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The Greatest Estate Developer - Manhwa Review

[Summary from Mangadex] When civil engineering student Suho Kim falls asleep reading a fantasy novel, he wakes up as a character in the book.

Suho is now in the body of Lloyd Frontera, a lazy noble who loves to drink, and whose family is in a mountain of debt. Using his engineering knowledge, Suho designs inventions to avert the terrible future that lies in wait for him.

With the help of a giant hamster, a knight, and the world’s magic, can Suho dig his new family out of debt and build a better future?

Basic Premise: Kim Suho gets isekai'd into the body of a lazy good-for-nothing lord who's in a massive amount of debt. He uses his civil engineering knowledge, along with skills and allies he accumulates as per isekai standards, to improve his life (and honestly low-key take over the world).

My Review: I read a lot of isekai manga/manhwa, but this was one I particularly enjoyed because of how dramatic everything is. Kim Suho is extremely volatile, self-serving, and prone to taking drastic measures, and the manhwa constantly swings between humor and drama-comedy as a result of this personality. It's a truly high-stakes, fast-paced isekai that doesn't hesitate to create bold scenarios to stimulate the reader.

Kim Suho, as a protagonist, is supremely entertaining no matter what. He's got the same progression of powering up and gaining allies as most isekai protagonists, but there's a devil-may-care attitude and a burning focus on his goals (money!!!) that constantly drives him forward. This also helps him not fall into the prime trap I see for these kinds of power fantasy isekai, which is getting over-powered and stagnating in the narrative as a result. His foil is his overly serious (but still also insane??) knight/manager/friend, who tries to keep him in check but is also oftentimes as crazy as he is. It's a fun duo dynamic that feels like a truly strong friendship and bond.

The pacing of the world's expansion isn't too bad, but it could be improved. The introduction of certain foreign groups feels a bit rushed, and Kim Suho's knowledge of civil engineering often extends further than it should (why does he know political maneuvers now?) which makes his victories feel cheaper than they should.

Overall: An isekai power fantasy which features a consistently unique and entertainingly dramatic protagonist. Also interesting if you're into civil engineering or land development! It's a fun read, and if you're into strong platonic male friendships he has a great one with his knight that had me laughing out loud multiple times.

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Tanaka-kun wa Itsumo Kedaruge - Manga Review

[Summary from Mangadex] Sighing, leaning on his elbows, sleepy eyes. Tanaka-kun is a boy that basically doesn't try but isn't disliked. This is a laid-back youth comedy about Tanaka-kun and the quiet Oota who can't leave him alone.

Basic Premise: The everyday life of a listless and average high schooler, along with his best friend Oota who manages him somewhat like a pet plant. An episodic slow-paced daily high school manga, where these two and their classmates make their way through the trials and tribulations of a daily life (as Tanaka attempts to maintain his listless lifestyle).

My Review: Tanaka constantly rides the line between overly passive and just "human" enough to be a likable character, but the mangaka balances these two traits with enough skill to make this manga readable. Oota is a great contrast to Tanaka, too; he's a straightforward and somewhat motherly teenager whose friendship with Tanaka comes off as very realistically close. Their friendship is one of the core points of this manga, and the author puts significant effort into conveying the precious mundanity of their high school days together.

It's mostly episodic, slice-of-life, without any huge stakes. The most dramatic thing that might happen is an argument that's resolved within a few chapters. The other characters beyond the two main characters aren't particularly memorable, but I didn't take much issue with this since the focus isn't on an ensemble cast anyways.

I didn't find this manga amazing overall, but I couldn't really call it "bad" since it does what it intends to do well.

Overall: This manga isn't something that's meant to stick with you for a long time or tackle any groundbreaking emotions. Instead, it focuses on a slow and steady pace, much like Tanaka himself, and aims to convey a relaxed and soothing atmosphere of a daily high school friendship. If you just want something mild to read without too much plot, try this out.

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Zettai BL ni Naru Sekai vs. Zettai BL ni Naritakunai Otoko - Manga Review

[Summary from Mangadex] One day, the protagonist realizes that he lives inside a BL (Boys' Love) world. As he likes girls, he fights back against any hot guys that might draw near, but this is a BL world... he's still assailed with the sight of people in lovey-dovey situations one after another!

