brandyn posting in

What's up party people?

If you've made it this far you've probably gathered that my name is Brandyn, and yeah I'm testing the waters here. I'm used to social media but never did anything live journal related and definitely don't entirely fit in with capital F Fandom spaces (Though all respect to the queer men, gals, and non-binary pals that spend their time in the trenches and help elevate certain fandoms, I like Star Trek and Gundam, I respect my history).

Mostly want to use this space to post a bit...vulnerably? Not necessarily in terms of my personal life or a place to vent necessarily (Though that's not off the table), but a space removed from the more performative persona I've put on for some other sites (Namely LeagueOfComicGeeks, cause big comic fan. Can find me under fatboyftw there). Not that I'm bitching, I love being known as a snarky but insightful asshole but it can take work to maintain. Alongside the inherent cynicism that having a space only dedicated to one niche hobby inherently brings since once you reach a certain threshold of something and learn how the sausage gets made you tend to get more bitter and critical. I love shouting into the ether about stuff but traditional social media has a way of getting me a bit heated sometimes, lmao.

So I'm going to use this space to be chill and just mainly talk about things I enjoy, comics and otherwise. A place I can go when I wanna post something that on another site I might have to defend or explain a bit more than I have the mental energy to do. As for what I would be posting about well, as we've established comics. Comics of all kinds, love the entire medium, not just superhero stuff. But also the occasional manga/anime, Kaiju Films, video games, and chats about fiction writing since it's not something I do nearly enough but something I love to do.

If any of that seems interesting then feel free to follow...subscribe...whatever it's called here.

(Yes if you check my profile this is just my first post copy and pasted, I realized I didn't have another introduction in me, I'm sowwy)

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Posted by Sean Gaffney

https://mangabookshelf.com/2026/02/23/pick-of-the-week-rewinding-for-more-picks/

https://mangabookshelf.com/?p=87470

SEAN: My pick this week is 18-24 inches of snow with blizzard conditions. Oh no, wait, that’s my nightmare coming true. For my pick, I’ll go with Hitting Rewind with You, because it’s been a while since I’ve picked a nice shoujo romance, and I appreciate that “she’s younger than she looks” has become “they’re both older than they look they just like to cosplay”.

MICHELLE: I’m with Sean. Shoujo with an adult lead sounds appealing.

KATE: Holy cow! This week’s new arrival list is longer than a novel by George R.R. Martin. I dutifully waded through all those titles and decided to cast my vote for the latest volumes of Veil and Insomniacs After School, the former for its swoon-worthy artwork and the latter for its tug-your-heartstrings storyline.

ASH: All excellent choices! I’m going to take a little bit of a risk and choose the debut of Dungeons That Surely Slaughter Adventurers as my pick this week. I don’t know much about it, but I have enjoyed some the creator’s previous quirky and off-beat manga, so I’m willing to give it a try.

ANNA: I’m most excited about Veil, assuming it comes out this week.

https://mangabookshelf.com/2026/02/23/pick-of-the-week-rewinding-for-more-picks/

https://mangabookshelf.com/?p=87470

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Posted by Sean Gaffney

https://mangabookshelf.com/2026/02/22/bookshelf-briefs-2-22-26/

https://mangabookshelf.com/?p=87201

A Bride’s Story, Vol. 15 | By Kaoru Mori | Yen Press – Last time I said it would be another year until 15, and it turned out to be more than two. Still, it was worth the wait. The bulk of this book is set in England, as Smith takes Talas home to get approval for the family… which goes about as well as you’d expect, though it helps that Smith is already considered eccentric even within his family. Still, she gets to see nice horses, and gets to keep sheep, which helps to brighten her up a bit. The back half of the book concerns a young man rumored to “have a lot of money,” which irritates the childhood friend who was interested in him before but now he’s nouveau riche. As it turns out, rumors are mostly just rumors. This remains an absolutely stellar work that everyone should be reading. – Sean Gaffney

A Curtain Call for You, Vol. 1 | By Shiho Satou | Kodansha Manga – What starts with an introvert’s worst nightmare (the extroverted kid finds their secret notebook and reads it) turns into a manga that was indeed written for me, as it turns out this extrovert wants to start a drama club and she’s found a writer. This is a yuri manga, apparently, but I’m more interested in the growth of the two leads, as Sakura’s observational skills and talent help her to assert herself and Tsubame’s over the top exterior hides a lot of doubt and pain. I also really liked the third member of the cast, an actress who’s also at their school who shows off that she’s already figured out what our two leads are struggling to find. All this plus some really good scenes showing off the joys of writing and acting a new play. I definitely recommend this. – Sean Gaffney

I Don’t Know Which Is Love, Vol. 4 | By Tamamushi Oku | Yen Press – Mei knows, deep down, that it’s wrong of her to be falling for every woman she meets, and that she really needs to take a stand and ask one of them to go out with her. It’s kind of a shame that she chooses the one who’s most likely to be macking on someone else when that confession happens. Aside from that, this series knows what its lane is and sticks to it, as we see lots of the main cast almost snapping and banging Mei like a drum, but holding themselves back… or, in the case of her teacher, literally passing out before she can do anything. Mei may not know why her true love is, but everyone else can tell that these girls all love Mei and it’s really obvious. Which can be a problem if you’re a teacher, or a model, or a wannabe actress. Horny fun. – Sean Gaffney

Gabriel Dropout, Vol. 15 | By Ukami | Yen Press – For those who (like me) read this manga mostly for the yuri tease between Satanya and Raphael, rest assured there is a wonderful amusement park date here that is not really a date but yes it is. For those who are wondering if the manga will be coming to an end soon, probably not, but there are a few scenes showing Vigne struggling to figure out what to do after graduation, mostly as she realizes it might involve not being in Gabriel’s orbit forever. And we also find out that Raphael is only a sadist when the other person hates it—she’d be a bad dom for real. (As if we couldn’t guess that.) And we see that the teachers really do care about their students, or at least about Satanya not sounding like a chuuni all the time. Very fun, very gay. – Sean Gaffney

Kageki Shojo!!, Vol. 15 | By Kumiko Saiki | Seven Seas – There’s an ominous suggestion that Sarasa’s personal life and parents may blow up in the press, but that’s a problem for future books, as this one is centered around a fictional musical they’re doing (as in, not like Rose of Versailles), which is called Rippling, and is a time-travel romance. Sarasa isn’t the lead, but she is second lead among the ‘male parts,’ and gets to be the big love rival. For Sarasa in particular it solicits a big change in her appearance that stuns everyone. Ai *is* the lead, and the back half of the book shows us the actual storyline, which is actually a lot of fun, and I can see why it’s a hit in the Kageki Shojo!! world. This is coming to a climax soon, and I can’t wait to see where it goes. (I wish it had a soundtrack, but let’s face it, it could never measure up.) – Sean Gaffney

Maid to Skate | By Suzushiro | Viz Media – If you picked this up knowing its origins as a Twitter artist who loved to draw skateboarding maids and wondered if they would create a compelling story to go with it, you may as well put it down right now. This is not the manga for you. If, however, you know of its origins and wondered “I wonder if there will be more cool pictures of skating maids,” then good news, there are indeed! Just as May I Ask for One Final Thing? turned out to pretty much be “she punched evil nobles,” this title is pretty much “the maid skates really good.” There’s even a really fantastic action sequence involving a cat, a baby carriage, and several jumps. But yeah, the worldbuilding in this book is basically “maids skate here,” and that’s about it. But oh man, the aesthetic is worth it. – Sean Gaffney

Rainbows After Storms, Vol. 7 | By Luka Kobachi | Viz Media – After the lead couple have had their big fight and resolved everything, it’s time to resolve the other big outstanding subplot, and that’s Mai’s one-sided love. As you’d expect, she loves Nanoha but doesn’t want to break up a couple so is content to bury her feelings forever (and rejoin the basketball team). Chidori’s not having that, and urges her to confess and get rejected because in the end she’ll regret it less. Which is true. So she does, and she is. But hey, maybe she can find a second love with the manager of the basketball team. As for Nanoha and Chidori, they worry they’re too obvious, so dial it back at school—well, try to. Nanoha’s a bit bad at that. We even get the return of “we’re dating, but it’s a secret.” We know. Everyone knows. – Sean Gaffney

