It’s a week of endings, new beginnings, and unexpected adventures in Reader’s Corner! We’re saying a bittersweet goodbye to My Girlfriend’s Child, discovering a dragon reincarnated as a young woman in Tale of the Wizrain Kingdom, and revisiting the beloved Yona of the Dawn in a beautiful new three-in-one edition. We’ve also got magical girls, complicated romances, beauty competitions, and a mysterious boy exploring the human condition. Whether you’re looking for a heartfelt farewell or your next favorite series, there’s plenty to discover this week!
Love at First Memory (Vol. 3) • Magical Girl Dandelion (Vol. 3) • The Makeup Remover (Vol. 2) • My Girlfriend’s Child (Vol. 10) • Tale of the Wizrain Kingdom: The Dragon Is the Bride (Vol. 1) • Wonder Boy (Vol. 2) • Yona of the Dawn (3-in-1 Edition) (Vol. 1)
Magical Girl Dandelion, Manga Vol. 3
Our magical girl might have had a triumphant save in the previous volume, but the new fiend, Ice, has his eyes on her, unlocking an explosive and very protective Shade. As he looks into Ice’s whereabouts, Dandelion works undercover with Peony to help protect an actor—but then a pair of new fiends shows up and causes a whole new level of danger for our team! I can’t get enough of this series! Rereading it in physical form has me cheering, wanting to read faster, and wishing I could hug these characters! I honestly forgot how cool Prima and Stella are, even though I’m so upset over what they did to Shade! That was heartbreaking, and I admired how our magical girl refused to stop fighting even for a second! Ice is still a character I super dislike! He’s so selfish, and I hate how Shade’s smile was nothing like in the past! Even before that, it’s horrifying to see Shade so on edge instead of his usual cocky self, but this volume definitely (briefly) showed him in a different light. The final two pages have me so desperate for the next volume!! What a way to end, and I can’t wait to see more action unfold, as it continues to be fantastic! Now for volume four to hurry up and release! ~ Laura A. Grace
Magical Girl Dandelion is published by Shojo Beat.
READ Magical Girl Dandelion Reviews: Vol.1 // Vol. 2
Love at First Memory, Manga Vol. 3
The birthday trip Mia and the guys took to celebrate her birthday was one of the best new memories she’s made this summer! However, now is the time to go back to school despite some of her doubts about a guy or two; but that is quickly overshadowed when she realizes that maybe her classmates didn’t like how past Mia used to be… Ahhh, we are learning so much about these guys, and I feel like we saw a new side of everyone! Ririto was easily the most surprising to me because he really made some advances I didn’t expect from him! I honestly feel bad, because he’s so cute with Mia but I sadly only see him as the best friend. I think that’s why I was taken aback by seeing some romance from him, as I wasn’t prepared for it, even though the romantic “scene” between him and Mia was so cute! “Mr. Shady Guy” (aka Issei) is definitely shady, but I am deeply interested in his connection to Mia and what exactly he is doing. It seems like he’s protecting her, but I’m baffled as to who he is protecting her from? Not only that, but for her to experience what she did after she smelled the cologne has me even more curious about him and their previous relationship! With all that said, though, I am still strongly Team Tsurugi! He was so cute in this volume! And he and Mia had so many amazing moments together! I truly love how similar they are to one another! For Kei, I was not expecting to hear his backstory and how he met Mia! I’ve been curious about him because after reading this volume, it seems she was much more of…a guide? watcher over him?…in helping him work towards his dream. Based on some news he got and how Mia reacts after hearing it, I think he means a lot more to her than she ever realized. Overall, another addictive volume that has me desperate for more! ~ Laura A. Grace
Love at First Memory is published by Kodansha.
