#when reading a title like Cherry Magic! Thirty Years of Virginity Can Make You a Wizard?!

[itwoodbeprefect]

one thing that's good about every version of cherry magic is that by virtue of its core premise, and, indeed, the full title of the japanese series (Cherry Magic! Thirty Years of Virginity Can Make You a Wizard?!) you know that you will be getting at least one character who is at least thirty years old. and i can't tell you how much i love when characters are at least thirty years old. it's excellent, we should do more of that

[thenostalgiadepartment]

Here is my October/November reading list. 🧵

I Hear The Sunspot, Theory of Happiness and Limit vol. 1-3 by Yuki Fumino

This series is about a young man named Kouhei who lives with a hearing disability but is not completely deaf. One day he meets a loud and cheerful man named Taichi. The two form an unlikely friendship that deepens over time.  This has been such a heartwarming story which not only teaches its audience about those who have hearing disabilities, but also how the people closest to them can support them in a respectful, dignified manner. 

After the Rain vol. 4-5 by Jun Mayyzuki

These are the last two volumes of this series. It’s NOT an age gap romance. It could have easily fallen into that but it didn’t. Instead, it highlights that it's never too late to start again. Finding that old passion, trying to work yourself back up to where you were after a long break, that’s the message this manga leaves its readers with.

Given vol. 9 by Natsuki Kizu

This is the last volume in this series. I have to admit the story did meander a bit at times, but overall I enjoyed it. The series started off a lot stronger than it ended. 

Tokyo Aliens vol. 7 by NAOE

Aliens, time travel, comedy, oh my! This series is so much fun and beautiful to look at with full page art spreads. 

Mobsters In Love vol. 2 by Chiyoko Origami

I couldn’t possibly love this short series more. The characters are adorable and full of laughs, and I adore how the mangaka draws facial expressions. Oh did I also mention it’s age-gap BL?

Kagurabachi vol. 1 by Takeru Hokazono

When I first saw the character design for Chihiro, I knew I was going to like this character. And while this series was considered a “meme” online, it has a good story with awesome fight scenes.

Bergamot and Sunny Day by Lyee Kitahala

This one-shot was sweet, pun intended. A man who’s unlucky in love gets to experience being doted on. There’s miscommunication between the two main characters.This story showcases how sometimes you just have to find the right person to treat you with the respect and dignity you deserve!  

Acid Town vol. 2-6 by Kyugo

This series is dark so readers beware as the story deals with revenge, trauma, and sexual assault. None of this is glorified. Acid Town is a very character driven story that highlights  morally grey characters as they try to survive within this dark world.

Wind Breaker vol. 1-3 by Satoru Nii

Found family with a pack of delinquents. I can already tell this series is going to be one of my favorites. With a colorful cast of characters and a story of finding a place to belong, I can’t wait to read more!

Wolf Pack by Billy Balibally

Kuma has such high quality publishing. The feel of this manga is so nice with the slip-like cover. Honestly I wish more companies published this way. This story is a fun little fluffy one-shot with some gorgeous art. 

After School Etude vol. 1 by Hirune Cyan

So many manga covers sell me on their series alone and this one is no different. Two happy looking characters staring lovingly into each other's eyes. Yes I will be reading. While this series does dip into some common BL tropes, it still tells a story of two people sharing their passion for dance and how much more enjoyable something can be when you are sharing this experience rather than doing it alone. 

Cherry Magic Thirty Years of Virginity Can Make You a Wizard?! vol. 11-12 by Yuu Toyota

Twelve volumes in and I’m still loving this heartwarming slice of life series. HOWEVER I AM VERY CONCERNED FOR MY FAVORITE SUPPORTING CHARACTERS TSUGE AND MINATO. Those two have been a highlight for me, and I am very worried after the cliffhanger at the end of volume 12. I need volume 13 now! 

The Guy She Was Interest In Wasn’t A Guy At All vol. 1 by Sumiko Arai

I had been waiting for this series to be published in English. The title tells you everything you need to know, and I love this trope. The gorgeous artwork inside is accented with the color green, creating a wonderful reading experience. 

Snowball Earth vol. 1-2 by Yuhiro Tsujitsugu

If you liked Astra Lost in Space like I do, you will love this series. After a final galactic battle in space, an awkward hero who just wants to make one friend returns to Earth to find it covered in snow. I’m really enjoying this sci-fi series so far!

Solo Leveling vol. 9 by Chu-Gong, So-Ryeong Gi and Hyeon-Gun

A long awaited showdown finally took place in this volume providing some new information. The fight scenes are always the highlight of this series. However some of the story being built up is starting to feel a bit convoluted. 

How My Daddies Became Mates vol. 1 by Mita Mita

Despite a cringy title this omegaverse story is actually good. Not only is their character development but none of the problematic tropes rife in this genre. And one of the boldest love declarations I’ve ever seen in manga.

[down-the-yaoi-hole]

Vacation boys love reads! Split personalities, magical virgins, and the crème de la crème: DICK FIGHT ISLAND.

I spent a week in the woods with my cousin / best friend / platonic life partner for my summer vacation this year. We would go hiking in the morning, and then came back to our AirBNB to read all afternoon--it was heaven on earth. Naturally, I brought along a couple of books I wanted to finished and didn't read ANY of that shit. No, instead I read some very good, and some very bad boys love. Here's the best of the best and the best of the worst!

My favorite read of the week was by far "Double Trap" by Goodmen, available on Lehzin Comics. It was like watching a soap opera... I just kept reading the most absurd plot points aloud to my cousin so she could laugh along, but truthfully, I LOVED every second of over-the-top melodrama. This comic is like if "Killing Stalking" and "Banana Scandal" had a baby... an edgy affair with some great humor.

Jinsung (our twink MC) has always had a crush on big brother figure / boy next door, Yura, who's 6 years older than him, 6 inches taller than him, and took Jinsung in after his parents died in a car accident. Jinsung has accepted that Yura won't return his feelings, until ONE NIGHT when Yura suddenly comes onto him! They f*ck, and Jinsung is left dripping c*m the next day while his 'big bro' gets ready for work, seemingly unable to remember anything that transpired between them! Was it another man entirely who came onto Jinsung? Or was it.... A SPLIT PERSONALITY??

10/10 so far, since this is an ongoing comic, but it has everything I look for in a boys love manhwa: good art, drama, humor, a terrifying man with bags under his eyes, and lots and lots of kinky, borderline CNC sex!

My next favorite read of the week was "Cherry Magic! Thirty Years of Virginity Can Make You a Wizard?!" by Yuu Toyota. If the title alone doesn't sell you, you're making a big mistake. Huge.

Adachi (another twink MC) turns 30 while retaining his virginity and discovers a special power: he can now read minds! Much to his surprise, his coworker, Kurosawa, apparently has a THING for him. Every time they get close, Adachi can hear Kurosawa thinking about how cute he is, how sexy he must be under his baggy clothes, how much he just wants to F*CK him, and slowly but surely he warms up to the attention and starts dating Kurosawa.

8/10, and I will definitely continue reading as it publishes! The art is solid, the writing is HILARIOUS, and I'm always a sucker for a cute lil office romance.

Apparently, "Dick Fight Island" by Reibun Ike has been making its way around TikTok, so when my cousin and I stumbled across it in a Japanese bookstore, she MADE me buy it--and I will thank her with my dying breath that she did. This is hands down (dicks down?) the FUNNIEST SHIT I have read in AGES.

The story is set on a remote island populated by a dozen or so different clans. Every year, the clans get together and have one representative battle it out for the title of king. How do they fight, you ask? Well the rules are pretty simple: whoever c*ms first, loses.

When our MC, Harto, returns from studying abroad, he brings a new, surprise technique into the competition: prostate stimulation.

Full of excellent in-jokes for longtime boys love readers, "Dick Fight Island" is a humorous romp with some great, uncensored peen front & center. 10/10 for absurdist comedy.

Probably should have sorted these according to genre, rather than my personal timeline, but there you go! Some great reads from summer vacation 2023.

[gillianthecat]

to me it was ridiculous the way they painted Kurosawa's wishes as something bad, like something he should be ashamed of or something (?) i don't know i still don't get the "i like you but I'd rather die than having to kiss you" thing that's going on with some bls, and i'm not talking about ace representation (i would love to see that!)

Hi Anon! Sorry for the long delay in responding.

