Tag: Manga

Light Novel and Manga Haul July 2023

fantasticfictionsblog

About

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.

Light Novels

The Scum Villain’s Self-Saving System: Ren Zha Fanpai Zijiu Xitong, Vol 1

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.

The Apothecary Diaries, Vol. 8

fantasticfictionsblog

The Apothecary Diaries, Vol. 8 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: 978-1-64609-134-8
Rating: 4/5
Amazon Barnes&Noble Crunchyroll ThriftBooks

Description from the Book

Sly tactician Lakan’s attempts at provocation lead to his own downfall when Maomao challenges him to elephant chess, only to outplay him in a game of wits! In a stupor from drinking “poison” as punishment for his loss, Lakan dreams of a long-lost past, his affair with a beautiful courtesan, and meeting her daughter for the very first time. Upon waking, he finds himself at Verdigris, where he is pressed to buy the freedom of a girl of his choosing and take her home as his wife! But will any of the flowers there catch his eye when his heart is in love with a memory?

Personal & Info

I keep a close eye on the release dates for this series. This volume was originally planned to release in May. Unfortunately, it was delayed until July, so it’s been a full six months since the last book. Things have been rather hectic for me lately, so I didn’t have time to re-read the previous volumes. Hopefully I remember enough to keep up with the story.

Characters

Maomao, my favorite character in the series, continues to be eccentric in all the best ways. We learn more about her origins in this volume.

Lakan is probably the most unlikeable character in the series. Despite previous hinting, he’s not as terrible as implied, but he’s still pretty bad.

Jinshi, always intrigued by Maomao, realizes he is a cat person.

Other characters also appear, but these three consume most of the screen time.

Story & Thoughts

The book starts off by diving into Lakan’s backstory. There is a preview of this at the end of volume seven, so I was expecting it. None of it justifies anything he does, but it gives some insight into understanding why he does things. It’s weird to see him more humanized after the series painted him to be an insensitive jerk of a tactician. I get the feeling the story is trying to emphasize that he’s not really a bad person, just different, and often misunderstood.

Out of the six chapters, four of them focus on backstory. Maomao and Lakan are the main focus of the volume, and their connection finally gets an in depth explanation. We even get to see Maomao’s mother. Most of the information has been hinted at throughout the story, so these chapters just solidify everything. The part that got me was the reveal of who Luomen, Maomao’s Pa, really is. That was something I never saw coming.

I’d been wondering about Maomao’s nightmare from an earlier volume. That’s one of the things that gets an explanation in this book, so I’m pretty happy about that. Maomao has certainly had an interesting childhood.

The last two chapters are more fun. There aren’t any blatant mysteries. It’s just life getting back to normal after the Garden Banquet.

Maomao and Jinshi seem to have what could be a moment in this volume. It lasts for maybe a second. They seem to have potential romantic moments scattered throughout the series, but they never last long, and quickly devolve into comedy. I can’t help wondering if one of these times one of those moments will be different.

I did notice an issue that confounded my brain. There was a sentence in the book where, I’m not sure if it’s a translation error or editing problem, but the text was confusing. The wording was strange enough that I didn’t exactly understand the intended meaning of what it was trying to say. I muddled through, but I had to re-read the sentence multiple times and guess at the intention.

My Best (♀) Butler, Vol. 1

fantasticfictionsblog

My Best (♀) Butler, Vol. 1 by Souko Masaki
Series Name: My Best (♀) Butler
Genres: Comedy, gender-bend
Intended Age Group: Older Teen
Publisher: Kodansha
Edition: ebook
ISBN: 9781646596515
Rating: 4/5
Amazon Barnes&Noble BookWalker

Description

Rui Aoto’s family has fallen on hard times. It’s up to her to take care of her younger brother Kyo, and she refuses to be a burden on friends or family. When Rui cross-dresses to be able to work at a host club, things go awry. A rich boy, named Tohma, comes to her rescue, and her life changes drastically. To amuse Tohma, Rui agrees to a wager, and must now serve as Tohma’s “male” butler until next march. If she can do so, without exposing her true gender, Tohma will give her $10,000.

