#that's also where novels/comics/manga/young adult need to go

[jedi-bird]

I really want to go take a shower and lay down, but I have to wait to let the truck in the gate for the donation pickup. I moved a bunch of books around downstairs, restacked the boxes of ones that need to go upstairs, realized I have entirely too many books and can't fit them all in how I want them (definitely past time to commence thinning again). Next week I have to start pulling things from the loft so I can start thinning out the kids books first (there's going to be a lot of overlap thanks to my mom and her collection from work). Lots of chocolate will be eaten during that time to keep mental health up.

[vanessagillings]

Please talk about your favorite animated movies and what makes them special to you! I'm really curious about what you enjoyed about them both in the past and now?

haha, okay you asked!

I LOVE animated movies. My theory on this is that it took me a long time to emotionally relate to most media growing up, where I felt next to nothing watching most movies and shows as a young kid, and didn't relate to books until I was quite a lot older (I read picture books until I was around 10, and then suddenly in middle school, I hopped right to adult novels like 1984 and the entire Darkover series by Marion Zimmer Bradley, ha). But even before I emotionally related to fiction, I really enjoyed watching animation. It was nice to look at, and I enjoyed watching everything move and change. I grew up in the 90's where animated movies were largely 2D, and I spent hours watching and re-watching my favorite movies just studying how the characters moved -- it's definitely a lot of where I got my understanding of human expressions from. But I also think as I got older and started to relate more to fiction, animation was easier to parse emotionally than live action. The body language is clear. The stories are direct and not as forgiving of bad human behavior (I get frustrated sometimes with the defeatism in adult media, that assumes that People Just Act Badly, and that just needs to be accepted). Facial expressions are also exaggerated and more stylized -- think of a single arched eyebrow, for example, an expression that's commonly drawn to express one particular emotion in animation/illustration but which you next to never see on a real human face. My first introduction into serious reading was also manga -- a highly visual medium -- which uses a lot of the same tactics stylistically as western animation: big, expressive faces, bold gestures and big stories. Compare manga with western comics being printed at the time and it's even more obvious to me why I didn't particularly like comics until I was given manga as an option -- and thankfully I lived close to a kinokuniya, so I could spend all my allowance on untranslated books and magazines, which is also where I learned Japanese (もうたくさん忘れてしまいましたけど).

As far as my favorite movies? THAT IS SO HARD. The first animated movie that BLEW MY MIND was The Lion King. I saw it in theaters when I was eight and I was obsessed; it was definitely one of my first special interests. I know that entire movie line by line, frame by frame, and I had the stuffed animals and the trading cards and the clothes (man, was I teased for those clothes!). My other favorite movies as a kid were The Land Before Time, American Tale, and The Secret of NIMH (I was a big Don Bluth fan!) which have left deep impressions on how to approach storytelling for children; I warn you, I go hard on emotions for kids, because I needed that as a kid, and I know I'm not alone. Some of my other favorites are anything Miyazaki but especially Howl's Moving Castle (I relate to Sophie a lot), Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs (what I watch when I'm In A Mood), Ratatouille (a huge source of echolalia for my husband and me, we often detect nuttiness, let me tell you), Wallace and Gromit and Fantastic Mr Fox, which I watch every fall as an autumnal tradition. Even as an adult who likes live action, too, I still tend to like slightly over the top directors like Wes Anderson and Guy Ritchie, or movies that are highly cinematic like Road to Perdition, which is still one of my favorite films of all time.

In my opinion, animation is a super important medium outside of it being a very beautiful one. I truly believe it helped me access and understand emotion better as a child, and as an adult, it's a massive source of inspiration in my own work 💛

(Sorry for length, but you did ask!)

[dropintomanga]

Manga Over Schooling

I’m sure there’s many of us who really dislike school. We dread going to school for all kinds of reasons. Even though education is important, the social structure of schools makes it hard to learn. An enlightening post on Aeon Magazine talked about neurodivergent kids and their struggle to learn due to overwhelming stimuli that a institutionalized environment like school often presents. The article suggested that what those kids need is something very different that standardized education. It’s a really good piece with a shout-out to manga.

The author of the post suggests that children learn how to direct their own education. They use an example of a parent whose child, after years of suffering in school due to a lack of understanding and sympathy about their autism and ADHD, discovered manga and the magic that happened afterwards. These are quoted from the Aeon article

“For Peter, who is now 14, it was about manga, graphic novels that originate from Japan. Emma told me how he came back to reading after years of refusing to go near a book because of his passion for manga.

‘He’s read manga about basketball. He’s read manga that has explored lots of social themes. He’s read manga about man-eating giants. He’s read one manga about ancient military Chinese warfare. He’s read a manga about Vikings. He can tell me all about these Chinese warriors,’ Emma said. She reflected on where they were now, and how much better Peter was doing than she thought he might in those dark days when she was being called into school every day.

‘I can’t believe I’m in this position. Peter is now doing a karate club. He’s doing a fitness session. And he’s doing online D&D sessions every week. He wants to go to Japan. When he has decided something is going to happen, there’s no stopping it.’

Emma explained how much it meant that she was no longer having to follow a school schedule for Peter’s development, which she felt had always pushed him into doing things before he was ready: ‘Over the last 18 months, Peter has naturally been asking for more independence – for example walking into town, purchasing his own books, making his own bed, but also increasingly organizing his day. Being self-directed, we can insulate against the pressure and age-related expectations, allowing for natural progression that is appropriate for them.’”

This is incredible to hear. I love what manga has done for this child. I know this just one of many, many stories about how anime and manga changed young people’s lives. Yet this is a story worth hearing for people with mental disabilities. I do feel that more than not, people with lived experiences are told to stay in their place even when they improve. Societal pressure will often tell them, “You can do whatever you want, but don’t show your problems or explain them at all.” You can still live a good life full of development and free of constraints. 

Children are also smarter than you think and I wish more adults take them seriously when they legitimately ask questions worth asking and express critically-informed opinions. I’ll argue that school is often a mental health hazard due to bullying from peers and the adults who are supposed to stop it. I feel bad for parents of neurodivergent children who have to put up with the BS bureaucracy that comes with institutions that demand children to be “disciplined.”

And yes, manga is good for learning. Reading comics has done wonders for me as a kid and even helped with my schooling. We’re in an awful time where manga (due to covering topics that are considered “controversial”) is a huge target for being banned in certain parts of the world. It’s an attack on imagination and possibility. Those two things don’t necessarily grow in a school setting.

There’s more to a child’s life than school and I hope more eyes are opened to that idea just like how manga opens up reader’s eyes to alternative ways of living life.

[ninja-muse]

📚Mid-Year Freakout Tag 2022 📚

Shamelessly stolen off @yourneighborhoodbibliophile​. And I’m equally shamelessly copying answers from the Mid-Year Reading Update that went up earlier today. 😜

1. How many books have you read so far?

…75

2. What genres have you read?

Fantasy, science fiction, literary fiction, historical fiction, romance, biography, sociology, true crime, poetry, picture books, history, young adult, horror, science, comic books, manga, and essays.

3. Best book you’ve read so far in 2022

A Strange and Stubborn Endurance by Foz Meadows. There’ve been others I rated higher and books that have tied it in ratings, but this is the one that hit solid for everything I look for in a book.

4. Best sequel you’ve read so far in 2022

Where the Drowned Girls Go by Seanan McGuire, if “sequel” means “part of a series”. Shades of Magic, Vol. 2 by V.E. Schwab if it means “actual second book.” I … have not read many sequels this year.

5. New release you haven’t read yet, but want to

Seasonal Fears by Seanan McGurie is pretty high up my TBR. So is Grief of Stones by Katherine Addison. I’m waiting for my library on both counts.

6. Most anticipated release for the second half of the year

Babel! Babel Babel Babel! But also The Worlds We Make by N.K. Jemisin and A Restless Truth by Freya Marske.

7. Biggest disappointment

Age of Ash by Daniel Abraham. I was expecting something with the vigor and breadth of the Expanse novels and this was … not that.

8. Biggest surprise

The Emperor of Scent by Chandler Burr. Didn’t sound like much, certainly didn’t look like much, was absolutely delightful and fascinating.

9. Underrated gems

Semiosis by Sue Burke; The Escapement by Lavie Tidhar;  The Problem with Pajamas by Lauren Stohler; The Emperor of Scent by Chandler Burr

10. Book that made you cry

Monkey Beach by Eden Robinson.

11. Book that made you happy

A Strange and Stubborn Endurance by Foz Meadows.

12. Most beautiful book cover of a book you’ve read so far this year

Gallant by V.E. Schwab and A Strange and Stubborn Endurance by Foz Meadows.

13. How are you doing with your year’s goals?

Not bad! I’m aiming for 150 books, which I’m easily on track for. I’m also trying for one book per month off my physical TBR (ARCs notwithstanding) and I’m managing that, though often barely. No idea what my percentage is for authors of colour, but I’d like to think I’m doing okay on that front too.

14. What books do you need to read by the end of the year?

Everything I haven’t crossed off on this list, which luckily also includes about 2/3 of the current ARC pile, which is also a goal…

I stole this so now you have to too! Mwahahaha.

[ja-khajay]

Stuff I read (and liked) this year

As promised, here’s a list of the novels, comics, manga, etc... I read this year, focusing on the ones I enjoyed and would recommend to people. Under a cut, this is going to be a little long.

-------- Books --------

Favorite book of the year: Stranger in the Woods, by Michael Finkel

Non-fiction. Based on the interviews of the man himself by the author, it is about a man who felt so unfit for society he decided one day to leave it, and spent the next 28 years as a hidden hermit in forest in Maine. The book details how he survived there, how he was eventually found, and some of his reasons for doing so. It’s a great reflection on the nature of loneliness.

Indian creek, by Pete Fromm

...Yet another detailed tale of living alone in the woods. This time, the diary of a student who spent a winter in the mountains to help tend for salmon hatchlings, and how he spent the rest of his days hiking, hunting, meeting the locals. It’s a fun little book who, being set almost the whole world away from where I live, was a nice way to travel.

Howl’s Moving Castle, by Diana Wynne Jones

I don’t feel the need to explain this one since everyone and their mom has seen the movie adapted from it. The book, that I first read a decade ago before I actually watched the film, is a less romantized, more spirited telling of the same story. The writing is absolutely delightful and so is the world it paints, and it’s the first time in ages a book had me laughing out loud during my entire read.

-------- Comics (BD) --------

Favorite comic of the year: Monsieur Désire?, by Hubert and Virginie Augustin

A discreet young woman becomes a maid for a decadent, unbearable, byronesque young lord. Caked in the rigid and oppressive social hierarchy of the victorian era, you follow a mental and verbal joust between the two, as the lord tries his best to offend and corrupt his new unrelenting servant, to little success. The writing and especially the dialogues were stellar, drawing me into the tense atmosphere, watching this trainwreck of a character flamboyantly destroy himself. While there’s no precise content warnings that I can give, this is a mature and heavy story.

World of Edena, by Moebius

Anyone who’s followed this blog for over a month knows how much of a Moebius fan I am. Edena combines the vague, dreamlike, wordless storytelling from stuff like Arzach or The cat’s eyes with an actual plot. While I haven’t completly finished the story, the evolution of the main characters and how the story is told have been great to read through, and as always the art is beyond gorgeous. Unfortunately suffers from some good old sexism in the writing that even if minimal, tasted sour

Le roman de Renart, by Joan Sfar (book 1)

Sfar’s work always has a signature vibe of being dreamy and light without being light hearted, of being down to earth but drifting in the fantastical, and this one is no exception. It’s an adaption of a series of medieval folk tales I grew up with, who uses the same characters to tell an original story. If you’re familiar with icons like Renart as well as other mythological big boys like Merlin you’ll fit right in. There is something special in how the dialogues are written, who feel natural in a way that you’d overhear in a street corner and is very special to me.

The mercenary, by VIncente Segrelles

Another one I post about a lot on this blog. The mercenary is a king on the throne of fantasy cheese. The worldbuilding is interesting at times but the writing is a pretty pathetic display of glorious old time sword and sorcery sci-fantasy 10 years too late for it’s prime (warning for ye old sexism and orientalism that plagues the genre, cranked very high...) but you come and stay for the art. The entire thing is drawn in a series of hyper detailed oil paintings with an insane eye for technical detail, from the engineering of the weaponry, to the architecture and weather, to the anatomy of the fantasy creatures... Each panel stands out as it’s own painting which makes even flipping through it without reading the scenario a treat. Click here to see more of the art, in my Segrelles tag.

The ice maurauder, by Jacques Tardi

A short story about mad scientists entirely drawn like a 19th century engraving. In great Tardi tradition everyone is ugly and mean, it ends terribly, it’s both a hommage to the genre of late 19th cent. to early 1900s dramatic adventure novels and a critical eye on it, and it’s morbidly funny. Most people I saw online hated the way this was written but I’m not them and I really recommend this book. Die mad

-------- Manga --------

Favorite manga of the year: it’s a tie between the following two.

