. Miyo’s health is deteriorating, again, and she hasn’t learned how to make her needs or struggles heard. She still has a long way to go when it comes to recovering from her family’s abuse.

The things I like most about the volume are that we learn more about what Hazuki’s life has been like, and Kiyoka finally makes some progress on research regarding the Usubas. There’s enough new information to draw me in for reading the next book when it eventually becomes available. It would be more interesting if we could see the side of Kiyoka’s job that isn’t just paperwork, but maybe that will come along later.

To Ease the Pain of Loneliness

This is a bonus novel style chapter. It stars Hazuki reminiscing with Miyo about the time when Kiyoka decided to leave home. She ponders what he needed from the house in which he currently lives, and what similar aspects she sees in Miyo that makes Kiyoka enjoy her company. It’s written with Hazuki’s perspective. I think it gives her a little more depth to add onto the little we’ve learned about her.

Cat + Gamer, Vol. 1

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Cat + Gamer, Vol. 1 by Wataru Nadatani
Series Name: Cat + Gamer
Genres: Comedy, Slice of Life
Intended Age Group: 13+
Publisher: Dark Horse
Edition: Paperback 
ISBN: 978-1-50672-741-7
Rating: 3.5/5
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Desription from the Book

LEVEL UP WITH A NEW FELINE FRIEND!

Riko, a twenty-nine-year-old office worker with an obsession for video games, finds her quiet life upended when she takes in a stray cat! Having no experience with pets, Riko uses lessons drawn from video games to guide her in cat care, while her cute companion tries to understand Riko’s behavior and personal obsessions through a cat’s worldview.

Personal & Info

I originally found this series while browsing, and it sounded cute. It wasn’t urgent on my list of things that I wanted to read, so I put it on my wishlist. A friend ended up sending me a copy as a gift, which is kind of funny, because the series focuses on a tuxedo cat, and that particular friend has a tuxedo cat.

The book itself doesn’t specify an intended age group. I listed thirteen and up because that’s the typical age group for most manga. There’s nothing inappropriate in it. The only thing that might affect interest is the fact the main character is a twenty-nine-year-old adult. As long as the reader likes cats and their cute antics, this manga will probably be enjoyable.

Characters

Riko Kozakura is a twenty-nine-year-old single woman who works at a trading company office. She’s a gamer, and she lives alone.

Kikuta sits next to Riko at work. She’s twenty-three, and while they aren’t exactly friends, they do occasionally converse. Kikuta loves cats, but can’t have any because she’s allergic.

Musubi is the star tuxedo cat of the story. He’s only a couple months old. His exact age is nonspecific since he was a stray.

Miho Obayashi is the recurring pet shop employee. She’s twenty-one, and thinks Riko is an oddball.

Story & Thoughts

This is a really cute series. Riko takes in a stray kitten without even thinking about it. She knows absolutely nothing about cats, but just can’t say no to that cute kitty face.

The majority of the story is through Riko’s perspective. At the end of each chapter, there are “Bonus Stage” comics that show Musubi’s perspective for whatever went on during the chapter. This is reminiscent of Chi’s Sweet Home, in my opinion. If you like either of them, you would probably like the other.

Riko’s life revolves around video games. Whenever she’s not working, she’s at home playing games. The book does a decent job assisting readers unfamiliar with parts of that lifestyle by providing footnotes about activities and terminology. The problems she encounters are definitely relatable.

Overall, I think this is a good book or series to read if you like cats or just want something cute and funny. It was an enjoyable light-hearted read when I had some time to kill. Don’t expect to be blown away, but it’ll probably make you smile. It’s not on my priority list, but I’ll likely be getting more of this series eventually.

My Happy Marriage, Vol. 3

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My Happy Marriage, Vol. 3 by Akumi Agitogi, Rito Kohsaka, Tsukiho Tsukioka
Series Name: My Happy Marriage (Manga)
Genres: Fantasy, Historical, Romance 
Intended Age Group: Teen
Publisher: Square Enix
Edition: Paperback 
ISBN: 978-1-64609-156-0
Rating: 3/5
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Description from the Book

Though Miyo Saimori has found a place as Kiyoka Kudo‘s potential bride, the fact remains that she is untouched by thee supernatural power that defines both the Saimori and Kudo clans.

