Fantasy and romance come alive this week in Reader’s Corner (and an assassin couple, too!). Check out our reviews on brand new series like Beware the Villainess and Colette Decides to Die, and the newest volumes of favorites like Mint Chocolate and Honey Lemon Soda!

Babel (Vol. 2) • Beware the Villainess! (Vol. 1) • Colette Decides to Die (Vol. 1) • Honey Lemon Soda (Vol. 7) • I’ll Become a Villainess Who Goes Down in History: It Seems Turning Into a High-Born Baddie Makes the Prince All the More Lovestruck (Vol. 1) • Love Is Dark (Vol. 1) • Mint Chocolate (Vol. 12) • Sheltering Eaves (Vol. 1) • A Sign of Affection (Vol. 10) • You and I Are Polar Opposites (Vol. 3)

Love Is Dark, Light Novel Vol. 1

When the prolific author of Grimgar of Fantasy and Ash releases a new series, it demands our attention. Of course, I didn’t realize that Ao Jumonji was this new series’ author when I started the work, and so was surprised by just how dark Love Is Dark goes. I don’t want to discuss much more than that, however, because this is a series that’s really best enjoyed without the reader knowing very much at all before diving in. I will explain that it revolves around an awkward young man named Sousei Takarai, who desperately wants to live a normal high school life but isn’t quite able to. From that one character and his budding relationships, Jumonji-sensei is able to build his unusual story that’s emotional and thrilling—I could not put this volume down, right through to the end. I think you’ll discover the same. This is one of the most exciting new reads for me in 2024, and I cannot wait until next February when volume two arrives, because I have so many questions and there are so many paths which the author can take the story, just beginning but already so engaging. What a cool start! ~ Twwk

Love Is Dark is published by Yen Press.

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Babel, Light Novel Vol. 2

“According to the book of Genesis, there was a time when people all spoke the same language and used the same words. … Was language the work of the divine or an example of human ingenuity? Was it a tool for thought or a means of communication?” These lines come from Babel volume two, in which Shizuku continues her journey to find her way back to Earth. As noted in my review of volume one, the world she is currently in had no “Babel event,” meaning that all people more or less speak the same language. We learn in this second book more about the mechanics that allow this to function—and hear the first rumors of an epidemic that threatens this system. These hints suggest that the other world may be headed towards its own Babel event… But Shizuku has more immediate problems to deal with! First, she is tricked/coerced into standing in for a bride who disappeared under suspicious circumstances. Then she reaches the palace of the king of Farsa, but instead of helping her, he questions her very humanity and tries to kill her! While she attempts to convince him that yes, she is very human and very mortal, a necromantic spell brings the former members of the royal family back to assault the palace—and Shizuku finds herself a pawn in the attack. She survives, but she is in no way OP like many isekai protagonists, and the volume ends with someone leveraging her vulnerability to separate her from her faithful companions, Erik and Mea… This volume continues the excellent worldbuilding of volume one, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. There is so much depth to the plots unfolding: Shizuku’s personal quest, the social and political maneuvers of the people she encounters, the demonic conspiracies threatening civilization, and the coldhearted “observers” who are apparently even more powerful and have their own agenda. The only caveat is a brief but very disturbing description of mind control; otherwise, this is an excellent read. Looking forward to the next one! ~ NegativePrimes

Babel is published by Yen Press.

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Colette Decides to Die, Manga Vol. 1

