In this week’s reviews, our writers look at the opening volumes of Scenes from Awajima and Wonder Boy, volume two of Ieskai Metaller, and more! Check out our thoughts on these volumes and more below!
Campfire Cooking in Another World with My Absurd Skill (Vol. 3) • Honey Lemon Soda (Vol. 10) • Isekai Metaller (Vol. 2) • Scenes from Awajima (Vol. 1) • Unnamed Memory (Vol. 7) • The Villainess’s Guide to (Not) Falling in Love (Vol. 4) • Wonder Boy (Vol. 1)
Scenes from Awajima, Manga Vol. 1
Awajima Revue School trains young women for the stage—but not just any stage: the all-female musical theater stage of Awajima, a fictionalized take on the very real Takarazuka Revue, which was the inspiration for literally all of manga (thanks to the influence of its wide-eyed glitz and glamor on the young Osamu Tezuka, father of manga). But unlike the similarly themed Kageki Shojo! (which this series’ premiere actually predates by a year, despite taking fifteen years for the English translation), Scenes from Awajima is just that: a collection of short stories or “scenes” rather than a singular narrative. This means there’s a fresh POV for each chapter, with the snapshots intersecting in unpredictable and sometimes only glancing ways, while also cutting across time, covering different eras of the school’s history. I found myself flipping back to earlier chapters occasionally, trying to map new characters and stories onto what I already knew, but I needn’t have. The storytelling here, though episodic and seemingly a touch chaotic, is well done, so that by the end of each chapter, it’s very clear where the “scene” fits in the history of this creative—yet equally cut-throat—world. That’s the second thing that distinguishes this series: mangaka Takako Shimura’s unflinching portrayal of the jealousies and toxicity that is waiting in the wings of the school to pounce equally on the confident, like scholarship student Emi Okabe, and innocents, including naifs like Wakana Tabata, the first POV character and a cipher for the reader who is unfamiliar with this world. Yet regret and the quest for forgiveness are powerful themes in the stories of this volume too. So it’s not all darkness; indeed, there is much light, both on stage and off. According to the author’s afterward, Shimura started working on the series while also completing two serializations (including the yuri Sweet Blue Flowers; there is some unrequited shoujo-ai here too), perhaps explaining the episodic, slightly random narrative in this volume. I’m intrigued to see how the storytelling develops, and whether a more traditional, central arc emerges in subsequent volumes or it retains this almost dream-like quality, unfolding chapter by chapter through association rather than plot. It will also be interesting to see how these “scenes” are adapted in the anime by Madhouse that is releasing in April! ~ claire
Scenes from Awajima is published by Yen Press.
Wonder Boy, Manga Vol. 1
Mangaka Kazumi Yamashita is on a roll! Wonder Boy is the second of her series to be licensed by Yen Press this year, alongside Land, and it likewise receives a gorgeous hardback release—a practical necessity considering that the binding needs to hold together nearly 800 pages in this inaugural volume! (There are also a ton of glossy color illustration pages—several for each chapter.) Wonder Boy is a rarity among manga, being more like an anthology than a typical serial, each volume a collection of short stories centered on the eponymous shonen. The stories race through time and space, as the boy touches down from the heavens or apparates suddenly in settings as diverse as ancient Athens, postwar Japan and England, Antarctica in the throes of being charted, Victorian London, a possibly steampunk/possibly Soviet Siberia, and modern-day Tokyo. The boy observes, interacts and interferes with, and at times intervenes on behalf of the humans he finds so very intriguing (and frustrating, disappointing, inspiring, surprising—the list goes on!). Each story is self-contained and bears no relation to the others; and yet, there is a subtle theme weaving throughout the volume: forgiveness. From a Buddhist acceptance of all things (a kind of peaceful, serene surrender), to a Christian compassion for those who have wronged you (loving your enemies as Jesus exhorted), to the unwavering curiosity of a classical Greek philosopher (who reacts to betrayal with curiosity rather than anger)—the stories explore every shade, as it were, of forgiveness, and the ways it can manifest in our lives, as well as the destructive consequences of its denial. There is also, of course, the persistent mystery of the boy himself, who sports angel’s wings occasionally, but most of the time, is closer to a fox spirit in his trickster ways than a messenger of God. He is a fascinating enigma and has me curious enough to want to read more, as soon as possible, so that I can piece together more clues as to his character. As for the stories themselves, some are more satisfying than others; some are, in fact, unsettling. The first two are my favorites. Nevertheless, all of them linger in your thoughts in the days after reading, which is the mark of a skilled storyteller! So I say, bring on volume two! ~ claire
Wonder Boy is published by Yen Press.
