May the 4th (give or take a few days) be with you! We’ve got the latest manga volume of The Mandalorian this week! Oh, not a Star Wars fan? How about superhero fare with the latest volume of Shy? We also have webtoons, romance, and much more this week, including a series we highly encourage you to stay away from. Read our all our reviews below!
15 Minutes Before We Really Date (Vol. 2) • The Do-Over Damsel Conquers the Dragon Emperor (Vol. 3) • Issak (Vol. 7) • My Sister Took My Fiancé and Now I’m Being Courted by a Beastly Prince (Vol. 1) • See You in My 19th Life (Vol. 2) • SHY (Vol. 6) • Star Wars: The Mandalorian: The Manga (Vol. 2) • Why Raeliana Ended Up at the Duke’s MansionThe Do-Over Damsel Conquers the Dragon Emperor (Vol. 6)
15 Minutes Before We Really Date, Manga Vol. 2
Yuuki and Natsuha, two childhood best friends, are officially a couple! Between attempting to have their first kiss, their families finding out about their dating, and the couple even feeling jealous, there are lots of things happening in their new relationship! It very much made this another cute volume! I am surprised, though, that with how much I know I loved volume one, I remembered absolutely nothing and I had to go back and reread it before starting this one. I wouldn’t say you have to reread volume one to enjoy this one, but I’m glad I did because it made me appreciate all the developments, as our new couple continues to have plenty of firsts, even feeling jealous for the first time! Those were some of my favorite moments, including those with Natsuha’s Dad and how when our couple finally was brave enough to get intimate, he was there and saw it all! Ha! Not only that, but I loved Natsuha’s focus on wanting to have their first kiss in a “normal” place because it would add even more special moments to their favorite place. There was a really lovely running theme of making the “ordinary” and “mundane” be something that can be romantic and special in itself. It was a nice touch to this story! I also continue to love Yuuki’s sister and how she really is the biggest fan of these two! The things she does always made me laugh, but I loved how her own romance is blooming and unfolding! Cheering you on, girl! And not just her, but our leads to! I hope they continue to have a lot more sweet moments in the next volume! ~ Laura A. Grace
15 Minutes Before We Really Date is published by Yen Press.
READ 15 Minutes Before We Really Date Vol. 1 Review
See You in My 19th Life, Manhwa Vol. 2
With Jieum finding Seoha, she continues to give him hints that they know each other and that she hopes that she can get closer to him. As the opportunity arrives where she can, she is surprised to learn how the death of her previous life affected him. Not only that, but she is suddenly hanging out with her (previous life’s) sister?! Jieum may want to stand by Seoha’s side, but she’s also reflecting on whether that’s the “right” thing to do or not or if it would be better if she stopped pursuing him. This series still continues to surprise me with how emotionally invested I get when reading. It’s like I don’t just feel one emotion, but I’ll feel happiness, sadness, anger, playfulness, desperation (which isn’t technically an emotion but let’s go with it anyway HA), and a few others, leaving me doing a full-blown binge read! I absolutely love how Jieum knows who Seoha is, while we readers are waiting for him to finally know this is the girl he’s loved for so long, and it has been exciting seeing how Jieum’s “rules” from her past lives are being broken. She’s still wanting to pursue Seoha, and she is interacting and engaging with her family, despite feeling she shouldn’t. She seems thrown off by these things, and I like how it’s not just Seoha who feels off balance, because it makes me invested in this story as a whole and not just for the romance. Though goodness! I am so desperate for them to just get together! I had to tell myself to take it easy and enjoy the adventure as it gets there because I don’t want to be so caught up about a future event that I’m not enjoying what I’m reading now. Ha! I think it will take some work on my part, but I am still loving this series! I am eagerly looking forward to the next volume being released! ~ Laura A. Grace
See You in My 19th Life is published by IZE Press.
