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We Can't Do Just Plain Love was so overhyped on Twitter, making me feel people completely ignored other TokyoPop licenses.
And the result was...average? Is it because we lack female-targeted het smut? Oh well, hope people who wanted it enjoyed it.

The Dragon's Betrothed was a treat to any Meguru Hinohara fan, myself included. Always nice to see SoL authors try their hand at supernatural genre. I was a bit sad to learn it was on hiatus after volume 2 tho, hopefully the author will return to it soon.

I have to admit, the thing that even got me to consider reading Call The Name of the Night is that somebody mentioned that the mangaka really likes Kyoko Hikawa's From Far Away, which is one of my favorite manga. I decided to try it out, and seriously, I'm glad I did, because Call The Name of the Night is quite amazing! It has the right balance of wholesome and dark without coming off as saccharine or edgy, and there's just something about the nonchalant way it introduces its fantastical concepts as if they're part of everyday life that makes me want to read more! I'm also really curious to see what Mira's deal is, so this manga hooked me and I am glad for it! Very Happy

I'd really love to hear Rebecca's view of The Magus of the Library, a richly-illustrated (almost cinematic) story set in a fantasy world roughly analogous to the Black Sea region, with a huge, central library and school for training for apprentice librarians as its organizing principle.

The art, and level of detail, rivals Kaoru Mori (Emma, Shirley, The Bride's Story), but in a wonderfully detailed fantasy setting. A winning main character (half-"elf", who suffers discrimination because of his heritage), a lot of friction among different cultures gets echoed by the students drawn from those cultures and pressed together in a highly competitive school, though mostly worked out because ultimately the characters are devoted to their craft for the most part. Only a tiny bit of magic here and there.

Volume six was just released, so technically it might count as a Spring manga? Kodansha really should get on the ball and release review copies to ANN. This series needs attention.

dm wrote:

Volume six was just released, so technically it might count as a Spring manga? Kodansha really should get on the ball and release review copies to ANN. This series needs attention.

I think the Manga Preview Guide only covers first volumes. But it looks like you're right that ANN's never reviewed any of the series (and i don't know what the criteria is for choosing to review titles so not criticising)—I agree it'd be a nice one to highlight in some form!

Also just a note that I'm always excited when Manga Guide season comes around :) I don't really watch any anime anymore; manga's where my heart is and I love seeing the new series that get featured here!

I think some of the descriptions need proofreading. Like We Can't Do Just Plain Love's, which starts with "Kiritani.", completely unexplained unless you scroll down to the reviews. And Peddler in Another World's ends in mid-sentence, with "His plan: make a massive profit on the goods he brings from home to become so rich that".

dm wrote:

Kodansha really should get on the ball and release review copies to ANN. This series needs attention.

My public library actually has all six volumes, and to be perfectly honest, I'm not sure why I haven't picked it up yet. I'll see what I can do!

It's really nice to see everyone enjoying Insomniacs After School. It is definitely a treasure of a series, and I'm glad the adaption is doing it justice so far.

Princess_Irene wrote:

dm wrote:

Kodansha really should get on the ball and release review copies to ANN. This series needs attention.

My public library actually has all six volumes, and to be perfectly honest, I'm not sure why I haven't picked it up yet. I'll see what I can do!

It couldn’t possibly be keeping up with dozens of manga, light novel series, anime and maybe one out two things you read just for pleasure?

I think it’s a great series (though for me the jury is still out about this sudden appearance of a mystical-seeming being in the fifth volume).

But that said, I also enjoy the manga guide when it comes around. It always introduces me to new series.

dm wrote:

Princess_Irene wrote:

dm wrote:

Kodansha really should get on the ball and release review copies to ANN. This series needs attention.

My public library actually has all six volumes, and to be perfectly honest, I'm not sure why I haven't picked it up yet. I'll see what I can do!

It couldn’t possibly be keeping up with dozens of manga, light novel series, anime and maybe one out two things you read just for pleasure?

I think it’s a great series (though for me the jury is still out about this sudden appearance of a mystical-seeming being in the fifth volume).

But that said, I also enjoy the manga guide when it comes around. It always introduces me to new series.

As one of the guys who participates in Manga Guide, I always look forward to it. Best way to get me to try new manga I'd normally never have even heard about. Do we get way too many isekai with obnoxious titles and RPG games as magic systems? Yeah, honestly. But the good stuff makes up for it. We've got a great guide this season, I hope you all look forward to it! Anime smile

Ok, so I’ve read Kamisama no Uroko (The Dragon's Betrothed), and while it’s a cute story overall, and the sex scene was graphic enough, the very basic premise bothers me. Lately I’ve become sensitive to stories like this, where it feels like one character was never given the chance to say no.
spoiler[When they first met, Chiharu wanted nothing do with Rin, and when Rin pushed, he even told him he wasn’t interested in becoming his “bride”, and he was in all his right to reject him. He didn’t owe Rin anything. Maybe it’s because I read a different translation, but I didn’t get the impression that the grandma specifically asked Rin to do something for Chiharu. It was more like Rin was moping around and he had practically given up in ever finding love and being able to fulfil anyone’s wish and grandma made a bet with him on whether or not the love he was looking for would appear. Reading between tge lines, she could have meant for Chiharu to be this person, but that is where my issue lies. Grandma may have meant well or she was worried about her grandson’s well being since he does seem socially inept, but im bothered by the fact that someone is deciding something so personal for someone else. This being a BL, we know Chiharu will fall in love with Rin, but I just can’t shake off that nagging feeling that was not what Chiharu wanted it just happened because he ended up in that situation. In a way, it was kinda like a Stockholm Syndrome situation. When he wanted to go back to Tokyo at the end of chapter 1, Rin made it rain and told him he couldn’t leave that town and he tells him that since Chiharu told him that it was difficult to accept him he would work hard to make Chiharu fall in love with him then he proceeds to move in without taking into consideration Chiharu’s feelings at all. ]
So yeah… sorry for the ramble, but as cute as this story could be, the very basic premise does bother me.

because of the way title translation works I though we had gotten the better karate Isekai, well, whatever.

Ayashimon has a good concept but its execution its tiring. It's like the Saitama gag about defeating the enemy in one hit but with less humor.

Golden Sparkle was a nice fix for the HS romance that doesn't shy away from showing awkwardness of teenage sex ed.

Gem-Bug wrote:

It's really nice to see everyone enjoying Insomniacs After School. It is definitely a treasure of a series, and I'm glad the adaption is doing it justice so far.

I second this. I‘ve been enjoying reading the manga in Japanese and French. It‘s cool to see that the manga gets more attention now thanks to a great anime adaption. The same goes for The Dangers in my Heart, My Clueless Classmate and Skip to Loafer.