Tag: Vol 1

Can You Just Die, My Darling? Vol. 1

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Can You Just Die, My Darling? Vol. 1 by Majuro Kaname, Sousou Sakakibara
Series Name: Can You Just Die, My Darling?
Genres: Horror, Mystery, Romance, Suspense, Thriller
Intended Age Group: Mature
Publisher: Kodansha
Edition: ebook
ISBN: 9781642122725
Rating: 4/5
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Description

Neat freak Taku Kamishiro has a crush on his childhood friend, Mika Hanazono. Unfortunately for him, so does everyone else in town. After an incident outside his home, Kamishiro finds his romantic feelings have become murderous. Kamishiro fights to control his new urges in this morbid and gory romance.

Personal & Info

I got this for free from a massive BookWalker sale. I don’t normally list them in my links, but because that’s where I got this ebook, I will be including them in the listing. They had a sale not that long ago where you could get a ton of volume ones for free, so I have a huge list of them I can read when I need to post something and haven’t finished what I’m working on.

I have nothing against BookWalker. It’s just that my personal preference tends to be print books, so I usually only list links where people can find print editions. BookWalker is purely ebooks from what I can tell. If you like your manga and light novels digital, maybe check them out sometime.

This book has four stars as the rating because I docked one for the gore and general content I don’t usually enjoy. I thought everything else in the story was well done and amazing.

Characters

Taku Kamishiro is the main character. He likes cleaning for no reason, and has a sister who seems to wear her shirt backwards frequently. People call him captain clean, because he is always cleaning.

Mika Hanazono is Kamishiro’s childhood friend and crush. She seems mean and abusive hitting and kicking him all the time. It seems like she was mean to him when they were kids too.

Koji Shinomiya is captain of the soccer team. He is considered handsome and smart, and he wears a unique earring. Like everyone else, he has a crush on Hanazono.

Ms. Tanaka is Kamishiro’s neighbor.

Koki Atsumi is Hanazono’s homeroom teacher. He is popular with the students because he is kind and earnest.

Yamada is the ace pitcher of the baseball team. I don’t think we get his first name.

Story & Thoughts

Okay, so this book is…something else. I’m typing this shortly after finishing, and my nerves are just…definitely rattled. The thriller part of the story is definitely done well. The finale of the volume put me on the edge of my seat.

I didn’t know what to expect going into it, but it certainly was not what I got. There are numerous gory scenes. I don’t normally read or watch things with substantial amounts of gore. Despite the unsettling content, the story is actually more engaging than one would expect. I don’t plan on reading more of the series, but if I came across more volumes for free, I would probably read them. That’s saying a lot for something outside of my usual genre preference.

This book gives me similar vibes to zombie fiction, but it’s a little different. Basically, there is some kind of contagion that causes people to have murderous impulses. They seem to be directed at those they care about most, but not exclusively. The side effects also include super human strength, among other things. I get the feeling it’s more like an increase on all of the body’s base abilities, like making a murderous super soldier.

I cheated a little since I don’t plan on getting any more volumes. The ending of this one was a huge punch in the gut and I needed some answers, so I looked for an answer to one specific question just to quell my curiosity. If I end up reading more later, knowing this answer is not going to spoil the story for me. I just really wanted to know this one thing. If you have read this volume, you probably know what I looked up.

Dick Fight Island, Vol. 1

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Dick Fight Island, Vol. 1 by Reibun Ike
Series Name: Dick Fight Island
Genres: Action, BL, Comedy, Erotica, Romance
Intended Age Group: Mature
Publisher: SuBLime/Libre
Edition: Paperback 
ISBN: 978-1-9747-1720-0
Rating: 5/5
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Description from the Book

The tournament to choose the next king of the islands is about to begin. The rules are simple – whoever comes first loses!
Participating warriors protect their mighty swords with armor that grows larger and more elaborate with each tournament. But one warrior has returned from studying abroad with a technique certain to force a pleasurable eruption! Is there a competitor alive able to withstand it? Or is this deft warrior destined to become king?!

