The saying goes, “Don’t judge a book by its cover.” We prove it every week here on Reader’s Corner, but rarely more so than in this edition, when we show beauty in tengu love; explain how a beautiful and admirable lead does not a good spin-off make; and explain how a provocative title and cover made hide a sweet love story. All that, plus the newest volumes of hit series like Issak, Bocchi the Rock!, and Handyman Saitou in Another World; the final release of the Ningen Fushin manga; and more on this week’s Reader’s Corner!

Apparently, Disillusioned Adventurers Will Save the World (Vol. 6) • Bocchi the Rock (Vol. 4) • Friday at the Atelier (Vol. 2) • The Hachioji Specialty: Tengu’s Love (Vol. 1) • Handyman Saitou in Another World (Vol. 5) • Honeko Akabane’s Bodyguards (Vol. 2) • I Wanna Do Bad Things with You (Vol. 1) • In the Name of the Mermaid Princess (Vol. 3) • Issak (Vol. 9) • Rejected by the Hero’s Party, a Princess Decided to Live a Quiet Life in the Countryside (Vol. 1)

Issak, Manga Vol. 9

Issak and Lorenzo’s duel deep in the German wilderness resulted in the forest around them being burned to ash, and yet still this pair lives. When the smoke cleared, Lorenzo escaped the battlefield with a permanent injury—and Issak’s gun. Now it’s a race to the Netherlands, as both men know only the Dutch have the skill and the means needed to mass-produce their mentor’s masterpieces and fulfill Lorenzo’s blood-drenched dreams. And that’s not the only iron in the fire. Prince Heinrich is currently a political prisoner, locked deep in a dungeon by General Wallenstein and only kept alive because of his value as a bargaining chip. Meanwhile, Zetta is trapped in a prison without bars on the banks of the mighty Rhine River. With Prince-Elector Fredrick in tow, she’s unable to either go back or risk the public ferry crossing with the most high-profile fugitive in Europe. Samurai honor may compel our hero to chase down his archenemy, but he won’t abandon his friends in their hour of need either… Issak is steadily getting backed deeper into a corner when it comes to balancing his two loyalties, one to his mission and one to his comrades-in-arms. So far, he’s been able to find rationalizations and workarounds to keep them from conflicting, but I can only wonder how long circumstances will continue to allow him such a luxury. The real character development on display, however, comes from Zetta. The little bird was pushed out of the nest when she had to flee Brandenburg with no companions but a prince who was as helpless as a child outside of his royal court. Now she’s truly learning how to fly. Perhaps soon she will be able to fly high enough that Issak could start seeing her not as a girl to protect, but as a woman capable of being an equal partner. Perhaps fate will take them down different roads as death, chaos, and the destiny of empires sweep across central Europe. But whatever happens, I want to keep reading and see it come to pass! ~ WacOtaku

Issak is published by Kodansha.

READ Reviews of Issak: Vol. 1 // Vol. 2 // Vol. 3 // Vol. 4 // Vol. 5 // Vol.6 // Vol.7 // Vol.8

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Apparently, Disillusioned Adventurers Will Save the World, Manga Vol. 6

Apparently, Disillusioned Adventurers Will Save the World isn’t exactly what I would call a “subtle series.” The stories are straightforward, the characters aren’t overly complicated, and despite the expected mysteries along the way, the route toward “saving the world” seems to be fairly obvious. Volume six continues that same route, very solidly completing a storyline involving Tiana’s visit to the casino and her interaction with a young lady (whose identity we can surmise despite her going Clark Kent). I guess that’s why one major subtlety escaped me until the final pages of volume six, which is when I turned the novel back to the front cover and saw it in white font (but without an outline to distinguish it) smack-dab in the middle: the word “Final.” Yes, this is the last volume of the Ningen Fushin manga adaptation, which is a disappointment. I’ve enjoyed all three iterations of the series I’ve checked out—this one along with the anime and original light novels. The experience of the manga is obviously different from the other two, and it does well in moving quickly over some of the material that the others dwell too long on. So it’s with a sad goodbye that we bid adieu to this series. Thankfully, Yen Press continues to release the LNs, which will have to feed us when starving for more adventures by this basic but fun crew. ~ 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 // Vol. 5