READ Love at First Memory Vol. 1 Review
Wonder Boy, Manga Vol. 2
The mysterious bishonen is back, dropping into people’s lives at moments both critical and seemingly mundane, twisting their fates and seeking to untwist for himself the complexities of the human heart, mind, and soul. Humans remain doggedly elusive to his understanding, though. We’re just so emotional and unpredictable, right? That was one of the things I appreciated most about the first volume of this anthology-like series: The writing is never quite predictable. Even if the shape of the story follows a familiar arc, there’s almost always a little snag—a word, a gesture, a singular emotion captured in the final image of the chapter—that redirects its course ever so slightly, so that nothing quite ends up where you expect. (The best example of this is from the shortest chapter, dedicated to Tsar Nicholas II, though he is unnamed.) This makes for a fascinating read, if at times a little uncomfortable; the mirror that mangaka Kazumi Yamashita holds up to humanity can be a bit shocking, if admittedly warranted. There is violence and bitterness and the absence of redemption in these stories, as there was in the first volume. But this volume feels a little more bleak, somehow. And while the first volume was largely comprised of historical figures, this one leans more towards fantasy/myth/futurism. As for the boy, we see both his fallibility and the further extent of his powers: He becomes so enamored with one of his charges, an abused young prisoner who is the last of his tribe, that he turns himself into a woman and, um, relations ensue. All in all, while the concept of this series remains strong and appealing, I was a bit disappointed to lose some of the elements I most enjoyed about the series premiere: the historicism and philosophical engagement, and the wise characterization of the boy. Perhaps these things will reappear at a later point; such is the nature of an anthology series, after all! But I’ll be honest, I’m on the fence as to whether or not to continue. ~ claire
Wonder Boy is published by Yen Press.
READ Reviews of Wonder Boy: Vol. 1
My Girlfriend’s Child, Manga Vol. 10
My Girlfriend’s Child could have concluded with the previous volume, wrapping up Sachi’s story with her pregnancy, but in this final volume we see how Sachi and Tanaka met and fell in love! Not only that, we meet their daughter growing into a mature young woman! In all honesty, though, this is a really hard volume to “rate,” because while I’m incredibly thankful that this series ends on such a hopeful note, it really did hurt to read the second-to-last chapter. I fully understand not only why readers warned about it, but also why a warning was included by the creator. I think if I had skipped it (which the creator encouraged if the trigger warnings mentioned would be too much), I would have felt differently; it’s hard to celebrate the happiness Sachi and Tanaka have with their child when you see what happened to another character… Speaking of Sachi and Tanaka, though, I did enjoy seeing how they met and fell in love! That was wonderful, and I didn’t realize how much I would like it until I read this volume! It really gives me an ever deeper love for these two and everything they went through together. Overall, I do feel volume nine ended on a much stronger note for me, but I am very thankful I read this volume! I think if you’re curious as to what happens “after” the main story, this is a good one to read because, hello, Kou actually seems to be a better human than he was before?! What?! Definitely one of the more unexpected surprises that was in store for me when reading this! ~ Laura A. Grace
My Girlfriend’s Child is published by Seven Seas.
READ Reviews of My Girlfriend’s Child: Vol. 1 // Vol. 2 // Vol. 3 // Vol. 4 // Vol. 5 // Vol. 6 // Vol. 7 // Vol. 8 // Vol. 9
The Makeup Remover, Manga Vol. 2
The competition is coming in hot with this second round: Now that Yeseul has successfully passed the first round of Face-Off Cinderella, she has a target on her back! People not only want to know her real identity, they also might be out to sabotage her so she can’t continue the challenge. As Yeseul navigates this next obstacle, she’s also going to have to reevaluate her own ideas of beauty and what it means to be beautiful. Reading this volume reminded me of watching America’s Next Top Model because this volume was a lot more dramatic than the first one! That was a little bit of a bummer for me, honestly, but I appreciated how the volume ended and once again addressed beauty standards. Kim Yeseul’s take on the color of the makeup they had to wear was so good and really makes you think! I was even more touched (though in a much, much sadder way) by the inspiration behind this reflection because I wish the person in question could have had a much happier experience when wearing makeup for the first time. Yet I will say that while I did enjoy this volume a lot, I absolutely could not stand how two-faced Ju Heewon was, and any lack of enjoyment of this volume was directly linked to her. She was definitely much more of a jerk than I anticipated, but to be fair, she was not the only one: We got to meet another model in this competition, and I’m wondering what’s going to happen after a certain shenanigan she pulled. Talk about playing dirty! Overall, I’m unsure if I’ll personally buy volume three, but I do want to make sure my library gets it so I can read more! The ending was such a cliffhanger, and I am curious not only about the results, but also about what beauty standard will be challenged next! ~ Laura A. Grace
The Makeup Remover is published by Inklore.