Personal & Info

I absolutely could not decide what to read for this week. Normally, I choose random numbers by rolling dice to decide which ebook on my list to read, but this time I was not satisfied with any of my choices. I ended up asking friends for random numbers instead, and then narrowing it down randomly from there. For some reason, I was more satisfied with that end result than my own. Anyway, this is the book that was chosen via coin flip after all others were eliminated.

This is one of the ebooks I got for free from a BookWalker sale. It does not appear to have any physical copies in English, yet.

Depending on your preference for consent, this book might irk you. There is crotch grabbing and peeking up skirts. That’s pretty much the only thing I recall seeing that is worth mentioning for any kind of warning.

Characters

Rui Aoto is the main character. She is Kyo’s older sister and considered flat chested.

Kyo Aoto is Rui’s younger brother. He dropped out of school after a confession to a male classmate went wrong.

Moka seems like Rui’s best friend. She is the daughter of the bakers who take Rui and Kyo in at the start of the book.

Benny is Moka and Rui’s friend.

Tohma is a bored and lonely rich kid. He has a bit of an attitude, and a severe allergy to women.

Saginuma is Tohma’s driver and butler, because they have yet to replace the previous butler. He’s been with Tohma’s family for a long time.

Yoinomiya and Ohgi are the two guys Tohma requested to watch over Rui at school.

Mr. T. Bear is a handmade teddybear from a series of children’s books. Mr. T. Bear is very important to Tohma. Kyo and Tohma are both fans of the Mr. T. Bear books.

Haruki is Tohma’s cousin, and the despot of the school. He has an anger problem.

Hatarai is Haruki’s butler.

Goryoba and Watatsumi are student council members. Goryoba is apparently very strong, and Watatsumi is “elitist.”

There are an abundance of characters with names throughout the book. I know I did not mention them all, and that is intentional. Several of them are insignificant, or only appear once or twice, so are not worth mentioning here.

Story & Thoughts

I went into this manga blind, and I’m pleasantly surprised that it’s a gender-bend. Those are some of my favorite kinds of manga. Yes, I know, the lady butler part should have made that obvious, but I wasn’t looking too closely at it.

Anyway, the setting is a little generic. The city they live in is divided into ten wards, which divide the people by wealth. Ward ten, where Rui and her friends live in the beginning of the story, is the poorest. Ward one, where Tohma lives, is the richest.

The host club job Rui’s friend Sera sets her up with is super creepy. The employees, who are teenaged boys (this is where the cross-dressing comes in), sit in a lobby where they can eat and drink from the club menu as much as they want. The facility has one way mirrors, where clients can see the employees to choose one to request for a private sitting. It’s supposed to be conversational entertainment, but the clients are all apparently older, and usually creepy, men.

Rui is warned before her shift starts that she should never leave the building with a client, because it’s unsafe, but that’s practically the first thing she does. It’s like she has no survival instinct. She definitely does not come off as an intelligent character early on.

The day to day life adventures Rui has as Tohma’s butler are amusing. She has much to learn, and must learn everything quickly. Reputation and perception are extremely important to do her job, as well as knowing how to use her resources to her advantage. The simple and ridiculous ordeals she has to deal with make good comedy. The people and places are definitely not entirely normal, either.

I have some suspicions about the Mr. T. Bear stories. I think they’re more than just a series of children’s books that Tohma likes.

There is a tiny bit of romance, but I don’t know if it’s enough to label the book as romance. Rui has a crush and gets flustered, but it doesn’t seem romantic to me. It could escalate to be more romantic later, but I won’t know for sure unless I read more.

I do intend to read more of this series eventually. It bugs me that it’s only available digitally. I’m going to have to figure out which source I would prefer to use, because I don’t usually commit to any digital manga.

