By Hisaya Amagishi and Hachi Komada. Released in Japan as “Madougushi Dahlia wa Utsumukanai” by MF Books. Released in North America by J-Novel Heart. Translated by A.M. Cola.

It feels like every review I whine about this slow burn romance being too slow, but, I mean, look at it. Indeed, the author is now anticipating us whining, as we not only get to see Volf once again having people ask if he’s in love and essentially saying “what’s that? Food? Can you eat it?”, but we also see Dahlia realize that she might actually be in love with Volf and practically have a trauma response to the idea. Which makes sense, given what happened with Tobias, who I’m amazed has not been quietly murdered by now by the rest of the cast. But that’s OK, as we also have a lot of other things going on to make sure that we stop paying attention to the lack of romance… or indeed, the lack of barony, as we’re still ALMOST there but not quite, and having looked at the synopsis of the Japanese Vol. 14, I suspect I will be saying the exact same thing next time. Anyway, what DOES happen in this book?

After an amusing start where Dahlia and company try to figure out how to stop killer pigeons nibbling on their vital green slimes, we get down to what has now become a running theme of this series: Dahlia trying to create a cool magic sword for Volf. Volf clearly wants a sword that shoots lasers or somesuch, but instead he gets something that increases speed and is very durable. Indeed, perhaps a bit TOO durable, as after seeing the sword in action Dahlia is asked to visit the Magical Toolmaking Department to explain why this sword has slaughtered twenty huge monsters and still doesn’t need to be sharpened? While there, she meets a duke with a comically evil face, and also discovers that her accident as a child where she dissolved her own hands by touching black slime may have more consequences than just mental trauma. Finally, she and Volf go to meet Guido’s wife Rosaria, who has wanted to see Dahlia… and that also goes off the rails, thanks to Volf wearing his special disguise glasses.

It’s been apparent for a while, but one thing I really like about this series is that Dahlia is not simply doing things like inventing mayonnaise or soy sauce like the usual isekai potatoes, but is essentially creating aides for people who are disabled. We get that really clearly here with Rosaria, who it turns out has facial blindness – she can see, say, a portrait of her husband, but can’t see his face as more than a blur. This is why Volf wearing the glasses that mask his appearance was such a shock – to her, this means she now CAN see Volf’s face. I also enjoyed seeing the magical tool creator who assumes that Dahlia is this smug powerful woman who comes up with amazing ideas every breakfast, and as he watches her struggle to create another pair of fairy glasses – which requires her to hallucinate a terrible nightmare – the creator realizes the reason Dahlia’s stuff is so great is because she’s not got a political bone in her body, and is not thinking of gain at all – she’s just there to help. This is also, of course, why she’s in danger, and I worry that she may run into the equivalent of a stranger offering candy from a van before long.

Next time we’ll get the investiture, right? Surely there’s nothing that can possibly put that off even longer… wait, I forgot what series I’m reading. In any case, still great.

By Hisaya Amagishi and Hachi Komada. Released in Japan as “Madougushi Dahlia wa Utsumukanai” by MF Books. Released in North America by J-Novel Heart. Translated by A.M. Cola.

It has not escaped my attention that the Lucia and the Loom spinoff series to Dahlia in Bloom has not had a volume out in Japan for the last three years. I was reminded of it with the plot for this book, 2/3 of which revolved around Jonas, Guido’s attendant and one of the many suitors in the Lucia partner sweepstakes. You’d assume that, with a much larger role for Lucia than actually happens here, this should be something happening in that series. And yet, here we are, Lucia is back to being a minor character, and every man in the series is though to be in love with Dahlia or actually *is* in love with Dahlia. Sorry, Lucia. Still, good news for Dahlia, who gets something to do other than work at her company and have delicious food and drink with Volf, her platonic bestie. Unfortunately, some of the things that happen in this book end up being things Dahlia really doesn’t WANT to experience. At least not again.

Dahlia and Jonas are still not QUITE barons yet, as they need to visit the Castle first. Dahlia has fewer issues, as she merely has to deal with stress about the visit and her own dreadful self-confidence (she’s back to calling herself plain and dull again, and I dearly want to slam her head into a heated table till it fills with confidence). Jonas has far more problems. He wants to remain Guido’s attendant and bodyguard, but Guido’s family is also getting elevated, so guess what? Class issues are happening again. What’s more, he needs to be adopted by a noble family for this to work, and for some strange reason, no one seems to want to do it. And then there’s the matter of his actual mother, who is back in Israna, and his stepfather, who is here, who really want to mend fences that Jonas is still very reluctant to mend.