While Kiyoka seems willing to accept her as she is, Miyo is unsure and bewildered – she has never known such warmth in all her life…

Just as Miyo dares to believe she may have found happiness at last, her jealous half sister, Kaya, kidnaps her and locks her in a storehouse. Kaya’s eyes are red with rage as she declares her intention to dissolve Miyo and Kiyoka’s engagement and take Miyo’s place as his fiancée herself!

Will Kiyoka’s otherworldly abilities deliver her from Kaya’s clutches in time?

Personal & Info

I reread the first two volumes before reading this. It had been a while since I read them, and I was a bit late in getting volume three. I bought volumes three and four at the same time, so I’ll be caught up on the manga after reading both. Volume five is not yet out, even though it was rumored to release October of 2023.

Characters

Miyo Saimori is the leading lady. She has a long history of suffering abuse at the hands of her own family. Now that she’s out from under their roof, she can finally start to heal.

Kiyoka Kudo is the male love interest. He has high political and military standing as well as wealth, and he is the current head of the Kudo family.

Yurie is Kiyoka’s housekeeper. She has taken care of him since he was young, and he trusts her implicitly. She is a kind older woman and she is fond of Miyo.

Kaya Saimori is Miyo’s younger half-sister. She received everything Miyo did not growing up, and has been conditioned to want to be better than Miyo at everything and always have better than her.

Koji Tatsuishi is Miyo’s childhood friend. He is engaged to Kaya as an arrangement to become the next head of the Saimori family since they don’t have any sons.

Hazuki Kudo is Kiyoka Kudo’s older sister.

Masashi Okaito is the forty-year-old Major General in charge of the Grotesquerie unit.

Story & Thoughts

The first chunk of the book finishes the events from volume two. It shows Miyo’s side of things while Kiyoka is breaking down the gate. She stands up for herself against her family’s wishes for the first time in her life. I’m so proud of Miyo for not surrendering when it matters most. She’s had a lot of growth in a short amount of time.

Miyo’s family is absolutely insane. They shouldn’t have set her up with Kiyoka Kudo in the first place if they were going to decide she wasn’t good enough for that kind of life. They probably expected him to immediately throw her out.

The rest of the volume is more relaxed. Miyo wants to continue her cancelled education from her childhood, so Kiyoka’s older sister, Hazuki, is arranged to be her tutor. She seems super nice, and interacting with her will likely be good for Miyo.

New events are set in motion as Kiyoka receives a serious job order involving dangerous ghosts, and some interestingly foreboding foreshadowing predictions about Miyo. Something has been happening with her while she sleeps, so I wonder if all of these things are connected.

With her family out of the way, I’m curious to see what will happen next. I don’t like this volume as much as the first two, but it seems like it’s a transitional volume, so that’s normal. Either way, it’s still pretty good, and I’m looking forward to reading more of the series.

Rain

This is another bonus short story chapter written like a light novel. It focuses on an unpleasant memory of Miyo’s as a dream. The point of it seems to be Miyo realizing she can finally let out the repressed emotions she’s hidden away for so long, while speculating about whether it ever would have made a difference if she’d bothered to cry before. I think it shows more of her growth from healing to finally be able to let herself feel all the things she’s been repressing. The hope that one day she might not think about any of those traumatic experiences at all is promising.

Kaiju No. 8, Vol. 1

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Kaiju No. 8, Vol. 1 by Naoya Matsumoto
Series Name: Kaiju No. 8
Genres: Action, Sci-Fi
Intended Age Group: Teen
Publisher: Viz/ Shonen Jump
Edition: Paperback 
ISBN: 978-1-9747-2598-4
Rating: 3.5/5
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Description from the Book

With the highest kaiju-emergence rates in the world, Japan is no stranger to attack by deadly monsters. Enter the Japan Defense Force, a military organization tasked with the neutralization of kaiju. Kafka Hibino, a kaiju-corpse cleanup man, has always dreamed of joining the force. But when he gets another shot at achieving his childhood dream, he undergoes and unexpected transformation. How can he fight kaiju now that he’s become one himself?!

