It’s another trip to the Reader’s Corner, where we’ve got a little something for every kind of reader! This time around, we’re diving into magical mysteries, undercover ninjas, heroic adventures, complicated romances, idol drama, and a thoughtful exploration of what it means to be mixed-race in Japan. Scroll below to read our recommendation—and a few other strong opinions, too!
Almark (Vol. 3) • The Bubble Love of the Mermaid (Vol. 1) • Girl Crush (Vol. 7) • Half is More (Vol. 1) • It Takes More Than a Pretty Face to Fall in Love (Vol. 6) • Shinobi Undercover (Vol. 1) • Who Killed the Hero?, Vol. 3: Tale of the Hero
Almark, Manga Vol. 3
A monster has kidnapped one of the students—and Almark and Tohrk are the closest help! While their less capable peers run to get the teachers, our dynamic duo—one a top-notch magic caster and the other secretly an experienced mercenary—charge to the rescue! Together, they are able to resolve the immediate situation, but mysteries only deepen. Who is Wollis really, and what is he up to? What are monsters doing in the school woods? And why are ghostly voices starting to be heard in the garden maze? But none of these can compare to the truly pressing issue on our hero’s mind: What to do over the school’s break? Wendy invites Almark and Morgan to visit her home, which looks to be a fairly pleasant experience. I’m sure the ominous band of assassins circling her house in the last panel doesn’t presage anything serious at all. ~ NegativePrimes
Almark is published by Yen Press.
Shinobi Undercover, Manga Vol. 1
Modern-day high school manga featuring ninjas that’s both action-packed and funny? Sign me up! Shinobi Undercover starts with the premise that ninjas are still among us, taking missions as Public Safety ninjas. Yodaka is one of the very best teenage shinobi, but his new mission is going to draw his weakness to the forefront; you see, Yodaka is socially inept, and that’s a problem when the young lady he’s supposed to be guarding from afar wants to make friends with him. It’s a really simple story, but I love the execution! Yodaka is the type of character I like—earnest and awkward. Very awkward. And though we haven’t gotten to know the other characters too well yet, they’re all fun too, including a fellow shinobi who’s public persona is night and day from her personality; another classmate who’s hiding a secret; the sassy handler, who we haven’t caught sight of yet; and Aoi, the spectacularly clumsy but bold girl who the Public Safety ninjas are guarding. This is a terrific start, and I’m looking forward to seeing where this enjoyable series goes from here! ~ Twwk
Shinobi Undercover is published by VIZ Media.
Who Killed the Hero?, Vol. 3: Tale of the Hero, Light Novel
Well, it’s official: Who Killed the Hero? is now one of my very favorite ongoing light novel series. Having established strong characterization of the hero’s party members in volume one and further world-building in volume two, this newest release returns to focusing on the party while doing what the series does best: introducing new, compelling characters and situations while unveiling a mystery piece by piece. In volume three, that means focusing on the Kingdom of Ludonia, a pass-through for the heroes on their quest to defeat the demon king. What they discover, however, is that Ludonia has its own hero, one that a contingent wants to lift up as the Hero (with a capital “H”), in the brave and warm Prince Carlos. And indeed, he seems more heroic than Zack—stronger, more intentional, a better leader. The problem is that as the novel begins, he’s already dead—the deceased “hero” at the center of this story. The mystery elements in this volume (and all three) are really strong; it reads like Agatha Christie as much as a traditional light novel, though the fantasy tropes are of course heavily present—and, blending grimdark elements with lighter ones, like the humorous bickering that takes place between each strong personality in the hero’s party, are written very well. But my favorite part is how the mystery is developed and then unraveled chapter by chapter; the intentionality is suspenseful and beautiful. My brain was highly engaged throughout the reading as I tried to figure out how this tale would end. And I although I would note that this is easily the most conventional volume in the series so far, and that it seems we’re now likely to walk a more conventional route than was laid out in volume one, this is another wonderful volume in what is turning out to be a remarkable series. ~ Twwk
Who Killed the Hero? is published by Yen Press.
The Bubble Love of the Mermaid, Manga Vol. 1
Asana seems to be a normal sixteen-year-old girl attending an all-girls academy, with a wealthy family supporting her. However, what people don’t know is that behind closed doors, she is abused by her family for the mark on her wrist. When news spreads that she’s getting a new handsome teacher at school, she is surprised to find out that their paths may be more connected than simply teacher and student. Color me shocked! I really enjoyed this! I fully admit, though, that it was very hard to see Asana be so abused by her family. To not only see her used basically for profit and called a monster deeply angered me and broke my heart. It was, however, the world-building that kept me captivated despite the pain in my heart for these characters. I was shocked when we learned the deep lore behind Asana’s family and why she has the “abilities” she does. It was equally horrifying to hear how every woman in the previous generations was treated even worse than Asana! And not only does Asana and her family have such interesting lore, but then we find something out about Sensei that made my jaw drop! This is far more than a sad romantic story, and I never thought I would be nearly as invested as I am! Which brings me to say that while I’m not too bothered by age gap romance in general, I would say it’s much harder for me to get behind a teacher x student romance; yet I was quite surprised by how well the storytelling is, such that I didn’t feel bothered by it or overly concerned. I do think a lot of what makes this work is the pain that both these characters carry and them finding unexpected strength or camaraderie in each other; I could not help but hope their hearts will grow more in love with the other. Overall, I am deeply interested in reading more! Again, this is so much more than a Cinderella-like romance, and I am eager to see how exactly the mystery will unfold and how the story will move forward! ~ Laura A. Grace
The Bubble Love of the Mermaid is published by Yen Press.