Yeah, the blushing maiden uke stuff is something that I've also found frustrating in BLs in general. It makes sense for some characters; young ones just discovering desire, like Amagi in Takara-kun to Amagi-kun, or someone like Akk in The Eclipse, who is reticent because of plot reasons/being uncomfortable with his own queerness (and probably also because he's young - it's just not as obvious because First looks/is so much older than Amagi's actor). But while it can be an interesting issue to explore, I hate that when it's the default option to make the uke like that when it doesn't fit the character at all, and the story doesn't even have anything to say about the uke's reluctance. (I'm still annoyed about Theory of Love doing this to Third). Like you said, asexual characters would be great! But that's usually not what seems to be going on. And it can make the seme seem like an aggressive creep who is ignoring the uke's boundaries.

Are there any explicitly asexual characters in any BL dramas? The only one I can think of is Ae in Love By Chance, who seems to be demisexual (I haven't finished it yet, but it seems to be the implication so far, and I've read other people saying this.) And interestingly, he's the seme character, not the uke.

In Cherry Magic, I don't remember noticing that Kurosawa's desires were painted as bad exactly; I was more aware that Adachi was uncomfortable with them, but it's been a while since I watched it. But I guess the consequence of Adachi's reluctance is that Kurosawa can come across as pushy for wanting more. There were a few moments of Kurosawa being slightly more direct about his sexual desire for Adachi, and I do recall them feeling a bit jarring because he generally was very tentative. I remember seeing in some sort of bts thing that Kurosawa's actor was the one who put them in there (either as improv or just his ideas that the director adopted), which made sense to me because they seemed a little out of step with the rest of the script. I liked those moments! They just didn't seem to fit the show's general reticence about sexuality and sexual desire.

I think one of the things that frustrated me about Cherry Magic! Thirty Years of Virginity Can Make You a Wizard?! was that I kept expecting it to focus more on Adachi's feelings about desire and his own virginity. I mean, virginity is literally in the title! Did he wish he wasn't a virgin? Was he uncomfortable feeling sexual desire? But to my (fading) recollection it felt like the show pretty much ignored that issue. Or at least was so subtle about it that I missed it. He had plenty of insecurities, but they weren't often about sex. If I end up re-watching, that's another thing I'll look out for.

Interestingly, Takara-kun to Amagi-kun started off dealing very directly with Amagi and Takara's feelings about desire, before it veered off in a different direction. But that didn't bother me so much, I guess because I thought they handled it really well in the beginning, and they also never really dropped that thread, just buried it among other threads.

[kermitthequeer]

review: Cherry Magic | Thirty Years of Virginity Can Make You a Wizard?!

Disclaimer: This is my very own humble opinion. If you  agree with my review, I’m glad that I’ve found someone like-minded, if  you do not agree, that’s fine too. Every opinion is valid. Don’t hate me  for mine.

I do not speak any asian language and therefore I rely solely on subtitles. And we all know that they are not always flawless. So if I misread a situation or misunderstand something, feel free to inform me. Spoilers ahead!

Genre: BL

From: Japan

Known Actors:  /

Trigger Warnings: cuteness overload

Rating: 8.5/10 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ☆    

Synopsis: When Kyoshi Adachi reaches his 30th birthday he develops an ability to hear the thoughts of other people by touching them. One day, he discovers that his popular co-worker, Yuichi Kurosawa, is in love with him.

Main Character(s): Kyoshi Adachi, Yuichi Kurosawa

Side Character(s): Masato Tsuge (Adachis BFF), Minato Wataya (Tsuges lover boy), Yuta Rokkaku (co-worker + Kurosawas “friend”), Nozomi Fujisaki, Kengo Urabe (Adachi's co-worker)

Short Appereance: /

Main Couple(s): AdachixKurosawa

Side Couple(s): TsugexMinato

My review:

I think I don’t really have to explain much, the title does a good job.This is going to be a little different than most reviews I do. I’m not going to comment every scene or comment on every step of the storyline, even though I will try to. For the most part I’m just going to ramble around for a bit. And try to write my thoughts down.

I remember when Cherry Magic fan edits popped up on youtube and it looked so cute I just had to watch it. During that time winter came into my town and another lockdown was around the corner. So, this show was really there to brighten my day once a week (or for a few days while I binge watched it).

The concept was really interesting, too. And here are my thoughts about it:

Adachi and Kurosawa

We start our story one day before our protagonsts 30th birthday. His name is Adachi. He has very low self esteem and and little confidence in himself (sounds familiar) but a big heart. It’s not always easy for him to say “no” (espacially to his co-worker). His life is mostly uneventful and repetitive. UNTIL one day on his 30th birthday he discover that the old wives�� tale that you develop powers if you are a virgin for 30years is actually true. He is able to hear peoples thoughts!

At the beginning he isn’t really sure if it’s just all in his head or if he really has this power. On his way to work he meets his co-worker Kurosawa. Due to a very crowded elevator, Kurosawa accidentally touches Adachi. Because of that, Adachi finds out that his super popular and super handsome co-worker is actually madly in love with him (relatable right?)

At first Adachi tries to ingore his powers. He can not be sure that the things he hears are really other people’s thoughts or just him making stuff up. He avoides crowds and Kurosawa. But fate just throws these two together again and again.

Since Adachi can read thoughts, every encounter he has with Kurosawa from now on excalates pretty quickly. Because our boy Kurosawa is just as horny as we all are. One day Kurosawa is being a “nice boy” and helps Adachi with the workload that his co-worker asked him to do. Totally selfless of course, not in any way him trying to be near his crush or anything noo. After hearing Kurosawa gushing over Adachi’s mole on his neck, that Adachi wasn’t even aware of, he is now pretty sure that his powers are real.

Adachi knows that - if the tale is true - he will only lose his powers if he also loses his virginity. And let me tell you something... Honestly, sex is probably really great and all but...you have powers. You are basically one step away of becoming a superhero. You can help people with that. Come one now, this show just proves that asexuals are above us all and are so powerful and deserve to be wizards. If you were able to life a life without sex to your 30s, it’s not that hard, you are almost halfway there. Just hold on.

This show follows mostly our two main leads, Adachi and Kurosawa, trying to manage their love for each other. But what makes Cherry Magic so sweet and heardwarming is the fact, that there are other topics being addressed besides same-sex-love. Like I said earlier, Adachi has extreme low self-esteeem and this is one of the biggest reasons why it takes so long for Adachi to realize and accept that he is not only in love with Kurosawa but also that he deserve this kind of love.

So many times, Adachi chickens out of telling Kurosawa how he feels and espacially when Kurosawa wants to take things to the next level, Adachi needs time. And Kurosawa respects that (bare minimum, but sadly the bar is so low) and gives Adachi time.

Kurosawa also suffers from some incecurities that he not often talks about, but since Adachi has his powers, we are often granted a quick look into Kurosawas head. And these little thought trains that we get tell us so much more about Kurosawa and fully flesh him out as a character.

We get to know about his fantasies, his wishes, his fears and insecurities. Sometimes, when Adachi reads Kurosawas mind, we get little fantasies. We see Adachi through Kurosawas eyes and it’s always a cute scene of Adachi smiling. We see how beautiful Kurosawa thinks of Adachi.

We get one episode from Kurosawas perspective, where we discover how Kurosawa fell in love with Adachi. He was always “aware” that he was there, but he never really “noticed” him. One day, when they both are having dinner with their boss and some random creepy lady, both realize pretty quickly, why they are really there (because of their looks). Kurosawa notices that Adachi does not drink alcohol and therefore he takes his glass and get’s drunk quickly.

Even though, it seems like a dumb thing to do, it tells you so much about Kurosawas character. How he wants to help people, even if that means he is the one to “suffer”. No matter the consequences, he helped his co-worker out there. The lady starts harassing Kurosawa and he turns her down in a very obvious way which was apparently something he wasn’t allowed to do. But fuck this lady and fuck his boss. Kurosawa, you did nothing wrong. She did.

He overhears his boss saying that Kurosawa is only a pretty face and apparently he can’t even do that right. This just gives him the rest and he leaves. Adachi, who was surprised by Kurosawa’s actions (drinking the alcohol for him), follows him outside to comfort him.

It’s a very touching backstory and it’s great that we get it in the middle of the show and not at the beginning, only allowing the characters to become more fleshed out.

When Adachi reads Kurosawa’s thoughts, he mostly thinks about how much he adores Adachi and how much he wants to help him becoming more confident. He often is pretty hard on himself and blames himself for things too often. He seems calm on the surface, but his inner-monologues show how much of a chaotic hopeless romantic he really is.

