Tag: manga

Reincarnated as a…

- Elena Leave a comment

In recent years, reincarnation has become a common trope in manga and anime. The main character wakes up in a new body and discovers that they’ve reincarnated into a world of swords and magic. Luckily for them, they can use a unique power or their knowledge from our world to get ahead.

As the trope has become more popular, authors have expanded the range of reincarnations from fictional villains and side characters to non-human monsters and even objects. Check out following titles available through The Library. (Descriptions below provided by publishers.)

Reincarnated as a fictional character:

My Next Life as a Villainess: All Routes Lead to Doom (Manga)
When a woman is reborn into an otome video game as the villainess, how can she play to win? A high school girl is stunned to find herself reincarnated as the conniving villainess from her favorite dating sim game, Fortune Lover. Now, as Catarina Claes, the impossibly rich and spoiled daughter of a Duke, her new life seems to perfectly sync up with the world of the game. This means big trouble! No matter how the game turned out, there were only two fates for Catarina: exile or death!

The Princess of Convenient Plot Devices (Manga)
After reincarnating into her favorite BL novel, Maki (now Octavia) has the perfect opportunity to fangirl over her favorite fictional couple, Sil and Prince Sirius, in real life—except she’s Sirius’s sister?! If that isn’t awkward enough, she’s expected to give up her firstborn child to be their heir! But the new Octavia won’t settle for a political marriage just to produce a baby. Her brother overcame many obstacles to be with the man of his dreams, and Octavia is prepared to do the same! Of course, she actually has to find a guy first…

Villainess Level 99: I May Be The Hidden Boss But I’m Not The Demon Lord (Anime)
This college kid wants nothing more than a quiet life. So when she’s reborn as Yumiella, the hidden villainess of an Otome RPG, she’s not exactly thrilled. Still yearning for peace, she abandons her evil duties to live a more discreet life. Until her gamer side kicks in and she accidentally reaches level 99! Now, everyone suspects that she’s the infamous Demon Lord. What future awaits her?

I’ll Become a Villainess Who Goes Down in History (Anime)
This young girl hates all those goodie-two-shoes heroines. So when she’s reincarnated as Alicia, the villain in her favorite fantasy dating sim, it’s like a dream come true! Now as Alicia, she’s ditching romance to be the world’s greatest villainess. There’s just one problem: the more she tries to be evil, the more the prince seems to fall for her. Alicia will have to work much harder if she ever wants to become the world’s greatest villainess.

Reincarnated as an object:

Reincarnated as a Sword (Manga) and Reincarnated as a Sword (Anime)
Live by the sword. Fran is a fiery, cat-eared girl whose luck couldn’t be worse–orphaned, consigned to slavery, and finally attacked by monsters. But everything changes when she finds a legendary talking sword. Inside the sword is the soul of a man from Earth, in search of answers about how he reached his current state. The two seal a pact to become sword and wielder, sharing power and magic between them. Together, Fran and sword cut their way to freedom, and the life of adventure that lies beyond!

Reborn as a Vending Machine, I Now Wander the Dungeon (Anime)
The future of this fantasy world now lies in the hands of…a vending machine! Boxxo was once a human, until he died in an accident and was reincarnated as a sentient piece of machinery. While he can still hear and see, there’s no way for him to move by himself or speak more than his programmed phrases. How can he make the most of this strange new life?

Reincarnated as a monster:

That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime (Manga)
Mikami’s middle age hasn’t gone as he planned: He never found a girlfriend, he got stuck in a dead-end job, and he was abruptly stabbed to death in the street at 37. So when he wakes up in a new world straight out of a fantasy RPG, he’s disappointed but not exactly surprised to find that he’s not a knight or a wizard but a blind slime demon. But there are chances for even a slime to become a hero…

So I’m a Spider, So What? (Manga)
I was your average, everyday high school girl, but now I’ve been reborn in a magical world–as a spider?! Wait–this isn’t how these stories are supposed to go! Can I get a do-over? No? But how am I supposed to survive in this big, scary dungeon as one of the weakest monsters? It’s “every spider for herself” in here! I gotta figure out the rules to this quick, or I’ll be kissing my short second life good-bye.

