This week’s reviews ask the question: Who’s the king of the roost? Is it the talented but unmotivated boxer, Yu? Kaboku’s high school dance club? Or is it an actual rooster? Plus,…
Feb 7, 2023 • Subscribe
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Reader’s Corner: Rooster Fighter, The Remarried Empress, and Tower of God
Reader's Corner: Rooster Fighter, The Married Empress, and Tower of God via @laura_a_grace @GamesAndGod @thetangles
Reader’s Corner: Rooster Fighter, Zom 100 (Vol. 7), and A Galaxy Next Door (Vol. 2)
Zombies, wizards, alien princesses, and rooster superheroes? It’s just another week here on Reader’s Corner. Scroll down to see the eclectic mix of manga we’re reviewing for you…
Reader’s Corner: Unnamed Memory, So What’s Wrong with Getting Reborn as a Goblin, and Rainbow Days
Are you using the holidays to catch up? We’re doing a bit of the same here, with just a scattering of new entries this week and mostly reviews…
Rainbow Days, The Eminence in Shadow, The Executioner and Her Way of Life, Puella Magi Madoka Magica
Manga Talk: Rooster Fighter Volume 1
Thanks to Viz for the early DRC. Rooster Fighter Release Date August 16, 2022 Published by @vizmedia Story & Art by Shu Sakuratani — Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/dadneedstotalkpodcast/support
Reader’s Corner: Mission: Yozakura Family (Vol. 1), Wandance (Vol. 2), and I Will Forget This Feeling Someday
Among the offerings we cover this week are a couple of one-volume releases from the mangaka of Beastars and the author of I Want to Eat Your Pancrease,…
Reader’s Corner: The Saint’s Magic Power is Omnipotent (Vol. 2), Wandance (Vol. 6), and Jungle Juice (Vol. 1)
What setting most strikes your fancy? Would you love to inhabit an elegant but haunted mansion? Attend a school full of super-powered mutant students? Walk to and from…
Rainbow Days GN 1
If the anime failed to hold your attention, you'll want to check out the source material for a much more entertaining read.
Reader’s Corner: One Piece, Orient, and Oregairu
Ascendance of a Bookworm: Part 2, Vol. 1 After passing through the ornate gateway marking the threshold of the temple’s courtyard, lavished with lush floral arrangements, our pure-hearted…
Wandance
By: Coffee Rated: Teen Publisher: Kodansha Disclaimer: This review is based on volumes 1-3 (chapters 1-13). Summary: Kaboku Kotani is starting high school, and he plans to do…
Reader’s Corner: Sakamoto Days, Nighttime for Just Us Two, and Chainsaw Man (Vol. 10)
Bootsleg, Vol. 1 Bootsleg is built like the next big shounen series—all the stars are aligned in its plot: mystical and horrible creatures that steal away children’s family…
Reader’s Corner: The Art of Demon Slayer, Wandance (Vol. 4), and Apparently, Disillusioned Adventurers Will Save the World (Vol. 2)
The theme this week for Reader’s Corner is adventure, headlined by two new Demon Slayer works, anticipating the upcoming season (and theatrical screening of its first episode next…
Reader’s Corner: Last Dungeon, Talentless Nana, and Oregairu
The World’s Finest Assassin Gets Reincarnated in Another World as an Aristocrat, Vol. 1 When a proficient assassin gets “taken care of” after he is no longer needed,…
Otaku Reader’s Corner: KH3, Eniale & Dewiela, and Reset!
