This was a very entertaining light novel that focused on a girl’s love romance.
The story takes a flip on the usual isekai dating sim tropes. Our mainThis was a very entertaining light novel that focused on a girl’s love romance.
The story takes a flip on the usual isekai dating sim tropes. Our main character used to be an overworked office lady who was reborn in her favorite game but her goal isn’t to make a nice life for herself in this new world but to save the game’s villainess.
The writing never seems to take itself seriously so there are a lot of jokes and puns and off-hand references throughout the text.
The story and the characters were a lot of fun, I laughed a lot on the over the top reactions and how everything just happened at the right time before something tragic could have happened.
I liked that despite all the fun the story still had some serious moments and discussed the ridiculous patriarchy of the world and how the characters tried to make their own way in it. The ending was really cute and I loved the lily symbolism.
The illustrations were absolutely wonderful, I wish we could have had more or a full on manga adaptation.
Side note: If you go into this without ever reading a light novel please don’t expect Shakespearian writing. That’s not really what the genre is known for....more
Miwa and Saeko has been dating for four months now?! Things are going pretty good except Saeko is not being entirely honest about her feelings..
In genMiwa and Saeko has been dating for four months now?! Things are going pretty good except Saeko is not being entirely honest about her feelings..
In general I don’t like it when a romance stories start to focus so much on sex, instead of the actual romance. Saeko’s situation also feels rather hypocritical, she was somewhat pushy about getting physical with Miwa in the beginning (although, thankfully, the consent was entirely Miwa’s) but now that Miwa would like to touch her as well, Saeko is getting uncomfortable. I completely get that someone doesn’t want to be touched or isn’t interested in sex, that is absolutely fine.
But seeing that Saeko put so much emphasis on being able to touch Miwa in the beginning and even pondered about dumping her if she didn’t put out, and now she is upset that Miwa would want to do the same things to her.. it all just feels real hypocritical. If she had these issues why wasn’t she more understanding with Miwa in the beginning? Like Saeko said, things are starting to feel a bit one sided between them. Miwa is getting pretty comfortable in their relationship, meeting the parents, doting on baby photos and wanting to open up and share about past heartbreaks. However, Saeko is pulling away and keeping her at a distance. There is definitely something deeper going on in the background, some hang up Saeko has from her teenager years but the girls are bound for a disaster without proper communication.
In the previous volume it was questioned if Saeko and Miwa are really right for each other and I feel like this volume and the next will put that to test. Saeko got a new, cute coworker so I expect some factor of jealousy and drama happening later on there. At the same time Miwa just reunited with her highschool crush and it turns out.. her feelings weren’t so unrequited.
I don’t want to speak against Saeko but after the flashbacks I definitely am rooting for Shiho. Her memories shared with Miwa were really heartfelt and they share a much deeper connection than the half-hearted “let’s go out bc we’re both into woman” idea of Saeko’s and Miwa’s relationship.
I know I am definitely going to pick up the next volume hoping for more Shiho, but, even if something happens with her and Miwa I just hope it won’t involve cheating....more
I remember reading Devil’s Candy first chapter a few years ago - on it’s own website as a webcomic. It is still being updated if you are curious: httpI remember reading Devil’s Candy first chapter a few years ago - on it’s own website as a webcomic. It is still being updated if you are curious: https://www.devilscandycomic.com/comi...
As always, I have to praise the authors of any webcomic, it takes a lot of work, sweat, love and perseverance as webcomics are often done on the side, next to full time jobs. And it is great to see more and more titles becoming available as published volumes as well. This volume collects chapters 1 to 3 and the extras seem to be the same as found in the webcomic but as far as I can tell the character profiles and the author narrated extra tidbits are new for this version.
Devil’s Candy is known for it’s extremely detailed and intricate panels. No doubt, reading the first volume took me much longer than reading a regular manga or comic would have, it is easy to get lost in the background details, and the style makes you want to get lost every time. This can sometimes result in pages that feel a bit overcrowded, but I feel that this was only an issue in chapter one. After that it felt that the artists found a great balance between detailed panels and changing them up for more character focused close ups when the dialogue or the action needed.
The world building is very rich, and the first volume only seems to scratch the surface. All in all Devil’s Candy reads like a richly detailed shounen manga with all kinds of devils, high school and the occasional fights.
Our protagonist is Kazu, is a small, lonely devil boy who decides to frankenstein himself another monster together as his biology project. This absolutely has nothing to do with the fact that he seems to be living all alone in a huge mansion. Except, well, it wasn’t only Kazu who decided to create a girl for his biology class and a fight soon breaks out between creators and creations in the school. As Kazu and newborn Pandora navigate through school they also take part in a fashion show and learn a bit more about Kazu’s friends and classmates.
