#still waiting for volume 3 of the manhwa to come to me ~ | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

dokkaebiking · 4 years ago

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Pass the happy! When you receive this, list 5 things that make you happy and send this to 10 of the most recent people in your notifications!

Considering how 2020 has gone, this shouldn’t be a hard list to make as there’s not a lot that’s made me happy this year. I mean, this has been sitting in my inbox for far too long, simply because The Depresso™ has robbed me of the energy to do much of anything these days. However, Biden won the election, and although that cursed cheese ball shit bag currently in the White House is trying to undermine democracy, at the same time I know he ain’t gonna get away with it, so I feel lighter than I have in months, and I’m finally getting to things I’ve held off for too long. Not gonna tag anyone, but if you want to be tagged then I’m attacking you with psychic powers right now and tagging you spiritually >:D

1. Trash of the Count’s Family! I cannot overstate how much joy this Korean webnovel has brought me this year. I read the manhwa first, by chance, when I was cruising the “Isekai” tag, and after reading so many where a woman got sent into another world/was reborn in another world/took over the body of a side character in their favorite game or book or whatever/or otherwise transmigrated into a place that’s Not Here (and lucky them, amirite)...I was happy to see it happen to a guy. Not only that, but like the first chapter, aside from the prologue, was filled with so much fanservice of just this one guy that I was pleasantly surprised at the tables being turned. Especially since Isekai is very well known for it’s trashy female fanservice and gross harems that make no sense. CUE CALE HENITUSE COMING TO SAVE THE ISEKAI GENRE!

He not only has no romantic interest whatsoever in the story, which is fantastic (doesn’t stop us fans from shipping left and right, but I love it when this type of protag just does not do romance at all), but he builds a harem that’s purely platonic and god damn it I’ve never seen Found Family done so well I wanna cry just thinking about it. Plus, Cale’s whole philosophy of “gotta create world peace so I can live as a slacker” is hilarious, considering how he just keeps being a Hero™ and hating it, but his dumb ass can’t stop. Also, there’s a baby dragon that he saves, sets free from a terrible torture chamber it began its life in, and rather than running off it decides to follow Cale around and basically Cale becomes a father of three kids, one being the dragon, and the other two being two precious (and very dangerous) cat kids. This story refuses to let the good guys die, which after GoT is refreshing as hell, but isn’t afraid to take bloody revenge on the bad guys, which is also hella refreshing. I’ll go on forever if I don’t stop here, but just look it up if you get the chance and any of this appeals to you—you won’t regret it.

2. KakaIru, easily, has been the stable foundation for me this year. The friends I met through the fandom before this year have only become closer, and more dear to me, and the new friends are just as lovely; these people are the only things keeping me sane, let me tell you. The @kakairuzine “Intertwined” was a big project that I was delighted to help mod for, and participate in as a merch artist, and I’m so thrilled that we reached all of our stretch goals, and then some! The @the-umino-hours server has brought me much joy during the year, as well as the forum @kakairu-rocks, participating in the @kakairu-mini-bang was a blast (and I’m working on the second part to that fic right now tbh), now I’m a mod (and participant) for the @kakairu-big-bang and am so excited for it. KakaIru has been with me since I was a kid, and it’s just so lovely that it’s still a fairly active part of the fandom, and still makes me as happy as it did when I was 14 (*˘︶˘*).｡.:*♡

3. Spooky boys, like cryptids and folklore and eldritch horrors, are always a delight, but in a year that’s more horrifying than any of them could ever dream to be, it’s oddly cathartic to indulge in the monsters we imagine while surrounded by real monsters of our own making. Also, ever since I wrote my KakaIru fic Want Me Down to the Marrow I’ve had such a soft spot for the Gashadokuro, and still laugh at “Bone Daddy”. You’ll have to pry that title from my cold, dead hands.

4. “My Next Life as a Villainess: All Routes Lead to Doom!” It was honestly this otome anime that led me down the path that eventually brought me to “Trash of the Count’s Family”. So I owe a lot to this series, and really the series in and of itself is such a delight. I bought the light novels on Bookwalker because I loved it so much~♥ Katarina (aka Bakarina), thank you for your service. Because of you I looked up other series of a similar strain as your story, and found the manhwa “Beware the Villainess!”, which is a fucking delight, and thus kept looking into that genre and eventually found my way to Cale Henituse’s whacky adventures.

5. “The Rising of the Shield Hero” has made me happy from the first time I watched it, but I rewatched it this year, and the announcement for the second season’s release came just like...last month I believe, so that spike of serotonin was highly appreciated. I have the light novels for this series up to volume 17, and let me tell you, the story just gets better and better and I cannot wait for it to be animated. Naofumi, I love you you cinical little shit~♥

#asks #hades-bitch #thanks for the ask meme!#and thanks for waiting a millennia for me to reply to it~!

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jae-canikeepyou · 5 years ago

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| bad boy | j.jh | sequel

pairing: jaehyun x fem!reader genre: au t/w: slight violence and blood. a/n: a sequel was requested for this scenario & to be very honest i thought it’s best to leave as it was.. but who am i to turn down my lovely readers? 🥰 as promised, here it is! blame my lazy butt for procrastinating to post it. it’s not proof read too woohoo! 😂 anyway, enjoy! :3 ~j

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“...i’ll be happy to see you again.”

it was the only sentence that stuck into the back of your mind. a similar feeling to when you liked someone and his very existence wouldn’t just leave you alone. you thought you might go insane because every time you think of nothing at all, that dimpled smile of his reappears and your brain immediately sends all kinds of signals that maybe science couldn’t explain, let alone you.

the students who walked pass you and him had questionable stares. you were well aware that jaehyun was fresh from returning back to town; though according to him it only had been two years. even the faces of the neighbourhood gave scoffs and looks of disbelief; unconvinced that he had changed for ‘the better’. honestly people still avoided him— maybe it was due to the fact he wasn’t seen as often by day, only at dusk.. doing stuff that jaehyun himself chose not to remember.

coming out of the university, an annoying tug on the shoulder caused you to turn around to identify the doer, jolting you back to reality from your thoughts. however the tug was too familiar that you already knew who it was, even with eyes closed. he bugged you during training— though it was not in a bad way.

the regretful look on his face made you pinch his cheeks with his dimples as the support. he was one good-looking lad with now good intentions to help people. ever since that encounter with him at the alley, he never really left your side; stuck with you like glue. your parents joked about how he was as loyal as a golden retriever would be to his owner. he followed you everywhere and even if you didn’t mind, you had to remind him about boundaries.

and boundaries meant when he accidentally followed you to the toilet that one time.

leaving that aside, jaehyun smiled and this adorable puppy with chocolate eyes made you snap your fingers. “jaehyun, i told you not to stare at me like that.”

“why can’t i? i already told you you’re pretty.” he smirked, nudging a tease with his brows. “it’s worth staring at, even for a whole day.”

“uh-huh.” you hum in faux agreement. “and you told me that a month ago, which was after your friends broke my door. you’ve been calling me that nonstop.”

“it’ll approximately be thirty two- no, thirty three times i complimented you, today included.” jaehyun took your bag with him. as gentleman as it sounds, your own friends once had to pull your stuff away from him when he did the kind gesture the first time.

“hey, give it.” you attempted to retrieve it back when he raised it higher.

“maybe i’ll consider if you give me a kiss.” he poked his cheek, leaning into your face. you gave him a disgusted look before it turned out to be more so when he pointed his lips instead.

