Didn’t I Say to Make My Abilities Average in the Next Life?!

Last week Seven Seas announced on Twitter that they licensed the light novel series Didn’t I Say to Make My Abilities Average in the Next Life?!, and is set to release volume one in English on June 12, 2018. In Japan the series was titled Watashi, Nouryoku wa Heikinchi de tte Itta yo ne! — it is written by FUNA and illustrated by Itsuki Akata. The story began as a web novel (which appears to still be ongoing), and so far there are five light novel volumes released in Japan. There is a manga adaptation as well, which was also licensed by Seven Seas.

Volume 1 (Japan Cover)

Synopsis: When she turns ten years old, Adele von Ascham is hit with a horrible headache–and memories of her previous life as an eighteen-year-old Japanese girl named Kurihara Misato. That life changed abruptly, however, when Misato died trying to aid a little girl and met god. During that meeting, she made an odd request and asked for average abilities in her next life. But few things–especially wishes–ever go quite as planned.

I had some trouble finding more details for this series, but it appears to indeed be an isekai story (via reincarnation) set in a swords ‘n sorcery fantasy world, but with a comedic tone.

Rokka: Braves of the Six Flowers

For general information on the series: Rokka: Braves of the Six Flowers entry

This review is for the first volume of Rokka: Braves of the Six Flowers by Ishio Yamagata (with artwork by Miyagi). The English edition was released by Yen Press in April 2017. The second volume released in August, and the third will come out in December. At the moment there are six volumes for this series in Japan (plus a bonus “Archives” volume).

Volume 1

It’s about time I caught up on some light novel reviews… I’ll start with the first volume of Rokka, a novel that turned out much better than I expected.

Rokka takes the basic premise of a group of heroes in a fantasy world going out to defeat an all-powerful evil enemy, and adds a very interesting twist: someone in their group is a traitor. The prophecy the world relies on proclaims that six powerful warriors will find themselves marked with a magical crest–they are the chosen ones deemed worthy and capable of saving the world. But when seven such individuals gather together, it can only be assumed one of them is working for the enemy.

The story is thus a clever mix of fantasy adventure and mystery. Everyone has not only the legions of monsters to contend with, but also each other. Since every teammate is a suspect, it’s difficult for the heroes to truly work together or feel united in their already-perilous quest. It is this aspect of the story I found particularly engaging, as there were times for each of the seven characters to feel like a prime suspect. I had to keep changing who I guessed was the imposter, and in the end I still ended up surprised by the climactic reveal.

There’s a good cast of characters here. The lead protagonist in particular stands out in this volume, as the author plays with reader expectations of the typical shounen fighter hero. Adlet is loud, brash, determined, arrogant–annoyingly so, in all honesty–but the author actually gives good reason for all this via his back-story, and for me he ultimately became a surprisingly nuanced and likable character. It’s largely up to him to solve the big mystery, and the lengths he goes to in order to do so in turn took me by surprise.

There’s a nice variety to the rest of the characters, and their interactions were entertaining to read thanks to their clashing personalities. Some lean toward quiet, serious, calculating, or detached–others lean toward wild, sketchy, harsh, or impassioned. It was enough to make me wonder why some of them were ever considered for the task of saving the world, which I found to be another interesting topic to speculate on while reading.

I would recommend this to anyone who liked either fantasy or mystery. It’s a well-crafted read with a great translation and some nice and unique artwork.

Cho’s Rating: Strongly Recommended

Your Name

For general information on this novel: Your Name entry

This review is for Your Name, a novel by Makoto Shinkai. The English translation of the book was released in May 2017. Shinkai was also the director of the Your Name animated film, which was a pretty big hit in Japan and overseas. A bonus volume of short stories Your Name – Another Side: Earthbound will release in English on October 31st.

Your Name

I’m a big fan of most of Makoto Shinkai’s films. The feelings of the films’ characters always seem to resonate with me, and are portrayed in an introspective and quiet manner that feels stronger than is typical of an average drama. Five Centimeters Per Second is my personal favorite, and one of my favorite films period. Garden of Words and The Place Promised in Our Early Days are both wonderful. I also liked the recent mini-series for She and Her Cat quite a bit. Your Name is a good one too. I wasn’t quite as enthralled with it as a lot of other people were, but I enjoyed it and recommend it. I can also see why that was the Shinkai film to resonate with a massive audience, as opposed to his previous works. To put it simply, it’s both a happier story and a more exciting story.

The novel of Your Name, which actually released in Japan a couple months before the film released in theaters there, shares pretty much the exact same plot as the movie. There isn’t much in the way of “new” material in the book, so I honestly wouldn’t call it a must-read for those who have seen the film and are looking for more. That said, the book is still a good read. You can consider it another pleasant way to experience the story. And for those who haven’t seen the movie yet, it might be fun to try the book first? It’s pretty short, so it’d make for a quick read. Then you can see how all the scenes translate to the TV screen, with all those beautiful shots of clouds in the sky.

Your Name is about a girl in a mountain village and a boy in Tokyo who switch bodies on random days via their dreams. At first the story appears to be a kind of lighthearted romcom with a sci-fi/fantasy twist, but the plot gets much more serious in the second half. It’s the sort of shift in tone and pacing I’d rather not spoil, so suffice to say things get pretty intense for the final act. The two protagonists meanwhile are very easy to like, and they both have good friends that play a role in many memorable scenes. My only real gripe with the story is a subplot that I felt went unresolved, or at least felt glossed over unnecessarily. The heart of the story though–the relationship between our two leads and the themes that their connection portrays–is handled beautifully.

So all in all this is a good book, but I feel I’d only suggest it to those who have either not seen the movie yet, or are such big fans of the movie that they want to experience the story again in another fashion. Worth noting is that there is also a manga adaptation being released by Yen Press, if you’re interested in yet another way to enjoy the story.

Cho’s Rating: Recommended

Outbreak Company

J-Novel Club has announced a new light novel license for their online service: Outbreak Company, written by Ichiro Sakaki and illustrated by Yuugen. The first half of volume 1 is now available for J-Novel Club members to read–and if you’re not a member yet, it sounds like you can still try out the first 40 pages for free. In Japan the series is known as Outbreak Company: Moeru Shinryakusha, the subtitle meaning “The Moe Invader.” There are 18 volumes for this series in Japan, which started in December 2011 and released its 18th volume in August 2017. I think that might be the final volume for the story.

Volume 1

Ichiro Sakaki is known as the author for other light novel series such as Scrapped Princess, Bluesteel Blasphemer (also available in English on J-Novel Club, currently with three volumes out), and Chaika the Coffin Princess.