Cats of the Louvre, by Taiyo Matsumoto

Most wonderful comic I have read in ages. The story follows a bunch of semi-feral cats secretly living in the Louvre museum’s attic, and the small group of humans who share their life, walking through the museum as the night watch. When the cats are together, they are represented in a humanoid way, but still act like animals, and “become” cats again when a human is nearby. The plot is a sort of supernatural mystery centered around a kitten who walks around paintings. It’s a love letter to art, sincere and beautiful, with a unique art style and great characters.

Memoirs of amorous Gentlemen, by Moyoco Anno

A sex worker in early 20th century paris starts writing down a diary of the clients she meets, in a quest to cope with the troubles of her life. You follow her, her colleagues, and her bittersweet relationship with an abusive lover. I don’t have much words about this comic, but the art and writing both are amazing, it’s the perfect length and drew me in like little series had before. Obvious content warnings as this is an adult story that talks about sexuality, but also depicts both mental and physical abuse.

Hana, also by Taiyo Matsumoto 

A very short story, this was not made to be read as a comic originally, but served as storyboarding and visual development for a play, and the way it is written follows that. Hana is a slice of life story set in a fantasy world, of a young boy, his family, his village. Despite the setting being an original one, the character interactions are refreshingly... normal, and there is no huge plot to speak of, just a bit of the life of these characters. The art is beautiful, entirely black and white, with a scratchy style and an emphasis on contrast. Matsumoto is on a speedy road to becoming my favorite manga artist haha

Delicious in Dungeon, by Ryoko Kui

While not marked as my year’s favorite, I still consider this series among my favorite manga ever. The art and writing are amazing, and it’s both heartfelt, well concieved and plain hilarious. The story follows several parties of dungeon diving adventurers each on their little quests with a premise of our protagonists, on a panic rescue mission, surviving in the dungeon by cooking and eating the monsters they come across. From a DnD party turned cooking manual dinner of the week beginning, the plot creeps up on you and slowly thickens. I don’t want to spoil anything about the overarching story of this because it was a delight to discover for myself. While everything about DinD rules, I am especially fond of the design philosophy of the author, who puts great detail in the practicality and biology of what she draws, as well as the character writing. Everyone even side characters has so much charm and depth to them, the cast is so diverse and entertaining...! Each character is just a bit lame enough but endearing, and has their own little backstory that shows in the way they exist. It’s a delight

Chainsaw man, by Tatsuki Fujimoto

I went into CSM expecting a borderline campy hyperviolent dumb fun thing to read and was very surprised to find an uncomfortably well written story about a teenager being groomed. The hyperviolent dumb fun fights are here nonetheless and the series still qualifies as shonen for some reason, but the more mature character writing as well as some truly outlandish visuals make it something very special. If you can’t stand shonen, not sure you will like it, but if you don’t mind it, worth trying.

Witch hat atelier, by Kamome Shirahama

The oh so elegant fantasy seinen every cool kid started posting about this year, who I also succumbed to and fast. Witch hat is hard to explain, as most of it’s plot revolves around the rules of the world it’s set in, specifically the regulations around it’s magic and the social and historical reasons for them. It’s about growing up, learning, disability, making art. You follow a little girl taken in by a witch as an apprentice, her magical education, and learn little by little why her lovely teacher is so willing to break a lot of rules... While a bit too gentle and pretty for my taste at times, Witch hat has great worldbuilding and explores sensitive themes I rarely see in manga, much less in fantasy. And Berserk wishes it had art this good

[carriagelamp]

Since it’s Pride Month, I decided this year I wanted to raid the library for a bunch of different queer books to read. Mostly graphic novels in this case, because I’ve had a hard time settling into much reading lately... thought hopefully now that it’s summer and I finally have my second shot I’ll be able to relax a bit more and dig into some heavier novels again. For now, enjoy some light, queer reads that I indulged in this June.

A Wolf Called Wander

A beautiful novel I had been hearing lots about. This story follows the young wolf Swift, who grows up knowing that he and his pack are the mountains, and the mountains are them. It’s in those mountains that he grows and learns and loves… until disaster strikes and he finds himself viciously torn apart from his family and forced out of the mountains that have always meant home to him. Forced to survive on his own. Swift then begins a gruelling journey that makes him face injury, starvation, and the everpresent danger of humans as he seeks a new place he can call home, and new people with whom he can form a pack.

This is all based on the true story of a tagged wolf known as OR-7, following the unbelievable route he took through Oregon and northern California! It was a very neat read, and I’d definitely recommend it if you enjoy stories told from an animal’s perspective because this book is a master class in it.

Bloom

I decided for June to try to read a handful of different queer books, and this was one of the first graphic novels I picked up. It is a super sweet story and the art is lovely. It’s about Ari, a boy who has just graduated high school and is now desperate to move away from his small town and his family’s struggling bakery, to join his band in the city where they hope to make it big. An agreement is finally reached: Ari’s father will let him leave, if he can find someone who can replace him in the bakery, which is how Ari meets Hector, someone who sees artistry and peace in baking. For anyone that’s read Check, Please, it gives off those types of vibes!

Boule et Bill: Bill est Maboul

Another book of Dupuis comics, because I can’t get enough of them! This one I just stumbled across and ended up reading on a whim but it was very cute. Geared younger than the others I’ve read, but still quite funny. It’s the charming hijinks of a young boy, his dog, and the family they live with. Each page or so is a different stand alone joke, a bit like Calvin and Hobbes except expanded beyond a single strip.

Chicken Run: Chicken Pies for the Soul

This was a ridiculous urge I got and had to follow. I recently rewatched Chicken Run (which is, of course, one of the best movies ever made) and felt the need to see if it had ever been novelized. Well, I found something better than a novelization! This is a chapter book with “advice” and stories written by the various characters, post-movie. It really does a good job with grasping the different characters’ voices and making something simple and funny out of it. It was very cute (and available on The Internet Archive if anyone else feels like reading something ridiculous!)

Doodleville

I picked this up on a whim and honestly, I shouldn’t have bothered. It was not very impressive. Very mediocre, awkward feeling artwork, and a story that only slightly manages to redeem it. The concept was kind of neat, and I did like how the ending came about, the rest was rather… plodding. I did not like the main character at all, her friends felt very Intentionally Quirky Aren’t We Cute :3 in a way that just tries too hard, and… yeah. Meh. It technically gets the “queer graphic novel flag” but it’s so in-passing that it feels rather excessive to give it that.

If you are interested, it’s about a world were doodles actually exist as living creatures that can be drawn into existence (the rather unsettling implications of which is never fully explored). This is all well and good, until the main character draws a monster and takes it with her to her art club... where it begins ravanging not only her doodles, but those of her friends. Together they need to work together to figure out how to stop this menace.

FRNCK v4

Phenomenal. I adore the FRNCK series, and book four wrapped up the first “cycle”, revealing several of the big secrets dogging the series so far, and changing how things are going to be able to run in the future.

If you haven’t seen me talk about it before, FRNCK is a graphic novel (a franco-belgian bande dessinée) about a young orphan, Franck, who’s chafing under the constant parade of uninterested foster parents that visit the orphanage he lives in. Determined to learn about his mysterious abandonment instead, he flees the orphanage… but finds himself tumbling through time, landing among a family of cave-people who rather reluctantly take him in and ensure this modern boy doesn’t die in the strange, dangerous new surroundings he finds himself in. You can get these ones in English as e-books, so if you want a really kickass graphic novel series to read please try these.

Haikyu!!

I’ve heard so much about Haikyu!! that I finally gave in and picked up the first book from the library. And I gotta say, it’s well worth the hype! This series really does capture the best parts of a good sports manga -- which is to say the team is filled with interesting, enjoyable character who all need to learn to pull together, boost each other’s strengths, and cover for each other’s weaknesses. Love me some found family tropes and this series oozes it in the best possible way. And then you also get some very cool action scenes as it makes high school volleyball seem like the most intense thing on earth. I can’t wait to continue it

Queer Eye

I haven’t been keeping up with Queer Eye but I was watching it ravenously when it first came out, and this seemed like a very cathartic book to read… and it really was. It had the same gentle, loving encouragement as the show. It doesn’t expect you to change your entire life, but to learn to embrace who you are, and take small steps to enhance those things. There a segment written (presumably) by each member of the Fab Five, explaining the mentality behind what they do on the show and how you can grow in those areas too. It’s very zen.

Spinning

I got this graphic novel out at the same time as Bloom, but it was the one that interested me less of the two... though that’s just because I have less interest in “real world” slice of life as a genre and this one is meant to be autobiographical. If you’re into that, you’ll probably love this because it really is stunning. Very pretty, and the format and pacing is all really well done. It’s a coming of age story for Tillie as she grows up dealing with a crosscountry move, complicated friendships, a burgeoning attraction to girls, and attending competitive figure skating classes.

This Place: 150 Years Retold

A stunning and heart-wrenching graphic novel told by a collection of different First Nation’s authors/artists, recounting oral histories about the 150 years since the colonialist formation of the country known as “Canada”. In other words, this is a post-apocalypse story, but one that really happened and that entire peoples are still fighting to survive. It’s very eye opening and beautifully told. Very strongly recommend the read, especially if you’re at all interested in history.

Torchwood: Serenity

Whoops, not technically a book. I had thought these were technically audiobooks at first, but rather they’re audio dramas that were played on the radio. Still, I decided to include one because I’ve been listening to them like a person possessed and they’re too fun not to at least mention. Let me indulge in my obsessions.

If you don’t know Torchwood, it’s a BBC series that spins-off from Doctor Who, focusing on the enigmatic and flirtatious Captain Jack Harkness, who is running the covert organization known as Torchwood, which is tasked to protect humanity from and prepare them for alien contact. It’s goofy and campy but also more adult and heavy than Doctor Who tends to get, so it is (in my opinion) a really fascinating series. Though it also has content warnings coming out the wazoo so maybe make sure it’s for you before delving in.

Serenity specifically is possibly one of the best Torchwood stories I’ve ever experienced. The Torchwood team concludes that there’s an undercover alien hiding in the idyllic gated community Serenity Plaza, and so that means it’s up to Jack and Ianto to go undercover as a happily married couple and flush out the alien without being discovered first. Even if it means being sickly sweet together, pretending to care about the local neighbourhood barbecues, and actually caring a bit too much about the Best Front Lawn competition. What is truly magical about this one, is that it manages to make it a Fake Dating AU despite the fact that Jack and Ianto are actually dating in canon. But they’re both used to dating as a pair of alien hunters with insanely dysfunctional lives, and who now need to figure out how to deal with domesticity. It is marvellous.

Wilderlore: The Accidental Apprentice

A middle grade novel that felt a bit like a cross between Harry Potter and Pokemon. It’s about orphan Barclay Thorne who wants nothing more than to be accepted in the rule-bound village of Dullshire, and live up to his apprenticeship as a mushroom farmer. He certainly wants nothing to do with the fearsome Beasts who live beyond the village, deep in the Woods or the sinister Lorekeepers that bond with them. It was, after all, a Beast that had killed his parents all those years ago. But when he finds himself at the very edge of the forest, hunting for an elusive mushroom, he is suddenly unable to avoid any of that. Not when a wild girl and her bonded dragon appear to summon a horrible Beast and end up getting Barclay bonded to it instead. Now, if Barclay ever wants to be welcomed back into his home, he has no choice but to venture into the Woods and find a way to sever the bond imprisoning him to the massive, monstrous wolf now imprinted on his body as a living tattoo.

I honestly can’t decide how I felt about this one. I feel like it’d be a really fun read for maybe a grade 5 to 7 student? I was a bit more meh about it. It was fine, but it was very hard not to draw unfavourable parallels to Harry Potter. But for a kid who’s never read Harry Potter? Or even an adult that has but is looking for something different to scratch that itch, this might be a good book to try. I’ll probably try reading the second book when it comes out.

[acecademia]

What are your favorite books and who are your favorite authors? Do you have any tips for reader's advisory?

Hi, nonny!

Fiction-wise, I mainly read young adult. It's my jam. I occasionally branch out into middle grade (shocker) and sometimes I read books that should honestly be classified as "new adult" but that genre hasn't really been established enough yet. I also like comic books and graphic novels (though my comics advisory professor would be very disappointed in me for using that term, even though I like it) and have dabbled in manga in the past.

Some of my favorite books (that I can think of at the moment):

Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo (I'm a huge fan of the entire grishaverse, but SoC is my all-time fave. The Nikolai duology is also bomb af)

Let's Talk About Love by Claire Kahn (the first ace book I read with an explicitly ace protagonist--also biromantic! before I'd fully settled on that as a label for myself)

Binti by Nnedi Okorafor (africanfuturism, sci-fi goodness)

The Enchanted Forest Chronicles by Patricia C. Wrede (honestly, these should be considered classic children's lit, and it's a travesty that they're not)

The Wee Free Men by Terry Pratchett (Tiffany Aching is my girl)

The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin (kid lit murder mystery that I've reread at least a dozen times, and I catch new details and clues every time I read it. A masterclass in foreshadowing and mystery-writing)

Sawkill Girls by Claire Legrand (creepy and dark but also decidedly feminist and with an ace POV character)

The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis (need I say more? The reason I fell in love with portal fantasy)

The Secret of Platform 13 by Eva Ibbotson (another portal fantasy from my childhood)

Every Heart a Doorway by Seanan McGuire (wow, another portal fantasy? It's almost like I have a type)

The Raven Cycle by Maggie Stiefvater (iconic, goddess, I want to be her when I grow up)

The Prince and the Dressmaker by Jen Wang (lovely alternative history graphic novel with awesome fashion and a gnc/genderqueer (it's unclear) main character)

Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine (childhood favorite that stands the test of time. Ignore the movie. We pretend it doesn't exist)

Hazel's Theory of Evolution by Lisa Jenn Bigelow (middle-grade novel with a protagonist who's questioning her identity and starting to understand being aroace)

That's all I got off the top of my head. I'm always open to giving recs especially if you're into YA (and even more so queer YA, especially ace stuff).

