Reluctant Space Commander: From Death Wish to Galactic Hero!, Vol. 1

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By Norasiro and John Dee. Released in Japan as “”Koko wa Makasete Saki ni Ike!” o Shitai Shinitagari no Nozomanu Uchuu Gekokujou” by TO Books. Released in North America digitally by Airship. Translated by Kim Davis. Adapted by Mark Brezinski.

This book has so many flaws I don’t even know where to begin, so I might as well start with what I did like. The core plot and concept is a good one. Making Legend of the Galactic Heroes only staffing it with petty Japanese office workers is something that could be amusing. The series relies on “nobles good and get the good assignments, poor orphans bad and should know their place”, and knows that it’s something bad and needs to change. And… hrm, I’ve now come to the end of the things I like. That’s a problem, as I have a ways to go for this review. I can’t even say this book was bad and do a rant, because the book doesn’t even deserve a rant. The author simply doesn’t know how to write characters. Even the “eccentric girls” in this story are faceless and you forget which one is which. And the hero is a potato-kun… at least after the first part.

Nao is an orphan who’s all set to take the exams to get into an elite college… but he fails. And then is dumped by his girlfriend. Who reveals that even before he failed she was getting into polyamorous orgies with the most attractive guy in their orphanage. Orgies which they show Nao a video of. (Honestly, the first scene made me wonder if this was a parody of “incel” fantasies, but no.) Despondent, Nao tries to jump off a cliff but hasn’t got the nerve. So he decides to join the military, so he can die in battle. He somehow ends up in the elite Military School for Officers… he’s not sure why… but since his grades are intellect 100%, soldier ability 0%, he’s sent off to the Coast Guard, the least important part of the military, and from there assigned to the losers unit in the Coast Guard. How can he possibly have a glorious death now? Especially since it turns out he’s really good at commanding.

Nao is whiny, useless, and constantly talking about killing himself at select times during this book. When he’s not doing that, he’s a void where a person should be. He commands a group of thirty young woman, who are all supposedly there as they’re difficult to command and eccentrics… except, for the most part, they act like elite soldiers. Yes, one is an engineer who likes to take stuff apart, but she’s far too reserved for the role. Another accidentally chokes her commander out… and it’s the one thing she does. On reflection, there is one other thing I liked about the book. Despite being surrounded by hot women under his command, and also meeting up with an elder-sister childhood friend from the orphanage *and* a royal princess, both the characters and the author are not interested in romance at all, and there’s zero fanservice – except at the start, in the NTR bit. Which honestly reads like a different series.

I may actually read a second volume of this for the plot. But I don’t recommend it. Try Dorky NPC Mercenary instead, which does much the same thing but at least has better character writing. Also, if you cut out the naval protocol part of this book, it would be 55 pages long.

Goodbye, Overtime! This Reincarnated Villainess Is Living for Her New Big Brother, Vol. 8

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By Chidori Hama and Wan Hachipisu. Released in Japan as “Akuyaku Reijō, Brocon ni Job Change Shimasu” by Kadokawa Beans Bunko. Released in North America by J-Novel Heart. Translated by Rymane Tsouria.

We’ve now caught up with the series in Japan, for the most part (I think the new volume comes out there this month), so it’s worth checking to see if this series is anywhere near a conclusion. The trouble is, if I’m being honest, the series could end anytime, but can also be stretched to 45 books. The conflict is “these two are so brocon/siscon that they will never allow anyone else to be a romantic partner”, with a side order of obliviousness on Ekaterina’s part. Once someone sits them down and says that they need to actually make a decision, and no, they can’t just marry each other, then the series will resolve itself. The only other real romantic conflict is the fact that Flora is also in love with Ekaterina, and, like most series with a Maria Campbell in them that’s a bit less yuri than Bakarina, it’s not really that much of a conflict. That said, none of that happens here, so we move on.

