We have some very cool releases to talk about this week! Our reviews include a couple volumes of series we love that haven’t had new releases in about a year (Laid-Back Camp and Secrets of the Silent Witch); the latest in several of our favorite manga (A Condition Called Love, Kaiju No. 8, and Usotoki Rhetoric); an 3-in-1 edition of a classic shoujo (Red River); and the final volume of one of the best spin-off manga available (Kimi ni Todoke: Soulmate). Check out our thoughts on these releases and let us know what you’re reading!

A Condition Called Love (Vol. 10) • Dandadan (Vol. 9) • Kaiju No. 8 (Vol. 11) • Kimi ni Todoke: From Me to You: Soulmate (Vol. 3) • Laid-Back Camp (Vol. 15) • Red River (3-in-1 Edition) (Vol. 1) • Secrets of the Silent Witch (Vol. 5) • Usotoki Rhetoric (Vol. 9)

Secrets of the Silent Witch, Light Novel Vol. 5

It’s been more than a year since the last volume of Secrets of the Silent Witch came out. I’m happy to report, though, that volume five was worth the wait. Continuing the very strong feel of the early Harry Potter books (but with older characters), this newest volume has Monica guarding Prince Felix in a more official capacity during a negotiation between kingdoms, which means that she’ll need to stay by the side of one so fascinated with her without letting him know that “Monica Norton” has been “Monica Everett” all along! And that tension is just one of many in volume five, which expands the story much further than previous ones had, providing greater information on the world at large (and its inhabitants, both human and creature); creating mysteries having world-changing implications while also impacting Monica and other characters we care about; and delving more into Monica’s past, which has only been skimmed up to this point. Author Matsuri Isora delivers on his more expansive vision, slowly pushing the story to a grander scale while keeping it intimate by strong characterization of Monica and Felix (as has consistently been the case throughout the series) and other characters, both old (learning more about Nero was a pleasant surprise) and new. This delightful series continues to get better and better. I hope we won’t have to wait another year or more for volume six—though for this series, I would be willing to wait as long as it takes. ~ Twwk

Secrets of the Silent Witch is published by Yen Press.

^{READ: Secrets of the Silent Witch Reviews Vol. 1 // Vol. 2 // Vol. 3 // Vol. 4}

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A Condition Called Love, Manga Vol. 10

Hotaru and Hananoi have been together for six months, but ever since the night he walked her home, he’s been acting “weird,” and Hotaru is too nervous to bring up their unfinished conversation. Feeling lonely and at the encouragement of her friends, she tells Hananoi she is lonely and they go on a date where he reveals they met before. I feel my heart has been painfully ripped from my heart and I need volume eleven ASAP so my heart can be whole again! Not only was this volume completely heartbreaking, but the angst! Oh my goodness, I felt I was about to lose it with not having answers and worried about what was happening! I so wanted to flip ahead to see so I could brace my heart, but I was equally worried about the outcome, so I just had to endure all the angst and hope my heart would be okay! Ha! Unfortunately, that angst led to so many upsetting things going down that I really felt like crying for almost all of the second half. It was so painful to read even though the storytelling was phenomenal! I just now desperately need healing and reconciliation to happen in the next volume, because this was the hardest volume to read in that it didn’t have any of the light and fluffy “feelings” many of the earlier volumes had. I would love to say more about the events that unfolded, but am unsure of what to say without giving away spoilers. Everything was very well written with the timing being way too on point with things from the past coming to light. The only thing I hope for moving forward is for everything to come back together stronger, even if it’s hard right now. ~ Laura A. Grace

A Condition Called Love is published by Kodansha.

READ Reviews of A Condition Called Love: Vol. 1 // Vol. 2 // Vol. 4 // Vol. 5 // Vol. 6 // Vol. 7 // Vol. 8 // Vol. 9

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Kaiju No. 8, Manga Vol. 11

In my previous review, I mentioned that I felt this was the time we needed a hero to come save the day. However, as this volume unfolded, it quickly showed that these kaiju are nothing like past kaiju, in that they know the weakness of the force’s strongest fighters. How will each person fare in the hardest battle they’ve faced yet? I loved seeing Kikoru have an entire and fantastic arc to shine! Seeing the “arc” (aka fight) wrap up in this volume was everything, and I definitely feel like it will always stick out in my mind as how female characters can shine just as much as male ones in shonen manga. Thank you, Sensei! I do confess that I missed not seeing more of Kafka in this volume, which is something I had really, really been looking forward to. However, I do think this volume was interesting in that everyone really is fighting their own battles. It’s not that others don’t want to come help, but with how smart these kaiju are and them knowing everyone’s weaknesses, no one can leave their position and come to provide aid. I am still not a fan of Narumi, even though his battle and the backstory were very interesting! I think he and I will always have a love-hate relationship as a reader and character, and this volume helped me accept that. Ha! I loved the ending with Hoshina! He’s amazing every single time, and the “trick” he had up his sleeve left me feeling giddy! He’s so cool! Overall, not my favorite volume, but I still deeply enjoyed it, especially the beginning and ending! ~ Laura A. Grace