You would think that a shoujo series about an apothecary traveling to the mythical realm to treat the god of the underworld, Hades, with whom she falls in love, would be absolutely unique, but Collette Decides to Die isn’t at all. It’s instead a standard shoujo romance—which is disappointing but not altogether terrible. The extra-long (408 pages) first volume begins by showing Colette’s life; she’s a capable apothecary, in such demand that she barely gets time to rest or sleep. In a kind of shocking moment for what’s ultimately a fairly fluffy manga, Colette throws herself into a well that supposedly connects to the underworld. Of course, it does, and she soon finds herself treating Hades, who though standoff-ish is quite a stand-up guy. He’s also a workaholic like her. Hmm…seems like a good combination—except of course that he’s a god in charge of the realm of the dead and she’s a (still living) human. The banter between the two leads is lovely, and I enjoyed their dynamic; the setting, too, is interesting, going back and forth between Alto Yukimura’s vision of the world of the dead and a typical fantasy world. Of particular note in the former setting are Hades’ minions, who are full of personality and cute (but not obnoxiously so). Still, besides these welcome but surface-level touches, there isn’t much to separate this story than any other well-made manga. That’s not necessarily a big fat strike, but I wouldn’t say that Colette Decides to Die excels in any particular category either. The romance is fine. The illustrations are fine. The story is moving along fine. If you’re okay with fine—and shoujo obsessives, like I was once, could be—you’ll enjoy the story. But if you want more than fine, try looking for something else from Shojo Beat. ~ Twwk

Colette Decides to Die is published by Shojo Beat imprint of VIZ Media.

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I’ll Become a Villainess Who Goes Down in History: It Seems Turning Into a High-Born Baddie Makes the Prince All the More Lovestruck, Manga Vol. 1

If you woke up and realized you were reincarnated as the villainess in an otome game, would you be happy about it? For Alicia, she is overjoyed to wake up in the body of her favorite villainess! She vows to herself that she will be the biggest and strongest “baddie” around and everyone will know how awesome villainesses are, but the problem is the harder she tries to be the best villainess she can be, the more the prince falls for her?! I have some mixed feelings on this, but on the whole, I really, really loved reading this! I thought Alicia was an incredibly fun villainess and loved how hardworking she was! I thought it a fun and heartfelt moment when she thinks about what the heroine would do in helping people and is like, “Wait, I can’t let her beat me! I’ll do something even better!” and she ends up doing something really great. The mixed feelings came in because I was very uncomfortable with how intensely one of the love interests stares at Alicia. She was either 7 or 8 at the time, and he was 12, and he would intently watch her practice her swordsmanship. Not in a way where you are evaluating your “enemy’s” fighting but in a I-want-to-get-to-know-this-girl-better-because-I-like-her way… I confess I almost dropped the book right then and there because of how uncomfortable it made me. I realize that if they were both older, it wouldn’t be a problem, but when she is so young, it’s is something I struggle to see any kind of romance in. The only reason I kept reading is because, again, I really, really like Alicia! Again, she is a super fun villainess to follow because all she wants to be is a villainess and cares nothing about the heroine. I think even though I am very hesitant about the “romance,” I’m going to try volume two because this is such an engaging story and I am interested in seeing what happens next! ~ Laura A. Grace

I’ll Become a Villainess Who Goes Down in History is published by Yen Press.

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Honey Lemon Soda, Manga Vol. 7

“I will never lie about these feelings again.” Uka has been questioning what exactly Kai is to her and what she is to him, thereby defining their “relationship.” If she’s really honest with herself, though, she knows what she wants to be to him, but she keeps those feelings tightly under wraps. However, during the sports festival, she realizes she may not be able to keep her feelings quiet much longer as they continue to bubble up in her. For a large part of this volume, I felt some angst and worry that Uka would have a long, drawn-out journey of realizing what her feelings were for Kai, making it last for several volumes. While I think it would be valid if it did take Uka time to work through her feelings, that was something I was not personally looking forward to. Thankfully, I was proven wrong in that her long, drawn-out journey was just for this volume! Not only that, but the ending gave me butterflies! Eeeepppp! I continue to deeply love Uka, but I feel Kai was a very interesting character to follow in this volume. I was slightly offended when he put a “name” to their relationship, because I feel he has made it known (at least to the reader) that he views Uka as something more than a friend, but he also hasn’t really done anything to make it seem like he does, in fact, feel that way? However, there was a scene where I think it shows that Kai is taking things slow, because that ending spoke so much of how he does feel!! Goodness, even before that, when Uka’s feelings overflowed and she said what was on her heart, we also saw his feelings! Both scenes were amazing, and I really admired how Uka finally faced Kai and shared her heart! I would definitely love to reread this volume again while knowing how the volume ends, so I wouldn’t be so anxious and could really appreciate the build-up. Ha! The ending was easily my favorite part, and I’m very curious and excited to see where this story goes! ~ Laura A. Grace

Honey Lemon Soda is published by Yen Press.

