We are deep into a number of series, as this week we review volume fourteen of Dandadan, volume thirteen of Kaiju No. 8, and volume ten of The Eccentric Doctor of the Moon Flower Kingdom! But we’ve also got newer series as well, like Rai Rai Rai and I’ll Forget You Starting Today, Senpai. Check out our thoughts on those manga and more below!

Dandadan (Vol. 14) • The Eccentric Doctor of the Moon Flower Kingdom (Vol. 10) • I’ll Forget You Starting Today, Senpai! (Vol. 1) • Kaiju No. 8 (Vol. 13) • My Secretly Hot Husband (Vol. 3) • Rai Rai Rai (Vol. 1) • RuriDragon (Vol. 2) • Victoria of Many Faces (Vol. 2) • You and I Are Polar Opposites (Vol. 6)

Rai Rai Rai, Manga Vol. 1

Take Kaiju No. 8, replace Kafka with a cute, 18-year-old girl as a human and a violent but comical alien as a kaiju, and you basically have a sense of what the new shonen series, Rai Rai Rai, is all about. Sumire—who is trying to help her broken family gain freedom from heavy debt—works for an agency that exterminates space vermin left over from decades of war between humans and aliens. More disturbing than those buglike creatures, though, are “varmints,” kaiju-like creatures who kill humans. After experiencing an alien abduction in which a creature is transplanted into her, Sumire is about to be identified as a varmint, capturing the attention of a major extermination corporation that wants to slice her open and see how she ticks. This opening volume is all sorts of weird and uncomfortable, but also fun and humorous. Sumire is earnest and has a sad luck story that makes us hopeful for her, while the alien that becomes attached to her is basically a mass murderer in the making, but he’s so over-the-top that he’s also quite funny. Every personality in this volume is a little “off,” contributing to the violent but humorous tone and setting the stage for a series that resembles Kaiju No. 8 somewhat in plot, but with a very different vibe. I really don’t get a sense, yet, of how good this series might be, but for one volume, at least, I was entranced! ~ Twwk

Rai Rai Rai is published by VIZ Media.

---

Dandadan, Manga Vol. 14

As indicated by its title, the “Space Globalists Arc” is BIG, and the conclusion for it in volume fourteen is equally huge. Maybe a little bloated too—but that’s okay. By this point, Dandadan so entrances us with its artwork and has built such a love in us for its main characters that we can forgive the story if it’s so big that it action occurs in very convenient ways with too-obvious resolutions. The most important aspect remains, which is Kinta, of course! I’ve come to love his character so much, and he gets to shine in volume fourteen in his own Kinta way; and with his entrance into the fray, I would say he’s also now officially part of the team. That aside, there are still questions out there that are purposely left unanswered and likely to play into future volumes. Could we have the beginnings of a larger, overarching plot? Well, that might be too much to ask for, but that would be something! Otherwise, I’m eager to see what fun complications the kiddies will get into during the next arc, which starts off in volume fifteen, and even more interested in seeing relationships and friendships continue to develop in this wondrous, wonderful series. ~ Twwk

Dandadan is published by VIZ Media.

READ Reviews of Dandadan: Vol. 1 // Vol. 2 // Vol. 3 // Vol. 4 // Vol. 5 // Vol. 6 // Vol. 7 // Vol. 8 // Vol. 9 // Vol. 10 // Vol. 11 // Vol. 12 // Vol. 13

---

Victoria of Many Faces, Manga Vol. 2

Victoria continues to thrive in her new life with Nonna, enjoying her days of living out a variety of roles! However, not all is as calm as it seems: Between Jeffery looking into the incident from the soiree and a strange intruder wanting to know who she really is, Victoria’s days seem to lurk with a hint of danger. Can she and Nonna enjoy their days in peace? This was another cute volume! I was a little unsure at the beginning because it started with a flashback, and honestly, I was surprised by how sad it was! It opened up with seeing another side of one of our precious characters, and I was appreciative to have that insight. However, there was an introduction to a character whose role I really was unsure of? I felt nervous, but things sort of panned out, and then it focused on all the cute family vibes and the romance slowly sailing! Both of those are my favorite parts of this series, and I was excited to see we had so much of it! Though saying that, seeing Victoria in her element and totally kicking butt was awesome! I will always be down for more of those moments! Ha! It’s hard to say what my favorite chapter was, but I did really like Nonna’s new “friend” and seeing Victoria with them! It was very, very wholesome, and I love how Victoria can adapt to any situation and really engage with children. She’s a truly wonderful heroine, and I think that continued to show even when she helped a certain “couple”: Though others would say her actions were “bad,” she was still helping others in spite of the risk. Granted, with what she has done, I hope all will be okay in the future because if people find out, I’m not sure what’s going to happen? I don’t think it will be good news, but I love the new life she is making and want her to stay where she is, so I hope it will be good news! I’m eagerly looking forward to the next volume! ~ Laura A. Grace

Victoria of Many Faces is published by Yen Press.