Outbreak Company is the second light novel series that J-Novel Club has picked up from Japanese publisher Kodansha. The first was Clockwork Planet, which is currently on its second volume in English.

There was an anime adaptation for Outbreak Company that aired in the fall of 2013. The 12-episode series is available streaming on Crunchyroll or Hulu. There is also a Blu-ray and DVD available for the series.

Synopsis: The year is 20XX, and Shinichi Kanou is a pretty typical otaku: he loves anime, manga, games, and light novels, but his devotion to the two-dimensional hasn’t always made him the most popular guy around. What he doesn’t know is that Japan has discovered a portal to another world in the vicinity of Mount Fuji. The people of the Eldant Empire, though, only have eyes for one of Japan’s traditional exports: pop culture. Enter Amutech, a purveyor of “general entertainment” that’s secretly run by the Japanese government. Shinichi lands a job as the company’s general manager. Now he finally has a chance to put his nerd know-how to good use spreading the otaku gospel in the Eldant Empire. And wait… he has to work with a half-elf maid, an empress, AND a female soldier to get the job done?

For those wondering about the taco and burrito clues J-Novel Club shared for this title, they were apparently referring to a quote from a TV show called The O.C. (referring to “Orange County” in California), which has the same acronym as Outbreak Company. Perhaps this can help all of you guess what their four remaining fall licenses might be.

art by kometa

For general information on this novel: The Disappearance of Hatsune Miku entry

This review is for The Disappearance of Hatsune Miku, a novel by Muya Agami and cosMo@BousouP with illustrations by Yunagi. The English translation of the book was released in May 2017. This book is based on the Vocaloid song “Hatsune Miku no Shoushitsu -DEAD END-” uploaded by cosMo in 2007.

The Disapperance of Hatsune Miku

For those who don’t know, Vocaloid is a Japanese computer program for making songs with voiced sound clips. Many of these programs have a manga-style character that acts as the face for each voice, and the most popular such character is Hatsune Miku. I was long aware of Vocaloid music simply by being a part of online anime communites, but eventually I picked up the Hatsune Miku Project Diva rhythm games for the Playstation Vita on a whim and became a bit of a fan. I was particularly impressed by just how varied the songs were, and how creative people could be with their music and artwork. Hatsune Miku is one voice, but sung by thousands of different people.

Many of Hatsune Miku’s songs–and the songs of other Vocaloid characters–tell a story (and often have an animated music video to show it visually). In Japan, lots of the more popular songs get adapted into full-length novels that are sold in bookstores. For Vocaloid-related series getting English translations, you can already find Kagerou Daze and Mikagura School Suite–but The Disappearance of Hatsune Miku is the first to actually feature Hatsune Miku herself as a character. The concept for this story is that she lives up to both the “vocal” and “oid” parts of the Vocaloid name, as in she’s an android who loves to sing.

The plot for this standalone novel is quite straightforward. The protagonist is a university student named Asano who is assigned to a field study to test Miku’s mental and emotional capabilities. By spending time with her, he helps her relate to humans better. As can be expected, Asano quickly sees her as more than just a machine and the two fall in love. The breezy slice-of-life romance ends abruptly though when the science committee tampers with Miku and the plot shifts to Asano and his friends working out a way to free her from their control.

I’m okay with simple plots, but most of this story felt too predictable for me, and I couldn’t bring myself to really care for any of the characters. I felt that more could have been explored regarding Miku’s understanding of things as an android, and why she felt so attached to Asano in the first place. He was just too bland, and his friends seemed to be there primarily for the sake of solving various plot-related dilemmas that arose in the final act.

Disappearance has its cute moments in the first half of the story, but I didn’t enjoy the direction it took in the second half. I will only suggest this one to those who are already really big fans of Hatsune Miku and want to collect all her books.

Cho’s Rating: Maybe Recommended

(pictured: Oregairu)

For general information on this novel: My Youth Romantic Comedy is Wrong as I Expected entry

This review is for the second volume of My Youth Romantic Comedy is Wrong as I Expected, AKA Oregairu. This series is written by Wataru Watari and features illustrations by Ponkan8. So far there are three volumes available in English, with the next set to release January 2018. There are 12 volumes in Japan at the moment, plus three side story volumes.

Volume 2

It’s been about three years since I reviewed the first volume of Oregairu. At the time, only fan translations were available for the series, and it seemed somewhat unlikely that it would be licensed for English release. (Oregairu is published in Japan under a label owned by Shogakukan, while most of Yen On’s titles have come through ASCII MediaWorks labels [e.g. Dengeki Bunko].) Yen Press announced the license in summer 2015 however, and after a couple delays it looks like we’re now getting volumes released at a regular schedule’s pace.

Oregairu tells the story of Hachiman Hikigaya, a pessimistic boy in high school who likes to grumble about everything and glories in his self-proclaimed loner lifestyle. As an outsider to all the cliques in school, he has a unique viewpoint on his classmates and their interactions with one another. In volume 1 he was forced to join a school club that exists simply to assist students with whatever issues they are having trouble dealing with. In volume 2 he continues to begrudgingly help people out, generally accompanied by the stern and commanding Yukino and happy-go-lucky Yui, both of whom make great foils for him in very different ways.

Volume 2 is not a particularly plot-driven book. It mostly just tells a few short stories about how the service club helps out a couple classmates–the first dilemma involving some hateful chain mail circulating in class, the second involving a student who is working a job all night after school. Oregairu is about all we have in English for light novels set in the real world without any fantasy or sci-fi elements, and is probably the closest thing we have to slice-of-life. For those reasons I found this volume a refreshing read, and I also found myself amused by much of the story’s humor. I think it takes some time to get used to the style of Oregairu‘s prose–but once you know what to expect, it becomes more entertaining to see what unpleasant (yet often on-the-nose) remarks Hachiman will make next… and in turn, what holes he will dig for himself to fall into.

I don’t think I’d be quick to recommend Oregairu to everybody, but I do think it’s well-worth trying if you’re looking for something a little more “down-to-earth.” If you can’t relate to Hachiman, there’s still a chance you can at least be entertained by him and his peers.

Cho’s Rating: Recommended

How Not to Summon a Demon Lord

J-Novel Club has announced a new light novel license for their online service: How NOT to Summon a Demon Lord, written by Yukiya Murasaki and illustrated by Takahiro Tsurusaki. The first half of volume 1 is now available for J-Novel Club members to read–and if you’re not a member yet, it sounds like you can still try out the first 40 pages for free. In Japan the series is known as Isekai Maou to Shoukan Shoujo no Dorei Majutsu. So far there are 8 volumes for this series in Japan, which started in December 2014.

