Ah, young love! If your fingers are freezing in this winter cold, perhaps they could warm up by grabbing ahold of one of the romantic stories we’re reviewing in this week’s column, ranging from rom-coms to tragedies. Or if you want to stay away from that mess, you could dive fully into a different kind involving gore and swords. Either way, we’ve got you covered, fam!

Adults’ Picture Book: New Edition (Vol. 3) • Hima-Ten! (Vol. 1) • Historie (Vol. 1) • I Wanna Do Bad Things with You (Vol. 3) • In a World of Lies, I Fell into an Unforgettable Love • In the Name of the Mermaid Princess (Vol. 4) • Kagurabachi (Vol. 1) • Rainbows After Storms (Vol. 1)

In a World of Lies, I Fell into an Unforgettable Love, Novel

The cover of In a World of Lies, I Fell into an Unforgettable Love, the latest release from Misaki Ichijo (Even If This Love Disappears Tonight), shows a high school girl standing among the cherry blossoms, looking wistfully into the distance. Right from that initial image, you can tell—this romance will be nostalgia-filled and infused with not a little pain. But the protagonist—at least as the novel begins—isn’t that girl; it’s a boy, Makoto, who has retreated from friendships throughout his life, but all the more so now after he’s been diagnosed with a rare disease that leaves him only a year to live. Despite his plans to fade away without bonding with (and thus eventually hurting) others, he soon becomes tied to his crush, the incorrigible Tsubasa, and the school’s film club, which she leads. You can probably guess how this will go, with stories like Ride Your Wave and I Want to Eat Your Pancreas already telling heartrending tales like this so well. But what’s unique here is the structure of the book; the point of view flips between characters, and there are other interesting approaches that the author takes as well. The story is also tightly organized, which helps in delivering the impact that the author intends to make—though I should note that how meaningful and powerful that impact will be may depend on your stage of life, how much of a romantic you are, and how many such novels you’ve read in the past. The teenage or young adult audience that this book was written for, who may not have read the previously mentioned similar romances, is more likely to get hit with a tidal wave of emotion rather than the drip-drip-drip that fell upon me. There are issues besides the repetitive natures of this of tale as well: The disease seems way too “anime” (i.e., there’s no way a real life illness would proceed in this way), the characters are unusually gracious, and the final push goes on a little too long. Still, I appreciate the meaningful themes of the novel and recommend it to those who aren’t yet jaded by such romances—you might find this one to be a new favorite. ~ twwk

In a World of Lies, I Fell into an Unforgettable Love is published by Yen Press.

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In the Name of the Mermaid Princess, Manga Vol. 4

Princess Mio may have escaped from being kidnapped, but only briefly, as this time she is going to be sold off at an auction to the highest bidder?! Unable to stand the injustice around her, she plans a revolt and can only hope that the others kidnapped can escape and that she will later be rescued from being sold off. I was pretty surprised how triggering and upsetting this volume was, considering how prevalent the theme of fighting against prejudice and racism has been. Things definitely haven’t been easy for Mio thus far, but seeing unhumans willingly participate in the auction because they thought it would lead to a better life after being bought was alarming and nauseating. I don’t know why, but I never expected trafficking to come up in this story and felt completely unprepared. (Though honestly, who should have to prepare their heart for something like that, even if it’s fictional, because it’s just wrong?) I was once again deeply touched by Mio’s strength and fighting for everyone that she cares about, even someone she has only recently met and had few interactions with. I’ve appreciated the theme of being honest and not hiding your identity for the sake of having things “easier,” or in this case, being able to escape easier. Mio has never failed to inspire me with her choices, even if sometimes they are a little too reckless, because she has such a huge heart and won’t stop ensuring that unhumans are safe and can live freely. I’m looking forward to the next volume a lot because with Prince Chika being on this cover, I had really hoped we would have seen more of him than we did! Hopefully, in the next volume, we will, based on what the preview said! Plus, the ending was intense, and I need to see what happens next just for that alone! ~ Laura A. Grace

In the Name of the Mermaid Princess is published by Shojo Beat.

