February may be a short month, but it was still packed to the brim with new releases! We cover a bunch in our reviews below (and a few older ones, too), including three with “villain” or “villainess” in the title (a brand new series among them), the latest volume of Heart Gear, and five full volumes of Tsubaki-chou Lonely Planet all at once! Oh, and is that a McDonalds manga, I see?

Associate Professor Akira Takatsuki’s Conjecture (Vol. 3) • Drifting Dragons (Vol. 5) • God Bless the Mistaken (Vol. 1) • Heart Gear (Vol. 3) • If the Villainess and Villain Met and Fell in Love (Vol. 1) • Mint Chocolate (Vol. 10) • Rainbow Days (Vol. 8) • Tsubaki-chou Lonely Planet (Vols. 2-6) • The Villainess Stans the Heroes: Playing the Antagonist to Support Her Faves! (Vol. 3) • Villains Are Destined to Die (Vol. 6) • WcDonalds (Ch. 1) • The Witch and the Knight Will Survive (Vol. 2)

Drifting Dragons, Manga Vol. 5

Fulfilling their agreement with aristocrat Brno Massinaga by bringing down a ship-killing dragon, the crew of the Quin Zaza sets course for the massive city of London Harley to collect their payout. With the first major windfall in ages finally coming their way, the gang is about to go from completely broke to…almost-but-not-quite broke. Dragon-hunting ships pay their crews with a share of the profits, and after operating expenses, repairs, and old debts are accounted for, the actual profits for this voyage are slim. Oh well, at least walking around sightseeing is free. But when Takita, Giraud, Mika, and Yoshi dip into a local eatery to try some regional cuisine, their meal is loudly interrupted by a rowdy old barfly- who just so happens to be Mika’s mentor and former captain?! If any character has a stronger claim than spunky tomboy Takita to being the main character of Drifting Dragons, it is the space cadet savant Mika. During dragon hunts he’s a completely locked-in, calm, and collected man and master of his trade—outside of dragon hunts he seems to have the mental/emotional maturity of a (friendly) 10-year-old boy. Therefore, it’s only fitting that the series’ first multi-volume story arc centers on him and digs a little deeper into what made him this way. We also learn more about Draker culture, and why the Quin Zaza uses an old-fashioned method of dragon hunting. Taku Kuwabara also shows off his artistic creativity when drawing one of the most fascinating and bizarre dragons in the entire series—there is no settling for “Fantasy Dragon 101” templates here. In short, this volume is Part One of the origin story of the biggest oddball in Drifting Dragons—what more do you need? ~ WacOtaku

Drifting Dragons is published by Kodansha.

READ Reviews of Drifting Dragons: Vol. 1 // Vol. 2 // Vol.3// Vol.4

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Heart Gear, Manga Vol. 3

One thing I despite in manga is a series that espouses “higher” themes, like those about protecting children or the value of human freedom, but then devolves into fanservice or violence that runs counter to such themes. Sometimes, like in Heart Gear and particularly in volume three, the mangaka will pull back just a little to make it seem as if the graphic content is necessary for the story, that it’s not just there to titillate—such as showing very explicit angles of Hildr, a new female robot character whose fight in the arena with Chrome is a focus of the first half of this volume, but not giving her full human anatomy (though it’s close). Or when Roue, the young girl who has now been found out as a human by the despicable commander of the arena, is sexualized once again, but not shown fully nude; hey, those tentacles are just cables and wires, so it’s okay, right? You can draw your own conclusions about the implications of such fanservice, but I can say one thing with certainty—it’s all fraudulent. Heart Gear, which received my buy-in at first because I’m a sucker for robot stories, has proven to be as cold as a gear without a base program. As I’ve mentioned in reviews of previous volumes, the story is a copycat of many others before it, and as hinted at by fanservice involving Roue in volume one and on full display in volume three, it would rather draw gazing eyes toward her than explore supposedly meaningful themes. What a disappointment. ~ Twwk

Heart Gear is published by VIZ Media.

