First Impression: Teogonia 12:17 PM (10 hours ago)
A raindrop falls from a tree and wakes up a red-haired boy who is reclining against an ancient stone. He stands up and jumps. We see fire and stars. A melancholic, evocative female voice starts singing. This is the opening, and our protagonist stands strong among villagers with spears, facing fire and destruction. We see lots of intriguing character designs, suggesting a journey with many battles. Then, the actual story begins. The villagers are fighting the invading “Macaques,” intelligent white gorillas with Stone Age weaponry. Kai, our protagonist, is counting on the more expert Manso for his survival. Suddenly, Lord Olha, the eldest son of village ruler Moloch (?!) Vecin appears and uses his spiritual energy to defeat the enemy. After the battle, the victorious humans, ah…hmm, extract and consume the hearts—sorry, the “godstones”—of their enemies, which fill them with spiritual strength. There is a catch, though: Lord Olha gets the lion’s share. The way of this world is that only the strong may become stronger. This applies to literal food, too, as we see after an unending expository scene that makes the point around twenty times. Kai, our red-haired protagonist, wanders around and trains. He wants to become strong, too, and perhaps there is a path open to him. He has scattered memories from another world. And one of them seems to involve…fire magic.
The dialogue kills it. This would have been an awesome episode (with a cool name! Teogonia, the birth of the gods. Go Hesiod!) if the subtitles had somehow disappeared. The music is on point, the character designs are above average, and the settings feel authentic. The monsters are unique and threatening, if a bit goofy. But from the moment these characters open their mouths, all we hear is terrible “as you know, Bill” dialogue where they repeat the same concept again and again, following no logic but the plot’s. It feels like the old “Marvel method” comics where the artist would draw and make speech balloons, letting the writer add the dialogue later, and so we got lots of scenes where Spiderman pointed out: “He’s jumping through the window!” In the show, a character shows us the village cemetery, then a second one for orphans and outcasts, ruined and covered in ivy. So, the other character points out that it is covered in ivy. Then, the first character adds that the graves are not taken care of. You get the idea. Add quite a lot of flashbacks to other parts of this 20-minute episode (just why?), and the thing is dead. Which is a shame, because the visuals are just so strong and evocative, and the rhythm is not bad at all. The battles are a bit slow and perhaps would also need some tweaking, but that is all. I’m counting this as a failure, but I’ll be interested in further works by this studio, Asahi Production. Come on, guys. You almost have it there.
Teogonia is available on Crunchyroll. You can deactivate the subtitles, too!
Fanart Friday, Too: Sakura x Sakura 5:05 AM (17 hours ago)
It’s the season for cherry blossoms in Japan, so what better way to express the loveliness of it than by an illustration of the too-sweet Sakura Kinomoto of Cardcaptor Sakura sitting among the sakura? Check out this amazing illustration of just that by artist extraordinaire, 言葉!
Fanart Friday: Pulling for Castorice 5:05 AM (17 hours ago)
Castorice is now available! Judging by the amount of fanart being created for her, it seems like all you HSR players have been anticipating this. Good luck with your pulls!
But speaking of fanart, really, the beautiful Castorice illustrations coming out this week have been overwhelming—in a good way! Here are 14 of my favorites drawn by Mihan, Dino, Rafa, Andoff, soroni, _cahangonn, 秋月, 桐羽, COCOball, 朱成碧同学, Sheya, Goldcan, ショットガンマン, qo—many of the artists you frequently see here on Fanart Friday.