This Monster Wants to Eat Me, Vol. 5 | By Sai Naekawa | Yen Press – The anime has aired since the fourth volume came out seven months ago, and so I was a bit spoiled as to what was going to happen. But yeah, there are plot guns being fired here, as we finally get the skinny on the whole “you’re just so tasty and I can’t wait to eat you” from Shiori, and while the first part may be true in general the second part is absolutely not. More to the point, Miko is really standing out as the only sensible person in a manga filled with people making bad decisions. That said, Hinako is the one suffering the most here, and we get one of the best partial title drops I’ve ever seen in a manga. Unfortunately, I get the feeling this may tip the suicide ideation over into actual suicide. We’ll see next time, but boy this is well-written and dark. – Sean Gaffney

https://mangabookshelf.com/2026/02/22/bookshelf-briefs-2-22-26/

https://mangabookshelf.com/?p=87201

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Posted by Sean Gaffney

https://suitablefortreatment.mangabookshelf.com/2026/02/22/a-late-start-tamers-laid-back-life-vol-14/

http://27.18891

By Yuu Tanaka and Nardack. Released in Japan as “Deokure Tamer no Sono Higurashi” by GC Novels. Released in North America by J-Novel Club. Translated by A.M. Cola.

Another day, another attempt to squeeze 500 words out of “Yuto sure is a main character”. I’ve even compared it to Bofuri before, but the obvious comparison comes up again here. The designers of the game suddenly find that Yuto has done several random things that, when taken together, accidentally open up a boss battle well before they’re ready for it, so they have to make the boss more powerful, then they have to also give the players an out so that they don’t get too discouraged. Unfortunately, due to the nature of the help they give, and where the event takes place, and the connection means that guess who saves the day and gets the biggest bonus? Honestly, it’s a good thing that everyone adores Silver-Haired (some a bit too much), because they’re right, this game’s balance is always in danger of collapsing. Sorry about your daughter, my technician guy, it’s probably doomed. On the bright side, Yuto isn’t eating poison… yet. And romance is unlikely to be even one-sided here.

Yuto has always done things his own way, sometimes deciding to just relax and take it easy, so it should not be a surprise that he finds an area where he can literally weaponize being “chill”. (Later, he finds another one for being “rowdy”, with opposite yet comparable skill sets.) This allows him to do what he does best, which is make friends with NPCs, do things that make you smile, and then suddenly find he’s actually unlocked the key to the universe again. Then he’s asked by his friend Hamakaze (who seems like the sort of person who’s an overly stressed class president in the real world) to help her defeat some yokai… which ends up getting him more cute monsters. That he can play with in his new additions to his house, or take out on monster hunting quests, or break Alyssa’s mind again.

I do appreciate how we get the standard Alyssa breakdown here, but we’re also dragging in her co-worker… whose name, possibly deliberately, is Maple. It doesn’t matter who he tells, because he lacks the gamer common sense that everyone else has. This actually leads to the funniest joke in the book, where, during the final boss battle, he sees some of his weirder friends going all out, and asks Hamakaze if the more eccentric players are more powerful. She stares at him like he’s in The Office, and I get it. Yuto being oblivious to his own eccentricity is great. But it also underscores the other point of this series (and Bofuri), which is that there’s no way to play a game wrong. Just do what you want to do. Well, provided the designers agree with you. We do see in this volume that the folks who invented a game to be the complete opposite of this one bombed badly.

This series is in no danger of ending, and in no danger of having character development I could talk about. It is what it is. Relaxing fun.

https://suitablefortreatment.mangabookshelf.com/2026/02/22/a-late-start-tamers-laid-back-life-vol-14/

http://27.18891

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Posted by Sean Gaffney

https://suitablefortreatment.mangabookshelf.com/2026/02/22/lady-bumpkin-and-her-lord-villain-vol-6/

http://27.18886

By Ageha Sakura and Kurodeko. Released in Japan as “Imokusa Reijou desu ga Akuyaku Reisoku wo Tasuketara Kiniiraremashita” by Overlap Novels f. Released in North America by J-Novel Heart. Translated by Vasileios Mousikidis.

This series continues to be pleasant. It has a nice cast, and after the drama of the last book, I was expecting a more lackadaisical one. That said, I’m starting to feel like Agnes does through most of this volume. I wish that the book would stop coddling me and actually go places. It’s been very clear for a while now that the author’s idea for the way the series goes began and ended with the first book. This is quite common with light novels, where the publisher says “It sold, write more”, and the author says “more what?”. I was wondering if the series might end with Agnes giving birth to her child, but no, that’s the beginning of this book, and it ends up going so smoothly and easily even Agnes is surprised. Worst of all, the author is aware that there is a certain lack of conflict in this volume, and brings back the series’ worst villain, Robin. Who is still the worst.

Six volumes in and we’re no closer to figuring out why the cover art always has a little chibi-Agnes floating around. I had wondered if it might be their future child, but no, Agnes gives birth to a healthy baby boy, named Solis. What’s more, not only does he have rare soil magic, but he’s seemingly been able to use it from inside the womb, as it turns out that was the reason behind Agnes’ magic soil powers in the last volume. That’s not to say she doesn’t do a lot of Cool Magic Tricks here, including essentially putting up a dome to protect the entire estate from a nasty storm. Unfortunately, Robin has escaped from his light novel stereotypes prison, and is helped out by an apathetic, aggrieved man from another country. They’re supposed to flee to that country, but Robin can’t help going to Sutrena to try to make Nazel’s life miserable.

To get the bad stuff out of the way, I hate Robin. I know that’s deliberate, but I hate how he’s written too. It’s interesting that one of the funnier things in the book was how Agnes got Robin to stop being obsessed with her – she put her old pancake makeup from Lady Bumpkin days back on. But yeah, Robin is stupid, arrogant, and terrible, and him being put back in prison also means we get a lot more “hah, it’s funny because prisons have lots of gay rape!” bits. On the bright side, I quite liked the aggreived foreign aide, who seems to realize that he’s on a mission where everyone will abandon him when it goes wrong, and when it does, he’s absolutely right. Fortunately, he’s in this series, so it turns out his magic is far more amazing than he expected. Also, because he’s in this series, Agnes wins him over with the sheer power of niceness, though he doesn’t fall for her.

So yeah, I’m basically reading this series on inertia, but I still want to read more, unlike her other JNC series I dropped recently. And we may get another child soon, if Nazel’s behavior at the end of this volume means anything. For fans of series with chibi-versions of the protagonist floating in the air for no reason.

https://suitablefortreatment.mangabookshelf.com/2026/02/22/lady-bumpkin-and-her-lord-villain-vol-6/

http://27.18886

lunafleurette posting in

addme_fandom

Name: Luna
Age Group: 25+
Country: Philippines
Subscription/Access Policy: 18+ at minimum, 25+ preferred. My journal is public, but I can and will post about explicit topics and have them appropriately labeled and with warnings. Will not interact with Harry Potter fans.

Main Fandoms: Alien Stage, Honkai: Star Rail, The House in Fata Morgana
Other Fandoms: Genshin Impact, The Haunting of Hill House (Book), Love and Deepspace, This Monster Wants to Eat Me (Watatabe), Kino no Tabi, Haibane Renmei, Hetalia, Our Life: Beginnings & Always, Blooming Panic, Bustafellows, Psychedelica of the Ashen Hawk (and Black Butterfly), Hakuouki, Funamusea (The Gray Garden and Wadanohara), Scum Villain's Self-Saving System, Mo Dao Zu Shi, Frieren
Fannish Interests: writing and reading fic, creating original characters, worldbuilding and lore discussions and analysis, yumeshipping/oc x canon
OTPs and Ships: MiziSua, HyuLuka, IvanLuka, MyPhaiDei, NeuviFuri, MikoShioHina, RakkaReki, Eleanor Vance/Theodora, Baxter x OLBA MC, Caleb (Xia Yizhou) x LADS MC, BingLiuShen, BingQiu, QiJiu, BingLiu, LiuShen, MoShang

Before adding me, you should know: I can and will shut any interaction down if it ventures into ship discourse. If you have trouble discerning between real human beings and fictional characters, we will not get along. If you are uncomfortable with such content as incest, pseudo-incest, toxic relationships, yanderes, omegaverse, teratophilia, noncon/dubcon, then it might be best for you not to subscribe/interact for your own peace. I don't care what people do or don't ship, just don't make it my problem.