Campfire Cooking in Another World with My Absurd Skill, Manga Vol. 3
Volume three is Campfire Cooking in Another World at its best: great character interactions, Fel being Fel, and of course, lots and lots of yummy food. I’ll be honest—I stopped in the middle of reading this volume to warm up some red bean buns for myself and family, and then again to look up a recipe for oyakodon. That’s a huge part of the magic of the series—the food is drawn so delectably, and Fel enjoys eating it so much, that I want to do the same. Thank goodness volumes only come out a few months at a time, or I might be gaining weight from manga! Volume three adds an additional eater too, as the goddess who blesses Fel has decided to give a blessing to Mukouda as well—for offerings of treats, of course. That funny little storyline leads to Mukouda developing his magic a little further while on their journeys, and Fel helping that along through his own “harsh love” style. The interactions between the noble but gluttonous Fel and the hapless Mukouda continue to be a highlight of the series, but volume three also literally gives voice to Sui, whose personality proves to be as cute as its visage is. The interactions among this funny little party are so wholesome and heartwarming, as is, surprisingly, an encounter and battle between Fel and a griffon. This is an amazing volume because it’s just about simple things: relationships, travel, and food. As we get a deeper storyline, I’m afraid the manga will suffer some, but it’s clear where the foundation lies, and as long as that remains, this will be a story worth reading. Just beware—it may have an impact on your waistline! ~ Twwk
Read Reviews of Campfire Cooking in Another World with My Absurd Skill: Vol. 1 // Vol. 2
Campfire Cooking in Another World with My Absurd Skill is published by Yen Press through the J-Novel Club imprint.
Isekai Metaller, Manga Vol. 2
If the strength of Isekai Metaller volume one was its uniqueness, the weakness of volume two is its homogeneity. This book is essentially a replay over and over of the same pattern: Alexi, the isekai’d heavy metal musician, encounters a monster or foe; he sees in them some similarity to a real-life heavy metal musician or band; and then he overcomes them through the power of metal music. It’s creatively done, and there is some variety, but it does get kind of old before long. Nevertheless, you can feel the affection for this genre (and its subgenres) and culture through the pages, which helps to compensate for the monotonic plot beats. The mangaka’s afterword makes it clear that this story is meant to be an homage to metal, and taken for what it is, the story is a heartwarming look at the genre that fans of metal, as well as those interested in the genre, may find appealing. ~ NegativePrimes
Isekai Metaller is published by Titan Comics.
Honey Lemon Soda, Manga Vol. 10
Uka was more than excited to make a new friend, Nano, but when her new friend seemed to have eyes on Kai, it stirred up new emotions in our sweet heroine. Not wanting to lose her new friend, but also not willing to lose her boyfriend, Uka looks to get to the bottom of Nano’s actions and why she is acting the way she is. Beautiful volume! Lots of wonderful developments too! I admit, though, that at first I was not happy with how the prior arc wrapped up, even though it’s so Uka that I can’t see it unfolding any other way! I know I was just still in my feelings of what happened to Uka in the previous volume due to what the other girl did, but I was reminded all over again how much I love Uka’s character because of her response in this volume. She is absolutely radiant and has the biggest heart! But this also made one of the “games” in this volume hard to read because Ukaaaa! Kai loves you so much, and it’s not because of how you’ve been treated by other people! *sobs* I deeply appreciated Kai’s anger here and how he made sure Uka knew why he loves and cares for her. Granted, a lot of that came in the form of super cute kisses, but it hurt when she asked Kai why else would he like her, fully believing that there couldn’t be any other reason. *sobs again* She is slowly building self-confidence, and I hope this continues and that she will see how wonderful an individual she is. I thought the bath scene was really funny and enjoyed Ayumi’s energy! I was especially excited for a new development with her and desperately hope the creator will spotlight that in the next volume! Overall, this story continues to be a wonderful gem, and I can’t wait to read the next one! ~ Laura A. Grace
Honey Lemon Soda is published by Yen Press.
