There’s always a catch. Occasionally a folly. And sometimes you might just hide your feelings…in Russian. What if you’re a kaiju? What if you shrink and have to fight your way through a real-life board game? Or if you’ve been reincarnated into a mafia dating sim? When you put it like that…these characters in the manga, light novels, and artbook we’re reviewing this week are having a day. Check out our thoughts on the series below—and let us know yours!
Always a Catch! How I Punched My Way into Marrying a Prince (Vol. 4) • Alya Sometimes Hides Her Feelings in Russian: Momoco’s Art Book • Dandadan (Vol. 16) • Kaiju No. 8 (Vol. 14) • Kingdom (Vol. 1) • Kurumizawa’s Folly (Vol. 1) • Maid to Skate • Oshi no Ko (Vol. 12) • Reincarnated in a Mafia Dating Sim (Vol. 2)
Alya Sometimes Hides Her Feelings in Russian: Momoco’s Art Book
The biggest appeal of the Alya Sometimes Hides Her Feelings in Russian series is Alya herself—a beautiful tsundere who says adorable things under her breath in Russian. And so it’s no surprise that an artbook filled with illustrations of her (and lots of Russian asides) and other characters (i.e., the girlsfrom the series—my count of Masachika illustrations was exactly one) is likewise adorable. It’s also very suggestive, as you can see from the cover. I dropped the light novel series when it started leaning more and more heavily into sexual content and away from interesting storytelling; Momoco’s illustrations, which by the way are so full of life and lovely, are there to primarily help push the sexuality. And so goes this artbook. It mostly features both the color and black and white illustrations from the LNs, but Alya fans may still want to purchase it because the illustrations here are bigger than life. There are also two-page spreads, a nice pullout insert, chibi drawings, and some originals featuring Alya in various types of dress, including several in Christmas outfits. The art book ends with a short story by the series author, SunSunSun. I think those additions are probably more than enough to make this a valuable addition for Alya collectors; those who try to avoid sexual content, though, would best stay away. ~ Twwk
Alya Sometimes Hides Her Feelings in Russian: Momoco’s Art Book is published by Yen Press.
READ Reviews of Alya Sometimes Hides Her Feelings in Russian: Vol.1 // Vol. 2 // Vol. 3
Dandadan, Manga Vol. 16
I am digging this new arc. After a short and sweet story involving a new character, the focus is again on Okarun and Momo as they get closer to finding that golden ball. What’s really cool here is that what starts as a story that feels functional at best turns into a very creative, fantasy, story-within-a-story adventure. Dandadan excels when it takes tropey stories from anime and geek worlds at large and puts its own twist on them. It also excels with really cool two-pagers that show the characters in the midst of action. Both are happening here in volume sixteen, which enters the world of delinquent students and gaming. Really cool stuff. If there’s a weakness that I’m detecting, it’s that which impacts all shonen action stories around this point—being overstuffed with “main characters.” I like, however, that Dandadan turns back toward Okarun and Momo here, which is where the focus should be. But will it keep the series together when sprawl is the biggest concern? We’ll see—but so far, so good! ~ 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 // Vol. 14 // Vol. 15
Kingdom, Manga Vol. 1
I came into Kingdom knowing just a couple of things—first, while the anime adaptation isn’t very popular in the U.S., it’s very well-regarded. And second, the art apparently starts out poorly and gets better. Both of these tidbits feel very on point after reading volume one of the manga, which focuses on orphan Xin and his dream of becoming a great general during the Warring States period in China, and his relationship with another orphan, Piao, and Ying Zheng, the king of Qin. I have to say, the weak character designs for Xin, Piao, and Ying Zheng—which feel quite out of place among the generally excellent designs for other characters in the series—were mild turnoffs for me at first, especially since I’ve been reading a similar historical series, Vagabond, which features otherworldly art. But that was soon forgotten as I fell into the story, which puts us into the action and tale very quickly as the proud Xin is thrown into the middle of a revolution shortly after he and Piao are introduced to us, and as a trio forms that seeks an escape while surrounded by a powerful foe. There’s a great mixture here between serious, historical drama, a la Vagabond or Vinland Saga, and something more shonen adventure, like Naruto or Rurouni Kenshin. And it smoothly navigates both worlds. I’m already beginning to see why this series has been so warmly embraced. ~ Twwk
Kingdom is published by VIZ Media.