For reader's advisory, I mostly just rely on my knowledge of youth lit when that's the genre in question. I read voraciously as a kid and know a lot of (what I consider) classics. I also go to a lot of youth lit festivals, so I know what's coming out and what's popular.

For kids, especially, if they're not as into reading (I hate the phrase "reluctant reader"), I like to recommend comics or graphic novels or hybrid novels which combine prose and illustration or even comic sequences.

Another strategy I use with younger readers (though it also works for any age!) is to ask about interests that are not books. This is great for people who aren't really big on reading or books or have no idea where to start. This kid likes Minecraft? We've got Minecraft novels. That kid really loves soccer? Here's a book about a kid who plays soccer. You have to meet them halfway and emphasize the part of the book that you think will appeal to them.

I also like using tools like Goodreads (especially the "readers also enjoyed" section) and NoveList if you have access to it. Other, more specific databases and websites like LGBTQ Reads (and their tumblr), Good Comics for Kids, Queer Comics Database, and My Anime List (especially if you don't have a lot of anime/manga knowledge yourself) are all great as well. Awards lists can also be a great place to start. There are some great ones for kid lit (Caldecott, Newberry, etc.), queer fiction (the Lambda Literary Awards, in particular), and comics (Eisner). I wouldn't just trust anything you see with an award sticker on it (I will forever be salty about The 57 Bus winning a Stonewall), but they can be a great jumping-off point. If you're really in a bind, you can also "cheat" and google the name of a book the patron liked with "readalikes" or "libguide" and see what other people have posted 😉

[aion-rsa]

Holiday Gift Guide 2020: Books for Geeks

https://ift.tt/eA8V8J

The holiday season is probably going to look very different this year, but there’s one thing that hasn’t changed: the sacred ritual of gift-giving. While we might not be able to gather in the same way for the 2020 holiday season, we can still let the people in our lives know how much they mean to us with the perfect gift (and maybe get ourselves something nice while we’re at it—we deserve it).

We here at Den of Geek believe there is no better gift than a good book and, with nerd culture still very much mainstream culture, there is no shortage of geeky books to get the nerd in your life. From Star Wars and Star Trek to Outlander and Wheel of Time to those speculative fiction books that broke into the zeitgeist this year without a franchise to support them, here’s a list of books we recommend for every kind of geek…

Editor’s note: Den of Geek may receive a small commission from items purchased through the links in this story.

The Eye of the World 30th Anniversary Edition by Robert Jordan

For the “Wheel of Time” fan in your life.

We’re all excited about the forthcoming Amazon Prime adaptation of the Wheel of Time series, especially long-time fans of Jordan’s fantasy epic. It’s been 30 years since the series launched, and this special 30th Anniversary Edition of the first book in the series, The Eye of the World, helps capture all the magic of reading the book for the first time. This edition features a new introduction by Brandon Sanderson, a hardcover stamp of the snake-wheel symbol so important to the series, redesigned jacket art, and a ribbon bookmark. Whether you want to give this to a longtime fan or whether you’re hoping to hook an epic fantasy reader on the series, the high production value on this special edition makes for a great gift.

Buy The Eye of the World 30th Anniversary Edition by Robert Jordan

The Wintertime Paradox: Festive Stories from the World of Doctor Who by Dave Rudden

For the Doctor Who fan in your life.

This spin on Doctor Who features twelve stories in the “Whoverse” all set on or around Christmas. While the holiday doesn’t play an important feature in many of the stories, visions of the Doctor’s Christmas Past, Present, and Future are sure to entertain. Though most likely to appeal to fans of the series, this is also a collection marketed toward children, which makes it possible to share your love of the series with a young person in your life.

Buy The Wintertime Paradox: Festive Stories from the World of Doctor Who by Dave Rudden

Heroes’ Feast: The Official Dungeons and Dragons Cookbook

For the gamer in your life.

While cooking these recipes isn’t as simple as casting the titular spell, it does contain eighty recipes for fantasy inspired feasts. In addition to the recipes—some of which may be a little challenging for beginners, as they start from scratch rather than premade ingredients—the foods come with lore about the foods from the familiar Dungeons and Dragons cultures. Included are recipes for Feywild Eggs, “Orc” Bacon, Dwarven Mulled Wine, and Halfling Heartland’s Rose Apple and Blackberry Pie. Making some of these for game night might be a challenge, but Halfling-style Melted Cheeses with Chunky Tomato Broth sounds so good, your giftee won’t even mind if some spills on their character sheet.

Buy Heroes’ Feast: The Official Dungeons and Dragons Cookbook

Rebel Sisters by Tochi Onyebuchi

For the anti-war, YA fan in your life.

It’s been a big year for Onyebuchi, with this second book in his “War Girls” series and his first adult novel, Riot Baby, hitting the shelves. Onyebuchi’s Afrofuturist YA features nineteen year old Ify as a respected medical officer on the Space Colonies, and Uzo, a synth who’s working to preserve the memories and history of wartorn Nigeria. When a virus hits the Space Colonies, Ify must return to Nigeria for answers—even though she’d pledged to leave her homeland behind. For readers who love strong Black girls leading the action in a space-bound future, this is a fantastic pick.

Buy Rebel Sisters by Tochi Onyebuchi

To Sleep in a Sea of Stars by Christopher Paolini

For the Eragon and space opera fan.

Fantasy readers remember Christopher Paolini from “The Inheritance Cycle,” published for YA readers, which were filled with dragons and magic. But Paolini’s first adult novel heads into space, introducing the Fractalverse setting, and focusing on a xenobiologist whose encounter with an ancient, alien artifact sends her across the galaxy, where the fate of humanity rests on her shoulders. This is a great choice for fans who grew up on Paolini’s YA novels, or for readers who like doorstopper sci fi.

Buy To Sleep in a Sea of Stars by Christopher Paolini

The Hollow Ones by Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan

For fans of The Strain.

The Strain had four seasons on FX, and the horror drama procedural won fans and awards. The show was based on a trilogy of novels from master of horror Guillermo del Toro and literary heavyweight Chuck Hogan, who have now reunited on a fresh series. The Hollow Ones follows a young FBI agent who discovers an otherworldly evil when it takes over her partner—and forces her to kill him in self defense. For fans who love their procedurals with a heavy dose of horror, this is sure to keep their spines tingling.

Buy The Hollow Ones by Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan

The Art of Star Wars: The Mandalorian by Phil Szostak

For fans of Baby Yoda.

The Mandalorian has clearly been a breakout show for Disney+, putting new life into the Star Wars universe, and featuring everyone’s favorite new character, The Child (aka Baby Yoda). The end of each episode features concept art designed for the show, and for viewers who love seeing where the ideas germinated, The Art of Star Wars: The Mandalorian is a fantastic way to dig into the details of the first season.

Buy The Art of Star Wars: The Mandalorian by Phil Szostak

Cemetery Boys by Aidan Thomas

For queer paranormal romance lovers.

Yadriel is determined to prove himself as a brujo—even though his family hasn’t accepted him as a boy. But when he raises the wrong spirit while trying to solve the mystery of his cousin’s death, everything gets more complicated. In our review, we praised the book for its groundbreaking depiction of trans identity in Latinx culture and called it “a riveting, romantic read filled with paranormal wonder.” Fans who loved the queer romance reveal in She-Ra won’t be able to stop turning pages.

Buy Cemetery Boys by Aidan Thomas

Seven of Infinities by Aliette de Bodard

For the lover of science fiction sleuths.

This latest in de Bodard’s Xuya universe features an unlikely pair of detectives teaming up to solve a murder. Vân is a poor scholar hiding her possession of an illegal implant. Sunless Woods is a mindship who is also a thief and master of disguise. The pair have to work together to solve a murder—and unravel their own secrets. For readers who enjoyed de Bodard’s previous The Tea Master and the Detective or enjoy a good detective tale in space, this is a sure hit.

Buy Seven of Infinities by Aliette de Bodard

Super Mario: Manga Mania by Yukio Sawada

For the NES nostalgic.

It’s the 35th anniversary of Super Mario Bros! This is the first Super Mario manga ever available in English, and for classic NES fans nostalgic for the good old days of their vintage system, the zany adventures contained in this volume hit all the right notes.

Buy Super Mario: Manga Mania by Yukio Sawada

Sal and Gabi Break / Fix the Universe by Carlos Hernandez

For the young reader in your life.

The Sal and Gabi duology (Sal and Gabi Break the Universe and Sal and Gabi Fix the Universe) are ostensibly about a boy who can reach through the multiverse and bring things through to his part of reality—but they’re also about friendship, finding common ground, being your best self, and sentient AI. Most middle grade books depict middle school as an evil horrible place, as much an antagonist as the book’s real villain. The Sal and Gabi books do away with all of that. Not only is Culeco Academy the coolest middle school ever, the series manages to ramp up all the tension and drama needed without having an actual villain. (Even the people who seem villainous at first turn out to be different from expected.) These are a delight for adult readers who love middle grade fiction, but they’re even more important for middle schoolers, who deserve to see kids their age saving the multiverse in communities full of hope and love.

Buy Sal and Gabi Break / Fix the Universe by Carlos Hernandez

Outlander Knitting: The Official Book of 20 Knits Inspired by the Hit Series by Kate Atherley

For the crafter in your life.

For fans of either Diana Gabaldon’s time-travel romance novel series or the hit Starz adaptation, this collection of patterns inspired by the show will transport your crafting friend into the Scottish Highlands. Featured among the projects are clothing, accessories, and decorations for the home.

Buy Outlander Knitting: The Official Book of 20 Knits Inspired by the Hit Series by Kate Atherley

The Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham Jones

For horror fans.

Compared favorably to horror-master Stephen King’s It, this classic revenge horror seamlessly combines elements of social commentary and drama. The story follows for American Indian men who, as childhood friends, experienced a disturbing event together. Now, the past has come back with a vengeance, and there’s no avoiding the violence they tried to leave behind. Jones is making his mark in the world of horror, and this is a not-to-be-missed thriller.

Buy The Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham Jones

Teen Titans: Raven and Beast Boy box set by Kami Garcia and Gabriel Picolo

For DC fans.

Garcia and Picolo’s Raven and Beast Boy origin stories reinvent the characters for an audience who may have already met them in kid-friendly Teen Titans Go! or adult-aimed Titans. While the comic versions presented here draw on those previous incarnations, the stories are self-contained, giving readers both familiar and new to the DC series a chance to experience them for the first time. This hardcover box set gives the books an extra gift-worthy feeling.

Buy Teen Titans: Raven and Beast Boy box set by Kami Garcia and Gabriel Picolo

Thorn by Intisar Khanani

For the friend who needs a fresh fairy tale.

In this retelling of “The Goose Girl,” reluctant Princess Alyrra is happy to have escaped royal life. But when she learns of a plot against the prince, she must decide whether to reclaim the heritage she wanted to leave behind, or let the kingdom fall. This beautiful hardcover edition also features an additional short story set in the same world.

Buy Thorn by Intisar Khanani

Dinosaurs: The Grand Tour, Second Edition: Everything Worth Knowing about Dinosaurs from Aardonyx to Zuniceratops by Keiron Pim

For Jurassic World and other dinosaur fans.

While the 2020 entry into the Jurassic World franchise, Camp Cretaceous, was geared toward younger viewers, plenty of adults never grow out of their love of dinosaurs. And why should they? These prehistoric terrors continue to be amazing—and modern scientists continue to make new discoveries on an almost weekly basis. This huge guide to dinosaur species offers references for more than 300 species full of colorful illustrations that show these titans in all their (feathery!) glory.

Buy Dinosaurs—The Grand Tour, Second Edition: Everything Worth Knowing about Dinosaurs from Aardonyx to Zuniceratops by Keiron Pim

The City We Became by N. K. Jemisin

For the SFF connoisseur.

This series starter is set in a contemporary New York—but the city is coming to life. But a city killer is trying to stop New York from evolving, and the city’s mortal avatars are the target of its plans. It’s not uncommon to hear people considering N. K. Jemisin the best modern writer of speculative fiction, bar none, so picking up The City We Became, her most recent novel, is a no brainer if you’re buying for someone who likes smart, quality SFF.

Buy The City We Became by N. K. Jemisin

Cyber Shogun Revolution by Peter Tieryas

For the mecha enthusiast.