The first chapter left me with a lot of questions and I wasn’t entirely on board with the story and the characters yet, but the rest of the book turned out to be super fun and now I find myself invested in wanting to learn more about the characters, especially Hitomi the fashionista cyclops girl. And I am really interested in learning more about how using “brains” to build anything - especially another living autonom beings - works and what this means for their own mental and other capacities. In between the chapters the authors share little tidbits about the world, some of it sounds like utter nonsense but they also sometimes drop hints about characters....more
Thank you to VIZ Media for providing an advanced copy in exchange of a honest review.
In high school I used to read a lot of yaoi or boy’s love titles. Thank you to VIZ Media for providing an advanced copy in exchange of a honest review.
In high school I used to read a lot of yaoi or boy’s love titles. A lot of those were full of bad and harmful tropes, which I only realized as I got older. Nowadays, because of this I have a much higher standard for the genre and I tend to be very picky. So, when I heard about Given getting an anime and that it is a boy’s love title with music I was very wary. Fortunately, Given turned out to be a pretty solid story overall and I was happy with it. When I have seen that the manga is getting an English translation I knew I wanted to read it.
I feel that the story works better in the original manga format because of one main thing: the narration. A lot of the manga’s subtle feelings come through by being able to glimpse into our main characters thoughts and that seems to work much better in the manga than it did in the adaptation.
Our main characters are Mafuyu and Uenoyama. The story starts with a vague glimpse into Mafuyu’s past and then we get to see how these two become friends, by mere chance. Uenoyama likes to take naps during the school day in a remote stairway. One day however he spots another students at his usual spot, Mafuyu, who is taking a nap while hugging a guitar. Mafuyu is seemingly out of it and doesnt talk much, but it turns out he broke the strings on his guitar. Uenoyama, who is actually in a band and plays the guitar, ends up fixing it for him. Mafuyu is absolutely star-struck and begs Uenoyama to teach him how to play the guitar. Uenoyama refuses, because he doesn’t know this weird kid and has no idea how to teach someone else. As such their unlikely friendship starts. Mafuyu seems really stuck on the idea of Uenoyama teaching him, and Uenoyama can’t get Mafuyu out of his head for some reason. When Uenoyama discovers that Mafuyu has a really great voice he invites him to join their band.
The two spend a lot of time together and grow closer. We learn that Uenoyama used to be really excited about music but he seems to have burned out. There also might be some explanation on why Mafuyu seems to space out a lot and why he talks so little. I really like the flow of the story and how the characters inspire and push each other to change. The side characters are also great at supporting and they have their own things going on in the background as well. Uenoyama’s passion for music reignites thanks to Mafuyu, and Mafuyu in turn takes some steps to recover from a past that haunts him.
Uenoyama and Mafuyu are both branded as kids who are bad at communicating, and when Mafuyu has trouble expressing himself it frustrates Uenoyama. This is understandable but the one thing I didn’t like is that at such moments and the only way he can tell his feelings to Mafuyu is by.. shouting at him. Of course, this is more for a dramatic effect and not used as a way to force him to do anything but it is not the best way to get someone talking. At least the characters speak up that this bad way to communicate and he is told to learn to communicate better so I will expect better progress in this aspect.
As mentioned I really like our supporting characters. First we have two more members in the band, college boys Kaji and Akihiko. They are great mentors to the boys, offering advice on how to pay for their instruments and even life issues. They also seem to have their own romantic crushes and issues going on. The characters are well developed and their interactions with each other propel the story forward.
Then we have our less important side characters who despite their small roles seem to propel the story forward in unexpected ways. We meet some of Uenoyama’s classmates and old friends of Mafuyu and through them we learn about some rumors regarding Mafuyu’s past and a possible ex. While I don’t condone people gossiping about other’s personal issues it is an effective way to have both the readers and Uenoyama learn more about Mafuyu. And I really appreciated the fact that he said nothing about those rumors to Mafuyu, instead he just let Mafuyu open up to him on his own terms.
The art is gorgeous throughout the manga. At the end of the chapters there are character profiles of our main characters. I really appreciate all the thought the mangaka put into the characters defining features, like their face and eye shapes. At the end we even have some funny short stories in 4-koma style.
I like the slow build of the relationships in the story and the relaxed pacing of the story. I enjoyed this volume immensely and I am really looking forward to the next one!
trigger warnings: suicide mentioned, and while most characters are pretty chill there is a slight homophobia and bad intentioned rumors...more
Thank you to VIZ Media for providing an advanced copy in exchange of a honest review.