Read Reviews of Heart Gear: Vol. 1 // Vol. 2

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The Witch and the Knight Will Survive, Manga Vol. 2

Few characters in manga have left such a deep impression on me as Agredios, whose courage, vulnerability, and sacrificial service elevate volume two of this series to new heights. Ag is always first to put his life on the line for the sake of his fledgling town, slaying a giant beast by himself to provide food for hungry mouths. Yet where other heroes might gloat over such an accomplishment or conceal their fear with a thin veneer of confidence, Ag displays honesty and humility. Instead of hoarding credit for the kill, he shares the victory with his fellow citizens. Through the late hours of the night, he pores over budgets and mundane legal formalities, laying the groundwork for a flourishing village behind the scenes. Even in his darkest moments, as memories of his dead friends and family bubble up as tears, Ag chooses to mourn with Percie and Perla, the two children who also survived the plague. Rather than masking his grief, he shares it with his people. And it’s this openness that paves the way for Ag to apologize more genuinely to Cetia in this volume. By genuinely admitting his faults, grieving over the way he has wounded Cetia, and resolving to make amends, Ag creates space for the two of them to imagine what a healed relationship would look like. That’s a beautiful picture—not only of leadership but also of grief and repentance, of what it looks like to build something new upon the ashes of the past. I couldn’t help but think of Snow White and the Red Hair and how the seeds of Zen’s generous kindness sprout into a lush garden of joyful relationships and hearts. We need stories about leaders like Zen and Ag. Restorative, imaginative, hopeful, stirring tales like this are the ones that, well, will survive. ~ sleepminusminus

The Witch and the Knight Will Survive is published by Yen Press.

READ: Review of The Witch and the Knight Will Survive: Vol. 1

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Rainbow Days, Manga Vol. 8

Does there come a time in a series when it’s just too late to introduce another main character? That’s how it feels regarding Nozomi, Tomoya’s little sister, as she gets the flashback treatment in volume eight of Rainbow Days. It’s all just uninteresting by this point, with the time spent on her at the beginning of volume eight leading to the feeling that she’s been promoted to main character treatment only so that Keiichi will have his pairing, just like the other boys. But to be fair, it’s not just Nozomi’s background that’s meh—it’s really the characterization of all the girls. I mentioned in my volume seven review, for instance, that I can’t take Anna seriously as a character of even the slightest depth. Issues like this contribute to a central problem of the series, which is that the romance only works when it’s light, fluffy, and doki-doki; it doesn’t work when the mangaka is trying to actually establish a strong romance. That’s particularly a problem with Nozomi’s crush, Kei. In fact, things gets downright uncomfortable when he introduces his sadist tendencies into the “pure, young heart” that’s Nozomi’s. Similarly, Tomoya continues to pursue Mari, but once that relationship gets down to the level of real connection, it’s going to be weird because the latter hates men and loves only Anna. How will the manga deal with that? Rainbow Days is at its best when it can stay at the level of superficial crushes and pursuits rather than dating and romantic relationships, and also when it focuses on the boys’ friendships rather than more serious or melodramatic content. Thankfully, there’s plenty of the latter in this volume, which advances the setting to senior year and includes a thorough flashback giving the origin story for the boys’ friendship. I do think, though, we’re in for a bumpy ride during the last half of this series as it moves toward the end game, and a coupling for each of the three pairings that aren’t yet dating and a seriousness that Rainbow Days just doesn’t do well. ~ Twwk

Rainbow Days is published by VIZ Media.

READ: Rainbow Days Reviews: Vol. 1 // Vol. 2 // Vol. 3 // Vol. 4 // Vol. 5 // Vol. 6 // Vol. 7