Current Mood: calm

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Posted by Sean Gaffney

https://suitablefortreatment.mangabookshelf.com/2026/02/21/mercedes-and-the-waning-moon-the-dungeoneering-feats-of-a-discarded-vampire-aristocrat-vol-4/

http://27.18883

By Fire head and KeG. Released in Japan as “Kaketa Tsuki no Mercedes: Kyūketsuki no Kizoku ni Tensei Shita kedo Suteraresō nanode Dungeon wo Seiha suru” by TO Books. Released in North America by J-Novel Club. Translated by Maddy Willette.

I do love it when a character I 100% vibe with arrives on the scene. I love, as I have said in a few reviews before, incredibly strong, powerful women who are also dumb as a bag of hammers. It just tickles me. And we get that in spades here with Julia, a vampire who’s on the side of the bad guys and actually forces Mercedes to try. See, she’s not only strong, but it seems to be entirely instinctual – she hasn’t been taught anything, but when she sees a move she’s able to work out counters and the like just on her own. And she’s also the funny kind of dumb, which is important. She will fall for them pretending to be on her side and spill all sorts of secrets. The big bad, when their plans inevitably go south, assumes it’s her fault simply because she causes chaos wherever she is. I was so happy she wasn’t killed off.

Things are going pretty well for Mercedes, though she’s still struggling with the whole succession thing. Unfortunately, Sieglinde may be the official princess, but the country does not really want her to rule, especially since the empire next door were all misandrists. So she’s got to get married, and the person who marries her will have all the power. Then Mercedes gets a visit from a guy named Basil, who she notes looks exactly like a typical anime bad guy (he looks a lot like Gin from Bleach, in fact). Basil says that there is, in fact, another royal with a claim to the throne – and he has a dungeon. Sure, he’s a naive ten-year-old who is clearly being set up as a puppet king, but that’s irrelevant – he has a dungeon, and he’s male. How are they going to handle this?

As it turns out, the backstory that led to all this turns out to be rather convoluted, especially since it means that there’s another person with a connection to the royal family. My favorite part of the book was possibly Mercedes’ unreliable narrator moment. To be fair, it’s not without signposts – there are several points where she notes that she’s being too kind or too soft, and we think “wait, back up, Mercedes? Too soft?”. But her father clocks her right away, and instantly lays out her entire thought pattern in three paragraphs. It’s very clear that whenever this series ends (I’m estimating 1 or 2 more books), it’s going to end with Mercedes battling her father for supremacy. In the meantime, congratulations to the country, which now has its royal who can be king, and he’s at least semi-competent. Oh yes, and the little boy who was being manipulated is not killed but put in prison instead. I’m sure that will be FINE.

The 5th volume is not out yet, so get ready to wait. This is a decent little OP cynical vampire series, even if I could have done without hearing about how vampire’s breasts never sag because of their eternal youth (or, in the case of Mercedes, eternal tweenhood).

https://suitablefortreatment.mangabookshelf.com/2026/02/21/mercedes-and-the-waning-moon-the-dungeoneering-feats-of-a-discarded-vampire-aristocrat-vol-4/

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Posted by Sean Gaffney

https://mangabookshelf.com/2026/02/19/manga-the-week-of-2-25-26/

https://mangabookshelf.com/?p=87432

SEAN: As February draws to a close, what manga does it bring us?

ASH: Let’s find out!

SEAN: Yen Press debuts Dungeons That Surely Slaughter Adventurers (Boukensha Zettai Korosu Dungeon), a Web Comic Apanda title from the creator of Voynich Hotel. Two people reincarnated as dungeon staff are annoyed that everyone else got to be reincarnated as adventurers… so they make the dungeons even harder, to kill them all!

ASH: I remember enjoying Voynich Hotel and as far as reincarnation premises go, I am amused by this one.

SEAN: The Fake Alchemist (Nisemono no Renkinjutsushi) is a Kadocomi title about a guy trying to get by after being isekai’d by being an alchemist… but he’s cheating!

ASH: That usually leads to trouble.

SEAN: The Idol’s Escape (Idol Escape) is a 2-in-1 omnibus with the entire series, which ran in Comic Beam. A gay man who wishes he could be as put together as his favorite idol winds up helping her escape from an abusive producer.

ASH: I wish them both the best!

SEAN: Keyaki Shopping District’s Sakura Bathhouse (Keyaki Shoutengai Sakura no Yu) is a BL title from Gene Pixiv. An outgoing high schooler accidentally injures a tough guy, and says he’ll do anything to make up for it. Now he’s… working at a bathhouse?

ASH: Hmmm.

SEAN: Mad Miniscape is Dengeki Maoh title. A girl lives in an apartment with her childhood friend… who is dead. And evil. And wants to take her life. But as long as he’s THERE, that’s fine.

ASH: We all have our issues to deal with.

SEAN: Once Upon a Witch’s Death: The Tale of the One Thousand Tears of Joy (Aru Majo ga Shinu made: Owari no Kotoba to Hajimari no Namida) is the manga adaptation of the light novel Yen also puts out, which also has a recent anime. Meg Raspberry may be cursed to have a year to live, but she won’t let that stop her living a full life! This runs in Dengeki Comic Regulus.

[OSHI NO KO] TV Anime 1st Season Official Guidebook: First Report is exactly what it sounds like.

Also out next week from Yen Press: Almark 2, April Showers Bring May Flowers 4, The Beginning After the End 10, Brunhild the Dragonslayer 4 (the final volume), Bungo Stray Dogs: The Official Comic Anthology 5, Cheeky Brat 16, D.N.Angel New Edition 2, Daughter of the Emperor 13 (the final volume?), The Ephemeral Scenes of Setsuna’s Journey 2, The Failure at God School 3, Futari Switch 2, I’m a Behemoth, an S-Ranked Monster, but Mistaken for a Cat, I Live as an Elf Girl’s Pet 12, Imitation 8, In Another World, My Sister Stole My Name 4, In the Land of Leadale 7, Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? On the Side: Sword Oratoria 27, Konosuba: God’s Blessing on This Wonderful World! 20, Laid-Back Camp 17, The Magical Revolution of the Reincarnated Princess and the Genius Young Lady 7, Mechanical Marie 2, Murciélago 26, Nomi x Shiba 3, Please Put Them On, Takamine-san 10, The Shiunji Family Children 5, Shy 12, Slasher Maidens 13, Spring Storm and Monster 5, The War of Greedy Witches 4, The World’s Finest Assassin Gets Reincarnated in Another World as an Aristocrat 8, and Übel Blatt Deluxe Edition 5.

ANNA: Could that be….too much manga????

ASH: I had to scroll much longer than I was anticipating.

SEAN: Viz Media has Cosmos 4 and Insomniacs After School 13.

Udon Entertainment supposedly has Vol. 3 and 4 of Veil. Take that with a grain of salt.

ANNA: I want to believe!!!!

ASH: It would be great to see!

SEAN: Tokyopop has the 4th volume of We Can’t Do Just Plain Love.

Steamship has His Sensual Whisper: The Voice That Sets Me On Fire 2 and Winter Wolf 2.

Square Enix Manga debuts My Favorite VTuber Is Scary IRL (Haitatsusaki no Onee-san ga Kowasugiru), a classic “shy boy meets the girl of his dreams” manga. It’s on Gangan Online.

Seven Seas has one danmei, Mistakenly Saving the Villain 3.

They also debut Kitayama and Minamiya (Kitayama-kun to Minamiya-kun), a spicy BL comedy about a guy who can always picture what someone looks like when they’re aroused… except this one guy. It runs, appropriately, in Splush.

MICHELLE: Snerk. Wow.

ANNA: What a terrible problem to have!

ASH: It does seem like that could lead to trouble.

SEAN: A Prince of a Friend (Ouji-sama no Tomodachi) is a shonen title from Dra Dra Sharp #. Rui is tired of every girl he likes confessing to his best friend… who is gorgeous, and the school prince. So she offers to teach him the ways of love.