Woof Woof Story: I Told You to Turn Me Into a Pampered Pooch, Not Fenrir! (Manga)
“I just want an easy life, even as some rich person’s dog…” As corporate slave Routa Okami keels over in the middle of his busy office, he imagines how nice it would have been to live as the pet of some rich family instead of working himself to death. But when a goddess actually grants that wish and brings him back to life as a pampered pooch, Routa realizes he may have gotten more than he bargained for…

Skeleton Knight in Another World (Anime)
When Arc wakes up, he discovers that he has been transported to another world in the body of the character he was playing in an MMO. Looking like a suit of armor on the outside and a skeleton on the inside, he is the Skeleton Knight. If his identity is discovered, he could be mistaken for a monster and become a target! Arc decides to spend his time as a mercenary so as not to attract attention to himself. However, he’s not the kind of man who can stand idly by when he witnesses evil acts take place right before his eyes!

During the month of January, look for the “New Year, New Me: Reincarnation Stories” displays at all three branches for more reincarnation fiction.

CLAMP

- Elena Leave a comment

As a classic manga enthusiast, one of my all-time favorite authors is CLAMP. An all-women manga group formed in 1987, CLAMP began creating their original manga works in the 1990s. Early works from the group contributed to the beloved style of 90s shoujo manga. The group continued to write iconic manga series across multiple genres, including magical girl, isekai, dark fantasy, and romantic comedy. The following CLAMP series are available for checkout through the Library. (Descriptions below provided by publishers.)

Cardcaptor Sakura
Cardcaptor Sakura is one of the all-time classics of the magical girl genre, and the Collector’s Edition will be the definitive version of the story, for both long-time fans and readers new to the story. The adventures of the plucky Sakura Kinomoto are as adorably thrilling as ever, as she tracks down the magical Clow Cards and plunges headlong into a world of sorcery beyond anything she could’ve imagined.

Cardcaptor Sakura: Clear Card 
Sakura Kinomoto’s about to start middle school, and everything’s coming up cherry blossoms. Not only has she managed to recapture the scattered Clow Cards and make them her own Sakura Cards, but her sweetheart Syaoran Li has moved from Hong Kong to Tokyo and is going to be attending her school! But her joy is interrupted by a troubling dream in which the cards turn transparent, and when Sakura awakens to discover her dream has become reality, it’s clear that her magical adventures are far from over…

Magic Knight Rayearth
CLAMP’s masterwork Magic Knight Rayearth—now in a new translation! This update of the manga classic forms the centerpiece to any CLAMP collection and is also a fantastic introduction to girl-powered adventure manga—perfect for fans of Sailor Moon and She-Ra. While on a field trip to Tokyo Tower, three teenage girls cross a magical portal and are transported to another world called Cefiro. There they are summoned through the last remaining strength of the Princess Emeraude, who believes the trio will become the magic knights who will save her, as prophesied by legend.

Gate 7
An innocent sightseeing trip to Kyoto opens up a magical realm to shy high schooler Chikahito Takamoto! Visiting a legendary shrine, Chikahito finds himself in the mystical world of Hana and her comrades—and his immunity to their powers leads them to believe that he’s no ordinary, awkward teenager! Protecting our world from violent elemental beasts, Hana and her team welcomes the confused Chikahito—who isn’t quite sure that he wants to be caught in the middle of their war! One’s thing’s certain, though, since he’s smitten with aloof, childlike warrior Hana, he’s along for the ride, for better or worse!

Chobits
After moving from the countryside into the big city, poor college student Hideki Motosuwa finds himself down on his luck. All he wants is a good job, a girlfriend, and his very own “persocom” – the latest and greatest in humanoid computer technology. Hideki’s luck changes one night when he finds Chi – an adorable, but seemingly broken, persocom thrown out in a pile of trash. After taking her home, Hideki discovers that Chi is more responsibility than he expected – and that there’s much more to his cute new persocom than meets the eye.