A Condition Called Love, Vol. 1

fantasticfictionsblog

A Condition Called Love, Vol. 1 by Megumi Morino
Series Name: A Condition Called Love
Genres: Romance, Slice of Life
Intended Age Group: Teen
Publisher: Kodansha
Edition: ebook
ISBN: 9781646593415
Rating: 5/5
Amazon Barnes&Noble RightStuf ThriftBooks BookWalker

Description

Hotaru Hinase is a normal girl who doesn’t care much for the idea of love. It’s just not for her, or at least that’s what she thinks. Change is set in motion when a simple act of kindness wins the heart of school heartthrob Hananoi. A trial run at dating might be just what Hotaru needs to find out what love means to her.

Personal & Info

My life has been high stress as of late, so I’ve been unable to get much reading done. I’m reviewing this digital manga as my book for the week, because one manga is all I can manage right now.

I got this for free from a BookWalker sale, but unlike other manga I’ve gotten this way, this one is actually available in print.

Characters

Hotaru Hinase is the leading lady. She’s a first year student in high school, and she is convinced love is not for her.

Hananoi is the leading man. He’s a good looking guy, but girls seem to always be disappointed when they get to know him, because they have different ideas of what he should be like based on his looks.

Kyo is Hotaru’s best friend.

Hibiki Keigo is Kyo’s boyfriend. He is the one who asked her out.

Kagari, I think, is Hotaru’s older sister.

Tomo is Hotaru’s little sister. She figure skates.

Story & Thoughts

I chose this at random on a day when I absolutely did not feel like reading anything. It was a great choice, though, because instead of trudging though it, I actually enjoyed the story immensely. This series is definitely going on my wish list of things to get for my physical shelf.

The art is beautiful. It has a unique charm that I can’t find the words to describe. I love the facial expressions. Hotaru’s thick eyebrows are fantastic, too. I don’t see many characters drawn that way.

The characters are interesting. Hananoi is a bit intense in an insane way. He’s kind and sweet and considerate, but he goes over the top on everything to the point of changing himself or to the detriment of his health. He just doesn’t know where to draw the line on doing anything for the one he loves.

Hotaru is a good compliment to his personality, because she acts as a sort of ground. She insists he does not change himself for her sake, and she doesn’t want him doing anything for her that is bad for his health or well-being. It seems like Hananoi isn’t used to people liking him for who he is or caring about his health. I think they are good for each other. They are each what the other seems to need.

As for the story itself. It’s so sweet and wholesome. It follows Hotaru as the main character. She doesn’t think love is for her and she is okay with that, but she sees what it’s like for other people who have someone, and she is open to finding out if she is capable of that connection. As the story progresses, she starts to learn what love means to her. Her initial thoughts about it were more than likely because she didn’t fully understand it. Hananoi likely had a point when he said she simply lacked experience.

This is a great manga. I smiled and laughed while reading it. It has sweet moments that make me go, “aww”. The characters are engaging and interesting. I love everything about it. Hananoi still seems to have some mystery about him, so I still see things for the story to build on as the story progresses. This is a series I definitely plan to read more of at some point.

Manga Haul June 2023

fantasticfictionsblog

About

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

Black Cat, Vol. 16

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

What is it?

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

The Titan’s Bride, Vol. 2 & 3

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

One Two Three

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

What is it?

A cute and sweet smutty BL isekai featuring size difference.

Yashahime: Princess Half-Demon, Vol. 1

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

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

What is it?

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

The Titan’s Bride, Vol. 3

fantasticfictionsblog

The Titan’s Bride, Vol. 3 by ITKZ
Series Name: The Titan’s Bride
Genres: BL, Fantasy, Isekai
Intended Age Group: Mature
Publisher: Seven Seas
Edition: Paperback 
ISBN: 978-1-68579-331-9
Rating: 4/5
Amazon Barnes&Noble Crunchyroll ThriftBooks

Description from the Book

Koichi has made the painful decision to return to his world. With their agreement satisfied and his decision made, Caius begins the magical process of sending him back. However, as the process begins, Kouichi watches as Caius’ physical form begins to fade. Unable to help him or ask why, the couple is dragged apart. What is wrong with Caius, and who, if anyone, will be able to help Kouichi in his hour of need?!