Basic Premise: Zettai BL (shortened, because the title is way too long) is an episodic comedy that follows the life of the singular straight man, both sexually and comedically, in an absurdist world where everything falls into BL (boy's love) tropes. He fights hard to prevent BL tropes from sticking to him, all to secure a girlfriend.

My Review: Zettai BL has a snappy sense of comedy, a clean art style, and commits to its bit hard, all things I like in an episodic comedy. The author is clearly experienced with BL manga and its tropes, riffing on them in ways that manage to expose the absurdity and hilarity behind them without demeaning them.

The protagonist is absolutely determined to avoid the BL tropes which keep coming his way, and it's due to this determination that he's become hyper vigilant of any sort of BL development in his vicinity. His dry commentary and everyman personality really bring out the best in this manga, keeping it consistently entertaining. I like that the author develops him as his own character beyond gags, showing his love for his pet cat and his part-time job shenanigans.

It's a low bar, but Zettai BL is also not homophobic. The protagonist is supportive of his younger brother being gay and generally accepts the unusually high incidence of gay men in his world without issue; he's only focused on avoiding these BL tropes himself due to his own sexuality. The tropes are contrasted against his more grounded personality to provide humor, but they're generally not mean-spirited and avoid most homophobic rhetoric.

Overall: A humorous "what-if" episodic manga that highlights the sheer insanity and absurdity of some of the BL tropes that are so popular in said genre. It got some real laughs out of me and I'd recommend it if you're both a regular BL reader and looking for something light and funny. A warning (?): the protagonist is indeed as described completely heterosexual, so don't hold out for him to discover his own "love".

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Back Street Girls (Gokudols) - Manga Review

[Summary from Mangadex] A group of 3 yakuza failed their boss for the last time. After messing up an important job, the boss gives them 2 choices: Honorably committing suicide, or go to Thailand to get a sex reassignment surgery in order to become "female" idols. After a gruesome year long training to become idols, they successfully debut, with overwhelming popularity, much to their dismay. This is where their tragedy truly begins.

Basic Premise: A group of three former yakuza go through wacky hijinks in their hellish journey to become top idols after getting sex reassignment surgery. They have to deal with awful living conditions, brutal training, and even typical idol problems like creepy stalker fans as they navigate their new life. As the story progresses, they start to embrace parts of this new idol identity - even as the hope of returning to their former yakuza selves is constantly dangled over their heads.

My Review: While it certainly can't be called a sensitive or emotionally touching manga, Gokudols is consistently brazenly hilarious and over-the-top ridiculous. It's an episodic dark comedy, where the idols constantly bemoan the loss of their "important thing down there", drink, smoke, and curse out their Yakuza boss while presenting an outwardly cute and cheerful exterior. There are definitely some moments that I would consider offensive (chiefly, sex reassignment surgery is the punchline of not an insignificant number of jokes) but it's honestly fairly easy to ignore if you're willing to skip a chapter or two.

Something I thought was hilarious and one of the best parts of the manga was just how much these Yakuza start loving their jobs as idols, to the point that they start to fully accept their life as "underground idols". It's bittersweet, but you can't take it too seriously since there's a gag the next moment that'll immediately ruin the mood - that's just the kind of manga this is.

I did also find it interesting that the manga does discuss the reality and struggle of "underground/backstreet idols" quite a bit. As Yakuza, they're used to shady dealings, but the shady world of underground indie idols is quite a different story.

Overall: A uniquely ridiculous and edgy gag comedy with short, punchy episodic chapters. I won't pretend like it's the peak of humor (some jokes just didn't land for non-Japanese readers) but I got a good few laughs out of it.

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The Affairs of the Other World Depend on the Corporate Slave (Isekai no Sata wa Shachiku Shidai) - Manga Review

[Summary from Mangadex] Once upon a time, in the not too distant past, a holy maiden was summoned. Not just any holy maiden—one hailing from modern Japan. But this story is not her story. This is the tale of the humble accountant, Kondou, who accompanied her and his trials and woes as he accounts in a new world... But no tale is complete without a love interest. And who better to play that role than the handsome knight captain Aresh? Will he begin a personal quest to save said bean counter—who toils around the clock—or is Kondou doomed to be married to his work evermore...?!

Basic Premise: A bog-standard office worker transmigrates into a world alongside the prophecy-foretold holy maiden. As he struggles to find his place in this new fantasy world, he puts his accounting skills to use to correct inefficient and morally incorrect standards, all while avoiding the corrupt and manipulative royal officials who seek to use the holy maiden for their own goals. Within all of this, Kondou still manages to find time to grow closer to a knight captain who takes interest in his abilities.