Personal & Info

I see adds for this everywhere, so I had to order it and see what the fuss is all about. Apparently it’s highly recommended by Barnes and Noble employees as well as people across the internet.

There’s a color image of all the contestants in the front. There’s also a page introducing them all by name that tells you which island they are from, with one or two extra details. The pictures on the character page are all close ups of the penis armor they each wear. It’s silly to see, but I’m glad it’s there.

Characters

Harto is the main character. He’s from the jewel clan, and he attends college abroad. Matthew is his roommate.

Pisau is from the sun clan, which specializes in fishing. He trains for the tournament with Yudha.

Roro is chief of the earth clan. He has emotional history regarding Rej.

Yudha is from the warrior clan. Yudha has a crush on Pisau.

Taring is the son of the leader of the matrilineal fang clan. He is the youngest in the competition because his clan doesn’t produce many men.

Naga is from the dragon clan. He has history with Vampir regarding his eye.

Vampir is from the healer clan. He has shaman powers.

Bulan is from the moon clan. The moon clan is in the northernmost island, and the members tend to be known for their beauty. Bulan has a thing for chief Roro.

Safir is the chief of the jewel clan. He currently rules as co-king with Rej.

Rej is the chief of the healer clan and rules as co-king with Safir.

Matthew Manami is Harto’s roommate from college abroad.

Story & Thoughts

The story is simple and erotic, but also sweet, and overall silly. The Pulau Yang Indah archipelago islands host a rather unusual tournament every four years to determine their king. There are eight islands, and each nominates a warrior to represent them. The goal is to make your opponent ejaculate first. Because of this odd tradition, the contestants wear revealing, but elaborate, armor to protect their genitals.

Despite the unique and erotic premise, the book is actually captivating and romantic, if you don’t mind dubious consent. There are descriptions and details about each of the islands and their individual cultures, as well as the characters themselves. Each character has their own backstory and their own romance. I think the quote from Reibun Ike at the end of the book describes it best: “This is a battle manga, but also a heartwarming story.”

There is censorship, but it doesn’t cover much. It’s the black bar kind, but they’re more like solid gray bars. Usually they just cut the dick in half as if they aren’t allowed to show the full shaft, but sometimes they don’t use it at all. I think it depends how much detail is in the picture.

The biggest complaint I see going around about the book is that the citizens of the archipelago apparently don’t know what a prostate or anal sex is. It sounds ridiculous, but that’s the point. It’s part of the humor, and not everyone is ignorant about it. There are characters who do know about it. It’s just the ones who are inexperienced or never thought of trying something like that who don’t know about it. Just roll with it, it’s not meant to be taken seriously.

I absolutely love this book. It’s hilarious and sexy. Few books make me laugh as much as this one does.

Bofuri, Vol. 1 (LN)

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Bofuri, Vol. 1 by Yuumikan, Koin
Series Name: Bofuri: I Don’t Want to Get Hurt, so I’ll Max Out My Defense. (Light Novel)
Genres: Action, Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy, Magic, Sci-Fi, Slice of Life, Video Games
Intended Age Group: 13+
Publisher: Yen On/Yen Press
Edition: Paperback 
ISBN: 978-1-9753-2273-1
Rating: 4.5/5
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Description from the Book

Though she doesn’t play many MMOs, Maple has either a natural talent or impossibly good luck, because by pouring every last stat point she has into Vitality, she’s created a character who can’t be hurt! Whether it’s physical attacks or magic or status effects, nothing poses a real threat. In no time at all, news spreads across the server about the adorable terror who can’t be defeated. While Maple may just be having fun, her broken build is sure to attract lots of unexpected attention…

Personal & Info

This is a title I’ve seen around frequently, but when it comes to isekai or video game theme series, I like to be careful with my selections. Those genres are so popular right now, it can be hard to figure out which ones are worth trying. I didn’t decide to try the series until a friend recommended it, and I didn’t get around to having a copy until that same friend sent me one for my birthday.