Prefer watching to reading? Check out these animated adaptations of CLAMP works.

Cardcaptor Sakura, Movie 2: The Sealed Card
With all 52 Clow Cards captured, Sakura should be looking forward to a summer of freedom, yet Syaoran’s last words linger in her heart still. Meanwhile, the demolition of Eriol Hiiragizawa’s former home reveals a threat both new and yet familiar. When cousins Shaoran and Meiling Li return from Hong Kong to pay a surprise visit to their friends in Japan, Sakura receives further encouragement to finally declare her feelings. Will Sakura be able to return Syaoran’s feelings? Or will the hope of something pure be swallowed by the fear of lonely nothingness?

Cardcaptor Sakura: Clear Card, The Complete Season
Sakura had managed to capture all of the Clow Cards which could bring disaster to the world and turned them into her own Sakura Cards. Now it’s spring. With cherry trees in full blossom, Sakura is just entering middle school. Her beloved Syaoran has returned from Hong Kong, and Sakura was thrilled to be going to school with him again. But one night, something strange happens to her Cards…

xxxHolic, First collection and Second collection
There is no such thing as coincidence; there is only the inevitable… Watanuki has been haunted by dark spirits his entire life, a curse flowing through his bloodline preventing peace. When his incessant demons drag him to the ornate door of the Dimensional Witch Yuko, he meets a mystical woman of insight and luxury, quick to help those in a bind…for a fee! One might very well end up paying with their soul! To be free of his visions, Watanuki will work in her shop of dreams and wishes.

Romance Manga

- Elena Leave a comment

As Valentine’s season hits, I always find myself in the mood for romance– the sweeter, the better. And nothing scratches that reading itch quite like a romance manga. Here’s a few of my favorite series, guaranteed to get you giggling and kicking your feet. (Descriptions below provided by the publisher.)

Honey Lemon Soda by Mayu Murata

Uka Ishimori has one dream in life: to have fun in high school! As a self-avowed dense, stone-faced introvert who spent all of middle school hardening her heart against a daily barrage of bullying, breaking out of her shell is easier said than done. Luckily, she’s not alone—Kai Miura, a classmate whose blond hair reminds her of the lemon soda he so enjoys, has her back. Step by step, she endeavors to cast off the shadows of her past and reinvigorate her life!

A Sign of Affection by suu Morishita

Yuki is Deaf and a typical college student, whose world revolves around her friends, social media, and the latest sales. But when a chance encounter on a train leads to her meeting friend-of-a-friend and fellow student Itsuomi, her world starts to widen. But even though Itsuomi can speak three languages, sign language isn’t one of them. Can the two learn to communicate the budding feelings between them?

My Love Mix-Up! by Wataru Hinekure

In this warmhearted romantic comedy, mistaken identity leads to a blossoming romance between two boys. Aoki has a crush on Hashimoto, the girl in the seat next to him in class. But he despairs when he borrows her eraser and sees she’s written the name of another boy—Ida—on it. To make matters more confusing, Ida sees Aoki holding that very eraser and thinks Aoki has a crush on him!

The Girl I Like Forgot Her Glasses by Koume Fujichika

The distance between a boy and his crush shrinks every time she forgets her glasses! Komura starts his school year with a new seat neighbor in homeroom—the bespectacled Mie. Before long, he’s nursing a raging crush on his quirky classmate who’s always forgetting her glasses! While this might be ideal for Komura to get to know Mie better, will his poor heart give out from the daily strain of being up close and personal with the girl he likes?!

Words Bubble Up Like Soda Pop by Imo Oono

He’s a shy haiku writer who wears headphones to keep people at a distance. She’s a streamer who always hides behind a mask. After their worlds suddenly collide, these two strangers find themselves sharing secrets they’ve been desperate to keep under wraps. Even though their methods of self-expression couldn’t be more different, they’ll find they understand each other better than they ever expected…

My Next Life as a Villainess All Routes Lead to Doom! : Pirates of the Disturbance

- Elena Leave a comment

Originally a light novel series, My Next Life as a Villainess: All Routes Lead to Doom! (or Hamefura, for short) has been adapted multiple times, receiving a manga, an anime, and now… a visual novel game! My Next Life as a Villainess All Routes Lead to Doom! : Pirates of the Disturbance is a non-canon addition to the series, set after season one of the anime.