★ 【soroni】 「 
」
★ 【_cahangonn】 「 Castorice 」
★ 【COCOball】 「 」
★ 【朱成碧同学】 「 
」
★ 【qo】 「 Touch of Death 」
First Impression: Moonrise 5:00 AM (17 hours ago)
A man hums “Moon River” without knowing what it is as a sleepy crew shuttles along one of the Moon’s rilles in a monorail. Suddenly, they are under assault by flying things! Are they robots? Are they aliens? Are they alien robots?! Nothing is clear as the fists fly, the capes billow, and finally—finally!—the guns begin blasting. Who will win this standoff? Maybe we’ll find out in a few episodes, because for now, we’re cutting back to the night it all began… Jack is the kinda guy who is late to his own party—fashionably late, of course. He deals with childhood trauma—the violent death(?) of his friend Phil—by embracing the playboy life. Or…not quite, as his mother discovers (to her disappointment) upon quizzing him on how things are going with a certain young lady, Rhys. Anyhow, he plays the part of spoiled rich boy, gravitating to the casino instead of the corporate do where he was meant to be revealed as the heir to his mother’s company, a global tech superpower that, in managing the orbital shafts that connect Earth to the Moon, has somehow played a part in ushering in world peace and harmony, despite the extremely sketchy name of Shadow Corporation. (Seems her last name is Shadow? Hmm…) Anyhow, back to the yacht and the party to celebrate Shadow Corp’s wondrous achievements. Suddenly, they are under assault by flying things! It’s debris, as explosions riddle the orbital shaft network and everything goes dark on planet Earth. Suddenly, Jack is pulled into a vision…is that…could it be…? Cut to the Moon, where the villainous Bob Skylum is sounding a rallying cry, calling for the people of the Moon to RISE!
First off, YES for “Moon River”! I love the idea that someone in Jack’s tragic childhood was a fan of Breakfast at Tiffany’s. Also, “Bob Skylum” has got to be one of the greatest faux-English villain names in anime. Putting that aside, this was a solid opener for a beautifully animated sci-fi epic! Nice work, Wit Studio. The animation is excellent, as to be expected, with some really quite stunning outer space establishing shots and landscapes (moonscapes? spacescapes?) in the OP. The compositing on the CG transportation (monorail, sports car, yacht) is very good, coming close to nullifying the uncanny feeling that usually comes with mixing animation formats. The character designs are distinctive while remaining realist in style, and, thanks to the flashback, we already have a foretaste of the character growth to come, not just for Jack, but for his friends, love interest, and even, possibly, a Moon dweller or two. Opening with a teaser of the future like this is pretty standard, but it works well here, setting up questions that will take at least another three or four (and maybe more) episodes to begin to answer. Speaking of the writing, Jack’s parents buck the trend for rich folk to be either demanding and strict, or preoccupied with themselves/work and inattentive to their child. Instead, they are genuinely concerned for him and supportive (never mind patient in the extreme!). This is a hopeful sign for other characterizations to come, which will hopefully likewise eschew tired tropes. We’ll see. And in fact, we can see right away, since the entire 18-episode series has already dropped on Netflix! This opening episode is compelling enough for this sci-fi/Audrey Hepburn fan to give it at least another two or three episodes to see how it goes. And I wouldn’t be surprised if I end up finishing it by Easter!
Moonrise is avialable on Netflix.
First Impression: A Ninja and an Assassin Under One Roof 10 Apr 12:23 PM (yesterday, 12:23 pm)
Eyes in the dark. The hunter. The prey. A girl with an orange scarf runs through the forest, trying to escape a host of incredibly cool ninjas drawn in old-style animation. Against the violet sky, shuriken fly. We get some Samurai Jack-level cutting and striking visuals in 3:4 resolution. Traditional Japanese music accompanies the chase. Cue the opening, which shatters the bubble: the animation is going to be modern after all, and cutesy at that. Well, okay. Some glitter, rainbows, and big-eyed girls of all shapes and sizes. Konoha, the titular assassin with glasses, is bored in class, so she decides to go home. On the way back, she kicks what she believes is the corpse of Sakoto, our purple/orange ninja, who is very much alive. She is starving, though. After some convincing, Konoha takes her to get some food (she eats first, mind you), and Sakoto’s past in a hidden ninja village is explored. In a nutshell, she is easily distracted, so she inadvertently ran away. Now, another ninja (who, of course, is another young girl) is taking care of all the loose ends and attacks Sakoto, but Konoha murders her all of a sudden. Blood everywhere. Her apprentice, who looks like a small girl, attacks them next with a scythe united to a chain (a kusarigama) and ends up in a pool of blood. Good grief.