Despite all her best efforts, Ekaterina has been amazing again and attracted the attention of the entire school and empire. That said, the festival must go on. With a little bit of politics, as we meet Vladimir’s little sister, who is adorable and also has a brother complex… as well as a very different description of what Vladimir is like than the one Ekaterina has been fed. Interesting. In other festival news, Mikhail’s cooking is so popular that it’s impossible to get through the line without claiming noble privilege, which Ekaterina would rather not do. And then there’s the closing ceremonies, where the voting determines who was the best class and also the best person at the festival. Take a wild guess. With all this going on, with Ekaterina still have time to go to the ball with her big brother, rather than making an actual decision to affect her future?

If I sound like I’m getting a bit bored with the premise, it’s because I am. I appreciate the author not giving this any incest subtext, but I also would like the two siblings to actually marry other people, and I’m not confident the author wants to pull 6that trigger yet, so we wait. Certainly the narrative is aware of it. Ekaterina’s narrative voice occasionally slips into future tense, where she points out how she could never have knows what the consequences would be, or castigating herself for being oblivious. I did like the final chapter, where they go to visit Flora’s adopted parents and we get some backstory again. What’s seen by our heroine as “my grandmother was bullying people again!” turns out to have been far darker and more twisted, as I think when you are arranging a marriage for the girl you don’t like to a man known for beating his wife to death, it has passed bullying and moved to psychopathy.

In any case, this gives everyone who enjoys this series what they want, but not more than what they want.

Zero Damage Sword Saint: I Enrolled in a Magic School and Wound Up in a Contract with the Demon Queen, Vol. 4

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By Isle Osaki and kodamazon. Released in Japan as “Kougekiryoku Zero kara Hajimeru Kenseitan: Osananajimi no Oujo ni Suterare Mahou Gakuen ni Nyuugakushitara, Maou to Keiyakusuru Koto ni Natta ” by Overlap Bunko. Released in North America by J-Novel Club. Translated by Stephanie Liu.

I do appreciate that this series knows the lane that it’s chosen to drive in, and it’s not going to move out of it, even when circumstances indicate that it really, really should. Towards the end of this book there is a threatened apocalypse, hideously overpowered monsters, and a chapter with “despair” in the title, so you would assume that things are going to take a darker turn. And then you remember what series you’re reading, and realize that the closest we get to suspense in this book is wondering whether he gets to bang his childhood friend or not. This is not a series that is going to revel in the emotional distress of its cast, to the point where, even when they’re facing certain death, everyone in love with Eugene is more concerned with who gets to hang off his arm at any given time than they are with disasters. This is a harem.

It’s culture festival time, and that means that Eugene could, theoretically, walk around the festival with up to two of his three lovers. Unfortunately, Erinyes is still trapped in the deepest dungeons for being evil, Sara is having to Student Council it up, and Sumire is helping with the theme park attraction. This gives an opportunity for Airi, who has decided to show up at the festival now that she has made it clear back home that she is a) next in line for the throne, and b) has dumped her fiance. There are even love hotels at this festival (?!?!), but fortunately for Eugene his childhood friend still seems to be a child at heart. Unfortunately for everyone, Eugene has also met the standard “I look ten years old but I’m really in the hundreds”. She’s the Dungeon Master, and she’s not happy with how things have been going lately. What’s going to happen when she lifts the lids off ALL the cans of worms?

I remember reading that Airi was *very* unpopular with Japanese readers when they were polled, so it does not surprise me that when she and Eugene head into a love hotel she doesn’t realize what it actually is and then falls asleep. It’s OK, kid, the others are bonking Eugene a *lot* to make up for your flaws. I also appreciate the strongest swordsman in the school, who is introduced in this book and we get sixty pages of everyone waiting for him to fight Eugene. His fate is hilarious and obvious, frankly. Come back when you were introduced in Book One, guy. Other than that, the bulk of this book is dedicated to showing us how awesome Eugene is and that he is the next savior of the world. It does try to end the world sort of half-heartedly, but sadly the one big flaw is the dungeon master, who’s great when she gets to be evil but when she’s shown her evil has ruined everything she just pathetically whines. I expected better from a token loli.

Next we appear to go on the road again, so expect less Erinyes and more Sumire and Sara. This is fun trash.