Volume 1

This is the third series that J-Novel Club has picked up from the publisher Kodansha, following Clockwork Planet and the recently-announced Outbreak Company.

Synopsis: In the MMORPG Cross Reverie, Takuma Sakamoto is so powerful that he is lauded as the “Demon Lord” by other players. One day, he is summoned to a world outside his own– but with the same appearance he had in the game! There, he meets two girls who both proclaim themselves to be his Summoner. They perform an Enslavement Ritual to turn him into their Summon… but that’s when Takuma’s passive ability <<Magic Reflection>> activates! Instead, it is the girls who become enslaved! Though Takuma may be the strongest Sorcerer there is, he has no idea how to talk with other people. It is here he makes his choice: to act based on his persona from the game! “Amazing? But of course… I am Diablo, the being known and feared as the Demon Lord!” So begins a tale of adventure with an earth-shakingly powerful Demon Lord (or at least someone who acts like one) taking on another world!

Other news from J-Novel Club:

For our 1 year anniversary month, we’ve got a survey for everyone to take that will really help us choose our direction for the next year and beyond! Please go here to take the survey:

Take the survey!

You can win free one of 25 premium ebook credits if you put in your email!

Also, in honor of our roots, all of our launch titles are back with all volumes available to read for the entire month of October! So for all you new members, you can now read Grimgar, I Saved Too Many Girls and Caused the Apocalypse, My Big Sister Lives in a Fantasy World, Occultic;Nine, My Little Sister Can Read Kanji, and Mixed Bathing in Another Dimension from volume 1 and catch up to the translation!

Magical Girl Raising Project

For general information on this novel: Magical Girl Raising Project entry

This review is for the first volume of Magical Girl Raising Project. This series is written by Asari Endou and features illustrations by Marui-no. The second volume is set to release November 14, 2017. There are 10 volumes in Japan at the moment, plus two side story volumes.

Volume 1

I wasn’t too sure what to expect from this story when I first heard about it. There was an anime adaptation a while back, but I didn’t recall many people watching it–and those who did watch it didn’t seem to care all that much for it. But then Yen Press announced a license for the light novels. Was there a larger group of fans for this series than I thought? Whether there is or not though, I’m glad I gave this a read. It turned out to be a highly entertaining thriller.

The premise for this is there’s a popular smartphone game called “Magical Girl Raising Project,” and 16 random winners get to become magical girls in real life. The story follows these 16 characters, who are tasked to earn points and try to become the #1 kindest, most helpful magical girl in the city. Things take progressively darker turns though as the game’s mascot character eggs on the players to obtain points by any means necessary (i.e. stealing the points from their fellow magical girls). Faster than you can say “that escalated quickly,” the game turns into a full-blown battle royale.

I will admit that death game scenarios are a bit of a guilty pleasure of mine. (I am, in fact, playing Dangan Ronpa V3 as we speak.) One of my complaints for many action stories is that I don’t feel like the characters we’re following are ever truly in danger, because the author will just have all the heroes “tough it out” and be perfectly fine in the end, even if they get shot by arrows a dozen times or some nonsense. So the death game setup at least gets me to wonder if certain characters are actually going to make it through alive, and that’s a strong hook.

Magical Girl Raising Project volume 1 manages to keep things exciting from start to finish. It’s not a deep story, and there isn’t much in the way of character development–but it’s a page-turner. The sixteen girls are certainly distinctive, and I found it fun to see all the ridiculous ways they manage to use their various special powers. At one point, a ninja and a witch fight a cowgirl who armed herself with magical Soviet weaponry. The best way I can describe the action sequences in this is that they’re all delightfully “anime.”

I recommend this more to those looking for a dark thriller, rather than a traditional magical girl story. I’ll also say it’s well-worth a try for any light novel readers looking for something a little different from the norm. The translation is good, the artwork is good, and the story’s pacing is good. Give it a read, and see if any of your favorite characters survive!

Cho’s Rating: Recommended

Walking My Second Path in Life

J-Novel Club has announced a new light novel license for their online service: Walking My Second Path in Life, written by Otaku de Neet and illustrated by Kurodeko. The first half of volume 1 is now available for J-Novel Club members to read–and if you’re not a member yet, it sounds like you can still try out the first 40 pages for free. In Japan the series is known as Watashi wa Futatsume no Jinsei wo Aruku! (or Watafuta for short). So far there are 2 volumes for this series in Japan, the first of which released in June 2016. The story originally began as a web novel series, which is ongoing.

Volume 1

This is the first series that J-Novel Club has picked up from the publisher Earth Star Entertainment. It comes from the same label (Earth Star Novel) as the light novel series Seven Seas recently announced a license for (Didn’t I Say To Make My Abilities Average In The Next Life?!). The Earth Star Novel label appears devoted to swords and sorcery fantasy stories.

Synopsis: Fie, first princess of Daeman, finds herself isolated and stranded in the foreign Kingdom of Orstoll all by her lonesome – effectively having been wed off as a dowry gift in accessory to her sister, Princess Fielle’s marriage. Trapped and isolated in a small back garden that once used to be a storehouse, Fie lives her days without purpose, and eventually without food – after the only member of her entourage, the chef, resigns. Just as Fie was about to give in to despair, she finds a pamphlet advertising a squire’s test for the Royal Knights of Orstoll – beginning her journey of friendship, hard work, and guts, along with masquerading as a boy to walk her second path in life. What will Fie find along the way?

I Became the Secretary of a Hero!

English Title: I Became the Secretary of a Hero!
Japanese Title: 勇者様の秘書になりました — Yuusha-sama no Hisho ni Narimashita
Author: Tsukasa Yamazaki
Illustrator: Kiyu Kanae
Translator: Charis Messier
Genre: Fantasy, Romance, Comedy
Original Run: June 2015 – ongoing (web novel)
English Run: September 2017 – ongoing
Japanese Publisher: N/A
English Publisher: Cross Infinite World
Volumes in Japanese: N/A
Volumes in English: 1 (In Progress)
Average Price Per Volume: Kindle $9 — Nook $9

• English Website — Japanese Website
• LNDB.info

Synopsis: Paralegal Aki Konishi returns to her apartment after work to find a tall, dark, and handsome man claiming her little sister is his bride…before leaping out the window with her in his arms! Aki pursues the kidnapper through a rift he opened in the fabric of reality in a desperate attempt to save her sister. Along the way, Aki encounters a dashing hero, a manly mage, and a handsome priest who unwittingly drags her into their battle against the Dark Lord, but what can a normal office worker do to help a hero and his team? Become the hero’s secretary, of course! Will Aki ever be able to save her sister from the Dark Lord? Find out in this exciting new fantasy light novel with a secretary twist!