Wait, I Love You (Matte, Suki), which runs in Byou de Wakaru BL, is about an actor and his stylist boyfriend trying to make things work despite their busy careers.

MICHELLE: Potentially interesting!

ANNA: Yeah!

SEAN: Seven Seas also has Cupid is Struck by Lightning 2 (the final volume), The Dangers in My Heart 12, How Do I Turn My Best Friend Into My Girlfriend? 5 (the final volume), Ichi the Killer Omnibus 3, Karate Survivor in Another World 9, Monster Musume: Deluxe Edition 2, My Girlfriend’s Not Here Today 6, Mysterious Disappearances 8, Now That We Draw 4, and Yes, No, or Maybe? 3.

One Peace Books has Detectives These Days Are Crazy 3 and Hero Without a Class 5.

Kodansha Manga has Blue Lock Omnibus 1, which has the first three volumes of this popular soccer series.

ASH: It’s probably time I get around to reading this.

SEAN: GALAXIAS is a Weekly Shonen Magazine title about a girl who finds she knows nothing about this world that her father has kept from her, so sets out on a journey of discovery.

Hitting Rewind With You (Okuremashite Seishun) is a shoujo manga from Dessert. A girl who’s been too busy grinding grades to date decides to go out on Halloween in her old high school uniform… and runs into a handsome high schooler! Only… he’s in college too?!

MICHELLE: I might go for this one!

ANNA: Me too!

SEAN: Also in print: A Curtain Call for You 2, The Darwin Incident 9, I Want to Love You Till Your Dying Day 7, Nina the Starry Bride 14, Rent-a-Girlfriend 35, and You Can’t Bluff the Sharp-Eyed Sister 3.

ANNA: I need to get caught up on Nina the Starry Bride, I do enjoy it.

ASH: I still need to start it. I’m so far behind on so many things.

SEAN: In digital: Am I Actually the Strongest? 16, Fungus and Iron 8, Love, That’s an Understatement 7, Saving Sweets for After-Hours 5 (the final volume), WIND BREAKER 22, and Ya Boy Kongming! 22.

J-Novel Club has one print debut, the manga version of My Quiet Blacksmith Life in Another World. It runs in Kadocomi.

No digital debuts for J-Novel Club. For light novels, they have Cooking with Wild Game 32, Guild Handyman? More like Mastermind! 2, Haibara’s Teenage New Game+ 9, An Introvert’s Hookup Hiccups 12, Knock Yourself Out! The Goddess Beat the Final Boss in the Tutorial, So Now I’m Free to Do Whatever 3, The Misfit of Demon King Academy 11, One Last Hurrah! The Grayed Heroes Explore a Vivid Future 2, and Revenge of the Soul Eater 4.

For manga, there is I Want to Escape from Princess Lessons 6, Imperial Reincarnation 3, The Invincible Summoner Who Crawled Up from Level 1 6, Looks Like a Job for a Maid! 3, My Death-Defying Dog 2, and A Wild Last Boss Appeared! 9.

Hanashi Media has I’m Just a Villager, So What? 3 and Tsukimichi: Moonlit Fantasy 13.

Ghost Ship has a 2nd volume of Virgin Knight: I Became the Frontier Lord in a World Ruled by Women.

Dark Horse Manga debuts Cyberpunk: Edgerunners MADNESS, a spinoff title featuring Pilar and Rebecca that runs in Comic Alive +.

Cross Infinite World has two debuts. Goodbye, Horrible Fiancé, Hello, Fun Magic School Life! (Konyakusha wo Sutetara, Tanoshii Mahou Gakkou no Seikatsu ga Matteimashita) is the first, where after a broken engagement a noblewoman tries enrolling in the obligatory magic academy.

Strawberry Princess: The Time Loop Defying Villainess (Shiitagerareta Maihime wa Seijo no Loop ni Ichigo de Aragau) is a one-shot light novel about an abused princess who’s time-looping… but it’s not her doing it, it’s her evil half-sister trying to get the perfect man! And now she’s set her sights on our heroine’s fiancé! Wait, what do strawberries have to do with this?

ANNA: This sounds very complex.

SEAN: We also see If the Heroine Wants My Fiancé, I’ll Marry a Yandere Villain Instead! 2.

Airship debuts in print I Like Villains, so I Reincarnated as One (Akuyaku Suki no Ore, Oshi Character ni Tensei: Game Joban ni Shujinkou ni Korosareru Oshi ni Tenseishita node, Ore dake Shitteru Game Chishiki de Hametsu Flag wo Tsubushitara Akuyaku-tachi no Teiou ni Natteta Ken). It’s another “guy reincarnated into his favorite game as the pathetic villain who dies” story, and you know he’s not going to take that lying down.

ANNA: Maybe they should make one where he does take it lying down, for variety!

SEAN: Also in print: Mushoku Tensei: Redundant Reincarnation 3.

The digital debut is My Girlfriend Cheated on Me, and Now My Flirty Underclassman Won’t Leave Me Alone (Kanojo ni Uwakisareteita Ore ga, Koakuma na Kouhai ni Natsukareteimasu), whose title is the plot.

There’s also The Condemned Villainess Goes Back in Time and Aims to Become the Ultimate Villain 7.

Is there something here that will entertain you?

https://mangabookshelf.com/2026/02/19/manga-the-week-of-2-25-26/

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Posted by Sean Gaffney

https://suitablefortreatment.mangabookshelf.com/2026/02/19/true-love-fades-away-when-the-contract-ends-the-secret-of-the-rose/

http://27.18879

By Kosuzu Kobato and Fumi Takamura. Released in Japan as “Unmei no Koibito wa Kigen Tsuki” by Maple Novels. Released in North America by Airship. Translated by Sarah Moon. Adapted by Max Machiavelli.

There’s not actually any art forgery in this book – all the paintings that Fiona gushes over throughout the book seem to be genuine. This is probably because the mastermind behind everything is behind bars – note that I did not say safely behind bars. A novel needs a climax, after all. This allows the book to delve deeply into the other outstanding plotline, which is Fiona and Giles’ fake relationship. Both really don’t want to break it off, but know they have to. Well, Fiona knows she has to. Giles has an epiphany in this volume, and suddenly is finding that he’s absolutely not in favor of that anymore. Unfortunately, he’s still an earl and she’s still the daughter of a baron, so there are issues. What’s more, her father is unhappy with the idea. And this book sees her uncle returning to town, and Fiona just loves him. (No, not that way.) That said, we may be more familiar with him than we thought…

After the events of the last book, Gordon has been taken into custody, which means that Fiona can finally go home and stop imposing on the Heywards. (She is the only one who thinks it is imposing.) As it happens, she gets home just in time, as her uncle Reginald has returned from abroad, and he’s brought paintings to sell. In fact, they’re paintings from the famous Raymond, which is even bigger news. Reginald, however, does not like Giles at all. He knows Fiona wants to be independent, and having her as the plaything of an earl is the last thing that’s good for her. Unfortunately for Reginald, Fiona is not the only one unaware she’s fallen in love – Giles is as well, or was, until Reginald makes him realize that he is. Things will all come to a head at the grand ball which is supposed to be their final one as a couple…

As noted, 4/5 of this book is a romance. Reginald doesn’t like Giles, but he quickly realizes that Giles is not a manipulative bastard and just settles for glaring at him a lot. There is, though, the last fifth of the book, where you realize that both of the main antagonists of the series aren’t dead, and so of course bad things can still happen to Fiona, who has a kind heart even when facing off against a broken woman calling her a whore. Sadly for Caroline, who has spent her entire life planning to be Giles’ wife, reality is not kind to her. I’m frankly stunned by her fate in this book, which is more than she deserves, as everyone else points out. As for Gordon, well, guess what, they never found the body, so I guess we’ll see him again in Book 4. At least he gave us some good royal backstory and angst.