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Handyman Saitou in Another World, Manga Vol. 5

By this point, I should understand what a strong series this is, but even so, Handyman Saitou continues to surprise me volume after volume. Maybe for this particular one, it’s because the opening two-thirds feels like such a letdown. After high moments in previous volumes and the introduction of a cadre of new characters, a quest to defeat a new enemy (who is also the treasure resulting from the quest—a golden dullahan—and the team falling into yet another trap, which leads to a very much bordering-on-gross tentacle passage, feels very mundane and uninspired. But the third act of volume five once again delivers. It feels a long time ago now that Handyman Saitou in Another World focused on Saitou’s blue-collar background and flirted with possible romance; humor remains, but the stakes are so much higher and better fit the antique aesthetic of the series’ illustrations. This remains a series that should not be missed. ~ 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 // Vol. 4

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Rejected by the Hero’s Party, a Princess Decided to Live a Quiet Life in the Countryside, Manga Vol. 1

Side story series are the worst…unless they’re not. They can be compelling if the character is multifaceted (which is more important than being beloved), the world-building is creative enough to invite more tales involving the setting, and the story itself is new and interesting. The problem with this spin-off series is that Rit, the titular princess, is cute and lovely but lacks depth; the world of Banished From the Hero’s Party is standard and unmemorable; and this tale, which explains what Rit was up to before she came to live with Red, is dull. But that’s to be expected of a one-note character like Rit, who while lovable is barely more than a “kind princess with gumption” type; oh, she’s also the franchise’s main source of fanservice, as demonstrated in the opening pages of this volume when we get a view of her from behind as she saves a young lady from goblins (nothing says “warrior princess” better than a panty shot…sheesh). I did like the small twist in the opening pages, but the rest of volume one is a bore, as expected. Only superfans of Rit or Banished From the Hero’s Party and those who can close their mind and simply enjoy a series about an encouraging character will find this outing to be a worthwhile read. ~ Twwk

Rejected by the Hero’s Party, a Princess Decided to Live a Quiet Life in the Countryside is published by Yen Press.

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Honeko Akabane’s Bodyguards, Manga Vol. 2

Ibuki Arakuni is on a mission to protect his childhood friend Akabane Honeko from assassins and preserve her blissful ignorance of the fact that her biological family is a yakuza family. But her covert bodyguard unit (AKA every other student in Sosoji High School Class 3-4) is less than thrilled to ‘babysit’ a newcomer with seemingly nothing to offer but brawn and bravery. What they don’t know is that Arakuni wasn’t recruited by Boss Jingu to deal with external threats alone. One of Honeko’s bodyguards is a traitor, and as an outsider, Arakuni is the only person who can be indisputably ruled out. His plan of attack? Take down Honeko’s homicidal half-sister Jingu Masachika and make her cough up who’s been feeding her information. Quick and simple, or at least that’s what he hopes… This second volume hammers down what the core “shtick” of Akabane Honeko’s Bodyguards is: taking the ridiculous contradiction of the two halves of its story and playing both parts completely straight. Which is more high-stakes, an all-out Shonen-battle-manga brawl with a yakuza capo and his trained gunmen in the VIP room of an underground nightclub, or the romantic comedy and slice-of-life shenanigans of school sports day? Answer: Yes. Who wouldn’t want to live out fantasy school life where your classmates were all secretly cool and capable people, where you had to covertly protect the prettiest girl in your grade from lethal threats, where school sports events were only a drag because you and your teammates could win so easily if you wanted to, and graduation was the finish line for a Senior Year full of life-or-death battles? That’s what this series offers. It gleefully smashes “Battle Shonen” and “School-Life Rom-Com” together, and I gleefully enjoy reading it. ~ WacOtaku

Honeko Akabane’s Bodyguards is published by Kodansha through their K-MANGA simulpub service. A physical US release is slated to begin in early 2025.