This triumphant conclusion to Tieryas’s United States of Japan trilogy, which can be read as a stand-alone, takes place in an alternate reality where Japan and Germany won World War II and divided the United States between them. An assassin known as Bloody Mary is determined to eliminate corruption from within the United States of Japan, regardless of the cost. It’s up to a secret police agent and a star mecha pilot to stop her, but determining enemies from friends is almost impossible. Tieryas balances the super cool world of mecha battles and spy action with searing social commentary and ethical questions, making this a challenging but imminently worthwhile read for fans of Pacific Rim.

Buy Cyber Shogun Revolution by Peter Tieryas

Star Trek: The Wisdom of Picard by Chip Carter

For the Star Trek fan in your life.

Captain Jean-Luc Picard has always been quotably wise. In this collection, Chip Carter pulls together some of the greatest lines, featuring Picard’s thoughts on leadership, justice, and space exploration. The quotes are accompanied by photography from iconic scenes of The Next Generation, making this a perfect gift for the Star Trek fan who already has everything.

Buy Star Trek: The Wisdom of Picard by Chip Carter

Axiom’s End by Lindsay Ellis

For fans of Arrival and Stranger Things.

This first contact story from Hugo-nominated video-essayist Ellis is set in an alternate 2007. In the world of the novel, Cora’s father has blown the whistle on the first contact cover up. Cora herself wants nothing to do with aliens, but when one of the aliens decides Cora is the only human he’ll talk to, she’s stuck in the middle of everything. For lovers of aliens and conspiracy theories, this is one to pick up.

Buy Axiom’s End by Lindsay Ellis

Court of Lions by Somaiya Daud

For lovers of YA court intrigue.

In this sequel to Daud’s Mirage, Amani, who has been forced to serve as the body double for Princess Maram, is on her last chance. The princess discovered Amani’s connection to the rebellion, and now Maram is suspicious of anything Amani does. Yet Amani is dedicated to the cause of seeing her people free, which means she has to make a choice: continue to work from within the palace and risk her life, or flee and risk her people. For a female-centered plot that deals with consequences of colonialism, this series conclusion and its predecessor are a sure hit.

Buy Court of Lions by Somaiya Daud

Star Wars From a Certain Point of View: The Empire Strikes Back

For the Star Wars fan.

Called “one of the best Star Wars books released this year” in our Den of Geek review, this anthology is packed with stories from authors both well-known and unfamiliar, whose works delve into the lives of central and side characters from The Empire Strikes Back. While some explore relationships between key characters (Luke, Leia, Obi-wan), others tackle the points of view of previously unnamed creatures (Sy-O, the space slug that swallows the Millenium Falcon). The stories are sometimes delightfully weird, other times grim or tender, and all a good gift choice for the Star Wars fan whose favorite film is still Empire.

Buy Star Wars From a Certain Point of View: The Empire Strikes Back

Remina by Junji Ito

For the manga fan.

This science fiction horror story centers on Dr. Oguro, who discovers a planet that has emerged from a wormhole and names it after his daughter, Remina. But as the girl Remina rises to fame, the planet shifts its course, threatening all life on Earth. Could Remina herself be the cause? This chilling story is a classic from Eisner-winner Junji Ito newly released for an English-reading audience.

Buy Remina by Junji Ito

Be Water, My Friend: The Teachings of Bruce Lee by Shannon Lee

For the martial arts enthusiast.

For friends who like a little more grounded, real-world take, this exploration of Bruce Lee’s philosophies, written by his daughter, offer insight into the legendary martial artist. Although this title offers no martial arts tips, it is full of philosophy, untold stories, and inspirational takes from the cultural icon.

Buy Be Water, My Friend: The Teachings of Bruce Lee by Shannon Lee

Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

For the lover of gothic horror.

When her cousin begs her to come rescue her from a mysterious doom, Noemí heads to a house in the Mexican countryside. As she looks into the secrets of both the house and her newly-wed cousin’s husband, Noemí finds that there’s more danger—real and supernatural—than she ever imagined. Set in the 1950s, this supernatural horror blends elements of Rebecca and science fiction for a chilling novel perfect for lovers of classic gothics.

Buy Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

Marvel Greatest Comics: 100 Comics That Built a Universe

For the Marvel fan.

In a collection that spans the entire history of Marvel comics, characters like the Human Torch, Spider-Man, the Avengers, and the Guardians of the Galaxy show their historical origins. If you have a fan who’s waiting impatiently for the next MCU offering, this collection of some of Marvel’s defining comics from the company’s history may be just what they need to tide them over.

Buy Marvel Greatest Comics: 100 Comics that Built a Universe

Star Daughter by Shveta Thakrar

For lovers of mythology and fairy tales.

Billed as Neil Gaiman’s Stardust meets Hindi mythology, this debut novel centers on the daughter of a star and a mortal. Sheetal tries to be normal, but when her starfire accidentally hurts her mortal father, she must travel to the celestial court in order to save him. The combination of court intrigue, mythology, and a fairy-tale like tone is perfect for YA lovers.

Buy Star Daughter by Shveta Thakrar

Emerald Blaze by Ilona Andrews

For the romantic who needs a great stocking stuffer.

Although better known for the popular Kate Daniels series, the Ilona Andrews team (husband and wife Ilona and Gordon) has knocked it out of the park with the most recent installment in their “Hidden Legacy” series. There are now five novels and a novella in the series, with Emerald Blaze as the second book of a second arc, but while the book is most likely to resonate with readers already introduced to the character, it’s also a stand-alone magic-spy-action-adventure-romance. Despite that blend of genres, Team Andrews melds it all together in a world with both super cool magic and an alternate-reality Instagram, featuring characters you want to hang out with regardless of the stakes. The mass-market size also makes it perfect to slip into a stocking!

Buy Emerald Blaze by Ilona Andrews

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[yurimother]

LGBTQ Manga Review - Seriously Seeking Sister

Most novels have a blurb online or on the back cover setting up the plot and hinting to the reader what experience they may be in for. There are rare occasions, especially when it comes to light novels, where such description is irrelevant because the title tells us everything we need to know. Seriously Seeking Sister! Ultimate Vampire Princess Just Wants Little Sister; Plenty of Service Will Be Provided by Hiironoame is one such light novel. There is a vampire, she is ultimately powerful, she wants a little sister, and there will be service. At first, little of this description sounded appealing, but, Seriously Seeking Sister is a surprisingly enjoyable and engaging read.

Seriously Seeking Sister begins when Ristia, the most powerful of the True Blood vampire tribe, stops time for herself out of spite for her father not giving her have a younger sister. She awakens a millennium later to discover that the land is now ruled by humans and powerful magical creatures are all but extinct, including her family, making her the ultimate sorceress. Still determined to be a big sister, Ristia determinedly sets out to find a young girl to make her “little sister.”

This setup could easily lend itself to a veritable mountain of lewd service and perverted encounters, but the story is rather tame and enjoyable. Most of the time, Ristia is just going around being nice to children and helping them out with her incredibly overpowered magical abilities, and this can be extremely fun to read about and pretty rewarding. By the end of the novel, Ristia heals the sick, saves lives, helps the poor, becomes the director of an orphanage, and establishes a maid cafe, all great deeds of selflessness! Risita accomplishes these amazing feats while maintaining the line that she is “just a normal girl,” something which no person believes as she creates magical miracles and is hailed as an angel.

Ristia’s adventures are generally satisfying and fun. Any gripes I have with the story, such as the large amount of narrative exposition, especially early on, can be offset by the enjoyable dialogue, hilarious inner narration, and well-established world and magic systems. However, there is one serious point deserving of larger dissection.

While most of Seriously Seeking Sister is gentle magical fun there are moments where more sinister and serious issues come into play. Chief among these are some of the men in positions of authority, such as the director of the local orphanage, who mistreats the children and forces one of the older girls, Maria, to perform sexual acts on him and other men. On one hand, seeing these vile creatures get their punishment at the hands of Ristia and her vengeance is immensely satisfying, but I cannot confidently state that Hiironame handled such delicate subject matter perfectly.

There is a lot that I think is done right, such as Ristia being accommodating to Maria’s trauma and healing process and the glorious exclusion of any rape scenes. However, I cannot shake my apprehensions. There is a bit too much of describing Maria’s body, and two somewhat lewd scenes where she allows Ristia to drink her blood. I cannot definitively say that the subject matter is expertly handled, I am just an ordinary teacher after all, and not capable of making such broad claims. For now, I shall digress with the conclusion that it is not done poorly or carelessly.

As the protagonist, Risita is easily the most present and established character. She is also consistent throughout the story, in both her personality quirks such as claiming to be an ordinary girl and being slightly naive about the mythical proportions of her powers and her primary goal of finding a younger sister. This drive of hers leads to many hilarious situations as Ristia tries to endear herself to younger girls to be seen as a big sister. Usually, her endeavors succeed but fall comically adjacent to her true goal. There are however a few flaws to her character.

Ristia being a vampire has surprisingly little impact on the story, and serves only as an explanation for her incredible magical powers. Her vampiric race could be used to explore what it means for Ristia to be a vampire masquerading among mortals. But, the only place her identity matters is in the sporadic hunger for her friends�� blood that causes a tiny amount of inner conflict. There are numerous other missed opportunities for inner reflection or greater personal conflict, such as her pondering what became of her family or realizing that she lost them because of her selfish actions. These instances could have provided some much-needed depth to the character.

The other characters are similarly shallow. The orphans Risita raises, the smattering of local townspeople she meets, and the noble Charlotte are enjoyable but lack any interesting qualities beyond their cuteness and devotion to Ristia to make them interesting. They have no real complex traits or conflicts in which one can get invested. Nanami, who is saved by Ristia from a dragon early in the story, is somewhat more complex. She at least gets a few scenes of growth as she becomes attached to Ristia and helps the vampire princess navigate the modern world. Unfortunately, her appearances throughout the novel dwindle after the first act, leaving her underutilized.

The only side character I became invested in is Maria, as she has an emotional and personal arc and all of several personality traits. She is severely protective of her fellow orphans but her experiences have left his distrustful and wounded. Thanks to Risita’s actions and kindness, she begins to open up and her relationship with the self-proclaimed normal girl develops naturally and convincingly. Their interactions quickly became some of my favorite parts of the novel, not for their comedy but the empathy and, ironically, humanity displayed by the girls.

While Seriously Seeking Sister is a yuri work, centering on the relationships Ristia develops with various girls, it is hard to classify it as LGBT. Keep in mind, a work being yuri does not always denote queerness. It is often up to the interpretation of the consumer to decide what is “yuri” and what is “queer.” Ristia engages in few romantic or sexual interactions with any of the characters encountered, save the previously mentioned instances in which she drinks Maria’s blood. Her primary goal is to acquire a sister, which calls to the sisterly relationships of S yuri, although I would not classify Seriously Seeking Sister as such. It is, however, more about the familial bonds formed between the characters as they become a pseudo-family unit. There is nothing wrong with these, and it can be very sweet and heartwarming, but you will not get much lesbian representation here.

As previously stated, the novel is not a very sexual work, and it is generally light on explicit content. The last line of the title, “Plenty of Service Will be Provided” could be considered a misnomer, as there is little crude content beyond the occasional reference to some characters having large breasts or the few times the color of Ristia’s underwear is mentioned. Of course, there are different forms of service, as there are a plethora of instances in which young people act cute and wholesome fun together, which rarely fails to put a smile on my face at least.

 The only exceptions to this rule are the scenes in which Ristia drinks Maria’s blood and one chapter spent in the bath. These passages read similarly to the soft-core explicit scenes found in many young adult novels. However, the book remains pretty tame and may at most cause a few of the more sensitive readers to blush. Funnily enough, the second and more sultry occurrence of this interaction does not even occur in the main story, but in one of the short supplementary tales included at the end of the book.

Seriously Seeking Sister is by no means a literary masterpiece. There are flaws in its dulls, yet admittedly cute, characters and it can struggle to keep the reader invested. However, its structure is good and the situations enjoyable. The book is a light and fun fantasy story that will likely put a smile on your face and leave you satisfied, even if it leaves little lasting impression. If such a story sounds pleasing, I encourage you to get Seriously Seeking Sister! Ultimate Vampire Princess Just Wants Little Sister; Plenty of Service Will Be Provided.

You can purchase Seriously Seeking Sister digitally now: https://amzn.to/2z41K3r

Ratings: Story – 7 Characters – 4 LGBTQ – 1 Lewd – 3 Final – 6

Review copy provided by J-Novel Club

[patheticphallacy]

This is the first in my Graphic Reading Wrap Up series.

I read enough manga, comics and graphic novels that I figured I’d be better off doing separate wrap ups so I don’t find myself having to cram a shit ton into my reading wrap ups every month. I want to spend more time actually talking about what I read, especially graphic fiction/non-fiction, which I get through so much of that I feel like I don’t spend enough time explaining my thoughts.

If you would like longer reviews of anything I talk about in this post, let me know. I have some P L A N S for Christmas blogging to make up for what will be a smaller November upload month.

#1 is my first wrap up after my September wrap up, if you want to see what else I’ve read.