Volume 1
Amazon — Barnes and Noble — Gumroad — Kobo
Released September 30, 2017 — ASIN: B074Z64F2P

Reviews of I Became the Secretary of a Hero!
(forthcoming)

If you liked I Became the Secretary of a Hero!, you might also want to try…

• The Devil is a Part-Timer! — modern jobs, fantasy world elements
• My Favorite Song: The Silver Siren — shoujo novel, isekai
• The Violet Knight — isekai

If you find any errors or broken links in this entry, leave a comment!

Juni Taisen: Zodiac War

English Title: Juni Taisen: Zodiac War
Japanese Title: 十二大戦 — Juuni Taisen — “Twelve Wars”
Author: Nisio Isin
Illustrator: Hikaru Nakamura
Translator: Nathan A. Collins
Genre: Action, Fantasy
Original Run: May 2015
English Run: October 2017
Japanese Publisher: JUMP jBOOKS (Shueisha)
English Publisher: Viz Media
Volumes in Japanese: 1 (Note: A sequel announced to release in December titled Juuni Taisen Tai Juuni Taisen)
Volumes in English: 1
Average Price Per Volume: Hardcover $14 — Kindle $11 — Nook $12

• English Website — Japanese Website
• MAL Entry — Forum
• LNDB.info

Synopsis: Twelve warriors enter a death match, but only one can survive to win the ultimate prize. / Rampage. Weep. Kill. Every 12 years, the 12 signs of the Chinese zodiac take the form of warriors and engage in the ultimate battle royal. They face one another in battles to the death, using all the powers of their star signs, and the sole survivor is granted the ultimate prize—a wish. Any wish.

Volume 1 — Juni Taisen: Zodiac War
Amazon — Barnes and Noble — Book Depository — RightStuf
Released October 10, 2017 — ISBN-13: 978-1421597508

Reviews of Juni Taisen: Zodiac War
(forthcoming)

Anime Adaptation
MAL Entry — 12 episodes — Aired October 2017 – December 2017
Crunchyroll (streaming) — Funimation (streaming)

Manga Adaptation
MAL Entry — Published September 2017 – ongoing (English releases by Viz Media)

If you liked Juni Taisen: Zodiac War, you might also want to try…

• Monogatari — also written by Nisio Isin
• Zaregoto — also written by Nisio Isin
• Rokka: Braves of the Six Flowers — special warriors pitted against each other
• Magical Girl Raising Project — survival game

If you find any errors or broken links in this entry, leave a comment!

(art by Miho Takeoka)

For general information on this series: Book Girl entry

This review is for the sixth volume of Book Girl by Mizuki Nomura (with art by Miho Takeoka). The English edition was released by Yen Press in January 2013, and the entirety of the eight-volume series has made it over.

Vol 6 – Book Girl and the Undine Who Bore a Moonflower

I’ve reviewed the first five volumes of Book Girl over the years, and gave each of them a “Strongly Recommended” rating. These are books I can read again and again, and never grow tired of them. I love all the characters and the way each mystery is solved and how the stories tie in with classic literature. When I think of how much I love the Book Girl series, I’m mainly thinking of volumes 1 through 5. And I think I’ve decided 5 is my favorite, though 1 and 3 are just as special to me.

My thoughts toward volumes 6 through 8 are much more conflicted. I still feel they are written wonderfully, but I have mixed feelings regarding how things actually play out for all the characters. It’s the sort of thing that’s a matter of personal preference, but I can only write my opinion for these reviews. Today I will focus on volume 6, The Undine Who Bore a Moonflower.

This story is actually a jump back in time chronologically, taking place during the summer break between volumes 2 and 3. What we get is essentially a bonus side story in which Konoha and Tohko work out a ghost-themed mystery at Maki Himekura’s summer home. As was the case in other volumes, the drama involves uncomfortable and bizarre events reminiscent of things that happened with past people who lived in the mansion, and it all ties forebodingly with a tragic work of classic literature–in this case, the play Demon Pond by Kyoka Izumi. (Fans of the Bungo Stray Dogs manga and anime may recognize the name also belonging to a character with the magical ability “Demon Snow.”) Some of Kyoka Izumi’s works have been translated into English (including The Surgery Room, which gets referenced a few times by Tohko), but I can not find Demon Pond (Yasha ga Ike) specifically. I’d love to read it someday though–it sounds great.

The Undine Who Bore a Moonflower is a lovely read, if only for its prose. Mizuki Nomura captures the emotions of each character so vividly, and I’m just delighted every time Tohko starts to liken some work of literature to a scrumptious meal and describe it with an uncanny level of detail. It is also nice to get more background for the scheming and free-spirited Maki, who is a bit of a fan favorite in this series. I’m personally with Konoha in finding her self-serving tenacity exasperating, but she still comes out of the story as a sympathetic character despite the extreme actions she takes. And really, it wouldn’t be a Book Girl novel without such theatrics anyways.

Personally I felt the mystery was a bit too straightforward in this story, and too much of it devoted to people who had died decades ago. But my biggest issue with this volume–an issue that will continue into the last two entries of the series–has to do with the way the relationship between Konoha and Tohko is handled. Retcon sounds like too strong of a word, but basically it feels too obvious to me that the true intention of this side story is to get readers on board with accepting a new direction for the romance element of this series. But it’s not really a new direction because all of this actually happened way back, before volume 3… You see? I’ll probably get into this more in my final review of the series, which will cover both volumes 7 and 8 (as they are parts 1 and 2 of one big finale).

At any rate, I still appreciated this volume for what it was, and recommend it to everyone who has enjoyed the series thus far.

Cho’s Rating: Recommended

The Ryuo’s Work is Never Done!

English Title: The Ryuo’s Work is Never Done!
Japanese Title: りゅうおうのおしごと！– Ryuuou no Oshigoto!
Author: Shirow Shiratori
Illustrator: Shirabii
Translator:
Genre: Comedy, Slice-of-Life, Harem
Original Run: September 2015 – ongoing
English Run: October 2017 – ongoing
Japanese Publisher: GA Bunko (Softbank Creative)
English Publisher: BookWalker Global
Volumes in Japanese: 5 (In Progress)
Volumes in English: 1 (In Progress)
Average Price Per Volume: BookWalker — $8

• English Website — Japanese Website
• MAL Entry — Forum
• Baka Updates — LNDB.info — Novel Updates

Synopsis: The Ryuo’s Work is Never Done! is a story about a teenage boy named Yaichi Kuzuryu who happens to be the strongest shogi player in history, holding the top title of “Ryuo”(Dragon King). One fateful day, shogi-loving elementary student, Ai Hinatsuru, appears before him claiming that he promised to be her master. But was such a promise really ever made? Thus began their master and disciple relationship!

