By Washiro Fujiki and Heiro. Released in Japan as “Eiyū to Kenja no Tensei Kon: Katsute no Kōtekishu to Konyaku Shite Saikyō Fūfu ni Narimashita” by HJ Bunko. Released in North America by J-Novel Club. Translated by Joey Antonio.

Still enjoy this series, still very hard to review without repeating myself. Boy, these two kids are overpowered and in love, and it’s not clear which is more important, though I will admit in this volume the OP outweighs the flirting. That’s because they spend a large chunk of the book apart – Raid heads back to the Second World to get help to save the First World, while Eluria stays behind to make sure that things don’t get any worse than they already are. But on the bright side, they’ve moved up to cheek kisses and forehead kisses, which means they may actually go all the way around Volume 62. Which we may actually get – the author says this was supposed to end with Book 4, but the manga took off, so now we have 6, and it’s still not done. Possibly as the author is still searching for anything that can make our two leads break a sweat – it doesn’t happen here, for sure.

After dealing with the “hero” Valtos, who like most jerks that run into Raid and Eluria has turned into comedy relief, our main characters are faced with a big issue – they just don’t have the people to fix everything. As such, Raid returns to his own world to enlist help from other nations. Unfortunately, when he gets there, he’s promptly arrested and accused of treason, because most everyone (including me) forgot about the plot of the first two books, which is that Raid has the skills to be a special-class magician, and the deeds, but a lot of people still really, really hate him and his non-magic using self. But that’s fine, Raid can use this to his advantage, with the help of a good old fashioned filibuster that offers the nations of this world that haven’t had war in a long, long time something they crave – new land in another world.

The author says they love to write Millis as she can lighten up any situation, and it’s true that she still gets the bulk of the comedy. Especially when she finally figures out what everyone else knew in Book 5, which is that supposedly she married Wisel – something that shocks and embarrasses her in equal measure. I did appreciate that Eluria took the time to sensibly talk with the freaking out Millis about what to do next, and guided her towards the right solution – put it on hold till she’s ready to deal with it and decides whether she really does like him romantically. Eluria can be a smart cookie when she’s not being used for comedy relief herself, as not only does she have her usual trouble waking up, but also her brilliant solution to the monsters attacking from across the sea is so brilliant it means she can’t go wild in combat… unlike Raid, who gets to terrify everyone by showing off.

This series is never going to get deep or tragic, but if you want more of the same, it is absolutely that.

By Washiro Fujiki and Heiro. Released in Japan as “Eiyū to Kenja no Tensei Kon: Katsute no Kōtekishu to Konyaku Shite Saikyō Fūfu ni Narimashita” by HJ Bunko. Released in North America by J-Novel Club. Translated by Joey Antonio.

All I ask is for this book to be relaxing good fun, and this volume delivers in spades. It helps that we get a heaping helping of Millis, who I adore. She manages to be a ditz, a tsukkomi, and a savant all at the same time. Here we discover that her inscribing skills are self-taught, and that with proper training she could be legendary. We discover that, in the alternate universe that our cast go to in order to beat up the bad guys, her making friends with alternate-universe Eluria may have saved the world. And we also discover that she apparently has negative abilities when it comes to sensing her own love life, as even when the answer is handed to her about who her alternate self marries she still doesn’t figure it out. She’s goofy in the best ways, and I hope we get more of her in the next volume.

Raid and Eluria are now ready to go to the other world in order to take care of the Emperor whose fault this all is, Raid’s old boss. They’re taking Millis, Wisel and Alma, but that’s it – this is not an invasion, but a small force. Which is fine, because honestly Raid and Eluria are pretty much good enough to beat anything on its own. That said, the other world is on its last legs, poisoned by the mana left by Eluria’s alternate self, who was feeling really disillusioned. Fortunately, there’s a haven in the middle of this, called Paradise, which turns out to be Millis’ hometown. Her alternate self befriended the demon lord, and now years and years later her descendants help to keep this little slice of normal land active. Honestly, they’re better than the current regime. Why not switch the two?

There’s some attention paid to motivations here which I liked. One of the heroes in the alternate world is the daughter of the guy who betrayed and killed Eluria, and she’s trying to make up for being a family of traitors. That said, when talking with Eluria, it’s pointed out that defending your family honor is not going to mean much if the world ends, while betraying her superior AGAIN would actually be the better moral decision. Especially because this series is not really big on moral greyness. Most everyone in it is either good, or following the orders of a very bad guy of pain of death. Raid and Eluria are trying their damnedest NOT to have a lot of casualties – apart from the emperor, of course, who is scum. And for those who worried there would not be a lot of flirting in this book, fear not, these two are still adorable, in love, and planning to have seven kids. Which appalls the innocent Millis.

I suspect the next book may be the last, but who knows? I do feel we’re not getting back to magical academy days anytime soon, though. This is fun.

By Washiro Fujiki and Heiro. Released in Japan as “Eiyū to Kenja no Tensei Kon: Katsute no Kōtekishu to Konyaku Shite Saikyō Fūfu ni Narimashita” by HJ Bunko. Released in North America by J-Novel Club. Translated by Joey Antonio.

It is honestly getting a bit hilarious about how relaxing this series is. Generally speaking you want a series like this to have, well, tension or suspense. But with this series you get the exact opposite. At no point in the book’s 202 pages do you ever, EVER think anything will not go exactly the way our leads want. Their plan is a fait accompli as soon as they come up with it. And while you’d expect that to be a disaster, it’s the bread and butter that makes this go. The running gag in the series is that character tell Raid and Eluria to stop shamelessly flirting in front of them, but the audience wants MORE of that. The flirting is the point. The battle against alternate world goons from the past is irrelevant. Nothing a massive magical world tree can’t solve.

There’s a war coming, but Raid and Eluria have more important things to worry about, and I don’t just mean the massive pile of exposition at the start of the book, which even the two of them say needs to be dumbed down a little. No, I mean Eluria has to meet Raid’s family, including his overserious brother, his overzealous mother, and his incredibly strong and bonkers younger sister, who is basically “NOW FIGHT ME!” for about 35 pages. There’s also a reunion with the beastgirl Raid saved a thousand years ago, who is still alive, ruling a kingdom, and still in love with him. (Don’t worry, the amount of romantic drama is zero. She and Eluria get along great). Then we get the exams, which Raid knows will be interrupted by an invading army of alternate world suicide bombers who are also OK with killing innocents. Can they stop this without anyone dying? Have you forgotten what series you’re reading?

This was another one where, after reading the ending of the volume, and seeing JN-C had not put its usual “go to our site for the next volume!” blurb, I had to check to see if this was it. It’s not, there’s two more volumes out in Japan. But boy, it really feels like it could have wrapped up here. This despite the fact that it ends with an obvious lead-in to the next volume, with Raid and Eluria going to the alternate world to try to save it. But I could easily see that as an “and our adventures continued” ending, especially as it comes with a mutual confession of love. Still, I will happily read more of these two lovesick overpowered goofs, as well as their goofy friends, their beleaguered headmaster, and all the others. The next book may only have Raid and Eluria, but I know what to expect. Everyone lives, we banter a lot, and we’re very cute.

If lack of tension bothers you, avoid. But this is my catnip.