“in your dreams jaehyun.” you rolled your eyes, nudging him to leave the training centre.

you both spent the next two hours chilling at a local coffee shop, doing some recaps of what you learnt earlier. to your surprise, jaehyun was actually quite studious. it was a little difficult to approach him whenever you had questions. who knew that behind the acronym the townspeople gave him, ‘bad boy’, was a very hardworking and intelligent guy. sometimes you would think he was a real-life manhwa character, where he’d ace a test despite worrying over whether he’d flunk it.

on the bright side of jaehyun’s reputation to everyone, some students would arrive in crowds after your training; which was, how you’d call it, fanbase. they’d usually giggle to themselves and ask for a picture, but jaehyun declined their requests.

whilst at the café with chill jazz music playing, and despite feeling uneasy and worried for no reason at all, jaehyun sighed deeply, indirectly asking to call it a day— it was already 10 pm. every friday night, he’d go with you to the orphanage to read books to the children; or go along with them to give medical care with a stethoscope just to satisfy the curiosity of the kids.

jaehyun fumbled his bag to look for his keys. you waited for the lad, skimming through the university’s fountain and statue. you looked at the far distance, and the unease came back just when you thought it went away. “okay i got them. let’s go.” he tapped to us shoulders.

you soon hopped onto his car, fastening your seatbelt as you propped your arm onto the edge of the window rest. “tired? me too.” you heard jaehyun ask, his car keys clashing towards each other before being put onto its place.

“yeah i kinda am.” you lied, still having that uneasiness stuck in your chest. at the night you met jaehyun, you would say that the encounter with the screwed-up man traumatised you; the sound of gunfire rang in your ears, the man’s grip onto your wrists left a bruise, jaehyun’s flirtatious moves to his favourite couple’s daughter.

“well, we can go to the riverside if that’s what you’re looking for. tell your parents we’ll visit the kids next week and that you’re on a date with me.” he started the engine, rubbing your head with the other hand as he began to drive.

“a date with you? i’ve got other priorities.” you eyed him with a grin.

“change it then. put me on your top 5 or something.” his proud giggles put a confused look on your face and his lips flattened quickly at your response. jaehyun hoped you at least felt butterflies, but maybe it hasn’t developed yet. “what? i gotta be on your list somehow.”

“oh wow jaehyun you’re really determined.” you soothed your temples and he just laughed. “fine, uh. top 10?”

“agh man i gotta work nine bars higher to be your top 1.” he faked a hiss, earning an airy scoff from you.

“you’re not gonna be my top 1. my mom and dad are. education’s second.”

“then third?”

“no. that’s my bunny’s place.”

“ugh bunbun’s before me.” he whined. “anyway i’m gonna be part of your top 5.”

the car turned to a much narrower road. jaehyun insisted it was the shortcut and that the longer way was going to take minutes. not like you wanted to assume highly of how he knew some paths, but maybe he had dealings or encounters before at 17 years of age. heck that was him in the past. he was different now.

he reached out to the stereo and made a few taps onto the touch screen, sliding his fingers to the side to maximise the volume. it was a playlist full of jazzy, chilling instrumental tracks to hype up the mood and taking your heads off of studying. you never really heard him sing before, but you knew he was a good one in just humming.

as you listened with the playlist he tuned in, your eyes stayed on the road for a good minute before the car’s side view mirror flickered with lights, catching your attention. to be exact, they were red laser lights.

was something there? or were you just tired?

you brushed it off, telling yourself continuously that it was a result of staying behind the laptop screen too long. jaehyun didn’t seem to notice so maybe it was really just you. the car finally reached a stoplight, you sighed heavily at its disappearance when you looked at the mirror of your side.

but then it flashed again.

as if you both were being followed.

jaehyun spotted your discomposure and the frequent shuffles in positions to find comfort of the seat. “y/n, need a break? wait a little because we’re almost there-”

“i- i think we’re being followed.” you find your palms clenching the sides of the seat, avoiding to look at the mirror again. the feeling you had that night at the dark alley came back; chest pounding and breaths so uneven. you didn’t tell jaehyun what you felt that night and kept it to yourself so of course he wouldn’t know of your situation now.

jaehyun’s brows creased inquisitionly, his pupils shifted to his side of the mirror in an instant. they grew wider at the sight of a familiar vehicle and logo that was overlapping the car brand. he thought he’d never see them once more, but unluckily he did tonight. he cursed in whispers and although he said it softly, those alone made your worries shoot up like rockets. the circular light emitted green. you felt your body being pressed back against the seat at the force and speed jaehyun drove. “we’re gonna have to skip the date and rush home, okay?”

he tapped the stereo’s touchscreen to mute the track that coincidentally matched the tension you both were feeling now. “you’re driving fast~” you said with your sarcastic singing. a hum from him raised a tad more worry. “why are you driving fast~”

he only chuckled.

“jaehyun, the only time you drive fast is when we receive an medical emergency!” you panicked in all high pitches your voice could ever give.

“uh- this is kind of an emergency y/n!” he still gave a giggle despite being in a frenzy.

“it’s not medical! we’re not in the ambo!” you huffed in excessive breaths to attempt to calm yourself.

“i know but-”

gunshot.

it wasn’t once.

it was five times at most.

you gasped then squealed, unsure whether to cover yourself with your forearms or still hold onto the seat. jaehyun pulled over the car to a stop, making you shiver and the feeling went down to your spine then palms while your grip tightened onto the seatbelt. you let the window on your side lower for some air. it might seemed strange to some people passing by, but you were muttering words as if you were enchanting a spell to summon the supernatural; where as in fact you were really, really scared.

at times like these, all you wanted to do was to head home and forget that this ever happened.

“why did you stop?” you asked, sounding panicky and jaehyun didn’t seem to do the same. “we’re being chased and you decide to-”

the scratch of the tire from the vehicle following you hit from behind, plunging both of your torsos to the front and stretched the seatbelts. your eyes blurred for second and as the clear began to come in, jaehyun signalled you to bend low. when you obliged and cowered down, he took off his jacket and placed it above you. “y/n, don’t get off the car. i got this.” you felt that he grabbed something from the drawer in front of him, later putting it in his pockets.

you hitched a breath. “w-why? where are you going?!”

“shhh.. if you did, i won’t forgive you.” he warned and closed the door.

“stop cutting me off!” you gave a little tantrum that you hit your head onto the pull-out drawer. “stupid jaehyun!”

you heard mumbles of exchanged dialogues between jaehyun and two late twenties men. the patience you’ve always had had run out and carefully your fingers pulled the door handle to head out. soon you found yourself tiptoeing and crouching all at the same time; just like how you used to sneak to the kitchen at midnight to grab some snacks. the air was cool, much to your surprise jaehyun and the two men were just, talking.

in the two weeks since knowing jaehyun, you hesitated in asking more of his past. not that you couldn’t tolerate the endless stares and whispers from the public, but you were just curious about the man who evolved to b.a.d boy.

“jaehyun.” you whisper-yelled but there was no response from him. he had his hands behind him. though relaxed, there was tension shown in them. based on his gestures he knew of your presence. his hands formed to a ‘thumbs up’; turning sideways, telling you to head back into the car.

you had your palms onto the door handle when the conversation became clear to you.

“what're you both doing here?” he asked the two men, later their surnames revealed to be park and jang. “i thought i said i’m resigning.”