Kafka hopes to one day keep his pact with his childhood friend Mina to join the Japan Defense Force and fight by her side. But while she’s out neutralizing kaiju as Third Division captain, Kafka is stuck cleaning up the aftermath of her battles. When a sudden rule change makes Kafka eligible for the Defense Force, he decides to try out for the squad once more. There’s just one problem – He’s made the Defense Force’s neutralization list under the code name Kaiju No. 8.

Personal & Info

My friends have been highly recommending this manga for a while, so I figured I’d try it. One of them ended up with an extra copy of volume one and gave it to me. It took a while to get around to even though it was in my priority pile.

I think the anime is set to release April 2024, so there isn’t long to wait to be able to see that adaptation.

Characters

Kafka Hibino is the main character. He’s 32 and completely given up on his dream to join the Defense Force. He works as part of the cleanup crew instead.

Mina Ashiro is the 27 year-old third division captain of the Defense Force. She’s also Kafka’s childhood friend. I get the feeling they haven’t spoken in a long time.

Reno Ichikawa is an 18 year-old new recruit at the Monster Sweeper Inc. cleanup crew. He aspires to join the Defense Force and he doesn’t have the greatest first impression. Thankfully, his personality gets better as the story progresses.

Kikoru Shinomiya is the daughter of the Defense Force director and the number one applicant to watch.

Haruichi Izumo, Iharu Furuhashi, and Aoi Kaguragi are three of the best candidates for the Defense Force applicants. They’ll probably become important longterm characters later.

Soshiro Hoshina is the vice-captain of the third division Defense Force team, the same team Mina Ashiro captains. They are proctoring the exam for joining the force.

Story & Thoughts

This is pretty good. I like it enough to say I liked it. I don’t quite think it’s deserving of a four, but it’s close. The premise is interesting. I like that it stars a protagonist who isn’t a teenager. That’s not super common.

I get major Attack on Titan vibes from the series. The city is frequently attacked by Kaiju and the protagonist turns into a Kaiju himself. There are also hints that make me think he’s not the only one in this situation. Plus, there’s a special force intended to fight Kaiju. It certainly feels similar. I assume people who like one will like the other.

Unlike what I can recall about Attack on Titan, though, this series has a lot of comic relief. Kafka and Reno are amusing together. The tension never goes on for too long before they do something silly. They’re not trying to be silly, but things often turn out that way.

I think this is a strong start for the series. It explains everything you need to know, and it introduces several characters who are likely to be significant as the series progresses. These parts are done well, and now that they’re out of the way, the series should be able to really get going. I’m looking forward to continuing the series.

The Apothecary Diaries, Vol. 10

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The Apothecary Diaries, Vol. 10 by Natsu Hyuuga, Nekokurage, Itsuki Nanao, Touco Shino
Series Name: The Apothecary Diaries (Manga)
Genres: Drama, Historical, Mystery, Romance
Intended Age Group: Teen
Publisher: Square Enix
Edition: Paperback 
ISBN: 978-1-64609-136-2
Rating: 4/5
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Description from the Book

When two beautiful foreign envoys with designs on the Emperor come calling, they spin a fantastical tale about a courtesan who once captured the imagination of their family patriarch. Now it falls to Maomao to concoct a theatrical scheme to give the ladies a whopper of a story to take home! And when the hubbub from their visit dies down, Maomao goes back to sniffing around the Inner Court for the perfume oils and spices sold by the caravan that could spell disaster for the throne’s future heirs. But the trail leads her back…to the Crystal Palace?!

Personal & Info

It took me longer than I would have liked to get around to reading this. I ended up doing a full series reread to refresh my memory, and just because I wanted to. The reread was immensely enjoyable. My review for volume eleven will be a little late, but I’ll get to it as soon as I can.

Characters

Maomao is wonderful, as always. I absolutely adore her.

Jinshi is ever present and extra stressed. He does not seem to be having a good time in this volume.

Shenlu is an older lady who runs the clinic. She’s far older than the typical court lady, likely due to her special skills.

Xing is the Head Lady-in-Waiting at the Crystal Palace. She works for Lihua.

Story & Thoughts

This volume is pretty jam packed. It has six chapters. Five of them are multipart events. Of course, the first one is the continuation of the final chapter from volume nine. But, aside from that, there is a three chapter event, and the last chapter is part one for another multipart event.