You play as protagonist Catarina Claes, a Japanese highschooler reincarnated into the game Fortune Lover. As the game’s villainess, Catarina was doomed to an ending of exile or death! Somehow, she managed to befriend the main characters, survive the game’s ending, and make it to spring break. Pirates of the Disturbance finds her spending spring break on a luxury ship voyage with her adoptive brother Keith. After boarding the ship, she finds that all of the main characters are onboard. When the ship is attacked by pirates who hold the passengers hostage, Catarina recalls the plot of a Fortune Lover fan book and realizes she’s on her way to yet another bad end!

The game is made up of one common route and six romance routes, for a grand total of 25 endings. The six romance routes include four existing love interests (Geordo, Keith, Alan, and Nicol), as well as two new additions (Rozy and Silva). The routes share an overarching storyline, with each one revealing different plot details. For the best story experience, the developers recommend the following order: Geordo → Keith → Alan → Nicol → Rozy → Silva. The common route’s friendship ending unlocks after the first playthrough and can be played at any point in this order.

The Council of Catarinas (game screenshot)

While familiarity with the original series is helpful, the game does a great job of introducing the setting and characters for new players. The writers preserved the humor and charm that made the series popular, including fan-favorite comedic gags like the Council of Catarinas. For completionists like me, the 100 save slots and visible character affinity levels makes it easy to reach the different endings. Completing all 25 endings takes around 40-45 hours, but the visual novel style is great for playing at your own pace. Pirates of Disturbance does have its flaws (the English translation is awkward in places) but overall, it is an enjoyable and light-hearted game, perfect for both long-time fans and newcomers.

My Next Life as a Villainess All Routes Lead to Doom! : Pirates of the Disturbance is available on Nintendo Switch.

Popular Manga Explained: My Hero Academia by Kohei Horikoshi

- Callen Leave a comment

Have you ever wondered what the heck people are talking about when they rave about a series of manga (Japanese comics read from right-to-left) or anime (Japanese animation)? So have I – and luckily for you I have made it my mission to educate myself about things I never seem to stop hearing about. My latest escapade was into the wildly popular My Hero Academia manga series, which is also a smash hit anime available on DVD. Here’s my breakdown of what it’s all about, my reading experience and why all lovers of superhero stories and high school dramas should give it a try.

My Hero Academia is like The Karate Kid meets The X-Men. It imagines a world where 80% of people are born with a unique superpower, or Quirk, that sets them up for a life of superhero stardom or villainy (depending on their preference). In a world where amazing superheroes are commonplace, a boy named Midoriya (also called Deku) is their biggest fan and a dedicated memorizer of superhero trivia. He wants nothing more than to be a hero himself one day, but unfortunately for his dreams he was born without a Quirk – a fact his bully Bakugo (also called Kacchan) never lets him forget. Then one day, a chance encounter with All Might, the most legendary superhero of all, changes his fate and plunges him into the cutthroat world of the city’s best superhero training academy. Deku finds himself making new friends and enemies, meeting unusual classroom demands, AND struggling to master his new abilities without revealing how he got them. Action, hilarity, and inspiring determination ensue.

Personally, my main struggle with manga is getting into the right headspace – as translated works they have an entirely different culture built in which takes some getting used to when you start reading. Most obviously, you start at the opposite end of the book from where Western books begin, and you read from the right side of the page to the left. If you can make that switch, there’s Japanese names to master and a very dramatic art style. However, once I get my brain in the right gear, I love manga’s big-scale action and even bigger-scale emotions, not to mention the wildly creative character design. My Hero Academia in particular is the ultimate underdog story, filled with a wildly diverse set of characters, each with a very unique superpower to set them apart. I quickly got hooked and wanted more of Deku’s unending perseverance. Bonus: if you’re not into the different reading style, you can watch the anime to get the same story in color.

