Just in time for Valentine’s Day, we have a slew of romantic manga and light novels to share with you, from a burgeoning love triangle in the latest volume of Dandadan to a new harem series about a reborn adventurer, and from the Barrier Mage’s quest to marry his beloved to the final volume of Your And I Are Polar Opposites. There’s plenty to choose from for lovers this week (and for those who’d rather just read about it) on this edition of Reader’s Corner!
Dandadan (Vol. 17) • The Failure at God School (Vol. 3) • New Game Plus After Defeating the Last Boss: All These Beautiful, Problematic Girls in the First Town Have Gotten Really Attached to Me… (Vol. 1) • Please Look After the Dragon (Vol. 1) • Secrets of the Silent Witch -another-: Rise of the Barrier Mage, Part II • The Too-Perfect Saint: Tossed Aside by My Fiancé and Sold to Another Kingdom (Vol. 4)
New Game Plus After Defeating the Last Boss: All These Beautiful, Problematic Girls in the First Town Have Gotten Really Attached to Me…, Light Novel Vol. 1
Sometimes, a book doesn’t need to exist. It’s not terrible or offensive in any way—it’s just kind of a “nothing,” a work that really contributes nothing creatively, provides zero entertainment, and simply wastes the reader’s time. That, unfortunately, describes volume one of New Game Plus After Defeating the Last Boss. The light novel begins at the end of an adventure, as Might’s party is victorious against the Demonic Dragon, but at the cost of Might’s life. He gets the chance to be reborn as a level one mage, but one who’s actual strength is far beyond his level, and teams up with, well, “all these beautiful, problematic girls in the first town.” Sounds like a recipe for an ecchi disaster, but truth be told, that would be more interesting than what we get. Despite buxom characters on the cover, the parts of the novel played up for fanservice aren’t particularly detailed, but then again, nothing else really is either. You just get bland event after bland event, with characters having only the slightest personality as they say banal line after banal line. It’s not “so bad it’s good”—this volume is just boring. Amateurish. And a waste of time. Skip it, and take the few hours you would have used reading it and use it for something else—almost anything else. ~ Twwk
New Game Plus After Defeating the Last Boss is published by Yen Press.
The Failure at God School, Manga Vol. 3
Nagi and her friends have successfully passed the outdoor-survival orientation, and all should finally be calming down! Not quite, though, since now it’s time for midterms! When Nagi asks Touta for help, he ends up seeing her brother’s plushie, which leads not only to him ripping the plushie in half, but also to Nagi discovering hidden secrets that will change everything she thought she knew! I think this might be my favorite volume yet, simply because of the twist that unfolded! Unlike the previous volumes that really focused on Nagi and connecting with her, we start to learn more about Takeru in this volume, which surprised me! I didn’t think we would learn much about him this early on, but the things revealed have changed what I thought would be the course of this series, and I mean that in a good way! I really enjoyed getting an inside look at Nagi’s life at home and finally meeting her parents! They were different from what I expected, for which I am thankful, because I feel I didn’t really like them at first or believe they truly cared for her. *hides* I’m not sure what else I can say concerning why she went home, and or what’s happening, but I like how the stakes have increased and this is no longer just a story of Nagi needing to perform well in school and pass her exams. Yes, she still needs to do both those things, but the secret she finds out is no doubt going to make her life busier outside of school, and she’s not sure how she is going to move forward. The sneak peek to the next volume at the end definitely leads me to believe that her life is going to change even more than it already did in this volume, though! I am very much looking forward to seeing what happens next in this series, as I feel even more invested than I did with the previous volume! ~ Laura A. Grace
The Failure at God School is published by Yen Press.
READ Reviews of The Failure at God School: Vol. 1 // Vol. 2
The Too-Perfect Saint: Tossed Aside by My Fiancé and Sold to Another Kingdom, Manga Vol. 4
Nothing has been simple for these saintly sisters, but the stakes couldn’t be higher. Mia has made her choice to get revenge on the second prince, and to successfully do that, she needs the first prince to take his rightful position as successor. In Parnacorta, Philia can’t help but worry not only for Mia, but for all those that Philia once protected in her home country. Emboldened to ask the king to aid the country that betrayed her, she continues to aim to save everyone she can in both countries and even beyond! That ending left me so emotional—what a twist! I deeply appreciated how both sisters had the spotlight in this volume, though! It’s exactly what I was hoping for! However, I think this volume surpassed my expectations: I felt so proud of everyone and all the brave decisions they were making. Everyone is growing, and it’s beautiful to see, even if I wish it were for much different reasons than Prince Julius’s unhinged actions—why in the world are you throwing a banquet during a national crisis?! Moving on, though… Sweet Philia, I’m so glad we are seeing her be more and more “human”! I realize that could be an odd thing to say, but the way she is asking for help and learning about her emotions is so powerful and touching. I am thankful that she realizes she can admit her feelings even if this is at odds with how she was raised and what she was taught. And precious Mia! She is not giving up, and I am loving it! The way she touched a certain person’s heart in this volume really touched mine as well, and I got quite emotional. She’s so brave, and I’m glad that she was able to see that the very person she wants to protect also wants to protect her. I am eagerly looking forward to the next volume, hopeful that good things are in store, even if things look so very bleak right now! ~ Laura A. Grace
The Too-Perfect Saint: Tossed Aside by My Fiancé and Sold to Another Kingdom is published by Seven Seas.