I’m trying to expand my light novel collection, so for things that have them, I choose to get the light novel versions. The manga for this is probably amusing. The light novel is funny enough, but seeing more visuals must be hilarious. I’ll probably get the manga eventually to have both.

For others getting the light novels, the cover style of the book is the papery kind, not the glossy kind. Because of this, I think it’s a little more flimsy. Mine has a small tear on it just from picking it up and setting it down a few times. I don’t recall doing anything rough enough to cause that, so you might want to be careful with how you handle it. Or maybe I was just unlucky, who knows.

Characters

Kaede Honjou, player name Maple, is the main character. She does not know how to play video games, which leads to her putting all points into her defense.

Risa Shiromine, player name Sally, is Maple’s friend. She introduces her to the game, but she doesn’t join her until about halfway through the book, because her parents are making her study to get her grades up.

Story & Thoughts

I wasn’t sure if this was an isekai or not going into it. It is not. This series is about a VR game with the title New World Online, and Kaede’s time playing it.

The chapters are short, and the story is funny with a fast pace. The prologue and chapter one were all I needed to get hooked. Now I have to add this series to the list of many that I need to buy.

I love how much creativity the game allows. I wish games really had this many realistic options. It’s like anything you can think of can be applied to the game mechanics, even if it’s a little ridiculous. Maple’s gameplay experience proves this time and time again.

The gaming community for NWO is so wholesome. Everyone in the forum wants to watch over Maple, because regardless of her build, she’s still new to the game. That is so much better than most of the gaming communities I hear about.

Some of the conversations are not entirely clear about who is speaking, so you have to pay attention to the context.

There’s a bonus chapter at the end. It mostly covers some sightseeing and things Maple does to get materials for her white shield.

If I have to complain about something, I think it’s how much time the grinding at the end takes. By then, they are both just trying to obtain skills and items while time is elapsing until the second event. That felt a little draggy to me.

Rosario+Vampire: Season II, Vol. 1

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Rosario+Vampire: Season II, Vol. 1 by Akihisa Ikeda
Series Name: Rosario+Vampire: Season II
Genres: Action, Comedy, Ecchi, Fantasy, Harem, Monsters, Romance, Vampires, Witches
Intended Age Group: Older Teen
Publisher: Viz/Shonen Jump Advanced
Edition: Paperback 
ISBN: 978-1-4215-3136-6
Rating: 3.5/5
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Description from the Book

Average human teenage boy Tsukune accidentally enrolls at a boarding school for monsters – no, not jocks and popular kids, but bona fide werewolves, witches, and unnameables out of his wildest nightmares! And now he’s a sophomore!

On the plus side, all the girls have a monster crush on him. On the negative side, all the boys are so jealous they want to kill him! And so do the girls he spurns because he only has eyes for one of them – the far-from-average vampire Moka.

On the plus side, Moka only has glowing red eyes for Tsukune. On the O-negative side, she also has a burning, unquenchable thirst for his blood…

Personal & Info

This manga continues from Rosario + Vampire. It’s been almost six months since the school got wrecked, and repairs have been made. I don’t see many manga that start over at volume one for new “seasons,” so this is a little unusual.

Since I’ve already read a large chunk of the series before, I’m giving the volumes I’ve already read a slight bump in rating to show how much I liked it my first time through. I don’t want my familiarity with the series to hurt the score. There is less thrill when you already know what happens, so I’m accounting for that. The bump is only about a half star.

Characters

Tsukune Aono is the main character. He is the only human at a school for monsters. Due to various events in season one, he wears a chain lock on his wrist, similar to Moka’s rosario.

Moka Akashiya is the beautiful vampire love interest. She is considered the most beautiful girl in school, and the series likes to play up that fact.

Kurumu Kurono is the second beautiful love interest. She is the character with the largest breasts in the group, and the whole school also fawns over her, but not nearly as much as Moka.

Yukari Sendo is a twelve year old genius, and a witch. She was eleven in season one.

Mizore Shirayuki is love interest number three. She is a yuki-onna, but the translation constantly calls her a snow fairy. She’s also the most considerate of Tsukune’s happiness.