If you like teen dramas, superheroes, mutants, and/or underdogs, this may be a story for you. And the library has all the manga volumes AND anime seasons, so it’s never too late to jump in and experience the phenomenon.

Invisible In-betweens: Gender Identity 201

- Callen Leave a comment

Gender identity is a hot topic in politics and culture lately, and for good reason. More people than ever before are feeling comfortable expressing the true range of their gender identity, but that means a lot of new and unfamiliar concepts are coming into the mainstream. If you’re overwhelmed, worried, or confused about what it all means, that’s okay – we can help with that! Research has shown that reading books, especially fiction, about people different from you can help build your empathy and understanding for them. I’m a firm believer that if we could only understand each other better and have compassion for each other, the world would be a kinder place – so if you liked my previous recommendations (or if you missed them entirely) try one of these titles to build a better understanding of a complicated issue. My focus this time around is on the muddled, fluid, unclear in-between places where gender isn’t clear-cut.

  

For a comprehensive look at gender diversity, try They/Them/Their by Eris Young – available through interlibrary loan, it focuses mostly on gender diversity in the United Kingdom, but with applicable concepts for US audiences. What I especially like about this book is its careful discussion of various terms and their meanings, and its heavy use of first-person accounts describing real-life experiences. If you’re completely new to the world of gender diversity, this is a great place to start.

        

If you’d like a book that helps you get used to hearing gender-neutral pronouns, and focuses on adventures and everyday activities of gender-diverse people, try one of these great titles. The Love Study is a light-hearted romance between a man with a fear of commitment and a genderqueer YouTuber. Finna by Nino Cipri is a funny sci-fi take on working retail, featuring Ava, an anxious girl, and her recent ex, genderqueer Jules. Mask of Shadows is the dark and exciting fantasy adventure of Sal, a genderfluid thief who takes the opportunity to audition to be an assassin for the queen, only to find themself falling in love with scribe Elise. Spin With Me is a sweet story of the mutual crush that blossoms between Essie, the reluctant new girl in town, and Ollie, a non-binary classmate passionate about LGBTQ advocacy.

 

For a meaningful memoir, try Gender Queer by Maia Kobabe and Identity by Corey Maison. I especially recommend Gender Queer if you’re not familiar with alternative pronouns: the author uses e/em/eir instead of he/him/his, she/her/hers, or they/them/theirs. These books are especially good for seeing life from a gender-diverse person’s perspective, because they detail the processes and emotions surrounding the authors’ quests to live authentically as themselves.

For a comics treatment, try Be Gay, Do Comics, edited by Matt Bors, and A Quick and Easy Guide to They/Them Pronouns by Archie Bongiovanni and Tristan Jimerson. Be Gay, Do Comics is a massive anthology of comics describing the wide world of LGBTQ+ experience, including the spectrum of gender diversity and the struggle of pronouns. A Quick and Easy Guide is, well, exactly what it sounds like. If you’re confused by the singular they/them pronouns or aren’t really familiar with how it works, this is a good book to start with, not least because it includes perspectives from both inside and outside the non-binary gender experience. See also A Quick and Easy Guide to Queer and Trans Identities by Mady G and J.R. Zuckerberg.

 

Finally, make it manga (Japanese graphic novels) with My Androgynous Boyfriend by Tamekou, The Bride Was A Boy by Chii, and Love Me for What I Am by Kata Konayama. These beautifully and/or adorably illustrated graphic novels tell the story of gender-diverse people as they fit into (or stand out of) everyday society. In My Androgynous Boyfriend, an average girl dates a boy skilled in the arts of makeup, nails, hair, and fashion – and they navigate the response of society to his unconventional self-expression. In The Bride Was A Boy, a transgender bride shares her journey through transition into love and matrimony, with cute humor along the way. Finally, Love Me for What I Am focuses on a non-binary teen finding community and acceptance working at an unusual café.