“you resigned before boss made his decision. he wants you back in the group.” park said, handing him an envelope. “accept this and you’ll get all you asked for; your own room at the base, the money from-”

jaehyun took the envelope and tore them to pieces. “i’m not going back to that life ever. knowing you lot, pisses me off up until now, you tried luring me into dirty money.”

it wasn’t like you wanted to get involved with jaehyun. it just seemed you were just caught in the wrong time and in the wrong moment. even that night in the dark alley. you mumbled and grumbled to yourself, profanities spoken internally that maybe you shouldn’t have heard something so private-

“then i could just guess you’re now using her for dirty money?” jang caught your collar and pulled you from behind the car. “you really think you could earn money without our help huh.”

“y/n, i told you not to come out.” he turned around so quickly that the scowl from his lips made you regret breaking that order.

“who do we have here? jaehyun you seem to get yourself a hottie-” park walked closer to where you were.

“let me go.” you spat him, disgusted at their assumption.

“let y/n go, she has nothing to do with this.” jaehyun grabbed your arm, putting you behind his large, broad frame.

“sure will, jung. but she has something to do with you.” park laughed, his hands reached for his pocket. jaehyun didn’t seem to see that, but you were aware where this might escalate to. you plunged forward that you were in front him, hugging him fully before your friend realized the frightful action.

bang. bang.

the tightness and uneasiness in your chest wasn’t the car chase nor the two men, nor the fired gunshots.

it was the men’s bloodlust for jaehyun.

they cursed and yelled as they left the scene, saying that they meant to shoot him, not you. it took a while for jaehyun to process what had happened. he looked down at your collapsing body, blood dampening his hands as he touched the wound to stop it from bleeding further. “y/n?.. y/n! stay with me, okay? don’t you dare close your eyes on me!”

he saw you attempting to caress his cheek with a pained smile before it turned emotionless.

“y/n!”

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it had been exactly a week since you were shot, because of that jaehyun avoided you. people looked at ease when they saw you alone and you weren’t used to it. he would always be there every second of the day, either already buying you lunch or carrying your bag. not even your parents heard of him when after jaehyun brought you to your apartment. having parents work in the medical field sure was convenient.

the morning’s sun shone your room and you stood in front of your mirror, still in your pj’s. turning slightly to the side, you lifted the fabric to see the two sets of stitches just below the bra strap line. your mom knocked onto your door, smiling in relief at the sight of recovery. “breakfast’s ready.”

you smiled back, remembering the worries plastered on their faces. in most cases, a patient would want to see their parents once they came into the conscious. for you however, wanted to see jaehyun. “yeah i’ll be down soon.”

the smell of toast and hot chocolate smacked you in the nose and you started walking slowly down the stairs. your groggy eyes caught sight of the one you didn’t want to see. “ah, she’s awake.” your dad nudged the male. jaehyun looked up at the loft, his ears shading from pink to red.

he gulped, and your dad laughed. “wow that was loud. chill jae, she’s walking down the stairs, not the aisle.”

“i didn’t think of that, sir.”

jaehyun got up from the dinning area to help you. his fingers felt the bandage wrapped around your torso and immediate guilt flushed his body. “y/n i-”

“don’t apologize. it wasn’t your fault.” you smiled and he flattened his lips, surprised that you knew what he was about to say. as you sat down, your parents were all dressed and ready for work. “i just got here and you’re leaving me alone?”

“that’s why we called jaehyun here. he lives just across the street. we’ll see you tonight sweetheart.”

silence consumed the house once the door shut to a close. jaehyun rested comfortably on the chair with his arms behind his head. hungry as you were, you began to eat, cautious and carefully. you told yourself you should be used to having him around. however, it was today that you felt nervous. even his exhales got you on the edge. you tried to look at him, only to avert your eyes immediately when he caught you. “how’s the wound?” he asked.

“well i never thought i’d experience it myself before i’d treat actual patients.” you said, soon grasping the situation that you didn’t mean to put it directly at him. “ah i’m not saying this because i blame you for what happened-”

“i know, but.. you did treat me when i was shot.” jaehyun took a sip of his cup. “so your answer’s invalid.”

“you asked the damned question jaehyun!” you scoffed and slight stood from your chair.

jaehyun saw a brief shade of pale onto your lips and went beside you. you looked up to see him with eyebrows narrowed. “get up, i’m checking your wound.”

“my wounds are perfectly fine! mom just fixed it.” you angrily munched on your toast when he suddenly knelt on the floor, back facing you. “what the heck are doing?”

“i’m giving you a piggyback ride.” his hands gestured you to get on.

“what am i, five?” you ignored his offer.

“what are you, ms. stubborn? if you move now, you’ll widen the already opened incision.” he finally turned around to carry you and when he placed you on the sofa, he grabbed the first aid.

“this is so awkward.” you sat in front of jaehyun as you lifted your shirt.

“not at all. i’m treating a stubborn patient who apparently is very cranky early in the morning.” he carefully cut the surgical tape and held his breath when he saw the two stitches from gunshot wounds onto your flesh. “look about this..”

you waited for him to speak, but he didn’t continue further and treated the wounds. “why are you blaming yourself?”

“because you got hurt.” he gently dabbed with a cotton. “when it was supposed to be me. i didn’t see that he already got it out and before i know it, blood was spilled.”

“but you didn’t pull the trigger.” you bent your head down.

“but i’m the cause why it triggered, okay?!” he raised his voice, making you flinch at his tone from behind. “i ran away from my past so that i could live a good one! yet it still haunts me and every where i go, i’m always caught in their web! it’s been like this! then when i met you, i was afraid and i knew that i’ll eventually put you in harm’s way. deep inside me, i saw it as a sign that being with you might protect me, that they wouldn’t do anything to me when you’re with me. then when the gun fired, there you were saving me from my mistakes and-”

you felt a heavy weight onto your head, teardrops dampening the nape of your neck. “i’m so sorry y/n..”

“you really *coughs* are a bad boy.” you said so suddenly that jaehyun shot up. your coughs made him to kneel in front of you, checking if you were alright.

“what?” he asked.

“a baby and dumb boy.” you giggled through breaths and though it got him taken aback, he was assured, somehow. “did i ever blame you for the gunshots? did i say it was you who hurt me? i never thought of you as the guy everyone thought they saw two years ago. so why are you still sticking with the fact that i might change after that night? i know you grabbed a gun too, but you didn’t bring it out. if you ran away from the past that just means you’re willing move forward to the new. if you’re afraid of ever hurting me, i know fully that you’ll never do that.”

he sat onto the carpet waiting for your next words; like a golden retriever, you told yourself. “i was looking for you when i woke up and besides, when i took the bullet.. it’s kind of..” you paused. “..returning the favor for saving me too? if you were shot, it might ease the people who were judgmental of you but.. not me. i wouldn’t be able to sleep if that happened you know? like-”

you saw his torso moving closer to yours. it was brief, but you saw the warmest smile from his lips before he hugged you. his hands caressed your head as if he was doing it to a child. “ah.. so i topped first?”

“ha?”

“i was your top 1 after all.” he smiled that his cheeks formed those damned dimples. “you thought of me before your parents and bunbun.”

“n-no! i mean i-it’s normal, right? the last person i saw before fainting was you so i-”

jaehyun rather than listening to your excuses longer, he preferred to hug you before you catch his ear turning redder. when he let go of you, his eyes twinkled as if a shooting star reflected in them.

“y/n, do you know you’re extra pretty when you’re flustered?” he teased, going back to treating your wound.

dumbfounded, you scoffed at his easy-goingness. “do you know you’re extra flirty when you think i like you?”

“you don't like me?” he whimpered how a puppy would do.

“i don’t.” you replied so proudly.

