Resurrected royalty (two times over), ruminations on pain and struggle, isekai’d heroes, an artist and his fishy muse, and the print edition of a beloved romance are among the series we cover on this week’s Reader’s Corner. Check out our thoughts below, including those by Laura regarding a series now available in print that’s been much maligned online since its recent release.

Apparently, Disillusioned Adventurers Will Save the World (Vol. 5) • Friday at the Atelier (Vol. 1) • Handyman Saitou in Another World (Vol. 4) • Mr. Villain’s Day Off (Vol. 4) • My Love Story with Yamada-kun at Lv999 (Vol. 1) • The Perks of Being an S-Class Heroine (Vol. 1) • The Princess of Convenient Plot Devices (Vol. 5) • Rainbow Days (Vol. 10) • Tearmoon Empire (Vol. 4) • You Can’t See the Snow

You Can’t See the Snow, One-Shot Light Novel

Reading author Rokudo Ningen’s biography at the end of this novel, it’s clear where his quiet yet striking writing style originates. Diagnosed with acute lymphomatic leukemia, the author spent most of his adult life hospitalized, enveloped by “the faint undulating noise of the EKG machines and the low lights of the nurses’ station.” Ephemeral settings, an acute attention to detail, and the lingering presence of mortality—these features mark the aesthetic of You Can’t See the Snow. The story centers around Yuki Iwato, a college student whose chronic illness forces her into a deep sleep every winter. Because of this, Yuki resolves not to form any deep connections, but a fling with Natsuki Uzume one summer challenges that creed. And as she starts to grow closer to Natsuki, she starts to realize that she can’t keep her loneliness—or the true nature of her disease—hidden for much longer. Ningen excels at teasing out the daily struggles of Yuki’s life, from the paralyzing ambiguity of medical diagnoses to the constant rumors and ensuing waves of self-loathing. But the story is told by Natsuki, who provides readers with a more introspective look at larger questions of suffering and purpose. His perspective, however, does come with an plethora of sappy internal monologues throughout the book. Most of these are easy to skim past, but they tend to drown out some of Natsuki’s finer moments. It’s hard to view his care for Yuki as genuine, for instance, when he spends pages and pages laboriously arguing against that notion. Also, while the novel tries to convince you of the eccentric details of Yuki’s illness, I found a hard time suspending my disbelief, especially with the final few twists at the end that test the limits of Yuki’s illness. Still, Ningen manages to maintain a sincere and indefatigable air throughout the novel, as he draws from his own struggle with illness to tell a story abounding with hope even in the very presence of death. As he recalls the time of his own hospitalization, Ningen muses, “Writing helped me stay strong.” It’s his hope that this novel will help those in similar situations stay strong as well. And in my view, it certainly will. ~ sleepminusminus

You Can’t See the Snow is published by Yen Press.

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Tearmoon Empire, Manga Vol. 4

The swordsmanship tournament at Saint-Noel has arrived! Not only will Prince Abel and Sion the idiot face off, but Mia feels the stakes in making a lunch for Abel to enjoy during the tournament! Will Prince Abel win and be victorious? Will Mia’s special sandwich get the approval of Keithwood, even though he already said no to horse-shaped sandwiches? Another very wonderful volume where I laughed so much! I also am feeling more of Mia’s influence because I was like, “How dare Sion invite himself to eat lunch with her and Abel!” The audacity of him! Ha! (And to call her super cute sandwiches the wrong animal!! Even worse! Abel of course knew what it was, being the sweet gentleman he is!) But the romantic vibes in the beginning were everything! I giggled my way through it and totally cheered for Abel in his first match (and onward of course)! You would have thought I was watching something on TV with the way I cheered in my car while waiting for my kids to get out of school! Ha! The emotional investment I had was overwhelmingly strong! Ha! The tournament was very intense, and I thought the scenes were very well drawn! I really felt the strength behind Abel’s swings, especially when Sion’s arms shook! Hehe! My only complaint is that I don’t have the next volume on hand because I love love love this series so much! A very underrated gem that deserves more love because Mia’s expressions are sure to make everyone laugh! ~ Laura A. Grace

Tearmoon Empire is published by J-Novel Club.