Aside from the usual frustrating “just bang already!” romantic antics, the highlight of this book is undoubtedly Jonas’ stepfather, Yusef having a stroke, and Dahlia recognizing the signs because of what happened to her father. It’s wonderful that because of her quick thinking she’s able to help save Yusef’s life, but it does end up stirring up a whole host of grief-stricken memories. As you may recall, the “extra story” that’s been at the end of each volume reached an end last time with Dahlia’s father’s death (it turns out that tragic backstory is still on the menu, fear not, we merely get Volf’s mother before HER death), and she’s still trying to come to terms with it. This is another reason why, much as they understand his reasons for not wanting to, everyone wants Jonas to reconcile with Yusef. Fortunately, it’s not all downers: watching Dahlia and company twist themselves into pretzels to try to avoid taking huge rewards for things and feeling that it’s overkill takes on even more hilarious proportions.

The next volume is also not getting near Dahlia finally getting her barony, so instead we’ll see more monsters, more Volf and Dahlia drinking, and meeting more really powerful women. Till then… again, Lucia, hang in there.

By Hisaya Amagishi and Hachi Komada. Released in Japan as “Madougushi Dahlia wa Utsumukanai” by MF Books. Released in North America by J-Novel Heart. Translated by A.M. Cola.

Entirely unintentionally, I suspect, this volume of Dahlia came out so that I read it on New Year’s Day, and its own plotline is about celebrating the New Year. That made me smile. It’s a more leisurely book in general, with few ominous hints for the future beyond people with tremendous amounts of power and influence reminding everyone that Dahlia is not to be messed with. If we can’t get Dahlia to acknowledge her own worth, well, at least she has everyone else in multiple countries in her corner. I also owe Dahlia an apology. I’ve put the bulk of the blame for her utter lack of romantic progress on her complete lack of self-esteem, and while that’s true, there are two people in this relationship. And somewhere between Volf running around the training grounds in a giant wolf onesie and starting snowball battles with local children, I realized that Dahlia may need to wait a bit for her handsome young best friend to have the childhood he never got as a child but is having now.

It’s the New Year, and Dahlia and Volf plan to go around the festival together eating all the food. They’re convinced to go as a couple and wear the special masks made for couples to avoid unwanted attention. really. I’m sure that’s the only reason. Meanwhile, Dahlia and Lucia come up with some silly-looking but comfy nightwear for her, and Volf accidentally sees it one day. And then suddenly it’s become a huge invention, and they’re introducing various kinds to the Beast Hunters which they’re not only using to sleep better at night, but as camouflage when they fight monsters. Jonas’ father comes for a visit, and while Jonas wants to avoid him, Dahlia ends up meeting him and being thanked for being Jonas’ friend. And possibly more than friends? Finally, Irma gives birth safely and the twins are fine, much to everyone’s relief, especially Bernigi, who, with the help of Jonas, arranges a serious injury that requires that he and his wife go to the temple to get healed, where by pure coincidence Marcella and Irma are located.

Dahlia in Bloom’s sense of humor is usually more “put a smile on your face” than making you laugh till you’re sick, but the scene with the Beast Hunters all trying on their animal onesies and going outside to test and see if the flying squirrel one can make them fly… that was pure comedy gold. There’s also plenty of heartwarming here as well – Dahlia makes Volf a new magic sword, which as it turns out resembles his late mother’s a great deal, filling him with glee. (Though, as Jonas darkly notes, when used by someone with evil intentions it would be a fantastic assassination weapon.) And there’s dark tragedy here as well – each volume to date has ended with a flashback to Dahlia working with her father on something or another, but they’ve gotten closer and closer to the present each time, and with this volume, we finally see Carlo’s death. It’s well written and will make you choke up.

All this plus zero romantic progress! But that’s why we read Dahlia, of course. (Oh, and her big New Year’s gift is essentially a wine-of-the-month club, in case you worried she and Volf weren’t still drinking like fish.)