Romance? We’ve got it. Emperors and princes? We’ve got that, too. Ronin and god-battling scientists? Why yes, we’ve got that also. And don’t forget a maid and an idol! This week is full of the stuff we love in manga, but do we love these manga that feature them? Check out our reviews below to find out!

365 Days to the Wedding (Vol. 2) • After God (Vol. 2) • Always a Catch!: How I Punched My Way into Marrying a Prince (Vol. 1) • The Boy I Loved Became the Jaded Emperor (Vol. 2) • Everyone’s Darling Has a Secret (Vol. 1) • Heroine? Saint? No, I’m an All-Works Maid (And Proud of It)! (Vol. 1) • Vagabond Definitive Edition (Vol. 1)

Vagabond Definitive Edition, Manga Vol. 1

One-third of the “Seinen Big Three” (which also includes Vinland Saga and Berserk), Vagabond returns to shelves this week with the first volume of its “Definitive Edition,” which puts three volumes into one (728 pages of material!), is hardcover-bound, and includes a few extras at the end, including thoughts by the mangaka on each of the original volumes. Although a modern classic, Vagabond is new to me, and I’m grateful that VIZ Media is putting it out in these huge editions, which has encouraged me to dig into the series—and despite so many new manga being launched every week, this older one is more than worth diving into. A fictional take on Miyamoto Musashi, this first edition presents his origin tale of sorts, from being a survivor of the Battle of Sekigahara to becoming a fugitive on the run to meeting friends and opponents, every chapter is thrilling and engaging. The story doesn’t break any new ground in what it’s doing—this is similar to other samurai tales—but the storytelling itself is effective, hitting all the right notes, including in the protagonist’s characterization as a tough, mean guy that you nonetheless want to see succeed (he very much reminds me of the young Kenpachi from Bleach) and in his journey from unwanted child to challenging the badest swordsmen on the planet. It’s an additional thrill if you’re a fan of historical fiction and of Japanese history, adding color to famed figures of the past. Volume one of Vagabond Definitive Edition is a winner, and if you can take the brutality of the world Miyamoto Musashi is living in (including violence and sex), you’ll discover why this series has become a classic. ~ Twwk

Vagabond Definitive Edition is published by VIZ Media.

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Everyone’s Darling Has a Secret, Manga Vol. 1

You’ve seen it before: Regular Joe attracts the attention of the most popular and beautiful girl in school. With Everyone’s Darling Has a Secret repeating this same storyline, you might assume that this manga should be skipped, but the formula is done so well in volume one that I recommend you check the series out if you’re a romcom lover. The characters, most importantly, are lovable. In volume one, protagonist Hizashi Hiruno presents as an almost-perfect mix of that “aww shucks” personality that draws readers in and a realism that makes him relatable; for instance, he definitely is head over heels for Rei Kuromiya, his classmate and a famous idol, but seems to genuinely just want to help her as he would any of his classmates. As for Kuromiya, her secret is that her grades are terrible, which mostly seems to be due to the busyness of her schedule. She’s sincere, kind, and cute, which makes her instantly likable as well. And she’s quite funny too, which is fantastic for the series since comedy is so important for making a manga like this work. Kuromiya is a little out of touch, which is what leads to most of the gags in this volume. I also really enjoyed the chemistry developing between the leads, and with cute humor to go along with the lovey-dovey stuff, count volume one as a total win. ~ Twwk

Everyone’s Darling Has a Secret is published by Yen Press.

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After God, Manga Vol. 2

After God has some great things going for it—an engaging, post-apocalyptic world of gods for its characters to fight (and suffer in); cool, engaging character designs; and beautifully wicked artwork. But it’s what’s lacking that stands out. Volume two finds Toninaga brokering a deal to keep Waka from being imprisoned, but because of her immense power, those siding with the gods quickly kidnap her and a fight ensues. The chapters leading up to the action are a perfect opportunity for humor, as a group of strong and strange people congeals around Waka; but the humor never materializes, and the action scenes left me bored. The writing has no spark to it. In my volume one review, I compared this series to two very engaging ones—Chainsaw Man and Fool Night—but it lacks the wondrous atmosphere that both of those have, leaving us in a dreary world without feeling the oppression or fear the characters might; this is a real lost opportunity. And it compares particularly poorly to Chainsaw Man because you get the sense that After God wants to be as brutal as that series and as strangely humorous too, but it is neither. It’s just there. And because of that, I’m just gone. Series dropped.~ Twwk

After God is published by VIZ Media.

Read: After God Vol. 1 Review

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The Boy I Loved Became the Jaded Emperor, Manga Vol. 2

Eleonora has searched for her Ham for so long but has come up empty each time. However, after she meets the “Demon Emperor” at the consort selection ball, he seems to resemble her Ham, but he acts nothing like him! Yet when she’s invited back to the castle by none other than the Emperor himself, she starts to wonder if maybe she was wrong, because why does he know so much about Ham and have extremely similar mannerisms? I confess I didn’t love this volume quite as much as volume one, as there were a few places I felt my mind was starting to wander, but the ending was so beautiful that it fully sold me on this volume! I got very emotional at the end, and it instantly boosted my overall enjoyment of the entire volume simply because of how touching it was! Rewinding, though, I really loved seeing Ham’s happiness once he realized who Eleonora was, because his smiles were so special and really lit up the entire page! Also, seeing how soft he was for his woman definitely made me smile and feel happy more than once! Ha! I think the hardest part of this volume was Eleonora’s struggles? I think her story was very realistic in her struggle to view Alexi as himself and not as Ham, because she had missed him for so long and just wanted to be reunited with him, though not in a new way or even one that was romantic. So I think her going back and forth between the past and the present made sense, but there were times I wished her internal agony wasn’t so drawn out or extended quite so long? Her realization of who Ham was, though, definitely pulled at my heartstrings, and my heart went out to her! I did love their happily ever after so so so much, though, and I’m very happy and thankful I read this series! I think if you’re looking for a short josei series with two people coming together because of tragedy and then finding themselves together as different people when one of them is reincarnated, this is a beautiful one to check out! ~ Laura A. Grace

The Boy I Loved Became the Jaded Emperor is published by Kodansha.