READ Reviews of The Too-Perfect Saint: Tossed Aside by My Fiancé and Sold to Another Kingdom: Vol. 1 // Vol. 2 // Vol. 3
Secrets of the Silent Witch -another-: Rise of the Barrier Mage, Part II, Light Novel
In addition to its meaningful, gracious stories, I’m such a fan of Secrets of the Silent Witch because author Matsuri Isora creates such clever stories, with characters and incidents properly tied together as they should be for mysteries. In Part II of Secrets of the Silent Witch -another-, which concludes Louis’s story up to the point in which the series proper begins, Isora-sensei does a marvelous job of creating a compelling story that’s suspenseful, even if we already know how it will basically end, while tying this side story to the series overall. It’s not a spoiler to say that yes, Monica is part of this volume (see her being very Monicaish on the cover?), though the emphasis remains on Louis. Now the head of the Mage Corps, he is attempting to become one of the Seven Sages—not out of vainglory, but because Rosalie’s father requires it if he wants to marry her. Corruption and conniving are at work against the would-be couple, however, as is a severe misunderstanding that creates as much tension in this volume as the violence does. This lovely read hits all the same excellent notes as the regular volumes in the series, and allows us to spend time with wonderful characters we will see again (Louis and Glenn) and those we may not (Owen and Lionel). And it doesn’t feel like a traditional side story at all, because this meandering off the main path feeds back into the main tale and fleshes out the world of SOTSW more. The entire series is better off because of it. Now, let’s hope that we get another season of the Silent Witch anime—and in time, I hope, an anime adaptation of the side story too. ~ Twwk
Secrets of the Silent Witch is published by Yen Press.
READ Reviews of Secrets of the Silent Witch: Vol. 1 //Vol. 2 // Vol. 3 // Vol. 4 // Vol. 5 // Vol. 6 // another (I) // Vol. 7
You and I Are Polar Opposites, Manga Vol. 8 (Final)
All it takes is someone kind enough to reach out to you—and from that can come friendships, relationships, and even the strength you need to become the person you want to be. I think that’s the theme of You and I Are Polar Opposites, which comes to an end with its eighth volume. College exams are coming up, Suzuki and Tani are dealing with the possibility of a long-distance college relationship, and Taira and Azuma are in a weird place with theirs. But despite the bright palette and high energy of this series, it’s never been about romance—not really. This final volume expresses how much many of the main characters have grown, starting with Suzuki as she attempts to help Tani move forward in his decisions about university. But as you read these chapters, you realize that mangaka Koucha Agasawa has taken the imperfections that were played for laughs in early volumes and, through the beautiful relationships developed in the subsequent ones, moved them to a place of incredible personal growth—not necessarily momentous in the world’s eyes, but certainly so for these young people, and for us readers who are pulling for them. Agasawa-sensei lands the ending in such a warm, heartfelt, meaningful way. Tears are coming—both the characters’ and yours, I’m sure—but that’s to be expected as we see these wonderful boys and girls grow up and graduate. What a smart, funny, moving series. ~ 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 // Vol. 6 // Vol. 7
Please Look After the Dragon, Manga Vol. 1
Ilsera is a dragon straight from the realm of mythology, except this dragon failed the final exam in its home world and is now on Earth, looking for a home while practicing its magic. And Murakami? Well, he’s the lucky student who stumbles onto Ilsera—or maybe he’s not so lucky. Thus begins your usual cute, odd-couple manga story about a boy and his dragon—or maybe it’s not so usual? This manga adaptation of a web story is a little off the beaten path—and initially, I didn’t like it. Murakami is unusually grumpy, and I don’t find Ilsera particularly charming either. The plot, too, feels fully coincidental—it’s almost silly how the two go from hiding Ilsera to having the dragon work for an old lady to happening upon a dragon festival to…well, you get the point. Was there even a plan to this story? Yet, by the end of volume one, I began to enjoy Ilsera’s personality, which at first (and still to some extent) felt like a cute personality shoehorned into a stilted one. Fel, this mystical beast ain’t, but this dragon is growing on me. And though I can’t say the same about Murakami, I like the other characters—the old lady (whose jokes about diversity made me chuckle), the sushi shop owner, and the apparent love interest, who is all sorts of cooky. I’m not at all convinced that this story will go anywhere satisfying, but I enjoyed volume one enough to continue with the series; it’s worth giving a shot. ~ Twwk
Please Look After the Dragon is published by Yen Press.
Dandadan, Manga Vol. 17
Dandadan goes isekai…and becomes a true romance manga? The wicked awesome seventeenth volume of Dandadan invites both those elements into this fun series. First, the former: Zuma and Momo continue to navigate the board game world they’re inhabiting, discovering how to harness the power of sweets to overcome the game’s bosses, and eventually making their way toward an RPG-style level, complete with character classes, dragons, and more! It’s so much fun. As a fan of fantasy anime, I was absolutely thrilled to see the series dive into that genre—especially with Yukinobu Tatsu’s always-amazing illustrations. But what stuck most with me is that romance element. You might say that, amidst all the many genres and types Dandadan crosses, it’s truly been a romance series all along. But what’s a manga romance without a love rival? And throughout this volume, Zuma proves himself to be a good match for Momo—in fact, there’s a heavy feeling that he’s a way better match for her, and in a really natural way. As the pair help one another and communicate, they fit together so much better than Momo and Okarun. This bodes well for potential complications in future volumes—but hey, let’s try to break through and get out of this board game arc first! ~ 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 // Vol. 16
“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.