Koko Shuzen is a new character this volume introduces. She is Moka’s little sister, and boy is she feisty.

Story & Thoughts

The story in this volume is set up to both welcome back readers, and make things easy for new readers who are using this as a starting point. I don’t know why anyone would start with season two, though, that just seems weird. Go back and read part one. It’s pretty great.

The first chapter heavily readdresses character details and the premise of the story. We relearn everyone’s names, their monster types, and what powers they have. Inner Moka even takes a minute to rehash the fact the two Moka’s are basically split personalities. This isn’t a spoiler. We already know all this.

Tsukune is demoted back down to a weakling. He doesn’t do anything outstanding in this book. Aside from the visual representation of the lock on his wrist, there is no sign anything ever happened to him in the first season. Nobody so much as mentions it.

There’s a lot of bickering and arguing, more so than usual. The volume seems to be going a little over the top with all that to really drive the refresher/introduction home.

The big news in the volume is Moka has a sister! We meet Koko halfway through. I love her. She’s great. She has her issues, but unlike everyone else, she doesn’t fawn over Tsukune. I can’t remember if that changes or not later.

As usual, there are bonus comics in the back. These ones take place in the time between seasons one and two. They just cover a little of what everyone was up to over their break.

Headhunted to Another World, Vol. 1

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Headhunted to Another World, Vol. 1 by Benigashira, Muramitsu
Series Name: Headhunted to Another World: From Salaryman to Big Four!
Genres: Adventure, Comedy, Demons, Fantasy, Isekai
Intended Age Group: 13+
Publisher: Seven Seas
Edition: Paperback 
ISBN: 978-1-64827-602-6
Rating: 3.5/5
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Description from the Book

Uchimura Denosuke í your normal, everyday salaryman trying to climb the corporate ladder. But then he’s summoned to a terrifying fantasy world by the demon overlord, who offers him a new job – as one of the heavenly kings in his army, with full benefits! Uchimura may not have muscles or magic, but he does have an office worker’s skills and savvy. Will they be enough to keep him alive?

Personal & Info

Whenever I go to the bookstore, I feel an obligation to buy something, even if it just costs a dollar. I grabbed the first two volumes of this on one of those days. Sometimes reading the first volume of a series is enough to get a good feel for the series, but other times it takes two, so I don’t think it hurts to have the first two volumes of this to start. I ended up liking it anyway, so it’s convenient to already have number two.

I don’t have many isekai on here, yet, but if that is a genre you are into, maybe check out my review for His Majesty the Demon King’s Housekeeper.

Characters

Ulmandra, Queen of Assault and Hellfire, is one of the big four. She’s a magic wielding demon who assists Uchimura with his negotiations.

Uchimura Denosuke ís an average business man summoned to this fantasy world to use his business skills to assist the Demon Overlord as one of his big four.

The Demon Overlord is a surprisingly good boss.

Orl is the daughter of the ogre leader. She is a cheerful and kind person.

The rest of the big four are named in this volume, but they do not play any active role, so I’m not listing them here.

Story & Thoughts

Isekai are a dime a dozen, so I’m always wary going into them. This one is pretty good. I already have a copy of volume two, so I’ll probably read that and get a review up for it at some point.

The story is simple, but well executed. Ironically, the Demon Overlord is a better, more understanding, boss than the typical ones you would find on Earth. Not only that, but he’s not just going around conquering everything for the heck of it. The Overlord legitimately makes life better for everyone in his domain. Villages that join the army gain the benefit of supplies and their economy gets better.

The art is wonderful. There’s a picture of Uchimura getting cheerfully thrown into the air by a minotaur, and it’s glorious. The characters look great. I even noticed a Food Wars reference in one picture with Ulmandra.

Ulmandra is probably my favorite character so far. She is adorable and very expressive. We see many facial expressions from her throughout the book. She also functions as the fan service eye candy, because she wears hardly anything. There is even straight up a nude picture of her at one point, but it doesn’t show anything graphic since the book is rated for ages thirteen and up.