My Review: One of the things that first caught my eye was the gorgeous art style. It's got really clean strokes and some beautiful use of line weight - honestly a pleasure to read, and always comprehensible even in fast-paced action scenes.

Beyond that, it's an interesting look at a fantasy world which places far too much emphasis on an otherworldly "holy maiden" to save them from a calamity. This is a fairly standard isekai/fantasy trope, but from the perspective of an adult corporate worker, there are darker overtones that create a more interesting narrative. The political maneuvers of those looking to control the holy maiden's power and the subtle ways that those in positions of higher power make life harder for those below feel similar to real life (albeit dramatic), and the main character's struggle with steering the young high school holy maiden away from these traps feels like it's come from real lived experience.

The romance is...alright. It never particularly gripped me, but the care they feel for each other is obvious and I liked that they supported each other in subtle but impactful ways. However, it is important to note that about 8 chapters in, the main character falls ill due to magic intoxication and they start having regular sex to alleviate this (don't look at me, I didn't come up with the flimsy justification). It's mostly just a cut-to-black, but I completely didn't expect this and it caught me off guard.

Overall: A more adult look at how an isekai world might work politically, from the point of view of a corporate worker, is refreshing and the character feels very believably adult. Despite being classified as a BL, the romance is woven in as an additional detail to the world/character development naturally. A good read, but somewhat generic of a story - the main appeal is in the details (and in the sharp art style).

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The Fallen Duke and the Knight Who Hated Him - Manhwa Review

[Summary from MangaDex] Sleeping with the enemy… literally. After Duke Louison is given a second chance at life, he sets out to save the people he had so terribly failed by surrendering himself to the enemy. Yet little does he know that crossing paths with an enemy knight — the noble-hating Carlton — would become so… intimate. Things are about to get messy!

Basic Premise: A useless and weak Duke dies in an invasion. Struck by guilt once he mysteriously revives in his past body, he surrenders to the enemy and starts a classic enemies-to-lovers story with the Knight who finds him.

My Review: This is not great. The main character is consistently stuck in a self-hating and panicked rut mentally, and I find it hard to sense any chemistry between the two main characters. There's no real sense of growth for the main character, Duke Louison, either; he wants to save his people and regrets his uselessness and lack of action, but he frequently lets himself fall into the same trap even after surrendering to the enemy. The majority of his "growth" is just him playing classic damsel in distress tropes, and being saved. It's hard to get any grasp of his strengths or unique character.

I'm also not a huge fan of the "dainty waifish pale blond x brutish silent dark-haired" trope, and they play into it pretty heavily in this manhwa. I honestly wish I just got anything from them and their interactions other than "boring and cliche".

Overall: I wouldn't recommend it. Save your time and read something else. The art style, at least, is pretty nice - I enjoy the less exaggerated proportions of the anatomy.

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Caught by the Villain - Manhwa Review

[Summary from Mangadex] Although she had been a promising practitioner of kendo in the past, due to an accident she was forced to lead a plain life. After Seo Yuri gets into a car accident during a trip back home, she reincarnates into the novel, The Song of the Moon, and becomes the elder twin sister of a side character who meets a destructive ending– Selena. Selena hopes to prevent the destruction of her family, however, she is forced to take the place of her runaway brother, Celestine, in the knights’ squadron! Will she be able to avoid the villainous Crown Prince, Ignis, and survive?!

Basic Premise: A crossdressing isekai romantic drama. Serena has to deal with several assassination plots and a medieval conspiracy while acting as the personal knight of the so-called "villainous crown prince," who is basically deeply in love with her.

My Review: When I called it a drama, I meant it. This is deeply dramatic - it's got high highs, low lows, and the characters are constantly having emotional outbursts. That's not to say that it's worse off for this, since it is supposed to be a dramatic manhwa; instead, it's just a description of the kind of characters that revolve around our fairly straightforward main character Serena. The crossdressing plot (yes, I'm a fan of this trope) is done pretty well, without too much overly annoying fuss - I do like how she doesn't change her personality or become a different person if she doesn't crossdress.