^{READ: Reviews of Tearmoon Empire Vol. 1 // Vol. 2 // Vol. 3}

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The Perks of Being an S-Class Heroine, Manhwa Vol. 1

If you could be reincarnated into a web novel, what “genre” would you choose? This is more or less the question that is presented to “Ailette” when she finds out she is a transmigrator! Unexpectedly dying too soon but having mere moments to buy an insurance plan, she finds herself in the world of a vicious time loop. Thankfully she has all the “perks” of being an S-class heroine and just might have a chance at surviving in this world after all! What an extremely fun and unique first volume! Ailette was an absolute blast to follow as a main character! I loved how rather than giving up and just accepting her fate in this new life, she genuinely did things (aka bought skill sets—HA!) that would help aid her in the present and the future. I loved the whole message system and how “Lord Voice” interacted with Ailette! There were many times I thought it was very funny, as when we saw their very apparent thoughts, but I was also very touched by how, for being a “divine being,” they were very interested in Ailette. I loved how her prayer time turned into something much deeper than just asking for her wants/needs to be met and instead included her conversing with Lord Voice as they commented and asked about her day. It felt really special, even if later on it was quite funny seeing them get in trouble with other people in the “department”! Ha! With Ailette playing “innocent,” leveling up, and friendships/deeper relationships forming, I would love to keep reading! Plus, with all the bright pink everywhere, it was definitely a beautiful eye fest! Ha! I would definitely recommend this if you’re looking for an isekai that has a “younger” heroine who is witty and smart, as well as having a “gaming” and dungeon aspect that is deeply influencing the story!  ~ Laura A. Grace

The Perks of Being an S-Class Heroine is published by IZE Press.

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The Princess of Convenient Plot Devices, Light Novel Vol. 5

As volume five of The Princess of Convenient Plot Devices begins, Klifford remains under suspicion and is no longer assigned as Octavia’s bodyguard, although she plans to do whatever she can to clear his name as she joins her brother on a royal survey of the nearby castle town. Although this sounds like a relatively light-hearted plot for the volume, what is impressive here—as as has been true of the last several volumes—is that humorous elements help to color the happenings, but an exciting and intricate story is unfolding. I could not put the book down by the time I reached the final third of the volume, which relates a complex story related to the royal family, their traditions (and possibly curses), Sirius’ lost memory, and perhaps most emotional of all, how Maki’s presence in this world as Octavia and the actions she’s taken to prevent her unhappiness are changing events around her. Meanwhile, Octavia continues to grow in a most genuine way as she attempts to keep Klifford near while helping those she’s grown to care about. It’s hard to believe that one volume in, I found the series interesting but the main character unappealing; now, I believe that each volume—always a quick read at about 160 pages—is splendidly written with a charming main character. But it’s not just Octavia; Mamecyoro brings virtually all of his characters to life, including a host of guards that play major roles in this arc. The entire volume and series so far has just been so impressive. And based on a few choice drops at the end of this volume, the next arc won’t be wanting for even more excitement, romance, and mystery. ~ Twwk

The Princess of Convenient Plot Devices is published by Yen Press.

READ Reviews of The Princess of Convenient Plot Devices: Vol. 1 // Vol. 2 // Vol. 3 // Vol. 4

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Apparently, Disillusioned Adventurers Will Save the World, Manga Vol. 5

Volume five of Apparently, Disillusioned Adventurers Will Save the World is yet another pleasant, rousing adventure—a reminder that this is a well-crafted series with lovable characters. But I don’t think we were meant to love them right away; the care we have about them is developing slowly throughout the series, like through this volume where Nick and Karan take primary roles in their match against the Iron Tiger Troop, and Tiana reveals a bit of her heart as she cares for Nick in her own way. It’s much like how the central adventurers are slowly building trust with one another. And though I’m wondering just how many dozens of volumes it’s going to take for the Survivors to end up saving the world (there’s a little hint in this volume at how a couple of them will need to develop to become S-level adventurers), I’m okay parking here for a bit and letting the characters and relationships grow. I’m enjoying learning about the party members and seeing how their very different personalities mesh. Will the series ever reach epic heights worthy of a long-running series? That I don’t know, but I do know that I’ve become taken with Nick and the rest as they figure out life, forgiveness, teamwork, and happiness. ~ Twwk

Apparently, Disillusioned Adventurers Will Save the World is published by Yen Press.

