GOGOGOGO-GO GHOST! comes to a haunting end, Solo Leveling transitions to a new level, Joe is fighting with every fiber of his being in a hardcover release, and much, much more on this week’s Reader’s Corner!

Ashita no Joe: Fighting for Tomorrow (Vol. 4) • Demons’ Crest (Vol. 3) • Diary of a Female Lead: Shujinkou Nikki (Vol. 4) • Divine Incursions, Vol. 1 • The Eccentric Doctor of the Moon Flower Kingdom (Vol. 11) • GOGOGOGO-GO GHOST! (Vol. 5) • Home Sweet Home (Vol. 3) • Solo Leveling (Vol. 14): Side Stories 1 • The Unwanted Undead Adventurer (Vol. 12) • A Witch’s Life in Mongol (Vol. 2)

GOGOGOGO-GO GHOST!, Manga Vol. 5 (FINAL)

It’s always disappointing when a manga with a unique approach ends early in its run. Besides denying us more volumes of a story that offers us something that others don’t, their conclusions often just aren’t very good—the result of having to land the plane too early. These are both true of GOGOGOGO-GO GHOST!, which concludes its story in volume five by rushing through the decision of whether or not Ushiro should allow Masako to curse Yuu-Senpai, and the fallout of that curse, which leads to the climax of the manga. The former is too rushed, and the latter, well, it feels a whole lot like the last episode of Seinfeld: an ending that made sense, but which didn’t offer any warmth or feeling of fulfillment. Still, it should be said that the ending is as creative as the series is as a whole, and I could perhaps see the manga eventually getting there in a way that worked well and also gave us the feels; it just doesn’t quite come together when you only have a few dozen pages to wrap up your story. Still, I’m glad to have GOGOGOGO-GO GHOST!; it’s one of the most unusual series I’ve read over the past few years, and I really enjoyed mangaka Miyako Hiruzuka’s artwork and storytelling. I’ll be lining up for her next release; let’s hope it gets a fuller treatment than this one. ~ Twwk

GOGOGOGO-GO GHOST! is published by Yen Press.

READ Reviews of GOGOGOGO-GO GHOST!: Vol. 1 // Vol. 2 // Vol. 3 // Vol. 4

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Solo Leveling, Vol. 14: Side Stories 1, Manhwa

As far as side stories go, volume fourteen of Solo Leveling is a really good collection of them—perhaps because the restraint the series has shown all along, from its beginning through the “conclusion” in volume thirteen, has prevented us from seeing more than skin-deep emotions and stories of Jinwoo and his comrades. We’ve wanted to see more of their personal lives and what they feel about each other as friends (and perhaps more), but the apocalyptic action of the series has prevented that. Side Stories gives us exactly what we want, though in the alternate timeline that Jinwoo set up as the end of volume thirteen, a new earth where the rulers and monarchs never existed, and the hunters are now living without knowledge of their other life. Jinwoo inserts himself into this world, and the action picks up with him as a high school student, meeting various friends from the original universe along the way. It’s great fun! Maybe the best part is when we get to see the view from Jinwoo’s soldiers, particularly the chapter featuring Beru. Really cool stuff! The stories also apparently link to the series sequel, so there’s meaning here beyond fan service too. This is an excellent addition to this thrilling series! ~ Twwk

Solo Leveling is published by Ize Press.

READ Reviews of Solo Leveling: Vol. 3 // Vol. 6 // Vol. 7 // Vol. 8 // Vol. 9 // Vol. 10 // Vol. 11 // Vol. 12 // Vol. 13

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The Unwanted Undead Adventurer, Manga Vol. 12

Volume twelve of The Unwanted Undead Adventurer is a story of highs and lows. The high comes first in the volume and runs throughout most of it, thank goodness. Rentt and Lorraine discover the peculiar and bloody history of his ancestors, and it’s quite epic in scale—and fascinating to boot, setting up a wide variety of routes the series could take from here. The last several volumes have dipped into Rentt’s past, and the series has verged on greatness in doing so, offering incredible writing and deeper connections to a character we’ve loved right from the beginning. However, the current arc—a story about vampires that runs parallel to Rentt and Lorraine’s expedition and then merges with their paths as the volume concludes—doesn’t have me jazzed. I’m not a huge fan of vampires in manga; I just don’t think these stories are particularly well-written in fantasy adventures. But a further issue in The Unwanted Undead Adventurer is that supporting characters from the series are involved in the vampire arc, and the characterization of the characters outside of Lorraine and Rentt has generally been weak. So with the more exciting material taking a back seat for now as we head into the meat of this vampire arc, my interest is also starting to wane; here’s hoping the series concludes this story quickly, or veers it toward more interesting and Rentt-centered material. ~ Twwk

The Unwanted Undead Adventurer is published through Yen Press’s J-Novel Club imprint and released digitally through J-Novel Club.

