We’ve got reviews this week of several of our favorite recent series, but some more atypical fare, too, including the newest art book from Studio Ghibli, one from the mangaka behind Delicious in Dungeon, and the latest Spy x Family guidebook. Check out our reviews below to see what we thought of these volumes and releases!

The Art of The Boy and the Heron • Doodles by Kui Ryoko: Daydream Hour • The Fiancee Chosen by the Ring (Vol. 6) • In Another World, My Sister Stole My Name (Vol. 2) • Secrets of the Silent Witch (Vol. 6) • Spy x Family: The Official Anime Guide—Mission Report: 222002-1224

In Another World, My Sister Stole My Name, Manga Vol. 2

After Ichika saves Noah’s life, to everyone’s surprise (except maybe the reader), it’s declared that Ichika is a saint! However, it seems even after having a new “title,” her life hasn’t changed much. Or has it? When she and Noah go to help a village in need, will the two of them become a little closer than they were before? Oh, this series continues to be delicious to read! Maybe that’s a weird way to say you’ve enjoyed a really good book, but I can’t think of any other way to word it because, goodness, the feels! The creator knows exactly what she is doing concerning Ichika getting closer to both of our guys, and even my own heart is struggling with which guy to choose for her! However! I’m pretty sure Noah captivated my heart in this volume with the kindness he showed to Ichika. Is he still grumpy and prickly? For sure, but! There were moments (like him teaching her magic) that really showed more of his character and that he isn’t as uncaring as he seems. I really, really loved it! Though my heart still really likes Cecil. *hides* There is such a princely aura to him, and with him being such a gentleman, it’s hard for my heart not to swoon a little bit. Ha! I am very curious as to what’s going to happen next because what a cliffhanger! Ichika is definitely growing closer to the guys, but she and Karen still seem to have an icy relationship that keeps getting colder and colder thanks to Karen… Saying that though, let’s rewind for a moment! That opening chapter dropped a bomb of information on who the culprit is for the “bad things” happening, and I am not happy about it. I’m actually very interested in seeing if my feelings toward Karen will change at all and if she herself will change as the series goes on. Overall, this was definitely a worthy sequel to volume one, and I’m so excited to read more! The art and story are wonderful, and I know I’ll be devouring the next volume ASAP! ~ Laura A. Grace

In Another World, My Sister Stole My Name is published by Yen Press.

READ In Another World, My Sister Stole My Name Vol. 1 Review

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The Fiancee Chosen by the Ring, Manga Vol. 6

The Harvest Festival is almost here, and Aurora is doing everything she can to have her embroidery ready to celebrate! However, when she notices she is running low on certain threads she needs, she decides to risk leaving her home to go to the store, despite the danger of people looking for a primordial witch like herself. Unfortunately for her, though, disaster strikes! Will Felix be able to save her in time for the festival? I have missed this couple so much and was thrilled to be back in this story with this new volume! I find it interesting that for almost all of the duration of this series, it’s been fairly chill and extremely fluffy, but this volume was quite intense! I felt genuinely concerned for Aurora’s well-being and was on the edge of my seat wondering what would happen next! I know I *thought* she would be okay, as she has Lord Felix by her side and nooooo way he is going to let anyone touch his woman! That definitely proved true in this volume, as we really saw his full magical strength, which was intimidating and really cool all at the same time! Ha! However, seeing why he is going “all out” because of the people around Aurora was…interesting? I have really enjoyed this arc, but I found the motivations of these “mages” something hard for me to fully understand? Why exactly did they need Aurora? I mean, yes, they explained (no spoilers as to what they said), but I couldn’t fully connect with their reasoning and felt slightly disappointed by that. It’s definitely the only reason I’m giving this volume four stars instead of five, because that last chapter was perfection! I had to read it twice because I was so giddy with how everything was unfolding and how absolutely stunning our leads looked together! Very beautiful and heart-soaring moment that really made me happy! Overall, I loved this volume and eagerly looking forward to the next volume because why-oh-why did I read this so fast?! I need more ASAP! ~ Laura A. Grace

The Fiancee Chosen by the Ring is published by Yen Press.