READ See You in My 19th Life Vol. 1 Review
The Do-Over Damsel Conquers the Dragon Emperor, Manga Vol. 3
Take a close look at the cover of volume two of The Do-Over Damsel Conquers the Dragon Emperor. If you were unfamiliar with the series, you might immediately think that the man kneeling behind and hugging the little girl is her father. However, readers of the series know better: that’s Emperor Hadis, and the child is his wife. Up until now, and as I stated in my review of volume two, I’ve done a “lot of justifying” to continue with this series, both by emphasizing the other excellent elements (like the sometimes frightening and often complex storyline) or letting the writer guide me in seeing the relationship between the two in a very cutesy light and always remembering that Jill’s real age is much older. But that ends now—or rather, it ended about a dozen pages into volume three when Hadis kisses Jill the way a man would kiss his wife. Yikes. In this manga, Jill’s physical age is often acknowledged, Hadis’ obsession with young girls is mentioned frequently, and Jill’s character is designed in such a way as to make her look even younger than ten years of age—so that kiss is an action that just can’t be written off as manga being manga, at least not by me. And so, dear readers, I’m afraid I can’t really comment on what happens in the rest of volume three and whether the action and mystery remain as entertaining as it was in the first two releases, but I think I can say with confidence that if you haven’t started the series, you should avoid it. And if you’ve read the first two volumes and are planning on reading the third, you should heed this advice: just don’t. ~ Twwk
The Do-Over Damsel Conquers the Dragon Emperor is published by Yen Press.
READ Reviews of The Do-Over Damsel Conquers the Dragon Emperor: Vol. 1 // Vol. 2
Why Raeliana Ended Up at the Duke’s Mansion, Manhwa Vol. 6
“Nevertheless, nothing new can ever begin if you let yourself be consumed by anxiety. That’s how it is with all things, right?” This volume was so much fun! Thankfully the intensity of the last volume led to plenty of blooming romance and even some jealousy in this one! With Raeliana still not having her engagement ring and Justin “refusing” to give it back, Noah ends up giving Raeliana a real engagement ring! And by “real” I mean he is giving her one because he wants to, not because of a contract! Cue lots of squealing! While I feel bad for saying so, I loved all the jealous shenanigans that took place between Noah and Justin! I may not ship Justin with our main girl, but he is a blast to have on page, and coughs I admit I had a good time seeing Noah get riled up because of it. coughs Seriously though, the way Noah shows Raeliana is his woman and that Justin doesn’t have a chance made me swoon and giggle. I think my favorite moment is when Noah steps on a certain ring and makes a bold declaration about it and his relationship with Raeliana. And not just that declaration but another one later on too! Major squeals! I loved it so much, and I truly hope that she takes her dad’s words to heart from the opening quotes to not be afraid to seek a future by Noah’s side! I’m also really loving the direction and where the story is going, even if it definitely shows there is danger on the horizon. Cue nervous laughter. Surely everything will be alright though? I mean, surely it will be fine? Cheers to hoping so, because I had such a great time reading this and can’t wait for the next volume to be released so I can read more! ~ Laura A. Grace
Why Raeliana Ended Up at the Duke’s Mansion is published by Yen Press.
READ Reviews of Why Raeliana Ended Up at the Duke’s Mansion: Vol. 1 // Vol. 2 // Vol. 3 // Vol. 4 // Vol. 5
My Sister Took My Fiancé and Now I’m Being Courted by a Beastly Prince, Manga Vol. 1
What do you do when your sister has stolen your past three fiancés and just stole your fourth? Give up on love, of course! For Cordelia, though, that doesn’t seem to be an “option,” because the prince of her country has taken a keen interest in her. Why, you may ask? Because of her scent, of course! Just what will she do with this shape-shifting lion prince who wants to get to know her better? I was pleasantly surprised at how good this was! I came in fully expecting fluffy shenanigans (no pun intended) and instead got quite a bit of depth to the storyline, politics, and a hero who is completely head over heels for a very smart and intelligent heroine! I deeply enjoyed the fact that our “Beastly Prince” thinks Cordelia is beautiful when it comes to looks, but ultimately thinks she is beautiful because of her intelligence and her actions. Especially the way she cares for her family despite the obvious neglect she has received from them for almost her entire life. It was satisfying because in my experience of reading manga with this trope, it’s usually the looks that are center-focused, but that is not the case here. Plus, I love how she was called out for thinking so poorly of herself and that she does not have to think negatively concerning anything about herself. It feels like she is trapped in fully believing she doesn’t deserve any happy thing, which would make sense due to how her parents have treated her, but it hurts nonetheless to see. I really liked the prince! He’s not as “deep” as a character compared to Cordelia, in that he doesn’t have as many layers to him, but I liked him nonetheless! Overall, I enjoyed reading this and would recommend it! ~ Laura A. Grace
My Sister Took My Fiancé and Now I’m Being Courted by a Beastly Prince is published by Seven Seas.
