SEAN: February is here, and it’s even longer this year. Fortunately, there is manga.
ASH: Always!
SEAN: Viz debuts a new shoujo title, In the Name of the Mermaid Princess (Mio no Na no Moto ni). This runs in Ribon, and is about a princess who is betrothed to a prince she’s never met, and is worried about her own secret… she’s a mermaid! Um, naming the series that gives away the secret. But hey.
ASH: I’m still curious, even after the spoiler.
ANNA: Mermaid Princesses! How can she be engaged to someone who doesn’t know that she’s a mermaid? Is there a royal paranormal matchmaker that goes around arranging marriages between mermaids and human royalty? I have so many questions!
SEAN: Also from Viz: Chainsaw Man 14, Dragon Ball Super 20, The Elusive Samurai 10, My Special One 5, Natsume’s Book of Friends 29, Prince Freya 10, and Rainbow Days 8. Mmmm, that’s some good shoujo next week.
ASH: It really is! I’ve got some catching up to do.
ANNA: As always, I do too.
SEAN: Udon Entertainment gives us the 4th and final volume of Persona 4 Arena Ultimax.
Tokyopop has two debuts. The Prince Is in the Villainess’ Way! (Akuyaku Reijou no Okiniiri Ouji…… Jama) is based on an as yet unlicensed novel, and runs in Comic PASH!. A cool, stoic princess recalls her past memories… which are not from Japan, apparently, but show that she was once the princess from a neighboring kingdom! Who’s… about to be killed. Better get on that, I guess.
Since I Could Die Tomorrow (Ashita Shinu ni wa) is a josei biographical series that ran in Ohta Web Comic. A woman in her early 40s starts to get palpitations and feeling cold. Is she starting to go through menopause? This has gotten some award nominations.
MICHELLE: I’m glad manga like this exists.
ASH: Same! Although I’m still giving Tokyopop the side eye.
ANNA: Ugh, me too.
SEAN: Steamship has a third and final volume of I’ll Never Be Your Crown Princess!, but there is a sequel they’ve also licensed.
Square Enix Manga debuts The Angel Next Door Spoils Me Rotten (Otonari no Tenshi-sama ni Itsunomanika Dame Ningen ni Sareteita Ken), a manga based on the light novel series Yen is releasing. It runs in Manga Up!.
And they also have The Ice Guy and the Cool Girl 3.
ASH: I’ve enjoyed what I’ve read of the series, so far.
ANNA: Yes, such a nice, low stakes manga.
SEAN: Seven Seas has a horror manga debut, The Tree of Death: Yomotsuhegui (Yomotsuhegui – Shisha no Kuni no Kajitsu). The author of this series is popular in Europe, but I think this is their first title here. It’s from Monthly Young Magazine. An ex-cop who’s been in prison for getting revenge on the killers of his wife and daughter is now out, but society shuns him. Time to… go back for more revenge!
ASH: Oh! Horror and revenge? Seems like something I should take a look at.
SEAN: We also see Classroom of the Elite 9, Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation: Mo Dao Zu Shi The Comic 5, Soara and the House of Monsters 2, A Tale of the Secret Saint 5, and There’s No Freaking Way I’ll be Your Lover! Unless… 4.
One Peace Books has a 12th volume of The New Gate manga.
Debuting in print for Kodansha Manga is Gazing at the Star Next Door (Tonari no Stella), a Betsufure series from the creator of Ran the Peerless Beauty. A girl realizes, to her horror, that she’s a “Childhood friend romance”, and her crush is starting to become a famous actor! Can she confess before she becomes a well-worn trope?
MICHELLE: Well, not wild about the premise but Ran the Peerless Beauty was good!
ANNA: Hmmmmmm.
SEAN: We also get a massive 700-page hardcover re-release, Vinland Saga Deluxe. This has the first three volumes, bonus content, all the bells and whistles.
ASH: I’m debating whether or not to double-dip and splurge on the new edition. It does look very nice, though, and I do love Vinland Saga… so I’ll probably eventually give in.
SEAN: Also in print: Magic Knight Rayearth 2, The Moon on a Rainy Night 3, and Virgin Love 2.