“that’s so mean.” he began to take the scissors to trim off the extra strand of tape. “i compliment you all-”

you closed the gap in between. “i love you.” you closed your eyes as you said the three words you planned not to tell him.

jaehyun gasped but he smiled afterwards. “my dream’s granted already?”

“urgh don’t make me more embarrassed than i already am jaehyun! i hate it when you’re always having fun and-”

“i love you too.”

#nct 127 #jung jaehyun #jung yoonoh #nct jaehyun #nct #jaehyun #jaehyun nct #jaehyun x reader #jaehyun writings #nct writings #jaehyun fanfic #jaehyun oneshot

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recentanimenews · 4 years ago

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Bookshelf Briefs 9/30/20

Accomplishments of the Duke’s Daughter, Vol. 6 | By Reai and Suki Umemiya | Seven Seas – Another series down to “once a year” release—I had to jog my memory at the start to recall what had been happening. Many things are going wrong for our heroine, who is trying to be strong and tough but is also starting to break down, and I felt that the scenes with her and Dean struck just the right balance of comforting and letting the heroine cry without making her seem weaker. This sets the stage for her comeback, which is extraordinary. (And also has a corrupt Church, a constant in Japanese light novels, though at least here there are also honest and good religious people in it.) That said, eventually Dean’s identity will come out, and I do wonder how this very good “villainess” isekai will handle it. – Sean Gaffney

The Ancient Magus’ Bride: Jack Flash and the Faerie Case Files, Vol. 1 | By Yu Godai, Mako Oikawa, and Kore Yamazaki | Seven Seas – A faerie switched at birth for a human child, Jack never fit in in either world. Only in the mortal realm could she earn money for anime collectibles, however, so she decided to make herself into a tough, capable woman like her literary heroes and set up shop as a detective. Together with her fellow changeling, Larry the werewolf, Jack takes on supernatural cases in New York City. In this volume, Lindel tasks them with tracking down a missing dragon egg. I liked the resources Jack uses to obtain information, which include a dapper theatre ghost and a spell with components of rat whiskers and taxi tires because “Nobody out there knows this city better than them.” I still found this a bit hard to get into, though, especially the parts involving a perpetually tearful off-off-off-off-Broadway actress and her pickpocket boyfriend. Still, I will check out volume two! – Michelle Smith

Black Clover, Vol. 22 | By Yuki Tabata | Viz Media – At long last, this interminable arc comes to an end. I enjoyed a lot of it, but I cannot deny it should have been about two volumes shorter. Most of the book is taken up by shonen battles, with the villain being nigh unkillable, the heroes almost breaking themselves to stop him, etc. Fortunately, the day is saved, and even the Wizard King turns out to be… sort of alive again? Shota fans should be happy. Asta fans perhaps less so—the sheer amount of damage done to the kingdom in this arc means someone has to be blamed, and give Asta has the “dark evil magic” it’s gonna be him, especially when he takes the incredibly obvious bait they use to get him to fight. Oh well, if Asta were smart, this wouldn’t be Black Clover. – Sean Gaffney

Don’t Toy with Me, Miss Nagatoro, Vol. 3 | By Nanashi | Vertical Comics – Part of the problem with titles like this and the other teasing works (Takagi-san less so as Nishikata doesn’t fall into the category) is that they are, at heart, the classic “extroverted girl acts overtly extroverted to bring introverted guy out of their shell,” and that’s not really a plot that feels comfortable in the Gen Z days, where you’re more likely to say “why doesn’t she just let him be in his quiet, safe space?” And by she I mean they, as Nagatoro’s two friends appear far more often here, which offers some good two-way teasing action, as they clearly see her crush on him, if not why. It’s still sort of hard to read, but if you pretend he’s more OK with it than he actually is, this is cute. – Sean Gaffney

Failed Princesses, Vol. 1 | By Ajiichi | Seven Seas – The concept of “popular girl meets unpopular girl” is a common one in yuri manga, and we do indeed hit several of its tropes in this first volume. The amusing thing is that Kanade, the shy outcast girl, is perfectly aware of how things are supposed to go, and keeps pulling back a bit to try to save Nanaki from, well, making herself an outcast by associating with the wrong people. The best part of the volume is that Nanaki really doesn’t give two shits about any of that, and seems set on making Kanade her best friend… and also making her over, which backfires a bit as Kanade cleans up nicely. I hear this gets a bit dramatic later, but for the moment it’s a cute and fluffy proto-yuri story. – Sean Gaffney

In/Spectre, Vol. 12 | By Kyo Shirodaira and Chashiba Katase | Kodansha Comics – The first story in this volume is another “Rikka tries to make people understand Kotoko is an evil Machiavellian schemer,” this time with one of her ex-classmates, but again the response seems to be “we know she’s a manipulative bitch, but she’s a good person anyway.” The larger story, which will continue into the next book, seems to be a chance to write Kuro and Kotoko as an actual romance, as the man we meet here and his relationship with a yuki-onna… as well as his penchant for attracting misfortune… very much parallel them. That said, they’re very cute together, which is why I hope he avoids the murder charge he’s now being investigated for. Still a favorite. – Sean Gaffney

Interviews with Monster Girls, Vol. 8 | By Petos | Kodansha Comics – The author knows what people want to see, but also knows that the best way to get readers is to drive them crazy by not showing it. We finally get what we’ve been begging for here, as Tetsuo asks Sakie out on a date. (This is after rejecting Kyouko’s love confession, both because she’s his student and also, as he is forced to admit, as he likes Sakie.) The stage is set for the date… and the rest of the book is thus spent with the three main student girls going to Kyouko’s for a fireworks viewing and meeting her family. They’re good chapters, and I really liked showing how difficult Kyouko has it as a dullahan in terms of everyday life, but GOD, please get back to the teachers, I beg you! – Sean Gaffney

Kaguya-sama: Love Is War, Vol. 16 | By Aka Akasaka | Viz Media – The series has gotten to the point where the more rewarding chapters are the ones as part of a larger arc. Not that the one-shot chapters are bad—though Maki’s journey to India may be the most pointless thing in this entire series to date, we do get Chika’s iconic “shut up or I’ll kill you” here. But the larger arcs, featuring Miyuki and Kaguya attempting to date without interruptions, and setting up Ishigami and Iino for a romance—though given the number of limbs broken in this book, and Iino’s own horrible lack of self-awareness, it may be a ways out—are better. This series is still hilarious, but we’ve come to read it more for the heartwarming moments. Heck, there’s even some serious drama here. Very good. – Sean Gaffney

Nineteen | By Ancco | Drawn & Quarterly – Although it was translated and released second in English, Nineteen is a precursor to Ancco’s internationally award-winning manhwa Bad Friends. The volume collects thirteen short comics originally published in Korea over a decade ago which absolutely remain relevant to today’s world. While understandably not as polished as some of Ancco’s later work—one can observe her style evolving and growing over the course of the collection (which is fascinating)—the comics still carry significant emotional weight and impact. Nineteen includes diary comics, which tend to be more lighthearted, as well as harder-hitting fictional stories, many of which also have autobiographical inspiration. As a whole, the collection explores themes of young adulthood, growing up, and complicated family relationships. In particular, there is a compelling focus on the relationships among daughters, mothers, and grandmothers. Some of the narratives can be rather bleak, but a resigned sense of humor threads through Nineteen, too. – Ash Brown

