A bride, a princess, a billionaire’s daughter, a wolf goddess, a witch—women are taking the lead in many of the volumes we’re reviewing this week, working their way through life-changing and sometimes violent situations. Plus, we’ve got the first volume of Shonen Jump series, a yuri artbook, and more! Check out our reviews below and let us know what you’re reading!
Beatrice, Vol. 1 • A Bride’s Story, Vol. 15 • Kill Blue, Vol. 4 • Lilies Blooming in 100 Days • Rascal Does Not Dream of a Sister Home Alone • Spice and Wolf Collector’s Edition, Vol. 2 • Super Psychic Policeman Chojo (Vol. 1) • Unnamed Memory, Vol. 6
A Bride’s Story, Manga Vol. 15
The wait is finally over! After two years, the latest installment of Kaoru Mori’s stunning Central Asian epic is finally here, in resplendent hardback glory. (Honestly, these volumes are works of art in their own right. Great job, Yen Press!) We leave Amir and her clan behind for a spell, and instead pick up the story of Mr. Henry Smith, the intrepid—if somewhat bumbling—young English explorer, and his fiancée, Talas of the steppe lands, as they embark from the port of Bombay to Henry’s homeland, early Victorian England, where Talas unfortunately, yet predictably, receives a cold reception. Or rather, she receives no reception whatsoever, as Henry’s family refuses to meet with her, even those who are more generously inclined toward the prospect of the young couple’s nuptials. And so from the family manor, they head to the so-called hunting lodge (read: gorgeous mansion) of friend and fellow traveller Mr. Hawkins, to make a new life for themselves, surrounded by…what else but sheep and horses? And honestly, the stars of this volume really are the animals. Mori’s character designs are of course beautiful as always; her attention to the details of costume and architecture, praiseworthy; and the way in which she ties up little loose ends through a few pages here and there that give glimpses of life back in Turkistan, most satisfying. But it is her rendering of the horses, sheep, and a delightful ship’s cat (best chapter by far!) that really steal the show here. Mori shares in the “author’s epilogue” about her ever-expanding family of pets, but the fact that she has spent hours observing animals is clearly apparent just from the art itself: Her animals have such character! Delightful. Best of all, though, Mori promises in the epilogue that the next volume won’t be as long in the coming as was this one. Hurrah! That said, there’s more than enough beauty and excellence in the ink work showcased in this volume to keep readers well satisfied for a good many months! ~ claire
A Bride’s Story is published by Yen Press.
READ: A Bride’s Story Vol. 14 Review
Beatrice, Manhwa Vol. 1
Beatrice’s second life is about to come to an end at the hands of Duke Alessandro as he leads the Nosteros Empire’s invasion of Elpasa, the nation of which she is a princess. But instead, he decides to enslave her, giving the isekai’d woman a chance to live. The tropes in this series are familiar: a rough male lead (Alessandro) who really had a heart of gold but must get through serious trauma to reveal it; a gutsy, smart heroine whose brilliance will lead her up the ladder in her new position; and a variety of evil forces and beautiful men who come into the female lead’s life. Some of the material is good—I love a good apothecary story, which is a huge part of volume one (and hopefully moving forward as well), and the artwork is stunning. But the story is so basic and lacking in nuance that I can’t recommend this series. Alessandro is a thirst trap—he’s constantly showing his six-pack, and considerable time is spent by the artist on making sure his nipples shine—but he’s also a pretty awful person, even considering his trauma. One of his right-hand men, who is gearing up to be a love interest himself, is even worse, happily torturing and executing women, whilst Alessandro does so with 90% less glee. Beatrice (who goes by “Chloe” for most of the volume) has little depth; her backstory provides an interesting, and almost out-of-place (even in an isekai) modern working-woman background that would be interesting to explore, but it used only superficially to show her as an expert on natural remedies, while she’s also of course shown to be a heavy sleeper with a voracious appetite. I’m afraid the writing in volume one shows little hint that this series will get better. I recommend you skip it. ~ Twwk
Beatrice is published by Yen Press.
Lilies Blooming in 100 Days, Art Book
Yen Press’ description of this yuri artbook as being “full of high-school, adult, and age-gap couples in cute, funny, and spicy scenarios alike” makes it feel more graphic than it actually is. There’s no nudity, and it seldom borders on the erotic (with the exception of the beginning of undressing in several illustrations). But that doesn’t mean this is a work worth diving into. But first, the good—artist Muromaki has a lovely art style. The illustrations are full of lines that, in many cases, make them seem not quite finished; this adds a rawness that helps scenes feel more authentic in many cases. Muromaki also attempts to add sweetness to the artwork (some of which is in full-page displays, most of which is in more manga-style one-pagers, and all of which is in full color), though I wouldn’t call that a strong point of the writing; the captions and use of space in this book are really what adds to the artwork to create a collection worth viewing. The material itself, however, is often worrisome. In reviewing material, we try our best to focus on the depth and meaning of work, and avoid being the morality police; but when a work like this is superficial by nature (these are basically 100 one-page one-shots, after all), there’s not going to be depth to explore; I have to focus on the superficial elements. And even for those that enjoy yuri, this one goes beyond the typical shoujo-ai fare: kinks, heavy “age-gap” romance, and implied sex between minors are featured. Ultimately, the artwork here is beautiful, but if the content isn’t good for your heart and soul, it may not be worth owning. ~ Twwk
Lilies Blooming in 100 Days is published by Yen Press.