Assassination Classroom Volume 5 by Yusei Matsui

I’m very fond of this series, and the growth of its characters. The prioritisation of developing the students and their self esteem is so incredible: rather than beating his students down, Korosensei works them towards improvement, and it’s interesting seeing so many layers of characters who aren’t strictly good or evil. This volume has the end of the baseball arc, a fight against the new PE teacher, and the next arc is another assassination attempt on Korosensei, which is exciting.

Check, Please! Book 1: #Hockey by Ngozi Ukazu

I’ve been reading this webcomic since 2016, so finally being able to pick up this volume now I have money has been a long time coming. I hold every character deep in my heart and I know pretty much every chapter/episode like the back of my hand, so reading this was more like revisiting an old friend than something new. I HIIIIGHLY recommend this webcomic, and I will only discuss it with you if you also rate it 5 stars and love it unconditionally!

The Adventure Zone: Murder on the Rockport Limited by the McElroy’s (especially Clint) and Carey Pietsch

This is my favourite arc in the podcast, so I was expecting to love it more than I did. It feels like some of the humour isn’t translated as well over to these graphic novels, but I think changes made are important to fit the format. I think this works well for people who are fans of the podcast, but I’d definitely recommend the podcast first for other people, just to understand the characterisation and the D&D self-inserts Griffin has. But I will say…. Angus McDonald is still my baby boy and I love him.

Momo to Manji Volume 1 and 2 by Sawa Sakura

A very heavy series, while still being cute. Momo to Manji is set during the Edo Period and follows a male prostitute who is taken in by another man after growing too old to still serve. It has confusing moments, and has very dark material– some violence, obviously prostitution, as well as incest and very young characters having sex with adults– but the relationship between the two main characters is very endearing, and I really grew to care about Momo especially.

Welcome to Wanderland #4 by Jackie Ball (not pictured)

Finally got to read issue 4! A very quick and fantastical series, and I think the new artist did a great job helping finish up a series that was very dear to the hearts of the writer and the original artist. I was satisfied with this conclusion and I think I’ll end up re-reading it, maybe next year, just to experience the full story in all its glory.

Fragments of Horror by Junji Ito

This is a solid 3 star collection. None of the stories really lingered with me other than Gentle Goodbye, which is now one of my favourite short stories. It’s a beautiful and incredibly moving story for me, even if that wasn’t Ito’s original intention when writing it as a horror story. There’s something to be said about generational horror and ghosts, and what family means to different individuals.

Dissolving Classroom by Junji Ito

My new favourite Junji Ito manga! There’s a focus on body horror, as there always is, but this felt more… fun. Chizumi is a nightmare child, I think she’s so great and definitely up there with my favourite children in horror now. I know the ending will be hit or miss with other people, but it’s not like Uzumaki, where I waited 600 pages to be disappointed at the end.

The Ancient Magus’ Bride Volume 1, 2 & 3 by Kore Yamazaki

A series I’m very much in the middle about. I’m enjoying the fantastical elements, but the setting and time period are so confusing to wrap my head around in terms of modernity. It very much reminds me of Lore Olympus in that regard, but that webcomic is more straightforward in explaining, so I just don’t know with this manga. There’s also something stopping me for completely loving the characters. I’m not a fan of age-gap romances that don’t spell out what’s going on: is this romantic, or is it purely platonic? If I don’t know where I’m supposed to stand, I can’t feel at ease reading it.

The Avant-Guards #7 & #8 by Carly Usdin

This series is so good! Great cast of characters who are believable in their love for one another and their basketball playing. There’s a genuine wholesomeness to this series that really reminds me of Check, Please! and Haikyuu!!. What is it with sports stories and exclamation marks? Anyway, I highly recommend this series, I’m glad it’s been longer running than Usdin’s other stories. Also, did you see the Heavy Vinyl graphic novel announcement? SICK.

Lovely Complex Volume 2 by Aya Nakahara

This series is getting better by volume. It definitely draws on cliches and tropes of the genre, but I really enjoy that, and I’m still attached to the characters and the slow burn complexity of the feelings between the two leads. It’s easy reading where the conflicts never linger and isn’t at all difficult to get through, which is definitely something I need more of in my reading.

Parasyte Volume 1 by Hitoshi Iwaaki

Meh. For some reason, I was really expecting to love this– a dude learning to live with a parasite who controls his arm is a great premise– but there was something about the writing that stopped me from feeling compelled. I can’t really feel any risk, and that’s something I like in my horror. The body horror is also not too great, which was one of the selling points for me. Sad! Not sure if I’ll carry on with this series, honestly.

Out of Skin  by Emily Carroll

Another freaky short story from Emily Carroll, who honestly does no wrong in my eyes. Amazing art– character design, colour palette, all of it, amazing– and the eerie story at its heart. I love Emily Carroll’s focus on more feminine voices and stories, it never feels exploitative of women and draws on violence towards women without feeling nasty or targeted.

Teen Dog by Jake Lawrence

The ULTIMATE graphic novel. Literally, one of my all time favourites. It’s the perfect balance of silly and existential, and I genuinely love every moment of reading this. It was my second read through and I just smiled the whole time.

Are you a fan of this new recapping format? I found it a lot more easy to only talk about manga/comics/graphic novels, and doing this means I don’t put myself under pressure to get wrap ups out at the same time every month and have about 40 things to get through in one go!

I’d love some recommendations in the comments.

If you liked this post, consider buying me a coffee? Ko-Fi. 

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Graphic Reading Wrap Up #1 This is the first in my Graphic Reading Wrap Up series. I read enough manga, comics and graphic novels that I figured I'd be better off doing separate wrap ups so I don't find myself having to cram a shit ton into my reading wrap ups every month.

[loucifieri]

NDRV3 HPA AU characterization notes

(also added some additional details on their character designs :D) I already made a character guide of the kids here, but after writing a spontaneously updated fanfic about their school/dorm life, I now have a better grasp of how to portray them in this AU. More under the cut~

Family headcanons here

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The HPA AU comics I’ve been doing admittedly focused more on certain characters, so I’ve hardly thought about how to flesh out the others. To remedy that, I wrote a chatfic that revolved around them as a class and what started as something ‘just for fun’ turned into something a bit more serious, complete with plot and drama (which is strange for something in a chatfic format lol).

Kaede Akamatsu: The cheerful, charismatic and kind pianoholic who promotes friendship and cooperation, earning her the position of Class Representative. Selfless and empathetic to a fault, but can be quite pushy and bossy. Behind her confident facade, Kaede is insecure of not being able to live up to her responsibilities believing that all she’s ever good at is playing the piano, going by a ‘fake it til you make it’ attitude so as not to disappoint the people that relied on her ‘leadership.’ She has a tendency to be tactless towards people when very annoyed or under extreme stress.

Add: While not a very good cook, Kaede is an experienced baker.

Closest friend/s: Shuichi (childhood best friend), Rantaro, Kaito, Maki, Kirumi, Tenko (she is at least good friends with everyone in class tho)

Shuichi Saihara: The meek and soft-spoken detective in training who eventually fills the role of assistant class rep to Kaede. Cool-headed and intelligent, Shuichi shows promise of being proactive and responsible, but has difficulty in asserting himself due to confidence issues. He can be very emotional, prone to easily cry when overwhelmed by negative emotions. He also struggles with depression at times, although he tries to hide it as best he could. To people he is close with, Shuichi can be quite sassy and would joke about his ‘emo aesthetic.’

(When Shuichi wore his hat, his necktie is the standard red one)

Add: Shuichi is an avid fan of all things detective (looks up to Kyoko Kirigiri, has a sizable collection of Nancy Drew Books and Detective Conan Manga, retweets a lot of Sherlock Holmes quotes etc.)

Closest friend/s: Kaede (childhood best friend), Kaito, Maki, Kokichi, Kiibo

Kokichi Ouma: The self proclaimed supreme leader, he is a compulsive liar and prankster, fond of being disruptive and annoying towards his peers. While he tends to lie a lot, it’s not as outrageous and over the top (like in-game), and he would never push the buttons of anyone who was already distressed. Behind his outward unpleasantness, Kokichi cares a lot about his classmates, often calling them out on their bad habits (albeit it’s also in an unpleasant way) and looking out for them in his own unique way (which is subtle, at most). He dreads showing this side of him to class 79, as this was a sign of attachment on his part and this was only reserved to D.I.C.E members initially.

Add: Kokichi doesn’t know how to dance.

Closest friend/s: Rantaro, Shuichi

Maki Harukawa: The surly, unapproachable ‘assassin’ who is the walking definition of a tsundere. She dislikes socializing with her classmates, mostly because of her inability for small talk and difficulty to relate with her peer group as she spent most of her time dealing with children (in the orphanage). Maki is blunt but not unkind, and may be occasionally dismissive but (secretly) greatly appreciates those who reach out to her. Being emotional is Maki’s greatest pet peeve, making her great at compartmentalizing and repressing her emotions.

Add: Maki was physically conditioned and trained to be an assassin but it was for her to be Motion Capture stunt girl for an assassin-centric game. Has not killed anyone in real life, but physically can if desired.

Closest friend/s: Kaito, Shuichi, Kaede

Kaito Momota: The loud-mouthed and passionate astronaut who likes to give pep talks more than Kaede. Kaito pretty much keeps the class lively with his dumb antics. Despite his air of stupidity, he is quite street smart and a good judge of character.  He has patriarchal views on gender roles, naturally irking most of his female peers. Additionally, he is hot-headed, stubborn and very competitive. True to his very upbeat and positive persona though, he dislikes showing weakness/ appearing weak. Kaito suffers from Tuberculosis, hence he coughs a lot.

Add: Kaito makes the best omelettes.

Closest friend/s: Maki, Shuichi, Kaede, Ryoma (one-sided)

Rantaro Amami: The lax and enigmatic adventurer who likes to meme, apart from traveling the world. Rantaro has a big brother vibe to him, but can be quite silly at times. He is fond of recounting experiences about his travels, often retelling them in a more imaginative version. Despite his nonchalant approach on everything, Rantaro is very particular on people’s perspective of him. He craves to be an important figure among his classmates, just like his central role on his siblings’ lives.

Add: Rantaro has a Youtube channel where he makes travel vlogs in the style of Bear Grylls’ Man VS Wild.

Closest friend/s: Tsumugi (middle school bestfriend), Kokichi, Kaede, Kiibo, Korekiyo

Kirumi Tojo: The responsible and mature maid with a strict adherence to her creed on selfless devotion. Kirumi is very capable of doing any (reasonable) task given to her, completing them with practiced efficiency. Taking her talent more seriously, she appears impassive and mechanical to her classmates. Her maid schtick is actually a conscious effort for her; beneath the carefully-maintained frigid and collected persona is a shy and anxious Kirumi with personal whims and ambitions. She has a sense of humor and would sometimes tease her classmates in some way or another (which always takes them by surprise). She can be quite condescending and judgmental when pushed to the limit.

Add: Kirumi is a closet bookworm, and has a collection of cheesy, young adult romance novels (may or may not own some raunchy ones).

Closest friend/s: Ryoma, Kaede

Korekiyo Shinguji: The studious and aloof anthropologist who revels in the beauty of humanity. Kiyo likes to observe people, mentally taking note of the intricacies of human nature, although this hobby of his isn’t taken kindly by some. Ambitious and resourceful, he spends a lot of time reading to further his knowledge. In turn, he is quite socially inept and often scares away any ‘potential friend’ with his intelligent ramblings. He is very close with his sickly older sister, but gets annoyed with her fussiness.

Add: He is a capable illustrator, often adding sketches on his journal of anthropological notes.

Closest friend/s: Rantaro, Gonta, Angie

Tsumugi Shirogane: The quirky cosplayer and talented seamstress with a habit of referencing popular and obscure pop culture stuff. Tsumugi is an avid fan of a lot media, from games to animes to TV shows, both western and japanese, often spending most of her time in her room to indulge in her fandoms. She also has a tendency to break the fourth wall and would reference the ‘NDRV3 canon universe.’ Tsumugi is quite insecure of her geeky side, and is a bag of nerves when under the spotlight. She is cowardly and unable to stand her ground, often playing for both sides in an argument in an effort to please both.

(the only one wearing the HPA uniform without modifications lol)

Add: She is a big fan of Junko Enoshima (a fashion blogger with her own brand of clothing).

Closest friend/s: Rantaro (middle school bestfriend)

Ryoma Hoshi: The stoic and detached Pro Tennis player who is very fond of felines. Ryoma likes to spend most of his time alone and would often disappear to god knows where. He is responsive when in conversation, talking in a melancholic tone. He is profound and insightful, open to giving advice freely to those in need. While very patient, he is vindictive and unforgiving to those who wronged him horribly. His whole family was murdered by a mafia group (leaving him with just the family cat) and he has since personally chased leads that will bring the perpetrators to justice. Despite his pursuit of the killers, he is not interested in delivering justice on his own and merely conducted his own investigation to aid law enforcement.

Add: Ryoma has a folder of cat game apps on his phone, his favorite in particular being Neko Atsume.