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WcDonald’s, Manga Ch. 1

If you’ve watched anime or read manga for a while, you may have noticed a common trope of an alternate version of McDonald’s called “WcDonald’s” in various series. Well, McDonald’s decided to roll into the joke and are producing four one shot chapters and four one shot anime shorts that are, effectively, mini-McDonald’s ads. The first chapter (The Race to WcDonald’s), with art by Acky Bright, tells the story of Mitero and Hashirune as they both want to be the first to taste WcDonald’s newest menu item—”Savory Chili Sauce.” What follows is a race to the finish as they both spring to WcDonald’s in an entertaining fashion with Dragon Ball Z–style power-ups along the way. It’s campy, it’s goofy, and it ends with both heroes eating a saucy chicken nugget: happy meals with a happy ending, I suppose. There really is not much else to say beyond that. For a promotional tie-in manga, at a whopping twenty-four pages, it’s fun. Bright’s art is expressive and dynamic in a way that the anime short, frankly, is not. In order to read this promotional manga, you need to purchase something at McDonald’s to obtain a special QR code. If you happen to go to McDonald’s in the next few weeks and are itching to see some well-drawn art for thirty seconds of reading, by all means, have at it. If not, you are not missing much by skipping this silly promotion. Related, the sauce is pretty mid, but I don’t think anyone on staff asked me for that opinion. ~ mdmrn

WcDonald’s is a promotional manga/anime produced by McDonald’s.

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Associate Professor Akira Takatsuki’s Conjecture, Light Novel Vol. 3

Each volume of Associate Professor Akira Takatsuki’s Conjecture is broken up into a couple of chapters that cover separate mysteries. You would think, then, that the series would feel episodic, but the experience feels rather like reading short stories connected by important threads—namely the main characters (Akira, Naoya, and KenKen) and the supernatural elements that have impacted their lives. That is to say, there’s a literary quality to this series. Each chapter starts with quite a slice-of-life feel, typically taking place at the university where Akira teaches and which Naoya attends before trending toward a setting related to each “case” that the duo investigates. Some mysteries, like the first in volume three about a curse and local library, are milder in nature, while others, like the second (which takes the three main characters to a rural area and the world of ancient demons and myths), are harder, darker, and even violent. Both types are equally enthralling, however. Beyond the peaks and climaxes of the stories, which deliver in both chapters of volume three (and even in a short tale that ends this volume), there is also the beautiful subtlety in which the author develops the mysteries. This light touch is found in weaving in and out of the grander tales involving Akira and Naoya’s backstories (the former delved into more deeply in volume three than the latter’s) and in the author’s overall approach to the supernatural—one that skirts the line between a modern, scientific approach and accepting of the possibility or even likelihood of something we can’t measure or record, but which is just as true as that which we can. Yes, the elements you’d expect from the supernatural mystery and shonen-ai stories are present in Associate Professor Akira Takatsuki’s Conjecture, but the series tries to reach for something deeper and more elusive, and challenges us to do the same. ~ Twwk

Associate Professor Akira Takatsuki’s Conjecture is published by Yen Press.

READ Reviews of Associate Professor Akira Takatsuki’s Conjecture: Vol. 1 // Vol. 2

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Villains Are Destined to Die, Manhwa Vol. 6

The emotional rollercoaster called Villains Are Destined to Die is back with a new volume, and it is epic in every way! As Callisto and Penelope continue their conversation from the previous volume, they both see someone flee the area they are talking in. Penelope soon discovers that it could have been Eckles, with his jealousy running hot. Hoping to soothe him, she promises him a gift. Soon after, though, Winter is asking if Penelope could join him for some volunteer work. What crazy thing is in store for her next? I am very glad I got on the Callisto hype train and am firmly seated on it, because I was very much Team Eckles when this series started—but I am terrified of that man now! He shows a lot of intensity in this volume, and I don’t think Penelope needs to be putting all her bets on him. I definitely think he has overwhelming jealousy, but I think he also has hatred (or something along those lines) towards Penelope. On the flip side, I was woefully unprepared for this volume to try and convince me to like Derrick! What in the world?! He is not my favorite nor will he ever be, but he actually defended Penelope and made it known he is trying to protect her now. I just hate how he keeps trying to go about it. The character that earned my wrath, though, was surprisingly Winter. He was so adamant about trust, but never even gave an ounce to Penelope. Derrick may be a jerk, but he is a confronting jerk to Penelope’s face. Winter is a two-time lying man who will pretend to get “cozy” with her because of curiosity, but all along is just testing her and has no trust in her. My entire view of him completely changed in this volume. Overall, definitely an incredible volume that had me once again holding my breath at the events taking place, seeing red when certain characters did things to Penelope, and just deeply longing for Penelope to find happiness in a life that is so chaotic and dangerous. ~ Laura A. Grace

Villains Are Destined to Die is published by Yen Press.