READ Victoria of Many Faces Vol. 1 Review

---

My Secretly Hot Husband, Manhwa Vol. 3

Letitia is determined to bring the downfall of Belaire, the Devil of Wealth, but she is going to need the ultimate plan to help make that happen! When she consults the book that Erden gave her recently, she realizes she has much more at her disposal than this world could ever offer. Banking on the greatest pyramid scheme I’ve seen in fiction, Letita is going to do everything she can to outwit one of the most wicked fiends in the land! This volume was perfection! Seriously, ten out of ten stars for how this was just as great as the first time I read it! Letitia was amazing! I love that she is this girl boss who uses her wits! She doesn’t have overly buff muscles, nor is she out physically fighting the bad guys (though we have seen her face them), but instead she is so cunning that even the devils themselves think she is more devious than they are! And honestly, seeing her ultimate scam to take down Belaire was absolutely fantastic! Beating him at his own game when he is supposed to be the devil of wealth was deeply humorous, and it was satisfying to see how he became a shell of his handsome self! Well, that is, until he reveals his real self, which was quite scary! There are also lots of wonderful moments between Letitia and Erden when you can truly see how deeply these two care for one another! Though, please, Erden, stop saying you and Letitia need to divorce! No, you do not! I’m thankful his friend really questioned how he actually felt because if it wasn’t already obvious how much he loves his wife, then that internal conversation between him and Belaire said it all! Ha! Also, for those who read this on Tapas digitally, a fun feature I found in this volume is that there is a bonus AU story! Eeeepp! I really enjoyed it and can’t wait to see how it continues in the next volume! Definitely another great volume that was full of lots of action, humor, and intrigue! I need the next volume ASAP! ~ Laura A. Grace

My Secretly Hot Husband is published by IZE Press.

READ Reviews of My Secretly Hot Husband: Vol. 1 // Vol. 2

---

The Eccentric Doctor of the Moon Flower Kingdom, Manga Vol. 10

Koyou and Sing’s backstory continues to be revealed, and with it, something deeply disturbing because Master Chou is not himself. When he feels if he could just get rid of her to help things go back to “normal,” the story takes a deadly turn. Just how has that past incident affected Koyou in the present, and what will she do when she helps a patient who brings back memories she would rather forget? I loved this volume so much, but I definitely hated how things unfolded with Master Chou! In fact, I was completely dumbfounded by his actions and his justification because how?! Everything he did was just plain wrong in this volume! I am, however, appreciative of seeing the “backstory” as to why Sing and Koyou are so close and why there has never been any romance between them (as that is something I’ve wondered about in the past). They really are very similar, and I’m thankful they have both found friendship in one another! It’s funny because when I first started this volume I was fully prepared to get some juicy romance due to the cover, but honestly I was much more invested in Koyou’s personal journey than anything else. Now, don’t get me wrong! I squealed when we got the “romance”! It was good, and I’m excited for the future, but I think Koyou being in a situation with her patient that was similar to the past really showed a lot of how Koyou is changing. I think her patient gave her a new sense of purpose in her life that she didn’t realize she was fully looking for. And if not purpose, he at least opened the doors for her to start her journey in a different way where she is confident in her abilities, which includes her getting to genuinely know her patients and connect with them emotionally. The ending, of course, was another cliffhanger, and I am very curious to see where it goes! I am definitely continuing to love this series and know the next one will be a good one! ~ Laura A. Grace

The Eccentric Doctor of the Moon Flower Kingdom is published by Seven Seas.

READ Reviews of The Eccentric Doctor of the Moon Flower Kingdom: Vol. 1 // Vol. 2 // Vol. 3 // Vol. 4 // Vol. 5 // Vol. 6 // Vol. 7 // Vol. 9

---

Kaiju No. 8, Manga Vol. 13

Mina’s life is on the line as she faces the biggest kaiju threat yet: Kaiju No. 9! Kafka is doing everything he can to get to her to help her, but time is running out as he faces other kaiju in his path. Will he be able to make it to her time and help rescue her from harm? How does this series keep getting better and better?! I am once again blown away by how engaged I am with this series! Though concerning this volume specifically, so many amazing characters showed up, especially my boy Ichikawa! The way he shined! I loved getting his backstory and seeing his motivations! He is amazing and only continues to be more so with every new volume! I also loved seeing more into Mina’s “mind” so to speak! Though that last chapter with her felt something like straight out of a horror manga… I deeply deeply enjoyed reading this volume; it brought me a lot of personal joy because I love the third division so much and seeing everyone come back and absolutely slay these kaiju was epic! Everyone really had a grand entrance, and I hope they will continue to be on these pages throughout this upcoming battle! Speaking of, I truly can’t wait to see what happens next because I think Kaiju No. 9 is about to experience his downfall, and I am more than ready to see it! Still one of my favorite ongoing shonen series right now! ~ Laura A. Grace

Kaiju No. 8 is published by VIZ Media.