Ran the Peerless Beauty, Vol. 8 | By Ammitsu | Kodansha Comics (digital only) – Shoujo manga that has couples getting together BEFORE the end of the series is inevitably going to have an arc dealing with how far the lead couple should go now that they’re dating, and this is Ran’s turn, as she and Akira and their friends go to a beach house Ran’s family owns and have some beach fun. Unfortunately, the cast gets winnowed down one by one until it’s just the two of them… and her overprotective father, who arrives in time to provide the cliffhanger and no doubt ensure that nookie does not ensue. Not that I think it should—these two kids are even purer than the couple from Kimi ni Todoke, and I think they should mature a bit more before going further. Plus, watching them blush and kiss is wonderful. – Sean Gaffney

Spy x Family, Vol. 2 | By Tatsuya Endo | Viz Media – Having spent our first volume establishing that our found family can really come to love each other deep down, this volume shows off how they are also, at heart, fundamentally awkward and unable to socialize normally. This is unsurprising—hints of Loid’s life we’ve seen show him as a war orphan, Yor is a contract killer, and Anya basically grew up being experimented on by bad guys. As the school soon finds, this leads to issues. The second half of the book introduces Yor’s sister-obsessed little brother Yuri, who turns out to be a torture expert for Loid’s enemies. As always, half the fun is that everyone except Anya has no idea who their real selves are, and the cliffhanger tells us we’re in for some hilarious family fun. I love this. – Sean Gaffney

Spy x Family, Vol. 2 | By Tatsuya Endo | VIZ Media – After a brief spell atop the waiting list, Anya officially makes it into Eden Academy. Loid is anxious to progress to the next stage of his mission and, believing there’s not much chance in turning Anya into an elite scholar like his agency wants, focuses instead on having her befriend the younger son of his target. It does not go to plan, of course. Anya is very cute in this volume, and I also really appreciated how Loid genuinely listens to Yor and values her input. The arrival of Yor’s brother, a member of the secret police, is going to be a fun complication, and another cast member with a secret, but my favorite part of this series is probably always going to be how much love these three are already feeling for each other. So unique and good! – Michelle Smith

Sword Art Online: Hollow Realization, Vol. 6 | By Tomo Hirokawa, based on the story by Reki Kawahara | Yen Press – The weakness of this manga is the same as always—it’s written to tie into the games, and features several characters I just don’t recognize, which can be a problem given this is the big final let’s-save-the-world ending. That said, this is still a decent SAO title. Kirito gets to be cool and badass, but because this isn’t written just by Kawahara others do as well, and it’s a nice balanced effort that focuses on heroine Premiere. I also really liked the point where all the NPCs are worried when everyone has to log out for several days for maintenance. While I’ll still remember this as the “SAO only everyone is alive” manga, I enjoyed reading it, when I wasn’t confused. – Sean Gaffney

By: Ash Brown

#Anime #News #Manga Bookshelf

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bygosscarmine · 5 years ago

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W: Worlds Apart - Volume 3: Worlds Aligned

Kang Chul X Oh Yeon Joo - Fix-It Fic (T)

Read from beginning or find previous chapters here: Stories

The grace period is over. It’s time for everyone to pay up.

Chapter 106 - In Defiance of the Light (1149 words)

Despite the slightly uncomfortable extra body heat and her racing blood from making time with Chul, Yeon Joo slept well. Even more strange, she woke not feeling disoriented, as she had often the last...many weeks. Even though it was her room, and Chul was in it beside her. She was aware that it was Sunday, her first day off. The sunshine playing on the wall across the room was not an indication she was late, just that it was a lovely day outside. The back against hers was familiar, though they'd only slept this close once before.

She sat up and looked down at him. It was odd to see Chul still asleep: he always seemed vibratingly awake. As she moved now, he settled onto his back with the extra room and pulled the sheet up. She moved off of it so he could tuck himself in again. In sleep, he didn't look younger, possibly because he didn't have that intent look that translated to a youthful earnestness. Instead, the smooth face showed the strong lines of the face, the jawline not of a boy.

The surgeon in her thought about the scars left on his stomach from the stabbing. She'd automatically thought his follow-up care hadn't been very skillful, on seeing them. The truth was, though, a manhwa character who suffered something that thematic would keep an impressive scar. It meant something, so it wasn't erased the way age was.

And the chain hung around his neck, her ring fallen into the crook of his shoulder. Resisting temptation to bend down toward him and disturb his sleep, she eased off the bed gently to go get dressed.

Even as she stepped toward her dresser, though, she heard the deeper breath of waking.

He was smiling at her, when she looked over. His face was sleepy but the eyes were glinting.

"I love you," he said, as if adding the statement to some previous conversation.

"I know."

"I just wasn't sure if I actually said it right out, or just heavily implied it. So I wanted to make sure."

"Thank you," she said, blushing a little.

He got up and came to hug her lightly. "I will do everything I can to come back for you. You're not obliged to wait for that, but it's true."

It occurred to her, when something in her stomach unclenched, that this is what she'd been hoping for. Why she'd let him come, why she'd let that sense of loss that told her she was falling in love quickly overcome her. Because she didn't want him fatalistic and practical, looking like he went to his death like a lamb.

Was that wrong of her?

"Yeon Joo, are you all right?" her mother said, from just outside the door.

She felt Chul tense at the same time she did.

"I just slept in because I could today," she said, trying to sound like she was still half-asleep.

"Oh, sorry. It's just unusual for you. I'm going to the market, let me know if you need anything."

Chul hurriedly went to sit on the bed, as if worried that her mother would come to ask her something else--and as if he could hide in the blankets were that to happen.

But they soon heard the door to the apartment close, and Yeon Joo took a deep breath. "I forgot she'd be home this morning," she said. "I'm fortunate we've been running low on vegetables."

"Are you keeping your fiance a secret from your mother?" he teased.

"Introducing my mother to the idea by having you come to the breakfast table doesn't seem very nice."

"No. Particularly not if I then wasn't to be seen again." After a second, he said, "Is it alright if I used the shower?"

"Go ahead."

She got him a towel and showed him how the shower worked, then hurried away to her room to be embarrassed about everything in peace while he was occupied.

They pretended things were normal as they ate breakfast. Yeon Joo was nervous about her mother returning before they left for the studio, but Chul pointed out he could have come to talk business. She didn't think her mother was nearly obtuse enough for that to work.

But she was not back by the time they got into her car and Chul drove them to meet Soo Bong. This felt weirdly deceitful, though it was handy.

"Things might happen quickly today," Chul said, abruptly. "So I wanted to tell you that I'm sorry. I can't help thinking about the way I treated you before. I'm sorry for being someone who put my salvation first even when I was trying to protect you."

She wanted to cry, but she had kind of wanted to cry a lot lately.

"I...forgive you," she said. "This time I can say that, I think. I couldn't offer you forgiveness before, because it wasn't about me. And I also have things to apologize for. Including letting myself think it could be easy, and letting you rush into something so costly. I wasn't paying attention to my father's desperation. I should have asked you to give me more time."

"I've seen what kind of man I was," he said, gently. "It was hard to ask, wasn't it?"

"A little. But we all learned that lesson the hard way."

"Well, I forgive you, too." Chul's tone was light, but his hand reached over to clasp hers.

He only let go when he went to park outside the studio. Once he'd tucked her car in on the side of the street, he caught her arm as she went to open the door. When she turned to give him an inquiring look, he leaned over to her to give her a kiss.

It was soft, and not very long, but it already had way more history behind it than the similar first kiss of the day before.

When he drew back he saw she still was wondering what he was up to.

"I told you, your husband wasted time. I'm stupid enough to be leaving, too, but I wanted to at least act like a fiance until that point. I'll get your door."

