Mages and androids, househusbands and detectives, rakugo and alternate dimensions: This week’s offerings run the gamut and cross over boundaries, like high school romance x horror, coming of age x fantasy, and mystery x sci-fi. We’re sure one of these entries will catch your eye! Read our reviews, maybe pick a volume up, and as always, let us know your thoughts on any of these volumes you’ve also read!
Akane-banashi (Vol. 4) • Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End (Vol. 10) • Heart Gear (Vol. 2) • A School Frozen in Time (Vol. 1) • The Way of the Househusband (Vol. 11) • You Are My Regret (Vol. 1) • Your Forma (Vol. 5) • Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead (Vol. 13)
Your Forma, Light Novel Vol. 5
Volume five of Your Forma is a return to form for the series, and a welcome one. While the previous release was an excellent and oft-exciting read, this volume offers a happier familiarity by moving away from a singular focus on Harold and back toward a shared spotlight between him and his detective partner, Echika. Here, the pair continues their investigation into the illegal AI, TOSTI, visiting a research island that has few boundaries on the technology they’re allowed to produce, which has led to a fascination among the workers there with doppelganger Amicus units developed through an experiment called Project EGO. This sounds like the setup for a horror story, a la Invasion of the Body Snatchers, and indeed, there is a creepy element to the goings-on in volume five, but it otherwise reads more like a sci-fi thriller. Author Mareho Kikuishi excels in having his hero and heroine follow the clues into mystery and danger while keeping the series grounded in their relationship with each other. The word “fixation” is used to describe Echika’s feelings toward Harold several times in the book, though we as readers may recognize it as something sweeter than that, even if the two are unable to at this point. But don’t get me wrong, this isn’t some simple “girl loves robot” romance; the complexities of their relationship—as partners, friends, and possibly lovers—are delved into quite deeply in the series and this volume in particular. Reading about and anticipating how their relationship will develop is almost as exciting as the trouble the two get into. It’s a fascinating read. That said, there’s still room for the series to grow; it occasionally falls into lazy practices like silly justifications for events and character actions (for example, when Echika gets overly emotional about a rather innocuous comment without explanation). Another issue is the light novel’s occasional leap into anime logic, like when one android successfully gives another a circulatory fluid transfusion, which is a cool idea until you realize that it won’t work since the recipient has massive holes in his body through which his fluid originally leaked out. I love anime logic but not in a series that’s otherwise more grounded. It’s these little bits that keep Your Forma from quite making the leap from “great sci-fi light novel” to the same phrase without the word “light” in it. Even so, this series is a wonderful read; I greatly anticipate each volume and haven’t walked away disappointed yet. I just hope that Your Forma will one day climb to greater heights still. ~ Twwk
Your Forma is published by Yen Press.
READ Reviews of Your Forma: Vol. 1 // Vol. 2 // Vol. 3 // Vol. 4
You Are My Regret, Light Novel Vol. 1
Yuzuru Asada has spent the past two years running away from the regrets of his relationship with Ai Mizuno, a free-spirited young girl whom he dated and then broke up with before the end of middle school, when she also moved away. Now in high school, and trying to ignore the memories of his past while he whittles away his days in the class and the literature club, Yuzu is about to come face to face with the feelings he’s been pushing away: Ai has returned and she’s transferred into Yuzu’s school! Volume one of You Are My Regret is a sweet, simple love story about two very different souls getting a second chance to connect. It hits a lot of sentimental buttons, and I enjoyed it pretty thoroughly as a result, though admittedly I was confused at first. Yuzu gives different reasons for ending his relationship with Ai, alternately blaming her and then himself. I came to realize, however, that the narration of events, as told primarily from Yuzu’s point of view, is that of a high school freshman; it’s not full of experience, nor is it entirely reliable. And in my view, he’s even more immature than a high schooler should be; I was personally transported to my days as a middle schooler during the “present day” segments and to elementary school during the flashbacks to middle grades. Regardless, it’s a nice read precisely because it feels very authentically innocent, about young people who don’t know much about anything yet but are trying their best and who think they know more than they do—we’ve all been there! The characters are very appealing as well; all four main ones introduced in this volume are memorable and easy to root for. I’m eager to see how the story develops, not just because I enjoyed this initial outing so much but because this story felt like a one-shot that was modified to make it a continuing series. It’s almost perfectly left as is so I wonder if the one regret will rather be that this simple little tale gets more complicated than it should. For now, though, I’ll just enjoy it for what it is—a breezy coming-of-age story that will likely brighten your day as it did mine. ~ Twwk
You Are My Regret is published by Yen Press.
