Valentine’s Day is tomorrow and our reviewers at Reader’s Corner have reviews of romantic volumes prepared just for the occasion! Like a story about a clone who falls in love with the former fiancé of her now-deceased progenitor. Hmm…well what about a brother who is starting to fall for his new stepsister? Wait. Is that all we’ve got here? Well, while we encourage you to read our reviews of these releases featuring unusual compositions, we’ve also got plenty of more usual (and sometimes excellent fare), like love triangles coming to a head and reincarnation, isekai, and alternate universes stories. Click the links below to hop to our reviews of these volumes!
7FATES: CHAKHO (Vol. 1) • Days with My Stepsister (Vol. 2) • The Deer King: Yuna and the Promised Journey (Vol. 2) • Kowloon Generic Romance (Vol. 6) • Medaka Kuroiwa Is Impervious to My Charms (Vol. 2) • Minami Nanami Wants to Shine (Vol. 3) • My Youth Romantic Comedy Is Wrong, As I Expected @ comic (Vol. 20) • A Reincarnated Witch Spells Doom (Vol. 3) • Uncle from Another World (Vol. 9) • Unholy Blood (Vol. 1)
Medaka Kuroiwa Is Impervious to My Charms, Manga Vol. 2
It’s Culture Festival time, that sacred part of the Japanese academic year where the doki-doki flies thick and fast. For Mona Kawai, now is the perfect time to launch an all-out charm offensive against Medaka Kuroiwa, the only boy in school who isn’t wrapped around her little finger. But when one of her hare-brained schemes backfires, Mona realizes her actions are going so far overboard that she’s making herself uncomfortable. Changing strategy, she decides to go with a more low-key approach of wearing Medaka’s resolve down over time. But just as she resigns herself to a long-term battle of attrition, the smallest hint of a chink in stoic Medaka’s armor is revealed… I initially got into this series because I was already logging into the K-Manga App to save up the daily free points in order to buy the monthly Drifting Dragons simulpub chapter. Over time the leftover points built up in my account balance and I thought that I might as well use them for something. So I got Medaka Kuroiwa effectively for free, and I don’t think I would be willing to pay much more than I did for it. It’s not terrible by any means, but it’s definitely the manga equivalent of fast food—enjoyable, but without much substance. The fanservice loves to dance right on the edge of acceptable but stays just within my lines, though I understand if your mileage may vary. If you’re looking for the romcom equivalent of a quarter-pounder combo meal (and I do like those from time to time), this series can provide that. If you’re looking for something with more nutritional value, look somewhere else. ~ WacOtaku
Medaka Kuroiwa Is Impervious to My Charms is published by Kodansha.
READ: Our review of Medaka Kuroiwa Is Impervious to My Charms Vol. 1
Unholy Blood, Manhwa Vol. 1
College freshman Hayan Park wants nothing more than a peaceful life with her adopted family and to make new friends. But for the last ten years, killer vampires have walked among us in disguise—meaning that Hayan, herself a vampire, has to be careful to avoid bringing trouble on herself and her loved ones. What’s more, Hayan is a rare “pureblood” vampire, born as one rather than turned from a human. In this world, turned vampires (“hybrids”) gain their powers at the cost of most of their lifespan, and the only way to prolong their lives is with a pureblood’s… well, blood. So Hayan finds herself in danger from both humans and vampires, especially the antivampire detective Euntae Hwang, who is growing suspicious of her, and the overpowered hybrids known as the Angels of Death who are after her heart (literally). And when the latter threaten to destroy everything and everyone dear to her, Hayan’s only choice to seek revenge. Or is it? A few years back, I read the complete webtoon, so I jumped at the chance to reread the series for BtT. On the surface, Unholy Blood seems to deploy a number of tropes familiar to anime and manga lovers (Overconfident villain gets tables turned? Check. Newly introduced nice guy with a child on the way quickly dies? Check.). But the story also trots out a few novelties (most vampires have shorter lives, not longer ones) and even returns to some of the more traditional vampire story features that have largely been lost in the modern period (looking at you, Twilight). The Christian imagery here serves as a good example of both. Just like in the original vampire ur-story, Bram Stoker’s Dracula, here Christian symbols are one of the few effective ways to hold vampire powers in check (the cross and the Eucharist in Dracula, the crown of thorns in Unholy Blood). And in both stories, vampires are a symbol of sin and evil, but whereas in Dracula they simply represent the power of sin, here they represent human nature in its struggle between temptation (especially of gaining immediate gratification at the cost of one’s life) and grace. There are also a couple of Christ-like figures in the story: Fr. Michael, the anime-esque priest who takes Hayan into his orphanage despite knowing what she is, and who provides her with means to overcome her vampire nature in the form of the crown of thorns, is ready to put his life on the line to protect his flock; and Hayan herself has life-giving blood, a kind of analogy to Jesus’s saving blood (the title itself even calls attention to both the similarity to and difference from Christ’s blood). All in all, this is a fun read if you like vampire action stories, with a dash of symbolism and (in future volumes) a dose of romance. ~ NegativePrimes
Unholy Blood is published by Yen Press. Volume one releases on February 20th.