READ In the Name of the Mermaid Princess Reviews: Vol. 1 // Vol. 2 // Vol. 3

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Adults’ Picture Book: New Edition, Manga Vol. 3 (Final)

With wise advice given by both Kudou’s assistant and his former sensei, the makeshift family Kudou has started with Fusako and Kiki is just beginning to take shape; unfortunately, readers will never see what that ultimate shape will be, as volume three of Adults’ Picture Book is the final one. What a disappointment! While I wouldn’t say that the first two volumes were always tantalizing, this series has been a unique and creative one overall and has gotten better almost by the chapter, certainly volume by volume; this third one is the best so far, as Fusako and Kudou must face the consequences that their marriage of convenience is having on Kiki. There’s plenty of humor, too, to accompany the drama—in fact, mostly based on Kiki’s mannerisms and dialogue, this volume leaned more heavily into comedy than the previous ones. And so with all that going for it, I’m dismayed that the series ended so soon and with virtually no conclusion; the ending is fairly sudden, feeling much more like the end of the first arc than of an entire series, and is thus unsatisfying. There’s a lot of confusion too, as the mangaka not only concludes the series on a minor note but just pages before illustrates a strange mix-and-match series of panels that appear to include conversations from other characters that were to happen or that “did” happen as time passed. A poor way to end the manga, though I’m still happy to have completed it—I’m richer for having read about three unique individuals coming together and learning to love one another through the challenges, awkwardness, and unusual circumstances. This manga may have been too short, but it was memorable and, at least until the very end, beautiful and well-crafted. ~ Twwk

Adults’ Picture Book: New Edition is published by Yen Press.

Read Adults’ Picture Book: New Edition Reviews: Vol. 1 // Vol. 2

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I Wanna Do Bad Things with You, Manga Vol. 3

After introducing an intriguing new character in volume two, volume three of I Wanna Do Bad Things with You gives us another one as Fuji and Kei are joined by the high-achieving and flirty Mamori in their plan to outscore Koichi on upcoming exams. But not all is at it seems with their new friend, and that’s part of the attraction of this volume; while the blossoming relationship between the leads is the most captivating part of the series, followed closely by the development of the lead characters themselves, the rivalry between Fuji and his brother is also of great interest as it slowly unfolds and involves the other characters in the series, including Mamori. I’m practically as interested in witnessing how the battle between Koichi and Fuji develops as I am in seeing Fuji and Kei grow closer as a couple. Almost. The pair have a really exciting chemistry, birthed out their lovable personalities that mesh because of the mutual thoughtfulness and kindness they show toward one another. All in all, this is another lovely volume of a series that’s quickly establishing itself as a terrific romantic comedy. ~ twwk

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

Read I Wanna Do Bad Things with You Reviews: Vol. 1 // Vol. 2

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Historie, Manga Simulpub Ch. 1-9 (Vol. 1)

The time: mid-4th century BC. The world of the Aegean Sea approaches one of the crossroads of history. Fierce in both their independence and mutual animosities, the famous Greek city-states have fought each other relentlessly ever since they drove off the Persians some 140 years ago. To the north, the Macedonians—long laughed off as Hellenic hillbillies by their southern cousins—are making a bid to challenge Athens’s tenuous hegemony, under their battle-hardened and shrewd King Phillip II. To the east, the old and proud Persian Empire nervously keeps an eye on its restless ancestral enemies. And on the western shores of Asia Minor, a young man named Eumenes, dressed like a barbarian but speaking Greek with a native’s casual fluency, searches for a way to cross the Hellespont. It is here that a chance meeting with one of the greatest minds in all the Western world will set him on a course into the very heart of this gathering storm… Well, I may think that Kodansha’s K-Manga app looks like a pirate site and has a garbage-tier monetization model. But credit where credit is due: The app did bring over this historical fiction series from Hitoshi Iwaaki, of Parasyte fame. And a gory opening scene followed by a long, slow burn of gradually escalating tension reminds the reader that while Historie may not be a horror series, the mangaka clearly hasn’t forgotten his horror roots. “Slow burn” is the best mindset for this series from what I’ve seen so far, with the volume transitioning to a flashback halfway through that starts to tell Eumenes’ lengthy origin story. This series looks to be a great one for fans of historical fiction, but don’t go into it expecting the kind of hectic pace and steady supply of explosive action scenes you’d find in something like Issak. ~ WacOtaku

Historie is published by Kodansha through their K-Manga simulpub service.