Maid to Skate, Manga
Everyone knows that a maid’s most important tool is their skateboard. Wait, what? That’s the premise at the heart of Maid to Skate, where maids are common in this somewhat-Victorian, somewhat-modern world, and they use skateboards and do wicked tricks wherever they go. If that sounds floopy and silly, well, it is! It’s fun too. The story centers on Benihana, who is an especially talented but absent-minded young woman among a cadre of maids in a household. And although she sometimes frustrates her fellow workers, her spirit is undeniably lovable. Maid to Skate, which started as a series of drawings by mangaka suzushiro, works better than it should. While there’s no new ground broken in the series—the characters all fit familiar types, and the warmth you feel here is similar to other slice-of-life stories—that hardly matters, because MAIDS ON SKATEBOARDS. The drawings of Benihana (a skating term, by the way) and the others doing tricks, often high in the air, are stunning, like photos capturing athletic feats, but done by really, really cute athletes. I also really enjoyed the in-depth explanations of tricks and other skateboarding information that’s sprinkled throughout: fun to read, and presented in that sort of “How Things Work” way that was so aesthetically pleasing in 90s science books but has disappeared since. Alas, although a story is starting to form, it looks like this is the only volume of the series; even so, if you enjoy cute girls doing wicked awesome things, Maid to Skate is worth picking up. ~ Twwk
Maid to Skate is published by VIZ Media.
Always a Catch! How I Punched My Way into Marrying a Prince , Manga Vol. 4
Maria has made it known to Renato that, regardless of the potential danger that marrying him might bring, she loves him deeply and never wants to leave his side. That leaves us opening up with our sweet “Mimi” preparing for an upcoming party to announce their engagement at the royal castle. She might be nervous, but she is ready to show those around her that she loves him. However, when a spurned lover also attends the party and sets her eyes on Mimi, maybe things will get more dangerous than anyone anticipated?! I confess this is not my favorite out of the volumes thus far, but! That ending was extremely cute and gave me butterflies, so it made up for the much larger-than-usual focus on Ireneo! However, outside of him (because admittedly, he’s not my favorite character, though I did find Mimi’s relatability to him touching and now view him in a slightly better light thanks to her), I enjoyed this volume a lot! I wish Renato could have had more page time with our dear Mimi, but I loved seeing her give her all, as well as a character from a few volumes ago pop up and help her! Plus, that scene with Mimi and Aida holding hands to encourage one another was one of my favorite non-romance scenes in the volume! I loved seeing them have so much page time together! So I guess I was a little bummed that there wasn’t more romance, but I liked a lot of the beautiful friendship vibes that shone through! Mimi is truly a wonderful heroine who shines on page, so it’s always a joy to read about her, regardless if she is with Renato or not! I’m excited to see where things go from here and desperately hope we get even more romance, because Mimi and Rentao are so cute together (that ballroom scene was everything! Eeeeeppp!) and I’m not getting fed enough or fast enough! Ha! ~ Laura A. Grace
Always a Catch! is published by Square Enix.
READ Reviews of Always a Catch: How I Punched My Way into Marrying a Prince: Vol. 1 // Vol. 2 // Vol. 3
Reincarnated in a Mafia Dating Sim, Manga Vol. 2
This might not be a “villainess” series, but for poor Francesca, it definitely seems like one! After helping Leonardo in a dangerous situation, her perfectly made plans of living out a normal life continue to unravel—why does Leonardo want to take her to a high-society party where they will indeed look like a couple? Does he truly only have eyes for her? Does he have something up his sleeve? Once again, Francesca’s not-so-normal life continues to stay its course as the daughter of a mafia family! If anyone were to say, “Perfect sequels don’t exist…” let me kindly introduce this series because I loved volume two so much! I don’t know if I would say it was better than volume one, but I certainly enjoyed it as strongly as volume one, hands down! In fact, maybe even more so, because I couldn’t help giggling when reading the opening scene! I do believe our Leonardo is quite smitten with our beautiful Francesca! The things he said in the opening I feel were just the tip of the iceberg, because after seeing them ride in the carriage and how he acted at the soiree, there is no room for doubt that he loves her! He’s just *coughs* a little crazy, which this volume also showed. Cue nervous laughter. I did, however, appreciate the “twist” of Francesca pointing out that since she is doing everything in her power to change the story, she has sort of ended up becoming a villainess of her own making. I wasn’t expecting that, and definitely don’t feel she is, but I could see why she feels that way! If I had any “struggle” reading this volume, it’s that the new character reminds me so much of Sebek from Twisted-Wonderland, and I had such a hard time not comparing the two. Ha! I personally didn’t mind, as I really like Sebek, but seeing another character so similar made me giggle in its own right, even though I probably shouldn’t have when tensions were so high. Ha! Overall, definitely another amazing volume, even though what was that cliffhanger?! I need volume three ASAP! ~ Laura A. Grace
Reincarnated in a Mafia Dating Sim is published by TokyoPop.
