The horror! The horror…of bad manga! Well, I wouldn’t say any of the series we’re reviewing on this week’s Reader’s Corner are outright awful, but some, including a new horror series, aren’t series we’d recommend. But surely there’s an excellent volume among the duds! Hirayasumi, come rescue us!
[OSHI NO KO] TV Anime 1st Season Official Guidebook: First Report • D.N.Angel New Edition (Vol. 2) • Hirayasumi (Vol. 8) • Dungeons That Surely Slaughter Adventurers (Vol. 1) • The Fake Alchemist (Vol. 1) • In the Land of Leadale (Vol. 7) • Mad Miniscape (Vol. 1) • Once Upon a Witch’s Death (Vol. 1)
[OSHI NO KO] TV Anime 1st Season Official Guidebook: First Report
“Guidebooks” and other collections of material that go along with an anime series are collector’s items only, and can’t be engaging on their own, right? Not so fast, my friend. Yen Press has been releasing high-quality, lovingly curated guidebooks over the past several years, including this one for the first season of Oshi no Ko. Filled with screenshots from the series, beautiful promotional illustrations, and a ton of key frames, this guidebook is so lovely to peruse. It reminds you of just how amazing the artwork is for Oshi no Ko. The real stars of this collection, though, are interviews with the stars—primarily focused on Rie Takahashi (Ai), Takeo Otsuka (Aqua), Yuri Igoma (Ruby), Megumi Han (Kana), Manaka Iwami (Akane), and Rumi Okubo (MEM-Cho), but also including others. Really, there is a ton of interview material in this book, which drops all sorts of cool snippets like the fact that Rie Takahashi actually likes Akane the most as a character, and while she auditioned for Ai, she also sent in a tape for Akane as well. Treasures like that fill these pages, and make the first season guidebook for Oshi no Ko more than a mere collector’s item. ~ Twwk
[OSHI NO KO] TV Anime 1st Season Official Guidebook: First Report is published by Yen Press.
Hirayasumi, Manga Vol. 8
For as much as I’ve loved Hirayasumi—and I have LOVED it (it was my selection for best manga of 2025)—there are times when the characters feel like they’re spinning their wheels. Supporting characters mature and grow, but not so for Natsumi, Yomogi, and Hiroto. Of course, that’s purposeful and true to life; even if you recognize and want to grow from your deep-seated struggles, they don’t disappear in a flash. But in volume eight, change does appear to be on the horizon for all three of those characters, and again, as is true to real life, those moments of growth are connected to relationships with others. Volume eight introduces the character of Orui, for instance, whom Natsumi is really annoyed by…or is she feeling something else? Meanwhile, chance encounters between characters stir growth, but bring us to precarious places in romance. And of course, there are memories of Granny. Another beautiful, and maybe even momentous volume of Hirayasumi! This is a special, special work filled with memorable, beautiful characters. Highly and always recommended! ~ Twwk
Hirayasumi is published by VIZ Media.
READ Reviews of Hirayasumi: Vol. 1 // Vol. 2 // Vol. 3 // Vol. 4 // Vol. 5 // Vol. 6 // Vol. 7
In the Land of Leadale, Manga Vol. 7
When In the Land of Leadale is at its best, it gives us both a sense of comfort that’s related to healing from trauma with mystery related to Leadale; and then there’s volume seven. Cayna has adopted Luka into her family, but the young girl is understandably still fearful. To help her adjust, Cayna decides to return to the village where she found community and kindness; here, Luka may make friends (and be supported by Roxine and Roxilius) while Cayna discovers a gathering, monstrous evil. All that sounds in line with the things I love about this series, but this volume was rather boring. Plus, while it’s admirable that all the many characters thus far continue to make cameo appearances, it’s also confusing; bringing in characters for a few panels without helping us remember them just puts me in a daze. The elements involving Luka are necessary, but not exactly exciting, and the new mystery involving a horde of goblins and their unexpected leader don’t exactly leave me begging for more either. However, I know this series has such special qualities—and at the very least, Cayna’s determination and warmth continue to shine through in this volume, as does the beautiful artwork—so we’ll continue forward and hope for a return to form in volume eight. ~ Twwk
In the Land of Leadale is published by Yen Press.
READ: Reviews of In the Land of Leadale Vol. 1 // Vol. 2 // Vol. 3 // Vol. 4 // Vol. 5 // Vol. 6
Once Upon a Witch’s Death, Vol. 1: The Tale of the One Thousand Tears of Joy, Manga
On the day Meg Raspberry turned seventeen, she was gifted the worst possible present from her master, Ms. Faust of the Seven Sages: news that she has been cursed to die in one year’s time. The only thing that can prevent it? A thousand tears of joy, one from each person she brings it to. That’s a tall order for anyone, much less the fierce, hyper, disorganized witch apprentice. But Meg is an optimist—so she shall try! And thus begins the manga adaptation of a story we’ve found to have depth and much meaning, and you can sense that right from the start. What does this “death sentence” mean exactly? What does death truly mean? And how will Meg approach life now that it’s so short? This all sounds very sentimental, perhaps, but that’s not the tone (in volume one, at least); Meg is too much of a tomboy rapscallion for that to be the case, both to the favor and detriment of the manga. The emotional high points, like in the story of the young girl who has lost her mother, don’t feel particularly tender, but Meg’s character is likable and fairly unique for a manga protagonist. I found her (and her many facial expressions) to be the most interesting part of this first volume. We’ll have to wait and see if the sentimentality eventually catches up. ~ Twwk
Once Upon a Witch’s Death is published by Yen Press.