The webnovel is done, with enough material to finish with Book 4. When the published book will be out in Japan is beyond my predictions. Till then, if you like romance and nobles and art, this is still a very good sampling of all of those.

https://suitablefortreatment.mangabookshelf.com/2026/02/19/true-love-fades-away-when-the-contract-ends-the-secret-of-the-rose/

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Posted by Sean Gaffney

https://suitablefortreatment.mangabookshelf.com/2026/02/17/the-too-perfect-saint-tossed-aside-by-my-fiance-and-sold-to-another-kingdom-vol-5/

http://27.18876

By Fuyutsuki Koki and Masami. Released in Japan as “Kanpeki Sugite Kawaige ga Nai to Konyaku Haki Sareta Seijo wa Ringoku ni Urareru” by Overlap Novels f. Released in North America by Airship. Translated by Amelia Mason. Adapted by Shaenon K. Garrity.

I always enjoy it when a series that has long since evolved away from its title decides to backtrack and remind us of it. Sure, we remember the “tossed aside’ part, mostly as her fiance is such a clown, but it’s easy to forget the ‘sold’ part, especially because she was sold for a lot of money – money that had to come from somewhere. It’s never really come up since then, mostly as the purchase of Philia as the Saint turned out to be the best one they’ve ever made, but it does make you wonder where the money to pay for her came from. As it turns out, their world is not all that different from our own, and it turns out that a lot of the money came from grants being given to various research and development facilities around the kingdom. Which can be a problem if some of those researchers are, shall we say, a bit obsessed.

Having finally wrapped up the wedding (and sent Mia home, so alas she is not in this book), Philia and Osvalt are finally ready to embark on their honeymoon… but Philia is still Philia, which means their honeymoon involves a lot of research. She’s touring the ruins of the country to try and figure out if there’s a way to stop the magic fluctuations in the volcanic area so that they can get more flowers. While there, unfortunately, they come across what seems to be an attempted break-in… and then, at another site, they catch those responsible. The main culprit is a merchant named Harry, who smiles but seems to lie as easily as he breathes, has been selling arms to the country just in case of foreign invasion, and has a far closer connection to Philia… or rather, Philia’s attendants… than anyone realizes.

Leaving aside the spoilery relationship that makes up the bulk of the last half of the book, it is entertaining seeing Philia actually coming to terms with herself as an emotional being. Getting married seems to have freed up her body to actually do things like smile and cry, and I don’t think she’s come to terms with it yet… nor has she come to terms with losing somebody near and dear to her, which we come close to this time around. She’s mirrored by Osvalt, who his brother doesn’t trust to deal with tense political situations because he’s too empathetic, but he ends up doing really well here, showing off that empathy can also be “really good at reading people”, which is actually quite handy for political situations. Lastly, a brief wish: I really hope we’re not suggesting Grace will marry Reichardt when she grows up. I like her as the little sister of the group, and hope she stays in that role.

That said, if she keeps saying things like “I’ve never seen a magic tool that large before”, I may have to reconsider. Oooooh, Matron!

https://suitablefortreatment.mangabookshelf.com/2026/02/17/the-too-perfect-saint-tossed-aside-by-my-fiance-and-sold-to-another-kingdom-vol-5/

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Posted by thebloggess

https://thebloggess.com/2026/02/17/february-catch-up/

https://thebloggess.com/?p=44175

Sorry I’ve been MIA. I sort of fell off the world but I’m back today with actual energy and slightly less depression. YAY FOR LESS DEPRESSION! Just dropping a few notes here to catch up on life, the universe and everything. Some of you have asked if I’m making the audiobook for HOW TO BEContinue reading

https://thebloggess.com/2026/02/17/february-catch-up/

https://thebloggess.com/?p=44175

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Posted by Sean Gaffney

https://suitablefortreatment.mangabookshelf.com/2026/02/17/the-isle-of-paramounts-reborn-into-a-slow-life-among-the-strongest-in-the-world-vol-2/

http://27.18872

By Heiseiowari and Noy. Released in Japan as “Tenseishitara Saikyou Shu-tachi ga Sumau Shima deshita. Kono Shima de Slow Life wo Tanoshimimasu” by SQEX Novel. Released in North America by J-Novel Club. Translated by Alex Castor.

The general theme of this book seems to be that everyone has a certain amount of stress in their lives, and that the best way to get rid of it is to totally relax in a place where your work can’t get to you. The two mages who were sent to check on Reina, and don’t really like her much, by the end of the book are just another part of the extended family being built up here. Of course, it helps when everyone on the island is so ludicrously powerful that there’s no point in stressing – you’ll just die if you don’t relax. Above everyone else is Arata, who gets annoyed every time someone implies he’s not human but by the end of the book is starting to get why they say it. As far as we can tell so far, he’s literally omnipotent. Even the vampire, who is able to take anyone else out no trouble, has issues dealing with him. He is OP Guy personified.

Arata and Reina have gotten completely settled in on this island (and are essentially acting like husband and wife, though his cluelessness and her shyness means they’re not really going much further than “we’re really good friends”). They’re also getting new visitors: as I noted above, two of Reina’s fellow mages wind up washed ashore on the island, and are quickly forced to get used to what life is like here. (Notably, they both specialize in an element and are jealous Reina can use all of them, while she’s jealous they’re really strong in one of them, calling herself a jack-of-all-trades.) We also meet the ancient dragons and ogres… or at least their teenage versions, who are fighting for supremacy but refuse to let Tailtiu join… not because she’s a girl, but because she’s too strong.

There’s a glorious scene midway through the book where, I thought at first, Arata had been yeeted to a completely different light novel to solve their problem and then yeeted right back. As it turns out that’s not true – while the Saint and the Hero were trying to summon someone to solve their problem, they exist in this world as well, and as it turns out Arata can solve the killer dragon problem but can’t help with church politics. I get the feeling we’ll see them again. I’m also not sure if this series is going to go polyamory, and if it does how many wives Arata will get. Reina is a given, of course, but Tailtiu, who is currently in the “little sister” role, does not look as if she’s prepared to stay there, especially as, once again, Arata solves all her personal issues by punching a few people till they understand. That said, give his “no, no, mustn’t have sexual thoughts about anybody” attitude, I doubt I need to worry for a while.

This is sort of a slow life series, even if the life is hanging around on what is basically the island where the gods live. I enjoy it.

https://suitablefortreatment.mangabookshelf.com/2026/02/17/the-isle-of-paramounts-reborn-into-a-slow-life-among-the-strongest-in-the-world-vol-2/

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Posted by Michelle Smith

https://mangabookshelf.com/2026/02/16/pick-of-the-week-mostly-books-starting-with-h/

https://mangabookshelf.com/?p=87406

MICHELLE: As glad as I am to see a new volume of What Did You Eat Yesterday? coming out, it’s Hibana all the way, this week.

ASH: I’m definitely excited to see both of those releases this week, but after realizing Aki Shimizu created Hinatsugimura, I’m going to have to make that horror one-shot my pick. (I was always a little sad we didn’t get the final volumes of Qwan in English.)

SEAN: Yes, I’m picking a Tokyopop title. The winner for me this week is Ayaka is in Love with Hiroko!, because I love yuri with adults. Even if they both think it’s one-sided yuri.

ANNA: Sometimes you have to give it up for long running series – What Did You Eat Yesterday? is my pick this week.

KATE: While none of the new series piqued my interest, I’m excited for another installment of Hirayasumi, which manages to be funny and heartbreaking without lapsing into sentimentality.

https://mangabookshelf.com/2026/02/16/pick-of-the-week-mostly-books-starting-with-h/

https://mangabookshelf.com/?p=87406

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Posted by Sean Gaffney

https://suitablefortreatment.mangabookshelf.com/2026/02/16/royal-spirits-are-a-royal-pain-give-me-a-regular-romance-vol-2/

http://27.18868

By Rei Kazama and Fujiazuki. Released in Japan as “Tensei Reijō wa Seirei ni Aisarete Saikyō Desu…… Dakedo Futsū ni Koi Shitai)” by TO Books. Released in North America by J-Novel Heart. Translated by okaykei.

Last time I described the events in this series as being “a political hotbed”, and if anything I feel bad now for underselling it. I joked online that TO Books waylaid JNC after it had licensed Trials and Tribulations of My Next Life as a Noblewoman and sold them this series, like Sheldon Leonard’s tout trying to sell Jack Benny a horse. (Never let it be said I don’t provide modern references for the youth of today.) This book starts out with Deirdre and company getting involved in major rivalries, then moves to finding out that half those rivalries were not what they were told about at all, and ends in… well, I’ll talk about the last quarter or so of the book later. It’s absolute dynamite, though. The writer knows that light novels are drenched with 6-year-olds who talk like they’re middle-aged women, and so decides to weaponize it, with everyone not in her family seeing Deirdre as a terrifying creature.