A reaccuring theme is Adachi being a little put off by how often Kurosawa get’s presents or just admiring looks or words. Because he get’s none and if so, he can’t really take compliments well.

What is really interesting is that through Adachi, we can hear that Kurosawa is not really enjoying all of this presents and kind words of his (mostly) female co-workers. He just wants to be praised for his work not his looks. Which is something only pretty people say. No, fr, I can only imagine that it’s super annoying that people only view you as “pretty” and therefore do not acknowledge your talents and skills. This show actually deals with that nicely. In Kurosawa’s episode he has this beautiful monologue: I had an advantage because of my looks. I hated that people only saw my looks. I knew it would annoy others if I talked about it. So, I pretended it didn’t bother me.

This show was not only about love, but also about loving and respecting yourself. Trusting yourself and gaining a little more confidence in yourself. What I loved so much about Kurosawa and Adachi is that they bring out the best in each other and help each other in so many ways.

At one point, Adachi tells Kurosawa the truth about his powers. Kurosawa tells him that he actually is happy that he has his powers, since they were the reason they got together in the first place.

But Adachi is not so happy about it. He grew used of the powers and now fears that his relationship won’t work out with Kurosawa, once he loses them. Since he wouldn’t be able to read his mind anymore, like he used to. The only option Adachi sees is: breaking up. And since Kurosawa respects his wishes, he leaves (hoping that Adachi would fight for him and maybe hold him back).

They make up in the end, when Adachi realizes that maybe communicating would be another option they have left. Because, guess what, that’s what most people do. So, they get back together and Kurosawa basically proposes to Adachi, which seemed...quite abruptly tbh. But hey, everyone has their own pace.

Minato and Tsuge

Tsuge is Adachi’s best friend and also a virgin. Later, he becomes a wizard like Adachi, being able to read minds. He is a writer and spends his time at home 20/7, the 4 hours are probably just the hours he is willing to leave for grocery shopping and eating out with Adachi.

He has a really sweet cat and this cat will help him get him his future boyfriend. Minato, is his name. He works as a deliveryman. Tsuge doesn’t like Minato very much, since he is a so called “youngster” (oh gosh I think a brain cell just died while writing this).

Minato feels the same way about Tsuge “the old man”, but does love his cat. Tsuge develops feelings for Minato pretty quickly and even begins to stalks him, to find out more about him. He orders so much stuff from different shops just so this guy would show up at his doorstep again.

He finds out that Minato is actually trying to fullfil his dreams of becoming a dancer.

While it would’ve been a sweet idea, this couple couldn’t really win me over. First and foremost, how old is Minato supposed to be? The actor was at that point approximately 20/21 and he looks way younger than that tbh.  And in the show it’s never stated how old he is, his love interest states multiple times that he is “young” and refers to him as “the youngster(s)”. And it’s clear that Tsuge is 30. So...I just can’t ship them. Like, they are both of age and adults but it still feels weird for some reason. If the actor would at least look older...I guess that would maybe change my view on them. In reallife they are 6 (?) years apart which is still a lot but way less than what seems to be 8 or 10 years on the show.

It really didn’t help that Tsuge was the one initiating the relatioship and stalking Minato. Others called him even a pervert and honestly...he acted like one. Secretly talking pictures of someone, following them around, etc.

On top of that, their scenes often included cringy / over the top acting and triggered my second-hand embarassment, which...was that really necessary? Maybe, it was part of Tsuge’s character in the Manga, but you just can’t translate everything into a life-action show, because it looks hideous and awkward. In the more serious scene that Tsuge was in, he actually wasn’t all that bad.

I can take cringy acting, that’s how I survived most BL’s actually. But was it really necessary to have Tsuge kneel before Minato and scream at him how sorry he is in public? While people are watching? And Minato doesn’t really seem to be delighted by that. I’m sorry, but that’s where I draw the line, my cringe-o-meter exploded. I’m a very private and introverted person, so that just wasn’t it for me.

It actually hurts my heart that so many people think this is how socially awkward people behave, which - as a socially awkward person - I can’t confirm. We don’t flinch everytime people touch us, we don’t scream and shout and talk very fast, when we get nervous (at least not to that extent). And we don’t...ugh..back to the series.

I mean they had potential, they could’ve been cute and I don’t mind if anyone is shipping them, it’s just really icky to me and I can’t do that.

Things I disliked

The actors ages. I mean, I know that most asians look very young, but come on. No one can tell me that these guys are supposed to be 30. I guess the actor of Kurosawa was about 29 (?) so he comes closest (he doesn’t look like he is 30 but I appreciate the attempt) but the others...They just don’t look like they are 30. And please, don’t cast some really young-looking dude as the love interest of a supposedly 30-year old.

Over the top “humorous scenes”. It doesn’t make me laugh, just cringe. But this happened only with scenes between Minato and Tsuge. Sometimes, I just skipped them. But yeah...not everyone’s tea I guess.

No kiss. I don’t need NC scenes or anything too intimate. But the whole no-kissing seems more like a “no homo” situation here. These guys are insanely in love and are basically married and you tell me that they didn’t even kiss on camera ONCE? Don’t tell me they are asexual or anything (even though I would love to see more representation like that, I mean if the actors don’t wanna kiss or the management is against it, why not create a little more representation while you’re at it?) because I would support that, they just didn’t want to show that or maybe the actors didn’t want to kiss. But then again I ask myself...why not cast actors who actually want to act out the role? Or was it a management issue? Whatever it was, defiinitely made it seem less believeable and it felt more rushed. Like, even if you give me the classic “fish kiss” with eyes wide open and it’s basically just them pressing their lips together...this treatment most Korean BLs get (thank you TMS honestly) it would’ve been better imo.

Also, Minato and Tsuge had a kissing scene (it wasn’t good but still). And that even further aligns with my theory of the actors or the management not wanting them to kiss. But this show is still cute and enjoyable, so I’ll let it slide this one time.

Rushed ending. Like I already said, this kind-of-proposal came out of nowhere for me and felt rushed. Sure, they know each other for years, but they only began to grow closer over the last couple weeks. Shouldn’t they start with dating first, then go to living together for a few couple of months and then - after really being sure that they want it and after talking it through - propose? But hey, I’m the single one here, so maybe I am in the wrong here.

Things I liked

How they handlded Adachi’s powers. Adachi was suddenly able to read peoples thoughts. One of the most private and intimate things. And Kurosawa was just like ‘“k, I’m actually glad you secretly kept reading my thoughts” which seemed a little too anti-climactic. Please, sweety at least pretend that you are a little hurt that your boyfriend kept reading your most private thoughts. It’s like someone reading your diary without your permission.

But apart from that, they handlded it actually quite well. Adachi wasn’t super okay with reading other people’s thoughts. He didn’t use it for revenge, there were no bad intentions. He always wanted to help and only used it as a way to help others or clear things up. When he did use it for his own advantage, he felt bad afterwards.

Miscommunication subplot. Overused, lame, just for the sake of plot, annoying - these are the first things that come into my mind, when thinking about miscommunication subplots. But Cherry Magic actually did a decent job at it. There was a miscommunicating subplot at the end and I expected to hate it, but I actually did like it.

It makes so much sense here, since Adachi was so used to his powers at some point, that losing them seemed like he was no longer able to understand people or their feelings. The “oh no I lost my powers and since I used them to understand Kurosawa better I don’t know if we can be together now that I don’t have them anymore” struggle seems realistic.

Tsuge only made it worse by saying: “I forgot how difficult it is to sense other’s feelings [without being ablte to read their thoughts]” after having a minor fight with Minato. And since Adachi is a person that worries and overthinks quite often and easily, he didn’t take it too well. It could’ve been so much better, if they did actually drag it out a little more. But maybe it’s for the better like that. They got the most important points across, even though they resolved it pretty quickly.

No happily ever after. This title is actually a little misleading, since the couple did get a happy ending. What I mean with that is that they didn’t give the couple a “they are now offically a couple so there story ends with that”. Most shows think that viewers only want to see the couple coming together and call it a day. In Cherry Magic the story doesn’t end with them getting together. We see them struggle with their relationship, going on cute dates, breaking up, resolving their issues and semi-propose.

It’s nothing new or groundbreaking, but it’s rare and refreshing to see. I do like that shows always try to give us the “and all was well” happy ending after they get together, but seeing storyline like Cherry Magic, where they actually deal with them being a couple and show us their ups and dows, I really appreciate that.