I suspect as the series continues, Uchimura and Ulmandra will probably develop a romance. It seems like there are hints about that in this volume. Ulmandra was acting like she likes him, and Uchimura was saying and doing things that could be construed as the same.

Wotakoi: Love is Hard for Otaku, Vol. 1

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Wotakoi: Love Is Hard for Otaku, Vol. 1 by Fujita
Series Name: Wotakoi: Love is Hard for Otaku
Genres: Comedy, Romance, Slice of Life
Intended Age Group: 16+
Publisher: Kodansha
Edition: Paperback 
ISBN: 978-1-63236-704-4
Rating: 4/5
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Description from the Book

Narumi Momose has had it rough: Every boyfriend she’s had dumped her once they found out she was an otaku, so she’s done to great lengths to hide it. When a chance meeting at her new job with childhood friend, fellow otaku, and now coworker Hirotaka Nifuji almost gets her secret outed at work, she comes up with a plan to make sure he never speaks up. But he comes up with a counter-proposal: Why doesn’t she just date him instead?

Personal & Info

I’m an otaku, so when I heard about this series, I was sure I wanted to read it.

There are translation notes in the middle, after the first half, which would technically be volume one of the Japanese version, and again at the end of what would be part two of the Japanese version. Be sure to take a look at those if you think you might need them.

There are also little notes next to the page numbers on most pages. They aren’t significant information, but they do add some small details to the story. These are easy to overlook.

Characters

Narumi Momose is the cute incompetent type character. She’s the fujoshi of the group, but she enjoys multiple nerdy mediums, like playing various video games and reading manga.

Hirotaka Nifuji is the video game otaku. He’s tall and good at his job. It’s stated he would probably die without video games.

Hanako Koyanagi is Narumi’s work friend. She’s into the arts, as well as crossplay, anime, manga, and BL. She also easily gets drunk, and can be highly aggressive.

Taro Kabakura is Hirotaka’s friend. He is dating Hanako, and they have known each other since high school. Like Hanako, he can be a bit aggressive. He apparently keeps up with the most current anime and manga.

Naoya Nifuji is Hirotaka’s little brother. He is not an otaku, and he has a job as a barista.

Story & Thoughts

Part 1

There are four main characters, and they all work in the same office. All four of them are some type of otaku, and they are basically two couples. Narumi and Hirotaka know each other from middle school, and Hanako and Kabakura know each other from high school.

The story is so cute. It’s mostly these four people just living their lives with their day to day struggles. Hirotaka doesn’t express himself well, except in text. Narumi isn’t good at her job, and can’t even manage her own deadlines for her doujinshi for comiket. Hanako and Kabakura are always fighting. Honestly, their relationship might be a little toxic.

The interactions between Narumi and Hirotaka are adorable and funny. Hirotaka seems to have a good understanding of Narumi. He helps her out, and they often play video games together. Narumi doesn’t seem sure how to handle being with Hirotaka, yet, but she’s positive it’s more comfortable than being with someone she has to hide her hobbies from.

The bonus comics are amazing. They are mostly just the four of them hanging out together doing random shenanigans. Some of it otaku related, and some of it just regular stuff, like Hirotaka trying to learn how to wink. The silliness of it all is great.

Part 2

This section introduces Naoya. He comes across as kind and cute, but he is very much a “normie.” For some reason, he thinks otaku terms are business terms.

The general shenanigans continues. We learn a little more about Narumi and Hirotaka’s childhoods. The series seems to like flashbacks for that, which are usually cute and heartwarming.

I don’t have much else to say about this part. It keeps the same consistency as the first half and maintains the same feel and type of comedy. If anything, it’s good that it holds up.

Overall

I love the characters. They’re all amusing and have their own separate otaku hobbies, but they come together to have fun easily. Their personalities and interests overlap enough to make them a good group of friends, and while some don’t like to participate in the hobbies of others, they are supportive and enjoy spectating.

As an otaku myself, I find the story relatable and heartwarming. I think I relate to Narumi the most, but I think there’s a little from everyone to relate to.