The opening minutes had me convinced that this show was going to be one of my favorites this season, but alas, it was quick to disappoint. The epic gave way to the sparkly, with quite a lot of unwarranted bleakness intertwined. This anime has the most dissonant tone I have ever seen. I loved Sakamoto Days, and I have no problems with assassin comedies. Nevertheless, they need to have a heart: these characters look like kids, so seeing them sprayed with each other’s blood is quite jarring. It’s not super graphic, and I get that the contrast is intentional and intended to be comedic. The thing is, you can give me flippant music and move on, but a young girl whose quirks and mannerisms I have briefly seen just died on-screen. The show makes a point of Sakoto not feeling anything about the death of her senpai: “I cannot recall any good memories with her.” There is something about this world that feels childish, incomplete. In some weird way, it reminds me of Gaslight, the 1944 black-and-white movie that originated the expression “gaslighting”: an impossibly naive kid who sees unicorns and rainbows becoming the servant of a cold-blooded psychopath. I want my tragedies black, no sugar, no cream. So, no thanks.
A Ninja and an Assassin Under One Roof can be streamed on Crunchyroll.
First Impression: Apocalypse Hotel 9 Apr 5:00 AM (2 days ago)
Welcome to Gingarou Hotel! A slick ad reel showcases what makes the hotel so luxe, presenting a world where the customer is king and life is good—until flashes from the news media begin to intercut, revealing that all is not well on planet Earth. In fact, the air is so full of poison that humanity must evacuate to space! Cut to a century later; It’s the year 2157. The city has been taken over by vegetation and wildlife, yet one lone structure remains intact. Its doors are manned by Doorman Robot, who flings them wide at the slightest provocation, overheating himself (his coolant has run out). If Yachiyo has told him once, she’s told him 4,682 times that he doesn’t need to open the door for her—she’s not a guest. Instead, she’s the android acting acting manager, and after dousing Doorman in water to cool his head, she assembles the remaining staff for their daily roll call. They make for a motley crew of service robots, ranging from Flycatcher Robot to Maintenance Robot, Cleaner Robots A and B, Cook Robot and Bartender Robot, Gardener and Porter Robots, and of course, Driller Robot, who’s working on the hotel’s onsen development. Wait, where’s Driller Robot? Before setting out in search of him, there is work to be done to ensure readiness should the anticipated guests finally arrive today. Yachiyo reviews the hotel’s Ten Commandments for excellence in hospitality, and completes her daily rounds of room inspection before heading off in search of Driller. Sadly, the time has come for him to go on indefinite leave, and she lays him to rest with the scores of robots who have gone before him. But tomorrow is a new day! And Yachiyo has a feeling the long-awaited guests will finally show. Instead, crisis hits as Yachiyo discovers during daily inspections that the shampoo hat is missing from room 405, triggering the BSoD for our protagonist. Without shampoo hats, guests cannot enjoy their stay at the hotel. It’s all over. She has failed. Just as she is surrendering to despair, Doorman flings wide the doors…
I’ve already raved about CygamesPictures once this season, but here I go again! This one is an original series—I do so enjoy an OG anime!—and the animation sparkles, albeit in a soft, rosy-hued kind of way, reminiscent of Do It Yourself! The character designs are deceptively simple, managing to make hulking masses of non-anthropomorphized metal quite elegant and personable, each in its own way. Meanwhile, the backgrounds are pretty lush, as befits both an elite hotel and a “return to nature” post-apocalypse. There are some parallels here with The Concierge, which is set in a (likely) post-apocalyptic high-class shopping mall frequented by anthropomorphized extinct and endangered animals, and which similarly raises more questions than it answers. This bodes well for Apocalypse Hotel! The pace is steady and the humor, unforced, but it doesn’t drag, as new details of worldbuilding and foreshadowing pop up every few seconds, providing just enough mystery to intrigue. Why does Yachiyo take a few extra seconds to complete her tasks on the second day? What is that flash of…something as she reviews the day? What happened to Driller? And of course, the bigger question: What has happened to humanity? It’s basically a more upbeat, slice-of-life version of NieR: Automata Ver1.0. As such, there’s potential for the series to engage in some metaphysical reflections on humanity, on navigating crisis and coping with the kinds of things that no one should ever have to face, and yet which are sadly endemic in this troubled world of ours. Or it might not. Following the final scene (not spoiled above), I have no clue what direction this is going to take, but I’m very happy indeed to check in for a 12-week stay at this hotel!
