Stuff i read this week

The Dark History of the Reincarnated Villainess Vol. 1-5

This is a super good isekai villainess story about a woman who dies (truck) and is reborn as one of her OCs in an AWFUL novel she wrote as a TERRIBLE teenager. Obviously, she's not the super beautiful author insert character, but rather her villainous little sister and OH NO all the hot boys DEFFO want her dead, probably. Watching our poor girl struggle through the pain of remembering her own terrible plot and dealing with the world changing as she continues not to get killed by the hot boys is super fun... the books do suffer a bit from the art not being super clear at times tho. Still, if you like villainess stories this has a really interesting twist to the formulae.

Pulse vol.1&2

By the same person as Lily Love and its also VERY good and VERY gay. These books that seven seas have put out are incredibly printed, full colour and everything. Super cool to see a webtoon presented in a book so well. The story so far is very cute, seeing the doctor slowly open up is a real treat. Very much looking forward to volume 3. (also dang that's a lotta sex)

Black and White - Tough Love at the Office Vol. 1

dang that's a lotta sex. I've never seen a yuri manga where two ladies beat each other up so lovingly. incredible work. Seven Seas is publishing so wild stuff these days its great.

stuff in the pile for next week

oh would you look at that there's more yuri and more villainess isekai stuff. what a time to be alive.

Stuff i read this week

Accomplishments of the Dukes Daughter Vol. 1-4

wow, this has quickly become a favourite series - It's a real good entry in the isekai villainess genre. As much as i hate capital, capital owners, the pursuit of capital, and the concept of hereditary peerage DANG i do love manga about princesses and noble ladies starting businesses using knowledge from a previous life - that shit OWNS. She wants to invent health insurance and banking... and chocolate? girlboss. I'm deffo going to buy more of this after my next paycheck heh 10/10

My Cute Little Kitten Vol.1

Oh no is Milk Morinaga drawing cute fluffball airhead girls again? And this time they have a cat? Terrible news. 10/10

Futari Escape Vol. 1

Pretty cute stories about two girls running away from work and disassociating from society for a bit. Deadlines suck ass, 10/10

Asumi chan is Interestied in Lesbian Brothels!

I think maybe Asumi chan is a raging homosexual? She sure does like sleeping with girls that's for sure. Im sure the real perverts would love this one but its super sweet too. 10/10

stuff in the pile for next week

oh would you look at that there's more yuri and more villainess isekai stuff. what a time to be alive.

Stuff i read this week

The Dark History of the Reincarnated Villainess vol 6

The dark history is really tightening up in this volume. Earlier stories deffo had a made-up as it’s going along falling to them, so it’s really cool to see all of that come together into a cohesive whole that's actually pretty dang good! Unfortunately, this is the last volume available in English right now, volume 7 doesn't come out until May. will I still be doing this in may?! who knows! maybe!

My Gently Raised Beast Vol. 1

Painfully straight (derogatory)

I Swear I won’t bother you again! Vol. 1-2

Painfully straight (complimentary)

My Androgynous Boyfriend Vol. 1

(Somehow) not Painfully straight. Dang, this book is incredible- this is a straight romance comedy that has SO much yuri energy - like a straight romance story written like a yuri, if that makes sense. these are some of the softest characters I’ve read in ages. it’s also incredibly funny, I loled out loud, at 2 am like an idiot. 10/10 (THEY EVEN GO ON A DATE TO IKEA. that's the most lesbian kind of date, in my experience)

Accomplishments of the Duke’s Daughter Vol. 5

Still really good, if very capital owner brained. We got some hot political intrigue story threads beginning to be woven into the narrative, so I cant wait to see how that ends up. Oh, and the spy/ladies (combat) maid is still incredibly hot. i love her

Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End Vol. 1

This book somehow manages to depict the passage of time more beautifully than any other manga I've ever read, really beautiful art and a very unique fantasy tale. recommended

stuff in the pile for next week

oh would you look at that there's more yuri and more villainess isekai stuff. what a time to be alive. i didn't manage to get to any yuri stuff this week, i should fix that next week!

Stuff i read this week

Whisper me a Love Song Vol. 1

Super cute school yuri story about a girl falling in love with her senpai, who is the lead singer in a school band. Real pretty art. It’s a shame the music/band stuff is just used as background flavour more than being like, a real driver in the story like with Bocchi- I recommend “The Guy She Was Interested in Wasn't a Guy At All” for a yuri manga where music plays a more ‘real’ role. These print volumes are really nice, Kondansha comics seem to be publishing things in a larger page size than most other publishers, makes the art look super nice with this book. Big clear faces and all that!

Whisper me a Love Song Vol. 2

Way more actual music stuff happening in this volume which was cool to see! Also drama is brewing~ real nice seeing stuff foreshadowed and playing out. I like this manga! Just a clean, well-crafted work

Villains are Destined to Die Vol. 1

The colours in this book are incredible! DANG HER HAIR. she’s wonderful. 10/10 Its great to see more Korean stuff get printed in full-colour books. These things are just beautiful to behold sometimes. There's a real fun gimmick early on to this villainess story - our main character starts off mute and can only ever talk when given options that were in the original game shes been reincarnated in - which was an interesting twist for a while. be cool to see where this goes.

Beauty and the Feast Vol. 1

Remember that tweet from a few weeks ago from some lady that really wanted to make chilli for some students that lived in the same building, cos they just looked like really hungry boys and cooking for other people made her happy? This is a book about exactly that. 10

Accomplishments of the Duke’s Daughter Vol. 6

Just kiss already! Anyways, the political stuff in the last two volumes has been super fun to follow through, civil war is brewing, the church’s power has been brought under the states heel, stuffs going to get messy! THIS STORY IS GETTING SO GOOD I WANNA READ THE NEXT VOLUME NOWWWW

Accomplishments of the Duke’s Daughter Vol. 7

So this was my first 2 book day - i just had to know what was going to happen next... AHHH THIS IS SO GOOD SHE BEAT UP THE POPE REAL GOOD 10/10 I wish they would get on with the relationship between Iris and ‘Dean’. Iris is not gay and this will never be a yuri, I have accepted that, it’s a done deal. Now I just want her to kiss and be happy. Im now caught up with this and i can finally stop staring at this pile of books guilty... but ughh now i have to wait for volumes to be published.. maybe i should have left 7 for next week TEARS

Love me for who I am Vol. 1

It’s the enby maid manga! ITS TOO CUTE FOR WORDS. 10/10 The whole theme of letting people be a true expression of themselves is really heartwarming and dang i want to read more, unfortunately, i do not have volume 2 and its out of stock everywhere. ill have to track it down. Super recommended

My Androgynous Boyfriend vol. 2

Still convinced this is a straight yuri manga. Not much to say about it apart from wow its hella warm.

Bonus: Light novels

I read two light novels this week so why not add them to the list

VTuber Legend: How I Went Viral after Forgetting to Turn Off My Stream, Vol. 1

Mostly read this because I saw rumours that it was getting an anime adaption. Its not very good, but i did read the heck out of it if that makes sense, and i will be buying and reading the rest, and enjoying every second of reading it whilst i think 'wow this sucks, its not very good!' 8/10

Cross-Dressing Villainess Cecilia Sylvie

I love Villainess, i love Villainess who are smart enough to try and game the systems they are reborn into, and i love it when they are two dumb to realise everyone loves them and they are in zero danger of being executed. 10/10

stuff in the pile for next week

oh would you look at that there's more yuri and more villainess isekai stuff. what a time to be alive.