Closest friend/s: Kirumi, Gonta

Gonta Gokuhara: The gentle giant with a fascination on animals, particularly insects. Gonta is good-natured (very kind, polite and honest) but naive and childish. In spite of this, he cannot be easily tricked by Kokichi and would sometimes even join in on roasting him. He wants to be a gentleman and really tries his best to exhibit qualities of such. While not academically smart (being raised in the wild), he has extensive knowledge on flora and fauna. Gonta has bouts of self-doubt, believing himself to be incapable of anything. He can be very hard on himself and would do reckless things to prove himself.

Add: Contrary to most of his classmates’ impression on him, Gonta is not technologically challenged. He plays Overwatch in his free time (he mains Bastion).

Close friend/s: Ryoma, Korekiyo

Miu Iruma: The lewd and brash inventor with onion skin. Miu is outspoken and campy, often considered obnoxious by her classmates. She likes to make dirty jokes and projects an air of self-importance, but is also quick to deflate when reprimanded or talked back at. Being neglected her whole life, Miu wants attention, hence her over the top personality but this in turn made her a deplorable person. She spends most of her time building knickknacks to stave off the loneliness she feels. Over time, she does try to be less of a difficult person.

Add: Miu doesn’t know how to swim or ride a bike (but she can invent something that will keep her afloat on water and something that can keep her balanced on the bike).

Close friend/s: Kiibo

Kiibo Idabashi (not a Robot): The well-meaning and pacifistic Robotics Engineer that has a difficulty in relating with his fellow humans. Kiibo has lived a very sheltered life and has not been exposed to any social interaction with his age group prior to his enrollment at Hope’s Peak, making him quite stiff and robotic. He is very shy and apprehensive at speaking in class or called to recitation. He is also wimpy, but can get very defensive of his robotic creations.

Add: Kiibo missed out a lot on his childhood, so class 79 would often indulge him on what he was deprived of (like having pizza, playing tag and watching animated films).

Close friend/s: Miu, Shuichi, Rantaro

Tenko Chabashira: The energetic and cheerful aikido master who loves to defend girls from the degenerate MENaces. Tenko loves to be active, often encouraging the girls to exercise (especially those with a sedentary lifestlye). A fiery character, she wears her emotions on her sleeves and reacts strongly on impulse. She has a on a hair trigger temper, especially if the aggressor involves a guy and has a tendency to be physically violent. Tenko’s distaste towards men in general stems from a dark past: she and her mother suffered abuse from her own father. Her mother was eventually murdered by her father in front of her (at a young age) and after her father was subsequently locked up, she was taken in by her mother’s friend who was matriarchal.

Add: She is an adept shogi and chess player.

Close friend/s: Himiko, Angie, Kaede

Himiko Yumeno: The resident sloth who also happens to be a magician (er… mage). Himiko is very lethargic, dislikes doing almost any physical activity, often trying to weasel her way out of doing assigned tasks and the like. She isn’t dismissive of social interaction though, and is quite talkative when you start a conversation with her. She loves to watch youtube videos and web series, particularly korean drama. She is good at math, and would tutor Angie and Tenko when pestered enough.

Add: Himiko is ambidextrous, and can seamlessly use chopsticks with her left hand.

Close friend/s: Tenko, Angie

Angie Yonaga: The eccentric and bubbly artist with a deep devotion to an obscure religion. Angie is a pious devotee of Atua, and is willing to provide for the spiritual needs of her classmates. She loves mentioning unusual habits and customs from her island home, such as blood sacrifices and orgies. Hardly anything fazes her, this nonchalance and ignorance being considered sinister by some of her peers. Even with the best intentions in mind, she sometimes used religion to get what she wanted.

Add: Angie owns four horses (named War, Famine, Pestilence and Death) that Hope’s Peak allowed her to keep in school (for some reason). Their stables were located at the student/staff parking lot.

Close friend/s: Korekiyo, Tenko, Himiko

Great Gozu: The former Ultimate Wrestler is now the homeroom teacher of Class 79A. Despite his intimidating physique, he is gentle, patient and very supportive. He becomes quickly attached to class 79A and is quite protective of them.

--

And now for the romantic relationships~ (I inadvertently retconned some stuff from the HPA AU comics in the fanfic version apparently, I’m not very good at slow burn lol)

Kaede//Kirumi: Both of them are altruistic, though one is out of pure selflessness while the other due to moral obligation. Kaede is the first to develop a crush on the other, mostly out of physical attraction but it’s Kirumi that first falls in love between the two of them. Kirumi is mostly drawn to Kaede’s comforting presence and empathic nature, and is impressed with the pianist’s diligence in perfecting her musical craft. Kaede admires the maid’s dedicated work ethic, and is very enamored with Kirumi’s elegance and grace. Kaede’s considerate nature holds her back from pursuing Kirumi head-on out of respect for the maid’s seemingly unshakeable adherence to her creed of selfless devotion, while Kirumi struggles internally in balancing her whims and sticking to her creed. This results in them tiptoeing around their feelings towards each other.

Shuichi//Kokichi: One lies while the other exposes the truth. Kokichi, despite his growing interest on the detective, denies his feelings. Shuichi, initially unconfident about his chances with the supreme leader, takes the leap and reveals his feelings first. Kokichi is drawn to Shuichi’s intelligence, good-natured personality and cute face (and he may or may not have a detective kink). Shuichi is drawn to Kokichi’s complex personality, considering it a mystery puzzle only he could solve. Both Kokichi and Shuichi suffer from insecurities that the other deserve better than themselves; Kokichi believes Shuichi wouldn’t fall for him because of his complicated personality while Shuichi thinks Kokichi was in love with the more appealing Kaito, somewhat resigned he has no chance.

Kaito//Maki: Polar opposites and yet both hide the same thing; one relies on outward emotion to hide a weakness while the other represses emotion to hide a weakness. Kaito is greatly drawn to Maki’s independent and capable mindset but struggles with his own sexist mindset. Maki falls for Kaito’s endearing personality, but struggles to make sense of her romantic feelings. Eventually, they both overcome their weaknesses. Maki is the first to fall for the other, and while she is also the one to confess her feelings first, it was Kaito who first changed his ways, learning to be less sexist. Maki avoids Kaito when her feelings toward him intensified, but this unfazed the astronaut and remained wooing her consistently.

Tenko//Himiko: Polar opposites that balance each other out. Tenko and Himiko may have been the first pair to be immediately drawn to each other but they are the last pair to be officially together. Tenko’s more active lifestyle gets Himiko to reconsider her lethargic nature while Himiko’s relaxed attitude grounds Tenko’s overactive nature. Tenko was drawn to Himiko from the get-go, and while the smaller girl was initially annoyed by the aikido master being insistent, she eventually warms up to her. They subsequently act like girlfriends, but surprisingly their ‘official’ get together doesn’t happen til later.

[others to be added lol]

[vee-angel]

Upcoming Story Introductions

I just wanted to write a brief introduction to give a quick look at some of up-and-coming stories and story series I have in the works.

--The Pervert Pentet--

This is going to be a series of stories exploring the lives of five women who each embrace and exemplify a certain extreme fetish lifestyle. There is:

Potty-Mouth Piper- Skinny girl with Swedish ancestry and a punk-rock aesthetic. Piper is the epitome of a filth-fetishist. On top of living up to her name in the sense that she often insists that her mouth be used as a toilet, she speaks and acts in the most obscene ways possible. As an example, she has a tattoo on the side of her head (which is shaved into a green mohawk) which reads “Ass to Mouth 4Ever.” However, rather than the normal interpretation that anything that’s been up her ass must immediately go into her mouth, she insists that anything that goes into her mouth must have first been up her (or someone else’s) ass. Piper identifies as a lesbian, but is more-or-less free-use for any gender, due to her love of obscenity and bodily fluids. The early part of her story takes place in high school where she meets the love of her life; a timid filth-fetishist names Mackenzie; she becomes obsessed with Piper, who slowly helps Mackenzie open up to her fantasies. Mackenzie helps Piper feel as though she has someone who actually accepts her.

Sharking Sherry- Soft, feminine body with very pretty breasts, slightly large for her frame. Half-Japanese/Half Caucasian. Exposure/exhibitionism fetishist. Sherry grew up in a very Americanized family, but from a young age, she felt drawn to her Japanese ancestry. Her parents had no objections to her engaging in her Japanese culture (after all, things like Pokemon and anime were becoming increasingly commonplace). Due to their ignorance regarding how “adult” anime and manga could be, Sherry was exposed to themes of female humiliation/embarrassment as a form of comic relief at a young age and eventually started watching hentai in her early teens. As she became more adult, she became interested in a Japanese activity called sharking; the trend and fetish of exposing a woman in public against her will where it would be filmed and posted online. After high-school, she takes a year off to visit Japan where, much to her delight, she becomes the victim of a sharking video, but to her disappointment, only her panties are exposed. The experience re-ignites her interest and she later tries to make arrangements with someone online to participate in another sharking video in which she would get to shark another girl, but leaving her completely naked in public. However, due to a miscommunication resulting from her incomplete comprehension of the Japanese language, the people she meets with believe she wants to be the victim. With her having been so adamant about wanting to make the video, she ends up stripped completely naked and is forced to walk back to her hotel without her clothes. She finds the experience humiliating, but at the same time incredibly exhilarating. She decides that whatever else she does with her life, one thing she absolutely wants to do is to have her body and her sexuality exposed, and to expose the bodies and sexuality of other girls. In fact, this is how she ends up meeting Piper, who she ends up sharking, much to Piper’s amusement.

Non-consent Nancy- Nancy grew up as a shy, bisexual, African-American girl. She was bullied through much of her youth, but rather than resenting the bullies, she tried to befriend them in hopes that they would stop. She always tried to think of things they’d like, or ways she could be nice to them. Over time, she developed the coping mechanism of empathizing more with abusers and rapists and bullies than with their victims. In her mind, she often finds herself adamantly defending them and thinking that their victims should be punished. While in public, she maintains a persona of a typical college feminist/black lives matter/lgbt activist, she privately fetishizes victimization, often using her role as a rape-crisis counselor to arrange the re-victimization of women who confess their trauma to her, and to help and defend known rapists. She has an athletic build, due to exercising and women’s self-defense classes, but secretly, she uses her athleticism to abuse and rape other girls. She eventually develops a close friendship (in which she becomes something of a subordinate side-kick) with the artist Teira Volks.

Torture-lover Teira- German-born artist Teira Volks, average build, early 30’s, aryan features, straight blonde hair, perpetually serious expression. As a youth, Teira was close to her grandfather, who was a Nazi officer during WW2. She became fascinated with the idea of torture and suffering. Due to her connection to heinous war crimes, the idea of pain and despair felt very real to her. Not just like some abstract that people read in a history book. As she grew up, she became a controversial performance artist, often causing herself so much pain and harm that it became difficult for her to even find venues that would allow her to showcase such extreme self-abuse. In the past, she had sometimes employed assistants who would allow themselves to be abused, but she usually found them to be insufficiently masochistic, or unwilling to endure her forceful and pushy style of management. She eventually comes across Nancy, who she allows to participate in a performance with her. She finds that no matter how much Nancy hates what is being done to her, or how much she’s hurt or abused or humiliated; Nancy keeps coming back and never says a harsh word toward Teira. In time Teira takes on Nancy as a sort of full-time assistant, often treating Nancy as a slave; forcing her to participate in performances against her will. They meet Piper and Sherry at a performance near their college. The theme of the performance is “mirror,” in which anyone is allowed to do whatever they like to Teira, on the condition that they will allow it to be done to themselves. After Piper imposes her kinks on Teira, and subsequently submitting to having those same kinks imposed on herself, they become friends. With Piper, Teira, Nancy, and Sherry occasionally getting together and forming a tight-knit group.

Bimbo Bailee- Tall and pretty, in a trashy way. Bailee has huge fake tits and dresses in an incredibly exhibitionistic way. Her origins are a bit unclear as she seems too ditsy to remember ever not being a bimbo. Sherry, Piper, Nancy, and Teira meet her at a plastic surgeon's office. Piper makes an obscene comment upon noticing her (“Holy shit, look at the size of the fuck-bags on that little cock-socket!”), while Sherry discretely takes some upskirt pictures of her to post online later. After talking with her, they discover she seems to be profoundly stupid and impossibly gullible. As an example, after someone comments on her tramp stamp that reads “Butt Slut” she consistently says “Nuh uh, it’s a butterfly. That’s what the tattoo guy told me.” At times seeming to become flustered due to the fact that everyone keeps commenting that her tramp stamp (which she still insists is a butterfly) clearly reads “Butt Slut.” She seems to be so gullible that nearly any embarrassing trick or prank will work on her, regardless of how little thought is put into it. She’s consistently vain and often critical of the appearances of other women, generally contextualizing everything they do in the context of how attractive it makes them to men. She sometimes makes comments indicating that she doesn’t believe lesbians are sincere, and are only with each other as a way of getting attention from men. Despite her ditsyness and frequent critical comments about the other girls appearances, Piper, Sherry, Nancy, and Teira decide to invite her into their friend group due to how entertaining she is.

Each of these five characters will be getting their own story to start, and after they all meet up, there will sometimes be stories that involve all five of them, but more often stories will involve only a fraction of the full group.