Apocalypse Hotel is streaming on Crunchyroll.
First Impression: #COMPASS2.0 ANIMATION PROJECT 8 Apr 11:29 AM (3 days ago)
As we float in the sky, a robot resembling a metallic magical girl gives us (first-person perspective!) a warm welcome to #COMPASS. We fly among clouds, blue pyramids, a floating white tower, a great cube, gardens, stone alleys, and green labyrinths: #COMPASS seems to be a virtual reality where heroes from different worlds can hang out, have a pizza, enjoy a concert, or polish their skills in mock battles while interacting with…their human partners? What are these “heroes” then? They look human enough, while, paradoxically, the “humans” look like little genies or dolls. Enter 13, whom the robot describes as their “problem child,” and who, judging by his costume, has watched Ergo Proxy (or The Crow) too many times. He is a slacker who might even be expelled from Compass if he keeps refusing to train. This would be bad, as he apparently doesn’t have a world to return to. A Captain America/Buzz Lightyear patriotic hero scolds him to no avail. We get a glimpse of other characters: Jeanne D’Arc is going through a losing streak and doesn’t rest enough (is that St. Jeanne? I need to do an article about her numberless anime appearances). Reiya is a stoic hero who seems to suspect a possible attack. And Jin is a human who is intrigued by 13, and is playing #COMPASS as a mobile game while in class, the rascal!
Ouch, 13. That hurts.
Okay, this has a lot of potential! I love the concept of liminal spaces for heroes, where they socialize and train, and I also love the philosophical implications of video game worlds being real, so we are off to a good start. The character designs of the heroes are pretty cool and distinct (some examples below), and their dilemmas are fairly compelling. The idea that humans can unlock special powers in the hero is a good one, and the bonds between human and hero that we see resemble those of fictional characters and their fans. The underlying question seems to be, what if you could become the sidekick/sponsor of your favorite superhero? The concept of heroes that come from different worlds and the fact that 13 cannot return to his, for some reason, is one I find suggestive. The description of the series says that the heroes train in a “dreamlike space,” and they certainly must be training for something, right? I wonder how everything fits together. But, most of all, I find the world of #COMPASS pleasant to look at: It is somewhere between a flying city and a theme park. Most of the show is underdeveloped thus far, and if you’re not a fan of the concepts, as I am, you might not see anything special here. As for me, I’m sold! What I have seen is enough for me to hope that it will lead to interesting places. See you on the other side!
#COMPASS2.0 ANIMATION PROJECT is available on Crunchyroll!
First Impression: The Shiunji Family Children 8 Apr 8:44 AM (3 days ago)
The Shiunji family is a very high-class family with five beautiful sisters and two handsome brothers. That said, the oldest brother, Arata, despite being well-respected as the expected future head of the family, has yet to have any success with love. After all, it’s not like he can date one of his sisters, right? Even if the youngest one, Kotono, has already confessed to him, and his twin Ouka gets along well with him in a typical tsundere way, he has to draw a clear line at incest. However, upon the occasion of Kotono’s 15th birthday, the entire family is rocked when their father reveals that all of the children are adopted and, with the exception of the younger brother Shion and fourth sister Minami being twins, none of them are blood-related. Such a revelation naturally causes some drama as well as some reassurance that the family is still a family. But does this also mean that Kotono has one fewer obstacle in the way of her incestuous feelings being satisfied?