The romance in this is a central point, and honestly one of my favorite parts of the manhwa. The prince, Ignis, is very obvious about being in love with Serena no matter the form - he's fully accepting of potentially being bisexual before discovering her gender, and his support of her goals feels like it's out of genuine care. He's somewhat of a pathetic puppy-dog style lover when it comes to Serena with a boke-tsukkomi dynamic between them, so if you're not into that, you'll probably be more interested in the "second male lead" who is fanatically obsessed with and possessive of Serena. I'm personally not a fan of this, but he does add some interesting tension. There's several similar side characters like this who have interesting designs and motivations/powers, but I do appreciate the central focus on the two main characters as the main appeal.

Overall: If you like strong crossdressing female leads, obsessed male love interests, and all the classic blood-pumping medieval fantasy drama, consider this manhwa. If you want a more realistic manhwa, avoid it.

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A Wicked Tale of Cinderella's Stepmom - Manhwa Review

[Summary from Mangadex] There is a famous fairytale. A kindhearted girl whose father and stepmother got married and became a family of five with her two stepsisters. The poor girl who was condemned by her stepmother and stepsisters when her father died. The very fairytale, Cinderella. But I am not Cinderella, I am the stepmother. At the age of thirty-seven, already married twice, been widowed twice and is raising three daughters!

Basic Premise: A romantic isekai fantasy with a strong focus on "family" and character development. This manhwa casts the "evil stepmother" from the fairytale Cinderella as its main character, focusing on the family's life and developments in their everday fairytale world.

My Review: While it can come off as dull at times, this story actually tackles some interesting ideas about raising children as a single mother in a medieval fantasy setting. The stepsisters each have their own personality and character, with each of them getting significant focus about their motivations and how they navigate their lives as young women in a world that is often hostile to them. I particularly liked Lily, the second daughter, and her arc - she wants to work as a painter, but must disguise her identity and publish under a pseudonym due to art made by a woman being devalued by the society she lives in. Her mother's paramour, a Baron who wishes to court her, supports her, but it's not an easy path and she still has to use quite a number of workarounds.

The stepmother herself is an interesting main character. She comes off as a bit too flat sometimes, but her central motivation of protecting her daughters (including Cinderella) is strong enough that it's enough to characterize her in a satisfying way. She grapples with managing both her romantic interest in the Baron and the duty of raising her daughters, carefully considering how remarriage and a romance might impact her and her family. Compared to her daughters' romances, there's a distinctly adult calmness and maturity in the way she and the Baron approach relationships that really makes me grasp that she's their "mother" and an "adult".

This is technically an isekai, but I honestly can't say that this is very relevant. The focus is largely on the current world, and I would honestly probably like this better if it wasn't an isekai in the first place.

Overall: It's not a page-turner, and some of the plot points can fall flat, but what elevates this manhwa above others for me was the very realistic and mature way it handles its relationships and characters. They consistently feel refreshingly realistic and human at the same time. If you like medieval fantasy but want a little less overwrought drama, this may be for you.

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The Eccentric Duchess - Manga Review

[Summary from Tapas] It's your typical otome reincarnation story! But the capture targets are gay and our protagonist isn't the brightest… Oh to be reincarnated as Rhiannon Leavitt, otome game heroine living in the lap of luxury with hot guys at her beck and call…if only this weren’t the BL bootleg starring her naive twin brother, Claus! Rhian, a lonely deadbeat in her past life, must use her gamer knowledge and intuition (or lack thereof) to avoid the game's grisly endings and protect the only family she's ever had.

Basic Premise: Rhian reincarnates as a duchess in a BL otome setting, and must avoid her and her brother's death flags to get her "happy ending". Starring a foul-mouthed and truly "eccentric" main character, this webtoon focuses on both the character's feelings and the absurdity in the world that she lives in.

My Review: This isn't for people who want a typical power fantasy villainess/duchess webtoon. Rhian is a real character with a real and very relevant life before she reincarnates into the duchess, and this life deeply affects both her actions and her mentality through her life in the "new" world. The eccentricity isn't just for show, either; she swears frequently, is disliked by quite a few characters due to her brash personality and actions, and is extremely individualistic.

It's this kind of uniqueness that made this webtoon stand out for me in a sea of "villainness reincarnation" style manga/manhwa. She's not a perfect character, nor is this an easy collection-style reverse harem. Rhian has plenty of issues and trauma from her childhood, and she does indeed come off as unlikable many times throughout the webtoon; it's this kind of boldness that conversely made me like her more. She's not just a blank slate for a power fantasy, nor is she a perfect angel; she's an ordinary human, trying to do right, like me or you.

