Monthly Archives: March 2025

Saving 80,000 Gold in Another World for My Retirement, Vol. 7

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By FUNA and Keisuke Motoe. Released in Japan as “Rōgo ni Sonaete Isekai de 8-Man-Mai no Kinka o Tamemasu” by K Lanove Books. Released in North America by Kodansha Books. Translated by Luke Hutton.

(A reminder that the English Vol. 7 is the equivalent of the Japanese Vol. 8.)

All of FUNA’s series tend to suffer from the same issue, which is that there does not seem to be a goal other than “have cute overpowered girls do fun stuff”. I Shall Survive Using Potions had an obvious end point, but timeskipped past it and started over again. Make My Abilities Average had an even more obvious end point, so moved the main cast to a different continent to do the same old stuff. Mitsuha has also done the continent – or at least country – hopping thing, and we’re a couple volumes now into her antics in this new country. And… it’s gotten a little boring? Most of Mitsuha’s out of nowhere powerful moves are not a surprise anymore, and her tendency towards, if not sociopathy, than at least a sort of apathy, are also less than surprising. Mitsuha is in a rut. Fortunately, we may see a way out – but I’m not confident the author will take it.

This is a book of two halves. The front half is sort of a series of short stories. We see Beatrice glom onto Mitsuha for a trip to Bozes County, where she finds that she’s not Mitsuha’s number one friend, or even number two, and this upsets her. Then Neleah, the third princess in Vanel and part of Mitsuha’s social group of girls, uses her makeup connections to blow away the competition… though she unfortunately finds she can’t then run away for seven years till the fuss dies down. Mitsuha is forced to attend another party, and struggles with being the center of attention. The second half of he book, meanwhile, has Vanel going to war with the country two nations over, Noral, and Mitsuha struggling to help out the country she has a financial and emotional investment in while not helping them so much they get arrogant.

The most interesting parts of this book feature Mitsuha briefly having an attack of melancholy or sense. She meets at one point with her friend Micchan (this is a Japanese friend, not the Vanelian noble), who is home on break from college, and comes to realize that as time goes on they’ll likely see each other less and less. She briefly muses on the fragile nature of friendships over time… then says “well, whatever” and goes back to her shtick. There’s also an increasing sense that she is losing control of her many balls that are in the air. Beatrice has already realized that she’s keeping things from her. Sabine has almost entirely figured out everything about Mitsuha’s powers except maybe the divine interventoin. And a lot of people on both Earth and her isekai’d land are figuring out she can teleport, and where she’s getting her infinite goods from. There’s a reckoning coming…

Except there isn’t, this is written by FUNA. I expect more wacky antics next time. But hey, when all you have is cute tweens, every light novel starts to look like a nail.

Heroine? Saint? No, I’m an All-Works Maid (And Proud of It)!, Vol. 2

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By Atekichi and Yukiko. Released in Japan as “Heroine? Seijo? Iie, All Works Maid desu (ko)!” by TO Books. Released in North America by Airship. Translated by Matthew Jackson. Adapted by Michelle McGuinness.

If anyone still reads the site TV Tropes, there is a page devoted to what is known as a “Gambit Pileup”, where a storyline is derailed by multiple people who each have their own plan to take control of the narrative. This is frequently used for comedic purposes, but All-Works Maid really takes it to a higher level, as everyone is desperately trying to resolve the plot of the otome game they’ve found themslves in, only to see that Melody has solved everything, done every romantic route, and taken the main villain as her pet puppy. And that’s just in the first volume. This second one gives us an additional reincarnation from Japan, but also shows us that things have not completely been solved. The first villainess boss may now be Melody’s mistress, but the world still needs a first villainess boss, even if it has to use dark powers to create one. Worst of all, though, Melody has a crisis of faith. Maid faith.