Special episodes. IIRC there are a total of 3 special episodes that are just the cherry on top of this cake. I really did enjoy them. They weren’t necessary for the story to work, but were a nice add to it. Pure fluff and comedy. Speaking of fluff-

Fluff and feel-good. This show in no way ITSAY or MOD and nowhere near them. It doesn’t make you ugly cry at 3 o’clock in the morning. And it’s not a mystery where you sit at the edge of your seat, trying to figure out who is the big bad guy. But - and this is important - this show is not meant for you to feel these kind of emotions. Cherry Magic is more of a rom-com. A feel-good show. Some sort of “grab your blanket and some hot chocolate and watch it and feel safe” kind of show. Espacially needed during whatever the hell is going on right now.

So, if you ever want a show, where the leads are adorable and relatable, where there is a little sprinkle of magic and a ton of fluff and you just wanna lay back and find a safe space to escape reality, this is the show for you.

I think this covers my thoughts on this series. Thanks for reading. Check out my other reviews.

My BL Review List: https://urmyquerencia.tumblr.com/post/627642344497364992/bl-reviews

- urmyquerencia

[ax100]

Title: Eh?! You Can Present as an Omega After 30 Years of Being a Beta?! (Chapter 3) Fandom: Cherry Magic! Thirty Years of Virginity Can Make You a Wizard?! / 30-sai made Dotei dato Mahotsukai ni Narerurashii?! Characters: Kiyoshi Adachi, Yuichi Kurosawa, Kengo Urabe Pairings: Kurosawa x Adachi Rating: T Other tags: Omegaverse AU, A/B/O Dynamics, No Mind Reading AU, Alpha Kurosawa Yuichi, Omega Adachi Kiyoshi

Summary: This is Kiyoshi Adachi, 30 years old, office worker, virgin, beta. Or so he thought.

His life is turned upside down when, at 30 years old, Adachi suddenly presents as an omega, despite having been a beta his whole life (with the paperwork to prove it, in fact!). Now, he has to learn (relearn?) the ins and outs of his body while dealing with all the hassles that come with being an omega in this society, like tracking heats and having to remember to take his daily suppressant. Life would have been so much easier if he had presented as an alpha instead, like Kurosawa…

CHAPTER 2: Between not having greeted Adachi on his birthday, learning that his long-time crush is actually an omega, and his own stupid alpha brain, Kurosawa Yuuichi is having A Day™.

In which Kurosawa has the first of many existential crises brought about by one (1) Adachi Kiyoshi, and how he steels his resolve.

Excerpt:

Yuuichi stifled the grin he could feel coming up, as he forced his leg to stop bouncing.

It was five minutes later and he was starting to settle down into his work for the morning, when a bout of commotion near the entrance to the office caught his attention. He looked over his shoulder and was about to ask Iriguchi-san to his right what was happening, when it hit him as well:

A sweet, sweet, sweet scent slamming into him like a brick wall.

He hiccupped a little at the strong scent, pervasive as it was, and he coughed a little as his senses tried to readjust to the sudden onslaught of stimulation that was quickly making him dizzy. He fished his handkerchief out of his pocket and pressed it against his nose and mouth. The physical blockage helped a little. But still—who in the world was pheromone belching at the office?

He glanced back again, just as a figure emerged through the door into the main space, the scent becoming exponentially stronger as they entered. Yuuichi froze. And then he blinked a few times to make sure he wasn’t seeing things because—

Because—

That person who was belching what was unmistakably omega pheromones was none other than the well-established beta, Adachi Kiyoshi.

[emchovy]

What I Read In May 2022:

Novels:

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine: Revenant by Alex White

This book was really good! It's a very recent Star Trek novel (Dec 2021!!) but it's set in S4 of DS9. And it RULES. A Dax-centric story, it takes place on the planet Trill, and has incredibly interesting writing, vis-à-vis Jadzia and her own perspective on her lives. Plus, the author manages to make Joran not awful. HUGELY recommend.

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine: Proud Helios by Melissa Scott

This one is not a standout DS9 novel, but I liked it. Pirates are fun.

Manga/Light Novels/Comics:

Delicious in Dungeon V1. by Ryoko Kui

Delicious in Dungeon is extremely popular, and there's a good reason why. The world is lush, and the characters are fun. It's also, in my opinion, weeeeeiiiirrdd. In a good way. Excited to read more.

Cherry Magic: Thirty Years of Virginity Can Make You A Wizard Vol. 4

This manga, despite the somewhat painful title, is a cute BL. I like it a lot, and the fourth volume was cute.

Sexiled: My Sexist Party Leader Kicked Me Out, So I Teamed Up With A Legendary Sorcereress Vol. 1-2

This is a nice little light novel duology that pictures sexism as something that was started by a single man, and can be punched away. I'm simplifying, but it was good and cute and it must have been very cathartic to write.

Cross-dressing Villainess Cecilia Sylvie by Hiroro Akizakura

Look, not every book I read can be ""good"". This is a fun little light-novel, just another take on the villainess trend.

Scum Villain's Self-Saving System Vol. 2

Nonfiction:

Listen, the best way I can explain this is the way I explained it to my brother. I love reading Scum Villain but also reading it pisses me off and makes me angry.

The Strange Adventures of a Broke Mercenary by Mine

An actually good fantasy light novel. I know. I'm shocked too.

From Hollywood, With Love: The Rise and Fall (and Rise Again) of the Romantic Comedy by Scott Meslow

This is a book that tells the history and production of popular romcoms, from the late 90s all the way up to 2021 (this book was released in 2022). As a former film student, I like production history, and so I picked this one up when I saw it in the staff picks at the library. It's a good book, if largely foreign to me, as I'm not a huge fan of romcoms. I found the most interesting aspects the way that romcoms had changed over time, always a little bit reflections of romance of the moment, and the way that Hollywood's deep, engrained issues with misogyny and racism played roles in their creation.

[recentanimenews]

Manga the Week of 4/27/22

SEAN: The end of April means the end of innocence, getting ready for the boys of summer, and other things that are not Don Henley songs.

We start with Yen On, who have Cross-Dressing Villainess Cecilia Sylvie 2, In the Land of Leadale 5, and Orc Eroica 2.

Yen Press has a whooole lot. We see A Certain Magical Index 25, Days on Fes 5 (the final volume), Dead Mount Death Play 7, Goblin Slayer 11, Golden Japanesque: A Splendid Yokohama Romance 5, Hinowa ga CRUSH! 6, I Was a Bottom-Tier Bureaucrat for 1,500 Years, and the Demon King Made Me a Minister 3 (also a final volume), In Another World with My Smartphone 5, I’ve Been Killing Slimes for 300 Years and Maxed Out My Level 8, Laid-Back Camp 11, Love of Kill 7, Please Put Them On, Takamine-san 3, Plunderer 9, The Royal Tutor 16, Sacrificial Princess and the King of Beasts 15 (also also a final volume), Sasaki and Miyano 5, Shibuya Goldfish 10, and Toilet-bound Hanako-kun 13. I am getting… well, two of those.

MICHELLE: I’m at least getting Sasaki and Miyano!

ANNA: Not much there for me, since I’m not super into bureaucrats for the Demon King killing slimes after their levels are maxed-out.

ASH: I really ought to catch up with Sacrificial Princess and the King of Beasts; I’ve enjoyed the volumes that I’ve read. Also Toilet-bound Hanako-kun!

SEAN: Tokyopop debuts Yagi the Bookshop Goat (Honya no Yagi-kun), a BL title from Chara about a goat boy who loves to read books… and eat books! No one trusts him in a bookstore, can he convince the wolf manager to give him a shot? Honestly, this looks damn cute.

ANNA: I don’t care how cute it is!

ASH: Tokyopop keeps trying to tempt me.

MELINDA: Must… not… look… no. no.

SEAN: Tentai Books has a print light novel debut. You Like Me, Don’t You? So, Wanna Go Out With Me? (Kimitte Watashi no Koto Suki Nandeshou?), another high school romance between a mopey guy and the perfect girl. This genre has gotten popular lately, though usually with more irony than this has. The author also writes Are You OK with a Slightly Older Girlfriend? and When Supernatural Battles Become Commonplace.

Square Enix has a 4th volume of Cherry Magic! Thirty Years of Virginity Can Make You a Wizard?!.

MICHELLE: I need to resume this series; the first volume was very good!

ASH: It’s true!

