On this week’s Reader’s Corner, we introduce a new manhwa from a young publishing firm, draw near the end of Insomniacs After School, and review a host of other manga and light novels! Check our thoughts below and let us know what you’re reading these days!
From a Knight to a Lady (Vol. 1) • How to Eat Life (Vol. 2) • Insomniacs After School (Vol. 13) • Magical Girl Dandelion (Vol. 1) • Steel of the Celestial Shadows (Vol. 9) • Tower Dungeon (Vol. 4) • The Way of the Househusband (Vol. 15)
Magical Girl Dandelion, Manga Vol. 1
After a bumpy first couple of chapters, Magical Girl Dandelion finds its stride and by the end of volume one, presents an appealing tale that recalls other memorable pairings of dark and light in manga. The light, in this case, is Tanpopo Ohanami, a clumsy young girl who, when she was young, lost her parents to a “fiend,” monstrous creatures whom magical girls are tasked with battling. The dark is Shade, a fiend living in the shadows who defeated the ones who killed Tanpopo and has been her companion since. But their relationship changes when Tanpopo is awakened as a magical girl and becomes the enemy of fiends. All of this is handled a little sloppily; it’s jumpy, and the story feels a little like Frankenstein, with pieces thrown together from others to create a whole. However, after a major event that also feels a little contrived, the story starts to gel, helped along by the focus on Tanpopo and Shade’s relationship as it develops into a new stage with the former’s transformation into a magical girl. “Shades” of Soul Eater and Angels of Death filled my vision, and the chemistry and care between these two really could fit into those older and more beloved pairings. The artwork is consistently stunning, taking advantage of cool magical girl costumes and action-filled fights. There’s a lot of potential here; let’s hope the story continues to tighten up and it delivers on its magical promise. ~ Twwk
Magical Girl Dandelion is published by VIZ Media.
The Way of the Househusband, Manga Vol. 15
Pickles, Mother’s Day, your inner chub…ahem…these are some of the ridiculous topics marking the chapters of The Way of the Househusband volume fifteen. After feeling that the series might be running a tad bit out of steam in previous volumes, I was overwhelmed by again how creative and humorous I found these chapters to be. My favorite is one in which Tatsu takes a neighborhood housewife to a farm stand, and her lingo ends up transforming entirely. It’s a gas. The entire volume is excellent—so much fun and so good-hearted! Like Miku popping a beer after a long day in a toxic workplace, this is the type of manga you need after a hard day of dealing with the nonsense the world is throwing at us right now. Grab some of the good stuff (a copy of volume fifteen), find your turf (pull up a seat), and get your fix (read it). ~ Twwk
The Way of the Househusband is published by VIZ Media.
READ Reviews ofThe Way of the Househusband: Vol. 3 // Vol. 4 // Vol. 5 // Vol. 6 // Vol. 7 // Vol. 8 // Vol. 9 // Vol. 10 // Vol. 11 // Vol. 12 // Vol. 13 // Vol. 14
Tower Dungeon, Manga Vol. 4
A lot of new pieces have just been dropped onto the game board. Last night in his sleep, Yuva saw a vision sent to him by the kidnapped Princess Ignelia which revealed the Necromancer’s shocking true objective—and by the rules of this world’s magic system, her being able to contact him in such a way at all proves he must have royal blood in his veins. Other “pieces” are less figurative, as Parliament has ordered a full-scale mobilization of the regular army to take the lead in storming the Dragon Tower. All this activity has given Minsabelle, Ignelia’s royal aunt and Yuva’s commanding officer, the opportunity to quietly slip a few more of her own men into the situation despite Parliament’s evasively explained efforts to limit her freedom of action. The board is certainly filling up, but with this many friendly pieces in play the game should be over soon…right? We get a change of pace in this volume, as Tsutomi Nihei spends quite a lot of pages following a second team up the tower before finally tying them into Yuva, Lilicen, and Eriquo’s story. And this second team has an entertaining dynamic. They’re not a specially chosen elite squad of comrades like our original power trio, but rather a pack of strangers with eclectic skill sets who are thrown together by chance and have to figure it out as they go. It’s also rewarding to see Yuva, Lilicen, and Eriquo through their eyes, as the new characters can only gasp in amazement when they see the original trio roll up and start dunking on monsters without breaking a sweat. I have to respect Nihei-sensei for his skillful handling of this volume through a potential danger zone without losing momentum. Throwing in a bunch of new characters at once can seem jarring or even desperate, but we went from only three major characters to a full-blown “Fellowship of the Tower” in just a handful of chapters and without a hitch. ~ WacOtaku
Tower Dungeon is published by Kodansha.
