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Your Castle’s Little Helper: Please Feed Me, I’ll Work!, Vol. 1

By Kazuhito Minagi and PenekoR. Released in Japan as “Anata no Oshiro no Kobito-san ~Gohan Kudasai, Hatarakimasu~” by SQEX Novels. Released in North America by Yen On. Translated by Taylor Engel. I really enjoyed reading this book, but if it has one big flaw it’s that it cannot settle down with one genre. And unlike, say, Sasaki and Peeps, I’m not sure how deliberate it is – it just feels unfocused. Judging by the cover and blurb, I was expecting the story of a plucky and adorable orphan winning the hearts of everyone she encounters. And it definitely is that. But it’s also the story of a reincarnated Japanese woman who wakes up in a middle-ages sort of monarchy and gradually introduces new foods while also winning over the monsters…

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Dahlia in Bloom: Crafting a Fresh Start with Magical Tools, Vol. 13

By Hisaya Amagishi and Hachi Komada. Released in Japan as “Madougushi Dahlia wa Utsumukanai” by MF Books. Released in North America by J-Novel Heart. Translated by A.M. Cola. It feels like every review I whine about this slow burn romance being too slow, but, I mean, look at it. Indeed, the author is now anticipating us whining, as we not only get to see Volf once again having people ask if he’s in love and essentially saying “what’s that? Food? Can you eat it?”, but we also see Dahlia realize that she might actually be in love with Volf and practically have a trauma response to the idea. Which makes sense, given what happened with Tobias, who I’m amazed has not been quietly murdered by now by the rest of…

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Manga the Week of 10/14/26

SEAN: No, it’s not Halloween yet. MICHELLE: It’s Halloween in my heart. ANNA: It is also Halloween in my heart! ASH: One does not just limit Halloween to the end of October. SEAN: There are no print releases for Airship next week. There is an Only Digital debut. Reborn as an Aristocratic Scoundrel, I Broke the Game and Mastered Magic Beyond Limits! (Taida na Akujoku Kizoku ni Tensei Shita Ore, Scenario o Bukkowashitara Kikakugai no Maryoku de Saikyou ni Natta) is a story we’ve seen a lot recently. He’s a villain mook. He wants to stop being a villain mook. He gets OP. Also only digital, we see Fluffy Café in Another World 2. And in early digital, we get The Devil Princess 5. Alien Books debuts Badducks, a manga…

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Earl and Fairy: When You Wish Upon the Crimson Knight

By Mizue Tani and Asako Takaboshi. Released in Japan as “Hakushaku to Yōsei” by Shueisha Cobalt Bunko. Released in North America by J-Novel Heart. Translated by Alexandra Owen-Burns. I always tend to have the same pattern when I read a new volume of Earl and Fairy. I start off a bit reluctant, remembering the slow pacing and the fact that Lydia always seems perpetually angry and Edgar has a tendency to always make things worse. I think to myself, “if it weren’t for the fact that I’m the only reader, I would drop this”. Then as the book goes along, it gets more exciting and the thriller aspects take over, and I am reminded once again why I do keep going and why I like it so much: the romance…

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From Bumbling Prodigy to Villainess: Will the Duke’s Love Go Unnoticed?, Vol. 1

By Saki Ichibu and Yukako Fujimura. Released in Japan as “Munou Saijo wa Akujo ni Naritai ~Gimai no Migawari de Totsuida Reijou, Koushaku-sama no Dekiai ni Kizukanai~” by Dengeki no Shin Bungei. Released in North America by Cross Infinite World. Translated by Joshua C Shupp. It can sometimes be hard with these villainess books that are on the lighter end of the scale, such as this one, for me to wholeheartedly recommend a big, dumb, goofy heroine. Frequently when I ask “gosh, I wonder what in her life led her to being as fun to read as this”, the answer is inevitably “a lifetime of abuse from her family”, and that’s the case here as well. And yet I want to write about Avril anyway, as she’s simply a joy…

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Sorry Darling, but You Won’t Kill Me Again!

By Tsuta Sonehara and Lemon Natsume. Released in Japan as “Konse mo Todome o Sasareru no wa Gomen nanode, Saiai no Otto wa Mou Iranai” by DRE Novels. Released in North America by J-Novel Heart. Translated by Hunter Prigg. I decided to go with the lack of a “Volume 1” in the title. The book seems very much finished, with no real sequel hook in sight, and the cover art does not have a 1 on it. On the other hand, the credits say Vol. 1, and Dre Novels are known for releasing 2-3 volume series, not standalones. If it does get more, and I decide to read it, I’ll edit the review. As for this volume, it was good! Definitely more on the serious end of the Disgraced Noble…

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Manga the Week of 10/7/26

SEAN: Despite the best efforts of rain and wind, Manga the Week of is here for you. ASH: It’s good to have something that can be relied upon. SEAN: Yen Press has some stragglers still. Re:ZERO -Starting Life in Another World-, Chapter 5: The City of Water and the Ode on Heroes (Re:Zero kara Hajimeru Isekai Seikatsu: Dai-5 Shou – Mizu no Miyako to Eiyuu no Uta) is the start of the 5th arc in the series. It runs in Comic Alive+. There’s also Visions 2024__Illustrators Book. This is the annual Pixiv Collective artbook, filled with gorgeous stuff. ASH: Oh, that does look lovely. SEAN: No new series from Viz Media, but we do see Boruto: Two Blue Vortex 6, The Bugle Call: Song of War 9, Dandadan 21, The…

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Looks Like a Job for a Maid! The Tales of a Dismissed Supermaid, Vol. 4

By Yasuaki Mikami and Kinta. Released in Japan as “Maid nara Touzen desu. Nureginu wo Kiserareta Bannou Maid-san wa Tabi ni Deru Koto ni Shimashita” by Earth Star Novel. Released in North America by J-Novel Club. Translated by Sylvia Gallagher. We’ve seen in this series that Nina tends to lack a sense of self, or rather that her sense of self is “maid” and nothing else. Certainly she has what amount to magical maid superpowers, which only she and her mentor seem to possess. But the question is, why does she have to be a maid? Why can she not use all of her various talents for something else? The most interesting scene in this book has merchant and yuri spoiler Firth showing Nina around a country that believes in…

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A Wicked Lady’s Guide to Accidentally Saving the Kingdom, Vol. 1

By Manzi Mazi and Yuuya. Released in Japan as “Gokuaku Reijou no Kanchigai Kyuukokuki” by PASH! Bunko. Released in North America by J-Novel Club. Translated by Amanogawa Tenri. There is a running gag throughout this book where a character is screaming at the top of their lungs in the face of Lettie, the titular wicked lady, and she tells them “TOO LOUD!”. That’s sort of how I felt about the book. It’s a comedy, you see, and it makes sure you know that on every page. There aren’t any straight men here – or rather, because there aren’t, Lettie is frequently forced to be the straight man, which is annoying as it’s her own weird quirks that are supposed to be what this series is about. Her conceit is that…

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