Books read this year: 30

Stuff i read this week

Oshi no ko Vol. 1

what an incredibly gripping prologue! A doctor is MURDERED by an idol’s creepy stalker- and is reborn as one of her twin children. Hijinks ensue. It’s yet another incredible read, beautiful art, all that good stuff 10/10 for reincarnation in the REAL world. This is getting an anime real soon - im HYPED

Killing Me! Vol. 1

super sweet yuri story about it a vampire hunter and the vampire that’s in love with her. Only one volume is available, as it seems this manga got cancelled after one volume. WHICH IS SAD AT THIS IS HELLA CUTE. Akiyama seems to be still working as a manga artist which is nice, but drawing straight vampire stories now rather than gay ones - oh well can’t win them all! Anyways, its is a really good little book recommended 10/10

Whisper me a Love Song Vol. 4-5

Double book day! This story is getting going now. It had a slow start, but here it’s getting to be something REAL good. (IM REAL GLAD)

Doughnuts under a crescent moon Vol. 1 -2

Ughhhhh stories about yuri office ladies slowly falling in love get to me like nothing else ughhh I love this book I love it so much. I read a scanlation ages ago, and now I’m going to track down all the volume of this asap (I only got this first one in stock on my shelves) 11/10. Very good - ITS BASICALLY WRITTEN FOR ME! I am a well know lesbian doughnut enjoyer. Heck I scoured the shelves at my local bookstore and managed to get volume 2 I am blessed by the yuri gods

I love you so much I hate you

dang I love yuri about older women, so im real glad i managed to have a two day office lady yuri streak. This book? It’s good 10/10. Just real nice to be reading something and wishing the best for these ladies - strong good warm feelings

The Holy Grail of Eris Vol. 1

Just when I thought I was running out of Villainess stories to read I find this neat tome on my shelf. The ghost possession gimmick is really interesting- going to be cool to see how this develops.

I swear I won’t bother you again Vol. 3

Continues the tradition of maids in these villainess stories secretly being the best character who deserve like a million % more pages. I previously described earlier volumes in this series as "Painfully straight (complimentary)" and that continues to be true. I do love a story with an idiot lead leady.

Bonus: Audio Books

So I'm a Spider, So What? vol 4

im STILL in love with this book, and i STILL think the audiobook having sections where the narrator is just reading off character sheet stats for like 10 mins is hilariously good. Way less character sheet stuff this time though, were showing restraint!

Bonus: Light novels

Hell Mode: Volume 5

Ive got half way though this so far this week - ITS SO FRICKING STUPID. this is like popcorn for me, stupid dumbass isekai game system bullshit. 10/10

stuff in the pile for next week

oh would you look at that there's more yuri... i think i might have finally ran out of villainess isekai stuff.... what a sad time to be alive. maybe i can find some in a local bookstore (even if the entire point is to kill the backlog)

Books read this year: 39

Stuff i read this week

I Got a Cheat Skill in Another World and Became Unrivaled in the Real World Too Vol. 1 - 2

DAAAANG what a stupid book 10/10 was fucking love isekai. It does that thing where the Isekai world has a bidirectional link with the real world, I LOVE IT WHEN THEY DO THAT. YEAH, SHOW ME A GUY WHOS FANTASY WORLD POWER LEVELING GAINS MAKE THEM MORE POWERFUL AT SOCIAL INTERACTIONS IN MODERN DAY TOKYO GIVE ME THAT SLOP ILL EAT IT UP SO FAST

My Androgynous Boyfriend Vol. 3

There’s a chapter in here about suddenly having to start working from home and having zoom meeting and I’m like oh well I know exactly when this was written- that was weird huh. Also, yeah this is still a heterosexual yuri manga that still holds.

Failed Princess Vo. 1

This book is so frickin cute. It turns out ive had volume 2 on my shelves for ages but never found volume 1 locally, so i went to track it down - which lead me to fricking amazon. They managed to stick the shipping envelope to the damn front cover. TRAGIC. its ruined, destined for a recycling plant once amazon replace it. cute story though

Why Raeliana Ended Up at the Duke’s Mansion Vol. 1

Gotta love villainess isekai nonsense I thought I’d be out of that this week but my bookshelf pulled though for me. This book tho, it’s kind of incredibly beautiful? It’s got such a cute sketchy feel to the characters, you can’t help but thing “dang they really did draw this huh” as you read it. Art is wonderful huh. 10/10.

Minami Nanami Wants To Shine Vol. 1 - 2

Apparently this is a spin off to some other thing I’ve always just skipped over on Crunchyroll? Maybe I’ll give the source material a chance, because this was a pretty delightful read. It’s about a girl who wants to be special, falling into a modelling carer and it’s kinda INCREDIBLY cute and sweet. 10/10

Beauty and the Feast Vol. 2

Its still really cute - but every chapter im terrified that the author is gunna pull a bunny drop or something. all my fingers crossed that this remains healing.

Bonus: Audio Books

I’d Rather Have a Cat than a Harem! Reincarnated into the World of an Otome Game as a Cat-Loving Villainess Vol. 2

Just look at that title and tell me that its not the greatest thing you've ever laid eyes on? 11/10. recommended.

stuff in the pile for next week

oh would you look at that there's more yuri... Last week i said i was out of Villainess stories but i managed to pull one out the dark recesses of my shelf.. maybe another is lurking...

Books read this year: 47

Stuff i read this week

Beauty and the Feast Vol. 3

We’re beginning to learn more about Shuko’s past and dang I love this poor woman and I’m glad she’s healing and the chapter with her friends looking out for her are the best and why can’t a manga character cook me dinner? 10/10

Accomplishments of the Duke’s Daughter Vol. 8

What’s this?!? Lotte pulled another villainess isekai manga volume out of her ass?? Wow how does she do it?!? She can’t keep getting away with this!! Anyways, this series is STILL incredibly good, i STILL want them to hurry up and kiss and i cant wait for the next volume to be release. The combat maid STILL rules forever i love her. 10/10 The cast pages at the front of every volume is getting crazy complicated

The Two of Them Are Pretty Much Like This Vol. 1-2

gosh just beautiful- it feels like 99% of yuri manga is about a budding relationship, taking painstaking amounts of time to get to a love confession - getting to that starting point and as soon as that happens, THATS IT end of serialization, that’s you 6 chapters HOW DARE YOU WANT MORE. it sucks! I wanna read about women in love, I wanna see stories about their home lives, their hopes, their dreams, their years. This is a little bit of all that, and it’s perfect. Wako and Ellie have been going out for two years and living together for one year at the start of this story and that so unusual and weird for a yuri manga I LOVE IT 100/10 super recommend

Failed Princess Vol. 2

Still a super frickin cute book! This volume is about coming to terms with jealousy, and its a real nice storyline for one of these school age yuri.

Doughnuts under a crescent moon vol. 3

Sad the next volume is the last. I really recommend this series, again because stuff about adult women in love just rules - just be warned it seems like volume 3 had a small print run and its REALLY hard to find anywhere. I eventually managed to get a copy on ebay... which came bundled with volume 1&2 T_T sometimes you just end up with duplicates.