Part two of The Moon Fairy is fantastic. I was all smiles for that chapter. While I enjoyed it, I don’t think I can say the same for Jinshi.

The Inner Court has several rules that make important things, like medical care, more difficult than they should be. Maomao learns about more of these things, and sees some of the imminent problems the Inner Court is likely to face as an eventuality. It’s clear the current emperor has many things in a transitional state and has not yet fully addressed some of the policy reforms.

On that subject, I think the social aspects of the Inner Palace need addressing. That’s more of an issue for the consorts to deal with, though, and some of them are not aware of the things that need to be fixed. There always seems to be one problem or another at the Crystal Palace, but Lihua seems ready to start addressing those issues.. I hope Lishu can wise up to some of the negativity involving her own ladies-in-waiting at some point.

It’s pretty funny we only just now find out that Maomao has been breaking highly enforced rules this whole time.

I’m surprised Jinshi didn’t express anything to Maomao about the scratches on her face after the drama had passed. He’s usually more concerned about anything that hurts her. The face is also very important inside the Inner Palace because of how much of the social structure there is based on looks, so I thought there should have been a little more attention drawn to that.

All in all, the series is holding up very well. My usual rating tends to be a solid four, with only the occasional dip to a three. It’s definitely one of my current favorites.

Daemons of the Shadow Realm, Vol. 3

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Daemons of the Shadow Realm, Vol. 3 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: 978-1-64609-244-4
Rating: 4/5
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Description from the Book

To get some answers, Yuru warily accepts an invitation from the Kagemoris, the very people who assaulted his village. This soon turns into an uneasy alliance when an ambush threatens everyone’s safety. But not even that surprise can prepare Yuru for Asa’s story! What is the stark secret to claiming the twins’ powers? And does Yuru have what it takes to confront what lies in the abyss…and beyond?

Personal & Info

I’ve been wanting to read this volume for a while now, but I’ve been too exhausted. It’s been sitting in my pile for about three weeks, so I’m glad I can finally get around to it. I feel like I can’t get these fast enough, because they all end on some sort of cliff hanger, whether it’s informational or action related. The urge to be able to binge is strong.

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 seems to be a good friend to Asa, but she doesn’t like Yuru after the events of the first volume. I like her even more after learning what names she chose for her daemons.

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.

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.

Divine Guardians Left and Right are the most important daemon characters, so far, 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

This is the third volume, and it’s still going strong. The focus of the plot for the volume is continuing to dump information they started discussing from volume two. The only reason I’m giving it a four instead of a five is because plot building episodes of anything tend to be a little less satisfying.

I love learning more about the plot regarding any story I’m reading, but let’s face it, they’re not always the most amazing sections. However, I feel like this series does a good job keeping those parts entertaining. The discussions have a certain liveliness about them, while still managing to keep the serious undertone.

In this case, we get more information about Yuru and Asa’s childhood. Yuru’s childhood was already filled with danger that no child should have to deal with, and Asa’s life after leaving the village has been no picnic. The conversation picks up from the dramatic conversational cliff hanger of volume two, and we learn how she acquired Break, which also tells us why she wears an eyepatch.

Aside from that, there are many areas in the second half where there is comic relief from Yuru seeing and learning more about modern things. Hiromu Arakawa does a good job with these parts by making them feel natural and not too time consuming. Yuru’s face in these situations is always priceless.

I think this series is well on its way to becoming one of my new favorites. I love everything about it, so far.

The bonus comic in the back titled Entombed, which stars the daemon Break, is all too relatable to me.

Dragon Ball: That Time I Got Reincarnated as Yamcha

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Dragon Ball: That Time I Got Reincarnated as Yamcha by Dragongarow Lee
Genres: Action, Adventure, Fantasy, Isekai
Intended Age Group: Teen
Publisher: Viz/ Shonen Jump
Edition: Paperback 
ISBN: 978-1-9747-0371-5
Rating: 3/5
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Description from the Book

A Dragon Ball fan’s Greatest dream is getting to live in the Dragon Ball universe and fight alongside Goku and his friends! One particular fan thinks he’s living the dream when he suddenly dies and is reborn in the Dragon Ball world, but he’s in for a rude awakening when he realizes he’s been reincarnated as everyone’s favorite punching bag, Yamcha!

