The world of fantasy is on full display in the light novels and manga our writers review this week, from Setsuna’s continuing journey in both peaceful and dangerous circumstances to gods and goddesses off to war in Agents of the Four Seasons. In between, we also review the opening volume of a book less heavy on fantasy, but still featuring a family situation with an element that’s somewhat out of a dream. Check out our reviews of these and other volumes below!

Adults’ Picture Book: New Edition (Vol. 1) • Agents of the Four Seasons (Vol. 2) • Black Summoner (Vol. 1) • Drifting Dragons (Vol. 7) • The Ephemeral Scenes of Setsuna’s Journey (Vol. 3) • I Want to Be a Receptionist in This Magical World (Vol. 3)

The Ephemeral Scenes of Setsuna’s Journey, Light Novel Vol. 3

Every time I read this series, I’m reminded of another series: My Quiet Blacksmith Life in Another World, an isekai that, like this one, features the peaceful adventures of an overpowered protagonist who finds friendship and family through the almighty power of the Google Search engine he has hooked up in his brain. (If I had a nickel…) I must confess—I binged the six then-released volumes of Blacksmith in a single day back when they were on catchup on J-Novel Club. And I find myself enjoying Setsuna just as much. What is it about series like these that lends them their cozy, almost therapeutic vibe? Is it the found family dynamic? Is it the fact that I know Setsuna’s abilities can’t fail him, even during a battle with a centuries-old dragon or a horde of ravenous monsters? Is it the constantly low stakes of a book so reluctant to let any true harm come to its precious characters? Whatever the case, this series continues to deliver the feel-good energy it promises, which makes it easier to overlook the glaring plot holes this time around. Like the fact that the entire quest of this volume could have been mostly avoided with one conversation and a little soundproofing magic. (Seriously, people, healthy communication is key.) Either way, I’m eager for the next volume. My only worry is that we won’t get more Tuuli and Setsuna moments, since our setting has shifted across kingdoms. But hey, if it means avoiding that can of plot contrivances while keeping up the wholesome energy, I’m a happy reader. ~ sleepminusminus

The Ephemeral Scenes of Setsuna’s Journey is published by Yen Press.

READ Reviews of The Ephemeral Scenes of Setsuna’s Journey: Vol. 1 // Vol. 2

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Black Summoner, Manga Vol. 1

Black Summoner is a good time—but a little too much of an unabashed retread for my taste. It begins with a young man waking up in another world (naturally) with a game menu opening (natch) and goddess by his side (natch), before discovering that he is an overpowered (natch) adventurer. Please stop me if you’ve heard this before. Black Summoner blazes through its material (days and weeks go by without really letting the reader know) with a wink and nod to let us know that yes, this is as generic as can be, but that’s the fun of it. And it is fun if you’re just looking for something to hit all the points that so many of us love about fantasy and isekai. The series is, however, undeniably male wish fulfillment, though not entirely (or even primarily) in the realm of sexual fantasy. In volume one, at least, the series only dips its toes into that pool, with very minor fanservice, some harem events (entirely played for laughs), and the protagonist’s purchasing of a female slave. The wish fulfillment here mostly rests with other plot conventions—finding a cool knight friend, gaining followers, becoming an OP hero, going on a quest, and totally obliterating the good-looking but smug bad guy. I get the feeling that you know exactly what you’re getting in the entire series from just volume one—whether that’s good or bad depends on whether you want to read something creative and new or sit in the old, reliable, and undeniably fun. ~ Twwk

Black Summoner is published through Yen Press’s J-Novel Club imprint and released digitally through J-Novel Club.

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Drifting Dragons, Manga Vol. 7

With their shore leave in Harley behind them, the crew of the Quin Zaza has returned to the skies. Life carries on as it always has, with its various comings, goings, and little incidents, at least until the ship sets course for the Silk Road-esque city of Majuro. The two longest-serving members of her crew have more than a little history there and an old debt to settle—quite literally, as the debt is the ship’s title loan. Making the final payment requires treasurer Lee Subamara to display a little “financial wizardry” to the crew that he certainly didn’t pick up scribbling away in any white-collar counting house, but on a ship like Quin Zaza everyone has a story to tell. Yet even as new horizons open up to the crew, a new rival appears when they find themselves working at cross-purposes to the airship Plana Grava and her crew of dragon-killing bounty hunters… Drifting Dragons operates on a common writing principle called “tension and release,” whereby the author alternates between intense and relaxed scenes to avoid reader burnout. After the nail-biting events of Captain Cujo’s last dragon hunt in volume six, the series is back in its Slice-of-Life mode for most of volume seven. We get a lot of character development and world-building in these chapters, but little in the way of pulse-pounding action-adventure. Fortunately, Taku Kuwabara is skilled at handling both sides of the tension and release equation, so these low-key moments feel like a well-earned respite rather than filler material. And if you do find yourself craving a return to high-flying derring-do, just remember that as surely as release follows tension, tension follows release. ~ WacOtaku

Drifting Dragons is published by Kodansha.