No Longer Allowed In Another World Vol. 1

What if Zetsubou Sensei was hit by a truck and got isekai’ed? 10/10 good. I published a Isekai Death Report here

Though I Am an Inept Villainess: Tale of the Butterfly-Rat Body Swap in the Maiden Court Vol. 1

I love villainess?!? I really enjoyed watching Raven of the inner palace last anime season, so seeing a villainess story with a similar setting was an instant pickup. Turns out this is very very good! The main character and her ladies maid have a great chemistry together, I can’t wait to see how this evolves over time. Body swapping from a sick, frail (but loved) persona to a healthy, strong (but universally hated) one is a super interesting setting as well, this is genius space brain level trash I love it

The Savior's Book Café Story in Another World Vol. 1

Straight, but interesting. Dang i love isekai, and how they are all the same but different. “You have been summoned to a magical world! you MUST become a savior, a hero in this place! i shall grant you MASSIVE amounts of magical power and grant a wish” - okay thats all normal nothing weird here - “ehh that sounds like a hassle can i own a little café bookshop on the outskirts of a capital city and just kinda rest there and do nothing??” 11/10 PERFECT use of isekai powers LOVE IT for you girl please do exactly that. I think deep down, we have all just wanted to have a little café bookshop and no responsibility and massive amounts of magical energy. (no isekai death report for this title - she seems to just have been summoned)

The Apothecary Diaries Vol. 1

What a lovely little story! Maomao makes some wonderful disgusted faces at flirty men, which really speaks to me imo. She’s so cool Also I’m quickly realizing that “weird girls solve problems in the inner court of a Chinese palace” is like - a manga/light novel genre now? Like “isekai but it’s a otome novel and the main character is the villainess” is a genre. Very cool looking forward to exploring the depths of this genre on the coming weeks and months

Bonus: Audio Books

Sword Art Online Vol. 8

i can never hate sword art. it sucks so much, but i sure do love this trash garbage. This volume is a bunch of short stories that take place all over the timeline - i think the short story anthologies are some of the better sword art light novels, when we just get to throw the characters into an interesting situation without thinking about the connective tissue of the story too hard... sword art is best when you dont think about it too hard! The audio books are still really well produced, deffo recommended if you want some daft background listening.

Reincarnated as the Last of my Kind Vol. 4

Somehow, this audio book is 6 hours long, and basically nothing happened... 8/10 its about as 'light' as a light novel could ever get, and i gotta respect that

stuff in the pile for next week

oh would you look at that there's more yuri... I may have solved my lack of Villainess stories with an amazon order.. maybe..

Books read this year: 57

Stuff i read this week

The Apothecary Diaries Vol. 2-5

Maomao is SO FUCKING CUTE when she’s ingesting deadly deadly neurotoxins. This girl just LOVES poisons. I LOVE HER.

Wish I read these slower lol.. it was so good I couldn’t stop myself though the story is SUPER engaging and the Maomao is just a wonderful lead character. i want to spend every second with her that i can heh, the facial expressions in this book are just THAT incredible. Its rare you get to see THAT much character on the page you know?

Savior's Book Cafe Story in Another World Vol. 2-4

Another series i should have savored rather than rush though, but it is what it is! Last week i said "Straight but interesting” and YEAH. its very straight but also very interesting? I do wonder why this fantasy world has such a thriving book publishing industry... like, who is writing all these books shes stocking her cafe with? Anyways, pretty good. Volume 5 dosnt come out until May this year, so thats all for now.

Love me for who I am Vol. 2

Yeah, to enby maid book is back and DANG!! it’s hard to get this book! Totally out of print it seem, eBay to the rescue. AND HECK I CAN SEE WHY it’s incredible for all thoes gender feels. I want the best for all these kids as they figure out life and love! Im just SO glad this series exists?

There’s a part where Tetsu suddenly begins to “get” all this gender stuff other characters are going though whist talking to his transwoman older sibling and hes like… dang I guess I should be calling you oneechan and not oniichan… and she’s so happy about it - I deffo almost cried lol. Yeah good book. Now i just have to track down volume 3... painful

Sasaki and Peeps Vol. 1

Ahhh heck what a super smart inversion of isekai themes! No guys dying of early onset truck here, instead our hero is a lonely 40 year old office worker who REALLY wants a friend, so he goes to a pet shop. Dogs and cats are too big and expensive… but that weird little bird? 100% within budget… and it can talk… THE BIRD IS A MAGICAL SAINT THAT GOT ISEKAIED TO EARTH?!? And he can do teleportation?!? Wow Sasaki’s daily commute just got SO MUCH faster. 10/10 Commuter Isekai in general are a fascinating subgenre, and this particular story is getting an anime adaption soon so im super glad i found it. It does a lot of neat stuff with time scaling and like.. practical power limits? Recommended.

The Girl I want is so Handsome! The Complete Manga Collection

Two volumes printed in one nice big book. It’s LARGE, I do love manga with smaller page sizes (makes it much easier to store them or carry them!) but heck it’s easy to forget how good these things look on LARGE pages! Looks incredible up close.

Plot wise it’s pretty simple straightforward school based yuri story with a basketball theme… it’s cute. Does have that thing where like all plot progression is gated behind misunderstandings and miscommunication but luckily things tend to be cleared up the next chapter so it’s never annoying. Yeah, it’s just simple, pretty well executed story printed in a really nice chunky volume.

Our Teachers are Dating! Vol. 1

1. GOD women are so hot, I love women.
2. IM REALLY SORRY that these book notes quite often tend to do this but I’m going on another rant about HOW these books are printed but HECK this book (series?!?) is printed on WEIRDLY high quality paper stock. It’s so thick it was even hard to fully open? The cover is a real nice card stock (double side printed at that! And the internal pages are real smooth and thick - theres no paper grain here. It’s also on the small side of the page size spectrum which coupled with the binding/paper quality just feels really luxurious? It’s wild! Puling a small sample of other books published by Seven Seas, and none of them have the same paper stock or bins stiffness to them. The closest is their full color manhwa prints, but even they seem to have thinner pages with a slight gloss finish. Like, "the girl i want is so handsome!" was also published by Seven Seas, as an object its like the polar opposite of this book. It’s real weird, but I love it! This is why physical objects rule.

Bonus: Audio Books

Solo Leveling Vol. 6

I dont get the hype around this series. When Crunchyroll announced there was an anime adaption happening and they would be airing it, people went wild on that social media. Ive been listening to the audiobook version for a while and like.. i dont get it. ITS SO BORING!?!? Like, people seem to be hyped for the fights and stuff... but i SWARE there are like whole chapters that are just dryly discussing how portals to magical worlds full of terrifying monsters really depress the value of luxury housing markets IN A REAL BORING WAY. that kind of content should be right up my ally but dang solo leveling makes it dull. BUT I SHALL CONTINUE TO LISTEN TO EVERY VOLUME, HOPING THE NEXT ONE IS WHERE IT GETS GOOD. This volume actual had some bits where Jinwoo actually feels kinda like a human for once.. but yeah hes still a bit of a fucking psychopath. The whole story also has that vague "oh yeah this feels kinda like it was written by a fascist" thing going on, like attack on titan.. oh maybe thats why so many people are hyped for it? cant recommend this unless your a total dweeb like me. (my next audible credits going to be spent on the new volume of Tanya the Evil, so uhhh, more of that next month too i guess!)

stuff in the pile for next week

oh would you look at that there's more yuri... not sure about villainess content tho which is SAD. I do have more Apothecary Diaries arriving on monday tho so IM REAL HAPPY ABOUT THAT.