READ Reviews of Villains Are Destined to Die: Vol. 1 // Vol. 2 // Vol. 3 // Vol. 4 // Vol. 5

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If the Villainess and Villain Met and Fell in Love, Manga Vol. 1

“I want to live for myself and follow my heart wherever it takes me.” Looking for a villainess manga that isn’t necessarily a “villainess” manga? Brigitte seems to have the short end of the stick. Between her forming a contract with a no-name spirit in a family that has contracts with some of the most powerful spirits and her Prince fiancé “forcing” her to change her entire identity only to break off their engagement, she receives nothing but disdainful looks and mockery from her peers. That’s why she’s labeled a “villainess.” However, when she meets Yuri, a supposed “villain” in their academy who has the same enemies, she decides to get to know him by challenging him to a competition! This volume was so good! Definitely even better than I hoped it would be, and I’m very much looking forward to reading more because I need Brigitte to serve up a fresh side of “revenge” on that dumb prince. The audacity that man has! I hate him—how dare he force Brigitte to change, dump her, and then purposely manipulate people to do his dirty work to hurt her! I definitely need to see our “villainess” and “villain” come together and totally crush him because they are ten times better than Joseph and his new fiancée will ever be! Speaking of our leads, I love them both so much! I am totally living for Brigitte getting control back over her life and pursuing her dreams and passions! Aurealis may be super blunt and straightforward, but I also love him! He is a great lead, and I think he and Brigitte are perfect together! They both have great chemistry in general, but I really like how they are both pushing one another (in a positive way!) to give their best and do their best. Definitely looking forward to volume two and will be reading it ASAP! Highly recommend it! ~ Laura A. Grace

If the Villainess and Villain Met and Fell in Love is published by Yen Press.

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The Villainess Stans the Heroes: Playing the Antagonist to Support Her Faves!, Manga Vol. 3

The moment has arrived that the previous volumes have been leading up to: taking down the Casino! Ellua and her faves are going undercover to make sure this operation is a success, but Ellua is unprepared for a few of the original storylines merging, with one of them being the prince’s kidnapping! And he might not be the only one getting kidnapped, so Ellua is going to have to use all her villainess powers to save her faves! I continue to deeply enjoy this series! I see so much of myself in Ellua, and seeing her openly tell her faves why she does what she does with a huge smile on her face made me very happy. I almost wish I could be her so I could tell my faves why I love them so much, especially if I could use the same shadow magic she does! I also really liked how the original game plot is changing! I feel bad for her because it’s leaving her in a panic, but I thought it was super exciting! Ha! However, my favorite part is that she is finally thinking of her best boy as more than a best boy! Yes! Also seeing our bunny girl use her powers was awesome too! The one thing I didn’t like, though, was the “chain” fantasy talk. It was just a big nope for me and was hard for me to come to terms with because she wasn’t saying it purely for a villainess role. She (even briefly) thought how attractive it was to see one of her faves have chains on and look like he needed to be “broken.” Definitely something I couldn’t relate to and pulled me out of the story at a critical moment, but I am still super looking forward to the next volume and seeing what will happen next! ~ Laura A. Grace

The Villainess Stans the Heroes: Playing the Antagonist to Support Her Faves! is published by Yen Press.

READ Reviews of The Villainess Stans the Heroes: Playing the Antagonist to Support Her Faves!: Vol. 1 // Vol. 2

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Tsubaki-chou Lonely Planet, Manga Vol. 2-6