Steel of the Celestial Shadows, Manga Vol. 9
The Ryudos, Aki, and Bokutake learn in the nick of time that their remote village hideaway has been infiltrated by one of Lord Haretake’s most capable assassins—a young girl named “Toki,” with the face of an angel, the heart of a monster, and a magical Gift which warps minds nearly at will is loose amongst them. Bokutake is the only one with enough knowledge of the workings of her ability to devise a counterstrategy, but his Gift gives him more insight than firepower—he can see a possible way out of this trap, but someone else must make it happen. This place is a refuge for Gifted individuals from all over Japan, however, and that means there is more than one person here whom Toki hasn’t properly accounted for… To quote Jet Black from Cowboy Bebop, “There’s nothing as pure and cruel as a child,” and this volume demonstrates his point clearly through the character of Toki. For all her cunning with the use of her power, she’s not a calculating chessmaster—just a child endlessly fascinated with her own ability and thoroughly enjoying how it makes her able to effortlessly boss others around and break rules without consequence. It makes for a truly menacing villain, and feeds into a question which Steel has been quietly building towards for a while: What is to be done about the Gifted? It’s a toss-up if a Gifted without mastery of his or her powers is a greater danger to themself or to others. And if mastery is gained without morality, like with Toki, then a Gifted can turn into something resembling a malevolent demigod. If “muggles” often fear and hate the Gifted, it’s not without good reason. I suspect resolving this moral dilemma will be central to the series’s endgame—and the questions it poses have reignited my curiosity in this series after previous volumes sometimes felt like they were built around stretching out the mystery of Tsuki longer than it should have been. ~ WacOtaku
Steel of the Celestial Shadows is published by VIZ Media.
Read of Steel of the Celestial Shadows Reviews: Vol. 1 // Vol. 2 // Vol. 3 // Vol. 4 // Vol. 5 // Vol. 6 // Vol. 7 // Vol. 8
Insomniacs After School, Manga Vol. 13
I don’t know how Insomniacs After School is going to end, but with just one volume left, I know this: It’s going to end perfectly and exactly as it should. After complaining about the time skip and a decline in quality in volume twelve, and even though that malaise continues in the first part of this book, volume thirteen turns its focus back where it should: these two beautiful, lovely kids who deserve everything but who may ultimately be star-crossed lovers. With the ending just around the corner, volume thirteen confronts us with the challenges that have creeping over Ganta and Isaki this whole run, but which were held at bay seemingly by the magic of the two finding a storybook romance at school, one tangled in the stars and in the dreams they both sought but rarely found in sleep. Even so, the forks in the road don’t feel forced or even terribly heavy; they feel subtle and natural, as mangaka Makoto Ojiro has been preparing us for them all this time. There’s a worry, melancholy, and sadness here, but optimism and beauty too—because of Ganta and Isaki’s hearts. They truly get to shine in volume thirteen, and I imagine will all the more in the finale. I just hope my heart—and Isaki’s too—can take it. ~ Twwk
Insomniacs After School is published by VIZ Media.
READ Reviews of Insomniacs After School: Vol. 1 // Vol. 2 // Vol. 3 // Vol. 4 // Vol. 5 // Vol. 6 // Vol. 7 // Vol. 8 // Vol. 9 // Vol. 10 // Vol. 11 // Vol. 12
From a Knight to a Lady, Manhwa Vol. 1
When female knight Estelle is assassinated by one of her subordinates, she wakes three years later in the body of Lucifela, a weak, bratty nobleman’s daughter, in the very kingdom she had been fighting against. She also discovers that she is now engaged to Zedekiah Heint, a duke who was once hear fearsome enemy. How will she cope in this world, and who will she fight for in her new position? Estelle—or Lucifela—is headstrong and intelligent, a capable heroine who’s easy to get behind. So, too, is Zedekiah, who plays the role of the strong, scrupulous, untrusting love interest. But honestly, as the story progressed, I kept waiting for the other shoe to drop. I like the idea of these female isekai revenge tales, but the reality is that they are often filled with abusive, sexually charged, and violent relationships, leading to series which feel exploitative rather than engaging. However, volume one of From a Knight to a Lady stays the course through to its end, creating a foundation for a story that seems like it would be quite captivating. There are mysteries to be solved, fights to be had, and relationships to be developed—and I find myself eager to see these all through! The artwork is lovely, and so is this release; this is my first copy of a work from Crossed Hearts, and they came through with high quality paper, vibrant coloring, and a cover with some texture. The volume also surprises with a couple of pullout pages, which I found to be unique and very welcome additions to the volume. This is an auspicious start—for both the series and Crossed Hearts! ~ Twwk
From a Knight to a Lady is published by Crossed Hearts.
How to Eat Life, Light Novel Vol. 2
Volume two of How to Eat Life takes a little time to get going, but once it does, it’s every bit as compelling as volume one or Ao Juumonji’s other excellent series, Love is Dark. This one begins in the aftermath of the incidents that closed volume one, with one student in particular impacted by the loss of a classmate and friend. Meanwhile, Ryuuko and Tobi are joined by another zingai-seeing student, Monika, who is as different as can be from the pair and whose agenda is a mysterious one. The unusual trio is part of what makes this volume interesting—are the sincere Tobi and Ryuuko in danger by getting to know this transfer student? And what do the other students in their expanded circle have to do her and the rapidly growing number of zingai at their school? But even more engrossing than the mystery—which is expansive and takes further shape (or rather grows) at the end of the volume—is a backstory that takes up an entire section of the book; an almost slice-of-life style addition, it ends up being the real focus of the volume, which was so enthralling that from that section forward, I could not put it down. What a series this is turning out to be! In Juumonji-sensei’s hands, a light novel inspired by a song and video is becoming far, far better than it has any right to be. ~ Twwk
How to Eat Life is published by Yen Press.
READ: How to Eat Life Vol. 1 Review
“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.