Books read this year: 68

Stuff i read this week

The Apothecary Diaries Vol. 6-7

Heck things are getting tense and super interesting- volume 6 manages to pull so many storylines together in a cool way also MAOMAO IS SO COOL I LOVE HER. I have once again READ ALL the new volume of this as soon as i get them which is a big mistake, i have now 100% run out and volume 8 dosnt hit until 9th May OR June 6th, depending on if you believe Amazon .co.uk or .com. who knows when ill get more Maomao! this sucks! I guess this is a great time to remind you that its getting an anime adaption soon and it looks beautiful

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gquRl13WryU

Failed Princesses Vol. 3-4

Still cute, still dramatic, still getting going. Somehow a lot of stuff happens but it feels real slow? just hook up already i guess.

If Witch, Then Which? Vol. 1-3

The crossdressing witch manga. It was okay I guess? Its cute and pretty short, but deffo not queer which is always disappointing. i mean 'crossdressing witch manga' sounds like it should be queer as heck, but it aint!

Love me for who I am Vol. 3-5

The 'enby working in a cross dressing maid café' manga returns. I would die for Mogumo (and ive made that fact ABUNDANTLY clear). Mogumo is perfect. I love this book. Its kinda sad the story ends where it does, it would be nice to have a bigger glimpse into these characters lives now they have figured things out a bit more - but its nice have such a queer, beautiful little story in 5 nicely printed manga volumes. 10/10

Why Raeliana Ended Up at the Dukes Mansion Vol. 2

Fine i guess. I think id get on with this story better if more was out so i could binge... feels way to slow at the moment but these full colour manhwa books are SUPER readable. My copy had some major print quality issues - a lot of smudge black ink, some of the colors had oversaturated the paper and caused it to rip and crack. Weird! i Guess Yen Press isnt the best at full colour release, but im sure other books ive had have been better than this!

Bonus: Uhhh nothing

i started a few light novels but haven't finished anything yet.

stuff in the pile for next week

oh would you look at that there's more yuri... i did hit the book shop on sunday to scout out some more Villainess content, WHICH WAS A SUCSESS so at least one villainess book, and maybe some isekai.. who knows!

Books read this year: 79

Stuff i read this week

The Princess of convenient plot devices Vol. 1

Heck yeah she did it! She managed to procure another villainess isekai manga. Fricking champion.

I didn’t know anything about this going in to it (i didn’t even read the blurb on the back, just saw a villainess-like title and bought it immediately) but it’s not how I expected it to go based on the title, instead we have a pretty funny deep dive into “okay so we reincarnated as a princess in the world of a boys love novel… how does Nobel society function of all the hot Nobel dudes are trying to bone each other?” And the answer is your brother (the crown Prince) is kinda a misogynist? Makes sense, let him cook. Fortunately our heroin is kinda a complete fricking moron, so I love her unconditionally and pray for her heteronormative success.

Daughter of the Emperor Vol. 1 - 2

Yay another isekai~ what’s really neat about this is that is TOTALLY doubles down on the mechanics of “being reborn” - our protagonist is a literal child. Sure- a child with an adult mind, but still a child. She can’t communicate, she’s 2 months old. Of course she can’t communicate! she can beat sit up by herself! And that kinda rules? It’s about our girl figuring out that her new dad is a terrible tyrannical despotic emperor, who is incapable of showing emotion and figuring out how the world works, and how to survive as this crazed guy’s only child. It kinda rules.

This is Screwed Up, But I was Reincarnated as a girl in Another World Vol. 1-5

This could only have been drawn but a true pervert.

Chronicles of an Aristocrat Reborn in Another World Vol. 1 - 3

Some basic bitch isekai bullshit. You gotta respect the grift behind these tales.

A Galaxy Next Door Vol. 1

I do love me some manga about making manga. This does have a weird supernatural background story to it, but ours still nice to see people struggling their hardest to make beautiful art and slowly fall in love at the same time

The Holy Grail of Eris Vol. 2

Prologue is over and the plot is moving on on earnest… the core mystery isn’t very developed or interesting at this point. Kinda love the dynamic between our two lead ladies tho, but yeah for the most part the Nobel women in this world are cartoonishly evil and it’s just kinda stupid lol. I hope it gets better, cos the art is beautiful

Bonus: Audiobooks

Even Dogs go to Other Worlds: Life in Another World with my Beloved Hound Vol. 2

Cross Infinite World has this amazing ability to pick the most chill, low energy light novels for translation. Like, this is a 7 hour audiobook that essentially nothing happens in, and im 100% there for every second of it. glad they exist.

stuff in the pile for next week

oh would you look at that there's more yuri... i didnt manage to read any yuri this week it was a full on isekai deepdive and i LOVED IT. but yeah, next week i wanna see a girl kiss

Books read this year: 92

Stuff i read this week

The Abandoned Empress Vol. 1 - 3

Real engaging take on the whole non-isekai villainess time skip sub genre - I’m having a great time slowly understanding how this world works and how our main girl is going to survive. The first volume spends a LOT of its pages in her first life which was really neat- if very abusive and violent. Really makes you feel for her. 10/10 good book - the only thing that would make it better would be if it were yuri. Also, check out these beautiful shiny covers

The Remarried Empress Vol. 1

Villainess stories will never get old, it’s amazing how many variations you can get on “there’s a king and queen, the king is a shit husband, some scheming harlot gets between them and everyone thinks it’s the queens fault- go”. I’m not the biggest fan of the art in this one (it’s very pointy rather than rounded if you know what I mean) but it’s a hella engaging tale and OH GOSH the cover is beautiful, with golden embossed lettering and every. As an object- it’s incredible.

Chronicles of an Aristocrat Reborn in Another World Vol. 4

Not much more to say since last week. Its by the numbers isekai bullshit, and sometimes thats all you need.

Let This Grieving Soul Retire - Woe is the Weakling Who Leads the Strongest Party Vol. 1 - 3

Some basic bitch fantasy bullshit. Its not great but i can turn my brain off.

Bonus: Audiobooks

The Saga of Tanya the Evil vol. 6

More war (boring, boo) but waaaaay more importantly it felt like a solid 40% of the runtime was spent discussing coffee. Coffee as a wartime frontline luxury. Coffee a bribe. Coffee as a ritual. Coffee as an indicator of economic stability. The mechanics of smuggling coffee into a hegemonic empire via a neutral 3rd party country during wartime. Its all in here! That stuff rules.

Bonus: Light Novels

D-Genesis: Three Years after the Dungeons Appeared Vo. 3

This is just by far my favorite light novel series right, its so good. I wrote about how incredible the latest volume is here

https://cohost.org/LotteMakesStuff/post/1198754-finished-it-real-go

stuff in the pile for next week

oh would you look at that there's more yuri... i didnt manage to read any yuri this week (again oops). next week i wanna see a girl kiss

Books read this year: 100 (wtf)

Stuff i read this week

Daughter of the Emperor Vol. 3

I got no notes on this one. Villainess story. It’s good. Very petty. Cool our main character is like 3 years old now and they are keeping this whole actually reborn in another world thing very literal? It’s just good.

Even Though We’re Adults Vol. 1 - 5

Ahh delicious, finally taking a crack at my Yuri pile again. THIS BOOK IS INCREDIBLE - incredibly readable, if you get it you too will be howling in pain at the terrible adult love triangle thats forming. If your not violently nodding along and thinking “yeah! what the heck! keep going girl!” when one of our two main protagonist ladies shouts “Give me a break Ayano… you idiot. YOU’RE MARRIED!” at her phone - you must be dead inside.