For digital we get Abe-kun’s Got Me Now! 12, Chihayafuru 42, He’s Expecting 2 (the final volume), Life 12, Sayabito: Swords of Destiny 2, Those Snow White Notes 14, Watari-kun’s ****** Is about to Collapse 15, and The World is Dancing 4.
MICHELLE: Getting close to the end of Chihayafuru!
ANNA: Amazing!
SEAN: We get FIVE debuts from J-Novel Club. Duchess in the Attic (Yane Urabeya no Koushaku Fujin) is a new manga based on an as-yet-unlicensed light novel. The manga runs in Flos Comic, and is a “terrible things happen to our noble lady over and over, until she finally starts her comeback” sort of title.
The Exiled Noble Rises as the Holy King: Befriending Fluffy Beasts and a Holy Maiden with My Ultimate Cheat Skill! (Tsuihō Kizoku wa Saikyō Skill “Seiō” de Henkyō kara Nariagaru: Haikyōsha ni Nintei Sareta Ore da kedo Cheat Skill de Mofumofu mo Seijo mo Nakama ni Shichaimashita) is one of THOSE titles. It’s basically the guy version of Duchess in the Attic.
ASH: Ha!
SEAN: Nia Liston: The Merciless Maiden (Kyōran Reijō Nia Liston: Byōjaku Reijō ni Tenseishita Kami-goroshi no Bujin no Kareinaru Musō Roku) is one of those “Powerful warrior dies and is reincarnated” sort of titles. But our powerful warrior has been reincarnated as a sickly five-year-old. But that’s not going to stop her thirsting for battle.
ASH: Having met many five-year-olds in my time, I am not at all surprised by this.
SEAN: RVing My Way into Exile with My Beloved Cat: This Villainess Is Trippin’ (Akuyaku Reijō wa Camping Car de Tabi ni Deru: Aibyō to Mankitsu Suru Self Kokugai Tsuihō) is a title I’ve been waiting for ever since it was announced in Japan. Our villainess is, of course, exiled. But that’s fine! She’s got a camper van! AND a cat. What more would a young woman want?
ASH: Okay, that sounds like some pretty great life choices.
ANNA: I’m a little jealous.
SEAN: Sword Saint Adel’s Second Chance (Ken Seijo Adel no Yarinaoshi: Kako ni Modotta Saikyō Kensei, Hime o Sukuu Tame ni Seijo to Naru) is – stop me if you’ve heard this one before, possibly two entries up – about a warrior who regrets being unable to save the woman who showed him kindness… so now he’s back in time, as a woman this time, to try to save her properly.
ASH: But as a woman… I will admit to liking that twist.
SEAN: Also from J-Novel Club: The 3rd manga volume of The Conqueror from a Dying Kingdom, DUNGEON DIVE: Aim for the Deepest Level 6, I’m Capped at Level 1?! Thus Begins My Journey to Become the World’s Strongest Badass! 3, The Invincible Little Lady 5, Only I Know That This World Is a Game 3, Peddler in Another World: I Can Go Back to My World Whenever I Want! 6, and Seventh 6.
Debuting from Ghost Ship next week is Becoming a Princess Knight and Working at a Yuri Brothel (Kukkorose no Himekishi to nari, Yuri Shoukan de Hataraku koto ni Narimashita), which runs in Kissca. A salaryman in Japan is killed in a car accident. His soul is then isekai’d to another world… in the body of a Princess who’s about to be captured when her kingdom falls. Now our hero has to deal with a) being in a woman’s body, b) being in a fantasy isekai, and c) having to do sex work in a lesbian brothel.
ASH: That’s a lot to adjust to.
ANNA: Life does get complicated sometimes.
SEAN: Speaking of lesbian brothels, we also get the 4th volume of Asumi-chan is Interested in Lesbian Brothels!, and the 6th volume of PULSE.
And Airship has, in print, Berserk of Gluttony 8 (the final volume) and Sword of the Demon Hunter: Kijin Gentōshō 4.
While in early digital we see Kuma Kuma Kuma Bear 17 and Loner Life in Another World 8.
What manga are you reading outside your camper van?
The post Manga the Week of 2/7/24 first appeared on Manga Bookshelf.
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