There are some weak spots (namely, the overarching plot is honestly rather boring and the side characters don't hold up nearly as well) but the interesting personality of the main character drove the story forward enough that I enjoyed the webtoon quite a bit.

Overall: A strong and truly unique protagonist drives this webtoon forward, and it's especially accessible as an originally English publication. If you want an interesting webtoon with a strong female main character, check it out!

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Seiyuu Ka! (Voice Over! Seiyuu Academy) - Manga Review

[Summary from Mangadex]

Kino Hime is a 15 year-old girl who just started her first year in a high school for voice actors (Seiyuu) called Hiiragi Academy.

Of course this Academy is full of celebrities, too. Two of Hime's upperclassmen are none other than the two rising idols of the group "Idol Unit AQUA".

But Hime's dream is hard to fulfill. Her voice is not really suitable for a voice actress and her new classmate Kudou Senri doesn't waste time in pointing that out. Will Hime prove everybody, especially Senri, what she is capable of despite the first appearance?

Basic Premise: Kino Hime, who has an absolutely awful (self-proclaimed as "gorilla-like") voice, dreams of becoming a seiyuu who can inspire and save people just as she was saved in the past. She's only able to produce a palatable voice when she's in a special mindset and doing a "prince-like" ikemen voice, notably that of a handsome boy. This leads her to crossdress to get voice-acting gigs, which causes her path to increasingly intersect with her classmate and actor Kudou Senri.

My Review: If asked for my favorite shoujo manga, I would without a doubt recommend Seiyuu-ka. The relationship that develops between Hime and Senri is both genuinely sweet and feels well-paced; they're friends and supporters of each other's work as well as (eventual) romantic partners. Both of them have dreams that they work towards, and they're not shy about sharing their struggles and joy with each other; this refreshing mix of youthful sweetness and their very real hangups regarding their art and past is part of what makes me love the manga so much.

I loved that Hime cared both about her relationship with Senri and friends as well as her dream of becoming a seiyuu. She's a character outside of her romances, and it shows in her school life and her professional life. She has a group of supportive friends in school that felt genuinely good-natured and realistic, and the mangaka even managed to add a segment describing where they ended up in life that made me feel like the world of this manga was truly "alive".

This isn't to say that the romance is lacking in any way. I mentioned earlier that Senri and Hime's relationship feels very genuine and like they're truly friends as well as romantic partners; this is especially apparent when Hime finds out about Senri's past and helps him work through it. He's closed off and struggles to make friends despite being a brilliant actor; we later learn that it's due to his genius mother's outlook on her life, which is to treat everything (including raising her son) as a "role" and fully immerse herself in her "act". He's sensitive to Hime's needs and her insecurities while struggling with his own issues in a way which made me genuinely feel for him. I don't tend to enjoy the male characters as much in shoujo manga, as I feel their backstories are often just to justify a few mean moments earlier on in their relationships and they tend to be shallow one-note "perfect guys", but Senri's character felt like one I would have enjoyed a full story focused on.

As a last note, the crossdressing plot in this manga is somewhat cliche in the beginning but takes a backstage to Hime's overall development in the second half. I have a fondness for crossdressing plots, but Seiyuu-ka felt like it took an especially good approach to the trope where it didn't overuse it for cheap drama.

Overall: Seiyuu-ka has always been one of my favorite shoujo mangas, and I would recommend it to anyone who wants a genuine friendship at the core of the romance as well as a strong female character who's devoted to her own goals.

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Akuyaku Reijou Tensei Oji-San (From Bureaucrat to Villainess: Dad's Been Reincarnated!) - Manga Review

[Summary from MangaDex] After a traffic accident, 52-year-old civil servant Kenzaburou Tondabayashi awakens to find he's become Grace Auvergne, a duke's daughter, and more importantly the villainess of an otome game. Not wanting to get in the way of the happy endings of the young characters around him, Grace sets out to play the role of the villain, but whether it's due to Kenzaburou's memories of being an affectionate parent getting in the way or not being able to remember those pesky foreign names properly, it ends up being a lot harder than it looks…

Basic Premise: A 52-year old office worker with a loving wife and daughter, both of whom are huge otakus, reincarnates in a classic romantic fantasy game that his family loved as the villainess. The characters in the game slowly fall in love with this "villainess" and her positive traits, all left over from Kenzaburou's life as a lifelong government bureaucrat!