With all the careless grace of the manhwa hero he was, he opened her door and she got out feeling a little silly and a little flattered. She didn't stare but she tried to commit to memory the line of his shoulder and arm, reached out to hold the car door for her. She clung to this image in her mind even as she walked into the house where her father was faceless and still. Where the tablet waited to send Chul back to W if they were very lucky, and Yeon Joo would have to once again wonder if she'd be pulled back in. Where this respite was about to end.

END OF VOLUME THREE

#W #W Two Worlds #korean drama #fanfiction #Oh Yeon Joo x Kang Chul #Kang Chul #Oh Yeon Joo

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bygosscarmine · 5 years ago

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W: Worlds Apart - Volume 3: Worlds Aligned

Kang Chul X Oh Yeon Joo - Fix-It Fic (T)

Read from beginning or find previous chapters here: Stories

Kang Chul is on task from the first moment in his creators’ world. Which is just as well, because Oh Yeon Joo is having world-lag again. Luckily, Soo Bong is there to play a plucky assistant.

Chapter 86 - Soo Bong Meets His Icon (735 words)

Yeon Joo went back into the house, feeling a little feverish in a way that boded poorly for this particular transition between worlds, and found Soo Bong encountering Kang Chul face-to-face for the first time.

The stupefied look on Soo Bong's face was priceless.

"You are?" Chul asked.

"Park Soo-Bong," Soo-Bong responded loudly, as if answering to a senior officer or upperclassman.

"You are the assistant, yes?"

"Yes, sir."

"Can you show me the tablet you've been using?"

"Yes, sir!"

"I'm...going to sit down," Yeon Joo said, amusement at this interaction not enough to keep her from fading.

Chul looked over swiftly, then walked closer.

"Are you alright?"

She touched her forehead.

"I sometimes get sick from time-skips happening between...dimensions. I just need to wait it out."

He reached out and put the back of his hand to her forehead, too.

"You are hot. Do you need to go to the hospital?"

"No. Just get me some water in a few minutes. It sounded like you needed to work on something."

He only turned back to Soo Bong once she laid down on the couch. Then they went into the workshop and she closed her eyes.

Park Soo Bong was having an incredible day. In the sense of incredible that meant unbelievable, mostly, though it had acquired a dimension that was pretty great in the last few moments.

"Does she often have that issue, of being ill after passing from one place to the other?" Chul asked in an undertone, once they were in the office.

"What?" Soo Bong asked, like an idiot.

"Yeon Joo."

"Oh! Yes? I mean, it definitely has happened. Yes. I don't know if it happens every time."

Kang Chul had not seemed to need Soo Bong's help finding the tablet, and now got down to dismantling it so efficiently it took Soo Bong a moment to be startled.

Kang Chul noticed this before he could think of what to say, and replied, "It can go back together when we need it, but it's a gateway, and I don't want anyone coming through."

Soo Bong shivered.

"Tell me a little bit about what's happened here. I read the manhwa, but I don't know anything else before the point Yeon Joo meets me. It's my first time seeing you."

"We...sort of met," said Soo Bong.

"I'm sorry I don't remember." He had finished dismantling the tablet already.

"It's nice to meet you, officially," said Soo Bong, and tentatively held out his hand.

Kang Chul grinned and shook hands with him.

The warmth of his palm was somewhat shocking, when Soo Bong was still not over the fact that a character he'd often colored or inked was standing in front of him. He tucked the hand in under his arm to not betray how moved he was.

The expectant look in Kang Chul's eyes reminded him that he'd asked a question.

"Oh! Yes." He explained what he could of the botched plan to give the villain a face, the way Yeon Joo had reported back Kang Chul, Version One's idea of resetting, how Master Oh's face had just disappeared as if scraped off, that Yeon Joo had just disappeared while they were trying to get him restrained, and he had waited and waited until the scrabbling noises of Master Oh's body had thoroughly shattered his nerve....

"You've been through a lot," said Kang Chul. "And I really appreciate everything you've done for me. Can I ask you for one more favor?"

"Yes, of course. Of course!"

"I need you to take Yeon Joo home to rest in her own bed, then go home and do the same yourself."

"But Master Oh...he's just...like that?"

"I can watch over him. If you leave me with a phone and your number I can contact you if anything happens."

"Okay, okay," said Soo Bong. He'd been about to protest, as Chul had noticed, but thinking about being able to sleep, even in his not-particularly-great bed in his efficiency flat, was too beautiful an idea. "Yes. I will go get her now."

He walked away, somewhat dazed, and looked down at the hand he'd untucked.

"I'm never going to wash my hand again," he said softly.

He had never met a celebrity before, and it seemed even crazier to meet a celebrity he'd helped form. Well, at least helped publish. Helped finish in panels already formed.

Kang Chul!

#W Two Worlds #W #kdrama #fanfiction #fic #Kang Chul #Oh Yeon Joo #Oh Yeon Joo x Kang Chul #W Worlds Apart

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recentanimenews · 5 years ago

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Manga the Week of 4/22/20

SEAN: Yes, there’s still manga. May is the apocalypse, April is packed.

Ghost Ship gives us a 2nd Saki the Succubus Hungers Tonight and the 10th Yokai Girls.

No debuts, for once, for J-Novel Club, but we do get Ascendance of a Bookworm 6, The Combat Baker and Automaton Waitress 5, Isekai Rebuilding Project 2, Kobold King 2, and Der Werwolf 7.

Kodansha’s print debut is Perfect World, which had a digital release a while back. I enjoyed the first volume, but never did follow up on it. I should do that.

MICHELLE: Same here. It’s a tough series to marathon. Keeping pace with the print release should be easier than catching up on all the extant digital volumes.

ASH: I’ve been waiting for this one to come out in print!

SEAN: Also in print: Cardcaptor Sakura Collector’s Edition 4, Cardcaptor Sakura Clear Card 7, Fire Force 18, and Sailor Moon Eternal Edition 8.

ASH: The collector’s edition of Cardcaptor Sakura is pretty.

MELINDA: I haven’t been picking up the new edition, but it’s sooooo tempting. It’s such a pretty manga. And Dark Horse’s mid-release shift in trim sizes damaged the prettiness of the last edition for me. (Yes, I still have not forgiven them for that.)

SEAN: The digital debut is Dolly Kill Kill, which ran on the Mangabox App back in the day. A young man’s life is destroyed by monsters that look like mascot costumes. Can he get back what he lost? For fans of weird horror.

There’s also GE: Good Ending 4, I’ll Win You Over Sempai! 3, Kakushigoto 2, The Quintessential Quintuplets 12, Saint Young Men 5, and Shojo FIGHT! 10.

MICHELLE: I have no idea how I got four volumes behind on Shojo FIGHT!, but it has somehow happened! Not that I mind having a decent chunk to devout at once.

SEAN: Seven Seas has the 2nd Bloom Into You light novel (digitally), The Ideal Sponger Life 5, If It’s for My Daughter I’d Even Defeat a Demon Lord 5 (manga version), My Monster Secret 20, and Shomin Sample 12.

Vertical has an 8th Flying Witch, a highly underrated series.

Viz has two debuts. The Art of Junji Ito is what it sounds like, and will probably not give TOO many nightmares.

ASH: Always glad to see more of Ito’s work released!

MELINDA: Same!

SEAN: The other debut is Blue Flag, a title with SO much buzz and hype I worry it can’t live up to it. A Shonen Jump + series, it is apparently about sweet, painful and heartrending days.

MICHELLE: I am soooooo excited for this.

ASH: Same!

ANNA: Me too!