Personal & Info

It’s essentially a smutty romance, and not the censored kind, either. There are no black bars, blurring, or bright lights to block anything out. Do not read this manga if you don’t think you would like the smut sections, because there are a significant amount of them. You must be prepared for that going into it.

Characters

Kouichi Mizuki is a basketball star and very popular with the ladies. He is the one who gets summoned to another world.

Caius Lao Visteil is the prince of Tildant, the kingdom of titans. He summons Kouichi to his world because he must marry someone not of his own world.

Dr. Malthu is the palace doctor.

Baro Barrows is a canine beastman from Foval. He now works for Dr. Malthu as an assistant, and his nickname for Kouichi is Tiny.

Reiquerd Carlsine, also known as Reil, is an elf who chooses to study sex.

Dyne is Reil’s assistant. He appears to be a Titan, and does not show his face.

Story & Thoughts

This volume focuses significantly more on story than smut. It doesn’t bother me, but people reading it primarily for the smut might be a little disappointed. The first chunk of the book obviously relates to Kouichi’s decision, and finalizing whichever choice he makes.

After Kouichi makes his final decision, he and Caius try to settle into life together as a royal couple. Caius must resume his princely duties, and his busy schedule puts a strain on their relationship. On top of that, Kouichi feels inept at pleasing Caius. He lacks the capabilities necessary to keep up with Caius’ sexual drive and satisfy him. The second half of the book focuses on them tackling this issue.

The story finally introduces an elf character, and tells us more about elf culture. Reil is rather amusing. He comes off as sex obsessed and curious. I’m not sure I trust him, though. The few panels shown after they leave the Gate to the Spirit World make me suspicious. I have a feeling Caius and Kouichi are about to be angry after Reil’s last action. He likely doesn’t know what kind of offense he is doing, but it’s likely to be taken seriously by Caius and Kouichi.

I love that Baro basically becomes Kouichi’s best friend. They study and play basketball together. I think it’s amazing Baro is crushing on Kouichi, too, but he doesn’t want to break up the relationship with Caius. Baro’s had a lot of character growth in a short time. I hope he sticks around as a main character. Kouichi seems to like him as a friend, so an ongoing best buds relationship for them would be great.

The sections that show what is happening back on Earth make me sad. It’s unfortunate the universe has to heal itself in this particular way. The bonus comic relevant to these parts with the button is really sweet, though.

The Titan’s Bride, Vol. 2

fantasticfictionsblog

The Titan’s Bride, Vol. 2 by ITKZ
Series Name: The Titan’s Bride
Genres: BL, Fantasy, Isekai
Intended Age Group: Mature
Publisher: Seven Seas
Edition: Paperback 
ISBN: 978-1-68579-331-9
Rating: 4/5
Amazon Barnes&Noble Crunchyroll ThriftBooks

Description from the Book

Kouichi and Caius have been caught up in a beastman’s trap! While traveling through Foval looking for the illusive Raisa fruit that will cure Kouichi of his raging illness, Caius certainly doesn’t expect an ambush. Some shady beastmen think they’ll be an easy heist, but unfortunately for them, stealing Kouichi away was the worst choice these thieves could ever make. As a captured Kouichi still suffers through the unbearable heats brought on by the Karina fruit, he’s left to wonder – will he and Caius ever reunite and return home?!

Personal & Info

It’s essentially a smutty romance, and not the censored kind, either. There are no black bars, blurring, or bright lights to block anything out. Do not read this manga if you don’t think you would like the smut sections, because there are a significant amount of them. You must be prepared for that going into it.

This volume has some more interesting images for the smut. It uses some transparent style images where you can see through Caius to get a visual of what’s going on with Kouichi. And what I mean by that is you can see how far he is stretching and see inside.