Uncle from Another World, Manga Vol. 9
As much as I love this series, there have been a few volumes of Uncle from Another World that I’ve found overly long and repetitive. And that’s exactly the case again in volume nine. But as with the previous less-than-satisfying volumes, I just expect that mangaka Hotondoshindeiru will not only return to form by the next volume, but that the current one will come out looking better in light of future events. In volume nine, Elf and Uncle are continuing their journey through a dungeon where magic is almost entirely nullified, and along the way they meet another traveling duo. Not a whole lot happens for the majority of this volume, though as usual there are some laughs and crude moments both. The pivot point of the whole story in volume nine, however, occurs at the climax of this release, where a very dark possibility is teased. Knowing this series, the next volume is likely to take us back to the status quo in an action-packed and then typically humorous way, but for now, we’re left on a fairly dire cliffhanger. If the rest of the volume was pretty mundane stuff for the series, the ending was not, and the willingness to take the manga in a new narrative direction is appreciated. Even more appreciated would be a general return to form, which I fully expect by the next release. ~ Twwk
Uncle from Another World is published by Yen Press. Volume nine releases on February 20th.
READ Reviews of Uncle from Another World: Vol. 1 // Vol. 2 // Vol. 3 // Vol. 4 // Vol. 5 // Vol. 6 // Vol. 8
My Youth Romantic Comedy Is Wrong, As I Expected @ comic, Manga Vol. 20
If you’re looking for a manga adaptation of a light novel that does virtually everything right and even improves on the source material, then look no further than My Youth Romantic Comedy Is Wrong, As I Expected @ comic. Over twenty volumes, artist Naomichi Io’s artwork has moved from a cartoonish rendering of the characters and their stories to a beautiful, fuller design where readers can see complex emotions written out on Hachiman’s, Yukino’s, and Yui’s faces. So much care is put into these characters, particularly in this final arc of the series. Volume twenty also demonstrates Naomichi’s complete control of the panels and design—there are some lovely choices made in how certain scenes are portrayed, including a conversation between Iroha and Hikki drawn from the latter’s perspective near the end of the work. Naomichi has such a great understanding of Wataru Watari’s original material as well, which is where the “improvement” comes in; instead of the countless pages that the original author spent on material in his last few volumes that really weren’t worth such emphasis and wordiness, Naomichi whips through some of the less interesting material and emphasizes others very nicely in just a page or two, like Megumi’s graduation speech and a pivotal scene involving Hiratsuka sensei. It lifts the material, helping to avoid the melodrama that hurt what was otherwise a masterpiece of a light novel series. I highly recommend you pick up the manga, but particularly for this last arc—as the original work decreases in quality, the manga is just hitting its peak. ~ Twwk
My Youth Romantic Comedy Is Wrong, As I Expected @ comic is published by Yen Press. Volume twenty releases on February 20th.
READ Reviews of My Youth Romantic Comedy Is Wrong, As I Expected @ comic: Vol. 3 // Vol. 4 // Vol. 13 // Vol. 16 // Vol. 17 // Vol. 18 // Vol. 19
Minami Nanami Wants to Shine, Manga Vol. 3
Volume three completes Minami Nanami Wants to Shine, an alternate universe retelling of Bottom-Tier Character Tomozaki, focusing on fan-favorite Mimimi, that’s a little messy but impressively ambitious. Continuing from the likewise strong second volume, the conclusion focuses on Mimimi’s continuing growth as a model as well as her developing relationship with Tomozaki. If you remember—and I wouldn’t fault you if you didn’t because it’s been quite a while since the last release—Mimimi is looking to “shine” as Aoi does. However, she’s not sure modeling is the way to do so. Much like all of us, she’s looking to see what her gifts are but may be putting the horse before the carriage. As she grows in popularity, Mimimi struggles with authenticity, which makes the very plain-spoken Tomozaki a perfect foil for her; the insecure Mimimi finds strength in the bolder Tomozaki, but some pain as well in his blunt words. In fact, a scene that unexpectedly leads to hurt feelings is full of depth and reflects the strength of this limited-run series: its willingness to question societal norms and the masks we wear while not cleaning everything up with platitudes and tidy answers. Admittedly it does clumsily try to a little of that by the end of volume three; but even this disappointing emphasis accidentally makes the series deeper by demonstrating how Mimimi still has a long growth arc ahead of her. Indeed, Minami Nanami Wants to Shine reads as if it was always meant to go for at least three volumes with an option to continue further if it gained popularity. The latter didn’t seem to occur, and while a much thicker-than-usual final volume helps the series end on a high note, I would have loved to see it explore its thoughtful themes and potential romance further in an extended series. Still, I’m happy for what we did get, and for the character of Mimimi to shine in an unexpectedly thoughtful way. ~ Twwk
Minami Nanami Wants to Shine is published by Yen Press. Volume three releases on February 20th.