If like the idea of reading a series where a lady shouts “I CAN’T BE CHATTING WITH MY CRUSHES HUSBAND!” Whilst lying down in bed in despair this is the series for you!

Villains Are Destined to Die Vol. 2

The way this book plays with game systems is still really interesting - but the best part by far is the coloring still. It’s just such a beautiful saturated vibrant look - I’m a sucker for that. Looking forward to the next volume for some more delicious pink hair

The Holy Grail of Eris Vol. 3

I adore our beautifully honest protagonist and her evil ghost aunty. Such a great dynamic, and oh heck the art is beautiful…. But gosh dang the world and literally EVERY SINGLE other character is horrible and it kinda makes it a real chore to read. I wish I liked this series more?

Days of Love at Seagull Villa Vol. 1 - 3

Dang this series was just incredibly readable - like the opposite of some other stuff I’ve been reading this week I just couldn’t put it down, and I could get through a volume in like 45mins - this yuri manga is just smooth as butter~

It’s got all the good things going for it, it’s about adult women (mostly) with adult problems… it’s not as good as the doughnut yuri but yeah, it was for sure short and sweet. It does suffer from that main yuri manga sin of ending when the protagonist’s finally get together. Ughh. That should be a beginning not the end!

Bonus: Web Manga

Senpai wa Otokonoko

super cute reccomended if you wanna read a silly queer manga thats also REAL heart wrenching at times

https://cohost.org/LotteMakesStuff/post/1234889-this-manga-is-very

stuff in the pile for next week

ahh i did it, i took a big chunk out of my Yuri. But whats on the pile for next week?? oh would you look at that there's more yuri and more villainess isekai stuff. what a time to be alive! I have some new isekai stuff being delivered. so fingers crossed that shows up!

Books read this year: 111

Stuff i read this week

A Galaxy Next Door Vol. 2 -3

You know, after that first volume being a little weak because I was weirded out by the space-alien-island-bee-princess thing, im really enjoying the series now? Like, I do love a good princess-who-is-an-idiot and I do love a hopeless romantic lead as well, and i looooove inside baseball manga about writing manga. So yeah this book is going places! Everyone’s so warm and fluffy in it. ALSO i happen to believe that any book that has a (literal) prim and proper princess say “of course I adore your blushing and nervous laughter I dare say it is MY SHIT!” is very funny and worth your time imo.

Doughnuts Under A Crescent Moon Vol. 4

Our two asexual queens finally admit they are crushing on each other and eat a doughnut about it. Good yuri. Delicious. 10/10

So What’s Wrong With Getting Reborn as a Goblin? Vol. 1

Very silly & cute isekai (truck - isekai death report is avalible here) it’s very easy to read, you can just turn your brain off for this one. Recommended if your a genre pervert.

She loves to cook and she loves to eat Vol. 1

This book is very similar to Beauty and the Feast - it’s the story of a small young woman who loves to cook and adopts a neighbor to shovel bucketloads of food into - but instead of a young hungry baseball teen, in this book Nomoto-san’s neighbor happens to be a large butch lass who possibly works for Suntory beverage company and DEFFO also has a massive distaste for men. If these two gals don’t hug in volume 2 I will scream.

The Otherworlder, Exploring the Dungeon Vol. 1

I hate real world military shit but if you throw a fully equipped marine into an isekai world come on I’m going to eat that garbage up. By the end of the first volume our main character has disposed of all his modern weapons (by getting a merman to hide them at the deepest trench in the ocean, naturally) because he understands the MASSIVE power disparity between modern firearms and like, adventurers with swords and shit. What if he loses control of his stash? It’s just not safe! And that’s a real cool, interesting narrative and character choice! But without his clear monopoly on deadly force afforded to him by a rifle and handgun, grenades and plastic explosives, I’m not sure where this story is going to go moving into volume 2. It’s going to be interesting to see how it develops! Recommended if your a genre pervert.

Pulse Vol. 3

Dr. Mel is is hot and terrifying what the heck I did not expect any of this to happen also why did Lynn’s clothes all fall off in this volumes last chapter what was THAT all about?!? Also ACAB apparently includes Crystal??? Did we know she was a pig?!? So many much stuff happened can’t wait till volume 4! (I had it in my head that volume 3 was the last one, so I was real sad going in to this- great to know I was wrong!)

Remarried Empress Vol. 2

This one is getting very politically interesting! The whole dysfunctional dynamic between the empress and emperor is really gripping and it’s cool seeing the mistress get better at politic… but being used by weirdos all around without her particularly noticing. It’s a harsh world. Also bird magic is neat.

Witch Hat Atelier Vol. 1

I can see why people love this series- the main thing I couldn’t stop thinking about whilst raging out was how wonderful the idea of paring an ink based magic system with that art style is. Like, I think it’s rare for manga to have an art style that is almost part of the narrative theme, if that makes sense? The lavishly hyper detailed line work and the deeply inked hatched shading just work real well for a tale about ink magic. I just think that’s neat?

Bonus: Manga Scalations

Can you keep a secret?

I really love romance stories set in offices (i dunno, every office ive ever worked in sucked and the fantasy of a coworker actually being nice is kinda cool) and this is a pretty cute (het) one. They eat some doughnuts at one point which like.. if your going to put a doughnut into a romance story im going to rate it REALLY highly. im a simple girl.

Bonus: Spring Anime Season begins

New anime season! That means new shows! And new isekai worlds to Death report on! anyways this is what ive watched so far.

The Aristocrat's Otherworldly Adventure: Serving Gods Who Go Too Far

Immediately upon being reincarnated, this dweebs first conscious thought is an evangelion reference. 8/10

Hell's Paradise

seems pretty good. i like the "i can fix him says woman who is worse" vibes its got going on

My Home Hero

This show is going to be messed up.

stuff in the pile for next week

Whats on the pile for next week?? oh would you look at that there's more yuri and more villainess isekai stuff. what a time to be alive!

Books read this year: 120

Stuff i read this week

Reborn as a Space Mercenary Vol. 1 - 2

What if you isekai'ed into Eve online? Huh, what if that- except now eve online has hot space elves. That’s the thesis we shall explore in this ground breaking work of speculative science fiction. 10/10 Science Fiction Isekai is deffo a brand new genre for genre perverts to enjoy. Like, being 100% honest this polyamorous spaceship caption isekai is probably my favorited trash isekai I’ve read so far this year. It’s so brain dead and reads smooth.

The Eminence In Shadow Vol. 1

“Picture someone who isn’t the main character or the antagonist, someone who manipulate events behind the scenes and flaunt their overwhelming power. That’s the kind of shadowbroker I’ve always dreamed of becoming“ - that’s the opening line, it’s a fucking strong mission statement! Ive talked about my love of the anime (and probably the light novel too, which is also great) but this is my first time reading the manga. ITS GOOD! yeah yeah its an isekai so its obviously 100% my shit, but i just love everything about how this stupid story is structured. The whole gimmick with our protagonist just making fantasy shit up as he bumbles though the world and not realizing that every single tropey made up story he acts out in the world actually textually really exists IN REALITY, is real fun.