Akane-banashi, Manga Vol. 4
In the final round of Japan’s top amateur rakugo competition, Akane has gambled—and won—by turning her competitors’ bombastic performances against them with a subtle but professional-level technique. Amateurs play the skit, pros play the audience. Now will Master Issho Arakawa tell her the secret of the infamous “Arakawa Mass Expulsion” which ended her father’s rakugo career six years ago? Whatever happens, however, in order to accomplish her ultimate goal, Akane will still need to officially enter the rakugo world as a zenza (junior apprentice) after high school graduation to begin her long climb to the top. And although Akane has been something akin to a beloved little sister within Master Shiguma Arakawa’s rakugo family, she’s about to find out that not everyone in the performing arts world is looking out for her like her four older rakugo “brothers” have been… In this book we have our first proper meeting with the Final Boss after three volumes of build-up, and Master Issho Arakawa does not disappoint. The more we learn about him, he simultaneously becomes more understandable and more terrifying. By the time Master Issho steps back offstage, it is absolutely clear that only the best of the best has any chance of taking him down. While series writer Yuki Senaga displays his skill in a bombastic way with such a memorable villain intro, he also displays it subtly by making you not notice something else: just how much covert info-dumping is going on. Pay attention and you’ll find you’re getting a crash course in rakugo’s real-world history and culture, along with Akane-banashi–specific details such as the inner workings of the Rakugo Federation—but because it’s all worked so seamlessly into the story, you might not realize how much information you’ve absorbed until you try to explain this manga to someone else. And if you read Akane-banashi, you will want to tell someone else about it. ~ WacOtaku
Akane-banashi is published by VIZ Media.
Heart Gear, Manga Vol. 2
Chrome and Roue continue their journey in Heart Gear volume two, happening upon an arena called Valhalla as they seek out Heaven Land, where the duo hope to revive Uncle Zett. Ferocious foes lie in wait, however—but so does a potential new and spunky friend. Much like volume one, the second volume of Heart Gear is a fun read, but my reservations about the series seem to be closer to becoming reality: the story seems to be a gentler Battle Angel Alita, complete (in this volume) with tournament-like battles. That’s fine (though the battles themselves don’t amount to much), but I’m hoping for something more original. Maybe the series will continue to lean hard into the human/robot relationship elements and its developing backstory about the end of human civilization. Time will tell. It’ll also reveal if this series can be more than another attempt at a cool and sad post-apocalyptic robot story. ~ Twwk
Heart Gear is published by VIZ Media.
Read Heart Gear: Vol. 1 Review
A School Frozen in Time, Manga Vol. 1
A school suicide by a classmate no one remembers. Eight friends trapped inside the school on a snow day. Time halted and a mysterious entity—the spirit of the deceased student perhaps—haunting the halls. The setup for the manga adaptation of Mizuki Sujimura’s 2004 novel, illustrated by Naoshi Arakawa before he became a noted mangaka for his work Your Lie in April, is haunting and wondrous. It feels just like a Stephen King novella, and in fact references one of his short stories (“The Langoliers”), along with other works (The Drifting Classroom, Doraemon: Nobita and the Steel Troops) and a historical incident that share similarities to what these students are experiencing. And while I wouldn’t call the series chilling like one of King’s works, the horror elements are welcome and help create a cold atmosphere that fits with a supernatural mystery set in a blizzard. The writing is engaging, too—not only the fascinating overal plot but a surprising and moving path it takes toward the end of volume one. The artistry is less on-point, however: messy and mediocre. Perhaps the original novel was a better format for this story. Either way, it’s still a mesmerizing read and has me anticipating what will happen next. ~ Twwk
A School Frozen in Time is published by Vertical, an imprint of Kodansha.