READ Reincarnated in a Mafia Dating Sim Vol. 1 Review
Kaiju No. 8, Manga Vol. 14
Every volume I think the stakes can’t get any higher, and every volume they do! Ha! This volume is no exception, because with Mina’s life on the line, the race is on to see if Kafka can get to her on time. And thankfully, he does get there, and with no seconds to spare! As the two childhood friends stand strong against Kaiju No. 9, will they be able to defeat this kaiju for good? I don’t know if this is my favorite volume of the series, but by far one of my favorite scenes of the series is definitely in this volume! The teaming up was absolutely amazing! I felt I was on edge, and absolutely appreciated every single detail, speech bubble, panel, and page! I never imagined this manga would have moments I have longed for without even realizing I was longing for them! This story is truly the epic of teams and teamwork, and I can’t believe this volume ended where it did! The battle between Kaiju no. 8 and no. 9 was so good! There were many moments with no. 9 when I felt completely horrified because that smile was creepy as all get out! I never imagined that his reasons for everything he’s doing would make sense, even if it had me scared as a reader. Ha! And the twist with Kafka! Whoa! And then another twist after that too! I lost count of how many times my jaw dropped after three because it just kept dropping! Ha! I really really hope that in the next volume, Kafka will be okay! I am not ready to see this series end, but I also want to see the finale! ~ Laura A. Grace
Kaiju No. 8 is published by Shonen Jump.
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 // Vol. 13
Kurumizawa’s Folly, Manga Simulpub Ch. 1-5 (Vol. 1)
Tokyo, Japan, 1971. It’s a grueling climb if you want to reach the top of the manga world, but that’s nothing compared to the difficulty of staying there. Middle-aged mangaka Yoshihiko Kurumizawa knows this all too well. Ten years ago he was a smash-hit success with truckloads of book sales, merchandise in every toy store, and a hit anime series. These days he’s a relic whom magazine editors meet with simply out of courtesy. And pride and frustration aren’t the only factors in play: His childhood friend Mitsuko Fukabori is facing a life-threatening illness. Money is no object for Kurumizawa, but what “Miichan” needs most is encouragement, such as a new manga series of his to look forward to reading every week—the one thing he can’t give her. Yet when things look bleakest, inspiration lands in his lap (or more specifically, is thrown from a bridge and hits him in the face) in the form of a discarded manga by a young man named Kensaku Hata. Hata is an undiscovered prodigy, blindly trusting, and borderline illiterate. That combination presents Kurumizawa with a terrible temptation he’s not prepared to resist… Now here’s something you don’t see every day. I’ve always been a sucker for manga about manga, from the king of this eclectic little niche, Bakuman, all the way down to the tragically cut too soon Time Paradox Ghostwriter. Throw in the period piece and psychological drama aspects and you have a series I’m absolutely going to pay attention to. However, I’m not completely sure the series wants to be a psychological drama. The first chapter certainly plays up the angle of a generally virtuous man being driven by desperation and his one fatal character flaw into committing “folly,” with hints he is ultimately going to discover to his horror that he wasn’t the deceiver in this devil’s bargain but rather the dupe. But then, the tone gets significantly lighter and the series starts to feel more like a caper where Kurumizawa is a lovable, well-meaning rascal who only really deserves a little comeuppance and a pie in the face. Of course, we’re only five chapters into what looks to be a long story, so it’s entirely possible the lighter tone is only meant to lull us into a false sense of security. We’ll see about that, but one way or the other, I’m going to keep reading for at least a while. ~WacOtaku
Kurumizawa’s Folly is published by Shueisha through Manga Plus and VIZ Media.
[Oshi no Ko], Manga Vol. 12
Oshi no Ko caught everyone’s attention because of its insane twists and turns; it’s full of death and lies, murders and betrayal. But volume twelve, which doesn’t have stunning content to that extent, feels like the cruelest since the very first one—and it left me all twisted up inside. The Movie Arc starts in this volume, with Aqua and the director moving forward with their film about Ai. And what’s masterful here, in the darkest sense, is how this production that’s being made presses the awfulness of Aqua and Ruby’s past down harder and stronger than it ever has. Aqua, who was freed from his vengeance before being thrown back in, is now barely hanging on to his humanity, as shown supremely well during his interactions with those he once cared (least somewhat) for. And Ruby? Well, her character development continues to be a highlight of recent volumes. But the cruelty in her tale is that an unexpected awfulness comes upon her in this volume, and it’s one that’s incredibly personal and heartrending. There’s a nihilism that’s running through these chapters as well, expressed through one character in particular, though as with everything in Oshi no Ko, it’s hard to tell how “true” this theme really is. All that said, the material is gripping. People are growing. Time is passing. We learn about the Japanese movie industry. And…there’s a new, weird relationship that appears to be developing, somewhat mirroring Akane and Aqua’s. All of it is unsettling—and of course, will have me on pins and needles until volume thirteen is released. ~ Twwk
Oshi no Ko is published by Yen Press.
READ Reviews of Oshi no Ko: Vol. 1 //Vol. 2 // Vol. 3 // Vol. 4 // Vol. 5 // Vol. 6 // Vol. 7 // Vol. 8 // Vol. 9 // Vol. 10 // Vol. 11
“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.