--The Kinky Mass-Effect Fanfiction Trilogy--

This is the series that is the most fleshed out by far. This is going to be a trilogy of full length erotic novels set in the Mass Effect universe. The third book in this series was actually my first attempt at writing erotica (it sort of evolved from a sort of roleplay, and before I knew it, it was turning into a book). But a ways into the story, I realized that there was a lot of story leading up to the one I was writing, so I decided it needed to be a trilogy.

The story follows Dr. Biavalia Bi’tarah (usually called Beebee, by her friends), a dutiful asari slave and whore for her human master. Her playful sexuality and juvenile sense of humor belie her skill and competence as a fighter and engineer. The first book in the trilogy follows her as she deceives Commander Shepard (female) and Jack (aka Subject Zero) into helping her find someone who could aid her and her master into gaining an edge over the other slavers of the Terminus systems. Aria T’loak also makes an appearance. Throughout the first book, Beebee will happen across situations where sex and kink are preferable solutions to fighting (though there will still be a decent amount of action). And for those of you (like me) who were disappointed that Jack didn’t have any girl/girl romance options in the game, rest assured that the psychotic biotic will be having plenty of sapphic fun with the sapphire slut.

--Unnamed Female-Inferiority World--

At some point in the past, a genetic virus came about that only affected females. If untreated, it would degrade their DNA, and would eventually become fatal. It was discovered that the only way to repair the genetic damage was by administering incomplete pieces of human genetic material (i.e. human sperm). Early attempts to synthesize a more stable treatment were failures, and eventually society came to accept that all females would need to regularly absorb male semen, either anally, orally, or vaginally. This new sexual desperation among females reshaped how males and females interacted, with women having their very lives depending on how sexually appealing they were to men. Over the generations, women with unappealing bodies or personalities became scarce. Yet, every woman still knows that her long term survival depends on being more sexually appealing than the women around her, so even the most attractive and obedient females are still competitive.

Men in this world have become entitled and demanding as women have become more accomodating. Feminism is the greatest crime a female can commit and is punishable by a fate worse than death.

These stories will likely involve a strong emphasis on heavy and extreme kinks. Misogyny, rape, humiliation, torture, filth, and even snuff will be recurring themes. This is most likely going to be a series of stories exploring various aspects and characters of this alternative universe. While I’ve had multiple fantasies set in this universe, it’s probably the least developed so far.

[optimisticdestinypolice]

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[poisonappletales]

Hi! I've been a huge fan of your visual novels for a long time, and when I found out you were posting updates on tumblr, I just had to make one myself to follow you! I absolutely adore everything you do. I want to be an author in the future, and your work is truly inspiring to me. So, I have a question that may sound a little confusing, since I don't know how to phrase it correctly. How did you begin to write these stories and characters? I'm quite curious as to how you started.

Hello, cursedauthor! Aww, that makes me so happy to hear. It’s such an honor that you would make a tumblr account to do that. The dream of being an author is a beautiful one, isn’t it? I wish you luck in achieving it! With hard work, effort and love, I believe you can do it.

How did I begin to write my stories and characters? Let’s see…I would say that it started way back around high school. I actually first thought of the story that would essentially come “after” Beauty and the War (X Playing Pieces). When I was in class, sitting in the car or simply finding myself with nothing to do, I would think about that fantasy world. I would think about the characters I wanted in them, how they would interact, and the society around them.

Eventually, I had to put my fingers to a keyboard because writing was and still is my number one passion.

I think it was maybe…5-7 years ago? That I realized I wanted to flesh out a certain character’s background even more. After all, didn’t it make more sense to start with the prelude, to say the least? Voila! Beauty and the War (X Playing Pieces) was born.

I finished writing that novel in roughly 2 years. It actually had a different title then, but anyway, a little after that, one of my friends was telling me they thought books were something of a fading trend. Some of the bookstores where I live were closing down, so there might be some validity in that, even though I don’t think it’s about to become extinct or anything. (We’re simply moving to the technological era where we read books through glowing screens instead of pages.)

They also shared another concern with me. See, here’s the thing. My friends usually prefer easy reading, like young adult fiction. Some prefer just comic books and/or manga. I like all of those things as well, in addition to classics and a ton of other literature. (I love reading, and fantasy is one of my favorite genres!) Now, influenced by all that, they usually tell me that my writing is complex or “very smart” - not as a criticism or a backhanded compliment. They’re just not necessarily the target audience because it’s not what they’re used to reading.

In light of that, I wanted to come up with a way to expand my audience. Stories are meant to be read, and I wanted to reach as many people as possible - to share what made me happy with others. To touch another person’s world, you might say.

I ultimately decided to go the visual novel route. If I added visuals to the story, you can “see” what I am trying to convey, even without words one may or may find too complex or unsuited for easy reading.

Truth be told, when I first released a test game (Death Room) with a friend, I was a little reserved with my writing style. For that one and my other fun error-and-trial games (Ready, Set, Parody!, War: Valentine Edition, and Don’t Take This Risk), I was actually holding back. I was watering down my usual style with elements from young adult fiction and other easy reading. (Ironically, that takes more effort for me than you might think, as I’m more accustomed to writing the other way!)

I did release War: 13th Day with a little more of my style. For better or worse, that has a very divided reception. Although Wildfire’s part of the narration is more or less simple, the game as a whole is more writing-heavy and slanted towards the psychological genre (in this case, engineered to bewilder!). Typically, players either love it or hate it.  (Then again, perhaps I need to update the art style there. It’s just that it fits the dreamy sort of ambiance and perception theme I’m going for so well. I hesitate to think of changing it because the rough-cut edges fit a certain rough-cut persona…)

But with Beauty and the War (X Playing Pieces), the visual novel version of which I have been working on since before the Death Room…I wanted to put more of me in it. I remember that in the first version of the demo, I did it again - holding back some of my words. The result was that I think some people came up with certain impressions to fill in the gaps, which wasn’t what I wanted.

For the second version of the demo, I wrote more and you know what? I liked the turnout there. People started to understand my world, and according to the survey results, things like the Translation button were helpful. Success! (Now, there were some people utterly confounded by its existence, but I have to tell you, there are readers who appreciate it! So, don’t be shy about using it. If you rather not tell anyone, it’ll be our little secret. I won’t judge.)

Sometimes, one of my teammates (who’s also a friend) reads what I write in the visual novel script and still encourages me to make it “easier” to understand. I’m trying to find a middle ground there (like with the Translation button) because this is my baby. While I want to make others smile when they see it, I also want to give it all my love. If I hold back what I love too often, it’ll become something stale. It wouldn’t have life and be me.

If you saw me face-to-face, I doubt you would know it at first glance, but I’ve always been something of an old-fashioned person. (Yep, as a matter of fact, nobody has ever come up to me and said, “You know what? I bet you’re a real old-fashioned kind of person.” To be honest, I tend to give off “professional” vibes, the whole clean-cut sort of look, and people tend to think I’ll be a mean person when that isn’t true! I’m happy to be your friend. Just don’t judge me for being old-fashioned, all right? Have an open heart.)

One of my friends teases that I’m like Rip Van Wrinkle, the modern world passing me by. While I do keep up with current media, I’m not always into what’s modern and hot (even though I usually will check it out, and if it’s a book, I’m more likely to read it), so my writing’s not going to fit into a specific mold. My experiences and my own preferences will shape it into its own style.

Beauty and the War (X Playing Pieces) will be a step in confidence for me. Altogether, there will be people who enjoy it, people who don’t like it, and people who will go “Why in the world did you make this thing?!” (On that note, please pay close attention to the rating! If you feel there’s anything you can’t handle, then you don’t have to play it. However, I will give you a button to “skip over”/“censor” certain scenes that may be too hard for you. Use it at will!)

However, once it’s finished, I want to step back, look at it and be satisfied with what I’ve made. With the visuals and options like the Translation button, I will hopefully have done all I can to invite you into my heart. Then, it’ll be up to you to decide whether you wish to come in and explore it. Regardless of whether it leaves a pleasant or unpleasant taste in your mouth, I hope you will see the love painted throughout this canvas.

I still think there’s going to be at least one player who will go, “Why in the world did you make this?!” But that’s all right. You do you, and I’ll do me.

One day, when the visual novel’s complete, I might want to release two versions of the original novel. The Young Adult version and the Original. I can’t imagine how many would want to read both, but as I said, stories are meant to be read. This allows easy access, and you have a choice of enjoying either or both. Bon appétit.

Wow, this went on longer than intended! Hope you don’t mind. I believe I ended up wanting to explain how I started developing visual novels as well! Anyway, long story short, I began writing these stories and characters from the sheer power of daydreams. Usually in class. And at home. And in the car. Basically, by being a walking daydreamer in your midst and nobody being the wiser (except my family because they know I like writing). Now, the next time you pass by someone, you’re going to wonder what sort of dreams they’re cooking up in their head, huh? I joke, but you never know what minds are passing you by…

Now, if you’re wondering how I came up with these daydreams…it’s hard to say. In some ways, one could ask: Can you control your dreams? In that case, could you not say writing is like lucid dreaming? And when you’re sitting in class or walking down a hallway, who’s to say where your muse is born? It could be from a wish, a hope, or something more palpable like the sound of music or a drifting butterfly.

There is beauty and inspiration all around you. Just take it all in and let your heart do the work. (I don’t know if that is at all reminiscent of Unknown’s ‘follow-your-heart’ sort of principle, but I personally do think having heart is important. We need more love in the world, you know?)

Anyway, I don’t think I was confused by your question, but if I wasn’t clear about anything or I didn’t answer it right, feel free to ask another. Have a great weekend, cursedauthor, and keep following your dreams! Ambrosia and I believe in you! ♥

[dropintomanga]

A State of the Manga Mind Address

For as long as I can remember, I preferred reading manga over watching anime. Mostly because of the lack of fillers and censorship. But now I may have a new reason to prefer manga. Earlier this year, Anime Feminist interviewed a former Aoikgahara (the infamous "suicide forest" in Japan) volunteer about coverage of mental illness in anime and manga. The interview opened up my eyes about why I don't enjoy as much anime as I used to and how manga continues to intrigue me.

The interview with the volunteer, whose name is Makoto Kageyama, goes in-depth over their experiences with mental health, volunteering at Aokigahara, Japan's views on mental health, and their concerns over how mental illness is portrayed in anime compared to manga. They talked about the ever-popular trope where love and friendship save the day.

“I will be honest, I don’t like the stories where the issue gets solved magically with the power of love and friendship, it’s like a lazy way to solve things. Usually in anime, they make the issues look light or don’t explain them properly. Most of the stuff is “X-chan is sad (when clearly depressed and with a mental issue), we will bake this cake and they will see they are not alone and they will be cured from the sadness.” 

And after that, the issue is never mentioned again and magically X-chan is cured. Also, in media where a character does get mental health care, they are shown as crazy and somehow that gives them a bad image like only crazy people go to get help for mental health.

That makes sad even though I’m an avid anime consumer. That’s why sometimes I stick more to manga in that sense.”

Kageyama later talks about hikikomori portrayals in anime versus real-life. They explain that even though hikikomori may get out of their shell, they still have trouble re-adjusting to people and it's a gradual process. Kageyama also points out that hikikomori being a "moe" trait in anime is a double-edged sword. They wonder about whether entertainment should triumph over information.

“I know anime is supposed to make you happy again; I mean, that’s the way it’s sold. But still, it could also be good for media to help others and there’s few anime that can do that. Like I said before, there’s more manga about mental health issues than anime.”

With that said, here’s some thoughts I have about some anime/manga series with regards to mental health coverage/inspiration.

----------

First off, I didn't enjoy the A Silent Voice anime movie's ending. It felt a bit too optimistic and summed up Kageyama's thoughts about anime sometimes. The movie ending was basically "Oh hey, there's friendship tension. But it's okay, with the power of love, we're all friends again!" The manga ending had all the characters on uncertain paths regarding their futures. They weren't as chummy with each other as before. It was much more realistic. Someone once mentioned to me that this is an effect of KyoAni making the movie. The ending was a "happy fantasy" that may have irked fans of the manga.

I don't want My Lesbian Experience with Loneliness and My Solo Exchange Diary to become anime. Both are great introductions into the mental instability of a young adult, but they are better suited for live-action. I'm sure fans would love anime adaptations of both memoirs. It's just that the messages the author wanted to bring out may be filtered in a way that doesn't do her works justice.

I have second thoughts about Takano Ichigo's orange. While I do like the series' approach to depression and suicide, I later realize that the series promotes love and friendship as the complete solution to all of one's inner trauma. Yes, teenagers are smarter than you think, but adults still have an edge due to wisdom gained from years of experience. 

I also find Naho being the "chosen one" to save Kakeru a bad lesson to teach young women interested in romance. It's impossible to cater to every demand and need of a person. After listening to a podcast about why marriage is harder in modern life, I want people to be realistic about love. People expecting partners to be everything (best friend/lover/life coach/etc.) to them end up becoming frustrated with life.