READ Honey Lemon Soda Reviews: Vol. 1 // Vol. 2 // Vol. 3 // Vol. 4 // Vol. 5 // Vol. 6

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Beware the Villainess!, Manhwa Vol. 1

When the opening blurb says “Red flags everywhere…,” that couldn’t be a more fitting description for Beware the Villainess! Waking up in the body of a villainess from a romance novel, Melissa decides to enjoy a life of luxury instead of the stressful days of going to college. The only thing she needs to do is not “fulfill” her original role, but too bad for her: she’s surrounded by trashy male characters! This was hard to read because while I like Melissa, I hate all the men in this story so much. Ughhhh! I sort of want to read more because I haven’t met all the “love interests,” but literally the two guys we met are absolute garbage, and I 1,000,000% get Melissa’s rage towards them. There is literally nothing positive to say about either one of them, and I felt so frustrated by the end because of their actions. I guess, on the flip side, this manwha really creates an interesting sense of compassion towards Melissa because of how stupid the guys are. I feel I don’t really know her as a female lead simply because she’s angry every single page and almost every single moment. We know what she wants to accomplish, but it’s hard for me to see how she’ll get there, especially if the next two guys are as crappy as the first set. I will give credit to this story for how funny it was, though! Lots of hilarious expressions, and it was fun to flip through and show my husband, because I don’t think I’ve ever read a story with that wide of a range of emotions in just a handful of pages alone! Overall, though, I feel this was hard to read simply because of stupid characters making stupid actions, and a smart and fun female lead is stuck with trying to get away from said characters, but is struggling to because they want to suddenly keep her around. I think if you’re looking for a funny(?) villainess story, this one might be it, but unfortunately it wasn’t for me. ~ Laura A. Grace

Beware the Villainess! is published by IZE Press.

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Mint Chocolate, Manga Vol. 12

The “investigation” continues as Nanami and Andou look into whether the five-year-old girl, Koto, is somehow related to Suzumura! They decide to keep it a secret that they may have found his mom, but unfortunately, he finds out anyway! Is he going to confront her? How is this going to affect their family moving forward? This was another really, really good volume, and I was impressed with how things were handled! Suzumura’s reaction to finding out about his mom felt extremely realistic, but I thought it interesting how he also really thought about Nanami’s words—that she could “fill that gap” by potentially confronting his mom and saying whatever he wanted her to. That he didn’t need to push or pressure himself to meet the mom because Nanami was there for him and wanted him to have his “peace,” so to speak. He might have originally said they needed to investigate more before making a decision, for the sake of his “good naps,” but it was obvious there was more to it. One thing that really stood out to me when reading is that while Suzumura has always thought about what actions to take in different situations, I really liked how much he genuinely reflected on his feelings and whether he had anything to say to his mom. The outcome of his thoughts was really surprising to me! I don’t think Nanami realizes how much she means to him and how her presence has made a huge impact on his life. I’m excited about the upcoming arc and how things will unfold! I think it’s going to be a really fun one, and I’m looking forward to future developments! ~ Laura A. Grace

Mint Chocolate is published by Yen Press.