This title is a very cute yuri/LGBTQIA+ manga that is interested Thank you to VIZ Media for providing an advanced copy in exchange of a honest review.
This title is a very cute yuri/LGBTQIA+ manga that is interested in not only telling how a couple starts dating but explores what it is like to be in a relationship.
Miwa just started college and on her first day she bumps into another student, Saeko. Saeko does not leave the best impression on her as she is quick to compliment her boobs, but despite all odds the two get along well and become friends. Miwa is shy about making friends and quiet, while Saeko is more the easygoing type. Their personalities bring out the best from both. While they are hanging out at school they decide to join a club together. Their choice falls on the music club and they go out for drinks with their future band mates. As we learn from the short intro at the beginning of the manga, Miwa is confident about liking girls but she has trouble with admitting this to others. So when Saeko asks about her dating life she doesn’t tell her a lot. As it happens Miwa is super popular with their new band mates and one guy immediately asks her out. She feels really embarrassed and cornered, not sure how to say no. Saeko saves her from the situation and as the two, slightly drunk, head on home they chat a bit. Miwa asks Saeko about her own love life, since she was so nosy about hers. Saeko admits that she likes girls, which lets Miwa admit the same to her. Saeko then drunkenly suggests that the two of them should try going out, after all she finds Miwa super cute and they are already getting along well. To her surprise Miwa agrees and their relationship starts!
As the two start to navigate their relationship they learn more about each other. Saeko seems to have had a bad experience with people treating her awful due to being gay so she doesn’t like to tell people about it. Miwa never really dated anyone before so it is all new for her. She also ponders a lot about whether it is all right for them to really date after a quick drunken confession, and if she is really interested in Saeko other than just-friends. I was happy that all the concerns the two have they eventually discussed, so the story wasn’t burdened with drama due to miscommunication. Of course there were topics they each found harder to open up about, but I felt that this was very normal. Saeko talking about her bad past experiences felt real and I liked that her old fears were addressed and she started working it out together with Miwa.
The art is is nice, Miwa is really pretty and I like the flow of the story a lot. You can see the development of the characters and their relationships with each other. I like the supporting cast as well, their band mates are a bit chaotic but really nice people. We are also introduced to a few of Saeko’s college friends and they were a nice addition. It was cute how everyone cheered their relationship on.
I recommended this to anyone who is looking for a more realistic but still very sweet story about two girls navigating a romantic relationship.
content warnings: some adult scenes and discussions of sex, some past scenes of implied homophobia and bullying...more
Thank you to VIZ Media for providing me an advanced copy in exchange of a honest review.
RWBY is a popYou can read the review with pictures on my blog.
Thank you to VIZ Media for providing me an advanced copy in exchange of a honest review.
RWBY is a popular animated series that has been running for over 7 years. The series is an American production by Roosterteeth and works with 3D animation and motion capture. It became so popular that now it has an official japanese dub (with some pretty famous voice actors) and it inspired several manga anthologies, adaptations and even some novels. I have been following the show from the early seasons and I was really excited to be able to read this new manga adaptation!
The manga is a retelling of the first few years of the show, as the subtitle “The Beacon Arc” indicate. We are introduced the main characters and we get some explanations about the world, so if you never watched the show don’t worry.
The first chapter felt a bit rushed, at times it was hard to tell what was happening or where our characters were, there just wasn’t a lot of background environment drawn. I knew where these scenes took place and I knew Ruby was in the store, so it didn’t bother me, but I felt it might be a bit of a confusing start for new people. However, from chapter two the story and the paneling really picks up and I enjoyed the story a lot.
We follow Ruby and her sister Yang as they are headed to their new school, Beacon, and we learn a bit about the world of Remnant, and the monsters that exists there, the Grimms. The Grimms are usually drawn by negative emotions and are a threat to humans so people train to fight them. Our protagonists are future huntsmen and huntresses. This volume covers our introduction to the two main teams the story will follow, team RWBY (“Ruby”) and JNPR (“Juniper”) and we see how their teams get assigned. The fights and the action scenes are written really well and they are really dynamic. Since the focus are on team RWBY here, I felt that some characters didn’t get a lot of time to shine. Such as one of my all time favorites, Jaune, who is present yes, but one of his defining moments was cut really short. Originally he is the one who comes up with a plan to win the fight we see and that is why he gets assigned to his future team, this felt glossed over, with only a short mention.
The characters were a lot of fun. Each character uses their personal aura to help them fight, and these manifest in unique ways. Some are granted speed, some gain super strength. Other than this, they all also have their own style of dressing and fighting and have their customized weapons. These are represented well in the manga and I appreciated where we get a little bit of explanation about auras and powers in the story.