We open back in Japan, where a grandmother in hospital, Maika, is talking to her granddaughter about a revival of an old otome game from years and years ago. Maika is upset, as said game was her obsession… until it took the life of her brother and his not girlfriend, who went missing in a plane disaster. Maika then goes to sleep… and wakes up as a little girl in a slum, completely confused. And then gets even more confused when her memories regress to her teenage self. Will she be able to find her brother and interact with the plot? Meanwhile, school has started and Luciana has made a friend… well, one or two. Most everyone else still seems to think of her family’s reputation first. And villain and love interest Bjork has to find a new jealous witch to make violently happy, and uses his knowledge of human behavior to do so. (I’m so sorry.)

The most interesting parts of this book are Melody and new character Micah (as she is spelled in this new world). Melody is at her best when using her talents to do things like resurrect an ancient temple with the power of horrifying magic, or accidentally resurrecting her mother into the spirit of an android maid (the latter is left vague). But at one point she’s asked “what is a perfect maid anyway?”, and trying to find the answer causes her to almost fall to bits, until she realizes how she can move forward and still be happy, even if it does disobey orders. As for Micah, she’s responsible for most of the funny bits in this book, as she goes from desperately trying to resolve plot points that everyone else resolved to simply screaming tsukkomi all the time. It’s good tsukkomi, I like her. I wish her well with her former savior turned evil possessed villain turned butler.

The ending promises we’re still not QUITE done with the main plotline, even if the Big Bad can’t decide whether to destroy the world or play fetch. Whatever he chooses, I’m sure Melody will effortlessly stop it. Very silly fun.

Lucia and the Loom: Weaving Her Way to Happiness, Vol. 3

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By Hisaya Amagishi and Esora Amaichi. Released in Japan as “Fukushokushi Lucia wa Akiramenai: Kyō kara Hajimeru Kōfuku Keikaku” by MF Books. Released in North America by J-Novel Heart. Translated by A.M. Cola.

As with its parent series Dahlia in Bloom, Lucia and the Loom is an ongoing narrative that also can work as a short story collection. The “plot” of the series, such as it is, is seeing Lucia’s relationships with the various men in her life, and seeing her blithely reject them all (consciously or not) for her one true love, clothing. We get that here, and this book showcases some events from the seventh Dahlia book (without, thankfully, much repeating). And then we get the “short story” chapters, which basically show Lucia getting work for the business. Sometimes this ties to previous books, with former villainesses trying to reform. Sometimes it ties back to Dahlia’s main storyline, such as the kotatsu being invented, and the tailor’s guild determined to make the most beautiful, luxury coverings. And then there’s the story where Lucia is asked to handle a very delicate matter… which, honestly, is *so* good it blows away the rest.

This is actually the second story in the book that opens with Lucia being told she does not have to take the assignment if she doesn’t want to. A 13-year-old girl has died, and her family are asking a female couturier (because it will involve dressing her body) to make an outfit the for funeral. Lucia, who has seen her grandmother pass on, is OK with this, and goes to meet the father, who an Earl and also from a family of knights. As she finds out more and more about Enrica, their late daughter, she starts to realize what she was like (which is not very much like her father imagined her to be) and worked round the clock, enduring the cold of the mausoleum, to dress her in the most appropriate outfit. I have to tell you, it was hard not to tear up at this chapter. It was fantastic, and easily Lucia’s finest hour in this book.

Other highlights for Lucia include protecting Hestia from a leering noble who wants her to become his mistress; making pajamas for Lotto, which includes allowance for his tail (please note Lucia does not remotely consider the idea that making pajamas for a single man, in this world, is at all romantic); getting an assignment to make raincoats for Dante’s ex-girlfriend, which is heartwarming and bittersweet and possibly the second best story in this book; and making a new suit for Jonas, who is Lucia’s childhood hero but who she still doesn’t quite recognize. Dahlia and Volf, in the main series, are in a shonen romance, mostly consisting of food, drink, and willful blindness on both sides. But Lucia is in a shoujo series, with multiple love interests, all of whom seem doomed. Like Dahlia, Lucia needs to be protected. But… that’s gonna be tough, gotta admit.

We’ve caught up with Japan, but fortunately, Dahlia has resolved its issues and we get a new volume of it in just a few weeks. That should have a bit more Lucia as well. This was excellent.