The Third Division rolls out and lives out their lives in a Kaiju No. 8 novel—and that’s not all this week! We’ll let you know in our reviews if the second volumes of Re-Living My Life with a Boyfriend Who Doesn’t Remember Me, The Hachioji Specialty: Tengu’s Love, and Love is Dark are as good as their first ones, and more!
365 Days to the Wedding (Vol. 4) • Issak (Vol. 12) • Kaiju No. 8: Exclusive on the Third Division • Love Is Dark (Vol. 2) • Otaku Vampire’s Love Bite (Vol. 2) • Re-Living My Life with a Boyfriend Who Doesn’t Remember Me (Vol. 2)
Kaiju No. 8: Exclusive on the Third Division, Standalone Novel
Are you a Kaiju No. 8 fan and have been wanting to read more about the Third Division? Well the latest light novel from VIZ does just that, as it features and focuses on four different characters, with us experiencing kaiju fights and funny shenanigans through each of their perspectives! This light novel was so delightful! I caught myself struggling in the second chapter (and wondered if that was more of me recovering from the flu and having sick brain than the novel itself) because I was really shocked at how gripping this story was! It honestly felt just as intense and engaging as the manga, which was awesome! Not only that, but the characters shined! The “greatest” light novel I’ve read when it comes to matching the characters’ original voices and mannerisms is definitely the first Demon Slayer light novel, and it has since been my “standard” for light novels that are based on manga series. I would say this one captured that same energy, bringing the characters over into novel form, and I was deeply appreciative because that was my number one worry. But Ichikawa was his typical heroic (and dare I say worrisome?) self who wanted to get stronger, while our strong Shinomiya was definitely that: strong and inspiring. Meanwhile, Hoshina had me starry-eyed and I loved getting his backstory! And, of course, Kafka is as amazing and gung-ho as he always is! In fact, I was most nervous about his story and whether it would be as “exciting” as the other chapters; each chapter is from a different POV, which was really fun, and I admire how the writer kept the flow and intensity building to the end. But that brings me to say that I thought it wouldn’t be so intense, due to Ichikawa and Shinomiya insisting very adamantly that he could not for any reason transform: since a TV news director wanted to do a segment on them, cameras would be on Kafka at all times and he might reveal his real identity. Definitely makes sense, but I wanted to see him transform! However, the way he handled everything was perfect and was so “him”! I really really loved it, and I am very thankful a friend gifted this to me for Christmas, as it was just as fun, engaging, and funny as I hoped it would be! ~ Laura A. Grace
Kaiju No. 8: Exclusive on the Third Division is published by Shonen Jump.
Re-Living My Life with a Boyfriend Who Doesn’t Remember Me, Manga Vol. 2
Oriana has done all she can to change Vincent’s mind about her in hopes he will return her feelings from before they both died, but she’s the only one involved in a time loop and who has memories from before their death. Yet it seems her actions are beginning to change Vincent’s heart—but when Oriana breaks down about how only she knows what lies in store for Vincent and his future death, it seems maybe she hasn’t? Why is Vincent so determined to keep her at arm’s length despite seeming to have feelings for her? This volume felt like pure pain, but not necessarily at the beginning! I was so happy with how happy our characters were at first and couldn’t help but smile with joy alongside them! But then…stuff was said, characters were stubborn, characters were heartbroken, and my heart was broken right alongside them. I feel like I’m at a loss for words, because Oriana’s pain feels so overwhelming when you see how lonely she has been and how all she wants is for Vincent to stay alive with her by his side. What can she do, though, when he makes it known he does not want her, nor is her presence welcomed? My heart feels like it’s being ripped out just thinking about it, but despite the pain, I am very curious to know how things will unfold next! Vincent and Oriana both have their own misunderstandings, and I’m unsure how they are going to overcome it. However, that one cousin seems shady, and I feel she knows things and could be a culprit as to what happened in the past. I definitely don’t like her even though she doesn’t seem too unfriendly, but the way she’s acting in the little we’ve seen doesn’t vibe with me, that’s for sure! Outside of her though, this was a very good sequel and I definitely need the next volume immediately, please! ~ Laura A. Grace
Re-Living My Life with a Boyfriend Who Doesn’t Remember Me is published by Seven Seas Entertainment.
READ Re-Living My Life with a Boyfriend Who Doesn’t Remember Me Vol. 1 Review
Otaku Vampire’s Love Bite, Manga Vol. 2
Hina has been kidnapped by her father’s aide, Viktor, leaving her new friends shocked and worried about her well-being. Thankfully, she quickly returns unharmed, but with lots of tears over having been forced to leave even temporarily. However, their relief might be short-lived, as Viktor demands to live with Kyuta, and Hina finds out that Kyuta may need help with costumes for a college festival. She decides to do everything she can to help him, but when a “customer” arrives and befriends Hina, there just might be more danger lurking than any of them realize. The earlier part of this volume didn’t hit quite the same as volume one, and I can’t exactly pinpoint why? I’ve seen a few reviewers mention that it wasn’t as funny and was darker, and I think that might be it? Still a wonderful volume, and I will eagerly look forward to the next volumes! I would just say my enjoyment level wasn’t quite as high when reading volume one, is all. There was definitely lots of exciting development, though, and the one that had me squealing the most is Kyuta’s development! His blushy face! And his niceness! And him not being able to focus! I loved, loved, loved it all, and I’m so excited to see him continue to fall for Hina! On the flip side, I loved how Hoshino helped Hina realize her feelings for Kyuta are not “Mao”! I found her development in this volume specifically very, very good, as she is starting to realize that she is feeling differently about Kyuta than if she were just a fangirl. I deeply enjoyed seeing her slowly change, but yet still compare Mao to Kyuta when she hopes Kyuta will say the same thing! That feels so relatable! Also, Kyuta opening her coffin only to see an overwhelming amount of Mao merch made me laugh! I love her so much! Overall, definitely a super enjoyable volume that has me eager to see what happens next! ~ Laura A. Grace
Otaku Vampire’s Love Bite is published by Viz Media.