Characters

Kouichi Mizuki is a basketball star and very popular with the ladies. He is the one who gets summoned to another world.

Caius Lao Visteil is the prince of Tildant, the kingdom of titans. He summons Kouichi to his world because he must marry someone not of his own world.

Dr. Malthu is the palace doctor.

Baro Barrows is a canine beastman from the later parts of volume one. He plays a bigger role in this one. His nickname for Kouichi is Tiny.

Story & Thoughts

This volume holds up well after the first one. It continues where the cliff hanger leaves off, and finishes the events in Foval. There is some sketchy consent again in the early parts, so use your own digression to judge if that bothers you. It seems like it’s a horrendous act at first, but the story makes it clear a little later that it was a cultural misunderstanding.

I love that this one goes more deeply into the lore of the world. Kouichi is curious to learn more about the community of Tildant and how the world of Eustil works. The system for prosperity is explained in a little more depth, so some things Kouichi heard Caius say in the first book make a little more sense. There also appear to be another type of people not yet named that are shown a little in this volume. They look like angel or bird people. Maybe we’ll learn more about them later.

Caius and Kouichi are finding their stride, and they seem good together. They’re more comfortable around each other, and they both care significantly about the other’s well-being. That’s a positive, but there’s also the negative that Kouichi is starting to miss his friends and worry about his family.

We see more glimpses of Kouichi’s backstory connecting the relevance of his worries. The first volume has a tiny flashback without much context. We get all the context for it this time. It becomes more relevant to the story as Kouichi explains to Caius what his life is like back home, and because it will affect his decision. He makes a choice, but nothing is carried out, yet, so I doubt it’s the final one.

I’m enjoying everything about this series. The lore is great, the romance is sweet, the smut is, well, smutty. I like the world and the characters. It’s all engaging enough to keep me interested. I’d generally describe the series as cute, funny, and erotic.

The Titan’s Bride, Vol. 1

fantasticfictionsblog

The Titan’s Bride, Vol. 1 by ITKZ
Series Name: The Titan’s Bride
Genres: BL, Fantasy, Isekai
Intended Age Group: Mature
Publisher: Seven Seas
Edition: Paperback 
ISBN: 978-1-63858-810-8
Rating: 4/5
Amazon Barnes&Noble Crunchyroll ThriftBooks

Description from the Book

Senior Kouichi Mizuki is about to take his final exams and graduate from high school, when he suddenly finds himself in a world of titans. Not only is he no longer anywhere near home, but one of these giants, Prince Caius, has claimed Kouichi as his bride! Thanks to a disturbing, world-ending prophecy, the prince’s upcoming nuptials cannot be with anyone of his world. Since Caius has no plans to send Kouichi back to earth, he is wholeheartedly set on taking Kouichi as his “wife”!

Personal & Info

This was on my list of things to read that I never thought would get localized. I’m glad it did, though, because now I can read it without having to import it or wait until I learn Japanese.

I knew going into this that it was explicit, and it very much is. It’s essentially a smutty romance, and not the censored kind, either. There are no black bars, blurring, or bright lights to block anything out. However, I had no idea what to expect from the story.

I can never tell if an explicit story is going to be good until I read it. A large number of them tend to focus too much on the smut, and not enough on the story quality. For me to enjoy explicit stories, I need to like the characters and engage with the story. This one is definitely worth the read, in my opinion.

Do not read this manga if you don’t think you would like the smut sections, because there are a significant amount of them. You must be prepared for that going into it.

Characters

Kouichi Mizuki is a basketball star and very popular with the ladies. He is the one who gets summoned to another world.

Caius Lao Visteil is the prince of Tildant, the kingdom of titans. He summons Kouichi to his world because he must marry someone not of his own world.

Medina Nall Rosas is Caius’ former fiancée, and one of his closest friends.

Dr. Malthu is the palace doctor.