Deirdre is six years old now, meaning her parents are finally letting her out of the house so that she can have destined encounters with dusky pretty boys… destined encounters that she totally ignores, of course. She’s also going around to various domains and trying to patch things up between the rulers and the royal spirits, who have made it perfectly clear that if they have to choose between destroying the entire nation and Deirdre, the nation will lose. Unfortunately, things are still very bad with the Empress and her family. What’s more, the faction that was supposedly opposing our heroine and her family… may not be after all? It turns out there’s another family in this race behind the scenes manipulating things. Oh, and there’s also an Evil Religion. It *is* a reincarnation book, after all.

Let’s talk about the last quarter of this book, which is when I started to compare it to T&T. It certainly racked up a hefty body count, and not the bodies that I was expecting. I had wondered whatever happened to the magical Wikipedia that Deirdre used in the first book, but it comes back with a vengeance here, as it’s a great way to summarize all of the backstabbing and manipulation that’s been happening to either keep the empress on the throne or get her off of it. Even Andrew, the closest thing in the Royal Family they have to an ally, doesn’t fully trust Deirdre and her family as they’re simply too powerful, too eccentric, and do not remotely care about power or the throne. Deirdre is here as a spirit guide. That said, she is quietly amassing a badass group of young girls who will presumably grow up to be a badass group of young women. Assuming they get to grow up.

The epilogue of this book shows us Deirdre about to turn ten, and I am assuming by the cover of the third book we’re headed off to the academy that always happens in these sorts of books. That said, I’m sure politics will not go away. Also, the thirteenth volume that just came out in Japan is the final one, so while we have a long way to go there’s at least an end point.

https://suitablefortreatment.mangabookshelf.com/2026/02/16/royal-spirits-are-a-royal-pain-give-me-a-regular-romance-vol-2/

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Posted by Sean Gaffney

https://suitablefortreatment.mangabookshelf.com/2026/02/15/once-upon-a-witchs-death-celebration-rings-over-crystal-waters/

http://27.18864

By Saka and Chorefuji. Released in Japan as “Aru Majo ga Shinu Made: Aokiumi ni Shukufuku no Kane wa Narihibiku” by DENGEKI no Shin Bungei. Released in North America by Yen On. Translated by Megan Turner.

When I reviewed the first book in this series, it was the only book in this series, and I wondered in the review if there would be any more of it. Since then, of course, we’ve had three more volumes (the fourth of which seems to be the final one). And an anime, which was not particularly popular here but was well received by the few who watched it. Fortunately, almost two years later, we finally have the second volume, with the third scheduled for the summer. Of course, I watched the anime as well, which leads to the problem that I broke one of my rules, which is “try not to watch an anime that passes where you’ve read”. This second volume contains the bulk of the back half of the anime, so folks who watched it know what’s going to happen. Fortunately, the story is still well-told, and honestly, we read this for Meg being a freakish gremlin in any case.

While technically not a short story volume, this book can be rather neatly divided into four sections. 1) Meg goes with Faust and Sophie to a giant witch convention that only happens every twenty years, and while there runs into a young girl who seems to be lost and also is more than she seems… and also a terrifying witch who has another bad prophecy for Meg. 2) Meg notices that a young girl… and later, her mother… have a dark mark on their necks that no one else can see. Faust says it’s a sign they’re going to be a sacrifice to Satan, and warns Meg not to get involved. Meg gets involved. 3) The huge tree in the town is overfloweing with magic and needs to be destroyed… but Meg has made friends with the spirit inside the tree, who is also getting corrupted. 4) After the events of Story 3, Meg has a broken leg, and goes to the city of Aquamarine to get treatment from a powerful medical witch. While there, she also learns about her past.

The first book was there to introduce us to Meg as a goofy little ball of energy who talks and acts like a dirty old man, has a big heart full of compassion, and seems to think she’s just an ordinary minor apprentice to a witch. This second volume is here to remind you that her master is possibly the second most powerful witch in the world, she’s best friends with the third most powerful, wants to intern with the fourth most powerful, and also is habitually achieving the impossible seemingly every single day, especially in the back half of the book. We see Meg basically invent her own magic here, twice, and most of it has to do with the fact that society has tried to math up magic to the point where it’s forgotten about the feelings. Since Meg is zero logic and all feelings, it’s no wonder she’s destroying all the common sense laws of how to cast spells.

This reads breezily, has a great main character voice, and some surprisingly dark horror within its pages. it’s a winner. Also, you can sing the title to the opening line of Secret Love by Doris Day.

https://suitablefortreatment.mangabookshelf.com/2026/02/15/once-upon-a-witchs-death-celebration-rings-over-crystal-waters/

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Posted by Sean Gaffney

https://suitablefortreatment.mangabookshelf.com/2026/02/14/secrets-of-the-silent-witch-another-rise-of-the-barrier-mage-vol-2/

http://27.18861

By Matsuri Isora and Nanna Fujimi. Released in Japan as “Silent Witch: Another – Kekkai no Majutsushi no Nariagari” by Kadokawa Books. Released in North America by Yen On. Translated by Alice Prowse.

It can be difficult to review books that are tension-filled, well-written, and give fans of the series exactly what they want but have one particular thing that is not to the reviewer’s taste. This is that sort of book for me. I mentioned online that I hate amnesia plotlines, but that’s not quite true. I don’t mind, say, the reincarnated person having no memories of their time in Japan, that sort of thing. But it’s amnesia designed to break a couple apart and make them both upset that I don’t like, and that’s what we get here in spades. It’s handled very well, especially because, thanks to the vagaries of the plot, the two of them hadn’t seen each other in forever, and events conspired to make things suspicious. Throw amnesia on top of it, and you have a really good book that STRESSES ME OUT. Just fix it and get married, dammit.

A few years after the events of the first spinoff book, and Louis Miller has it made. He’s commander of the Magic Corps, well-respected for his barriers saving lives, has fought several dragons, he now looks and talks like a respectable gentleman, and he even has a nice house of his own. All he needs to do is become one of the Seven Sages. This is because Rosalie’s father has demanded that he fulfill all these conditions before he’ll let Louis marry her, and has, in fact not allowed them to make contact with each other all this time (something, it later turns out, he forgot he did, because as a dad he’s kind of awful). Fortunately, Rosalie’s father has to retire soon as his magic power is weakening, meaning there is a Sage opening available. Now all he has to do is duke it out with the guy from school who hates him more than anything in the world. Oh, and the other candidate. Who is… wait, who is this twitching creature?

Yes, fans of Monica can relax, because though the book doesn’t focus on her, she is in it, and gets a scene where she completely shows off why she’s a sage and why it happened so quickly. In the main series, Louis gets questioned about bullying Monica all the time, and mentions that he only bullies the strong. He’s clearly thinking of this, as she destroys both the other candidates. That said, a lot of Louis’ problems in this book are Louis’ own fault. He’s so obsessed with his goal, but only a few people know why he’s doing it, so everyone just assumed that he’s a terrible person… even Rosalie doubts him, when they meet after so long and he looks and sounds like a different person. And then she tumbles off a roof. I will also note that, aside from the actual bad guy, Glenn Dudley reminds us once more why he’s such a giant pain in the ass. I respect Louis for not murdering him.

Not to spoil an obvious thing, but things do work out and they both live happily ever after. So next time we get back to Monica’s present-day adventures… whenever that is, as Book 8 isn’t scheduled yet. Fans of the series who don’t get very stressed about amnesia ruining true love should love this.

https://suitablefortreatment.mangabookshelf.com/2026/02/14/secrets-of-the-silent-witch-another-rise-of-the-barrier-mage-vol-2/

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Posted by Sean Gaffney

https://mangabookshelf.com/2026/02/13/manga-the-week-of-2-18-26/

https://mangabookshelf.com/?p=87371

SEAN: It’s February, read manga. It will get you through February.

ASH: Thank you, manga, for your unwavering support.