SEAN: Seven Seas debuts The Most Notorious “Talker” Runs the World’s Greatest Clan (Saikyou no Shien-shoku “Wajutsushi” Dearu ore wa Sekai Saikyou Kuran o Shitagaeru), based on the light novel also released by Seven Seas. It’s one of those “everyone says I’m weak but I’m secretly strong” series, and runs in Comic Gardo.

Seven Seas also has Cat Massage Therapy 2, The Dangers in My Heart 4, The Dungeon of Black Company 7, Headhunted to Another World: From Salaryman to Big Four! 3, Kingdom of Z 5, Our Teachers are Dating! 4 (the final volume), Skeleton Knight in Another World 8, and Time Stop Hero 4.

KUMA has two new titles. sick is a BL oneshot about a young college student. He’s handsome, popular, has all the girls he wants. So why can’t he stop teasing the shy boy in his class? This ran in Takeshobo’s Opa.

Also one volume is Boys of the Dead, which KUMA describes as ZOM-BL!, and I can’t top that. It ran in Canna.

MICHELLE: I am potentially here for ZOM-BL.

ANNA: Me too!

ASH: Honestly, I’ve enjoyed most of KUMA’s releases, so far.

MELINDA: Okay, also count me in as possibly here for ZOM-BL.

SEAN: Kodansha has some print debuts. First we see Blackguard, a horror series from the creator of Devils’ Line. A mysterious virus called shojo is attacking people and… no, it’s not turning them into shojo manga, it turns each person into an identical carrier. Presumably our hero fights back. Also, given the title, presumably he’s not very nice.

ASH: Count me as curious.

SEAN: We also get A Galaxy Next Door (Otonari ni Ginga), a new series from the creator of Sweetness and Lightning. A young manga artist struggling to feed his family finds himself a new assistant, who’s almost otherworldly… and also says they’re engaged. This runs in good! Afternoon.

MICHELLE: I can’t say I’m wild about the premise but there’s enough residual goodwill left over from Sweetness & Lightning that I’ll check it out.

ASH: Sweetness & Lightning was such a delight.

MELINDA: Hm, yes maybe.

SEAN: And then there is Sensei’s Pious Lie (Sensei no Shiroi Uso), an 18+ series that ran in Morning Two. A young teacher is raped by her friend’s fiance, and struggles to keep it from her friend and also connect with her students. This has won awards, but as you might guess, is pretty intense and not for everyone.

MICHELLE: Sounds heavy but good.

ANNA: Way too heavy for me.

ASH: I’ve heard very good things about this series.

MELINDA: Cautiously interested.

SEAN: Also out in print: EDENS ZERO 16, Hitorijime My Hero 12, and Something’s Wrong With Us 8.

The digital debut is WIND BREAKER, a new manga from Magazine Pocket. I can’t believe, 20-odd years after WORST bombed in English, we are finally getting another delinquent manga about beating the shit out of other students. Awesome.

ASH: Ha! I’ll admit, I do like delinquent manga.

MELINDA: I mean.

SEAN: Also digital: Back When You Called Us Devils 12 (the final volume), Bootsleg 2, Even Given the Worthless “Appraiser” Class, I’m Actually the Strongest 4, Getting Closer to You 2, and Harem Marriage 16.

Kaiten Books has a digital release, the 3rd and final volume of My Dad’s the Queen of All VTubers?!.

J-Novel Club has the 9th and final volume of Can Someone Please Explain What’s Going On?!, Fantasy Inbound 2, Maddrax 3, and Saint? No! I’m Just a Passing Beast Tamer! 2. On the manga side, we see Der Werwolf: The Annals of Veight -Origins- 6, Villainess: Reloaded! Blowing Away Bad Ends with Modern Weapons 4, and Welcome to Japan, Ms. Elf! 5.

Ghost Ship has a 3rd and final volume of Shiori’s Diary, as well as Yuuna and the Haunted Hot Springs 19.

Cross Infinite World gives us a 2nd volume of I Reincarnated As Evil Alice, So the Only Thing I’m Courting Is Death!.

Finally, Airship has the print debut of The Most Heretical Last Boss Queen: From Villainess to Savior, as well as Kuma Kuma Kuma Bear 9, Reborn as a Space Mercenary: I Woke Up Piloting the Strongest Starship! 4, and Reincarnated as a Dragon Hatchling 3.

And we see early digital volumes for Kuma Kuma Kuma Bear 10 and The Most Heretical Last Boss Queen: From Villainess to Savior 2.

Want to buy manga? Or all you want to do is dance?

By: Sean Gaffney

[mythosaur34667]

Rules: Tag nine people you want to know better/catch up with! Tagged by: @zooheaded Last Song: "Coming of Age" by Foster the People has been stuck in my head since I woke up. Currently Reading: the yaoi manga "Cherry Magic! Thirty Years of Virginity Can Make You a Wizard?!" by Yuu Toyota. I mean. Look at that title. How could I not read it? The main character develops touch telepathy and discovers that his coworker is secretly in love with him, and realizes he might love him back. It also now occurs to me that this would be kind of an amazing Dinfeld AU. RIP Din reading Migs' mind though! XD Currently Watching: Between shows at the moment, though I have many things I want to watch. I do get very excited to watch The Bad Batch every week, even though I feel like it's just okay. Currently Craving: More sleep and caffeine, but I realize I can't have both at the same time. The caffeine will win in a little while when I accept that yeah, I've already been awake for two hours. Probably in the form of tea. I don't have nine people to tag, and also please only do this if you want to; no pressure! Tagging: @urisarang @blvvewolf @fake-starwars-fan

[recentanimenews]

Manga the Week of 5/26/21

SEAN: The end of May brings us a few more books to check out. And by a few I mean a lot.

ASH: So many books! I love it.

SEAN: Airship has an early digital debut (the print is out in July): Accomplishments of the Duke’s Daughter (Koushaku Reijou no Tashinami). We’ve already seen several volumes of the manga over here… in fact, it was one of the first “oh no, I’m reincarnated as a villainess in an otome game” titles seen here. Let’s hope folks won’t think it’s old hat by now.

ASH: While I liked the manga, I think I might enjoy the novels more.

SEAN: Also out early digitally: Classroom of the Elite 8 and Skeleton Knight in Another World 9.

In print, we see the 6th Reincarnated As a Sword.

Ghost Ship has two titles: World’s End Harem Fantasia 4 and Yuuna and the Haunted Hot Springs 14.

J-Novel Club has no debuts, but we do see By the Grace of the Gods 7, Dungeon Busters 2, Holmes of Kyoto 5, Lazy Dungeon Master 14, Monster Tamer 4, and Slayers 8. Note Slayers 8 is the final novel that Tokyopop released back in the day, so from Vol. 9 on it’s new to English.

ASH: Nice! I love seeing these license rescues making progress.

ANNA: Where’s Demon Sacred!!!!???

MICHELLE: And Silver Diamond! Now that we’ve successfully had Rose of Versailles, someone rescuing Silver Diamond is my dearest licensing wish.

SEAN: Well, Slayers is a light novel, which is more J-Novel Club’s ballpark.

Kodansha’s debut in print (and digital) is highly anticipated. Boys Run the Riot is a story about fashion and gender identity, and is a must-read for LGBTQ readers. It originally ran in Weekly Young Magazine, then moved online.

MICHELLE: I’m very excited for this one!

ASH: Absolutely! Me, too! I’ve heard very good things.

ANNA: Sounds good!

MELINDA: Yes, this!!

SEAN: Also in print: CITY 11, Fairy Tail’s 4th manga box, which has Vol. 34-43, and What Did You Eat Yesterday? 15.

MICHELLE: Also looking forward to this.

ASH: Any week that brings more Fumi Yoshinaga manga is a good week.

MELINDA: What Ash said.

SEAN: Debuting digitally is Back When You Called Us Devils (Kimi ga Bokura wo Akuma to Yonda Koro), a Magazine Pocket series about a young man who can’t remember six months of his life running into people who certainly do remember it… and say that he was a monster. More psychological thrillers, yay?

ASH: Hmmm, I am intrigued.

SEAN: Also out digitally: Am I Actually the Strongest? 4, And Yet You Are So Sweet 2, Harem Marriage 5, Saint Young Men 11, Those Snow White Notes 5 (yeah, I give up, sorry), What I Love About You 6, and When We’re in Love 8.

MICHELLE: I feel like this is my last chance to catch up on Those Snow White Notes before it completely gets away from me.

SEAN: One Peace has a 5th volume of The New Gate.