There are some character bios scattered throughout the book that cover some general information about everyone, as well as a section that talks about their Sunday morning habits. I love all the extra pictures, colored sections, and comics.The art in general is just really nice.

This is a series I definitely intend to finish. It only has six volumes in the English edition(covering eleven Japanese volumes), so it shouldn’t be a huge commitment.

The Hero Life of a (Self-Proclaimed) “Mediocre” Demon! Vol. 1

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The Hero Life of a (Self-Proclaimed) “Mediocre” Demon! Vol. 1 by Shiroichi Amaui, Konekoneko, Tamagonokimi
Series Name: The Hero Life of a (Self-Proclaimed) “Mediocre” Demon!
Genres: Action, Adventure, Comedy, Demons, Fantasy, Magic, Vampires, Wolves
Intended Age Group: 16+
Publisher: Kodansha
Edition: Paperback 
ISBN: 978-1-64651-334-5
Rating: 4.5/5
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Description from the Book

Now that he has reached 20 years of age, self-proclaimed mediocre demon Chrono Alkon is eager to begin his mandatory year of schooling in the Demon King’s castle. It’s his dream to spend the year having fun and making friends, but when he gets a shocking result in his class designation test, that dream is put in jeopardy. To make things even more difficult, Chrono is from a small remote village and has little sense of what is considered “normal” at school. As the resident country bumpkin, he finds himself facing maddening misunderstandings and unexpected adventures. Will this “mediocre” demon ever have the peaceful school life he’s always wanted, or will he be derailed by the demons who understand him better than he understands himself?

Personal & Info

I found this at my local book store on a day when I wasn’t sure if I wanted to buy anything.

It does have slavery aspects in it, so if you don’t like that kind of thing, it might not be for you. The way the story presents it is not abusive or anything, though. It’s actually accidental and contributes to the main story. Kind of like how How Not to Summon A Demon Lord starts off with accidental slavery.

Characters

Chrono Alkon is the main character. Apparently he is a Jinn, but I’m not sure which lore, if any, this series uses for that.

Grude Vogney is the class bully, but he seems easily disarmed by Chrono’s antics. I get some Bakugo vibes from him.

Sofia Grave is a vampire princess. I have no idea what kind of lore they are using for this. She has wings, and nobody mentions anything about any sunlight issues.

Liza Malta Philanikos is the current Demon King. She’s short and busty.

Dante is one of the faculty members of the school. He seems to be the primary instructor, and some sort of canine in the furry category.

Yukino Salmard is a lycanthrope. She does not appear to be one in the traditional sense, but more of the person with animal ears way. She’s a veteran in the Special Exploration Unit.

Story & Thoughts

I’m wary of trying isekai and fantasy manga these days because they are so popular and there are so many. Because of that, I don’t want to commit to any unless I try reading the first volume. I am so glad I tried this one. It’s fantasy, starring demons, with an over powered main character.

Generally, I tend not to like over powered main character tropes, but this one does it right. Chrono is powerful, without being intentionally cool or edgy. He doesn’t even think he is powerful, hence the, “self proclaimed mediocre,” part of the title. It makes the story so much more enjoyable, and adds wonderful comedy.

The characters are charming and amusing. I think the Demon King seems a little weak for her title, but that might just be a reflection of how strong Chrono actually is. Even the bully character, Grude, is amusing. His interactions and reactions with Chrono are hilarious.

By the end of the volume, I think I’m getting some possible harem vibes, but I don’t know enough about the series to be sure. What I do know is the three girls in his life all seem very fond of him. I would not be surprised if it goes in that direction.

Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End, Vol. 1

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Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End, Vol. 1 by Kanehito Yamada, Tsukasa Abe
Series Name: Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End
Genres: Adventure, Elves, Fantasy, Magic
Intended Age Group: Teen
Publisher: Viz/Shonen Sunday
Edition: Paperback 
ISBN: 978-1-9747-2576-2
Rating: 4/5
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Description from the Book

Elf mage Frieren and her courageous fellow adventurers have defeated the Demon King and brought peace to the land. But Frieren will long outlive the rest of her former party. How will she come to understand what life means to the people around her?