Super Psychic Policeman Chojo, Manga Vol. 1
When it comes to shonen series, I’m always looking for something unique. Something that will set a new one apart from dozens of other competitors, which largely feature the same tropes. Along comes Super Psychic Policeman Chojo, which bucks the trend by taking a step back in time with an art style and humor that’s a callback to the 1970s and 1980s. In fact, the setting feels old-fashioned, too. Rookie police officer Nao Ippongi is partnered with psychic policeman Meguru Chojo in a “relegated” police box in a neighborhood that hates Chojo, who comes off as immature and reads residents’ minds whenever convenient. The pairing of the uber-responsible Ippongi with older but childish Chojo in a neighborhood police station takes something old and makes it feel new. And there’s indeed a mixture of older elements (the town drunk is a supporting character) and new (so, too, is a gyaru) to go along with the classic pairing of these two character types. It’s mostly fun, and I laughed on a few occasions, though I admit the humor didn’t always hit for me, and the stories themselves are nothing to write home about. But if you’re a shonen fan with an appreciation for classic manga, this new series could be just right for you. ~ Twwk
Super Psychic Policeman Chojo is published by VIZ Media.
Rascal Does Not Dream of a Sister Home Alone, Manga
Having followed the Rascal anime through its most recent season (the Santa Claus arc), I’m finally making my first foray into the manga. Sister Home Alone covers the story of the recovery of Kaede, Sakuta’s little sister, from puberty syndrome, and is told from Kaede’s perspective. If that means nothing to you, then you should probably start with an earlier arc of the Rascal series, as this one presupposes a certain familiarity with the setting and characters. This story (self-contained in this single volume of manga) started off on a sour note for me, with the excessive “siscon” flavor that is unfortunately typical for this series. By the end, however, I was glad I’d pushed through the beginning stuff: Kaede’s story presents a picture of someone recovering from trauma impressively well. The storytelling manages to convey what it feels like when things other people take for granted—answering the phone, say, or stepping outside one’s house—are life-changing milestones for a person recovering from trauma. If you’re a fan of the series, this is a decent addition. ~ Dr. Steve
Rascal Does Not Dream of a Sister Home Alone is published by Yen Press.
Kill Blue, Manga Vol. 4
After a worrisome volume three—both creatively and ethically—volume four is a return to form for this really funny and cool middle-school assassin series. It starts with a meeting of all the assassins now in Noren and Ogami’s class, which helps kind of reset the action and reminds audiences of the weird situation everyone is in, and ends with a ramen-cooking contest. Yep, these two wildly different arcs show the two sides of this wonderfully absurd series, and both are done well—with tension in the meeting and silliness in the contest. Further, I think mangaka Fujimaki makes a better choice in this volume than the last by having Ogaki once again clearly and strongly emphasize how, as an adult, he sees Noren only as a child he wants to protect, while still allowing for Noren to develop feelings toward him. There’s a “have your cake and eat it too” element here, but it works well within the world and tropes of manga. There are some incredible panels in this volume, including one where the upperclassmen look like a bunch of wholesome thugs during a nighttime trial of courage. It’s panels like these, when Fujimaki is unrelenting with the humor, that make me laugh out loud while simultaneously feel a great deal of warmth toward the characters. I hope the zaniness and heartfelt writing continues—if so, this could certainly become one of my favorite shonen series. ~ Twwk
Kill Blue is published by VIZ Media.
Spice and Wolf Collector’s Edition, Manga Vol. 2
The Spice & Wolf manga continues with this double-sized collector’s edition that completes the dangerous underground pursuit of Lawrence and Holo by a rival company in volume one and sees the two moving on to another town, while meeting a kind and hopeful shepherdess along the way. Those new to the series will continue to enjoy all that makes Spice & Wolf special: the evolving relationship between the protagonists, which is colored by teasing and transactional talk belying developing care for and need of one another underneath; the economic discussion that goes deep and offers lessons in both history and how currency and trade work; and a fully realized fantasy world that mixes medieval elements with a strongly Japanese folklore flavor. There’s excitement, romance, and the unique world of economics for readers to enjoy, as well as the lovely artwork conveying a quality from the 00s that is no longer present in current manga. All that said, as enjoyable as the manga is—and this collector’s edition features a beautiful cover—this series is better experienced through the light novels, which provide a depth that the manga cannot. But if you’re not willing to commit the time to LN, this adaptation is still an excellent way to enjoy the tale. ~ Twwk
Spice and Wolf Collector’s Edition is published by Yen Press.
Unnamed Memory, Manga Vol. 6
Unnamed Memory has such a mesmerizing tone—the fantasy and action are beautifully done, but even better is the mature, romantic love story between Oscar and Tinasha. And underlying it all is an unease about who Tinasha really is and how Oscar seems destined to kill her. Do you know those stories that flash back to a time when the hero had to kill someone he loved? Unnamed Memory is that, but it’s the flashback, seemingly headed toward a bad ending. And volume six is the one where the fragile peace breaks; the lovely, slice-of-life feel of the early chapters only presses harder on our hearts, as we know something is going to happen. Still, the last few chapters are quite a ride and, as is true of all the volumes thus far, present more questions than answers. Perhaps a few will be answered in volume seven? I know I’ll be reading to find out! ~ Twwk
Unnamed Memory is published by Yen Press.
READ Reviews of Unnamed Memory: 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.