My Review: One of the best comedy "I've been reincarnated as a villainess and also everyone loves me now because of my past life skills/premonition/etc" mangas I've read! At its core, it's a comedy, and the story is never treated too seriously which is something I really enjoyed. Another point is that the young villainess, Grace, truly always feels like she's being inhabited by the soul of Kenzaburou - there's no moments of "she's swayed by the romantic advances" or "she makes teenage decisions". Instead, she's a 52-year-old man through and through.

Another strong point of this manga is Kenzaburou's wife and daughter, both of whom are huge fans of the game that he's stuck in. They observe his actions from the "real world," focused on getting him back, and their commentary is both entertaining and brings a much-needed straight man to the comedy setting. I loved how Kenzaburou's nature as a family man and the family's strong bond with each other doesn't ever waver; there's never a moment where he even slightly shows interest in his (increasingly large) harem or acts like anything other than a slightly boring but noble and kindhearted salaryman.

Overall: If you like the isekai villainess genre and want something fresh and funny, this is a great manga. There's no complicated plot and the characters tend to fall a bit flat due to the comedic episodic nature of the manga, but they're genuinely endearing and it's got some hilarious gags. With a new anime coming out, give it a read!

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Ane Naru Mono (The Elder Sister-like One) - Manga Review

[Summary from MangaDex] Adapted from the doujinshi series of the same name, The Sister of the Woods with a Thousand Young is a heart-warming story of how a neglected orphan, Yuu, has been blessed with the offering of a wish by a demon, and he simply asks her to become his older sister.

Basic Premise: At times horrifying, at times sweet and loving, the eldritch-like being that the main character Yuu asks to act as his "elder sister" navigates a domestic life with him.

My Review: I was interested in the psychological horror that a "false older sister" could bring, which was what initially drove me to read this manga. The author has a beautiful clean art style, which conveys the otherworldly beauty of the "elder sister" and the striking loveliness of their mundane summer well. However, I can't help but feel that the mangaka's desire to convey a pseudo-incestual attraction between Yuu and the "elder sister" and the "elder sister's sexiness" keep getting in the way of the story that they're trying to tell about the horror what "she" truly is.

This isn't to say that there aren't moments that are genuinely unsettling. Yuu initially only meets the "sister" due to discovering a summoning accident, and she's only bound to him under very specific conditions. She's someone who doesn't understand boundaries, or human sense; there's moments where you genuinely fear for Yuu's safety or see his fragile mental state as a long-neglected orphan. However, it's obvious that the demon is attached to Yuu in a way that feels entirely too human for me. She behaves, for all intents and purposes, like an overly attached human older sister who can't quite handle those feelings of possessiveness. I was pretty disappointed by this development, because the art is beautiful and there are moments earlier on which had my hopes up RE: inhuman "love".

Overall: If you're looking for a slightly eerie and unsettling demonic onee-chan slice of life story, this is fine. The art style kept me reading longer than I would have otherwise. Mainly, this manga feels like a massive waste of potential.

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Gakkou Gurashi! (School Live!) - Manga Review

[Summary from Mangadex] Takeya Yuki is in love with her school. And why wouldn't she be? It's the place where she was introduced to the joys of school clubs! Or, more specifically, one school club: the School Life Club. Rii-chan the president, Megu-nee the advisor and her fellow member Kurumi are always there for her. Yes, Takeya Yuki loves school… Or so she keeps telling herself. Because living with that lie everyday is a lot easier than facing the reality of this particular "school" and the nature of its "club activities"…

Basic Premise: A group of high school girls tries to survive a zombie apocalypse with the unique framing of treating their daily zombie-fighting activities as part of a "Staying in School Club". They navigate through the standard zombie genre cliches while trying to keep hope and a smile on their faces, led emotionally by their cheerful friend Takeya Yuki.