Seven Seas has one debut. Bite Maker: The King’s Omega (Bite Maker -Ousama no Omega-). Yes, A/B/O Dynamics is not just an AO3 tag anymore. Our hero is an Alpha, admired and adored by Betas, but seems unsatisfied… till he meets the Omega of his dreams. This is a Shogakukan shoujo title, running in Flowers’ online magazine &Flowers, and its author is known for pushing at boundaries.

MICHELLE: Yeah, no thanks.

ANNA: I will pass on this one.

MELINDA: “Pushing at boundaries.” Yeah, no.

SEAN: There’s also Berserk of Gluttony 2, GIGANT 5, Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid: Elma’s Office Lady Diary 4, Saint Seiya: Saintia Sho 13, and Species Domain 10.

Square Enix has Cherry Magic! Thirty Years of Virginity Can Make You a Wizard?! 3 and Ragna Crimson 2.

ASH: I’ve been enjoying Cherry Magic!.

SEAN: Tokyopop debuts Like Two Peas in a Pod (Nitamonodoushi no), a BL one-shot from Mag Garden. Two boys in school are very alike – they’re even both named Tanaka! But when both take an interest in the same girl, are they jealous of each other, or of the girl?

And A Gentle Noble’s Vacation Recommendation 3.

Yen On has a debut that’s actually a sequel. Durarara!! SH takes place 18 months after the end of the main series, and features three new protagonists. (The SH stands for Snake Hands. Don’t ask.)

And there is Bungo Stray Dogs 6, Date a Live 2, The Demon Sword Master of Excalibur Academy 3, Do You Love Your Mom and Her Two-Hit Multi-Target Attacks? 9, a paperback reprint of Haruhi Suzumiya 9, My Youth Romantic Comedy Is Wrong As I Expected 11, and Wandering Witch 5.

Yen Press has one debut and one finale. The debut is Hard-Boiled Stories from the Cat Bar (Sake to Namida to Otoko to Nyanko), a one-shot from Kadokawa’s Young Ace Up. If you love dark grimy noir stories, but also love cats, this is the title for you.

MICHELLE: Hm. Maybe!

ASH: I’m looking forward to giving it a try.

ANNA: I’m curious about this.

MELINDA: Same here!

SEAN: Ending at 18 volumes (and honestly I forgot it was still coming out, it’s digital-only) is Crimson Prince. The author fell ill several years ago, and so 17 (which came out last month) and 18 had a long delay. It was a good shonen supernatural romance.

Any May flowers you’re picking?

By: Sean Gaffney

[ax100]

Title: Eh?! You Can Present as an Omega After 30 Years of Being a Beta?! (Chapter 3) Fandom: Cherry Magic! Thirty Years of Virginity Can Make You a Wizard?! / 30-sai made Dotei dato Mahotsukai ni Narerurashii?! Characters: Kiyoshi Adachi, Yuichi Kurosawa, Kengo Urabe Pairings: Kurosawa x Adachi Rating: T Other tags: Omegaverse AU, A/B/O Dynamics, No Mind Reading AU, Alpha Kurosawa Yuichi, Omega Adachi Kiyoshi

Summary: This is Kiyoshi Adachi, 30 years old, office worker, virgin, beta. Or so he thought.

His life is turned upside down when, at 30 years old, Adachi suddenly presents as an omega, despite having been a beta his whole life (with the paperwork to prove it, in fact!). Now, he has to learn (relearn?) the ins and outs of his body while dealing with all the hassles that come with being an omega in this society, like tracking heats and having to remember to take his daily suppressant. Life would have been so much easier if he had presented as an alpha instead, like Kurosawa…

CHAPTER 4: Adachi has 99 problems, and it's starting to look like heat isn't one of them.

-

In which Adachi has a grueling meeting with HR, and gradually comes to the realization that his biggest enemy in all this may not be biology, but bureaucratic red tape.

Excerpt:

He takes the envelope and lifts the flap to see a few sheaves of paper, stapled together into groups. He takes them out as a whole, just as Matsumoto-san takes out a similar stack of papers from the clear L-file she has with her. They’re handouts, Kiyoshi quickly realizes—the index of benefits given to all new employees upon their contract signing with the company. He doesn’t even remember where the copy he had been given all those years ago is anymore.

“Looks familiar?” Matsumoto-san asks, no doubt noticing the way his eyes are scanning the first page, a mess of tables and text with headers like Qualification Matrix and Availment Schedule.

“Ah, yes.” He nods. Somewhat, he thinks, but doesn’t dare say aloud. He’s already on thin ice here, he feels.

“This is the Benefits Index for Employees,” she introduces anyway. “It has changed here and there over the years, so it might be somewhat different from the copy you were given when you were first on-boarded.”

He nods. He’s still not entirely sure why he’s being shown this.

She reads him easily, it seems, as she gives him a wry smile. “In conjunction with the change in your status, Adachi-kun, there will now be some changes to the benefits you can avail of. In particular, you are now eligible to receive benefits for omega employees.”

His head jerks up to look at her, staring, staring.

Benefits for omega employees.

Omegas, like him.

Oh, shit, he thinks, as it dawns onto him all over again, for what feels like the hundredth time in less than a week. Omega. That’s me. Oh, shit.

[recentanimenews]

Bookshelf Briefs 11/16/20

A Bride’s Story, Vol. 12 | By Kaoru Mori | Yen Press – Being at a yearly schedule for this series is bad, but it could be worse: Yotsuba&! seems to come out every 3-4 years. The best part of this volume sees Mr. Smith and Talas meeting up with Anis and Sherine, a married couple that, as before, remains defined by the lack of husband in their lives. He’s there, to be sure, but this may as well be a yuri couple for all the emotional beats. Also, learning how to write everyone’s name is very awesome and cathartic. Elsewhere, Karluk is reminded that everyone has different skill sets, and Pariya has to deal with unexpectedly being on her own. The “plot” of the series barely exists, and I’m not sure it will last till Karluk comes of age. But it’s peaceful and the art is gorgeous. – Sean Gaffney

Cherry Magic!: Thirty Years of Virginity Can Make You a Wizard?!, Vol. 1 | By Yuu Toyota | Square Enix – With a title and conceit like Cherry Magic!, I’ll admit I wasn’t expecting much from the series, so I was delighted to encounter a surprisingly charming and lighthearted first volume. After turning thirty without experiencing so much as a first kiss, Adachi finds that he can now read people’s minds when he physically touches them. The ability can occasionally be helpful, but in general he tries to avoid using it. Things take an awkward turn when he bumps into his coworker Kurosawa, inadvertently learning he’s been hiding a crush on him. Kurosawa is a popular and nice enough guy, but Adachi, being romantically inexperienced, isn’t quite sure what he should do with his newfound knowledge—especially considering that Kurosawa hasn’t actually mentioned anything about liking him yet. Cherry Magic! is a silly but sweet romantic comedy; I had fun reading it and would happily read more. -Ash Brown

Farming Life in Another World, Vol. 1 | By Kinosuke Naito and Yasuyuki Tsurugi | One Peace Books – If you liked everything about In Another World with My Smartphone but wish that the magical smartphone had been replaced with a magical farming tool, have I got a series for you. Most of the plot beats are even the same, although Hiraki manages to get it on with most of his wives a good 20 or so volumes before Touya. Despite that last sentence, those who are buying this for the “snu snu” will not be happy—it’s far more interested in the farming, as well as his accumulation of wolves, spiders, and brides. I’m honestly not unhappy that we only got the manga version of this—I suspect it would be tedious in prose. As it is, it’s perfectly good slow-life isekai with a farming bent. – Sean Gaffney

Himouto! Umaru-chan, Vol. 11 | By Sankakuhead | Seven Seas – This is the penultimate volume of the original series, though I understand there are several spinoffs. That said, there’s nothing here indicating that we’re headed for a big finish or climax. Which makes sense—this is not really that kind of series. It does show us how Umaru and Ebina met, which is as cutesy as it sounds. Indeed, cutesy is the watchword for every single chapter. Even the sibling relationship friction, which was what drove many of the early volumes, seems to have been dialed way back as they’re mostly getting along now. It’s a good sign that the series should be wrapping up, really, and so it is. That said, if you love Umaru-chan, this should make you happy. – Sean Gaffney