“Pseudo-incest harem romcom from the creator of Rent-a-Girlfriend” sounds like the most disastrous combination possible, but let’s give the creator the benefit of the doubt and see if there’s anything worth talking about in this anime’s premiere. One thing’s for sure: the creator’s history with trashy romcoms is showing here as well. We’ve got some fanservice, a bunch of typical character traits for the girls (cool older sister, quiet smart glasses girl, tsundere, energetic sports girl, and shy girl), and some misunderstanding-fueled slapstick. However, we also have some surprisingly good moments as the siblings reflect on how their father’s announcement affects them, which helps them come across as less one-dimensional. I like the relationship between Arata and Ouka in particular, with the two of them believing that they were twins and thus two halves of a whole, so to speak, only for that to get flipped on its head. That said, the overall tone of the anime is still very much that of a silly romcom, so the drama does not go too deep. The production values are strong, as one would expect from Doga Kobo, with pleasing art and character designs and expressive animations. Personally, the best I can say for this show is that it only made me cringe slightly a few times, which is far better than I can say for Rent-a-Girlfriend—a show I dropped after the first episode because it made me cringe too much. In contrast, as shocking as it may sound, I actually enjoyed The Shiunji Family Children a bit. Now, I’m not recommending this show to anyone; pseudo-incest theme aside, it just doesn’t do enough to be anything meaningful in a sea of far better romcoms. But as someone who admittedly enjoys a bit of trashy harem romcom now and then, I’m not completely against watching more of it.
The Shiunji Family Children is streaming on Crunchyroll.
Reader’s Corner: My Secretly Hot Husband (Vol. 2), Star Wars: The High Republic: The Edge of Balance: Premonition, and Destroy All Humans (Vol. 3) 8 Apr 5:00 AM (3 days ago)
Fantasy and sci-fi selections fill our reviews today, including the penultimate release in the Star Wars: The High Republic: The Edge of Balance manga series and the nostalgic romance with a bit of the Apocalypse mixed in, Destroy All Humans. And speaking of romance, we’ve got that, too, including volume one of the unexpected and delightful series, Veil: Temperature of Orange!
Blade & Bastard (Vol. 2) • Dark Moon: The Blood Altar (Vol. 6) • Destroy All Humans. They Can’t Be Regenerated. A Magic: The Gathering (Vol. 3) • My Secretly Hot Husband (Vol. 2) • Rainbow Days (Vol. 15) • Star Wars: The High Republic: The Edge of Balance: Premonition • Veil: Temperature of Orange (Vol. 1)
Rainbow Days, Manga Vol. 15
Minami Mizuno, the mangaka behind Rainbow Days, is trying really, really hard. Her destination has been clear for almost the entirety of the series: pair up each of the four boys with a love interest and make their friendship shine through to the end. It’s just that the former is so clunkily handled that it intrudes on the latter, leading to a middling “conclusion” to Rainbow Days. Although one extra volume remains, volume fifteen is effectively the close of the series as the boys (and their girlfriends, or in one case, would-be girlfriend) head toward graduation. Mizuno-sensei’s attempt in these final chapters is admirable—she brings important minor characters back into the story for final but meaningful goodbyes (oh, Chiba, I thought you were meant for a larger role!) and uses Keiichi’s story to emphasize the bond between the boys. The problem, however, is that Keiichi is a brat, and while all the characters are presented as fairly naive, his naivety is middle school level when he’s an 18-year-old. Also, his relationship with Nozomi, which is central to this final arc, just kind of gets in the way, which is par for the course since virtually none of the relationships peak in a way that feels natural (the only relationship that works 100% fully for me is between Tsuyoshi and Yukirin—and that already existed as the series started). This is not to say that the ending isn’t meaningful or warm; it is, but it doesn’t fully work or give the feeling of comfort that Mizuno-sensei is aiming for. I have a feeling that volume sixteen, which should be free from the the author’s heavy desire to use the “boys maturing” and “relationships forming” storylines, will present a lovelier ending to this series. ~ Twwk
Rainbow Days is published by VIZ Media.