My Review: The central focus of this manga is Takeya Yuki's delusions about the nature of her "school life," which makes for an unsettling but hopeful contrast with the destroyed apocalyptic world that they live in. To her, the only way to keep her sanity and maintain her cheerful attitude is to pretend that the students, stray animals, the world, and even their zombiefied teacher are completely fine and this is just part of her daily school life. The other characters try their best to understand her mentality and understand that this is part of her "strength" -- even characters such as a newbie underclassman grow to treat her delusions with compassion, and it's these moments that bring a serious tone and humanity to what could otherwise feel like a shallow manga. The overarching storyline isn't amazing; the universe feels more like a backdrop for the strong character writing that defines this manga. However, the zombie plot does make for some good drama and drastic moments that wouldn't exist otherwise. There's one point where they grow excited to meet a survivor, only to discover that she's already succumbed - it was depicted with a horror and seriousness that I didn't expect from a manga like this. Takeya Yuki, while the emotional center of the "school life club," is actually not usually the POV character. The strong ensemble cast, who have distinct personalities and motivations that drive the story, are usually the narrators who give us a deeper look at the world. It's an interesting choice that further adds to an "eerie" feeling to the whole work.

Overall: For those who enjoy the tension and the character-driven stories that the zombie genre can bring, but don't want as much focus on violence or true "zombie mystery" plots, Gakkou Gurashi offers plenty of strong bonds and touching moments. The resolution to the story falls somewhat flat, but the characters remain strong til the end and I'd still say it's worth reading.

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The Gals Who Always Say Incredible Things: My Daily Life at a Private Paranormal High School - Manga Review

[Summary taken from Mangadex]

Youth = friendship, effort, and future prediction! A very ordinary and supernatural daily life led by the strongest and most invincible gyarus with different abilities.

[Full Review under read more]

Basic Premise: In this alternate universe, everyone has a "special power" which they are born with. However, the distribution of powers is not equal - our protagonist, a schoolboy, is born with the ability to slightly glow, while his best friend has the power to create black holes. The focus of the manga, two gyarus in his class, have the power to see the future and the power to jump between alternate universes, but all they use these insane powers for is to live their normal high school lives.

My Review: With a strong premise and a dry, deadpan sense of humor, this manga manages to use its setting to the fullest. The two gyarus that this manga focuses on are light-hearted and carefree in their day-to-day lives, using their extreme powers for mundane activities such as passing a test or singing karaoke, and the contrast between the two makes for plenty of good jokes.

The main character, who narrates the majority of the manga, is a fairly decent backdrop to enhance the comedy of these shenanigans. However, he isn't devoid of personality - the gyarus do interact with him occasionally, as classmates might, and he has his own friends and life. (Notably, at one point, the gyarus use his glowing ability as a ringlight for better selfies.) I liked that the mangaka didn't make the gyarus fawn over the main boy or make them instant fast friends; instead, they come off as a believably casual friendship between classmates.

Overall: An absurdist sense of humor is the main draw for this comedy manga, but the snappy progression of their strange daily lives and the surprisingly charming personalities of the characters will keep you reading. A good blend of school-centric slice of life and insane comedy!

[fireflowerwork]

Chikarawaza no Sister - Manga Review

[Summary taken from Mangadex]

The nun who listens to people's confessions and reacts “strongly” to them. (Note: Initially published as doujinshis before being picked up by Flex Comix for a volume release.)

[Full review under read more]

Basic Premise: A supposedly holy nun listens to people's problems at confessional, but solves said problems in a very un-holy manner--AKA, with physical violence. A rotating cast of characters feature in these short gag-focused stories, helping her or trying to make her fall to sin.

My Review: This manga's chapters are very short compared to most published manga, edging closer to the 4-koma style of gag humor instead of a more drawn out format. It's obviously intentional, as many of the jokes rely on this shock humor which heavily utilizes one-liners, but sometimes it can feel a bit rushed and the jokes occasionally struggle to land due to the awkwardness of the format. As a gag manga, it's pretty funny--the format of "nun hears confession --> punch the issue" lends itself well to physical humor and snappy one-liner jokes, and the shorter chapters make it easy to read while doing something else like eating. The rotating cast of characters, while not particularly developed or innovative (I don't even think most of them have names?), are at least funny and play their tropes very well. Some of these side characters include a young priest boy, a succubus who converts to try to make the main nun "fall", and a doujin author who can't stop herself from drawing R18 of her coworkers. The appeal is this manga is pretty obviously the sexy nun and her antics which can be read as both funny and titillating depending on one's preferences, but the author does lean a little too heavily at times on the young priest boy being "seduced" by the adult-looking women in his life.

Overall: A light read, good if you want some laughs. Some of the jokes aren't to my taste, especially the shotacon ones, and the art style can be inconsistent (with the mangaka clearly focusing most of their effort on the one fully lined art of the nun in each chapter), but it's still worth a quick scroll if you just want something mildly funny.