Decades after their victory, the funeral of one of her friends confronts Frieren with her own near immortality. Frieren sets out to fulfill the last wishes of her comrades and finds herself beginning a new adventure…

Personal & Info

I’ve heard a lot of good things about this series, and it popped up regularly in advertisements. When I saw it in my local bookstore, I made sure to grab it to give it a try.

People who enjoy fantasy, stories about elves, or D&D will probably like this series. I definitely plan on continuing to read and review it. It might not happen quickly, but it’s definitely on my list of things to continue.

Characters

Frieren is the main character. She is the elf mage in a party that defeats the Demon King and then goes their separate ways. She’s also a bit of a slob and rather lazy.

Himmel is listed as the hero of the party. He is the pretty boy with a heart of gold.

Heiter is the priest of the party, constantly called corrupt by his comrades because of his drinking and ideals.

Eisen is the Dwarf warrior of the party.

Fern is an aspiring mage in the care of Heiter. She becomes Frieren’s new companion in her travels.

Story & Thoughts

I hear this series is a bit of a tear jerker, and I can see why. The cover is beautiful, but the implications start immediately. Upon opening the book, the first page is a blackened out version of the cover image, so all you see is Frieren sitting by herself with barely visible shadows of her friends beside her. As the elf of the party, it is her fate to outlive everyone she meets.

The first chapter does a good job pointing out the differences in how an elf thinks compared to the average person. Her life span is so much longer that while everyone is commenting on how it’s been a long ten years and discussing retirement from adventuring, Frieren is thinking of it as having been ONLY ten years. What is a long time to her companions feels more like five minutes to her. The comments she makes in this chapter really drive the point home. She talks about meeting up in fifty years like it’s nothing.

When the reality of her life span becomes obvious to her, Frieren decides to travel. Her reasons are unclear to herself, but I think she wants to honor her comrades and clean up whatever messes are left unfinished. She thinks her reasons are to learn more spells and do tasks specifically for herself in a form of self gratification, but I’m sure there is more to it than that.

The elf perspective is done wonderfully, and the responses to Frieren’s behavior and ideals as an elf are great. It is perfectly understandable for a human to get a little impatient spending six months simply looking for a flower.

Komi Can’t Communicate, Vol. 1

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Komi Can’t Communicate, Vol. 1 by Tomohito Oda
Series Name: Komi Can’t Communicate
Genres: Comedy, Slice of Life
Intended Age Group: Teen
Publisher: Viz/Shonen Sunday
Edition: Paperback 
ISBN: 978-1-9747-0712-6
Rating: 3.5/5
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Description from the Book

Socially anxious high school student Shoko Komi’s greatest dream is to make some friends, but everyone at school mistakes her crippling social anxiety for cool reserve. With the whole student body keeping its distance and Komi unable to utter a single word, friendship might be forever beyond her reach.

Timid Tadano is a total wallflower, and that’s just the way he likes it. But that changes when he finds himself alone in a classroom on the first day of high school with the legendary Komi. He quickly realizes she isn’t aloof – she’s just super awkward. Now he’s made it his mission to help her on her quest to make 100 friends!

Personal & Info

I’m socially awkward so I’m super excited to try this series. I’ve only tried one other series where a character was awkward, and it was an anime. It has a manga, but I haven’t been able to try that version of it, yet. The series I’m talking about is called Watamote, or No Matter How I look at It, It’s You Guys’ Fault I’m Not Popular. I highly recommend it if you like socially awkward or otaku characters.

The chapters in this manga are super short. There are nineteen chapters, plus one bonus chapter. They don’t all have cover art, either, which makes sense, because that would be a lot of extra art pages.

The art itself is nice. Komi is often drawn with huge eyes, and there’s just something about the style of the anatomy for the characters that I like.

Characters

Shoko Komi is the socially awkward main character. She literally can’t talk to anyone verbally.