Story & Thoughts

The setting is interesting. It’s not a world where titans are dominant instead of people. It’s a fantasy world, by the name Eustil, with multiple kingdoms and races. The main three types of people mentioned are titans in Tildant, elves, whose kingdom is not named in this volume, and beast men in Foval. The story implies humans, also known as halflings, were around at one point, but are no longer common, if they are around at all.

It has sketchy consent in the beginning, so use your own judgement regarding that. But, almost immediately, it’s clear the romance is sweet. Caius is caring and affectionate, and Kouichi wants Caius to be happy, even if it means being with someone else. The story is full of sappy stuff like that, and the characters are genuinely likable. It makes a good counterbalance to the smut.

If there’s something to complain about, I think it would be the pacing. It seems like both a lot and nothing are happening at the same time. They set a time limit of a month, and that month just seems to fly by. It might’ve been cool to learn more about the culture of the titans in that month. Some is mentioned, but not a whole lot. More of Kouichi adjusting to the culture and standard size difference would also be nice.

Maybe Kouichi trying to make friends, too. It seems like he doesn’t really know anyone there and doesn’t make an effort to. I don’t blame him for wanting to go with Caius when he has to travel. He would have no one to talk to, and what would he even do? Of course, most of these things are likely to get expanded on as the story progresses in other volumes.

There are little pictures between the chapters as some added details and funny bits. Between those and the sweet and adorable story, I find myself smiling while reading this. Obviously the smut doesn’t hurt, either. I will definitely be reading more of this series. Beware the cliffhanger at the end of the volume.

Absolute Boyfriend, Vol. 2

fantasticfictionsblog

Absolute Boyfriend, Vol. 2 by Yuu Watase
Series Name: Absolute Boyfriend
Genres: Comedy, Drama, Romance, Sci-fi
Intended Age Group: Older Teen
Publisher: Viz/Shojo Beat
Edition: Paperback 
ISBN: 978-1-4215-0568-8
Rating: 5/5
Amazon Barnes&Noble Crunchyroll ThriftBooks

Description from the Book

Rejected way too many times by good-looking (and unattainable) guys, shy Riiko Izawa goes online and signs up for a free trial of a mysterious Nightly Lover “figure.” The very next day, a cute naked guy is delivered to her door, and he wants to be her boyfriend!

Riiko needs money after giving all she had to help pay for Night, so she finds a job at the same place Soshi works. Not wanting Night to worry, she doesn’t tell him about her new job, but Night finds out anyway. What’s even more worrying to Night is how Riiko is beginning to feel for Soshi…

Personal & Info

I’m rereading this series after several years. The reviews take into account how I remember feeling my first time through, and how I feel reading it again after so long.

Characters

Riiko Izawa is the main character. She is a bit of a slob, and considered flat chested. Her parents are working abroad, so she currently lives alone.

Soshi Asamoto is Riiko’s next door neighbor and childhood friend. They have known each other since they were little kids.

Gaku Namikiri is an eccentric business salesman who seems to neglect sharing the most important information until after it’s too late.

Night Tenjo is an artificially intelligent prototype boyfriend “figure.” He is supposed to be the perfect boyfriend in every way, based on the features the customer chooses.

Mika Ito is Riiko’s friend from school. This volume shows off her nasty side.

Satori Miyabe is a girl at Riiko’s school. She seems to keep to herself and does not like Mika.

Story & Thoughts

The first half of this volume focuses on how nasty Mika is. There’s a lot of bullying, and Night has a fan club that is absolutely bonkers. It’s crazy how much all these girls get away with.

The volume as a whole focuses on the blooming romance of the love triangle. Riiko and Soshi are getting feelings for each other, and neither of them seem to know how to handle it. Add that on top of the girl drama and Night’s undying affection for Riiko, and the story is pretty dang captivating.

I don’t remember which content is in which book until I read it, because my memory kind of jumbles everything together. When I figured out where this volume was going I was filled with dread. The first time I read it, I was distraught. This volume has a heart wrenching cliff hanger, because Riiko is on a timer to make a decision before it’s too late, and the final panels just throw that right in your face.