READ: The Unwanted Undead Adventurer Vol. 10 Review

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Home Sweet Home, Manga Vol. 3

Moemi and senpai are finally a couple! She is fully ready to continue to do all the coupley things like holding hands, going on dates, and giving as many hugs as they want! Yet with senpai’s graduation looming, what will be in store for this couple? I’m so sad this series is over! Moemi brought me so much happiness when reading the previous volumes, and this one did as well! I thought it was a fun conclusion to the series, even if I was a little worried at first with how the volume began! Ha! However, I shouldn’t have worried, because this creator has proven true that when any misunderstanding or mishaps occur along the way, they are always cleared up at some point! I actually really enjoyed some of those parts because I loved seeing a certain character express how they were jealous! Hehe! The ending was the sweetest, and I deeply enjoyed it! I’m very thankful I gave this series a chance because it is definitely going to be one of my go-to series for fluffy comfort rereads! ~ Laura A. Grace

Home Sweet Home is published by Seven Seas.

READ: Home Sweet Home Vol. 2 Review

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Ashita no Joe: Fighting for Tomorrow, Manga Vol. 4

Joe and Rikiishi’s rematch has gone down to the wire. Both had pushed their bodies and wills to the human limit before the fight even started—then the first bell rang. Round after round they’ve dug deeper and deeper to summon the strength to throw one more punch. Then as the final seconds tick away, both young men find themselves staring at each other, out of tricks, out of options, out of everything except the resolve to land one final blow before their bodies simply collapse to the mat. The first man to move will tip his hand and lose, and the outcome will loom over the future like a ghost… Wow…just…wow. Six hundred pages in two hours—a book I genuinely could not bring myself to put down. Ashita no Joe has been good, it’s been great, it’s met all my high expectations. And then this volume made what I thought were high expectations look like a participation trophy. This is raw, primordial, masculine stuff. Not the over-the-top machismo that reeks of desperation to fake the real thing, or the weepy, overly-sensitive, walking therapy session which is its usual running mate in that false dichotomy. Just a straight-up man baring his soul. I apologize for not discussing the nitty-gritty details of this volume more, but everything I could say hinges on revealing one of the biggest spoilers in manga history. Even if this series is more than fifty years old, I simply can’t bring myself to do that, at least not until volume five releases in a few months. ~WacOtaku

Ashita no Joe: Fighting for Tomorrow is published by Kodansha.

Read Reviews of Ashita no Joe: Fighting for Tomorrow: Vol. 1 // Vol.2 // Vol.3

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Demons’ Crest, Light Novel Vol. 3, Demonspawn∞Awakening

The latest installment from Reki Kawahara (of Sword Art Online fame) continues to unfold darkly and beautifully. Yuuma and the other survivors of the Actual Magic incident who are with him find themselves under a widespread petrification attack—from several of their old classmates. Why does the other contingent of students seem so intent on attacking them—and why is Sugamo so insistent on being the leader of the “good” side? And as the demons dwelling inside the students manifest more and more, one question takes even greater precedence: What do the demons really want? Folks, there are lot of excellent comparisons to other stories to be made here. One is to Frieren, which made a name for itself (among other reasons) by having demons who actually behave in demonic ways; the DC demons are similar, as it becomes increasingly evident that they will say and do anything—absolutely anything—to gain full control and possession of the students’ bodies. Another comparison can be made to Lord of the Flies, which about half of you probably read in high school, and which portrays a group of British schoolboys trying and failing to maintain some kind of social order in the absence of adults; Demons’ Crest could be described as Lord of the Flies with the addition of girls, magic, and actual demons (which is what the term “Lord of the Flies” originally refers to, after all). And finally, DC can be contrasted with SAO and Accel World, the author’s previous works: One element that dragged those down was unnecessary fanservice and often degrading sexual scenes, the likes of which are completely absent from Demons’ Crest so far. If you want a dark fantasy (and by “dark,” we mean demons possessing schoolchildren), give Demons’ Crest a shot. I know I’ll be continuing this one. ~ NegativePrimes

Demons’ Crest is published by Yen Press.

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Divine Incursions, Manga Vol. 1

Divine Incursions feels like a Japanese twist on X-Files, with local gods instead of aliens. Katagishi and Miyaki are the Mulder and Scully, respectively, who belong to a secret (I think?) government bureau investigating paranormal phenomena that seem to be linked to some very…alien…deities. Our two heroes-with-mysterious-backstories show up in small towns to check on reports of these “divine incursions” and, when necessary, keep things from getting out of hand. Besides X-Files, this story might be compared to Mushishi, in that it has a similar vibe (slow but tense most of the time, with bursts of urgency, and an underlying sense of mysteriousness), and series like In/Spectre that deal with Japanese supernatural entities in a modern setting (though with an older cast and a different pacing than IS). I’m curious to see where this one will go. ~ NegativePrimes

Divine Incursions is published by Yen Press.

