The latest volumes of The Fake Alchemist, The Remarried Empress, and Vagabond Definitive Edition—along with the final volume of Insomniacs After School (sigh!)—are among the manga and manhwa we’re reviewing this week on Reader’s Corner. Read to see what we think of these volumes!
Blade & Bastard (Vol. 4) • The Fake Alchemist (Vol. 2) • Girl Crush (Vol. 6) • Insomniacs After School (Vol. 14) • Lycoris Recoil (Vol. 5) • The Remarried Empress (Vol. 10) • Vagabond Definitive Edition, Vol. 5
Vagabond Definitive Edition, Manga Vol. 5
About fifty pages into volume five of the impressive, hardcover “Definitive Edition” of Vagabond, I showed my wife several full-color pages, and then the typical black-and-white following them. “Every panel is a work of art,” I told her. The drawings are all so beautiful and detailed that you could hang any page on your wall and be proud of displaying it, and visitors to your home who don’t know much about manga would likely conclude that these are some rendering of Japanese history—and of course, they’d be partly right, as Vagabond is a take on Japan’s legendary swordsman, Miyamoto Musashi. But that doesn’t begin to tell a story that is “art” in both the drawings and the story itself, which is raw, moving, and heartbreaking. Volume five is divided into two stories—the first half concluding an arc featuring the battle between Musashi and an opponent with a deep connection to him, and the second telling a seemingly disparate tale of a former master of the sword who may be finding redemption in caring for a baby. In modern manga, we might expect shonen-esque tales of courage and camaraderie, but this is seinen (one of the “big three” when it comes to swords and samurai), and the stories are brutal, challenging, real. They are also exceptional, and despite wanting to just stop and stare, I managed to fly through this extra-long edition in an hour or two. Vagabond is the intersection of beautiful art, meaningful narratives, and a good time. ~ Twwk
Vagabond Definitive Edition is published by VIZ Media.
READ Reviews of Vagabond Definitive Edition: Vol. 1 // Vol. 2 // Vol. 3 // Vol. 4
The Remarried Empress, Manhwa Vol. 10
Navier and Henry are finally married, but when Duke Kaufman gives Henirey a love potion, everything is thrown into chaos! Except…Naiver somehow doesn’t realize at first what has happened and why noblewomen are showering her with gifts. She is just quickly trying to do what she can to help run this new empire. Rashta, on the other hand, is doing everything she can to have more people on her side through any means necessary, and even makes her husband jealous in the process. It feels so wonderful to be back with these characters! Honestly, I‘d forgotten how much I cannot stand Sovieshu, though! This man has the audacity to say, “I’ve always loved you, and what can we do to return to how things used to be”?! I don’t know, maybe not take a mistress and then berate Navier over every single thing? Oh, and let’s not forget you accusing her of things that were not true, but you were adamant they were? The man truly makes my blood boil! On the flip side, I am very surprised at how I feel over Rashta’s story, and my view is completely different compared to the first time I read it on Webtoon. Before, she made me just as upset as Sovieshu, but now, her actions hurt my heart. Does she do some genuinely bad things that are her choice? Absolutely! However, I see her desperation to be loved and have “good standing” with those around her. How she is going about it is not right, but it still makes my heart hurt for her nonetheless. Something else I forgot is how wonderful Navier and Heinrey are together! They are such a beautiful couple, and I absolutely thrived seeing him love her unconditionally! The deep remorse and sadness he had after what took place due to the Duke hurt my heart! He loves her so much, and I hope that Navier will quickly see that there is no expiration date on Heinrey’s love for her. I’m genuinely so happy to have a new volume of this story! I love it so much and deeply enjoyed reading this volume! ~ Laura A. Grace
The Remarried Empress is published by IZE Press.
READ Reviews of The Remarried Empress: Vol. 1 // Vol. 2 // Vol. 3 // Vol. 4 // Vol. 5 // Vol. 6 // Vol. 7 // Vol. 8 // Vol. 9
Girl Crush, Manga Vol. 6
The LJH auditions for the special project are here, and despite the setback that Tenka had earlier, she is ready to “fight” for the specific position she wants in this new group! The problem is, another girl wants the same position! Will Tenka face another setback, or will she be successful in getting the position? This volume has been one of my favorite reads this month, and honestly, one of my favorite volumes in the series! It’s no secret how I’ve shared about my tearing up reading previous volumes, but there was something incredibly moving about this one in seeing how far Tenka has come. I was deeply touched by Sion’s words and how he helped Tenka in her struggle over not being able to recall certain memories. One of my favorite “quotes” from Haikyu!! is “We Don’t Need the Memories,” from Inarizaki High’s “mantra” for their team, and hearing another manga series about not clinging to the past really struck me afresh. I think it especially hit me hard with respect to Tenka’s journey because we can see the old her, who she was at the beginning, finding genuine joy near the end. Her smile really did me in, and I was about to start crying at my kitchen table: Tenka has tried and worked so hard, and I love the idea of her making brand new memories and experiences that make her life funnier than it ever has been. I am once again strongly recommending this series to anyone who enjoys reading about idols but would prefer not to have a romance plot and wants something that shows the hardships of becoming an idol. You really need to read this series! Tenka’s journey has been one of the most satisfying stories I have ever read, especially when I think back to how it took three tries to get into this series because of how much I did not like her at first. *hides* Bring on volume seven! I’m ready to continue to see our girl shine! ~ Laura A. Grace
Girl Crush is published by VIZ Media.