READ The Boy I Loved Became the Jaded Emperor Vol. 1 Review

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Heroine? Saint? No, I’m an All-Works Maid (And Proud of It)!, Manga Vol. 1

Ever since Melody saw a maid visit a family friend’s home, she knew she wanted to be a maid one day. Even if that was not a traditional job to have in modern-day Japan, she still poured her heart and time into finding out to be the best maid she could be one day. However, her dream seems to go up in smoke when she gets in a terrible accident and is unknowingly isekaied into the world of an otome game. When she remembers her memories of “another life,” her passion to be a maid grows with fervent passion once more and she sets off to be an all-works maid in this new life! Okay, this was so much fun to read! I’m honestly surprised by how much I enjoyed it because while I was curious about the premise, I felt unsure how much I would actually like it? Let’s just say I will now be hyping up future volumes! While the beginning felt a little rocky for me, that second chapter and onwards I had such a great time reading! Melody is so daft but in the funniest of ways, because she’s technically a genius, but yet she really doesn’t realize how OP her magic abilities are? This causes the narrator to be snarky and exasperated, but they sometimes blatantly call out the female lead for her shenanigans! Ha! I found the narrator to be such a fun part of this volume and definitely one of my favorite things about this story, because they really offset or balance Melody’s naiveness. This narrator also really reminded me of the narrator in Tearmoon Empire, which made me all the more excited to read because that narrator is one of the funniest I’ve read! Truly, I loved reading this! I laughed so much and truly had such a great time that I’m very, very happy I decided to give this manga a try! I will be eagerly looking forward to the next volume and getting to know the male leads, as well as seeing what magic Melody will work next! I would totally recommend this to fans of Tearmoon Empire and anyone looking for a funny story with an OP heroine! ~ Laura A. Grace

Heroine? Saint? No, I’m an All-Works Maid (And Proud of It)! is published by Seven Seas.

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Always a Catch!: How I Punched My Way into Marrying a Prince, Manga Vol. 1

Maria was raised with the expectation that she would one day inherit her father’s dukedom and was trained in the ways of martial arts, with very little focus on becoming a “proper” woman and getting married. That all changes when her father announces she will have a little brother and needs to get married ASAP! Having no luck in her own kingdom, she decides to visit her cousin in another country where, shockingly, at her debut she is told by the crown prince he is annulling their engagement?! What engagement is even talking about? And did he just ruin her marriage prospects of finding a good match?! This was so much fun! I really, really enjoyed reading this one and had a very strong feeling I would, because who can resist a super cool female lead who beats up people?! Ha! Seriously, though, Maria was amazing! I honestly was surprised how she can kick butt with such fierceness, but also be super cute in her mannerisms and her earnestness with other people (even if it’s unintentionally, by her voicing her inner thoughts out loud HA). She makes a fun heroine you can look up to, but also one you can relate to. The beginning was hilarious, and I loved how she stood up to the prince—who, speaking of, was such a sweetheart! I loved how he is genuinely courting Maria and that their love story doesn’t seem or feel rushed. As Maria says, he is “the prince of princes” because of how respectful he is and how he absolutely admires and loves her for who she is. The story itself was really engaging, and I am definitely looking forward to reading more! I would definitely recommend this if you’re looking for a heroine who can and isn’t afraid to throw punches, a sweet romance, and some fun humor at a variety of moments! ~ Laura A. Grace

Always a Catch!: How I Punched My Way into Marrying a Prince is published by Square Enix.

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365 Days to the Wedding, Manga Vol. 2

With Siberia still remaining a possible destination for Oohara or Honjouji (or both), should they be unable to pull off their marriage scheme (and possibly even if they do), volume two finds the two faux lovebirds continuing to build their “relationship” in an attempt to be a convincing couple. But it’s not just their fellow travel agents that the two must be concerned about persuading; when Oohara’s father finds out about the engagement, Oohara must figure out how to appease his family, with whom he is somewhat estranged. Meanwhile, Honjouji finds herself a little envious when her fiance is hand-selected to be a personal companion for a beautiful princess. While I’m not a particular fan of either of those scenarios—they both feel a little forced—I’m still enjoying the series overall. I like it most when we get to see just how wonderful each of the two main characters are, such as when we witness Oohara’s continued concern for his cat’s well-being, and travel back in time to see Oohara’s childhood and how it is intertwined with her love for maps. I’m not sure I feel any desire at this point, though, to see them together as a “real” couple in a romantic sense; the shaping of their relationship hasn’t been a strong point of the series. I hope that the visit to Oohara’s childhood home changes that, and that the conflicts—both from the outside (including the apparent co-worker who sees through their plan and keeps making ominous calls) and within the relationship (the two understanding one another, themselves, and any stirring in their hearts for each other) will develop a stirring in my own heart for these two to join together in a true, loving union. ~ Twwk

365 Days to the Wedding is published by Seven Seas Entertainment.

READ 365 Days to the Wedding Vol. 1 Review

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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.