Eniale & Dewiela, Vol. 1 Eniale is an angel. Dewiela is a demon. But the two of them are buddies. It’s an Odd Couple situation with two celestial…
Reader’s Corner: March 12, 2024
This week’s selection of manga and light novels features stunning and unique artwork, high ideals about love, and fantastical elements. In other words, they’re the kinds of creative…
Otaku Reader’s Corner: December 2020
Look Into My Eyes (One Shot) Look Into My Eyes is a one-shot manga about an idol group on the verge of disbanding. While it appears that most…
Showa Genroku Rakugo Shinju, Skip Beat!, Descending Stories: Showa Genroku Rakugo Shinju
Reader’s Corner: SHY, Solo Leveling, and Insomniacs After School
A number of the releases we cover this week correspond with upcoming anime, and judging by these volumes—including those from SHY and Insomniacs After School—you should be anticipating…
Reader’s Corner: Solo Leveling, Horimiya, and Love in Focus
My Best Friend’s Little Sister Has it in for Me, Vol. 1 Ten or fifteen years ago, I was involved in a roleplay writing community. For those that…
Otaku Reader’s Corner: Slayers, Spirit Photographers, and Sayonara, Football
Inside Mari (Series) Every so often I’ll jump into the two main manga reading apps I use (Crunchyroll and Shonen Jump) and look for a completed series. I…
Otaku Reader’s Corner: Great Pumpkin Edition
Hello dear readers, and welcome to a special edition of Otaku Reader’s Corner as we delve into works that are atypical for us—those involving horror or at the…
Otaku Reader’s Corner (March 4, 2020)
By the Grace of the Gods (Vol. 1) Sometimes, I don’t want a story with lots of action or drama; I just want a nice, laid-back story about…
Reader’s Corner: Skip and Loafer, Zom 100, and Megumi Hayashibara’s Characters
A Sign of Affection, Vol. 3 A Sign of Affection continues to sweep me off my feet! Volume three begins with all the giddy expectation that volume two left…
Reader’s Corner: She’s the Cutest, Mint Chocolate, and Assassin’s Creed
Mint Chocolate, Vol. 1 Of all the variations of the incest romance one might find out there, the “stepsiblings who meet as teens” variant is probably the most…
Reader’s Corner: One Week Friends, Failure Frame, and SAO Progressive
Failure Frame: I Became the Strongest and Annihilated Everything With Low-Level Spells Mimori Touka and his classmates are spirited away to a fantasy world where they’re given skills,…
Reader’s Corner: Ayashimon, Sweet Poolside, Tezcatlipoca, and Guardian of Fukushima
Fantasy, romance, and shonen feature prominently in our reviews this week, but so, too, do two rarer releases for manga-associated brands. They include Guardian of Fukushima, a Franco-Belgian…
Otaku Reader’s Corner: Zipman, Marielle Clarac, and My Brother’s Husband
My Brother’s Husband (Vol. 1) On the last day my library was open before it was closed due to the pandemic, I picked up all of My Brother’s…
Reader’s Corner: Higehiro, True Beauty, and The Saint’s Belated Happiness
Reviews of The Ancient Magus Bride (Vol. 5), Higehiro: After Being Rejected, I Shaved and Took in a High School Runaway (Vol. 1), A Returner's Magic Should Be…
Spiraken Manga Review Ep 510: Rainbow Days
In this episode, Xan reviews a fun romantic slice of life series about four friends trying to navigate the ups and downs of love. So, grab a fun…
Reader’s Corner: Stitch and the Samurai, Kaiju No. 8, and Lily’s Miracle
A Late-Start Tamer’s Laid-Back Life, Vol. 1 Yuto starts the VRMMO RPG Law of Justice Online looking forward to playing as a Tamer, but due to his randomly-acquired…
Otaku Reader’s Corner: Haikyu, Fairy Tail, and A Wild Last Boss!
Haikyu!! (Chapter 401) After eight amazing years of manga, the story of our favorite volleyball bois from Karasuno and across Japan will come to an end. By the…
Reader’s Corner: Bofuri, The Catlords’ Manservant, and Chasing After Aoi Koshiba
Love Me, Love Me Not, Vol. 8 Love Me, Love Me Not is a simple story. The characters are basic, and though they have their struggles—as do all…
Reader’s Corner: Ima Koi, Uncle from Another World, and The Otherworlder
The Girl I Saved on the Train Turned Out to Be My Childhood Friend, Vol. 1 This is an adequate high school romantic comedy. Ryou helps a girl…
Reader’s Corner: 86, After-School Hanako-kun, Batmanga, and Marie Kondo
86–Eighty-Six, Vol. 1 The recent anime adaptation piqued my curiosity about this series, and the first volume didn’t disappoint. A country steeped in racism and greed uses child…
Kimi ni Todoke: From Me to You, One Week Friends, 86 EIGHTY-SIX
Reader’s Corner: Unnamed Memory, Assassin’s Creed Dynasty, and The Faraway Paladin
Unnamed Memory, Vol. 3 SPOILER WARNING: Spoiler-free tl;dr: I greatly enjoyed this volume and recommend this series. I also recommend that you start with the first volume and…
Reader’s Corner: Demon Slayer, Nerdy Nurse, and Play It Cool, Guys
Date A Live, Vol. 1 Having enjoyed the Date A Live anime, I was curious to check out the source material, and the first volume didn’t disappoint. It’s…
Reader’s Corner: Solo Leveling, My Special One, and Alice in Borderland
Oh, the games we play! In our everyday lives, “playing games” could refer to video games or board games or, more figuratively, relationship games. But the world of…
Alice in Borderland, Alice in Wonderland, Puella Magi Madoka Magica
Reader’s Corner: Yoshida the Catch, Falling Drowning, and Yu-Gi-Oh!