READ Otaku Vampire’s Love Bite Vol. 1 Review
365 Days to the Wedding, Manga Vol. 4
Volume four of 365 Days to the Wedding is at once a slow-moving volume where Honjouji and Takuya spend most of the volume apart from (and not talking to) one another, and fast-paced as well—particularly at the end, which was the same for the previous volume. If you remember, volume three ended with Takuya asking the inebriated Honjouji on a date and her responding with, well, nothing—she gave no response at all and Takuya eventually left. Volume four deals with the fallout, with Honjouji deciding that Takuya is better off not dating her and him trying to figure out how to talk to her and if he even should at all. But amongst all the confusion is a surprisingly tender tale involving a co-worker that I think (and hope!) will continue in future volumes. This pivot from the main couple isn’t an aside, though; it’s an important motivator for one of the protagonists and helps lead to a “wow” conclusion to volume four. This vacillating between slow and quick takes some getting used to, but it is quite fitting for Takuya and Honjouji, who are such awkward adults, and a storyline that has their romance going backward, from engagement to genuine romance. This thoughtful and romantic series continues to be a mesmerizing read! ~ Twwk
365 Days to the Wedding is published by Seven Seas Entertainment.
READ Reviews of 365 Days to the Wedding: Vol. 1 // Vol. 2 // Vol. 3
Issak, Manga Vol. 12
Many talk of samurai developing a sort of spiritual connection to their swords through long training and hard experience, but for Issak, it seems he’s developed the same thing with his gun. At the very least, there aren’t many other viable explanations for how he was able to make the shot that killed General Spinola’s master of artillery from what should have been an impossible distance. With his snipers stalemated and his cannons crippled, General Spinola has few options left to him beyond resorting to sheer force to crack the fortress standing between his mercenary army and the Dutch border. But while Spinola may be a simple man, he’s no simpleton, and Issak may find the enemy still has a trick or two left up his sleeve to use against the garrison and himself… In the endnotes of volume twelve, Issak artist Double-S wrote a short paragraph talking about how he felt he was trapped between taking the time and effort needed to head-off potential health problems stemming from the sedentary lifestyle of a manga artist, and meeting production deadlines. By all means, I hope he prioritizes his well-being and lives a long and healthy life, but the art in this volume does show some signs of compromises being made behind the scenes. Backgrounds are becoming more rare, the linework looks flatter at several points, and every now and then character faces seem just slightly off. Don’t get me wrong, the series still has professional level art, but it looks like corners are being cut compared to earlier chapters. In a way, this only makes me appreciate even more how Vinland Saga (which runs in the same magazine) has maintained a borderline absurd level of art quality consistently for almost twenty years. Hopefully later volumes resolve this dilemma and Double-S is able to draw at his full potential while still taking care of himself, but this volume was just a tad underwhelming visually at times. ~ 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 // Vol.9 // Vol.10 // Vol.11
Love Is Dark, Light Novel Vol. 2
My experience with light novels and manhwa that try to balance sweet, comedic elements with gory, dark ones has been that they rarely work. In fact, they usually turn out really, really bad, with one side overwhelming the other and neither ending up being satisfactory. But Love Is Dark is exceptional. In volume two, Sousei continues his life as an assassin while trying to live a “normal” life as a student as well, which includes developing friendships, most particularly with Kuchina—whose circumstances are as wild and violent as his own. While the setup seems fun, it’s almost impossible to do what Jumonji-sensei does, which is go back and forth each and every chapter, attacking every single one with vibrant energy; the assassin chapters are bloody and detailed—so much so that I often had to pause and try not to picture the goings-on too much—while the school life chapters are saccharine sweet and would fit perfectly in a series about an awkward boy forming friendships and finding love. All of it is really, really good, especially the assassin chapters, which are thrilling and exciting, featuring antagonists that are way too compelling for mostly being “monsters of the week.” But the school life material is also lovely, with unexpected friendships forming in this volume, leading to a conclusion that would be perfect for a silly romcom series. It’s all anchored in Sousei’s personality, which is weird, broken, and very consistently written. This is great stuff, especially in novel form where pendulum swings like this are harder to keep going than in a manga, where the magic of paneling and art can help suspend disbelief. But perhaps that’s to be expected from the writer of Grimgar of Fantasy and Ash, a series that’s both violent and touching. Love Is Dark is hitting that mark too, and if you can stand the graphic detail of the killings, it’s more than worth your time. ~ Twwk
Love Is Dark is published by Yen Press.
Read: Love is Dark, Vol. 1 Review
“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.