Revolutionary Girl Utena: After the Revolution | By Chihi Saito | Viz Media – I am, to put it mildly, not a fan of the original Utena manga. So I was initially incredibly uninterested in this 20-years-later single-volume afterword. That said, it does not seem to even take place in the same universe—it feels like Saito was told to make this an anime sequel more than a manga sequel. Good news, this means Juri is gay again. Not surprisingly, I found the Juri/Shiori/Ruka story the most interesting, though I still hate Ruka more than the creators want me to. Elsewhere, Touga and Saionji turn into Scooby Doo investigators, and Miki and Kaoru are still really into incestual subtext. I still prefer Artistic Veggie Platters as an Utena continuation, but this is OK. – Sean Gaffney

Teasing Master Takagi-san, Vol. 10 | By Soichiro Yamamoto | Yen Press – The “future” chapter showing Nishikata and Takagi married and having a daughter was wildly popular with readers. We don’t get another in the series here—by this point there was a spinoff all its own to take care of that—but we do see an older Chi in middle school, trying to be what her mother was with the guy she likes and failing miserably. It’s pretty adorable. As for the actual cast, they pet dogs, go fishing, eat candy, and make everyone think they are the most sickeningly sweet couple you’ll ever meet without actually being a couple. There’s no “plot advancing” chapters here, but there’s lots of cuteness, and Takagi is the most likeable of the “teasing” girls we see a lot of these days. – Sean Gaffney

That Blue Summer, Vol. 8 | By Atsuko Namba | Kodansha Comics (digital only) – Rio’s days in the tranquil village of Ueko are coming to an end. She has ended things with Ginzo because it was too hard, knowing they could never be together long-term, and tries to put on a brave face about going back home to Tokyo. But once she gets there and tries to move on, it’s clear she’s just going through the motions. I really liked that I wasn’t sure that the main couple would actually end up together, and also that the romance between a couple of side characters wasn’t just filler but a way to put things into perspective for Rio. What I liked most, though, is why Ginzo loves Rio—she’s the one who encouraged him to embrace his passion for graphic design, who created opportunities for him that boosted his confidence. This has been one of my favorites of the Kodansha digital-only shoujo offerings! – Michelle Smith

Yoshi no Zuikara: The Frog in the Well Does Not Know the Ocean, Vol. 1 | By Satsuki Yoshino | Yen Press – Despite my good intentions, I have yet to read Barakamon. And so I must ask… is this what Barakamon is like?! ‘Cos it’s good as hell! Naruhiko Tohno is a struggling manga artist who still lives in the remote village in which he was born and raised. He’s been writing fantasy manga for ten years and isn’t exactly gung-ho when his editor suggests he try writing rural slice-of-life instead, but it ends up selling far more than his previous series. I definitely enjoyed the segments about Tohno and his life growing up, particularly the obvious links between his middle-school friends and classmates and the characters in his manga, but I’m a little sad that we don’t spend more time with the characters in his manga, because they were totally charming, too. Guess I gotta go read everything in English by Yoshino-sensei now! – Michelle Smith

Yowamushi Pedal, Vol. 15 | By Wataru Watanabe | Yen Press – I mentioned as I was reading this that it’s astonishing that Watanabe has not turned his hand to horror manga, given everything about Midousuji in this volume, which is simply mind-numbingly creepy. That said, wow, he’s a good cyclist, and he likely will help to goad Naruko into becoming more well-rounded. Elsewhere, we learn how difficult it is to find new members who are as good as the old ones—the previous year was unusual, after all—and also not to abandon a potential member just because you judge them at first to be not worth your time. I hope to see more of our new huge son. It did feel weird that this volume did not have a major race in it, but I’m sure that’s coming soon. – Sean Gaffney

By: Ash Brown

[ax100]

Title: Eh?! You Can Present as an Omega After 30 Years of Being a Beta?! (Chapter 1) Fandom: Cherry Magic! Thirty Years of Virginity Can Make You a Wizard?! / 30-sai made Dotei dato Mahotsukai ni Narerurashii?! Characters: Kiyoshi Adachi, Yuichi Kurosawa, Kengo Urabe Pairings: Kurosawa x Adachi Rating: T Other tags: Omegaverse AU, A/B/O Dynamics, No Mind Reading AU

Summary: This is Kiyoshi Adachi, 30 years old, office worker, virgin, beta. Or so he thought.

His life is turned upside down when, at 30 years old, Adachi suddenly presents as an omega, despite having been a beta his whole life (with the paperwork to prove it, in fact!). Now, he has to learn (relearn?) the ins and outs of his body while dealing with all the hassles that come with being an omega in this society, like tracking heats and having to remember to take his daily suppressant. Life would have been so much easier if he had presented as an alpha instead, like Kurosawa...

Excerpt:

The sun is shining, the birds are chirping, and the ringing of an alarm is abruptly cut off when a hand slaps down the button of a small clock on a bedside table.

Slowly, a figure buried under a thick comforter pulls himself up until he’s seated on the bed. He groans.

This is Kiyoshi Adachi, beta, virgin. And as of today, he is 30 years old.

[recentanimenews]

Bookshelf Briefs 5/7/20

The Ancient Magus’ Bride, Vol. 12 | By Kore Yamazaki | Seven Seas – As much as I continue to love this series overall, this particular volume had some highs and lows for me. When Chise’s new classmates are in a scene with her, I find them interesting (particularly her prickly roommate, Lucy) and enjoy seeing Chise successfully interact with peers when just a couple of volumes ago she had doubts about her ability to do so. That said, the conversations these characters have amongst themselves about their pureblood alchemical family drama are unimaginably boring. At the same time, there’s an important conversation between the leads in which Elias tries to clarify what he meant by “bride” and an eventful camping trip to Scotland at the end of the volume that sees Lucy in peril, both of which I greatly enjoyed. In the end, I’m as eager for the next installment as ever. – Michelle Smith

As Miss Beelzebub Likes, Vol. 9 | By Matoba | Yen Press – It would appear that the manga author is well aware that Eurydice is not the most popular character in this book, as the first part of it deals with her getting amnesia and forgetting she’s a shotacon… and having people reluctant to cure her. Big same. Elsewhere, it’s all about the three “main” couples in the series, none of whom are official but all of whom are teased to death. Astaroth and Sacchan are stuck on a seemingly deserted island, and both are feeling very awkward around each other. Beelzebub and Mullin are a couple but don’t actually seem to realize it, much to the frustration of others. Most importantly, Azazel and Belphegor hold a real conversation! It’s good setup for the final volume next time. Fluffy fun. – Sean Gaffney

Cherry Magic! Thirty Years of Virginity Can Make You a Wizard?!, Vol. 1 | By Yuu Toyota | Square Enix – The title of this one gave me the impression that it was going to be smutty, but the reality is anything but (at least so far). Kiyoshi Adachi is a gloomy, average, thirty-year-old virgin who has just discovered he can read the minds of the people he touches. When Adachi decides to see whether his seemingly perfect coworker, Kurosawa, has a secret nasty personality, he instead discovers that Kurosawa is romantically interested in him. As Adachi accesses more of Kurosawa’s thoughts throughout the volume, he realizes that he’s a genuinely good person and wants to get to know him better, but his lack of romantic experience means he gets overwhelmed easily. I think these guys make a cute couple and look forward to continuing the series. I also really enjoyed the bonus stories, especially the one about Adachi’s equally virginal friend and a delivery guy who bond over a kitty. – Michelle Smith

Gabriel Dropout, Vol. 8 | By Ukami |Yen Press – The main thrust of this volume is the arrival of Gabriel’s big sister Zeruel, who (as Gabriel knows) will flip her shit when she sees her behaving like a sloppy otaku, and (as Gabriel doesn’t know) has a massive sister complex about her. This amusingly leads to Gabriel acting like a perfect little angel and creeping everyone out. Fortunately, in a “who knows Gabriel best” trivia competition, Vignette’s knowledge of present Gabriel trumps Zaruel’s past knowledge. Speaking of Vignette, her demonic tendencies take another beating when another demon in the group refuses to see her as anything but an angel because she can’t be mean. Basically, be they angel or demon, everyone in this cast is a flake, so it’s all good. – Sean Gaffney

Kakushigoto: My Dad’s Secret Ambition, Vol. 2 | By Kouji Kumeta | Kodansha Comics (digital only) – This series continues to be the sweeter, more optimistic version of Zetsubou-sensei, and I’m OK with that. This is not to say that the author does not get a bit bitter about things that are in his wheelhouse, such as constant editor turnover (his current editor, who is a bit of a loser, is there because no one else will have Kakushi) and having to judge new entries in a manga competition (Kakushi judges fine, but is undercut by the stupid editor adding (lol) after every entry). Biting the hand that feeds him has always been Kouji Kumeta’s top skill. That said, it almost seems tempered by age and maturity here, particularly in the scenes with the father and daughter simply being a good family. Ominous future, though… – Sean Gaffney