Fungus and Iron, Vol. 1 Dante is an unusual case among the soldiers of Amigasa. He doesn’t become angry on cue at their enemy, the Ether. He complains…
Reader’s Corner: An Angry Royal Highness, Babysitting Yakuza, and Mysterious Maid
Gacha Girls Corps, Vol. 1 Gacha Girl Corps imagines that a gacha addict—in this case, series protagonist Heihachi—is isekai’d into his mobile game and discovers that his rolls…
Reader’s Corner: Frieren (Vol. 5), Penguin & House, and A Silent Voice
While so many manga cross somewhat into the fantasy realm, our reviews this week focus on series firmly set in that genre, with cooking penguins, talking books, and…
Reader’s Corner: Frieren, Pop Life, and Reign of the Seven Spellblades
Deserter: Junji Ito Story Collection Christmas season is a time for ghost stories, right? Just read A Christmas Carol to get the idea. So how about this collection,…
Otaku Reader’s Corner: Smile Down the Runway, Bibliophile Princess, and Oregairu
Tearmoon Empire (Vol. 1) As Tearmoon Empire vol. 1 opens, protagonist Princess Mia (clearly inspired by Marie Antoinette) dies on the guillotine…only to wake up as a twelve-year-old!…
Reader’s Corner: Romantic Killer, Dandadan, and At Night, I Become a Monster
Transformers or Demon King housekeepers? Youth doing romance “wrong” or boys that turn into monsters at night? Boys that turn into monsters PERIOD or a wizard cursing a…
Reader’s Corner: Boss Bride, Enough with This Slow Life, and Marmalade Boy
We feature some classic romance titles this week (My Little Monster, Marmalade Boy) to join more modern ones in The Angel Next Door Spoils Me Rotten, which we’ll…
Marmalade Boy, My Little Monster, The Angel Next Door Spoils Me Rotten
Reader’s Corner: SAO Project Alicization, Evangelion ANIMA, and Cooking with Fluffy Friends
Ascendance of a Bookworm: Part 2, Vol. 3 Recently, I introduced my sister to the Ascendance series, and she’s hooked. As she gobbles her way through the novels…
Ascendance of a Bookworm, Skip Beat!, Sword Art Online, Your Lie in April
Reader’s Corner: Mint Chocolate, One Piece, and The Intrigues of Haruhi Suzumiya
In Another World With My Smartphone, Vol. 1 (Manga) If you’re not familiar with this series either in its light novel or anime form, it pretty much is…
Your Lie in April, In Another World With My Smartphone, One Piece
Reader’s Corner: A Disassociated Haruhi, Reincarnated Dragon Hatchling, and (Already) Dead Detective
Farewell to My Alter A collection of one shots including the debut commercial work by Nio Nakatani, the writer of Bloom into You, Farewell to My Alter is…
Maison Ikkoku, One Week Friends, The Detective Is Already Dead
Reader’s Corner: Ride Your Wave, Saving 80,000 Gold, and Interviews with Miyazaki
Sasaki and Miyano, Vol. 1 Miyano is a Boys Love (BL) manga fan and Sasaki is an older boy who seems to constantly get into trouble. When they…
Reader’s Corner: Summertime Rendering, Crazy Food Truck, and Re:Zero: The Frozen Bond
This week, we’re dropping reviews for a ton of new manga that are releasing today, ranging from romcoms to isekai, and classic shonen to a murder mystery featuring…
Reader’s Corner: Ciguatera, Kaiju Girl Carmelise, and Sword Art Online, Vol. 23
Kaiju Girl Carmelise, Vol. 2 After watching a recent video from our own Laura A. Grace on kaiju manga, I picked up this series on a lark, and…
Reader’s Corner: Silver Spoon, Solo Leveling, and the Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya
Solo Leveling, Vol. 1 (novel) The immensely popular webtoon, Solo Leveling, features a basic premise about a young man rising from the lowest of ranks of “hunting” to…
Reader’s Corner: D-Genesis, The Liminal Zone, and Bleach 20th Anniversary Edition
In this week’s column, we look back to a couple of classics (including one getting a reprint), and to the usual suspects: isekai, romcom, and…magical school? Bleach: 20th…