Volume 1
BookWalker
Released October 24, 2017
Note: For the first six months, this volume will be exclusive to BookWalker Global. It can be read either online or via their mobile app. The book is planned to release digitally in other formats at other online stores after six months.

Reviews of The Ryuou’s Work is Never Done!
(forthcoming)

Illustrations Sampler

Anime Adaptation
(airing winter 2018)

If you liked The Ryuo’s Work is Never Done!, you might also want to try…

• Black Bullet — lead boy working with younger girls
• If It’s For My Daughter, I’d Even Defeat a Demon Lord — features a young girl
• My Little Sister Can Read Kanji — comedy, harem

If you find any errors or broken links in this entry, leave a comment!

The Combat Baker and Automaton Waitress

For general information on this novel: The Combat Baker and Automaton Waitress entry

This review is for the first volume of The Combat Baker and Automaton Waitress, which is being released digitally by BookWalker Global. This series is written by SOW and features illustrations by Zaza. There are 7 volumes in Japan at the moment. Special thanks to BookWalker Global for providing a review copy of this volume.

Volume 1

This light novel caught my eye thanks to the fun-sounding title and cover illustration. What exactly was a combat baker? Why is the waitress an automaton? Will hijinks ensue? I couldn’t help but anticipate this story a little. Also, I like melon bread.

The story of this volume turned out to be much more serious than I expected. It’s not really a slice-of-life type of story about running a bakery, nor is it really focused on comedy. It’s more of a simple character drama with a helping of sci-fi action, and kind of has the feel of an anime from 15 or so years ago. There’s an earnestness to the story that’s hard not to like.

The combat baker in question is Lud, who was one of the top fighters on the winning side of a war set in a fantasy World War-era Europe. His dream is to run a bakery, but the city he settles in shuns him in part because of animosity toward his homeland, and in part because of his permanent scowl that scares away potential customers. (His attempts at a friendly smile only frighten everyone.) Things finally start looking up for him though near the beginning of the volume when an enthusiastic silver-haired girl named Sven shows up to be a waitress for the bakery. What Lud doesn’t realize is that Sven is a robot–and more than that, a robot with the A.I. of Lud’s mecha unit that he fought with in the war. Their relationship is thus highly unorthodox, but it plays out in a manner that will feel familiar to most anime and manga fans.

Lud and Sven are both characters who are easy to root for, and I enjoyed most of their interactions throughout the book. While they struggle to turn things around for the bakery, the main conflict of the plot is gradually dished out by a number of side characters they encounter. Though the war is over, there are still armies and organizations scheming to get the upper hand on one another–and Lud’s town becomes a point of interest for certain distant villains. The plot becomes something of a thriller for the second half, and though it’s all a bit by-the-numbers, it’s still engaging enough.

I didn’t care much for the secondary characters in this volume, but it’s possible they’ll be developed more in future entries. More significantly, I felt that some of the backstory for Lud could have been handled better. It’s told in a bland manner, which is unfortunate because it’s something that could have left a strong impact. I was also bothered by a few plot holes throughout the story–namely in the form of Lud being far too dense to work anything out regarding Sven. There were just too many scenes that felt forced.

My biggest issue for this volume though would have to be the text’s general lack of polish. It felt like it needed not only another round of proofreading, but another round of editing for improved sentence flow and stronger voice. Since this is a digital release, it’s possible that this has been (or will be) fixed–but regardless, I’m hoping future volumes will do better in this regard.

This is a series that I think has strong potential to become something both unique and pleasant for English light novel readers, so I plan to read on to see how things fare in volume 2. But for now, I’ll say that if the premise sounds intriguing to you, feel free to give volume 1 a shot.

Cho’s Rating: Maybe Recommended

Rokka: Braves of the Six Flowers

For general information on the series: Rokka: Braves of the Six Flowers entry

This review is for the second volume of Rokka: Braves of the Six Flowers by Ishio Yamagata (with artwork by Miyagi). The English edition was released by Yen Press in August 2017. The third volume will release on December 19th. At the moment there are six volumes for this series in Japan (plus a bonus “Archives” volume).

Volume 2

Volume 1 of Rokka ended with a couple big plot twists, but I’ll keep this review as spoiler-free as I can. Suffice to say though that volume 2 builds upon the reveals of the first book, and plays with reader expectations of what events should follow. Rather than giving us a rehash of the original mystery, this next chapter of the Braves’ adventure offers all new twists and turns and presents them in an engaging new way. The Braves of the Six Flowers continue their journey into the land of the fiends to fight the Evil God and his commanders, but their biggest dilemmas still require them to use their heads and work out everyone’s plots, schemes, and tricks.

There are two new characters we learn about in this volume, and they’re both great additions to the story at large. Rolonia is the Saint of Spilled Blood, whose magic entails the control of blood (primarily for healing purposes, but is also employed in conjunction with a whip when fighting). She showed up at the very end of volume 1, and has ties to both Adlet and Mora. Like Adlet, she is underestimated by everyone–but this is due to her timid and fretful personality rather than her level of ability. I found her a likeable character and an interesting addition to the main cast, if only for how she contrasts with most of them.

The other new character is a fiend commander named Tgurneu. He was brought up in flashbacks in the first volume, showing how he was tied to Adlet and Fremy–but in this story he is the central villain and we get to see his machinations against the Braves in full swing. And I have to say, the three-winged lizardman really steals the show in this one. He’s portrayed as the scheming type with elaborate plans–and indeed, each time it looks like the heroes have worked out some aspect of his plot, it turns out there’s another layer to uncover. But at the same time, Tgurneu goes about everything in such a nonchalant manner, and is willing to fight the heroes head-on seemingly on a complete whim. Every action he takes is intended to mess with our protagonists. Just delightful.

We also learn a lot of Mora’s backstory in this volume, which is great because she was one of the more mysterious characters of the first novel. She’s definitely a unique character for light novels. An actual adult–and more than that, a mother and a wife, and a mentor whom many people look up to. Her role in this story is full of twists and turns, and in this volume the story actually starts out with a big reveal regarding her right off the bat. The author, Ishio Yamagata, clearly wanted to hook all the readers in who were left feeling iffy about the series following the first volume’s twist ending.