The Way of the Househusband, Manga Vol. 11
In volume eleven of The Way of the Househusband, Tatsu gets hooked on a powerful substance, a new variant of an otherwise easy-to-obtain product that is in short supply: yogurt drinks. Yes, the insanity continues in this laugh-a-minute series that seems like it’s found a second wind: instead of running out of common homemaking scenarios to which Tatsu brings his hard-edged enforcer attitude, The Way of the Househusband feels like it has them in abundance. The manga brings its colorful cast of characters in and out as the story requires, reminding us that, oh yeah, there are many Tatsu-like people in the world of this series and so many different ways that the mangaka can play with them, such as putting a group on roller coaster rides or having several interact with a pretty idol who’s kind of a jerk. Meanwhile, I’m still waiting to get more comics or extras featuring Tatsu and Miku’s cat. Like I said, there’s an overabundance of goodness here. I have a feeling that this series could go on forever and keep its creative and humorous energy—and I wouldn’t mind at all if it did. ~ Twwk
The Way of the Househusband is published by VIZ Media.
READ Reviews of The Way of the Househusband: Vol. 3 // Vol. 4 // Vol. 5 // Vol. 6 // Vol. 7 // Vol. 8 // Vol. 9 // Vol. 10
Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End, Manga Vol. 10
As Frieren analyzes Macht’s dreams, we get the most detailed glance yet into the mindset of demons and why Frieren and others have fought to annihilate them. But just knowing Macht’s past, which includes considerable time spent training Denken when he was young, doesn’t mean that the party can defeat him. Worse yet is that another powerful demon has entered the picture, and if the odds were already against Frieren, Denken, Fern, and Stark, they are downright impossible now. The “impossible,” though, is what Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End specializes in. Are these obstacles before us really impossible? Can we find a way even when there doesn’t seem to be one? By entering Macht’s mindset—which fully lacks love and compassion but is also shockingly earnest—and seeing his many victims over the years, stopped only when Serie surprised him years ago, a feeling of anxiety for our characters develops within us. For a series in which we know there’s an extraordinarily high probability that the core group will all survive to complete the journey, volume ten builds remarkable tension. And events happen here that show the power of these demons and how they are far greater than Aura or other foes that the party has faced before. And yet, in all these dire circumstances, hope remains. As the present and past dovetail into each other through this volume by way of Macht’s memories, the volume also once again looks further into the past, which keeps the story grounded on a foundation of friendship and how kindness and goodness are greater than the evil powers opposing it. Though for now, we’ll have to trust that our friends will make it through okay as the greatest fight in this series, so far, has only just begun. ~ Twwk
Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End is published by VIZ Media.
READ Reviews of Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End: Vol. 1 // Vol. 2 // Vol. 3 // Vol. 4 // Vol. 5 // Vol. 6 // Vol. 7 // Vol. 8 // Vol. 9
Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead, Manga Vol. 13
Shizuka is bitten and turning into a zombie! Volume 13 must be a gut-wrenching dive into trying to find a cure and just maybe not being able to, right? Or it’ll surely least end in finding one to save her in the nick of time, correct? Unfortunately, neither of those scenarios occur, nor does the volume stretch the story in any other heart-pumping direction. Instead, the twin focus in volume 13 is on the possibility of a cure—which has been mentioned consistently in all the previous volumes and specifically building in those just leading up to this one—and the potential addition of another crew member or two. And here is where I get a little disappointed in this hitherto amazing series. Why leave us on a cliffhanger if Shizuka’s ordeal really isn’t one at all? It’s becomes just another plot thread in the story, one that Zom 100 quickly moves through. And by this point, do we really need more characters? Zom 100 is starting to feel a little like One Piece, which is fine and all but Haro Aso’s strength is in the depth of the themes in his stories, not in replicating popular shonen tropes. As we near completion of the bucket list, I’m worried that Zom 100 won’t end on as fulfilling of a note as it started with, which would be a painful realization if fulfilled. As Akira might say, I’d rather be eaten by zombies than see that happen. ~ Twwk
Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead is published by VIZ Media.
READ Reviews of Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead: Vol. 1 // Vol. 2 // Vol. 3 // Vol. 4 // Vol. 5 // Vol. 6 // Vol. 7 // Vol. 8 // Vol. 9 // Vol. 10 // Vol. 11 // Vol. 12
“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.