Personal & Info

I grew up watching Dragon Ball religiously and playing all of the games I could get my hands on. It had a huge impact on my life, but these days I’m not interested in anything made after the release of GT. This book was given to me as a gift, and it was the first time I was excited about anything Dragon Ball related in a long time.

I think this manga is more likely to be enjoyed by people already familiar with the Dragon Ball universe. It would be more difficult to follow story elements if the reader doesn’t know anything about the series or the original plot.

Characters

Yamcha is the main character, or in this case, an unnamed protagonist in the body of Yamcha. A Dragon Ball superfan, to be more specific.

Several characters appear throughout the book, but most of them only have brief appearances since the story focuses on Yamcha. If you’re familiar with Dragon Ball, just think of the gang from the Saiyan Saga, and that pretty much covers it.

Story & Thoughts

This was actually more serious than I was expecting. I thought it was going to be a hard core comedy, and I would have been okay with that. It’s not super funny, but it does have some laughs. The focus is more about Yamcha crushing on Bulma and using his fan knowledge of the series to try hard not to die in any of the events that would normally threaten his life.

Part of me was hoping that Yamcha would overcome Goku’s level of power and steal the show somehow, but realistically, that’s not possible for a human. Wishful thinking, I guess. I was a little worried when I heard Yamcha’s intentions, at first. Trunks is one of my favorite characters in the series. If Yamcha succeeded in what he wanted, then my favorite character would no longer exist. I don’t know if I would like a Dragon Ball world where Trunks was never born.

I never read the manga for Dragon Ball or Dragon Ball Z, but I get the feeling this uses the terms and names from that version. Some are spelled different than the TV versions or just completely different words (probably the Japanese ones).

Overall, I give this manga a soft three out of five. I like it enough to say that I enjoyed it. The story is so fast paced it covers Dragon Ball, the saiyan saga, AND the Cell saga, all in one tiny book. I think if it were longer, it could probably make a really good action drama romance series. That’s a spin on the series I would love to see. Regardless, the book is a fun and quick read that triggers all the right kinds of nostalgia. It almost makes me want to collect the manga for the parts of the Dragon Ball universe that I know I like.

Light Novel & Manga Haul February 2024

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About

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.

Daemons of the Shadow Realm, Vol. 2

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Daemons of the Shadow Realm, Vol. 2 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: 978-1-64609-222-2
Rating: 5/5
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Description from the Book

Ancient Daemons awaken to fight a new battle in an age-old war!!!

Yuru’s quiet life comes to a sudden, bewildering end when his mountain home is attacked…by none other than his twin sister, Asa! Forced to assume the role of Daemon Wielder, Yuru manages to escape with the help of his new allies. But while they seek to keep him hidden, Yuru seeks answers, a search that puts him on a collision course with Asa and her mysterious coconspirators, the Kagemori clan…

Personal & Info

I bought this before I read volume one, and I’m glad I did, because I wanted more after finishing the first book. I’ll have to get more after this one. This is as far as my buffer goes for the series. I’ll try to get reviews up for more volumes whenever I manage to get more.

Characters

Yuru is the older male twin of the two main characters. He has great hunting skills and a helpful nature. This volume shows more insight into how much of a badass he is.

Asa is the younger female twin of the two main characters. She is Yuru’s younger sister, and she seems to adore her brother. A more cheery side of her personality is shown here instead of her ruthless assassin characteristics from the first book.

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 often brings medicine and other helpful things to the isolated mountain village. Currently, he is posing as Yuru’s father.

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.

Gabby seems to be a good friend of Asa’s, but she doesn’t like Yuru after the events of the first volume.

Jin Kagemori appears to be a high rank in some kind of family organization fighting against the village.

Haruo and Akio appear to be Jin’s right hand men, at least for this volume. Both of them have Daemon pairs.

Dr. Sakurazawa is a doctor at the Kagemori mansion. It’s unclear if they will be a significant character, but they are present throughout a large portion of the volume.

More Daemons than in the previous volume appear. All of the ones seen before are present, as well as a bunch of new ones. Most of them are likely one-off appearances, aside from the ones who are partners with newly significant characters.