All in all, I’m pleased to say volume 2 of Rokka doesn’t pull any punches. Anyone who enjoys a good fantasy adventure with mystery elements should definitely check this series out.

Cho’s Rating: Strongly Recommended

Sugar Dark: The Buried Darkness and the Girl

• シュガーダーク 埋められた闇と少女 — Sugar Dark: Umerareta Yami to Shoujo — “Sugar Dark: The Buried Darkness and the Girl”
• Author: Enji Arai — Artist: mebae
• The novel: Amazon.jp — Books Kinokuniya — YesAsia
• The fan translation (by Zero Ender): NanoDesu Translations
• MAL Entry — Forum

(Note: This site’s central focus is on light novels officially translated and published in English, but at times I will post reviews for stories that have only been translated by fans. Please support the Japanese books that don’t get English releases.)

Sugar Dark: The Buried Darkness and the Girl

There are a lot of officially-released light novels for me to check out these days, so I haven’t had as much time to look into fan translations lately. But seeing how most of the more popular series are being licensed, I feel this is a great time for fan translators–and readers–to look into the sorts of titles that are more niche and/or experimental. Sugar Dark had been on my to-read list for a long time, and a month or so ago I finally got around to reading it.

At first I thought this was going to be a horror story, but I feel it’s more accurate to call it a dark fantasy/romance. The setting is in a time that vaguely seems to be late 19th century (or possibly early 20th). Our protagonist is a boy referred to as Muoro (“Mole”), a soldier who was wrongfully convicted for murdering a superior officer. He is forced to work digging holes for a remote and bleak cemetery, which turns out to be a graveyard for giant monsters that are kept hidden from the general public. On certain nights he comes across a quiet and ominous girl named Meria, who refers to herself as the grave keeper. What her precise role in the cemetery entails is one of the main mysteries of the story. Meanwhile, on certain days Muoro also meets with a mischievous androgynous individual who goes by “Crow,” who gradually reveals the truth regarding the monsters, also known as “The Dark.”

For a one-line review of this novel, I’d call it “a very slow burn–but one with an exceptional payoff at the end.” The plot twist at the story’s climax took me by complete surprise, and led to one of the best endings I’ve read in a light novel. But that said, it was still a bit of a slog to reach that point. The setup is certainly interesting, and the tone of the story in general is appropriately heavy and gloomy. But the characters are all rather straightforward in terms of personality and how they interact with one another. A lot of scenes in the first two acts thus feel very repetitive–we have to be told again and again how the protagonist doesn’t fully understand plot elements A, B, and C, and there were several points where I couldn’t help but feel a little frustrated by the near-stagnant pacing.

I think your enjoyment of this story will thus depend on how invested you are in the concept and setting, which to the author’s credit is both creative and memorable. I was particularly pleased by the monsters, which in most other books would have been generic giant spiders or ogres, etc — but here they’re eldritch abominations that take some effort to describe their unique and grotesque forms. The way these monsters are dealt with is also creative and memorable, and the decisions Muoro makes upon working out the twisted methods of the cemetery is what ultimately makes Sugar Dark worth reading. If you’re in the mood for a standalone work that doesn’t shy away from grotesque and gory situations, I suggest adding this to your to-read list.

Cho’s Rating: Recommended

The Master of Ragnarok and Blesser of Einherjar

J-Novel Club has announced a new light novel license for their online service: The Master of Ragnarok and Blesser of Einherjar, written by Seiichi Takayama and illustrated by Yukisan. A free sample is up for everyone to read, while the first four parts of volume 1 are all available for J-Novel Club members. In Japan the series is known as Hyakuren no Haou to Seiyaku no Valkyria, and is published by HJ Bunko (Hobby Japan). So far 14 volumes have been released in Japan.

Volume 1

Synopsis: Some urban legends are best left untested! Yuuto Suoh gets more than he bargained for when he joins his childhood friend Mitsuki Shimoya in testing out an urban legend. When he uses his phone to take a picture of himself with the local shrine’s divine mirror, he is whisked off into another world – one heavily steeped in the lore of the old Norse myths. Using his knowledge gained from school and from his solar-powered smartphone, he has the chance to bring the Wolf Clan, the same people who cared for him, to prominence, all while earning the adoration of a group of magic-wielding warrior maidens known as the Einherjar.

Two high school girls desperately in love with each other point their rifles toward the 3,000 cops marching into the school. They want their vengeance and more importantly, their love, to be remembered before they are either gunned down or captured. They kiss and it is that moment — that eternal moment that will sweeten the bitter cynicism of reality like a hint of vanilla in a dark, black coffee.

With that kind of description, Vanilla: A Sweet Partner by Asaura is certainly not the yuri light novel you’d find if you go around asking people for yuri light novel recommendations. They’d think of Adachi to Shimamura or Maria-sama ga Miteru. These works are sweet light novels about girls who really like each other. The deceptive vanilla-ish title of Vanilla might be a total shock to those who, well, just want yuri.

The book begins promising enough at least. A young girl named Kei reminisces about the good times with her parents until her mother dies; her father remarries and she learned what hell was like under the rule of her stepmother. Her stepmother bullies her and destroys any remnants of her past mother’s belongings before influencing her father to shoo her away from the house. Kei leaves, gloomy and desperate for a new life.

But the cliched bittersweet prologue ends here. A cop gets to the crime scene and looks at how much of a goddamn mess it is. He figures that the sniper should still be around here because rifles take a while to pack up and leave. The cop runs around and corners the sniper, but he gets shot instead. All he remembers is his confusion over who shot him: a young woman in a high school uniform.

Kei reappears again as narrator in the next chapter. She wakes up with her new love, Nao, by her side as she smokes a cigarette by the ventilation. The two girls are living a double life: they are high schoolers with no remorse for killing those who have betrayed them. For Kei, it’s her father and stepmother who have stepped on her and her past mother numerous times. For Nao, it’s her brother who ruined her life. This is the only way they know how to alleviate their pains because their voices aren’t heard by anyone, let alone the police. They know they’re seen as serial killers under the law and that the cops are close by.

But they are ready to make a last stand against them if necessary.

The cops in the meanwhile get a lot of attention in the book (they actually have as many insert illustrations as the girls) as they figure out why they are even nabbing the girls in the first place. Written in the most third-person hardboiled fashion possible, internal political strife and claims to good ethics are in the back of their minds as they begin to learn more about why Kei and Nao have become cold-blooded killers in the first place. They realize they are supposed to represent the justice and goodwill of society, but they couldn’t prevent their situations from occurring. And what’s worse: the cops have to arrest them for murdering the people who have tortured them. The cops are arresting the victims for murders they’ve committed. They know they are as responsible as the girls are.