READ The Fiancee Chosen by the Ring Vol. 1 Review

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Spy x Family: The Official Anime Guide—Mission Report: 222002-1224, Guidebook

What a cool guidebook. Sometimes, a companion guide for an anime feels like a cash grab—after all, new material for the volume is typically uncommon. It’s all rehash gathered in one place. But although most of the material in Spy x Family: The Official Anime Guide—Mission Report: 222002-1224 isn’t new, with the exception of what I assume of brand new interviews with various staff involved with the anime and voice actors—with double-page ones for the entire main cast—no one could call this a cash grab. It’s too lovingly woven together! Every page is a delight, with thoughtful captions, beautifully assembled illustrations, and a ton of graphics inserted to make you feel like you’re getting a special piece of merchandise. It’s the type of book I would especially love if I were obsessed with Spy x Family and just enjoyed diving into everything SxF has to offer. That category of fan will not be disappointed by this release. And even if you’re a more “regular” fan, I think you’ll discover the same thing I did: This is a “mission” you’ll be glad you accepted. ~ Twwk

Spy x Family: The Official Anime Guide—Mission Report: 222002-1224 is published by VIZ Media.

READ Spy x Family: The Official Anime Guide—Mission Report: 220409-0625 Review

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The Art of The Boy and the Heron, Art Book

I admit it—I’ve shied away from the large, hardcover “art of” volumes for Studio Ghibli movies. Based simply on the cover and size, they seem a bit childish, like artifacts I would have found in my elementary school library in the 90s. And besides, why would I pay for such books when I can see all the dynamic movement of the actual films themselves? Well, The Art of The Boy and the Heron both proved me wrong and demonstrated that you can’t judge a book by its cover. The bulk of this volume is, of course, art from Miyazaki’s fantastic and most recent film, The Boy and the Heron: imageboards, production imageboards, backgrounds, harmony cels, character designs, layouts, and film stills. These beautiful illustrations helped me to pause and reflect on the incredible artistry of the famed studio, on the beauty and work that went into the final product. Page after page of stunning drawings that are of course, pieces of art themselves, apart from the full film. But just as much of a treasure to me are the bits of written material in this collection—interviews with key staff, the complete dub script, and more, including my favorite part of the entire book: Miyazaki’s own memos to staff that pushed the project forward. What a treasure indeed! And that description goes for this entire art book, which serves as a wonderful reminder that Studio Ghibli and Hayao Miyazaki are still the incredible artists and geniuses that we’ve embraced for all these many decades. ~ Twwk

The Art of The Boy and the Heron is published by VIZ Media.

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Secrets of the Silent Witch, Light Novel Vol. 6

I cannot emphasize enough just how much I love Secrets of the Silent Witch. It does so many things so well, with the result being a magical story that you won’t be able to put down. Much like Harry Potter, the book series I most compare it to, Secrets of the Silent Witch turns up the magic charm, effectively employs the mystery genre, and makes you care deeply about the main cast of characters as they grow up and learn to embrace what’s special about each of themselves. Volume six exhibits these aspects as well as any of the previous volumes, beginning with Monica joining the other Seven Sages (well, six of the seven) in an elaborate ceremony that sets the stage for an adventure that touches the deepest secrets of this series. However, of more immediate concern for Monica is the arrival of not one but two transfer students who may reveal her identity and ruin her mission to protect the second prince. Secrets of the Silent Witch effortlessly jumps from silly and fun moments to suspenseful and exciting ones, and from aww-worthy scenes to “stand up and cheer” ones—and all are fitting for this world created by Matsuri Isora. I’ve said it before, but it bears saying again—for those of you who are looking for a worthy successor to Harry Potter, look no further, dear reader; you’ll find that the silent witch will cast the same heartwarming and addictive spell over you. ~ 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 // Vol. 5

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Doodles by Kui Ryoko: Daydream Hour, Art Book

What a treasure this art book is. A collection of doodles—which in this case means sketches, yes, but also hundreds and hundreds of full-color illustrations, as well as an entire chapter of short manga pieces—by Ryoko Kui of her beloved series, Delicious in Dungeon (Dungeon Meshi), this release is so much more thoughtful and grand than I expected. That love that Ryoko Kui has for art and her characters is obvious by the amount of artwork she produced for Delicious in Dungeon that was seemingly just for fun—and that exuberant tone carries through with the kawaii, pretty, and silly drawings included in this piece, which are carefully curated into topical sections within each of the four chapters. I could not get enough of these lovely pieces, including fun pages like one showing how Izutsumi would share a bed with each character and how she would rate the warmth, comfort, and size of each situation. That’s possibly my favorite, but there are literally hundreds of other illustrations here to adore. I own several dozen art books, but even among them, I think I’ve found a new favorite! ~ Twwk

Doodles by Kui Ryoko: Daydream Hour is published by Yen Press.

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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.