Story & Thoughts

The fast, intense, start of volume one doesn’t lose any ground as this one continues right where it leaves off. Yuru rushes into danger to find answers to his questions regarding his family. There’s no shortage of action.

In volume one, Yuru’s hunting skills are shown to be top notch. Now, we get to see how lethal he really is. He is skilled in more than just the bow that we’ve already seen him use. He’s a nightmare in the dark, and the demonstration of his talents paints him as a real badass. Asa basically has a super power, yes, but I think the sheer skill in what Yuru does with mundane simple weapons is way cooler.

As the story progresses we get a little better of an understanding about what’s really going on. Not nearly enough, but it’s a start. I have a feeling any information involving the parents will be a long way off, but in the mean time, we’ll likely get to know Asa a bit better. She seems thrilled to have her brother close, even if they are complete strangers to each other.

I love seeing all the varieties of Daemons. Some look like they come from mythologies, while others are from straight up fairy tale or story book characters. I just really love this whole concept for how they work.

I think my favorite characters, so far, are Yuru and Gabby. Yuru, because he’s a badass in a way that ticks a lot of my boxes, and Gabby…Well, she’s just growing on me. She has Ed’s cranky face, and I love that, but she’s also super vicious. But I can tell she has a soft side, too. She seems like a good friend, and she really cares about her Daemons.

I’ll definitely be getting more volumes for this series, and I definitely recommend it.

Daemons of the Shadow Realm, Vol. 1

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Daemons of the Shadow Realm, Vol. 1 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: 978-1-64609-186-7
Rating: 5/5
Amazon Barnes&Noble Crunchyroll ThriftBooks

Description from the Book

Ancient Daemons awaken to fight a new battle in an age-old war!!

In a remote mountain village under the watchful eyes of two stone guardians, the young Yuru contentedly lives off the land while staying close to the only family he has left – Asa, his precious twin sister. Asa, meanwhile, carries out a mysterious “duty” on behalf of the village while locked in a cage. Why is Asa a prisoner? And what other secrets does Yuru’s otherwise idyllic home hide?

Personal & Info

I don’t have reviews of it on here, yet, but Fullmetal Alchemist is one of my all time favorite anime and manga. This series is fairly new by the same creator. That’s all I need to be willing to try it. I’m going into this with only the information from the back of volume one.

Characters

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

Asa is the younger female twin of the two main characters. She’s Yuru’s younger sister, and little is known about her from this volume alone. All we really know is that she is powerful and she might be on the wrong side of a conflict.

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 often brings medicine and other helpful things to the isolated mountain village.

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.

Gabby appears to be a good friend of Asa’s. She apparently doesn’t mind pain, and her Daemons are a set of teeth.

Jin Kagemori appears to be a higher rank up in some kind of organization. His Daemons appear to be themed around angler fish.

Various Daemons are also characters. I don’t know which ones are important enough to list, nor do I want to spoil too much by describing them in any further detail. The most important are probably Left and Right. You’ll understand that more if you read the book.

Story & Thoughts

Going into this, I had no idea what to expect. The description is vague and even potentially sounds dull. I put my trust in Hiromu Arakawa in hopes it would be worth reading, and she did not let me down. The description only really covers the introduction portion of the book. Things quickly escalate and change from there. One second it’s a peaceful isolated village expressing to the reader how they struggle for resources and to find work, and the next, people are getting their throats slit or just entirely sliced in half.

The village is quickly left behind as Yuru is forced into the modern world. The story is serious, but makes time for funny moments. Yuru knows nothing of the world outside the village, so there are amusing interactions as he adjusts to culture shock. Everything he sees awes and amazes him. I wasn’t expecting the story to go into the modern world, but so far I don’t mind.

I love the concept of the Daemons and their bonds with people. It’s cool they come in pairs. No two sets are the same. And speaking of Gabby’s teeth, I never would have thought a disembodied set of teeth could be cute.

The series has a similar vibe to Fullmetal Alchemist in all the right ways. There’s action, supernatural aspects, adventure, bloody violent ruthlessness, and comic relief. I devoured this volume and loved every minute of it. It has a bit of a tense cliffhanger at the end, so I’m glad I already have volume two. This book is a nice strong start to a new series, and I really hope it stays good.