READ Reviews of Honey Lemon Soda: Vol. 1 // Vol. 2 // Vol. 3 // Vol. 4 // Vol. 5 // Vol. 6 // Vol. 7 // Vol. 8 // Vol. 9
The Villainess’s Guide to (Not) Falling in Love, Manga Vol. 4
The easygoing banquet Luciana attended with Saphir has now ended with a sobering tale about how his past may be linked to Luciana’s present. Not only that, but even sweet Louis and his mysterious brother may be more involved than anyone ever realized. When Luciana happens upon a mysterious visitor, she quickly realizes that if she wants to protect those she loves, she will have to face the Evil Star of the East! After reading the previous volume, I wanted to throw my book against a wall because how dare it end there on that cliffhanger; but with this volume, I found myself wiping away tears because of how deeply emotional the ending was. Bravo to the writer: I had completely forgot how fantastic the storytelling is! I mean, yes, Luciana is incredibly dense (I say that lovingly LOL), but the way so many things came to light in this volume had me on the edge of my seat! I’m not sure how much I can say because of how deep the spoilers go, but! One thing I can say is that the Black Lily shined! I was pleasantly giddy with all his scenes, as he had so many soft smiles for Luciana! On the other hand, Commander Joshua is getting some dagger-eyed looks from me—how dare he try to suggest they share Luciana?! Excuse me! I don’t care how handsome you look and how many moments you had of that handsomeness looking very nice on the page, you will not have Luciana! Meanwhile, I was not prepared for Louis to capture my heart and really felt myself struggling as a result. Ha! Though don’t worry, because I am still very strongly #TeamBlackLily, but should Louis be endgame, I will not be mad. Just saying… Romance shenanigans aside, this volume revealed a backstory that was so very heartbreaking, and I’m honestly not sure what is going to happen moving forward. I feel that Luciana should have some kind of OP ability that will help everyone live freely and happily, but I believe, as one character said about an entirely different matter, it is going to come at a cost. All I can do is hope it won’t be an overly grave cost… ~ Laura A. Grace
The Villainess’s Guide to (Not) Falling in Love is published by Square Enix.
READ The Villainess’s Guide to (Not) Falling in Love Reviews: Vol. 1 // Vol. 2 // Vol. 3
Unnamed Memory, Manga Vol. 7
Volume six of Unnamed Memory has finally cast a villain, and we are headed to war—one side led by Lanak, who will use Tinasha to achieve his dream, and the other, presumably, by the one man who can kill her: Oscar. But this is Unnamed Memory, and nothing is quite as it seems. Volume seven continues to keep us in suspense by giving us few answers, all the while moving Oscar and Tinasha closer and closer to a final duel; and yet, we as the readers know that she has something up her sleeve. In lesser hands, that would wind down the tension, but in this masterpiece, it gets us all the more worried as we wonder if Tinasha will be caught by the dastardly lead mage in Lanak’s kingdom, and if so, what the unhinged Lanak himself might do. The action here is a little swift, but this volume works well despite it, and it certainly feels as if we’re being set up for a major confrontation in volume eight. I’m on pins and needles to see the climax of this arc! ~ Twwk
Unnamed Memory is published by Yen Press.
READ Reviews of Unnamed Memory: Vol. 1 // Vol. 2 // Vol. 3 // Vol. 4 // Vol. 5 // Vol. 6
“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.