READ Reviews of Girl Crush: Vol. 1 // Vol. 2 // Vol. 3 // Vol. 4 // Vol. 5
Lycoris Recoil, Manga Vol. 5
Another fun volume! Chisato experiences true danger for the first time in these chapters, set up as an offering, of sorts, for the individual brutally murdering other Lycoris agents. This, along with the ever-present question of Chisato’s health (hinted at in this volume as well), adds a heaviness to the story—but a welcome one, because that weight keeps Lycoris Recoil from being just a flighty, fun work (like the Reload and Repeat anthologies), though that more slice-of-life stuff that fans of the work love is present here, as usual, and is a delight (also as usual). Still, we’re getting closer to some sort of conclusion, as the stories are now converging—Chisato’s past and health, the current crimes against Lycoris and conspiracies involving the organization, and Takina’s future as well. Another exciting volume is a wonderful series! ~ Twwk
Lycoris Recoil is published by Yen Press.
Insomniacs After School, Manga Vol. 14 (Final)
What a perfect finale! Insomniacs After School concludes with volume fourteen, and it is moving and perfectly in line with the entire series. Throughout its run, there’s been this heavy weight over the characters (and us as readers): Magari’s health. But as the chapters have passed by, the specter of her death has lessened, and the question has turned more toward her being able to live a full life and whether Nakami can grow to be the person he wants to be and that she needs as well. The series is so mature for a “star-crossed lovers” type of story, and one that’s so frequently warm and cute, and the ending is no exception. Meanwhile, all of the main characters are involved in ways that are reasonable and not just fan service, with this volume focusing on both Magari’s health and graduation. There are tears, joys, silence, and worries—as has been the case throughout, but magnified here as we come to an end. And I think you, dear readers, will find the conclusion to be both suitable and satisfying, as I did. What a great volume—and what a beautiful, beautiful series. ~ 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 // Vol. 13
Blade & Bastard, Manga Vol. 4
I’ve enjoyed Blade & Bastard thus far primarily for its unique and dark take on fantasy, but I appreciate that volume four—which despite the burned-to-a-crisp death of a character, isn’t overall as dark as previous volumes—gives us something more to cheer about with its characters. Iaruma, for instance, plays the role of mentor surprisingly well, guiding Raraja and Garbage in their growth as adventurers. Of even greater emphasis in this volume is Raraja’s growth; he’s starting to break out of his shell and show more and more of the kindness that we’ve known is within him this whole time. The plot in this volume actually hinges on that growth, as he makes a choice involving a character new to the volume. There’s also some world-building that unexpectedly occurs in the final chapter that reminds readers that there is quite an unusual mystery to this world—and both Iaruma’s and Garbage’s places in it. And thus, I continue to be hooked by this manga! And, some exciting news—the anime adaptation of the series will air on HIDIVE in 2027!~ Twwk
Blade & Bastard is published by Yen Press.
READ Reviews of Blade & Bastard: Vol. 1 // Vol. 2 // Vol. 3
The Fake Alchemist, Manga Vol. 2
As we discovered in volume one, Paracelsus is a fairly simple man; however, those around him, like his assistant and slave, Nora, are more complex—and some are possibly enemies too. That goes for Arlembic, a magic shop owner who works with him and suspects Paracelsus to be from another world. The problem is that she may kill him for being an otherworlder. The world of The Fake Alchemist is a dangerous one, which helps to make the series compelling (there are two fights in this volume, both of which are fun); even more engaging is, as I mentioned in my volume one review, the intricate way that magic, alchemy, and witchcraft work in this world. Great care has been taken in planning the magic systems, and I find the complicated explanations of them to be among the best points of the series. But what I don’t like is the characters. Paracelsus aside, the other characters are interesting, but none are particularly kind or easy to root for, and they are all sexualized in somewhat violent or abusive ways. So while the world-building in this series excites me, I’m turned off too much by the characterization to continue. I’m checking out. ~ Twwk
The Fake Alchemist is published by Yen Press.
Read: The Fake Alchemist 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.