READ Reviews of Drifting Dragons: Vol. 1 // Vol. 2 // Vol.3 // Vol.4 // Vol.5 // Vol.6

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I Want to Be a Receptionist in This Magical World, Manga Vol. 3

Nunnally’s job as a receptionist is about to get all the more exciting! As she and some of her coworkers at Harré continue to look into the demonic activity involving a client’s missing husband, Rockmann and the Royal Order Knights show up asking to get involved! Not only that, but somehow Rockmann has roped Nunnally into joining the knights on the site where the missing man was found! I’m not sure why, but this volume didn’t feel quite as exciting as the previous two volumes? There was lots of banter between Nunnally and Rockmann, which is one of my favorite parts of this series, but for some reason, I just didn’t feel as engaged as a whole, which is weird since we saw so much of him. I’m unsure if my disconnection (for lack of a better word) is because things are wrapping up with the case of finding out what happened to a client’s missing husband or just something else altogether. I loved how we saw plenty of old faces, which was exciting, and I very much enjoyed her reuniting with her friends! I really appreciate when manga does that and can say that was probably another favorite part of this volume! While I felt on the fence about continuing the series, the note at the end made me want to continue. I definitely don’t dislike this series because I’m still very much rooting for Nunnally and for seeing her become the woman she has been aspiring to be, but I hope it’s a little more gripping next volume! ~ Laura

I Want to Be a Receptionist in This Magical World is published by Yen Press.

READ Reviews of I Want to Be a Receptionist in This Magical World: Vol. 1 // Vol. 2

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Agents of the Four Seasons, Light Novel Vol. 2

The Agents are off to war! Volume two of this series flies out of the gate with a fiery passion, filled with everything from political intrigue to high-stakes chase sequences to heart-wrenching backstories and more. It’s a stark contrast from the previous volume, which centered more on the introspective, choosing to play out its drama primarily on the private stages of its characters’ hearts. Now the spotlight widens to illuminate a more public, interpersonal conflict, as the enemies of the Four Seasons, who once lurked in shadows, prepare to launch one final offensive. Will their schemes succeed? Will Hinagiku and Sakura find the justice and healing they’ve been looking for? Will Rosei come to love the new Hinagiku? And who’s behind all these attacks anyways? Akatsuki strings readers along with cliffhanger after cliffhanger, keeping us guessing all the while. Some of the plot twists near the end of the volume had me at the verge of tears! (Though that’s to be expected from the author of Violet Evergarden.) Ultimately, I was satisfied by the conclusion, one that returns to the hope and joy that abound in the pages of this series. There’s optimism here, but not a thin, naive optimism that can’t account for suffering. Instead, it’s a grounded belief that no good deed goes unnoticed—that seeds planted in kindness and love will sprout into reconciliation and restoration for the wounded and brokenhearted. Add on the vibrant illustrations from Suoh, and this volume is one to remember. ~ sleepminusminus

Agents of the Four Seasons is published by Yen Press.

READ Agents of the Four Seasons: Vol. 1 Review

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Adults’ Picture Book: New Edition, Manga Vol. 1

Sometimes I’m reminded that manga is simply a medium, not a series of genres, and that something completely different than the usual fantasy, romance, and school life series can come of it. Adults’ Picture Book is unexpected, a bit peculiar, and certainly unique; it’s also highly engaging—a mix of romance (with yaoi elements), daily life, and even mystery. That latter bit is imbued in the very story itself: manga artist Kudou takes informal guardianship of his close friend’s daughter, Kiki, after said friend passes. It’s an unusual situation, brought on by a handwritten request from the friend, Haruki, and probably accepted because of Kudou’s (unrequited?) love for him. Even more unusual, though, is the entrance of Fusako into their lives, a young woman who agrees to marry Kudou and form a family so that Kiki’s guardianship is more likely to be formalized. You would be forgiven if you thought this was all a setup for a comedy, but no: Adults’ Picture Book—though it has moments of humor (mostly provided by Kiki, who is precious and written, it feels, by a mangaka who knows how to write children well)—is more of a drama. In that case, the whole scenario doesn’t seem to make sense, but because there’s a sense of earnestness in the piece—both in the dialogue and lovely artwork—as well as foreshadowing of all these many questions, including why the charming Fusako would so readily agree to join this family and where Kiki’s birth mother is, readers will likewise accept this rather unbelievable scenario. More than that, I think they’ll begin to fall in love with the story like I did. I’m excited about this series and can’t wait to see what direction it takes as this unconventional and awkward family begins to form. ~ Twwk

Adults’ Picture Book: New Edition 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.