READ Reviews of Apparently, Disillusioned Adventurers Will Save the World: Vol. 1 // Vol. 2 // Vol. 3 // Vol. 4

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Rainbow Days, Manga Vol. 10

And here we go! The most “problematic” would-be couple (but the one I like the most) make the cover of Rainbow Days. But Tsutsui and Matsunaga aren’t the focus—not at first, at least. Volume ten begins with the confession that ended the previous volume and the fallout from it. Rainbow Days has largely dodged the storylines that progress the relationships until the last few volumes, where the plot has become more serious—to the series’ detriment, I would add, because it excels most when it’s about humor and the relationship between the guys. The serious stuff has been melodramatic; think an obnoxious kind of angst, like you might see out of some of Io Sakisaka’s work, as opposed to the fun kind you’d see from Rumiko Takahashi. However, volume ten dives right into Hashiba and Kobayakawa’s potential romance and manages to be really, really good. And the series is even more compelling when it turns towards Tsutsui. For all these volumes, it’s been a little unsettling (surely more for others than me) for the series to emphasize Tsutsui’s crush on Kobayakawa while Matsunaga x Tsutsui is obviously the end game. But in this volume, mangaka Minami Mizuno finally—and I would say bravely—meets the conundrum head-on in a way that feels authentic. Kobayakawa’s back story feels psychological and emotionally appropriate as context for the way she is and how she feels, while also suitably veering toward the coupling with Matsunaga. For a series that, again, finds its strength in buddy humor, this entire more dramatic volume is a surprising high point. And despite a few missteps (the conclusion to Kobayakwa’s flashback was wrapped up mystifyingly fast), I’m more encouraged by the direction of the story than I have been for many issues. I’m excited to see how the story and central relationships continue to develop from here. ~ 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 // Vol. 8 // Vol. 9

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Handyman Saitou in Another World, Manga Vol. 4

By volume four of Handyman Saitou in Another World, Kazutomo Ichitomo seems to have reached a level of comfort in how he lays out his tale. In fact, he seems a little too comfortable. In addition to the sketch-style artwork, the best part of the series has been how unexpected and windy its story has been, taking us on all these seeming non-sequiturs until they collide in meaningful ways. The beginning of volume four, which ends the arc in which the party seeks to resurrect Morlock, should be one of these significant convergences, as the heartrending story involving wolves in volume three comes together with the life-and-death fight that reaches its climax here. But the action happens too quickly, and there’s not nearly as much gravitas to the connecting of fateful threads as there should be. It all just kind of happens. The remainder of the volume is fine and often humorous, but stories like a certain character “growing up” don’t carry the same dynamism as slice-of-life chapters in previous volumes. That would be fine by itself, but when combined with what was lacking in the most important parts of volume four, it seemingly sets a pattern. Here’s hoping that as the series breaks into a new arc in volume five (I’m assuming), it does so with the same spark and surprise it has in previous releases. ~ Twwk

Handyman Saitou in Another World is published by Yen Press.

READ Reviews of Handyman Saitou in Another World: Vol. 1 // Vol. 2 // Vol. 3

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Friday at the Atelier, Manga Vol. 1