READ The Makeup Remover Vol. 1 Review
Tale of the Wizrain Kingdom: The Dragon Is the Bride, Manga Vol. 1
There is a legend that a great hero and dragon were the ones to find the Wizrain Kingdom, and that when they reincarnate, they will reunite once again. However, that very dragon is now a young woman who is treated less than a servant in her own home and certainly is no longer a dragon. Nonetheless, she still has to participate in the annual tradition of all young women coming to the castle to see if they are the reincarnated dragon. She plans to keep her memories of her past life to herself—that is until she sees the prince, who doesn’t seem to remember her at all! This was completely different from what I expected, and honestly more romantic than I anticipated! Ha! My first thought was that this was going to be pretty sad and even a little bit distressing, even though our dragon does a really amazing job of offsetting the bullying and ridicule that human her, Elna, is going through. It really wasn’t until the middle that I felt myself completely heartbroken for her, seeing just how far her family has gone in doing everything they can to make her life miserable. Like, how are you going to have a chance to meet the prince, only to turn around and bash/make fun of your stepsister when this is a chance meeting of a lifetime? On the flip side, Elna herself was a compelling character, and I thought her originally being a dragon was an interesting take on the isekai genre among the shoujo manga I’ve read! I wouldn’t say most characters who regain their memories are more humble or meek since it’s usually the opposite, but because of her being a dragon, I found she had an interesting way of being able to blow off the poor treatment shown towards her. She fully had the power and the opportunity to take out this family, but she has the mindset that they’re weaker since they’re humans, so she doesn’t use her powers at all. Instead, she’s just snarky with her comebacks. Ha! Overall, I would recommend this if you love dragons and want some heartbreak woven through an original storyline in the isekai genre! ~ Laura A. Grace
Tale of the Wizrain Kingdom: The Dragon Is the Bride is published by Yen Press.
Yona of the Dawn (3-in-1 Edition), Manga Vol. 1
It’s hard to believe, but the first chapter of Yona of the Dawn originally dropped 17 years ago. Much has changed in the nearly two decades since then, but the absorbing quality of epic adventure romance is not one. Volume one of Yona of the Dawn (3-in-1 Edition), which brings together the first three volumes of the series into one release, is mesmerizing. Though I’m familiar with the anime, this is my first time reading the manga, and I’m enjoying it thoroughly. Yona, a princess who grows up with her dear, sensitive cousin Su-Won on one side of her and the rougher son of a general, Hak, on the other, is forced to flee the kingdom after a shocking assassination. Thus is set the stage for an adventurous romp that is high on tension but not at the cost of strong characterization: Yona is pampered (though not to the obnoxious levels of the anime adaptation), leaving room for her to grow; Hak is the undeterred and loyal bodyguard; and Su-Won is maybe most interesting of all with his mix of kindness and unexpected intentions. I could not put this volume (three volumes, actually!) down. It’s a tremendous story, and though the artwork and style feel 20 years ago, it’s just as captivating as any great series today. If you haven’t picked it up or collected it before, now is your chance. You won’t regret it.
Yona of the Dawn (3-in-1 Edition) is published by VIZ Media.
“Reader’s Corner” is our weekly celebration of manga, light novels, and visual novels—the creative works most closely tied to anime, yet with a magic all their own. Each week, our writers share their honest take on what they’re reading: new releases as they hit shelves, so you’re always in the loop on the latest manga and light novel news, alongside older titles we revisit because they’re just as unforgettable—for better or worse.