^{READ: Honeko Akabane’s Bodyguards Vol. 1 Review}

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In the Name of the Mermaid Princess, Manga Vol. 3

“Everyone wants to live in peace. We have to stop letting our trauma close our hearts to others.” Mio has “come back to her senses” after the devastation she accidentally unleashed on the bay. As she has helped clean the bay and shown her remorse, the townspeople agree to help her find Yuri. However, when they find out that July has taken Yuri captive, they believe it’s a lost cause. Mio, on the other hand, knows July doesn’t want to hurt people and ventures into the forest to find them both. This series continues to be so very heartfelt, with another volume once again leaving me misty-eyed! I think I knew July’s backstory would be hard, and while it was, I really think Mio’s reaction to his backstory is what drove me to want to cry. She continues to be one of those shoujo heroines that I can’t help but root for because when the world would say July is a monster, Mio is there proclaiming he isn’t and putting her very life on the line for that truth. Her bravery and her courage were even more profound in light of the things that took place, especially in those moments with July. The quote I shared is from one of the most heartbreaking and compelling panels I’ve seen when it comes to another character who deeply empathizes with someone else’s pain. Truly masterful storytelling! I equally liked the second part of this volume and meeting this new character! I originally thought he was bad news, but even before the volume ended, it shows that he is not who he appears to be. I am very curious about him, and I’m with Yuri! I did not like one of his actions at all, and deeply appreciated the fierce anger Yuri displayed! I’m eagerly looking forward to the next volume! I would highly recommend this series whether you’re a fan of mermaids or not because Mio is one of the most inspiring young heroines we have in ongoing shoujo manga right now! ~ Laura A. Grace

In the Name of the Mermaid Princess is published by Shojo Beat, an imprint of VIZ Media.

READ In the Name of the Mermaid Princess Reviews: Vol. 1 // Vol. 2

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Friday at the Atelier, Manga Vol. 2

An odd thing happened on the way to finishing volume two of Friday at the Atelier, the seinen romance about a socially stunted artist and his messy muse: I thought, “It’s really surprising how much I feel like I really know these characters despite having only read the first three volumes.” Wait. It’s only been two volumes. And that explains the underlying strength of this unusual series—not only is it quirky (I’m still getting used to Ishihara’s “fish on nude” paintings), but it confidently moves forward with leads that aren’t instantly lovable, imbuing them with consistent and authentic character that helps us to know them on a deep level as “humans” and thus care for them despite their missteps. Not that there are a whole of those; ultimately, Friday at the Atelier is dressed up with some eroticism and interesting art (Ishihara is shown to equate his creative process with diving into the ocean in some beautiful panels) but is ultimately just an odd couple romance between thirty-somethings. And I’m quite okay with Friday at the Atelier sitting there if it continues to build upon Ishihara and Tamaki’s characters. They both receive equal weight in volume two, with him coming to terms with creating art that’s more commercial than he’s been known for and her sharing her complicated artist/muse relationship with a friend and developing her workplace relationships further because of Ishihara’s art. My favorite part, though, was Ishihara learning to step more and more outside of his world, particularly when meeting old friends, more subtly demonstrating Tamaki’s impact on his life than how the mangaka demonstrates his on hers. Either way, the volume and series overall so far are full of wonderful material—not quite as artistic, perhaps, as the material would dictate, but even more full of life and humanity than I would have expected. ~ Twwk

Friday at the Atelier is published by Yen Press.