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A Witch’s Life in Mongol, Manga Vol. 2

The volume opens with butchery—no, not a bloody battle, though such things are going on off page somewhere (Genghis Khan dies in this one); actual butchery, as in animal slaughter. And this is important not just as a teachable moment about the differences between Mongol and Islamic meat preparation practices; it’s also how Sitara, aka Fatima, gets her hands on the MacGuffin that’s about to change her life—for the third time. In just two volumes. Phew! That MacGuffin is a bezoar—do I hear Mao Mao giggling gleefully?—and it causes enough of a mixup that Fatima ends up serving a completely new master, yet again…for the third time. (Did I mention that already?) It’s been eight years in-world, though, so perhaps the whiplash pace of the MC’s shifting alliances isn’t so supersonic after all. Regardless, the historical context comes fast and thick as the political machinations take center stage. Fatima seems to be attempting 3D chess while everyone around her is hopping their game pieces around happily in a round of Chinese checkers. She may have acclimated to Mongol life and have apparently had an uneventful, non-stressful decade, but for whatever reason, her fire for revenge has not abated. (Maybe it’s because her new mistress hasn’t let her see her former mistress’s math book…) In fact, it’s only intensified, as now she is determined to take down the entire Mongol Empire to satisfy her thirst for vengeance. Honestly, I’m struggling to buy her motivation here, which is not helped by the jarring dissonance between the chibi style and the dark path the MC is embracing—not to mention the incongruous characterization of the “Big Bad” and head of the Empire, the newly named Khaan Ogedei, as a dopey, dreamy, peace-loving guy. He’s hard to get riled up against. On the flip side, the historical content is compelling and quite profuse—perhaps there is even too much of it? So that it gets in the way of clarifying character motivations?—and I do appreciate having my historical horizons expanded. So I’m on the fence here. I’m frustrated with the MC in particular, but perhaps volume three will see her story settle into a more steady (and believable) rhythm. To be continued??? ~ claire 

A Witch’s Life in Mongol is published by Yen Press.

READ Review of A Witch’s Life in Mongol Vol. 1

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The Eccentric Doctor of the Moon Flower Kingdom, Manga Vol. 11

Koyou is staying in the capital! Thankfully, Keuin was able to convince her father to stay, and not only is he relieved for romantic reasons, but when he hears news of the empress being ill and refusing to get treatment, he turns to Koyou for help. With a plan for her to sneak into the inner palace, can Koyou successfully find out the cause of the empress’s illness and help her? I was very surprised by the full frontal nudity at the end of this volume (I’m honestly even more surprised that the rating for this volume alone wasn’t pushed up to OT…), but I really really loved the growth that Koyou is showing here! Not only that, but her having another muscle-loving friend made me laugh so much! Team Brawnnnn! Ha! But yes, rewinding, I really, really enjoyed seeing how Koyou is changing as a female lead and how the brawn of muscle isn’t what’s driving all her decisions anymore. I never imagined that she wouldn’t need a reason to do something as big as she is doing in this volume, because going into the inner courts?! What?! Koyou?? However, seeing her in disguise was thrilling and scary all at the same time! Ha! It kept me on edge, but also kept me really engaged, because this new arc has its own intensity that I didn’t expect! I’m worried for the person she is supposed to be helping, though, and even more worried when she voices what she feels the illness is. How in the world is she going to be able to fully treat them?! Also, Sing! I confess I am worried for him, given Koyou is doing her own thing, because while Sing is strong, I don’t know if he is ready to face certain things from the past. I worry it could make him become unhinged in a scary way that I don’t think will affect Koyou exactly,but I do believe it could be harmful for him. Hopefully I’m just overworrying and everything will be fine… Again, outside of the nudity at the end, this was an amazing volume! I’m eager to see how the story is going to unfold! ~ 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 // Vol. 10

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Diary of a Female Lead: Shujinkou Nikki, Manga Vol. 4

With Sena’s “confession” that he is unable to be just friends with Aoi, she has no idea what to do moving forward. A group hangout with her classmates reveals this even more, but when she starts seeing other sides of Sena, she begins to realize that maybe she doesn’t view him as only a friend either. Will she take the chance to be more than friends, or will she continue to deny her growing feelings for him? This volume was so good! I was squealing so much, which made me happy even though the delay it took for me to get my preorder was ridiculous! But again, it was so worth it because I loved every single page! Seeing these two come together and have such joy on their faces made my heart feel so light! Aoi has grown so much, and I admired her courage in speaking her heart, even though she felt she had no idea what she was doing. Her brother called Sena sincere, and I feel that is 100% accurate because he was so gentle but completely giddy at Aoi’s words. (Well, giddy might not be quite the right word, but as another character said, he is smitten!) I’m eagerly looking forward to seeing their growth, and I was proud of Aoi’s brother as well! I was unsure of what was going to happen once he found out, and was surprised by how he initially reacted. Thankfully, it was short-lived (though the humor was on point), and I’m very interested in whether the next volume will have some focus on him because of the way this volume ended! I definitely wouldn’t mind, but I need to see our leads flourishing together, so hopefully there will be lots more to come! Overall, I feel this might be my new favorite volume in the series! It once again reminded me how amazing shoujo is and why I love it so much! ~ Laura A. Grace

Diary of a Female Lead: Shujinkou Nikki is published by Seven Seas.

READ Diary of a Female Lead: Shujinkou Nikki Reviews: Vol. 1 // Vol. 2 // Vol. 3

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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.