If there is one thing that was confirmed to me when catching up on Tsubaki-chou Lonely Planet, it’s that Mika Yamamori is an incredible storyteller! Fumi has finally found a job as a live-in housekeeper to help start paying back the loan shark who got her father into debt. She is grateful to have a place to stay, but she is surprised to realize that she is starting to fall for the very man she’s working for, author Akatsuki Kibikino! The more she helps him and gets to know him, the more she falls in love with him. I don’t think this series will be a new favorite for me, but I couldn’t help but appreciate how Yamamori can weave a story. Fumi is an incredible heroine, and I could not help but feel she is the epitome of a teenage girl who is in love with all the excitement she expresses over her crush’s smallest acknowledgments or her woes of feeling rejected. I truly was amazed at how every written word and art panel compels you to want to read more, but if that’s the case, why am I not head over heels for this series? Even though I adored Fumi in these volumes, I realized I struggled with the love interest, Akatsuki. For an almost thirty-year-old man, it was hard for me to extend my disbelief that he really is as dense as he is when it comes to romance. Even with getting a backstory showing why he is the way he is, it was hard for me to like him more than for just his looks. Sorry, Akatsuki! I do however love how his job of being a writer is brought to life in this series! Many of his actions reminded me of my time in the writing community and how sometimes “writer quirks” are simply universal in coming across as “weird” to those who aren’t writers. Ha! I think if you’re looking for a sweet coming-of-age and age-gap romance, this is one I would suggest trying! I’m definitely glad I was able to read these volumes and understand the hype behind creator Mika Yamaori because it feels rightfully deserved! ~ Laura A. Grace

Tsubaki-chou Lonely Planet is published by Yen Press.

READ Tsubaki-chou Lonely Planet: Vol. 1 Review

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Mint Chocolate, Manga Vol. 10

I continue to deeply enjoy this series and am so thankful that my friend recommended it to me! Summer is quickly approaching for our leads, which means discussions of future careers they want to pursue, how Kyouhei and Nanami’s relationship will be, and of course, planning and taking a vacation with family! I appreciate how this volume explored our leads “investigating” if maybe their parents have known about their secret relationship all this time. The reason I appreciated this is because it actually gives credit to the parents that they aren’t clueless about what’s going on. A few volumes ago there was a scene with Nanami’s mom and how she noticed something “different” between the two. Now, though, we’re seeing that Kyouhei’s dad knows and probably has known for a while. Nothing is confirmed, of course, because no one has said anything, but Nanami is having serious anxiety, and I confess I felt a little bad for her. I also related in not wanting to lose one’s normal routine for a new routine that seems like it’s going to be a lot harder, but Nanami really doesn’t choose to take the easy path, which isn’t a bad thing! Even with her struggling in this volume, in the end she always does what she feels is best for her and Kyouhei. Though I also agree with her that it’s a good thing he is a reliable guy, which help things not be quite as stressful! Ha! The ending, of course, left on a cliffhanger and I am very curious about what’s going to happen next, especially considering the family vacation that just took place. I thought it was a nice little trip with them going to the hot springs, wearing yukata, and even our leads getting into an argument. Ha! Truly glad that even if they fight, they are always quick to make up and communicate their feelings again! I hope volume eleven releases quickly! ~ Laura A. Grace

Mint Chocolate is published by Yen Press.

READ Reviews of Mint Chocolate: Vols. 1-8 // Vol. 9

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God Bless the Mistaken, Manga Vol. 1

“Periodic exceptional phenomena,” or bugs, are part of daily life for middle schooler Kon, landlady and bug expert Kasane, and all the tenants at the house in which they live. It’s also just par of the course for the entire world—when one bug ends, another begins. This setup, executed so well, is the charm of God Bless the Mistaken. I won’t spoil the bugs in this volume (there’s one for each chapter), but past ones mentioned include everyone getting lost and days becoming 27 hours long. How the characters deal with these abnormalities—much as you would adjust to any unusual event happening in your life—is part of the fun. Kon is the “normal” lead, Kasane plays the role of the all-knowing and quirky onee-san, and others in both the household and at Kon’s school play their parts as well, leading to a humorous and creative series with a sense of mystery, too. Volume one was totally and fully engaging, a combination of mystery, slice of life, and sci-fi done extremely well. I think we may have a burgeoning classic on our hands. My only complaint is that the artwork, typically excellent and detailed (see the panels featuring a natural bug in chapter one and the use of shadow throughout), gets lazy in a basketball scene where one character holds the ball awkwardly behind his back and a shot looks much more like a pass in another panel. Minor issues aside, I haven’t felt this excited about a new manga in a long time. I can’t wait to see what bugs mangaka Nakatani Nio invents for volume two! ~ Twwk

God Bless the Mistaken is published by Yen Press.

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“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.