By Kaeru Ryouseirui and Natsuki Amashiro. Released in Japan as “Umidori Tougetsu no “Detarame” na Jijou” by MF Bunko J. Released in North America by Yen On. Translated by Andrew Cunningham.

I worried this would be something of a disappointment because the author was clearly being told to end it with the fourth book. That turns out to be both true and false. it’s false as I think this contains some of the best writing in the series, with some great comedy that is also kind of horrifying. It also, like a good penultimate volume, starts giving us a lot of answers, particularly in regards to Bullshit-chan and Tougetsu. The problem, of course, is that it’s not a penultimate volume, it’s a final volume. As such, it’s pretty much a failure, as it does not resolve any of its important plots, it just reveals the answer sheet. It’s a good answer sheet! But the ending just made me sigh and go “well, this is what happens sometimes, and I suppose we should be glad the author wasn’t signed to Futabasha.” I do recommend that fans of the series read this last book. But temper your expectations.

After a confrontation that makes Bullshit-chan uncomfortable, she decides to finally come clean to Tougetsu about her past and her powers… or at least she says she is, but mostly she just takes Tougetsu out on a date and dresses her in a cat hoodie… which looks far more like fetish gear on Tougetsu than on Bullshit-chan. Unfortunately, as this is going on, Mud Hat has decided he’s going to have a giant festival with all the faction’s core members letting loose at last… which will probably destroy the city, but can’t make an omelet without breaking eggs! What’s worse, they’ve kidnapped Tougetsu… and then one of the faction kidnaps her again, having found the World’s Most Perfect pre-reader. Can Tougetsu’s harem weaponize itself to do something about this? And will Bullshit-chan admit her past, or will it all just be given as flashbacks to the reader instead?

I’ve talked about the issues with this book, so let me talk about what I really liked. The scene between Nara and Seiryoin in the car, where they talk about their dreams, is possibly my favorite scene in the series, if only as it’s hilarious. That said, if looked at objectively, these dreams are also horrific, which at least Seiryoin can admit. I also do really love that Mud Hat is such an utterly unlikable asshole here that even his collaborator and bodyguard lets Bullshit-chan have one free shot to almost break his jaw, because he’s just that much of a dick. Unfortunately, despite being warned that Tougetsu can amass a yuri harem to change the world, and also giving hints as to how the series would have ended had it gone on, this ends where it began, with Tougetsu and Bullshit-chan back in the apartment, and nothing much changed except the reader now knows their backstories.

So a solid series with a few big flaws, only some of which are due to the publisher. I still quite enjoyed it.