READ Rainbow Days Reviews: 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 // Vol. 14
Blade & Bastard, Manga Vol. 2
In my review of volume one, I noted how the manga adaptation of Blade & Bastard lacked much of the weirdness of the light novel—a bit to its detriment. But after reading volume two, I’m really liking how the manga ditches that uncertainty that clings to everything in the LN and which makes it a tough if compelling read. While still violent and somewhat grimdark, the manga is a fun read. Volume two surprisingly focuses on a character whose story in volume one seemed to set him up as a one-off; but in these chapters, Raraja not only joins the party that Iarumas is haphazardly forming, but he’s also learning to become human again. Some of his unfortunate backstory, which exposes the darkness of adventuring in this world, is revealed in this volume, but the focus is really on his growth once he’s part of a group that treats him like a human being. There’s also a wonderful surprise involving another character that I thought was a high point of this volume, which closes the initial adventure from volume one and shows Iarumas, Raraja, Garbage, and others afterwards in various situations in town. If I had to choose one, I might go with this version, which is somehow at once optimistic, scary, warm, and thrilling. Two volumes in and the Blade & Bastard is showing itself to be a wonderful read. ~ Twwk
Blade & Bastard is published by Yen Press.
READ Blade & Bastard Vol. 1 Review
Destroy All Humans. They Can’t Be Regenerated. A Magic: The Gathering Manga, Vol. 3
Destroy All Humans continues to be what it has been for three volumes now: a too-cute, nostalgic, game-centered romance with a touch of apocalyptic rumblings just to keep us on our toes. And I wanted to talk about that last part first. The first few pages of volume three tell us what we already know—that world didn’t end on December 31st, 1999, despite Emi’s belief that it will; however, we’re left to consider that the romance between her and Hajime never ultimately worked out and that, even worse, tragedy is still a possibility in this tale. Most of the volume, however, is just sweet stuff, with Emi and Hajime drawing nearer even as rivals—lovable characters in their own right—intrude upon the growing relationship between the two. And that’s really the purpose of volume three: No major match occurs, and while both Emi and Hajime grow (deep dives into MTG strategy—at least how it would have been in 1998—continue to fill many of the pages of this series), it’s their relationship with one another and with others that’s central to these chapters. And that’s just fine with me because it leads to more opportunities for Emi and Hajime to consider their feelings for one another, leading to some sweet and cute moments. Destroy all humans? More like destroy my heart! ~ Twwk
Destroy All Humans. They Can’t Be Regenerated. A Magic: The Gathering Manga is published by VIZ Media.
Read: Destroy All Humans. They Can’t Be Regenerated. A Magic: The Gathering Manga Reviews: Vol. 1 // Vol. 2
Veil: Temperature of Orange, Manga Vol. 1
Looking for a story that is centered around gorgeous art that conveys the story through illustrations? You might be thinking, “Laura, that’s every manga!” and if we were talking about anything but Veil, I would readily agree! However, Veil is a story that is unlike anything I’ve ever read! Centering around a young woman who never opens her eyes and a young policeman, the reader is invited to see small moments in their everyday life from the time they meet to their working together, as they grow as friends, and maybe something more? I’ve seen plenty of art of Veil before now, but reading the volume for the first time far surpassed my expectations! I adored it so much! The number of butterflies I felt when reading and the squeals I had were so much greater than I had prepared for, and I cannot wait to hold this physically! Outside of my excited feelings, though, it’s hard to compare this manga to anything I’ve read before because it truly reads like an art book with a touch of story to connect it all. It’s an incredible experience as a reader because there are always pages of art between each chapter and then even occasionally a monologue from our lead’s perspective. I really, really enjoyed the flow of the story and how it was such a visual feast to the eyes! Concerning our leads, I loved them both! I especially love how smitten our police officer is with our girl! This is the second romance I’ve read with a smitten male lead, and I’m thriving! I love how he couldn’t take his eyes off of her and was a total (sincere) smooth talker! I also loved our female lead because she is strong, fierce, and fun! She is a wonderful heroine to read about, and I admire her wanting to experience the world and all its beauty. Truly, I cannot wait to read more of this series and desperately hope we have fast physical releases because this is one I am very much looking forward to rereading often! Highly recommend it! ~ Laura A. Grace
Veil is published by Udon Entertainment.