SEAN: Airship has the print debut of Magical Buffs: The Support Caster is Stronger Than He Realized! (Zatsuyou Fuyojutsushi ga Jibun no Saikyou ni Kidzuku Made), which starts as a “thrown out of the party for having support magic” title, but at least this guy has a childhood friend to help him realize he’s actually awesome.

ASH: It’s always good to have a childhood friend who has your back.

SEAN: Also in print: Witch and Mercenary 5.

Digitally, we get two debuts. I Wish I Could Meet You Again on the Hill Where That Flower Blooms (Ano Hana ga Saku Oka de Kimi to Mata Deaetara) is a one-shot light novel in the genre of “tragic yet heartwarming movie about teenagers and time travel that gets made into a movie”. A genre Airship has so many of.

ANNA: It sounds wistful, I wonder if it is wistful.

ASH: It does though, doesn’t it? And I do tend to enjoy this particular genre.

SEAN: Magic Maker: How to Create Magic in Another World (Magic Maker: Isekai Mahou no Tsukurikata) is an ongoing light novel in the genre of “I am reincarnated into a fantasy world and proceed to revolutionize it as a young child because I am so amazing”. A genre ALL publishers have so many of.

Dark Horse Manga has the first omnibus of Gunsmith Cats Burst, the sequel to the classic manga that assumes that what fans really want is more Bean Bandit.

ASH: Aww, beans.

SEAN: Ghost Ship gives us 2.5 Dimensional Seduction 17 and Creature Girls: A Hands-On Field Journal in Another World 14.

Hanashi Media has stopped putting everything in the last week of the month, so we got I Got Reincarnated as a Cultist Mob in an Eroge Full of Maniacs with Death Wishes 3 this week, and next week we get The Abandoned Reincarnation Sage 3.

Ize Press debuts The Merman Trapped in My Lake. A girl finds her ancestor trapped the titular merman in the titular lake. The girl is named after this ancestor, and looks just like her, but surely that won’t lead to trouble.

ASH: When has it ever? (This does sound like something I would read…)

SEAN: Also from Ize Press: Kill the Villainess 5, Lady Devil 4, Murderous Lewellyn’s Candlelit Dinner 4, See You in My 19th Life 9, and Semantic Error 5.

J-Novel Club’s one debut is in their Knight imprint. Finding My Way to (You) in This MMO World (Game no Sekai ni Tenseishita Ore ga ** ni Naru made) has a boy setting out to make his fortune – then getting conscripted – suddenly remember his past life from another world! What’s more, he’s got to guard the princess… who’s a prince in disguise! If you like the same old light novel plots but wished they were gayer, this is for you.

ASH: I mean, it surely can’t hurt.

SEAN: Other JNC light novels: The Fearsome Witch Teaches in Another World 2, Holmes of Kyoto 21, In Another World with Household Spells 4, The Invincible Little Lady 7, Lady Bumpkin and Her Lord Villain 6, A Late-Start Tamer’s Laid-Back Life 14, and Private Tutor to the Duke’s Daughter 19.

Other JNC manga: Flung into a New World? Time to Lift the 200-Year Curse! 5, The Frontier Lord Begins with Zero Subjects 12, Housekeeping Mage from Another World 9, and Scooped Up by an S-Rank Adventurer! 3.

Kodansha’s print debut is Love at First Memory (Ore to Mou Ichido, Hatsukoi), a Nakayoshi manga about an heiress who finally decides which of her suitors she loves… then she gets amnesia in an car accident, and they all insist they were the one she picked! This is from the author of Boss Bride Days and Springtime with Ninjas.

MICHELLE: I can only assume that wacky hijinks ensue.

ANNA: Sometimes I’m in the mood for wacky hijinks.

ASH: Wacky hijinks can be healing.

SEAN: There’s also The Ghost in the Shell Legacy Edition Manga Box Set, a big box of all the GITS titles uncensored (yes, they have THOSE pages).

ASH: Goodness!

SEAN: Also in print: Blue Lock 27, Go! Go! Loser Ranger! 16, Parasyte Paperback Collection 3, Tying the Knot with an Amagami Sister 14, Welcome to Demon School! Iruma-kun: IruMafia Edition 3, and What Did You Eat Yesterday? 23.

MICHELLE: Oh! I didn’t realize there was a new volume of What Did You Eat Yesterday?!

ANNA: Woah!!!!

ASH: Oh! I was somehow unaware.

SEAN: And digitally, we see A Couple of Cuckoos 27, Forest of Piano 11 through 18 (the final volume, and these are the first new translated volumes since 2019), Hozuki’s Coolheadedness 29, My Boyfriend in Orange 15, Sayabito: Swords of Destiny 7, and That Beauty is a Tramp 7.

One Peace Books has a 5th volume of Hero Without a Class.

Seven Seas time. For danmei, the big release (literally) is The Scum Villain’s Self-Saving System: Ren Zha Fanpai Zijiu Xitong Box Set, a deluxe hardcover version of Bakarina: danmei edition. There’s also a mini-artbook and mini-posters.

ASH: That is a sizeable release!

SEAN: For other titles, we see Get Married So I Can Curse Your Firstborn and Finally Be Free! (7-dai Tatarimasu node Hayaku Kekkonshite Kudasai!), a Monthly! Spirits series about a vengeful god trying to unvengeful herself by cursing seven generations of a family. Unfortunately for her, the 6th one is so unpopular there may not BE a 7th!

ASH: Whoops.

SEAN: Grim Night Tales (Endan Yobanashi) is a Sunday Web Every series that is basically an anthology of horror short manga.

ASH: A horror manga anthology, you say?

SEAN: Hibana is a BL manga from the creator of Classmates. A girl finds that her boyfriend is falling for another guy… and getting far too obsessed with him. This comes from Magazine Be x Boy, and is done in one.

MICHELLE: Oooooh. I have heard great things about Classmates.

ASH: Classmates is excellent. Granted, I generally tend to enjoy Asumiko Nakamura’s work.

SEAN: Also from Seven Seas: The Greatest Wolf of My Life 2, The Lady Knight and the Beast-Eared Child 5, My Dear Detective: Mitsuko’s Case Files 5, My Kitten is a Picky Eater 7, Only I Know the World Is Ending and Getting Killed by Rampaging Beasts Only Makes Me Stronger 4, This Is Screwed Up, but I Was Reincarnated as a GIRL in Another World! 18, The Too-Perfect Saint 5, The Valiant Must Fall 6, and The World’s Fastest Level-Up 7.

Square Enix Manga gives us Dragon and Chameleon 6, Mr. Villain’s Day Off 7, and Wash It All Away 6.

Steamship has a 5th volume of Loving Moon Dog and a 5th volume of The Villainess and the Demon Knight light novel.

Titan debuts Gizmo Riser, a MAGCOMI series about a slave who inherits some amazing gloves from his uncle so he can destroy the state.

ASH: I wish him well.

SEAN: Lots from Tokyopop. Ayaka is in Love with Hiroko! (Ayaka-chan wa Hiroko-senpai ni Koishiteru) is a Web Action yuri manga about two women who are completely in love with each other, but absolutely think the other one is straight.

Destiny Paradise Night is a one-shot BL manga from Honey Milk. A guy dumped by his girlfriend saves someone from jumping off a bridge… only he wasn’t really. Also, he’s a sexy idol.

EX-Rank Lover: My Doting Ex-Boyfriend Wants to Make Love to Me Again and Again! (Dekiai Moto Kare wa Saikai H de Torotoro ni Aishi Tsukushitai – Amayakashi Jouzu na Nikushoku Gokujou Teku ni Oborete) is a josei one-shot from LoveParfait. A receptionist finds that the new employee at her office is her ex from high school… and he’s really hot now and wants to get back together!

Tokyopop also has Formerly, the Fallen Daughter of the Duke 7 and Reincarnated in a Mafia Dating Sim 3.

Viz Manga debuts Centuria, a dark fantasy from Shonen Jump +. A stowaway on a slave ship gets powers from the gods of the sea, and that’s where his troubles begin.

ANNA: I’m a little curious!

ASH: Likewise!

SEAN: Also from Viz: Assassin’s Creed: Forgotten Temple 2, Choujin X 11, Hirayasumi 8, Hunter x Hunter 3-in-1 5, Jujutsu Kaisen 29, Kingdom 4, Mission: Yozakura Family 21, Snowball Earth 8, Steel of the Celestial Shadow 9, and Ultraman 21.