She loves to cook and she loves to eat Vol. 2

The dweebs continue to eat incredible food together and think “huh this is nice if only we could keep hanging out together like all the time lol just kidding or am I haha just kidding what if we spent Christmas together” it’s a VERY real feeling lesbian tale

Witch Hat Atelier Vol.2

Really good second volume, it’s cool seeing these girls work so hard together, and the story slowly open up. There really is the sense that there’s a super interesting world to delve more deeply into here... but ive run out of volumes.

The Abandoned Empress Vol. 4

Bit of a slow volume but events are seemingly begging to swirl around and merge together. All the men in our protagonists like SUCK, do wonder if straight women really find these kinda characters hot. Like, theres zero redeeming features here. So why am i reading still? I’m here for the villainess energy

So What’s Wrong With Getting Reborn as a Goblin? Vol. 2

Really cool seeing how our isekai protagonist combines skills and short lifespans into a weird powerful system. I ENJOY THIS.

The Fiancée Chosen by the Ring Vol. 1 - 2

Finally so shoujo! Cute So yeah it’s a pretty regular shoujo story about nobility, romance and ballgowns - but I really like the characters here, especially the embroidery obsessed protagonist- she’s just super cool? Its really neat how that character theme of "shes an embroidery pervert" gets woven in to so many things, its what she does in her free time, its what she pays attention to at the igh society parties, heck her magical powers are that she can do embroidery real good. Just a real cleanly structured story & world you know? I really like manga that’s smooth and easy to read and this is just incredibly that. It’s pretty as heck and I like it 10/10

Bonus: Audiobooks

Even if this Love Disappears Tonight

pretty good misery porn that pulls every trick possible to try and make you cry. Im real glad that Yen Press is just putting out so much stuff these days and not just like, anime bullshit (as much as i LOVE anime bullshit) - its just a well written tear jerking teen romance that will leave you having a nice little think about stuff at the end - and sometimes thats exactly what you want from an audiobook

Rascal Does Not Dream of Logical Witch/Rascal Does Not Dream of Siscon Idol

I also finished both of these audiobooks this week - gosh dang does this series have THE ABSOLUTE WORST naming conventions. I do like this series a lot though, this is one that has you thinking a lot as well, as every story has a neat puzzle to it - Its like the bakemonogatari stories, except maybe a little more grounded - How the heck do you explain this weeks supernatural phenomena. phenomena of the week, instead of monster? Its a good genre.

stuff in the pile for next week

Whats on the pile for next week?? oh would you look at that there's more yuri and more villainess isekai stuff. what a time to be alive!

Books read this year: 129

Stuff i read this week

The Knight Blooms Behind Castle Walls Vol. 1

A sweet story of a young page boy who yearns to grow up quick and become a fully fledged knight in shining armor - she’s just keeping the fact she’s a girl hidden from all the rest of the castle’s inhabitants. This book really captures a sense of childlike glee that I don’t see often in manga, and it’s super beautifully drawn as well! Seeing young ladies blush at how gallant this lil squire is is reallllly adorable 10/10 super different.

The books also full of these really cute cross sections and diagrams of castles and castle life, little tapestries depicting the history of the castle. These are some of my favorite moments of visual storytelling in this book, the mangaka manages to fit so much into a few small detail panels. Recommended

I can’t believe I slept with you Vol. 1 - 3

A short, messy yuri about a fuckup game developer and her hot younger landlady. So yeah, lets ignore the problematic aspects of your landlady forcing “favors” from you because your behind on rent, at its core this is a sweet story about a useless oneesan type character relying on a anxious and unstable little sister, who in turn needs her for emotional support. they grow and heal together, and thats always heartwarming. i just WISH they had another volume for post confession adventures WHY DO THESE THINGS ALWAYS END AT THE START OF A RELATIONSHIP IM GUNNA SCREAM.

Beauty and the feast vol. 4

I’m beginning to understand that the mangaka that wrote this series is just a pervert for oneesan character archetype. Thats the only explanation for all of this. She loves to cook and she loves to eat is deffo a better story with similar "i must feed this nerd" themes... that said Yakumo san is undeniably a great oneesan

The Fiancé Chosen by the Ring Vol. 3

I got nothing more to say about this series. It’s fun? Like, there is zero surprising stuff going on here.. i just wanna read more? Its junk food, but more healthy than.....

Chronicles of an Aristocrat Reborn in Another World Vol. 5

Some weird shit theology in this one. Apparently you can become a god of you beat up another god real good? I think? Who knows. This is garbage. I will continue to read

Bonus: Audiobooks

86-Eighty-Six Vol. 2-3

The audiobook productions Yen Audio put out for this series are real good, and the novels are every bit as interesting as the animated series. Compared to how gross The Saga of Tanya the Evil leaves you feeling, theres a lot of good here. I really like how these volumes contrast the neoliberal democratic paradises of The Federacy and the fascist Republic state we spent the first volume in... like, its the same place, with a lick of paint! Its the kind of book you can imagine a nerd defending for "not being political" despite being THE MOST POLITICAL thing. Neat stuff.

stuff in the pile for next week

Whats on the pile for next week?? oh would you look at that there's more yuri and more villainess isekai stuff. what a time to be alive! Talking of messy yuri seires, i might try and get through Citrus again, i managed to track down the few volumes i was missing....

Books read this year: 136

Stuff i read this week

Vampeerz Vol. 1 - 2

Yuri vampires! Again! I like this book, like… a lot? The art is incredible and the printing and binding job Denpa have done is fantastic.. they are a small publisher but I really love the feel of their books! It’s a nice object?

The work itself is very cute and very unsettling and perfectly stupid at moments, it’s a tale of a vampire that’s had enough and just wants to die and a young girl that just fell in love with her at first sight. Not much happens in the first volume but the stories pacing just delivers this perfect balance of unsettling creepiness and yuri first love… good book

A Tale of the Secret Saint Vol. 1 -2

I do love me a reincarnation tale (im sure you have all figured that out by now), especially when the main character is a fucking idiot. Oh daaaang I love fucking idiots. Idiots rule. And this specific idiot? Shes so stupid! And she has a dragon friend?!? An idiot with a dragon friend! 10/10

No longer allowed in another world vol. 2

Okay now the title makes sense! I really liked volume 1 but the weird title really bugged me, but the first half of volume 2 finished off the prologue and now everything makes sense in a satisfying intelligent way. 10/10 In this volume isekai zetsubo sensei writes an novel, smirks at a cat girl princess and snacks on waaaaay to many pills and poisons to be healthy.

A returner’s magic should be special Vol. 1 - 2

Pretty simple korean reincarnation webtoon, dude helps beat the demon lord but oh no! gets time reverted back in time like 10 years or whatever (i forgot to take notes) to adventuring school. Guess its time to get even more buff than before and beat the demon lord guy back up, this time with future knowledge. Oh, also everyone in school is real classist and nobles get all the goodies. See, super simple, perfect story 10/10

Bonus: Audiobooks

86-Eighty-Six Vol. 4

Its finally at new content thats not in the anime and AHHH HECK ITS GOOD. Is a new season of the anime planned yet? I HOPE SO! we got a heckload of underground shopping center combat in this volume which rules and OH HECK THE LEGION SOMEHOW GOT EVEN MORE CREEPY

stuff in the pile for next week

Whats on the pile for next week?? oh would you look at that there's more yuri and more villainess isekai stuff. Idk... maybe ill dig out some of the shoujo ive not read too that would be fun. ALSO next week i need to plan out a new format for this thread because it getting too long IM SO SORRY

Books read this year: 143

Stuff i read this week

Kaiju Girl Caramelise Vol.