My Secretly Hot Husband, Manhwa Vol. 2
The ending of the previous left on a major cliffhanger where it seemed our leads were to be reunited, only for enemies to stand in their way! However, victory and their officially reuniting were deeply welcomed by me in the beginning of this second volume! Our couple quickly realized that both of them have physically changed, and so Letitia wondering what Erden really looks like. When an unexpected opportunity arises and she surprisingly does see his face, why does he look nothing like he said does? And why is it when she goes to say as much, she’s warned that if she tells him Erden will die? I have been so excited to read this story again in physical format because I adore these two characters so much! It was such a wonderful time being back with them! I was slightly disappointed that one scene I am sooooo eagerly anticipating wasn’t in this volume, but! Everything was so wonderful! Seeing all the other devils and evil beasts scared of Letitia because she is a “Greater Devil” was so satisfying because she has never once been a damsel in distress or the type to sit back and let others take care of her problems. We’ve seen her genuinely do what she can to help the people around her before now, but in this volume we see her take on an even bigger role than just protector of Halstead. This leads me to say that she is incredibly awesome and I love how excited Erden gets to see her take control of situations and fight alongside him, whether physically or through “mind games.” He is her number one fan, and I felt so many of his expressions reflected my own! Absolutely adore his character so much! The romance is still very much slow burn, though I’m not sure how accurate of a statement that is because it’s obvious that both our leads love each other. However, Erden can’t keep bringing up divorce papers, because that is not helping things progress! Ha! Overall, I loved this volume! The action, the slow-blooming romance, and everything in between was just as fantastic as reading it the first time! I can’t wait to read the next volume! ~ Laura A. Grace
My Secretly Hot Husband is published by IZE Press.
READ My Secretly Hot Husband Vol. 1 Review
Dark Moon: The Blood Altar, Manhwa Vol. 6
Heli and the boys are once again facing enemies who seem impossible to defeat, but when they receive unexpected aid from an even more unexpected visitor, the tides turn and they once again race to get to Dardan. However, with the full moon almost upon them and each of the boys barely able to walk or fight, will they make it in time to save Sooha from Dardan’s clutches? I remembered to breathe when reading this volume, but my stomach feels like it’s in knots, because how many times are these boys going to be at death’s door?! This volume wasn’t quite as intense as the previous volume, but! This was so much scarier and hopeless! I genuinely didn’t know if the boys would make it because while they had a triumphant win early on, the injuries they suffered were extremely grave, and I didn’t know how they could recover from them. In fact, I still don’t know what’s going to happen because it’s still very much looking bleak, but the ending gave me hope that something is going to happen, and I hope it’s for the good! One of my favorite parts of this volume, though, is that we finally have our vampires and werewolves working together! Obviously, the boys have tried working with the werewolves, but they haven’t really had much success. This volume was the turning point, and I loved it! There was a lot more blood on the pages, but seeing all of them united had me cheering in the midst of heartache! The next volume I’m pretty sure is the finale due to the preview mentioning “final battle,” and I am ready and not ready! I’m ready to see Dardan get taken down for good, but I’m terrified as to exactly what is going on with the boys and whether they will make it. Please, please, please let them be okay! ~ Laura A. Grace
Dark Moon: The Blood Altar is published by IZE Press.
READ Reviews of Dark Moon: The Blood Altar: Vol. 1 // Vol. 2 // Vol. 3
Star Wars: The High Republic: The Edge of Balance: Premonition, Manga
In my review of the most recent volume in this series, I begged for it to slow down; after years of waiting, that volume blew through so much material that I was utterly confused and left emotionally cold. In Premonition, the second side journey in the manga series that is The Edge of Balance, the story does slow down and focus on just one event, but the overall tale barrels forward. The volume begins with Yoda escaping with younglings from the Nameless threat that Lily was battling in the last volume, and then follows him on an adventure that leads him against The Leveler, a particularly powerful Nameless. And not just The Leveler, but against Nihil led by a wily leader and overseen by another who wants to see Yoda crushed. The resulting adventure is exciting and nonstop. With multiple enemies and Yoda attempting to save everyone, the stakes are incredibly high—and they must be, because we Star Wars fans know that for Yoda to be in any real danger, the situation must be practically impossible to navigate. Premonition is also great fun because it’s mostly from Yoda’s point of view; it’s so much fun as a fan to read this story from his perspective rather than from a new character in this High Republic era. So I would say this is a bounce-back volume, perhaps the best in the series thus far and certainly the most interesting since volume one. However, I remain disappointing in how quickly this series is wrapping up. The final volume in The Edge of Balance is released later this month. I can’t help but feel that—based on the pacing in volumes one and two—this series was meant to last far longer. It’s a shame, because I find this era interesting and the antagonists that have been introduced to be multidimensional and captivating. I hope that at the very least the concluding volume will be more like this one than volume three, ending the series on a flourish. ~ Twwk
Star Wars: The High Republic: The Edge of Balance (manga) is published by VIZ Media.