READ Kaiju No. 8 Reviews: Vol.1 // Vol. 2 // Vol. 3 // Vol.4 // Vol. 5 // Vol. 6 // Vol. 7 // Vol. 8 // Vol. 9 // Vol. 10 // Vol. 11 // Vol. 12

---

I’ll Forget You Starting Today, Senpai!, Manga Vol. 1

Hiromi can’t seem to get over her senpai breaking her heart in high school, leaving her feeling something is wrong with her ever since. However, fast forward several years, and she decides to use a matchmaking service to help her find romance. She never expected to find her old senpai again, as the very same person who is conducting the consultation! To make matters even worse, he doesn’t even seem to recognize her! I really liked the beginning of this volume a lot! Hiromi was a compelling character, and I found that her motivations were more realistic than I had originally expected! I was very unsure if I could relate to her or at least feel engaged by her character, but seeing her struggles in trying to overcome her past love really spoke to me. I think it was specifically that she was not willing to compromise about what she wore or how she acted during her dates. She treated matchmaking like a battleground and did what she could, but I loved how she asked whether if she compromised, would it really matter in the end anyway (paraphrasing there) because I definitely agree that there is no guarantee it was worth her doing so if she didn’t get married. Granted, I wouldn’t want her to anyway because, as someone who is finally learning and living out trying not to compromise myself, I became very excited about how non-passive she was! I was cheering for her and felt myself getting emotional on her behalf as she learned things about senpai and how he felt: She had been trying so hard, and I couldn’t even begin to imagine how much it must have stung when he said she was not trying! However, I felt the last part was not nearly as exciting because while the resolution was beautiful, it felt like a quick “rush” to the finish line, leaving me feeling slightly disappointed. I was thankful that this volume could be read as a standalone because it did have a good ending! I just think the romance really wasn’t the highlight for me, making me wish we could have focused on a longer journey with Hiromi. Overall, I enjoyed this one and would recommend it if you’re looking for a quick josei read! ~ Laura A. Grace

I’ll Forget You Starting Today, Senpai! is published by Seven Seas.

---

RuriDragon, Manga Vol. 2

While those reading RuriDragon chapters in real time waited two years between the release of chapters six and seven, volume release readers needed to wait only six months, with VIZ holding off until enough material was out to start publishing the manga in book form for American audiences. But you can detect a change in tone between the final chapter of volume one and the first of volume two. Ruri is struggling, really struggling. And it’s a little odd because while having new electric, lighting-like powers is pretty crazy, it doesn’t seem worse than breathing fire, which she handled a little better. The initial chapters are a little tiresome, but by the end of volume two—which moves toward learning more about Ruri’s new friends and the main character herself developing not as a dragon hybrid but as an adolescent more generally—I once again bought into the series. Adolescence is hard, and this dragon concept is symbolic of what it was like for many of us; Ruri, with her faults and all (for instance, she never bothered to memorize her classmates’ names), is authentic to the experience. She just has horns. Even more exciting is the artwork, which is so pretty and unique. Every panel is lovely to look at, and the chapter title drawings are so exquisite that I took screenshots of many of them. This is a beautiful work of art and a thoughtful reflection on adolescence. ~ Twwk

RuriDragon is published by VIZ Media.

Read RuriDragon Vol. 1 Review

---

You and I Are Polar Opposites, Manga Vol. 6

You and I Are Polar Opposites has been cute and charming from its opening pages, but it’s made all the better when it includes a little more serious fare—and that’s found in Taira and Azuma, who have received more attention in recent volumes, including in this one. Volume six has Taira continuing to overthink, well, everything, but he makes little changes to overcome his anxiety, including changing up his train schedule, which leads him to spending more time Azuma. She, in turn, is grateful to Taira for giving her a new perspective on who she is (even if somewhat accidentally), and as the two spend more time together, friendship develops. Something more too—this is a romcom, after all! I enjoy these two characters so much individually, and even more so together. What a rich addition to a lovely series! Major relationship development occurs for other characters as well, adding a dynamic feel to a manga that can thrive on slice-of-life feels but is all the better for these additions. You and I Are Polar Opposites continues to be one of the best current romantic comedies—here’s hoping that the upcoming manga can capture some of the wondrous feel and keeps the excellent writing that has made it so. ~ 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 // Vol. 3 // Vol. 4 // Vol. 5

---

“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.