Shonen series are inspirational to many fans and I still think they are worth following. Friendship, hard work, and victory still matter to a certain extent. Shonen promotes social resilience, the ability to stay calm in times of adversity with help of role models along the way. Having meaningful social connections is an important part of becoming a mentally healthy individual. It's just that some fans may take lessons from shonen in the wrong way. 

They tend to like shonen (particularly anime adaptations of popular battle series) because of the focus on self-improvement and not making excuses in order to succeed. I feel as if the "friendship" aspect is ignored a great deal. In a way, shonen-style thinking can lead to a bad case of either victim blaming, deep shame, or both in the same time. Life doesn't have that element of "control" that shonen series incorporate well.

Speaking of the lack of control, Berserk and all of its cruel uncertainty makes it one of the most inspiring manga series despite its offensive nature. I will talk about this in a future post. It’s so unfortunate that the studio behind the new anime adaptations of the series overshadowed the richness of Guts’ continued journey with their obsession with CGI animation that looked awkward.

I need to get into March Comes in Like a Lion because of the constant praise from mangaka and fans. Kageyama mentions that they were surprised it got animated, but liked how the anime didn't shy away from the heavy stuff. It gives Kageyama hope for future anime series that can portray mental illness in an effective manner. The fact that March Comes in Like a Lion captures thoughts and feelings I have is something that should be on my list after years of hearing about it.

----------

With that said, I did get a chance to speak to Kageyama on Twitter a short while after the interview. I asked them about anime and what anime studios can do better in portraying mental health in a realistic light. I also asked them about what would get more Western fans to read manga. This is what they told me.

“I think the problem is that Western audiences are more lazy when it comes to reading manga. Since in Japan, life is always on the move and manga/books are one of the best companions during your trips to work or school. Manga culture is kinda like your companion during mornings, while anime is your companion during afternoons.

If you think about it, most anime air during the afternoon. Mostly because people come back from work and school and they don’t feel like reading. So in a way, it’s more balanced out.

Meanwhile, life in the West is much different. People are more "social in a wrong way” if you don’t mind me adding. One thing I learned from living abroad is that people try to find more comfort in social media, games and anime. They then become lazy or disinterested in reading manga. I also realize that people tend to be more depressed because of the internet too.

I think that if manga was promoted better in the West, especially in a way that the possible reader could say “I can relate to this”, people would read more manga. Especially because of the so-called “risky topics” I keep mentioning, which are not risky. They are just human topics and nowadays people from both Japan and the West are afraid to talk and see humanity, but at the same time, they crave for it."

There’s so many responses I have towards toward this, but Kageyama is right to a certain extent. People in the West slowly gravitate away from books towards television as they get older. My boss said one of her New Year’s resolutions this year was to read a new book every month. I don’t know how far she’s gotten into it, but since most resolutions don’t end well, maybe she’s given up on it.

Reading for pleasure is such an anomaly in my part of the world since schools over here condition people when they are young that reading is supposed to be boring. While manga and graphic novel sales are making gains in the U.S., books are not selling well in general.

And regarding why people reject and crave humanity, that's because of the randomness and luck involved in getting it. People want to be sure that things will have a happy ending. That's what they expect, when there is no guarantee that life will go as planned. Anime, in a way, reduces randomness to ease the minds of fans. Manga is all about embracing randomness and the sheer amount of series and topics covered, when compared to anime, attest to that.

Yeah, randomness is bad, but it can lead to wonderful realizations such as appreciating manga for what it is - a medium for the kind of stories that need to be told and told in a way that shows people how human we really are. Learning about the interview with Kageyama was a random stroke of luck in my favor and i felt better for it. 

There are comics out there that talk about mental illness. Graphic novels are raw and gritty. They’re a great medium to visualize whatever thoughts anyone has. 

I’m not going to criticize anime fans for only sticking to anime because I like seeing characters in motion as much as anyone. I also think there’s a lot of low-quality manga out there. Reading is a big investment of one’s time and in some cases, a luxury. But if you have a favorite manga-to-anime adaptation that left you feeling disappointed and you never read the source material, the original manga can help alleviate your disappointment. The intimacy of reading a manga through the lens of the original creator is an experience that can move you because manga is almost like a personal journal of one’s thoughts, feelings, and ideals made larger through imagination.

For someone craving humanity, manga is a certain start that can lead to a better state of mind.

If you would like to talk to Kageyama about all things mental health-related in Japan, you can contact them on Twitter at @kurietachan.

[dereksmcgrath]

How can a chapter feel simultaneously rushed and incomplete?

“Rest!!” My Hero Academia Chapter 327. By Kohei Horikoshi, translation by Caleb Cook, lettering by John Hunt. Available from Viz.

Spoilers for Chapter 23 of Blue Box.

Last weekend I wrote how the pacing was bizarre for that weekend’s releases of some Jump serials, not just My Hero Academia (as I’ll get to in this review) but also other publications like Magu-chan and Blue Box. And, spoilers for Blue Box, jeez, that pacing at the end of the newest chapter this weekend was odd--but at least odd in a way that heightens interest in the story, as opposed to odd in My Hero Academia where this chapter felt incomplete.

I wish I could say that was the reason I am delayed writing this review, but it’s not. A lot of other tasks (webinar, job applications and interviews) and writing projects (working on some “Episode 7 Rule” posts, getting some more stuff published) took up time before I could share this review. But because Chapter 327 feels incomplete, the fact that I also get to use today to read and write about Chapter 327 helps to round out an actually finished installment to this story, so my delay ended up being serendipitous.

(And make up your own joke that I needed to take a break before reviewing a chapter titled “Rest!!”)

But before we can get to what was complete in this story, we have to muck through this chapter, which still feels incomplete.

That’s not to say Chapter 327 is bad. I mean, some of the art looks a little off to me, especially Tokoyami and Mina talking after All Might leaves the dorms. And I could debate how valid that quotation in the image above is, but I think Izuku’s face already reveals that, no, self-care only takes you so far, when societal improvements are not being made so that, in his world, children are not having to take on the fights adults refused to, whereas in my world...children should not have to take on the fights adults refused to about climate change, bigotry, police violence, sexual harassment and violence, poverty, hunger...

...God, this manga about supervillains got sadly realistic, and I hate it. Izuku’s face up there is the look of someone who has seen some shit, and one bath is not going to help.

As with that one chapter of Magu-chan, the seams of the story are showing, and that hinders how I personally get enjoyment. It’s one thing to see how a story is put together and appreciate how well that works, from a critical perspective or if you’re trying to imitate such story practices in your own writing. But it’s another thing when you see the way a story is put together because something just isn’t connecting the parts of that story well. After how great the previous chapters have been with the slow-burn to Izuku’s return to UA, Ochaco’s speech, and actually seeing Izuku getting heartfelt welcomes back by Kota, that giant woman he rescued, and that starfish hair guy all the way from Chapter 1, the rest of this chapter feels rushed. It’s not like you could drag out a lot of this stuff: there’s only so much time you can have Izuku and the boys bathing. But there is so much to fit in: cleaning up Izuku, seeing how his classmates react to his return and his secrets, All Might’s arrival, what this means moving forward to stop Shigaraki, and what is up with Endeavor and Todoroki’s side story. It’s a lot--and nothing really feels like it gets what it needs. Just to tease out every last feeling every last classmate has to Izuku keeping his Quirklessness and One For All a secret would need a light novel chapter per character.

And speaking of the My Hero Academia light novels, at least I can give some points to Horikoshi, though, for doing a better job writing the boys bathing than Mineta peeping on the girls, or that inane joke in one of the light novels--in which the boys see who can last longest in the hot bath, because that tired exhausting trope of “kids do dumb things.” Ugh, at some point, I’m going to write about how to handle writing young people well in a story so it’s not that ridiculous trope of “young people make dumb mistakes” that some writers use to move the plot along. The only example I’ve seen where that works lately is Toilet-Bound Hanako-kun, and that’s because it doesn’t feel like those mistakes are to keep the plot moving but actually something innate to a character’s sense of justice or sentiment that, while foolish, is in competition with actual stakes, pros and cons, and part of the character’s core ethics, not just something ridiculous to get from plot point A to B. That light novel gag felt very much like “the boys have to do something stupid,” as opposed to “this is something that would make sense for the boys to do.” But I digress.

So, why do I give points to Horikoshi for this version of the bath gag? Because, as I am trying to say about Hanako-kun, this makes sense for how the characters would act, and moves the plot along. Bakugo struggling with what to call Izuku makes sense; Bakugo still being his rival makes sense; after how much character progression he has thankfully made by now, this late in the series, it makes sense that he is still going to regress to previous behavior. I’m grateful he regresses without verbally bullying Izuku (your mileage may vary whether he is still bullying him, though, and I’m open to being wrong on that point) and without physically attacking him (Bakugo cutting into Izuku’s head as a gag in the recent anime episode is still not funny).

But then the students ask about One For All and what Izuku has been going through--and we don’t get much more knowledge. Todoroki shuts down that discussion by saying he needs to get some sleep, so, again, that forestalls any discussion until probably some chapters in a future light novel.

Izuku is not ready for sleep yet, though, as he worries about how he treated All Might earlier. I’m not going to disagree that Izuku was not being kind to All Might, but what I appreciate about the moment is that, and forgive my phrasing, from both sides, it makes sense: Izuku was not as polite as he should have been but hardly as grimdark as many readers feared he would, and All Might was doing something kind for Izuku but has been failing to reach out to him. All of that character dynamic works.

But what hasn’t worked is how quickly their reunion and apologies are. It reminds me how quickly All Might insisted, after losing One For All for good, that he would be there for Izuku--and really wasn’t. All Might refused to introduce Izuku to Nighteye; All Might kept secrets about all that One For All could do; All Might was not there during the PLF Fight, and he knows he cannot be in the same role for Izuku while he’s playing vigilante. The apologies keep coming but aren’t really getting anywhere for these two characters, not before Izuku just passes out from exhaustion. There’s a lot left for these two, so no wonder people take that death flag from All Might peering in from the window to think he’s going to die soon and only then will he and Izuku have any meaningful resolution. Granted, the next chapter is going to go into more detail about All Might’s vestige inside One For All, so he won’t be quite dead, but that death cheat just makes this inability to resolve anything between the bad teacher and the disobedient student all the more frustrating.

At least Caleb Cook continues to translate some good gags out of Mina, such as when she criticizes All Might’s departure. But that only reinforces how empty his apologies feel when he speaks to the class, especially when he again has to run to pass on his intelligence to the police and probably Endeavor, which also makes all of this all the more infuriating because you would think that would be his first priority. I get the point of being there for his student--even if I still don’t think All Might has been--and it does characterize him well that of course he would go to his student first instead of passing on the intelligence from Stain first. But it also makes me want to shake All Might and tell him to get the intelligence to the police, given what we learn about it in the next chapter. So, again, the seams of the story are showing: Horikoshi delays revealing what All Might has learned until that chapter is ready to share with readers.

And that news from Stain is probably going to disrupt any of Jiro’s plans for a concert, and, yeah, after a weekend in my real world where concerts got more attention than reproductive rights marches throughout the United States, you’ll forgive me if I don’t care much about this plot point. Heck, comics, as a silent medium, invoking music, has always been a bizarre choice for me: that works for the animated series, but for the comics, it’s hard to translate that auditory medium to a visual one.

Then we wrap up the chapter with an exposition dump about Stain’s intelligence. When I first read this chapter, before Chapter 328 came out, this felt like an abrupt ending. Realizing this ending leads naturally to the next chapter, to show what Stain was up to at Tartarus, doesn’t make it work any better for me. Invoking the “we have one month to stop Shigaraki” rule, only to break it in the next chapter and reveal they have three days, is a more cynical method of the “don’t cross the streams” rule from Ghostbusters: this exists to set up a rule to then break it so that the protagonists’ chances of success dwindle further.

It bothers me because I have seen this done better elsewhere. The final season of Avatar: The Last Airbender wraps up with Zuko learning the Gaang has decided to wait until after Sozin’s Comet, thinking they’ll have a better chance. That makes sense, and while the Gaang’s plan is a final-episode reveal, it fits with their strategy: Aang couldn’t take on the Fire Nation when it was depowered, so taking them on when they are fully powered and he hasn’t perfected his fire skills is a practical approach. Then Zuko reveals that the deadline has to be moved up, because his father will take over the world during the Comet, something Zuko didn’t tell them until now because he already thought the plan was to stop the Fire Nation before the Comet, so why would scaring them help? This was a failure of communication on the part of both parties, and it introduced the rules--”Wait until after the Comet” and “No, attack before the Comet”--at the same time that it disrupted those rules, so we as the audience were not manipulated for a cynical gotcha moment. And that’s what My Hero Academia has done.

For the longest time My Hero Academia kept repeating that Shigaraki would need two months to increase his power. In the next chapter we learn they overestimated that time, and they got three days left. This feels rushed, as rushed as how this chapter was to wrap up Izuku’s return to UA, All Might’s apology, and the Class 1-A reunion. And I just didn’t like it. More was needed to give this chapter some meat, and it just isn’t here. The next chapter, thankfully, is better, given some payoff to what this chapter sets up, as well as a hint of things to come, but on its own, this chapter is like the first half of an anime episode, rather than a complete package.