What follows is a complicated, chaotic thriller about the meaning of innocence and yuri in a crime-laden society. One chapter may be about the girls eating candy and cake while thinking about the training program they went into or the arms smuggling they did. Another may be about the cops who bicker against each other while investigating the high school the girls are in. Due to the nature of the chapters and the writing in the book, Vanilla almost seems like it’s written by two writers when it’s only by one, Asaura.

Asaura is probably most well-known for Ben-To, a light novel series about people punching and kicking the living hell out of each other for discounted food box sets. He lives in Hokkaido and loves food, hence naming this light novel Vanilla after the vanilla essence. But he also loves to write stories about guns and the bitter reality we are all in. A perceptive and observant writer, he voices his concerns through one of the police characters about how society is like a bunch of monkeys getting baited by the vanilla plant thanks to its smell; yet, vanilla by itself tastes like nothing.

Vanilla: A Sweet Partner

Isn’t yuri — or at least, the innocence and purity of young girls in love with each other — like that? We can go further than just cute girls and see people who are innocent and having a fun time getting their optimism and hope crushed by the monkeys trampling on the vanilla plant.

That’s the essence of Vanilla: A Sweet Partner. Reality is bittersweet because we force the sweet things in our lives that way. We punish the victims for their crimes against humanity when we should have listened to them in the first place. The innocence of passion and romanticism is thus replaced with our undying love for “realism.” Society is therefore twisted in every meaning of the word possible. It distorts and bends the laws for its own worldview, disregarding that there is actual love out there.

That view of purity is probably why I quite like yuri in the first place. It is an idealism that is quite unlike most fantasies written in the pages of fiction. Plus, there are cute girls being gay — that’s always a plus for me. But the better yuri works in my opinion are those that do challenge societal perceptions of lesbians and queer people in general. They still fight against the “realism” people have developed over the years with a pride and optimism unmatched from anything else I’ve read. Discrimination, misunderstandings, and hate crimes all feature in these works. And yet, the couples in these works regret nothing. They love each other, and that means the world to them.

Vanilla: A Sweet Partner fits along those lines. When it comes to the writing, it may be rough and feel a bit aimless until the climax; however, it has no regrets and pushes itself to the only logical conclusion with its premise. It is in the end a love story that asks its coffee-loving reality-seeking readers, “Does your black coffee go better with vanilla?”

The answer: Of course it does. It is sweet enough to clean away the bitterness of life.

Kastel’s Rating: Recommended, especially if you like the gays

Re:Zero fanart by わか

Happy new year! Actually it’s already almost been a whole month. Sorry for only getting to the yearly recap post now, but real life and this blog have both kept me quite busy the last several weeks. New light novel entries, updates for light novel entries, updating the preorder page and current releases page, catching up on some overdue reviews… All that fun stuff.

Let’s look back at the number of books that have been released in English the past few years.

• LN releases in 2014: 18
• LN releases in 2015: 49
• LN releases in 2016: 82

How many LN releases in English do you think there were for 2017? If you guessed 183, then you’re correct! Or at least, that’s the number I got, counting releases from 72 different series. If you take out titles that don’t technically count as light novels, it’s still probably over 175 books out there to read, available either in physical or digital formats (or both).

I hope you all got to read at least one good light novel last year! Let’s take a look at some of the titles that premiered in 2017, and some of the series we can look forward to in 2018.

Yen Press

New series from Yen Press included The Empty Box and Zeroth Maria, Magical Girl Raising Project, Rokka: Braves of the Six Flowers, The Saga of Tanya the Evil, So I’m a Spider So What?, That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime, Wolf and Parchment (the Spice and Wolf sequel), and the Your Name novel plus its accompanying Another Side short story collection. All fantasy series, with about half of them a sort of urban/”our world” fantasy and the other half some variation of “swords and sorcery” fantasy.

A couple series caught up with Japan over the course of the past year. First was Kagerou Daze, releasing volume 7 in July. An eighth volume was later announced and recently released in Japan, completing that series. I imagine volume 8 will release in English some time this year. Meanwhile in September, the seventh volume of Black Bullet released, catching that series up to Japan. No word yet on when Shiden Kanzaki will write the next entry for that series.

Yen Press also began releasing ebooks for various series that were previously physical-only. Such series include Reki Kawahara’s works (Sword Art Online, Accel World, The Isolator), The Irregular at Magic High School, and Kieli (one of their older series, which was completed at nine volumes in 2013).

New series for 2018 will include Reborn as a Vending Machine, I’ve Been Killing Slimes for 300 Years, A Sister’s All You Need, Sword Art Online Alternative: Gun Gale Online, Defeating the Demon Lord’s a Cinch (If You’ve Got a Ringer), WorldEnd, and The Hero and His Elf Bride Open a Pizza Parlor in Another World.

J-Novel Club

The biggest reason for the jump in the number of light novel releases last year is J-Novel Club’s consistent stream of online and ebook releases for over twenty series, most of which premiered in 2017. There are too many to list here, so be sure to check out their catalog of titles. Most of the stories are fantasy adventures, often involving isekai “in another world” scenarios, video game-like mechanics, and/or a harem setup. Fan favorites include the likes of The Faraway Paladin, Arifureta, Grimgar of Fantasy and Ash, and Infinite Dendrogram.

A few series are already completed, including Bluesteel Blasphemer (4 volumes), My Big Sister Lives in a Fantasy World (7 volumes), and Paying to Win in a VRMMO (6 volumes). Meanwhile several other series have caught up or are close to catching up with Japan, including Mixed Bathing in Another Dimension, How a Realist Hero Rebuilt the Kingdom, and Occultic;Nine.

Also worth mentioning, Seven Seas began releasing paperback versions of select J-Novel Club series, including Grimgar of Fantasy and Ash and Occultic;Nine (and soon in 2018: Arifureta, Clockwork Planet, and How a Realist Hero Rebuilt the Kingdom).

New series for 2018 include Ao Oni, Yume Nikki, Arifureta Zero, [New Life+], and The Master of Ragnarok and Blesser of Einherjar. There will surely be more though, so look forward to localization announcements in the months to come.

Seven Seas

In 2017, Seven Seas released the Vocaloid-related novel The Disappearance of Hatsune Miku, a nice hardback of the classic Record of Lodoss War‘s first volume, and started a new series titled Monster Girl Doctor. They will have more series in 2018: Toradora!, Didn’t I Say to Make My Abilities Average in the Next Life?!, and True Tenchi Muyo.