Kajiu No. 8 is published by VIZ Media.

READ Kaiju No. 8 Reviews: Vol.1 // Vol. 2 // Vol. 3 // Vol.4 // Vol. 5 // Vol. 6 // Vol. 7 // Vol. 8 // Vol. 9 // Vol. 10

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Kimi ni Todoke: From Me to You: Soulmate, Manga Vol. 3 (Final)

Everything came to a head when Ume poured tomato juice on the “heroine” at the end of the previous volume. She keeps doing everything she doesn’t want to do or say, but when Sawako comforts her after the incident, she is finally able to admit that she does care for Eiji. With Sawako’s encouragement, Ume reaches out to Eiji, but will the words she desperately wants to convey come out the way she wants? What a wonderful and fantastic ending volume to this series! Seeing Kurumi finally open herself up was so beautiful, satisfying, and heart-touching! I really loved how she came to accept who she is and that she doesn’t need to be “cute” to be considered worthy of affection. She realizes she still struggles with being mean or nasty, but with the people she cares for, she knows they will still love her. It was a really touching arc of character growth for her and is something I never ever imagined I needed to read until now. I also loved seeing Eiji come to life in this volume! Not that he hasn’t before now, but I think there was something really satisfying seeing him as more than “Sawako’s cousin” who is romantically pursuing Kurumi. The conversation he had with his friend at the beginning opened my eyes to more of who he is as a character, and I really appreciated the development he had through this series, even if it was much more minor compared to Kurumi. Lastly, how did I not know there was a mini-bonus comic of My Love Story x Kimi ni Todoke?! Why has no one said anything? Because I gasped in delight! I loved the series as it is, but that comic definitely boosted my love for this series! Ha! Overall, this was so very wonderful! I never thought I would view Kurumi differently compared to the main series, or at least in a way where I didn’t think she was still the “villainess” of sorts. But Kurumi came to life in such a meaningful way that I would highly recommend this series to fans of Kimi ni Todoke whether they loved her character or not! I definitely look forward to rereading it again, that’s for sure! ~ Laura A. Grace

Kimi ni Todoke: From Me to You: Soulmate is published by VIZ Media.

READ Kimi ni Todoke: From Me to You: Soulmate Reviews: Vol. 1 // Vol. 2

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Red River (3-in-1 Edition), Manga Vol. 1

One of the classic shoujo series of the 90s, Red River, arrives this week in an omnibus edition. And while the qualities which made it beloved in Japan are obvious, there are certain aspects to the series that almost thirty years after its initial release aren’t nearly as enjoyable, starting with the protagonist. Yuri is a normal 15-year-old who, by magic, is spirited away to the Hittite Empire some 3,300 years prior. There, she’s meant to serve a blood sacrifice by the queen, who will then use magic from it to assassinate the princes in line for the throne ahead of her son. Yuri is extremely obnoxious and not characterized with the intelligence that the more modern shoujo heroine is; while she would have been somewhat annoying but still lovable in the 90s and 00s, I find it very hard to care about her when reading in 2024. She’s just bratty to these eyes, even though I really want to like her. For instance, her poor decision-making leads to devastating consequences for her and others, including death. Her counterpart, Prince Kail, is mildly better as the playboy with a heart of cold. There’s definitely chemistry artfully developed between Kail and Yuri, though the latter seems to also just have a bad taste in men. On the positive side, Red River is no-nonsense, full of action and romance. And the Middle Eastern setting is creative and fun. The book isn’t for me, but those with even more passion for shoujo from that time period might embrace it more fully. ~ Twwk

Red River (3-in-1 Edition) is published by VIZ Media.