Monthly Girls’ Nozaki-kun, Vol. 11 | By Izumi Tsubaki | Yen Press – Sometimes it happens that I just don’t have much to say about a volume of Monthly Girls’ Nozaki-kun. I like it best when some modicum of progress is made in one of the core relationships in the series, and for the most part (and despite the claim on the back cover that Wakamatsu finally learns Lorelai’s true identity) we don’t get that this time. Mostly it’s gags about otome games and hypnosis and what if Nozaki did a book signing. That said, there is a very nice tidbit at the end where Hori sincerely tells Kashima that he likes everything about her, and I hope that isn’t forgotten though I realize it’s extremely likely that nothing will come of it. In summation, I think I’m kind of reading this wrong, but ultimately I still enjoy it. – Michelle Smith

Prince Freya, Vol. 1 | By Keiko Ishihara | Viz Media – While several of Ishihara’s manga have now been released in English, Prince Freya is the first I’ve read. But I’m always happy to see more shoujo fantasy released, so I was looking forward to giving the series a try. The premise of the manga is pretty solid if not particularly innovative—Freya is a young woman who, due to unusual and deadly circumstances, is required to pose as Prince Edvard, the leader of her country. Ishihara has also laid the groundwork for some excellent court politics and intrigue. The pacing, however, especially in the introductory chapter, is extraordinarily fast. In addition, time and distance seem to have frustratingly little meaning in the series. And unless there’s some sort of spirit possession going on (which admittedly would be an interesting twist), Freya’s “becoming” Edvard in the first volume strains belief. But even considering its flaws, Prince Freya continues to intrigue me. – Ash Brown

Shoulder-a-Coffin Kuro Side Story: Nostalgic Travelogue | By Satoko Kiyuduki | Yen Press – This is nothing more than a series of short stories set during and after the main series, but if it allows us to spend more time with Kuro and friends, I’m 100% down with it. There’s moments of bittersweet tragedy in a story of a princess who sacrifices her life for the sake of her country. There’s amusing moments, such as Kuro and Sen having to play chess to escape a king’s wrath… a very strange game of chess. And there’s heartwarming, such as a young boy who grows older as he hears the stories of the travelers (including Kuro) who pass through his inn, eventually finding himself involved with some of the people he heard about. I love this series; it’s gorgeous and poignant. – Sean Gaffney

Sweat and Soap, Vol. 2 | By Kintetsu Yamada | Kodansha Comics – Now that our main couple has gotten together, it’s time to bring in some things to cause potential drama. The cute underling at work that’s in Kotaro’s department (and clearly has a crush on him) tries to uncover if he and Asako are dating… but fails. Also, he sees her like a little sister. Asako tells her mother she’s dating a guy… and she’s thrilled. The biggest issue in this volume may be Asako’s little brother Keita, who had to defend her from bullies as a kid and thus doesn’t trust anyone who might date his big sister. That said, a nice dinner at Keita’s restaurant (he’s a budding chef) does the trick, with Kotaro winning him over by simply being sincere. Both the sweat and the sex have lessened in this book, leaving pure sweetness. – Sean Gaffney

A Witch’s Printing Office, Vol. 2 | By Mochinchi and Yasuhiro Miyama | Yen Press – This started badly, with an entirely gratuitous boob shot distracting me from what turned out to be a pretty good plotline of a cooped-up rich kid wanting to get out into the world and read more… even if it turns out she might be reading her mom’s doujinshi. The basic premise of this series is that anyone and everyone can be happy buying and reading doujinshi, even if it’s monster guides or magic spellbooks. Yes, even the demon lord, who turns out to be quite nice. In fact, the real danger in this book is a natural one, as there’s a huge typhoon that threatens to take out the island that not-Comiket is held on. And there’s even a cliffhanger… is there another Japanese person trapped here? Aside from one bad bit of fanservice, still very good. – Sean Gaffney

By: Ash Brown

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Manga the Week of 3/11/20

SEAN: A sizable, but not overpowering, list this week.

A sole offering from J-Novel Club: The 2nd volume of the manga for The Unwanted Undead Adventurer.

Kodansha’s print debut is Knight of the Ice (Ginban Kishi), a josei series from Kiss about a writer whose childhood friend is not only a famous figure skater, but also a hopeless nerd dependent on her. It looks quite fun. The author has another josei series, Kiss & Never Cry, that has long been on my “when I can pay a publisher large amounts of money to license something just for me” list. This is actually a side story connected to that, but stands on its own.

MICHELLE: I am very excited for this! This is also the mangaka of Tramps Like Us/Kimi wa Pet.

ANNA: Me too, I’ve had this preordered as soon as I knew about it, happy for more Ogawa.

ASH: Same! Tramps Like Us was terrific, so I’ve really been looking forward to this series.

MELINDA: This sounds so good! Here for it.

SEAN: Also out in print is Noragami: Stray God 21 and The Quintessential Quintuplets 8.

ASH: Oh, it’s been a while since the last Noragami volume.

SEAN: Digitally we get My Roomie Is a Dino (Gyaru and Dinosaur), a Young Magazine series whose Japanese title probably sums it up better than the English.

And there is Cells at Work and Friends 2, The Dorm of Love and Secrets 2, Farewell My Dear Cramer 8, Giant Killing 19, and Tokyo Revengers 14.

Seven Seas makes up for last week’s absence with a bunch of things. Including several debuts, starting with GIGANT, from the creator of Gantz. It seems to be about a porn star who can grow to the size of a giant, and therefore has a very strong, if very specific, appeal to fans of that nature. It runs in Big Comic Superior.

The early digital light novel debut is The Invincible Shovel (Scoop Musou), about a man, his shovel, and a quest to save the kingdom. I’ve heard this is very funny.

The King of Fighters: A New Beginning has Terry Bogard, Mai Shiranui and King giving up on fighting and starting a dance academy… OK, no, it’s a fighting manga.

ASH: Now I really want to read about a martial dance academy…

MELINDA: Same.

SEAN: My Status as an Assassin Obviously Exceeds the Hero’s is a new manga based on an (unlicensed) light novel, and is basically Arifureta smooshed together with The Magic in This Other World Is Too Far Behind!. It runs in Overlap’s Comic Gardo.

Also from Seven Seas is Arifureta: I Heart Isekai 2, Gal Gohan 2, I Had the Same Dream Again digitally (yes, I already talked about it, they moved it), Neon Genesis Evangelion ANIMA 2 (in print), the 2nd PENGUINDRUM manga, and the 5th volume, digitally, of Reincarnated As a Sword.

Square Enix has a debut, and BL fans should be happy. Cherry Magic! Thirty Years of Virginity Can Make You a Wizard?! (30-sai Made Doutei da to Mahou Tsukai ni Nareru Rashii) is about a man who can read people’s minds by touching them… only to find that his colleague has a huge crush on him! It’s a Gangan Pixiv title.

MICHELLE: That title tho…

ASH: It is quite a title, isn’t it?

MELINDA: This vaguely reminds me of a series I worked on way back during my DMG experiment, Your Gentle Hand, but more fun?

SEAN: SuBLime also has a debut, Caste Heaven, a dark psychological BL story. Looks a bit too dark for the MB crowd, but who knows? It runs in Magazine Be x Boy, a sentence I don’t think I’ve typed out since I was doing these lists on Livejournal.

MICHELLE: I actually appreciate psychological BL sometimes, so I intend to check this out.

ASH: I probably will, too, at some point.

MELINDA: I’ll tread cautiously, but maybe?

SEAN: Vertical has The Golden Sheep 3.

MICHELLE: This is the final volume.

ANNA: I need to read the whole thing.

SEAN: Viz has (last I checked) Transformers: The Manga, for all fans of 80s robot shows.

And also Radiant 10, Record of Grancest War 6, and RIN-NE 32.

And two titles from Yen. On the light novel side we’ve got Magical Girl Raising Project 8, still building up magical girls and knocking them down.

And last, but certainly not least, it’s an 11th volume of Monthly Girls’ Nozaki-kun!

MICHELLE: Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay!

ASH: Yes!!! Monthly Girls’ Nozaki-kun is the best!!!

MELINDA: Nice to see this still going.

SEAN: A lot of debuts this week. Any of them interest you?

By: Sean Gaffney