Uhhh this book is kinda incredible. Reading the bonus page at the back we learn the mangaka and her editor was trying to solve one major editorial problem with this work. How do you transfer from working on a series serialzied in a shoujo magazine to a series in a shonen one? The answer they stumbled up is just incredibly genius. Just draw a complete by the numbers stereotypical shoujo manga, make the protagonist a REAL loser girl, put in a HOT boy love interest, draw it alll HYPER feminine, so many sparkles, make it real fluffy and flowery…

Now finally make protag-chan turn into fucking Godzilla whenever she’s embarrassed. Like, skyscraper sized. Big girl shit. It’s absolute genius space brain stuff over here.

Though I am an Inept Villainess: Tale of the Butterfly-Rat Body Swap in the Maiden Court Vol. 1 - 2

This is the first time I’ve had to do a second read of a book from this year, but volume 2 just came out and I can’t remember a thing about the first one. And I’m glad I did read it again?!? It’s super good?! The art is wonderful and the two lead characters are wonderful. Volume 2 is even better, the whole courtly drama is just heating up deliciously and OH HECK it ends on a great cliffhanger (someone FIGUREs OUT THE BODYSWAP?!) ohh be still my beating heart I don’t want to wait months for volume 3 this sucks~

Failed Princesses Vol. 5 - 6

Ahh dang it’s over - I simultaneously like this series a lot and also find it really empty heh. It’s a hella cute and pretty ride, and the initial popular gal adopting a weird nerd and teaching her how to be pretty arc was REAL good… volume 4s was really strong with Izumi’s confession (and rejection) just being a great story.. and seeing Izumi ending up happy in the background (with the extrovert nerd girl) was just really satisfying… but the main story line… fucking Kanade’s weird obsession and lack of self confidence AFTER EVERYTHING YOUVE BEEN THOUGH TOGETHER IN THE PREVIOUS 5 VOLUMES!!?! Idk… just feels real not earned in a way… it’s like this plot is two shades two mean to its main characters? It’s not tasty! I dunno just feels like there’s a more delicious story that could have emerged over the last volume and a half… it’s like all the elements that make this ending are good! Just maybe not with this particular weighting.. and in this particular order? still good tho.

Hazure Skill: The Guild Member With a Worthless Skill is Actually a Legendary Assassin Vol. 1 - 3

A classic boy meets demon-lord girl, boy beats up demon lord girl, demon lord girl becomes boys pet cat, boy gets a job as a staff member at a small normal adventurers guild. You know, one of them. It’s always nice to see really abnormal characters getting obsessed with being “normal” (whilst having zero clue what normal even is). There’s lots of fun fantasy tropes and found family themes running all the way through. Simple but solidly executed “I can’t believe it’s not isekai” junk. 10/10

Also, wow there’s something weird with these books. For some reason Yen Press switched to a MUCH higher quality paper stock on the 3rd volume. It’s real smooth and not grainy at all, a little thicker… weird! I do like a higher quality product but I like consistency more! Just a weird thing to change too

Bonus: Audiobooks

The Rising of the Shield Hero Vol 5

The incel light novel is back baybeee~ and its still way better than it has any right to be heck dang it. Now that were 5 volumes in our narrator guy seems to be finally getting the hang of doing "girl" voices for character in a way that dosnt make you want to spontaneously vomit

stuff in the pile for next week

Whats on the pile for next week?? oh would you look at that there's more yuri and more villainess isekai stuff. Idk... I think i wanna start reading though my dress-up darling.. its kinda calling to me.. WE SHALL SEE THO. ALSO next week i need to plan out a new format for this thread because it getting too long IM SO SORRY - last week i said id do that this week but I REALLY HAVNT HAD TIME OOPS

Books read this year: 151

Stuff i read this week

This is Screwed up but I was Reincarnated as a Girl in Another World Vol. 6

Yay a new volume of one of the MOST trash isekai series is out ~ in this volume Ren wants eggs SO bad she goes on a long journey to the royal capital (bigger marketplace there) and drags along two of the waitresses she met at the hotel she used to stay at. She’s going to pamper them SO HARD.

Im still really enjoying this delicious garbage and 1000% recommend this series. Its always stupid, fun and lighthearted, but internally consistent, it puts a LOT of artistry into drawing food (which is one of my favorite things in manga).... but it deffo is one for genre perverts (which genre tho? Isekai? Gender bending? Yes.)

Hazure Skill: The Guild Member With a Worthless Skill is Actually a Legendary Assassin Vol. 4

Huh… different paper again… you know, for a dumb harem adjacent over powered cheat skill fantasy manga (which again, I can’t believe it’s not an isekai) it’s got some heart to it. That’s alway my favourite kind of trash, when there’s just a nice warmth to the work, you know? The relationship between our assassin protagonist and the demon lord really has that- the whole two misfits that don’t really understand how to be human making a place for themselves in the world kinda thing- always gets me

I got a cheat skill in another world and became unrivaled in the real world too vol. 3

Talking of dumb harem adjacent over powered cheat skill fantasy manga that weirdly has a lot of heart to it - this volume puts the manga at the exact same point as the currently airing anime - in fact I think the most recent episode that aired this week covers the same material as the last two chapters in this book (editing lotte- the anime has pulled ahead again since i wrote this as uhhh, it airs every weekend oops). It’s pretty interesting to see both adaptions side by side and seeing how they weight story beats slightly differently. The action is deffo waaay clearer in the anime, you’ll get like 15 seconds of screen time for something that’s a single confusing panel in the manga. Bottom line? It’s still delicious trash, it’s weirdly wholesome and very good for you.

The Eminence in Shadow Vol. 2

Whatever I said about volume 1? Just copy paste that here it’s still an incredible work. My main problem with it is none of my local bookshops have volume 3 in stock (editing lotte again: youll never guess what i got on monday next week), and I’ve already got volume 4 waiting. Sigh.

My Dress-up Darling Vol. 1 - 4

Every bit as good as the (incredible) anime. I rewatched it like two weeks ago so it’s very fresh in my mind- so being able to contrast how it adapted and changed scenes from the manga has been real interesting (that’s been a bit of a theme this week hasn’t it!?!). One change i really noticed is how they introduce that Gojo kun is kinda a friendless loser right at the beginning, the anime adds an incredible visual joke that’s not in (and probably wouldn’t work as well) in the manga. Yeah, it’s been real interesting! ALSO FINDING OUT THAT SWALLOWTAIL WIGS IS A REAL SHOP IN IKEBUKURO WAS KINDA WILD it seems like the afterword pages in these volumes are gunna be great.