Issak, Manga Vol. 7
Good luck turns sour and bad luck turns worse for Issak and his companions as they attempt to return safely from their secret diplomatic mission. Although officially inside the friendly Protestant territory of Brandenburg, the region is now swarming with steppe horsemen working as mercenaries in the Catholic League’s employ. A brief respite is found when the party crosses paths with Henrich’s older half-brother, Prince Frederick V of the Palatinate and Elector of the Holy Roman Empire, as well as the latter’s army. Or rather, what is left of his army after the recent debacle at the Battle of White Mountain. The noose is tightening around this harried remnant of a once-mighty host, but Frederick still has one last card to play. If he can break through the encirclement, he can then rally Protestant reinforcements from Denmark and Sweden to turn the tide. Scandinavia is in the opposite direction of Fuchsburg Castle and home, but death is a much longer detour, so our heroes choose to throw their lot in with the Palatinate forces. Fighting their way out of this trap will require all Issak’s cunning and Heinrich’s charisma, because their side is outnumbered three-to-one and facing the greatest military mind in the Catholic League… Volume six was a very strong entry into the Issak storyline, sending our heroes up against a new type of problem that had to be solved with delicacy and deftness rather than strength and cunning, and putting greater emphasis on character relationships. In contrast, volume seven can feel like a slightly disappointing rehashing of the formula of the early story arcs. In just seven volumes, this is already the third time we’ve seen Issak and Heinrich rally a beleaguered band of underdogs for battle against a larger enemy force. Fortunately, writer Shinji Makari is clearly aware that he’s reusing an old setup and throws in a few important twists and wrinkles to keep things interesting, particularly in the back half of the volume. On the other hand, “just stick it out to the end of the volume, that’s when it gets good” is as much a backhanded critique of the early portion of the book as it is praise of the latter part. But nitpicks aside, this is still a good volume of seinen historical fiction.~ WacOtaku
Issak is published by Kodansha.
READ Reviews of Issak: Vol. 1 // Vol. 2 // Vol. 3// Vol. 4// Vol. 5// Vol.6
SHY, Manga Vol. 6
There’s an evil mastermind waiting at the top of Tokyo Tower for Shy’s new friend, ninja princess Ai, and so the heroic team sets out to cross the city and face the villain together. Only, along the way, first Mian-Long and then Pepesha encounter foes whose twisted hearts call to their own. Can these villainous members of Amarariruku be redeemed? The possibility has Ai crumbling in her resolve to end her foe, and a long-awaited flashback at last reveals the cause of her struggles. Pro tip: don’t read the bio synopses at the beginning of the volume, because it will spoil you for the final chapter. Ok, warning delivered. So, the next battle arc has begun! And true to form, it is full of lighthearted humor—some of which lands better than the rest—and ruminations on the nature of youthful anxiety delivered through combative dialogue as heroes and villains oppose one another not just physically but ideologically too. There’s a battle over manhood, and another over smiling through pain. The insights here are not particularly deep, but at least they venture into new territory rather than centering on the nature of “power” (”with great power, comes great responsibility” vs “might makes right” and “salvation through violence”), like the majority of hero-villain conflicts. The art continues to dazzle, with gorgeous action sequences and a beautifully rendered flashback chapter, drip-feeding us a little more world-building for the ninja village. The pacing is great, Shy is really stepping into her leadership role, and everything is building quite grippingly toward the confrontation that will hopefully come in the next volume. Another solid volume for this charming superhero coming-of-age adventure! ~ claire
SHY is published by Yen Press.
READ: Reviews of SHY Vol. 1 // Vol. 2 // Vol. 3 // Vol. 4 // Vol. 5
Star Wars: The Mandalorian: The Manga, Manga Vol. 2
Volume two completes the opening arc of The Mandalorian, and fans of the live-action series will be delighted to witness in manga form the turning point of the entire series, when Mando decides between walking the line as a bounty hunter or taking the more compassionate path in rescuing the character still known as “The Child.” It’s also delightful to see his misadventures involving Jawas and, more importantly, his relationship with the Mandalorian convent he visits with on Nevarro. I’ve mentioned previously that Star Wars translates nicely into manga form but The Mandalorian, which is a sci-fi western, a little less well. While it’s fun to see an adaptation of a great work, the problems from volume one remain, most notably that the manga doesn’t capture the excitement or aesthetic of The Mandalorian particularly well. If you are a Star Wars collector or want to experience this series but don’t want to watch the original, I encourage you to continue reading this adaptation; if not, you’re likely better off rewatching the classic first season. ~ Twwk
Star Wars: The Mandalorian: The Manga is published by VIZ Media.
READ Star Wars: The Mandalorian: The Manga Vol. 1 Review
“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.