It doesn’t get me as much as it did the first time, but the drama still increases my heart rate from the dread and anticipation. The tension between Riiko and Soshi. The accident with Night that could have happened at any time, but happened now, when the romantic stress and drama is high. Like the first volume, I think this one holds up well. I’m giving it the same rating I did the first time.

Maga-Tsuki, Vol. 1

fantasticfictionsblog

Maga-Tsuki, Vol. 1 by Hoshino Taguchi
Series Name: Maga-Tsuki
Genres: Comedy, Ecchi, Harem, Romance, Supernatural
Intended Age Group: Teen
Publisher: Kodansha
Edition: ebook 
ISBN: 9781682332221
Rating: 3/5
Amazon Barnes&Noble ThriftBooks BookWalker

Description

Yasuke is your average fifteen year old peeping tom. He wants nothing more than to confess his feelings to his childhood friend and crush, Akari. Unfortunately, he might never get the chance after he accidentally breaks a mirror at his family shrine, releasing a sealed calamity goddess, causing a curse to befall him. Now, he must keep the goddess so close that it’s awkward or die, with the only way to revive him being a kiss from the goddess herself. If he can’t make the goddess, Orihime, happy, he could be stuck cursed forever.

Personal & Info

This is a digital manga I got for free from a BookWalker sale. Unlike other digital manga I’ve gotten this way, this one is available as a physical book. The shop links here lead to the physical editions, but you can find the digital version on most of the same sites, anyway. The BookWalker link is included, because that’s where I got it.

Characters

Yasuke Arahabaki is the main character. He has a crush on his childhood friend and wants to confess his feelings, but he doesn’t know how to go about doing so. The timing never seems right.

Akari Inamori is Yasuke’s childhood friend and crush.

Miyano Arahabaki is Yasuke’s sister. She’s a Shinto priestess.

Seoritsuhime, nickname Orihime, is a goddess of calamity who was sealed and enshrined inside a mirror at Yasuke’s home.

Danzo Matsubara and Eiichi Nitta are Yasuke’s friends at school. They seem perverted and girl crazy. Matsubara more so than Nitta, he’s so girl crazy he gets violent from jealously.

Hinata Amaterasu claims to be Orihime’s sister. Whether it’s genetic or honorary, I have no idea. She is apparently in charge of running the realm of the gods despite her immature behavior.

Kunihiko Inamori is Akari’s father. He is the owner of their family sushi restaurant.

Story & Thoughts

Upon starting this, I was under the implication the publisher description implies a proximity thing. It has nothing to do with proximity. The fact is, Yasuke and Orihime must be touching in some way at all times. If they are not touching, Yasuke will drop dead, and Orihime will have to revive him with a kiss. Obviously, this leads to some awkward public and private situations.

Yasuke’s life gets difficult because of this. Everyone he knows has a problem with how physically close the two of them are, all the time. They can’t so much as use the bathroom or change clothes without holding hands. Some people find it so problematic, they try to convince them to separate.

It makes things with Akari especially stressful, because how can he confess his feelings to her when he’s always holding hands with another girl and refusing to leave her side? Most of the drama between Yasuke and Akari could be avoided if she were let in on the goddess thing from the start. Instead, she’s left confused and frustrated.

The series is apparently harem genre, but if it is, that must come in more later. This volume doesn’t really have anything in it to make it seem like a harem. It comes off as more of a love triangle, but it can be hard to tell things like that from just one volume.

Overall, I like this book. It’s not amazing, but it’s a cute and funny romantic comedy. I wouldn’t mind reading more of the series. The plot twist toward the end has me curious to see how things will play out. I also can’t help but wonder if that twist will happen again with other people. It would make sense if that’s how the harem thing gets incorporated.

There are some bonus comics in the back, as well as some translation information, and a short behind the scenes comic with the creator. Taguchi’s mascot is a hamster and that’s adorable.

I think I’ll be adding this series to my to-read list, but it won’t be a priority. It will likely be a long while before any more reviews for it get added.