D.N.Angel New Edition, Manga Vol. 2
D.N.Angel captures the simplicity of manga in the times it was published: silly expressions and gags, love triangle (quadrangle?) with heavy doses of yearning, and yaoi bait galore. But volume two reminds me of what captured me in the anime—there’s good writing here too. After setting up a “theft of the week” structure in volume one, the series leans into that again at the beginning of volume two of the New Edition, but with surprising tenderness in introducing a new character connected to an “old” one. But it’s the latter half that digs into territory, as the relationship between Daisuke and Dark deepens through a conflict. Meanwhile, the mysteries of this world in which a boy can transform into a thief of old (plus more modern conflicts involving Risa and Rika) arise, adding depth to a series that presented itself initially as not having any. The whole setup still confuses me often, especially when Wiz gets involved, or the curse involving love comes into the equation, but this is a solid, older title, and worth checking out for old-school manga romance fans. ~ Twwk
D.N.Angel New Edition is published by Yen Press.
READ: D.N.Angel New Edition Vol. 1 Review
The Fake Alchemist, Manga Vol. 1
We’re flooded these days by isekai and fantasy tales, so what does it take to set a new one apart and make it worth reading? A great story? Yes. Excellent artwork? Yes. And what about a unique take on the tropes of the tale, like in Delicious in Dungeon? That’s what The Fake Alchemist has going for it. While the story of a man isekai’d into a fantasy world where he works outside of adventuring is nothing new, The Fake Alchemist has a detailed and unusual take on alchemy within this world. It imbues all sorts of rules into the work that Paracelsus does to create lucky charms, bells that work like palantírs, and even bombs. The rules make sense and are fascinating to read—they are definitely the best part of this initial volume. The worst part, however, may lead you to avoid it without even giving the work a chance—and you might be right in doing so. The story begins with Paracelsus deciding to purchase a slave to help with his trade. He decides to buy Nora, a beautiful young woman, whom he contracts with and promptly sleeps with. Yikes. The usual tropes try to make this seem like a beneficial relationship for Nora—her personality is strong and aggressive; at separate times, she enjoys the sex or just uses it matter-of-factly; her slavery is related to a seal, with recalls Fate/stay night‘s servant/master relationship more than an enslaver; and Paracelsus is both bumbling and kind. But in truth, that last point is what makes this most troublesome of all: Our protagonist easily and fairly frequently has sex with Nora without nary a feeling of guilt about it. Although he loses much of the power in the relationship early on, he still treats her as commodity in their sexual relationship. And we must remember this too—Paracelsus is from our world, and thus his ethics when it comes to sex are ours and should be evaluated with that in mind. Maybe he’s not so kind after all. If that relationship turns you off from the series, you would be well to avoid it, but if you can deal with it, at least for now, there’s an interesting approach to magic and fantasy here that will excite fans of the genre. ~ Twwk
The Fake Alchemist is published by Yen Press.
Dungeons That Surely Slaughter Adventurers, Manga Vol. 1
Aine and Nacht avoided truck-kun, but not jet engine-kun. And so they are reincarnated into a world where they work as staff for a dungeon. The work is gruesome and hard, and adventurers tend to be arrogant and unruly. But these girls are even more cruel than the heroes, and with the ability to reincarnate an infinite number of times, they might become the adventurers’ worst nightmare. There’s no might about it, actually; Aine and Nacht cause their deaths while nary batting an eye. It’s a lot to take. I realized early on that I’m not in the core audience for Dungeons That Surely Slaughter Adventurers. Too much cruelty, too much teenage nihilism, and too many graphic sex jokes. But this brutal adolescent comedy has a few things going for it, even for an old head like me. I like the art style, which is geometric and cute enough that I didn’t wince terribly at all the decapitations. There are also a few glimpses of hope—namely survivals—that keep this story from being straight out gore porn, while the appearance of a “top ten” group of adventurers is leading to the development of an actual story. None of that is enough to keep me reading, but those who appreciate this kind of series will find those positives accompanying their gory comedic read. ~ Twwk
Dungeons That Surely Slaughter Adventurers is published by Yen Press.
Mad Miniscape, Manga Vol. 1
Attention would-be horror mangaka: Including maniacally laughing girls, creepy dead boys, and lots of knives is not enough to make a story scary. Writing is still important and necessary to create atmosphere. Unfortunately, while the first volume of Mad Miniscape has some impressive artwork—including nice shading and pretty character designs—the characterization is neither unique nor compelling. Asahi lives with the spirit of a former friend, Minoru, who now haunts her from beyond the grave and intends to kill her. Meanwhile, Asahi continues to interact with him but won’t let him take her life. The first volume intends to use lots of supposedly haunting and chilling visuals to put us on edge, but I never felt a semblance of fear even once. The manga just felt static and uninteresting—at least until the final few pages, which pushed the story in a new direction. Still, the previous four chapters didn’t give me enough to trust that the story will progress anywhere interesting. Get your scares from somewhere else, because you won’t find them here. ~ Twwk
Mad Miniscape is published by Yen Press.
“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.