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Hima-Ten!, Manga Simulpub Ch. 1-7 (Vol. 1)

Tenishi Iemori is a high school boy who has embraced the grindset mindset. His job as a freelance house cleaner may vacuum up all the free time not already claimed by his student government duties, but it also means he’s raking in cash for college. So it’s a busy life, and one that doesn’t give him many chances to make progress with the girl he’s crushing on, but overall he’s content. Then into his class waltzes Himari Yoshino, social media star and teenage makeup mogul. Dealing with her at school is bad enough, considering her tsundere attitude and hordes of obsessive fangirls. But the real trouble comes after school, when he finds out his newest client hired him through a third party for the sake of anonymity and is actually—you guessed it—that very same Himari. She may be Instagram’s “It Girl” and Her Highness of Harajuku, but her high-rise apartment is a totally un-cute pigsty on the inside. So begins their less-than-enthusiastic partnership, in which Tenishi’s real job will be to help Himari keep up her got-it-all-together-go-getter-girl image… Perhaps boys can rent a girlfriend, but girls can hire a househusband. Hima-Ten! is one of those “exactly what it says on the can” type of series, where what you expect is exactly what you get. All the classic elements are there. Protagonist playing exasperated straight man to a tsundere’s antics? Check. Traditional fan-service shot scenarios? Check. Wisecracking best friend guys who seem to only appear when someone needs to dump exposition on the protagonist? Checkeroo. Even the central set-up of “tsundere with money meets man with domestic skills” is more than passingly similar to Toradora (although Himari’s go-to level of violence is significantly lower than Taiga’s). But perhaps that’s the strength of Hima-Ten! It knows it’s a “comfort food” manga and doesn’t try to overplay its hand. So far, the series has given the impression of having a low “ceiling” but a high “floor”: it seems unlikely to amaze anyone or redefine the genre, but it’s executing on all the basics for someone who just wants a breezy shonen rom-com. ~ WacOtaku

Hima-Ten! is published Viz Media online and through the Shonen Jump app.

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Rainbows After Storms, Manga Vol. 1

How does a relationship progress between two girls—one a little nervous and more by the book and the other more carefree and popular—when you’re keeping it secret from your shared group of friends? That’s the setup for a new shoujo-ai series that’s more on the cute side of the spectrum than the deeper one. The two girls, Nanoha and Chidori, are best friends. They’re also dating. If you didn’t catch that, don’t worry, you’ll be reminded of it with practically that exact wording chapter after chapter after boring chapter. Yep, that’s the gist of this volume—it’s mind-numbingly boring, at least for the first 3/4. The situations are the same as you’d see in practically any rom-com series, and the characters are dull and uninspired. Nanoha and Chidori are “cute” but indistinguishable from other rom-com leads, while their group of friends is unmemorable and adds nothing to the mix. The flashback scenes toward the end of the volume, however, add a little more depth to the story, hinting that Rainbow After Storms may get better in the coming volumes. But based on the entirety of volume one, this manga is only for those addicted to cute stories, and even in that realm, you could do much, much better. ~ Twwk

Rainbows After Storms is published by VIZ Media.

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Kagurabachi, Manga Vol. 1

The first volume of Kagurabachi, a series featuring a plot that mixes magic and swordcraft, is a reminder that battle shonen done well resonates through your entire body and soul. The title of the series can refer to a mystical reckoning against those who have done evil—a vital part of this series’ storyline—as well as to the primary character’s unique swordsmanship. Chihiro is the son of a great swordsmith, and as the story picks up, he is chasing down special swords created by his father, who imbued them with sorcery; his sword is likewise magical, but Chihiro is a novice in fighting, though he makes up for what he lacks with his powerful desire to slay evil and to live out his father’s principles. As you can imagine, volume one is full of fighting and it’s quite well done, often framed around either one-on-one or one-on-dozens matches; both types of fights are kinetic and exciting. But that’s not all there is to the series. It has heart, mostly demonstrated through Chihiro and his commitment to carrying on his father’s work; humor, punctuated by a young girl who is central to a mission Chihiro carries out; and creative world-building, with ancient and mythical arts and weaponry being placed in an alternate, modern-day Tokyo. These disparate pieces are compelling and, so far, are gelling together well. The story is fast-paced but easily followed. And it has me excited to see what comes next as Chihiro is already drawing enemies who appear to be multitudes stronger than him. This is a grand start for a shonen manga that is already setting itself apart from the pack. Adrenaline-pumping and creative stuff! ~ Twwk

Kagurabachi 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.