Like an artist who is still unskilled, the first volume of Friday at the Atelier is quite messy—but there’s warmth and humor here that make it well worth reading if you’re okay with the very well-earned parental advisory warning. The story is relatively simple and cute: renowned artist Ishihara asks frustrated office worker Tamaki to become a model for him. The weird part? He requests that she model nude and covered in fish. Maybe weirder still? He cooks the fish for Tamaki afterward, to her great pleasure. That latter bit is more innocent than it maybe sounds, and the meals that develop between the two as Tamaki becomes his muse are a charming source of laughter and romance in the volume. The posing in the nude, however, starts early and stays consistent throughout the book. The opening is really abrupt and unlikeable in part because of the quick nudity, but also because the characters are hard to like. But as the volume progresses, both Ishihara, who is totally inept socially and hides his insecurities with overconfidence, and Tamaki, who is sincere but clumsy and a poor decision-maker, become far easier to like. They’re painted with more strokes more typical of a romance, sans the heavy drama hinted at in chapter one. I hate to applaud a series for being less adventurous in storytelling than it appears it was originally going, but I think the mangaka made the right decision in this case to go a more traditional, light-hearted route. In which case, however, the frequent nudity feels out of place, neither an eroticism since it doesn’t fit in with the tone, nor ecchi for a series that otherwise doesn’t feature that tone either. And that overabundance of Tamaki’s nude figure may end up chasing away readers who would typically be up for a charming romance like this appears it will be. Or perhaps it’ll draw some readers in because of its unusual vision—we’ll have to wait and see. ~ Twwk

Friday at the Atelier is published by Yen Press.

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Mr. Villain’s Day Off, Manga Vol. 4

The “General” has been busier than ever! In between avoiding Red Ranger and looking for cute pandas, both real ones and merch-related, it seems that his days off are never boring! However, pandas might not be the only “cute” thing that could save planet Earth? And maybe the Evil League isn’t the only one with their eyes on Earth either?! I never, ever expected there to be a cat robot showing up in this series, but here we are! Not only that, but that there is potentially a whole other race/planet out there! Talk about expanding the world building (no pun intended) greater than just the earthlings and the Evil League! Once again though, I completely devoured another volume in this series! I think this might have been my favorite yet, because I really found the parts with the robot cat super cute! I would also add that at times it was super touching, which I think this mangaka excels at! In the first volume, it felt like this series was simply a humorous one, but each volume has increasingly had a heartfelt moment where it makes you a little teary-eyed. I think this volume specifically showed that even if we feel we are worthless and don’t have a purpose, we are in fact worthy and do have a purpose. We may have thought we would be living our lives one way, only to find out that life can still be meaningful in other smaller ways than we first planned. It was indeed a special message woven in that I was very much touched by! I love how we are seeing more of the characters in this world! The Rangers and the two young children are back, and though neither had a lot of page time, there was enough that I felt happy and thankful they had some time to shine! Definitely another wonderful volume! Eagerly looking forward to the next one! ~ Laura A. Grace

Mr. Villain’s Day Off is published by Square Enix.

READ Reviews of Mr. Villain’s Day Off: Vol. 1 // Vol. 2 // Vol. 3

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My Love Story with Yamada-kun at Lv999, Manga Vol. 1

The manga that inspired the hit anime is here, and I couldn’t be more excited! Akane recently was dumped by her boyfriend for a girl he met…in a game? Deciding to take out some of her anger, she logs into the same game, Forest of Savior, only to meet an avatar named Yamada. When the two unexpectedly meet up at a real-life convention, she proclaims to her ex-boyfriend that Yamada is her new boyfriend! He denies it, and they eventually go separate ways, but these two paths will intertwine once again! It feels surreal to be holding this first volume in my hands!! I think it has been over a year since I binge-read this series on MangaMo, and I never imagined that one day I could hold it in my hands, but here I am!! EEEEPP!! I confess at first it felt…odd(?) in the beginning? I never realized how much of a “glow up” Yamada had until reading the opening chapters, so having to rewind my brain to go back to the beginning was a slight struggle at first. Ha! But! With that said, I still deeply loved it! Akane is just as amazing a heroine as I remembered, and I definitely felt all the heartstrings being pulled because of how she is feeling! I forgot how blunt Yamada is in the beginning! I didn’t dislike him, because I don’t think he’s mean, but he does come across as standoffish at first. You quickly see, though, how he is thoughtful and is not a jerk! It’s funny thinking how he said he doesn’t have any interest in love because just wait, buddy! You’ll be saying something different soon enough! Hehe! I do want to mention that I was surprised by some of the lettering, because some of the English translation was placed on top of the Japanese text…? Um, what? I’ll eagerly be looking forward to the release of volume two, but I truly hope a little more care goes into its publication because this is such a wonderful first volume (and series)! ~ Laura A. Grace

My Love Story with Yamada-kun at Lv999 is published by Inklore.

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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.