Hitohito Tadano is the main character who first discovers Komi’s problem. He wants to help her make one hundred friends.

Najimi Osana is a very social character. They are described as gender unknown and pathologically dishonest.

Himiko Agari is in Komi’s class. She is a nervous person. People looking at her is her biggest problem.

Story & Thoughts

This is adorable. Upon hearing the premise, I didn’t realize it means she can’t speak to anyone at all. Komi can only talk to people by writing, and in some instances, miming.

The story is funny, but also heartwarming. The chalkboard conversation with Tadano is so touching. It’s so wholesome how Tadano and Najimi are trying to help Komi.

As a socially anxious person myself, I find parts of the story highly relatable. Komi’s condition is more extreme than mine, but I understand how she feels. I’ve had similar experiences, and I think it’s great manga and other media are starting to include characters like Komi.

This is a comedy, but to me, it’s only funny enough to get a smile. I think I only giggled once, but I can’t remember where. Personally, it’s not the comedy of it that I enjoy. I like how heartwarming and relatable it is. Even if characters are portrayed to the extreme, it’s still relatable. Komi and Agari are both relatable to me, minus the dog thing, because that’s a little odd.

How to Train Your Devil, Vol. 1

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How to Train Your Devil, Vol. 1 by Tonchi Kataoka
Series Name: How to Train your Devil
Genres: Adventure, Comedy, Ecchi, Fantasy
Intended Age Group: Older Teen
Publisher: Seven Seas
Edition: Paperback 
ISBN: 978-1-64275-487-2
Rating: 2/5
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Description from the Book

The last thing Zeno expected when she set off to slay the Devil King was that she’d become his mother. But it was either that or kill a one-year old baby. And Zeno is no baby-killer – even if the baby is a pervert with a very lusty adult’s mind.

Personal & Info

I added this to my to-read list around the same time as My Monster Secret. It’s supposed to be funny, and fantasy manga are huge right now. There are so many of them, it’s hard to tell which ones are worth reading. This one sounded like it might be funny, and I recently got it as a gift.

There appear to only be four volumes in this series, so it’s not a huge commitment.

Characters

Zeno Zebia is the heroine of the story. She may have chosen not to slay the Devil King, but her skills are nothing to sneeze at.

Grull Gurrehl is the baby Devil King. He is one year old, and has apparently been lewdly educated since birth, as it is the Devil King’s job to procreate more monsters.

Nabu Zebia is Zeno’s grandmother. Zeno isn’t fond of her.

Lilia DeLoan is the daughter of a wealthy household. She joins the party after a fairly ridiculous encounter.

Story & Thoughts

I have to say, this manga seems rather controversial. From what I can tell, the perverted baby thing puts a lot of people off to the premise as it is. I figure, if done right, it can be interesting and entertaining, but I’m not sure this story does that. If it did, I’m certain I wouldn’t be thinking, “what did I just read,” upon finishing the volume.

The characters seem interesting enough. I like Zeno and Lilia, though I’m fairly certain Lilia is playing pretend. Zeno is a good ideal hero. She has ethical values and the skills to back them up when challenged.

As far as story goes…I think it’s trying a little too hard. The king, or judge, or whoever he is, is blatantly a creep. I can tell events are trying to be funny, but throughout the entire book, I didn’t experience so much as a giggle.

Most of the lewd parts of the story seem like they are just there for blatant lewdness. Some of it is fine, but it seems like a majority of it is focused on Lilia, which I find kind of suspicious. Not much information is provided about her. In addition to that, I’m positive Grull does not pass the Harkness test. Nothing actually happens to him, but there is a blatant attempt.

Taking all this into account, I do think the story has potential. I just don’t think it is executed well. There are plenty of parts I like, but it’s intended to be funny, and I just didn’t find it funny enough to be considered a comedy.

There’s a cliff hanger at the end. If you enjoy the book, you might want to get the second volume quickly, so you can find out what happens. Personally, I am unsure if I will bother continuing the series. Don’t get any hopes up about seeing more reviews for this.