EDIT: I've just found out that this has an R-18 version, to which news I can say I'm not really surprised but it does make some jokes make more sense. Read at your own risk.

[fireflowerwork]

Yattara - Manga Review

[Summary taken from Mangadex]

A gluttonous monster, Yattara, is drawn to a city of splendor and opulence. Its only pleasure in life: eating. It finds its favorite meal, children, and is ready to dig in as usual but then… a flash of inspiration strikes?

[Full Review under read more]

Basic Premise: As a beast which lives off of eating anything and everything, Yattara finds its favorite prey of children and prepares to eat them. However, the children are living in a dingy apartment alone, without any parents in sight, and Yattara gets the idea to raise them by itself to test if children who are raised by hand to become happy will have a better taste when eaten in the end.

My Review: It's a classic tale of "inhuman monster bonds with humans". The main point that makes this manga interesting is that the story doesn't shy away from the harsher realities of living with a monster who only knows how to eat - it's inexperienced with how to care for children, messes up in gaining its trust, and contemplates eating them when they don't give an appropriate response that it expects. However, there are hints that Yattara cares for the children beyond its livestock-rearing capabilities, as it risks itself for their children's safety and takes actions that can be seen as non-beneficial.

Another interesting point is the relationship between the three siblings that are Yattara's main prey. The older sister is trusting of Yattara, the youngest child considers Yattara a kind of pet, and the middle boy is the main one who remains suspicious, arguing with his older sister about its true motives. While the older sister does also agree that the situation is suspicious, she frames their situation clearly: they don't have any other option, without parents, if they want to live well and raise their youngest sibling happy.

The main plot has just started to seemingly kick in, with other kinds of monsters becoming plot-relevant and a mysterious disease sweeping the world, and I'm excited to see where it goes from here.

Overall: An interesting look at a monster's experiment in rearing children. Its alien perspective makes for a dryly funny and distantly warm narration in turns. I'd recommend this if you're interested in these kinds of human-inhuman bonds.

[fireflowerwork]

Common-Sense Monster (Futsuu to Bakemono) - Manga Review

[Summary from Mangadex]

Itou-san, who’s poor at interpersonal relations, was jealous of her mild-mannered classmate Takahashi-san, who gets along well with everyone. But one day, she witnesses Takahashi-san swallow a person whole. Takahashi-san was a monster mimicking a human!

Such a terrifying monster was calmly blending in with the class – that’s extremely admirable!! I definitely want to be her friend!!

And so Itou-san learns the “normality” of human society from Takahashi-san the monster. But while Itou-san is in high spirits, Takahashi-san has her own motives…

[Full Review under read more]

Basic Premise: Two "girls", who are both "outside" of society in their own ways, deepen their relationship after Itou discovers that Takahashi is actually a human-devouring monster.

My Review: This manga is both thrilling and touching in turns, with two compelling main characters driving the plot forward. Itou is a classic weird girl, who desperately wants to fit in with her classmates at school but is unable to, and Takahashi is a seemingly perfect girl on the outside but longs to devour people. I especially liked the way that the mangaka depicted Itou's "weirdness" -- she's not cartoonishly bullied, nor is she particularly unpopular. Instead, she's just a little bit strange in her mannerisms and her understanding of "common sense," a trait which persists even after she grows closer to Takahashi.

Takahashi, too, is a compelling character despite being essentially an inhuman monster. She's bright and outgoing on the outside, but as the two grow closer, she reveals some of her darker impulses and is fully upfront with Itou about how even if she can mimic humans well, she will never truly care about her in the same way Itou does for her. The glimpses of her more vulnerable personality (when she spares Itou from death, or when she's sexually assaulted by their teacher and decides to eat him in defense) give her more depth and strength as a character beyond just "inhuman monster". Her relationship with Itou carries hints of a more romantic overtone in a classic "prey-and-predator"/"thrall" dynamic that makes me genuinely wonder if they'll take a turn into yuri at some point.

The plot isn't terribly exciting so far, but the mangaka has a way of depicting even their everyday school life with an eerie and disquieting tone, befitting the almost gothic style that they draw in.

Overall: As a darker comedy with some serious dramatic chops, this manga excels. While the plot is somewhat basic, the mangaka is amazing at drawing the reader into these unsettling scenarios that never truly let you forget that Takahashi at her core is a monster. A good read if you'd like to read a thriller with yuri vibes.