Vertical

There were two new releases from Vertical in 2017: a novel tie-in for The Seven Deadly Sins manga, and another for Your Lie in April. In the meantime, the company has continued releasing many Monogatari volumes, as well as a re-release for the first volume of Zaregoto. (Watch for the re-release of volume 2 to arrive soon.)

Cross Infinite World

New series started up by Cross Infinite World include Akaoni: Contract with a Vampire, and I Became the Secretary of a Hero!. A second volume was also released for The Violet Knight, and upcoming series in 2018 include Obsessions of an Otome Gamer and The Champions of Justice and the Supreme Ruler of Evil. The series from Cross Infinite World are unique in that they are web novel series from Japan that have been edited and given new illustrations as part of the translation process for their English ebook releases.

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Favorite Light Novels Read in 2017

I’m going to share some of my favorite reads from 2017 (not just from titles that released in 2017).

I re-read some of the volumes from my favorite light novel series–Book Girl–including my personal favorite from the lot, Book Girl and the Wayfarer’s Lamentation (volume 5). This is probably my favorite light novel period, so it was my favorite read of 2017. The first four volumes of the series all build up toward this story, in which the protagonist Konoha Inoue finally has to face his past head-on. The story also ties in to the classic work of Japanese literature titled Night on the Galactic Railroad, which I coincidentally watched the old anime film adaptation of later on in the year (and I loved that too).

I also read a single volume work that I had been meaning to read for a long time: Welcome to the NHK. This was released in English by Tokyopop over ten years ago. I think it’s still worth picking up though, if you can find a copy for a decent price. It is one of the more dramatic and down-to-earth titles available in English, with strong characterization and style of dark humor.

For 2017 releases, I’d have to say I was most impressed by the new series Rokka: Braves of the Six Flowers and Magical Girl Raising Project, neither of which I expected to like nearly as much as I did. In particular, the second volume for both series really stood out in how they managed to work with their premises in clever new ways. Volume 2 for both Rokka and MGRP raise the stakes with their engaging mysteries and feature large casts of interesting characters who go through trying situations that push them to their limits. I recommend both series to those who enjoy a good thriller.

For my most pleasant surprise of 2017, I have to go with Akaoni: Contract with a Vampire‘s first volume. I didn’t think I’d be enjoying a vampire action/supernatural romance story in 2017, but that’s what happened last summer. I really liked the characters in this one, and suggest all fans of shoujo adventure stories to give it a shot.

Finally, for my favorite fan translation I read in 2017, that will go to the standalone work I recently reviewed: Sugar Dark (which I read in December). At first I didn’t think much of it, but once the final act hit I was pretty blown away. A solid dark fantasy with a highly memorable plot twist and ending.

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Kastel here. I want money, so I’m writing about my favorite light novel reads of 2017 just a bit.

SukaMoka

I’ve recently enjoyed the latest volumes of SukaMoka, the sequel to SukaSuka. It’s a crazy ride to see the world be this beautifully built and I have more reasons to invest in the characters and the world they’re in. Kareno’s writing has matured and he knows when to reveal details and add in a little bit of drama here and there. While the main relationship isn’t as strong as Wilhelm and Kutori’s, I find it more thematically powerful because they are from the same world and know what the consequences of their mistakes are like. The series has a whole new overall direction that still plays on the ideas of SukaSuka and I am quite looking forward to the climax of the work.

D Crackers

D-Crackers, on the other hand, is a bumpy yet satisfactory ride. Drugs and chuu2 battles seem to be the forefront of its premise; yet, it is something more. It is a fantasy story about knights and queens. It’s about chivalry and why we serve in the name of love. And it’s also about why we escape, why we engage with escapist media, and why total escapement is a bad idea. It’s a goddamn humanizing work and I think it’s a damn flawed gem. I will be writing a review on it as soon as I don’t get lazy. I promise.

Ken to Mahou no Fantasy

Ken to Mahou no Fantasy is something I also wanted to review, but I didn’t get to due to some circumstances with my family. By the writer of Jinrui wa Suitai Shimashita and CROSS+CHANNEL, Ken to Mahou at first looks like a silly fantasy. But actually, it’s about the job market and how suffering it all is. Reading this book just reminds me of my situation with life as I go around getting interviews and failing to land a job. The book reflects that in a fantastical setting and it is one of the most sobering experiences I’ve ever experienced.

We focus too much on our lives and reputations with employment. You are not deemed a human being if you’re unemployed. Yet, we all know how shitty the economy is and how difficult it is to get out of this rut. We call jobless people lazy and parasites when in reality we aren’t that different from these people. The more I live through this horrible reality, the more this book remains relevant and worth talking about. Maybe it’s a good thing I haven’t written about this book yet because I do want to share my experiences in the context of this book. For now, I definitely recommend this book for anyone graduating from college. It’s a wake-up call for the horrors that await you.

That’s all for now. Light novels are damn rad.

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What were some of your favorite light novels you read last year? And what titles are you looking forward to checking out in 2018? Any specific books from your backlog you want to tackle this year? Be sure to leave a comment!

Mia and the Forbidden Medicine Report

Cross Infinite World has announced a new light novel license for Mia and the Forbidden Medicine Report. It is described as “a mystery story set in a steampunk magic academy.”

Like Cross Infinite World’s other releases, the source material is a Japanese web novel. (In this case, a novel on Syosetsu, titled ミアと禁断の創薬レポート.) It was written by Fumi Yamamoto, and the English release will feature illustrations by Nitaka (known for designing characters in Touken Ranbu). You can click here for the full artwork used in the Mia cover.

The ebook for Mia and the Forbidden Medicine Report is planned to release on April 20, 2018. It is already available for preorder on Amazon.

Update: It sounds like this will be a single-volume story, but the author may wish to write a sequel one day.

Volume 1

Synopsis: During an age of magic, Mia Baumann is born in a prosperous country where the greatest fear is illness. Ever since her sick mother was wrenched away from her and locked behind the walls of the Sanatorium, Mia fought to get accepted by the prestigious Royal Academy as a Pharmacology student in order to find a cure for her disease.

Demon Claw and Angel Tears are the two malevolent diseases that ravaged Isea Kingdom after they conquered the small island nation of Radius. The first is highly infectious and its victims are quarantined; the second drives mages insane.

After admission to the academy, the unthinkable happens—Mia forms a cross-department research team with the nobleman law student Felix, the valedictorian medical student Henrik, and the bear-like mage Mathias. However, there are others who will do anything to stop the team from discovering the dark secrets behind these two diseases.

Find out if Mia will stand her ground despite bullying, isolation, and magic attacks, to unveil the deeply hidden truth in this mystery shoujo light novel!