^{READ: Friday at the Atelier Vol. 1 Review}

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The Hachioji Specialty: Tengu’s Love, Manga Vol. 1

When you get wrapped up in things involving yokai, things usually don’t tend to ever go as planned. That was definitely the case for Kotaru, who suddenly finds himself with a new tengu bride! He may have been curious about the feathered girl from his childhood, but now having seen her twice as an adult, he’ll do more than satisfy his curiosity. With her declaration of her being his wife and moving in with him, his life is about to get a lot more chaotic! This was so, so, so much fun to read! I thought the male lead would be some kind of delinquent, based on his jacket on the cover, but that just seems to be what he likes to wear, not because he is one! Ha! But I still really liked him a lot nonetheless! Concerning him, I appreciate this gentle theme of wanting to be wanted and having a family that cares for you, whether that is people who helped raise you or someone you call a friend. It really weaves into the overall plot very well, and I especially loved seeing that unfold in the ending. Also, can I say that I love seeing a man not be afraid to apologize? Love to see it! Hime is a hoot, and I absolutely loved her on page! I really think it’s true when she says that it may seem she is happy simply because she is living in “another world,” but it’s really because Kotarou is there and she can experience these new things with him. When things seemed to not be going well, that truth was plain as day, making the ending all the more satisfying! This is easily one of my favorite things I’ve read this month, and I’m deeply looking forward to volume two! ~ Laura A. Grace

The Hachioji Specialty: Tengu’s Love is published by Yen Press.

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Bocchi the Rock, Manga Vol. 4

The race to make the cut for the summer music festival Unidentified Riot continues, and now it’s time for the popularity contest! Can Kessoku Band leverage social media and their friend network to rise to the top 30 and qualify for the band-off? And if they do, can they finally pull together as a band in the truest sense (and not just as the double pun of their name) and outpace the far more experienced teen phenoms, Sideros and Kemonoria? Volume four sees the end of the festival arc and the beginning of the next stage in their growth as musicians and, increasingly, as friends too. Ryou nabs the spotlight for a while, giving us a bit of depth to her character beyond the hilarity of the contrast between her glum nature and ojou-sama upbringing. Yoyoko, the leader of Sideros, also gets a lot more development, as it starts to become clear that Bocchi’s initial instinct about the girl—that here was someone like herself—was actually more accurate than she realized, especially considering Bocchi’s speedy change of heart in the punchline of the initial intro gag that brought the two together back in volume three. The bonus chapter devoted to Sideros only underlines that these two girls have a lot more in common than appearances imply, and that these similarities carry over to their bands and their musical journeys too. Bocchi’s world is expanding! And it’s filling up with some lovely people—not least of whom, rather surprisingly, is a certain poison-tongued music journalist. Bocchi’s mom comes in clutch too, which is nice to see. Whatever your motivation for reading Bocchi—whether it’s the music scene, the jokes, or the relatable social anxiety—this volume is sure to hit the spot. Ganbatte, Kessoku Band! Ganbatte, Aki Hamzi! ~ claire

Bocchi the Rock is published by Yen Press.

READ Bocchi the Rock Reviews: Vols. 1 & 2 // Vol. 3

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I Wanna Do Bad Things with You, Manga Vol. 1

With a title as provocative as I Wanna Do Bad Things with You, you’d be forgiven for assuming that this is an ecchi series. That’s what I thought it would be as well, but it only took a few pages to realize that this is a shonen romance that isn’t heavily reliant on fanservice; instead, it centers on two opposite characters—the tall, quiet, and oft-bullied Wataya, and the short and scheming but earnest Fuji—who will presumably change one another as they fall in love. And how will this all happen? Well, that’s where the title comes in. Wataya is run over by her classmates because she’s too shy and kind to fight back when they push things on her, but inside, she wants to be like a villainess. And Fuji plays that antagonist role really well, as Wataya comes to discover, though she also learns that he’s fixated particularly on his popular little brother, whom he wants to humiliate, and is a brutally honest sort of person. You can see where this is headed. There’s definitely potential here for a nice love story to develop, but it’s a little rough right now. Fuji is a little hard to like, and the writing lacks subtlety; the story feels a little all over the place as well. But like other recent wonderful shonen romances it reminds me of—The Dangers in My Heart and Kubo Won’t Let Me Be Invisible—this one might find its footing in a volume or two. There’s enough charm, humor, and heart here for me to give it a chance and see if the story comes together. ~ Twwk

I Wanna Do Bad Things with You is published by VIZ Media.

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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.