SEAN: Also from Viz: Golden Kamuy 15, Tokyo Ghoul: re 16, and Ultraman 13.

ASH: Here for Golden Kamuy (though I’ve enjoyed some of the earlier volumes more than some of the later ones).

ANNA: Golden Kamuy is one of those series I keep meaning to read but there is so much manga!

SEAN: Yen On split its main April release schedule across two weeks: this is the first. We get Accel World 21, Baccano! 13, Bottom-Tier Character Tomozaki 3, Combatants Will Be Dispatched! 3, and Sword Art Online 19.

The manga debut has a light novel coming out in June. I’m a Behemoth, an S-Ranked Monster, but Mistaken for a Cat, I Live as an Elf Girl’s Pet (S-Rank Monster no Behemoth Dakedo, Neko to Machigawarete Erufu Musume no Kishi (Pet) Toshite Kurashitemasu) is one of THOSE series. A reincarnated as a powerful beast series, with added elf, this runs in Hakusensha’s Young Animal, so expect boobs.

MELINDA: I know every publisher has a niche, but Yen Press… I’m begging for more stuff like Silver Spoon. With a few exceptions, I’ll admit they’ve kind of lost me as a reader. Our tastes just don’t line up anymore.

MICHELLE: I’m still in it for Nozaki-kun and Yowamushi Pedal, but I’m close to being in the same boat. I’m boat-adjacent. I also miss manhwa.

MELINDA: Me too, Michelle, ME TOO.

SEAN: I have good news for you about the week after next, then, Melinda…

MELINDA: YESSSSSSSS.

SEAN: The rest? A Certain Magical Index’s 21st manga volume, Chio’s School Road 8, Gabriel Dropout 8, Kaiju Girl Caramelize 3, Plunderer 4, Reborn as a Polar Bear 3, Shoulder-a-Coffin Kuro Side Story (yay!), Teasing Master Takagi-san 8 (also yay!), Val x Love 8, and A Witch’s Printing Office 2.

ASH: I finally picked up the first volume of A Witch’s Printing Office… I should probably get around to actually reading it.

SEAN: What manga cries out… for JUSTICE?

By: Sean Gaffney

#Anime #News #Manga Bookshelf

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recentanimenews · 4 years ago

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Bookshelf Briefs 7/30/20

Blue Flag, Vol. 2 | By KAITO | VIZ Media – How do I already love these kids this much?! Blue Flag is the story of four friends in their third year of high school who care about each other but who are all also dealing with their own problems and trying to figure out what they want to do with their lives. I especially love Taichi and identify so much with the childhood memory he shares with Masumi—“I regretted my inaction so badly.” Taichi is always trying to become the sort of person who can act (and supports Futaba as she seeks to make the same change in herself). And thus, we are inexorably led to the cliffhanger of this volume, where Taichi gets the chance at a do-over, seizes it without a moment’s hesitation, and perhaps pays another, different price this time. I’ve never meant “I can’t wait for the next volume!” more than I have this time. – Michelle Smith

Dead Dead Demon’s Dededede Destruction, Vol. 8 | By Inio Asano | Viz Media – We finally get one of the big reveals in this volume, which involves the origin of Oran and the sort of girl she used to be. It also gives us, even if it’s not quite the real thing, an origin story of the friendship between her and Kadode, and it’s really sweet and fun. That said, their meeting with an alien goes very differently here, and the series finally begins to tie in with all of the Doraemon parodies that it’s been using at the start and end of each volume. Sadly, this is not a good thing, and the entire volume ends on a horrifically nightmarish cliffhanger that I can’t see ending any way but tragically. As always, I hate reading this series, one of the best manga I’m currently reading. If that makes sense. – Sean Gaffney

Dr. STONE, Vol. 12 | By Riichiro Inagaki and Boichi | Viz Media – We’re going on a boat journey, taking along most of the important cast members, in order to discover the island with Sena’s dad’s past and also find platinum, which can help speed up un-stoning everyone. Unfortunately, there are villains about, and they take out most of the cast, who are petrified once more. In between this, we get a lot of cool Jump adventure, some goofy gags, some fun surprises (we know that Suika would stow away somehow, the question was how) and some serious drama as, well, the cast is being re-petrified by powerful unknown villains. There’s nothing earth-shattering in this particular volume, but it still adds up to a great time. – Sean Gaffney

Haganai: I Don’t Have Many Friends, Vol. 18 | By Yomi Hirasaka and Itachi | Seven Seas – I could review this entire volume, but honestly, the last 50 or so pages sort of dwarf the rest of it. We are reminded, as is the school, that Sena is fantastic at everything and has no idea that other people can’t do what she does. This all comes to a head at the Christmas party, where she starts to be attacked for all of her bad points, and lashes out at everyone in a justified but ill-thought-out diatribe. Which is then passed to Yozora, who also defends Sena and finally, amazingly, admits that the two of them are friends. This may be more important than which girl Kodaka picks, to be honest, and is absolutely fantastic. (Speaking of Kodaka, his solution is very Hachiman, and works about as well). – Sean Gaffney

Moms | By Yeong-shin Ma | Drawn & Quarterly – One thing in particular that makes Moms stand out from other manhwa in translation (and honestly many other comics in general) is the focus of its narrative—the lives and loves of mothers in their fifties. The volume takes direct inspiration from the creator’s own mother after she shared some of her personal experiences and stories about her friends. While there is some humor and absurdity, the resulting work’s realism is gutting as the characters navigate divorces, affairs, workplace harassment, and constantly shifting allegiances. A central thread is an on-again, off-again relationship between Soyeon and her boyfriend Jongseok. Without him she’s lonely, with him she’s miserable, a common theme in Moms. Most of the men in the work are frankly disappointing human beings. The women aren’t always entirely blameless, but they’ve put up with a lot, so it’s exhilarating to witness when they can live their lives with uninhibited gusto. – Ash Brown

Secret XXX | By Meguru Hinohara | SuBLime – Secret XXX is pretty explicit and features a seme who says things like “Too late. I’m not stopping now” and “I love your feeble protests,” but also includes a lot of cute bunnies. Shohei Ikushima is a college student who believes he is allergic to rabbits but still volunteers at Itsuki Mito’s bunny-exclusive pet shop because he’s fallen in love with the gentle-seeming proprietor. I can’t tell if what I found frustrating is intentional characterization, or simply that the narrative had to make Shohei look vapid in order to work. Like, he never actually considered “Do I even swing this way?” until he was literally in bed with Mito. And no one (including his parents, evidentally) ever suggested antihistamine until he finally sees a doctor. I did like the emphasis on appreciating family, though, and plan to read the spinoff starring Mito’s meddling little brother. – Michelle Smith

A Sign of Affection, Vol. 2 | By suu Morishita | Kodansha Comics (digital only) – A lot of shoujo titles are content to move along at a glacial pace, and the good ones do that by keeping the character solid. Yuki and Itsuomi are still feeling each other out. She’s fallen in love for the first time, but has communication issues that go beyond her deafness, and also a childhood friend who (I suspect) likes her more than she is aware. Asd for Itsuomi, he has some past baggage that really isn’t going away, and has goals for the future that do not involve being in Japan—goals which are likely more important to him than romance. Despite that, these two are very cute together, and you’re rooting for them to find a way to make things work. One of the better recent digital-pnly titles. – Sean Gaffney