READ Reviews ofStar Wars: The High Republic: The Edge of Balance: Vol. 1 // Vol. 2 // Precedent // Vol. 3
“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.
First Impression: Zatsu Tabi (That’s Journey) 7 Apr 2:08 PM (4 days ago)
A stunning montage of some of the best photorealist shots anime has to offer invites us to contemplate the forested pathways of a mountain shrine, as a gentle score and birdsong lull us into a restful state. A young woman climbs the stone steps, flushed with exertion. Cut to the Kadokawa HQ, where 18-year-old mangaka Chika Suzugamori is pitching not one, but three—count ’em, three!—new drafts. She’s already won a million yen prize as an up-and-comer, and it’s time for her sophomore release. Only, she’s blocked! Her editor is nice about it, but the work just isn’t coming together; it lacks that certain something to hook the reader. Maybe, Editor-san suggests, Suzugamori should weave her hobbies or something else she enjoys into her stories? It’s a great idea, except that our heroine doesn’t have any hobbies! Her entire life is manga! But as she’s wallowing in disappointment later that evening, the white noise of her television suddenly catches her attention with a program on taking a trip, inspiring Suzugamori to do the same. She asks her social media followers to tell her which direction she should travel in, then goes to sleep. The next morning, she awakens to discover that a senior colleague with a ton of followers has reposted her little survey, and so now she really has to commit! The public has spoken: She will go up. And so, a mangaka’s new (expensive) hobby of journeying begins! Step by step, we follow Suzugamori on a low-key, yet satisfying wander to a quiet onsen town and hike up to a mountain shrine. Siggghhhh! Now this is the life!
Guys, this is quintessential iyashikei right here! These 23 minutes are refreshing, inspiring in a relaxed way, and downright healing! It’s Yuru Camp for grown-ups, without the stress of wrestling rogue tent poles or braving cold winds. All the little details of Suzugamori’s trip are documented gently, from the trains she takes to the cost of tickets and entrance fees to attractions, to (of course) what she eats along the way. A mellow-voiced narrator slips in some key historical context, advice, and the occasional encouraging axiom, keeping things interesting amid the leisurely pace. I can see that each episode will be a mini education on some corner of Japan; I can also see this series quickly becoming a pilgrimage route informing tourists’—international and Japanese alike—own journeys off the beaten path. The animation is, frankly, gorgeous, particularly the backgrounds. As it should be, too, considering that the studio, Makaria, has specialized in backgrounds since its inception in 2016, providing other studios’ projects with beautiful artwork, including Lerche’s 2017 remake of Kino’s Journey, and another journey-themed series, Wandering Witch: The Journey of Elaina. This season marks Makaria’s launch as production lead, and in Zatsu Tabi/That’s Journey, they’ve chosen well; this is a perfect series for this team! The score is peaceful and at times wistful, while Suzugamori herself strikes the right balance between motivation and hesitation, motion and stillness, emotion and reflection, making her an ideal iyashikei protagonist. She has things to learn, and ways in which she will doubtless grow, but there is no desperation or urgency here, only the quiet joy of discovery. So far, she’s holding herself aloof from others, choosing not to converse with other travelers; but I daresay this will change over the course of the series, as she begins to find friendship along the way in this new facet of her life. This is going to be one I look forward to each week, I can already feel it!
Zatsu Tabi is streaming on Crunchyroll.