Overall, I found this an enjoyable read after the rocky start. The art is great and the pacing is really good once the action starts. I am surprised how little progress we made in terms of the story, but since there was a lot of lore and plenty of characters that needed introduction I can understand that we only got to see the initiation.
I feel like this is a great read if you feel nostalgic about the early RWBY days or if you want to see if the story is something you could be interested in. As this is an introductory volume, it barely hints on the character developments and the complex and engaging story the show has. I will keep an eye out for the next volume, hopefully it will cover more of RWBY’s plot.
Short update: I love RWBY and I am so happy that I was granted an ARC! Definitely a highlight of my year! Review to follow soon! ✨...more
Gen:Lock is an animated series made by Roosterteeth, the same team behind RWBY.
The animated series was pretty amazing, and had some pretty famous EngGen:Lock is an animated series made by Roosterteeth, the same team behind RWBY.
The animated series was pretty amazing, and had some pretty famous English voice actors (David Tenant, anyone?). The story takes place in the future where nations are at war with each other, and one of them just developed a technology where human pilots can be linked to huge mecha-robots to fight - think Pacific Rim. The show is pretty entertaining, has great music and I am waiting for the next season.
This book, continues the story from where the show left off in season one. My initial issue was that I have seen and liked the show, but it was back when it aired, so I didn’t remember a lot of the lingo and technology they use. Not everything was explained in the book in detail, so this read is better suited to people who have already seem the show and remember some of the world. The second issue was, that I expected a team adventure, but this is very much a character book. The focus is on the youngest member of them gen:lock team, Cammie. Character focused writing is my jam, but it felt a little underwhelming how little she interacted with her team. The very few moments where we got another POV in the book, the given characterwas also focused on Cammie and wondered about what she thinks. And Cammie, well I felt that she just spent too much of the time thinking, wrapped in her own head, instead of communicating and bonding with her team.
The plot was only secondary to Cammie’s inner turmoil, as she tries to make sense of the aftermath of their big fight from the show.
If you liked gen:lock and you were curious about the inner workings of Cammie’s mind this book is definetely for you!...more
Huge thank you to Dark Horse Manga and Edelweiss for providing an advanced copy, as a long time fan it is a dream come true to read this volume!
This bHuge thank you to Dark Horse Manga and Edelweiss for providing an advanced copy, as a long time fan it is a dream come true to read this volume!
This book is a spin-off for the main story Mob Psycho 100. If you don't know the manga here is a quick rundown. It follows Mob, an average kid with powerful psychic powers on his journey to make friends and try to be his best self. The main thesis of the story is how important kindness is above all else and how the people in our lives can inspire us. There is also a fair amount of ONE's trademark humor.
As I haven't read the last volume of the main story (and it's not yet fully published in English) I don't know exactly how much later Mob Psycho 100: Reigen is set. It contains some spoilers and cameos up to the second season (around volume 12 of the manga). It was drawn after the main story wrapped up and you can tell how much ONE has improved.
This story focuses on Mob's friend, Tome who is in high school now. Tome always bas been a huge enthusiast of anything occult and her old dream was to develop telepathic powers herself. As she moved to high school she decided to put these interests away a bit and focus on socializing instead. Now she has made some friends in school but the truth is, she is utterly bored. They don't seem to be interested in the same things and she is not that invested in hearing about boys and dating. The only time she feels alive is at her secret part-time job: she assists at the Spirits & Such consulting office. Her boss is the infamous psychic, Reigen Arataka, who is also Mob's longtime mentor. Or at least in Tome's head the job is exciting, the reality is nothing interesting seems to happen when she is around. And Reigen didn't exactly hire her either, she just keeps popping up at the office on her own accord, waiting for something interesting to happen.
I found this standalone a bit creepy, it had a few unsettling ghost stories. It was a fun dynamic to see headstrong Tome trying to get involved in the psychic world and Reigen trying his best to look out for her so she doesn’t get hurt but refusing to damage her self-esteem himself.
Tome and Reigen’s interactions were funny as the two are rather similar and they can both be very headstrong. It was sweet to see that Reigen cared about her wellbeing above all else.
This was a sweet story and I wholeheartedly recommend to any fan of the series. This volume was more character focused so the main plot wasn’t very complex which was fine for a one-shot. We also got a few cameos from series regulars which added to the enjoyment. There were also some really funny scenes, with the trademark Mob Psycho humor.
*** Originally:
I can't believe I have been lucky enough to get an advanced copy! I am so happy!! Review to follow soon....more
Loading...