Spy x Family, Vol. 1 | By Tatsuya Endo | VIZ Media – It only took a few pages for me to completely fall in love with Spy x Family. Debonair “Twilight” is an experienced spy for Westalia, but when his next mission requires him to quickly acquire both wife and child, he ends up choosing an assasassin (Yor) for a bride and a telepath (Anya) for a daughter. Neither Twilight nor Yor is aware of the other’s real line of work, but Anya knows all. Only, she loves her new life and family so much that she isn’t going to say anything to jeopardize it. In fact, she’s doing her best to get accepted into a prestigious school so that Twilight can get closer to his target and they can all continue to stay together. I really like all the characters, the “found family” trope always works for me, the tone is fun, and the art is stylish. More, please, and soon! – Michelle Smith

Takane & Hana, Vol. 15 | By Yuki Shiwasu | Viz Media – The bulk of this volume introduces us to Takane’s mother, who is a lot like he is in both looks and eccentricity, and turns out to have a checkered past with her son that, to no one’s surprise, involves bad communication. Hana tries to get the two of them to make up while also showing off how she’s a great match for Takane, and her cheer is infectious. That said, the background does remind readers just how high a bar Hana has to clear if she’s going to end up happily ever after with the guy she loves. The series is gearing up for its finale, and I suspect that class conflict is really going to come to the fore here. But at least she’s won over Mom, which is a big start. – Sean Gaffney

A Witch’s Printing Office, Vol. 3 | By Mochinchi | Yen Press – Following up on the last cliffhanger, there is another Japanese person here, and he’s actually gone about things the proper isekai way, as opposed to our heroine, Yomiko… um, I mean Mika. Yeah, about that, I get the feeling that 80% of the people reading this series are reading it because they want to see Yomiko from Read or Die in an isekai setting. It even feels like the super-ditzy side of her, as opposed to, well, the other, less popular aspects of Yomiko. As for the manga itself, there’s more Comiket gags, Mika managing to accidentally get a town popular, an ancient spellcaster possessing exactly the wrong person, and a rival publishing company. This is big goofy fun, sort of slice-of-isekai life-ish, but lacks any substance at all. – Sean Gaffney

By: Ash Brown

#Anime #News #Manga Bookshelf

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recentanimenews · 7 years ago

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My Week in Manga: July 10-July 16, 2017

My News and Reviews

Things are more or less back on regular schedule here at Experiments in Manga which means last week I posted the Bookshelf Overload for June. It was a relatively small month, especially when compared to other recent months, but I was still very excited about the various manga, comics, and other books that I picked up. Since I’m back on schedule, later this week I’ll be posting my long-overdue review of Tomoyuki Hoshino’s novel ME. Like the rest of Hoshino’s work available in English (I’ve also reviewed We, the Children of Cats and Lonely Hearts Killer in the past), the novel is challenging but I think worth the effort it takes to read.

Speaking of things that I’ve reviewed in the past, Yeon-sik Hong’s Uncomfortably Happily was a manhwa that I greatly enjoyed. The translator, Hellen Jo, was recently interviewed about her work on the comic and how she personally related to Hong’s story. Manga podcasts seem to be making a comeback these days, and I don’t see that as a bad thing. Last week saw the release of the first episode of Manga in Your Ears, a podcast featuring a few of the manga bloggers that I particularly admire, so I’m very excited to give it listen. Another interesting development that I caught wind of last week was Digital Manga’s most recent crowdfunding campaign. Juné Manga is attempting to raise funds to reprint some titles (A Promise of Romance by Kyoko Akitsu, Endless Comfort by Sakuya Sakura, and Secrecy of the Shivering Night by Muku Ogura) directly through its website rather than through Kickstarter.

Lately, I’ve been somewhat remiss in mentioning the Kickstarter projects that have caught my eye, so here’s a quick list of some of the comics campaigns that are currently running: Lucy Bellwood’s 100 Demon Dialogues is a collection of wonderful short comics exploring themes of anxiety and self-doubt; Elizabeth Beier’s autobiographical comics about bisexuality are being collected together in The Big Book of Bisexual Trials and Errors; the comics anthology Immortal Souls, which focuses on queer witches and dark magicis the followup to the excellent Power & Magic; the third and final volume of Speculative Relationships brings together a variety of science fiction romance comics; Tim’rous Beastie has a great lineup of creators whose comics take inspiration from works like Redwall, The Rats of NIHM, and Watership Down; and finally there’s We’re Still Here, an anthology bringing together fifty-five trans comic creators in what should be phenomenal collection.

Quick Takes

Land of the Lustrous, Volume 1 by Haruko Ichikawa. Despite the frequently heavy-handed and detailed exposition present in the first volume of Land of the Lustrous, I can’t say that I necessarily understand everything that’s going in the series yet, but I am most definitely intrigued. If nothing else, Ichikawa’s illustrations are incredibly striking and I would be happy to read more of the manga for no other reason than the artwork. Twenty-eight crystalline lifeforms known as the Lustrous, each with their own unique qualities and abilities, battle for survival against the enigmatic Lunarians. Phosphophyllite wants nothing more than to fight but, being such a fragile gem, is instead given the task of writing a natural history. Though it’s said to be a vitally important job, Phos isn’t particularly pleased but comes to realize that many of the other gems aren’t wholly satisfied with their lots either. The first volume’s theme is “searching for purpose” which at this point seems to apply both to the series itself as well as to its characters. At first the narrative feels somewhat directionless, generally serving as a vehicle for stunning visuals and not much else, but once the peculiar world and characters have been thoroughly established, a tantalizing potential for greater drive and meaning begins to coalesce.

Sacred Heart by Liz Suburbia. Sacred Heart is Suburbia’s debut graphic novel, a completely redrawn version of her webcomic by the same name. When Ben Schiller comes across the dead body of someone she knows very early on in the comic–a moment that is acknowledged but passes with surprisingly little excitement or comment–it’s one of the first clues that something is off about the town of Alexandria. Eventually it’s revealed that all of the adults have left, supposedly to return, but no one knows when that will be. In the meantime the teenagers have the run of the place, waiting for their parents and distracting themselves from their predicament by spending their time partying and hooking up. But that can only last for so long–tensions are high and more and more people are dying under peculiar circumstances. While there is an underlying and marvelously ominous unease pervading the story, Suburbia also shows a great sense of humor in the comic. The very end of Sacred Heart was a bit abrupt and not everything is completely explained (which admittedly isn’t necessary), but for the most part I really enjoyed the comic and would be interested in reading more of Suburbia’s work. Fortunately, it seems that Suburbia has plans for three more volumes to follow Sacred Heart as sequels.

Whispered Words, Omnibuses 2-3 (equivalent to Volumes 4-9) by Takashi Ikeda. While I enjoyed Whispered Words from its very start, I do feel that it’s a series that gets even better as it progresses. Though there is still a fair amount of humor, Ikeda largely moves away from the over-the-top ridiculousness found in the early series in favor of a more mature exploration of Sumika and Ushio’s changing relationship. It’s extremely unfortunate then that the quality of One Peace Books’ edition somehow manages to get even worse as it goes along. Probably most problematic is that partway through the third and final omnibus a page was skipped. The series is still readable, but the flow of the manga and the two-page spreads are completely ruined as a result. Ikeda has a tendency to develop the story by simultaneously exploring the character’s feelings and experiences from multiple points in time. It’s a technique that can be quite effective, but the printing error can make the transitions between the flashforwards and flashbacks jarring. I do believe the publisher corrected the issue of the missing page in later printings, so it’s something to be aware of and look out for. Quality control aside, Whispered Words is generally a pretty great yuri series. (It also gets bonus points from me for being about karate, too.)

By: Ash Brown

#Anime #News #Manga Bookshelf

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