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Usotoki Rhetoric, Manga Vol. 9

Kanako has realized that she is starting to or has always been romantically in love with Mr. Iwai. She’s doing her best to hide her feelings, but her excitement keeps leaking through, especially as she and Mr. Iwai take a train trip. However, it’s there that Kanako gets kidnapped! And who should be the one to kidnap her? Mr. Shiro! Can Mr. Iwai find Kanako, and why did Mr. Shiro kidnap her? I give the creator huge credit, because when I first started volume one, I so wanted a romance between our leads. However, the more I read, the more I was so happy with the friendship they had that I didn’t even want a romance! Yet, with the last volume, it was obvious this story would lean towards a romantic shift, and I felt very mixed feelings on that. However, I was so surprised at the way this volume unfolded when it came to the romance, because it was so well written! I thought it might feel or be rushed, but there was such a natural progression of feelings that I was thoroughly shocked and happy with how it unfolded! I was even caught off guard by how these two being separated in this volume seemed to really help both our leads admit what their feelings are for the other! Truly, it was all so well done! Unrelated to the romance though, hearing Mr. Shiro’s story was heartbreaking. The way he conveyed his heart and the things he shared with Kanako have been unlike anything thus far. Sure, there have been emotional cases solved, but how can you lie when you don’t have any truth to tell or say? What a painful way to live, and I was glad Kanako was there with Mr. Shiro even though I have no idea how this series is going to unfold! Overall, this was such a touching volume, and I’m eagerly looking forward to how it will unfold! I’m definitely hoping that Mr. Shiro will find healing and that it will be a happy ending for our leads! ~ Laura A. Grace

Usotoki Rhetoric is published by ONE PEACE BOOKS.

READ Reviews of Usotoki Rhetoric: Vol. 3 // Vol. 4 // Vol. 5 // Vol. 6 // Vol. 7 // Vol. 8

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Laid-Back Camp, Manga Vol. 15

I wouldn’t fault you for believing Laid-Back Camp is just a simple, charming series that doesn’t take the thought and effort that other manga might. But I’d also say you’re wrong. Volume fifteen demonstrates how Afro takes a series that would easily remain comfy and fun by keeping the original five girls together and goes “Empire Strikes Back” with it, divvying up the group while continuing the narrative and, yes, the comfy feels. This has been the case right from the beginning, of course, with Rin never officially joining the Outdoors Activities Club and more often on solo camping trips than group ones. But take volume fifteen, for instance, where the action centers on Aoi and the newest member, Mei, biking to meet up with Chiaki and Toba-sensei. It’s quite courageous to separate the girls and put one together with a new member doing a new activity that features very little camping. And yet, that’s what Afro does in volume fifteen to great success (no surprise), having them visit sites along the way and expressing their cute but motivating determination to make it on this long, arduous journey. There are a lot of fun asides and cute stuff, as usual, including the mangaka’s take on American TV series and a couple of cute doggoes making appearances. All in all, another wondrous and smart volume! ~ Twwk

Laid-Back Camp is published by Yen Press.

^{READ: Laid-Back Camp Reviews Vol. 5 // Vol. 6 // Vol. 7 // Vol. 8 // Vol. 9 // Vol. 10 // Vol. 11 // Vol. 12 // Vol. 13 // Vol. 14}

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Dandadan, Manga Vol. 9

I’ve enjoyed Dandadan, but I’ve been slower to fully embrace it than others, due to the pronounced sexualization of characters drawn to look very adolescent and less emphasis on relationship and heart than I felt was needed in the series. But in volume eight and now in nine, I feel that the series—already immensely creative and great fun—has resolved those issues and hit its stride. Is it a coincidence that this peak is reach in issues featuring cover boy Kinta? Perhaps, or perhaps not, as volume eight goes even more otaku than previous ones, with Kinta making his dream of piloting a giant mecha come true. That the mecha is a humongous Buddha and how a house transformed into one is another story (don’t sweat the details!); the point is we get some really fun and funny Voltron-type action as Kinta (really it’s the girls) take the lead in fighting the kaiju that the group encountered in volume eight. The surprise here, though, isn’t in how the conflict ends but what comes of it—namely the introduction of a new character. The rest of the volume focuses on interactions involving the new face, and it’s very cute, full of heart, and definitely very shonen-romancey. In other words, the stuff that we read these type of series for. I flew through this volume and can’t wait for the next, as Dandadan, besides resolving the aforementioned issues, has assembled a really cute and memorable core group to root for. What they’re fighting against, who knows? But that was never what made this crazy, creative manga fun anyway. ~ Twwk

Dandadan is published by VIZ Media.

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

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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.