Yen Press debuts Hinatsugimura, a one-shot horror manga from Nemuki +. A group of travelers wait out a storm in a mansion. That ALWAYS goes well.

MICHELLE: It might be a trope, but sounds kind fun nonetheless.

ASH: Yup. I’d read that.

SEAN: Also from Yen, No Matter How I Look at It, It’s You Guys’ Fault I’m Not Popular! 26.

ASH: I’m out of touch and didn’t realize that was still running!

SEAN: Don’t use manga for firewood! Read it!

https://mangabookshelf.com/2026/02/13/manga-the-week-of-2-18-26/

https://mangabookshelf.com/?p=87371

glitteringstars

Being ass deep in CRPGs for the last year makes me wanna do OC posting. I have so many just from playing the Baldur's Gate series and Dragon Age series. i also kinda want to revisit some of the OCs I made as a tween which I still think held up with their base ideas but fell theough on execution or were Digimon OCs that I wanna explore as someone closer to my age, much like when I first wrote them.

Also do more poking at the no-longer-Genshin-Impact story that keeps nudging me expectantly. ~~Oh, the hard times of being an adult with not enough time on their hands~~

glitteringstars

Looks like itch.io creators hit the time for Big Bundle for Fundraising/Charity button!!

No ICE in Minnesota has over 650 contributors with over 1.4k items, including indie games, physical games (TTRPGS, journalling, etc), ebooks, and other misc items. For just $10 USD, you can get all this and the proceeds go to the Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota.

I've bought one of these mega bundles years ago, and I still haven't really gone through everything five years later. I'll admit, it's a bit overwhelming (lol) but it's really fucking cool!

Also, because it's itch.io, the $10 USD is just the "minimum," so you can toss in as much as you want.

mangabookshelf_feed

Posted by Sean Gaffney

https://suitablefortreatment.mangabookshelf.com/2026/02/12/even-a-replica-can-fall-in-love-vol-4/

http://27.18857

By Harunadon and raemz. Released in Japan as “Replica Datte, Koi o Suru” by Dengeki Bunko. Released in North America by Yen On. Translated by Andrew Cunningham.

There are spoilers for this book, at long last, as it becomes impossible to try not to give everything away like I’ve tried in my previous obfuscating reviews.)

Last time I mentioned that we could all guess what Nao’s decision is, and I was absolutely correct, but that’s not what makes this book so interesting. What first surprised me is how long it takes Nao to avoid having to answer the question, first telling Sunao that she’ll answer her before the end of the year, and then essentially trying to cram in as much life as possible into those days, even as she continues to worry about how Sunao is doing. There’s a great scene in the book where Sunao gets a bloody nose during a sports event, and everyone completely panics, even as she grumpily insists that she’s fine. It helps to underline the idea that Sunao is fragile, especially when Nao is out and about, and that Nao’s decision is entirely about her, rather than about Aki or her own love. And then she takes Aki and Ricchan on one last big blowout date, on Christmas day, to an amusement park. SHE may not make her decision till 3/4 through the book, but WE know it from page 1.

Now that it’s apparent that when the original and the replica are both “out and about”, the replica generally can’t be seen, Nao is trailing along with Sunao more often. This allows her to see the aforementioned game where Sunao is injured, as well as look at all the photos from the class trip, which she is burning into her brain. She’s also talking with Satou about things, because one thing that might make Nao hesitate in her decision is she has no idea what will happen to Sunao, or how she’ll be affected, after it occurs. There’s just no way to know, especially if you’re Nao. And of course there is Aki, who knows what her decision is, and respects her own autonomy, but spends most of this book brutally sad and depressed, and you can see why. In the end, Nao chooses to… well, what DOES happen?

The other big surprise for me was the last quarter or so of the book. Where Nao winds up in Replica Heaven, basically, and meets up with Ryou, who explains that after they have “finished their work”, replicas come here to essentially live an afterlife. They’re in a school, and though they can’t leave it (there are dorms), and time doesn’t really pass, they can learn, and read books, and even date other replicas. And they all seem pretty content with this… except Nao. It was very hard for me while reading this section not to think about the Talking Heads song “Heaven”, which its chorus “Heaven is a place where nothing ever happens”. Nao can’t get over how the entire thing is essentially in muted greyscale, but as it turns out that’s not the Replica afterlife, it’s HER. She gets remonstrated for not only making the wrong decision but making it badly, trying to do the most dramatic thing ever in order to burn herself into everyone’s brain. And more importantly, she needs to go back.

This is, for all intents and purposes, the end. But we’re not done, as we’re finally going to get what I’ve wanted from the start: Sunao’s side. She was just as big a part of the finale of this book as much as Nao, and her “I no longer hate myself” made me well up a bit. This is really good, folks.

https://suitablefortreatment.mangabookshelf.com/2026/02/12/even-a-replica-can-fall-in-love-vol-4/

http://27.18857

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February 2026

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Page Summary

brandyn in addme_fandom - Hello, hello
mangabookshelf_feed - Pick of the Week: Rewinding for More Picks
mangabookshelf_feed - Bookshelf Briefs 2/22/26
mangabookshelf_feed - A Late-Start Tamer’s Laid-Back Life, Vol. 14
mangabookshelf_feed - Lady Bumpkin and Her Lord Villain, Vol. 6
lunafleurette in addme_fandom - Hi hi, I'm new to DW. Am I doing this right?
mangabookshelf_feed - Mercedes and the Waning Moon: The Dungeoneering Feats of a Discarded Vampire Aristocrat, Vol. 4
mangabookshelf_feed - Manga the Week of 2/25/26
mangabookshelf_feed - True Love Fades Away When the Contract Ends: The Secret of the Rose
mangabookshelf_feed - The Too-Perfect Saint: Tossed Aside by My Fiancé and Sold to Another Kingdom, Vol. 5
thebloggess_feed - February catch-up.
mangabookshelf_feed - The Isle of Paramounts: Reborn into a Slow Life Among the Strongest in the World, Vol. 2
mangabookshelf_feed - Pick of the Week: Mostly Books Starting with ‘H’
mangabookshelf_feed - Royal Spirits Are a Royal Pain! Give Me a Regular Romance, Vol. 2
mangabookshelf_feed - Once Upon a Witch’s Death: Celebration Rings Over Crystal Waters
mangabookshelf_feed - Secrets of the Silent Witch -another-: Rise of the Barrier Mage, Vol. 2
mangabookshelf_feed - Manga the Week of 2/18/26
glitteringstars - OC Posting is Fun
glitteringstars - New Itch.io Bundle!
mangabookshelf_feed - Even a Replica Can Fall in Love, Vol. 4

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Reading

Hello, hello

Pick of the Week: Rewinding for More Picks

Bookshelf Briefs 2/22/26

A Late-Start Tamer’s Laid-Back Life, Vol. 14

Lady Bumpkin and Her Lord Villain, Vol. 6

Hi hi, I'm new to DW. Am I doing this right?

Mercedes and the Waning Moon: The Dungeoneering Feats of a Discarded Vampire Aristocrat, Vol. 4

Manga the Week of 2/25/26

True Love Fades Away When the Contract Ends: The Secret of the Rose

The Too-Perfect Saint: Tossed Aside by My Fiancé and Sold to Another Kingdom, Vol. 5

February catch-up.

The Isle of Paramounts: Reborn into a Slow Life Among the Strongest in the World, Vol. 2

Pick of the Week: Mostly Books Starting with ‘H’

Royal Spirits Are a Royal Pain! Give Me a Regular Romance, Vol. 2

Once Upon a Witch’s Death: Celebration Rings Over Crystal Waters

Secrets of the Silent Witch -another-: Rise of the Barrier Mage, Vol. 2

Manga the Week of 2/18/26

OC Posting is Fun

New Itch.io Bundle!

No ICE in Minnesota has over 650 contributors with over 1.4k items, including indie games, physical games (TTRPGS, journalling, etc), ebooks, and other misc items. For just $10 USD, you can get all this and the proceeds go to the Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota.

Even a Replica Can Fall in Love, Vol. 4

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February 2026

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