READ Reviews of Mint Chocolate: Vols. 1-8 // Vol. 9 // Vol. 10 // Vol. 11

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Sheltering Eaves, Manga Vol. 1

When she was ten, Yoru was left at a group home for children. It’s there she met other children who had been abused by parents or loved ones like herself. One of those children was a boy named Tenjaku. As they grew up together and are now in high school with one year left at the group home, she feels nervous about the future. She wants to be with Tenjaku when they leave, but what does he want? And where will that leave her future based on what he says? How do you “rate” a story like this one? I really have no idea. It’s hard because this story is fiction, but at the heart of it, you can really see it’s not. These characters are reflections of other real-life people with real problems, worries, and anxiety. It reminds me of My Girlfriend’s Child in that this story is much larger than good or bad storytelling, because it’s one that grips you and pulls you into someone else’s world, and in my case, is very different from my own. My only concern is that I would like to read more, but with how deep and triggering this story is at points, I really want to know if it will have a “happy ending.” That might come across as incredibly shallow, but seeing the effects of parental abuse on children is not something I would rush to pick up at any given point because that is extremely triggering and upsetting for me personally. I can say that even outside of my struggle with what to do, this is a very meaningful read. It’s not lighthearted or a “happy” one, but again, as with My Girlfriend’s Child, I think it’s powerfully insightful in light of it being a fictional setting. The characters are very compelling, and I really found my heart went out to each one of them. I think if you’re looking for a story that is eye-opening and heart-wrenching, this is one I would recommend (but please don’t forget the trigger warning I mentioned above). ~ Laura A. Grace

Sheltering Eaves is published by Kodansha. Volume one releases on November 12th.

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You and I Are Polar Opposites, Manga Vol. 3

Volume three of You and I Are Polar Opposites is just as cute as the previous ones, with Suzuki’s facial expressions once again being the star of the show, but just as with the volume two, this release doesn’t rest on its laurels. Instead of focusing solely on Tani and Suzuki, volume three continues to turn its sights on others in the cast and, it appears, carry its titular statement toward other would-be couples as well. Nishi and Yamada continue to grow closer in this volume in a way that makes great sense for this introvert/extrovert pairing. But even more compelling is a bit of drama relating to two other opposites—Asuma and Taira. The former is popular and pretty, but seems to let people use her, and the anxious Taira surprisingly confronts her about it. The few pages in which they hash out her issues are very authentic, with Asuma coming across as a real adolescent instead of simply a character in a cute manga. I was frankly stunned. And I’m encouraged too, because while I enjoy the cute dynamics in the series, a little depth could make it particularly special, and we’re starting to see that. What an impressive romcom! ~ Twwk

You and I Are Polar Opposites is published by VIZ Media.

Read Reviews of You and I Are Polar Opposites: Vol. 1 // Vol. 2

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A Sign of Affection, Manga Vol. 10

The big day is here, with Yuki and Itsuomi officially moving into their first apartment together! Yuki feels nothing but joy to be living with Itsuomi, but if she thought the biggest “trial” would be finding an apartment, she couldn’t be more wrong! Will her heart be able to hold out as she lives every day with Itsuomi? Be still my heart, the swoon is real with this volume! Seriously, this series just shows that you don’t have to have a time skip when the leads move in and live together, because I am loving it! The awkward moments of first moving in and living together were so relatable! I especially loved it when Yuki said, “I think I’m going to die a few more times before this is done…” Ha! Poor Yuki, but I’m so excited for her and Itsuomi living together and thought it was so touching how they made their own sign! They are so deeply in love, and I hope they continue to always have this open communication they have always shown, but especially in this volume! However, in the last volume, it was revealed that Itsuomi is keeping a secret from Yuki, but I think based on how things ended, everything is going to come to light in the next volume? I confess I’m slightly nervous. Not because I think it will hurt their relationship, but because Itsuomi is so free-spirited, and seeing him not be is…concerning. I mean, we see him get bummed that Oushi doesn’t view him as a friend because he is just so chill and laid-back even about some guy liking his girlfriend! Ha! Overall, definitely another very wonderful and fantastic volume (which I read twice)! I’m hoping volume eleven doesn’t take too long to release because I desperately need it! ~ Laura A. Grace

A Sign of Affection is published by Kodansha.

READ Reviews of A Sign of Affection: Vol. 1 // Vol. 2 // Vol. 3 // Vol. 4 // Vol. 5 // Vol. 6 // Vol. 7 // Vol. 8 // Vol. 9

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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.