Bonus: Web manhwa

What’s Wrong with Being a Villainess

CHECK IT OUT THIS THING IS TOTALLY BEAUTIFUL AND FUNNY 10/10. I love it in villainess stories where a totally normal collage kid can be like, the most villainess and evil noble woman ever just because she has experienced how modern day capital works. Like, theres a whole trope subgenre in isekai fiction where having a highschool level understanding of the nitrogen cycle or the ability to make basic skin moisturizers are both SUPER big brain space god level knowledge in isekai stories. Your mundane normal upbringing makes you special, no matter how painful it was. This villainess-variant of that trope takes it one level deeper and wraps it even tighter in the isekai genre underpinning base axiom - "the real world sucks and a magic world would for sure be better". Villainess stories' like this one counter that with a "people would still suck in magical other worlds - they hate you for just being who you are, but you have been hurt by end game capitalism. they have not.... yet" - and i just think thats neat. it rules actually.

stuff in the pile for next week

Whats on the pile for next week?? oh would you look at that there's more yuri and more villainess isekai stuff. Idk... ALSO next week i need to plan out a new format for this thread because it getting too long IM SO SORRY - last week (and the week before) i said id do that this week but I REALLY HAVNT HAD TIME OOPS. being sick sucks ass

Books read this year: 159

Stuff i read this week

Quality Assurance in Another World vol. 1

It’s a fucking game developer isekai - essentially what if sword art online, except your a wimpy QA tester that’s REAL good at hiding. Maybe if you report all the bugs (whilst hiding from all the other QA testers that have given up on work and gone rouge) they will finally let you log out and go home? Prepare for t pose jokes

Also? The monster design in this book? It’s got dragons. Huge terrifying dragons. Dragons that will make even the mightiest NPC quiver with fear. They look like heckin ginormous frogs with goofy lil eyes. Terrifying. 10/10

(There’s a good 20 pages on rubbing yourself against walls trying to find collision bugs. To real.)

The Eminence in Shadow Vol. 3

I’m convinced now - the plot is waaaay clearer and easier to follow than in the anime adaption, the panel layout is really good and everything just flows real well. Super good adaptation. It’s just delightfully easy to read - getting through the entirety of the school terrorist arc in like 40 mins feels just right

A Tale of the Secret Saint Vol. 3

I can’t keep track of all these characters- good book tho, 'i cant believe its not isekai' junk food

Hazure Skill: The Guild Member With a worthless skill is actually a legendary assassin vol. 5

Even more junk food.. well this series more like a comfort food, just the right blend of cute fantasy misfit finding family vibes… then that last chapter in this volume? Yikes. I hope you like horrific depictions of torture along side your warm fuzzy nonsense.

Chronicles of an Aristocrat Reborn in Another World Vol. 6

This ones more of a junk food that you know is really bad for you and it makes you sick every time you eat it, but maybe a little bit wont send you to the bathroom for an hour. An okay volume, the set up for next volume is fun tho! Seems like it’s gunna be about adventures being jerks.

Studio Apartment, Good Lighting, Angel Included Vol. 1-2

Cute and soft, inoffensive trash about a boy picking up an angel and letting her live in his studio apartment. It’s not the best apartment but it does get good natural lighting. I don’t know why that’s such an important feature of protagonist-kun’s home that it deserves to go in the title, seemed pretty throwaway in the book.

So this series is just kinda empty, inoffensive fluff. Very mid, 6/10 level stuff. The do go to mr donut (twice) in volume 2 so now it’s actually my favorite manga ever - I love mr donut. 100/10

Bonus: scanlations

Kasane and Subaru

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Real cute manga about two cowrokers dating - Subaru is secretly a cross dresser and Kasane is their biggest fan. I love stories about coworkers dating and this is A VERY CUTE VARIENT OF THIS GENRE.

Bonus: Audiobooks

Apocalypse Bringer Mynoghra: World Conquest starts with the Civilization of Ruin Vol. 4

I think out of all the light novel audiobook series im following (which, i think is literally all of them lol) this is BY FAR the worst. Its isekai where the protagonist gets reborn into the mechanics of his favorite 4X stratergy game, but in a generic fantasy world, and there seems to be other players reborn their with different game rule systems. Which is kind of interesting? This volume is mainly about a fight with a tabletop RPG hero... which kinda isnt interesting. When your game rulesystem lets you say "actually none of the attacks your units did hurt me, my dungeon master says so" theres kinda... nothing to be done, no tension, no nothing. Just nothing ever happens. This ones only for genre perverts.

stuff in the pile for next week

There was a looooot of trash this week. maybe next week i can find something better... Idk... ALSO next week i need to plan out a new format for this thread because it getting too long IM SO SORRY - last week (and the week before) (and the week before) i said id do that this week but I REALLY HAVNT HAD TIME OOPS.

Books read this year: 166

Stuff i read this week

Young Ladies Don’t Play Fighting Games Vol. 1

Okay that was real good. I’m glad I finally managed to track down a copy and I’m deffo going to get the rest wow some real pretty ladies playing some fighting games right here. It’s an interesting twist on a classic catholic school style yuri set up, our main characters are both transfer students that are plopped into that rigid prim environment and handle fitting in differently - and contrasting the ultra refined young lady performances with the fighting game manic inner personas is just REAL GOOD. I love it in media when a woman gets to shout “FIGHT ME” with all her heart, 10/10

Into The Deepest Most Unknowable Dungeon Vol. 1

Or, “I was reincarnated in another world but it was pretty much an all-around downgrade” as our main character quips .

A lot of the time for new series, I have no idea what I’m getting into, I’m just buying new shit based on a title… maybe sometimes I’ll look at the cover… but usually I’m not thinking that deep. So a lot of the time with fantasy manga these days I’m 100% thinking “wow I can believe this isn’t an isekai” - it’s the opposite here “wow I can’t believe this is an isekai”. I thought it was just going to be some silly high fantasy dungeoneering… but nope it’s an isekai about how actually combat sucks, the dungeons are cool but the day to day business of adventuring sucks… but dang isn’t dungeon diving aesthetically romantic~ also wow this books world is HELLA misogynistic. It’s kinda impressive how gross it is. Not really recommended- genre perverts might find it interesting.. but like… I didn’t have a good time.. but it was interesting, in a way that makes me want to track down more volumes so I can continue to have a bad time but think a lot about the genre I like… so that’s… something!?!

The Eminence in Shadow Vol. 4

Aww poor Epsilon

Call Girl in Another World Vol. 1

When I saw this in the store I was like “ohhh heck, this is either one for REAL perverts or for REAL GENRE PERVERTS. I hope it’s for genre perverts” and I’m 3000% happy to report it’s for Genre Perverts! rejoice! Incredible my funny and incredible unerotic lol. very neat spin on an isekai setup, and boy does our main lady love to do sexy stuff with big weirdos.

I think I Turned my Childhood Friend into A Girl Vol. 1 -2

I read a scanlation ages ago but yeah, this is still SUPER CUTE, also the way the colour pages are incorporated into it is amazingly nice- it’s an incredibly nice book to behold. Yeah, it’s just real cute.

Magic Artisan Dahlia Wilts No More Vol. 1

After how big a disappointment deepest dungeon was, this was a bit of a happy surprise. It’s anoter isekai, but this time with a lady that used to work in an electronics company reincarnating into a fantasy world as the daughter of a magical artisan, and does the whole isekai modern japan Knowledge thing to make cool magical inventions. SHE IS COOL, STRONG AND I LOVE HER. at it’s core, the first volume is a story of familial loss and romantic betrayal, but there’s a real warm core and hope for her, she’s so much stronger in her second life and I love her for it. Good book.

Bonus: Audiobooks

How a Realist Hero Rebuilt the Kingdom: Volume 1

better than the anime. Also, i 100% thought this was "The Genius Prince's Guide To Raising a Nation Out of Debt" which is basically the same show. oops

stuff in the pile for next week

Opps late again and oops still need to figure out how to reformat this...IM SO SORRY ITS SO LONG - last week (and the week before) (and the week before) (and the week before) i said id do that this week but I REALLY HAVNT HAD TIME OOPS. Next week? im readin YURI

Books read this year: 173