It Takes More Than a Pretty Face to Fall in Love, Manga Vol. 6
Sana and Senpai continue to grow closer and closer as a romantic couple. So much so that Sana is starting to feel overwhelmed by the kindness Senpai shows her! Soon she’ll feel overwhelmed in a whole other way, though: What do you mean, Senpai is going to be in a fashion show?! Another very wonderful volume where I continue to deeply enjoy seeing our leads genuinely communicating about their feelings and struggles! I am, however, wrestling with my feelings a little bit, specifically over one “romantic” development. It makes sense, and I can appreciate how the creator is writing it, but I don’t like it. Ha! I had hoped things wouldn’t go down a certain route using a specific trope, but I have a strong feeling that it might be happening, unfortunately. I will be curious to see how I feel about it in future volumes, and if my thoughts will change concerning the character involved. Outside of that, I’m excited for this upcoming model show! I think it’s going to be a blast, and honestly can’t wait to see how Senpai is going to look and Sana’s reactions to him! Plus, with that “twist” at the end, I’m certain she will make many faces, making it a very, very fun volume indeed! Speaking of Senpai, eeeeppp! What a caring and considerate boyfriend he is being! I absolutely thrived seeing it! Sana, enjoy every moment of being his best girl! I can’t wait for the next volume and am so bummed I read this one so quickly (even though I enjoyed reading this one so much, so I can’t say I really have any regrets)! Hopefully the wait for the next volume won’t feel too long! ~ Laura A. Grace
It Takes More Than a Pretty Face to Fall in Love is published by Seven Seas.
READ Reviews of It Takes More Than a Pretty Face to Fall in Love: Vol. 1 // Vol. 2 // Vol. 3 // Vol. 4 // Vol. 5
Girl Crush, Manga Vol. 7
Tenka and Sua don’t have time to celebrate that both are part of LJH’s special-project team because they quickly dive into practicing and getting ready for the monthly evaluation. The more they practice, though, the more Sua unexpectedly starts remembering things from her days as a new trainee. With increasing feelings of jealousy, Sua makes a dangerous decision that could not only affect Tenka’s future but her own as well. A standing ovation for the end of this volume! The way it came together was absolutely chilling, but not in a scary way! Tenka put everyone on edge, and right when they thought they could frame or change her, she stood up to them all! We love to see it! Granted, I think in light of really getting to know Sua, it made Tenka’s response that much more powerful. Speaking of Sua, oof! My heart hurts for her and this struggle she is going through! I didn’t want to view her as the current “mean girl” in this series, but it felt like I was seeing how she was changing. I’m very, very glad she had such a breakthrough at the end! Tenka was absolutely wonderful! I adored seeing her in a side role where she thrives with relaxed confidence! This was powerful, and I couldn’t help but smile and cheer for her! I’m also thankful that despite her being in a different group, she still cares so much for Jiwoo and Minchae! I think that’s extremely obvious with the decision she makes in the end, and it made me happy because I’m still desperately hoping all these girls debut together! Overall, I thought I wouldn’t enjoy this volume quite as much as the last, but the way everything came together was incredible! I am so curious as to what will happen next with Tenka feeling refreshed, Sua feeling guilty, and Sion on a “war path” over the events that happened! Bring on volume eight! ~ 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 // Vol. 6
Half is More, Manga Vol. 1
What is it like to be a mixed-raced Japanese person living in mostly homogeneous Japan? Mangaka Yoiko Fujimi, who is herself half-Spanish and half-Japanese, explores the challenges for “hafu”—itself a term full of sometimes volatile meaning—in this fascinating manga. It centers on four friends who share the same half-Japanese background, but whose stories and challenges are wildly different, from social media maven Kazumi, who is heading for a blow-up after her brother legally removes the non-Japanese part of his name, to Saeko, whose struggles with her Chinese roots and mother reach back to young childhood. As an American of mixed descent, I was immediately attracted to the series concept, but I think it’ll be interesting to a broader audience—in part because the individual stories are compelling and often stirring. My experiences are sometimes similar but have often been different from the manga’s characters (having grown up in a different country and even having different experiences based on my age and the city I’ve lived in), but I still found it interesting to see life through their eyes, mostly, I think, because the stories are well-written. That said, I struggled for about the first fifteen pages, as I found it hard to connect with Kazumi as a character, and I found the manga to be too wordy. However, it seems to me that the mangaka found her rhythm after chapter one, and has started to create a full, engaging, beautiful story—and one, by the way, that also examines this issue from the perspectives of characters who are fully ethnic Japanese. I encourage you to give the series a shot and see if it doesn’t also speak to you. ~ Twwk
Half is More is published by VIZ Media.
“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.