READ Reviews of Minami Nanami Wants to Shine: Vol. 1 // Vol. 2
Days with My Stepsister, Light Novel Vol. 2
If volume one of Days with My Stepsister teased the potential of a romantic relationship between new stepsiblings Asamura and Ayase, volume two makes it clear that romance is the end game. And it’s a shame because, morality aside, all the tiptoeing around and sometimes plain focus on the taboo relationship takes away from what would be a very pleasant story. Here in volume two, Asamura is becoming more comfortable with his stepsister, to the point where he works on a project for Ayase—researching ways to help her in her study habits for Modern Japanese class—in an attempt to repay her for making their meals each day. In the meantime, he gets to know Ayase’s best friend Narasaka better, and draws closer to his coworker, Yomiuri, too (she gets plenty of time to shine in her own right in this volume). Ghost Mikawa has created a pretty mundane but enjoyable romance except for two elements that are right there in the title of the series—a day-by-day structure (which is wholly unnecessary) and the incestuous relationship. The latter leads to tons and tons of justification spread throughout the volume, with Asamura constantly commenting on how much he sees her only as a sister though he does find her attractive too, which he feels is totally normal. Of course, it’s not normal at all to read paragraphs and paragraphs of stilted self-talk about avoiding relationships with your stepsister. What results is a series that can’t quite get off the ground because it’s stuck on a forbidden relationship it doesn’t know how to navigate. ~ Twwk
Days with My Stepsister is published by Yen Press. Volume two releases on February 20th.
READ Days with My Stepsister Vol. 1 Review
7FATES: CHAKHO, Manhwa Vol. 1
If there was ever a cinematic manhwa, 7FATES: CHAKHO is it! Ferocious and tigerlike beasts called Beom are attempting to overtake the world, and as a result are causing chaos and flipping everyone’s life upside down. One of those people is Zeha. He has no idea how he ended up in a hospital with a wound on his chest from a Beom, but he eventually finds himself going to a giant rock that supposedly will lead to answers…and the beginning of a fierce destiny that could change the world. When reading this, I felt like I was watching a movie unfold rather than reading a physical book. Each panel seamlessly went into the next one so that it was almost like a series of moving images rather than just panels on the page to capture a feeling or action scene. It was incredible to read something like that, and I’m not sure I’ve ever read another manhwa like this. With that said, I had no idea this would be so violent. Cue nervous laughter. I hadn’t read this on Webtoons beforehand, and while I knew they were hunters, some of the scenes were really hard-hitting. (No pun intended.) Not only that, I didn’t expect quite a few “random” characters to die so early on. It makes me feel very conflicted about reading more because the action scenes were extremely well drawn, but I didn’t care for the blood splatters or arms dangling from Beom’s mouths, but! I really liked the characters, who are based on BTS members, a lot! I especially loved Do-geon! His story ripped at my heart, but he is so incredibly cool! I really liked Zeha too, but I specifically want to keep reading more of this for Do-geon’s character! The only concern is that I just don’t know if I could handle all the high stakes and intensity of having to slay these creatures. Overall, this was definitely a very strong first volume! I might wait for the second volume to release and then decide if I want to keep reading, but I’m definitely curious about what happens next! ~ Laura A. Grace
7FATES: CHAKHO is published by IZE Press.
Kowloon Generic Romance, Manga Vol. 6
Up until the last couple of volumes, I’ve enjoyed Kowloon Generic Romance—the wonderful artwork, the creativity, and the mystery of the tale. But that enjoyment has also always been based on promise, namely that all this is leading somewhere that will be intellectually and emotionally fulfilling—that the grand mysteries, once revealed, will be rapturous, all the while as we grow more and more attached to the characters. But that potential payoff doesn’t seem to be happening. The tale remains as complex and ambitious as ever, but the answers we’re given are clumsy and unfulfilling. Clones, a cloned city, memory replacement, yada yada yada…none of these reveals hits terrifically hard. Meanwhile, these reveals aren’t complete; they’re presented in a way that keeps the pieces close to the vest. We’ve had to work so hard as readers to dig into this mystery, and we’re receiving answers that are just kind of average. And while I’m somewhat invested in Reiko’s journey and character, I don’t care enough to see the series to the end, nor am I attached to any of the other characters. That said, even as it’s unraveling, the promise of this series is still there somewhere, in bits and pieces, reflected in the lovely artwork, shown in the unusual sci-fi/slice-of-life structure, and guaranteed by Mayuzuki’s earlier fascinating work, After the Rain. There’s enough that I’ll continue to move forward, though I’m certainly on the precipice of letting this once-captivating series go. ~ Twwk
Kowloon Generic Romance is published by Yen Press. Volume six releases on February 20th.
READ Reviews of Kowloon Generic Romance: Vol. 2 // Vol. 3 // Vol. 4 // Vol. 5
A Reincarnated Witch Spells Doom, Manga Vol. 3
Another volume, another dragon king and dashing prince falling head over heels for Sena’s inexplicable charm! Or…maybe not? Sena and Prince Keith make it back home where, much to Keith’s utter embarrassment and Sena’s complete indifference, the entire populace is wrapped up in a frenzy of wedding planning—for the two of them! But moving right along, Sena is summoned to a neighboring kingdom—home of said new prince and dragon king—and heads over right quick with her rather tall, sword-wielding lady’s maid whom we’ve never seen before but who pampers and protects her like a momma bear… Wait, doesn’t she look a little familiar? This series keeps threatening to tumble down a rabbit hole of eyerolling tropes, just to pull up short in the nick of time, teetering on the edge before flouncing off in an unexpected direction. It should be maddening, but instead it’s kinda fun. At long last we’re starting to get some signs of character growth for Sena too: it’s not quite there yet, but she’s starting to have Emotions and Convictions, which is refreshing and bodes well for the coming volumes. Trigger warning for the end of the volume, which is quite harrowing, but rest assured that our MCs close out the chapter safely. The art continues to delight, this time with a new kingdom to explore, as well as a full roster of scheming, conniving adults just waiting to take advantage of our sweet teens who are absolutely just friends. Keith may be an odd name for a prince, but he’s still the best thing about this series. Who doesn’t love a man who cleans? ~ claire
A Reincarnated Witch Spells Doom is published by Yen Press.
READ Reviews of A Reincarnated Witch Spells Doom: Vol. 1 // Vol. 2
The Deer King: Yuna and the Promised Journey, Manga Vol. 2
All the threads of this rich tale with epic aspirations intertwine in this final volume to make for a satisfying conclusion. The adoptive father-daughter pair, Van and Yuna, continue to steal the show as they serve as one another’s motivation and saving grace amid the chaos of a disease-ridden, war-haunted colony, caught between the old ways and those of the occupying empire. The young doctor’s quest for a cure for the mysterious disease also receives some decent page time, while the Aquafaese huntress likewise sees some character development—though mainly through implication rather than directly through dialogue. This gets to the heart of this adaptation and its understated nature: there’s a fair bit left unsaid, and much of the resolution of the plot is unarticulated. Rather than spelling everything out, this volume leaves much to be discerned from the images themselves as well as the missing panels. Even the art style, by first-time fantasy mangaka Taro Sekiguchi, leans into absence and silence, using negative space to convey fantasy elements in the designs that rely on color in the film. This understated approach may be frustrating for some readers, but it’s rather elegant in the way it resists tying everything up in a neat package and instead invites—nay, compels—you to ponder the story and its messages for yourself. That is the point of the classic final act or ketsu (the search for harmony) in the four-act structure of Asian storytelling, after all. And in this regard, Deer King recalls Moribito: Guardian of the Spirit (although that stunning series is in a league of its own), and could make for a rewarding read for fans of that series. Is Deer King perfect? By no means. But will it stay with you? I rather think it will, in a quiet, humble way. ~ claire
The Deer King: Yuna and the Promised Journey is published by Yen Press.
READ Reviews of Deer King: Yuna and the Promised Journey: Vol. 1
“Reader’s Corner” is our way of embracing the wonderful world of manga, light novels, and visual novels, creative works intimately related to anime but with a magic all their own. Each week, our writers provide their thoughts on the works they’re reading—both those recently released as we keep you informed of newly published works, and those older titles that you might find as magical (or in some cases, reprehensible) as we do.
