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Der Werwolf: The Annals of Veight, Vol. 16

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By Hyougetsu and Nari Teshima. Released in Japan by SQEX Novels. Released in North America by J-Novel Club. Translated by Ningen.

When I reviewed the last volume of Der Werwolf, over two years ago (so once again it was a struggle to remember who the hell everyone was), I wondered how the final volume would wrap up, and pondered if it would end with retirement or even Veight’s death. Well, one of those is true, though there is a flashforward three hundred years for an epilogue that shows that Veight has essentially passed into legend, and so presumably has passed on. But the last third or so of this book is dedicated to Veight trying to retire (and Airia having more success, partly because she’s pregnant again), and finding that, when you’ve spent the last twenty years completely remaking a nation due to your awesome powers, drive, and will, that no one wants to see you go. Fortunately, Veight prepared for this seventeen years ago, when he and Airia had their first child. The world does not need Veight. It has Veight, only a spunky young girl. In other words, his daughter.

Veight is drowning in work, and Airia forces him to take a vacation. Well, a working vacation. Kuwol has noticed that an area of its dense forests is slowly dying, and when he gets there, it becomes clear it’s because the mana is being leeched out of the region by something. That something turns out to be not one but TWO Valkaans, and given that Veight had tremendous difficulties defeating one, and is now twenty years older, that’s not good. For once, Veight gets the absolute tar beaten out of him, but fortunately he’s about more than just “hit things very hard”, and has a plan to work things out. After that, as noted above, Airia is retiring, and has a replacement in mind, but the trouble is that the replacement also wants Veight as a vice-commander.

The series’ first and best joke is that Veight does all of these world-shaping impossibly heroic feats while insisting that he’s just a humble vice-commander, so it makes sense that by the end of the book the joke gets weaponized into the position having essentially become the watchword for “secretly the real leader of everything”. Actually, Veight, who has done his best to pass down his knowledge over the course of the series, has also passed down his bad habits, as both his daughter and her friends all see themselves as ordinary, struggling folks who cannot possibly live up to everything that’s come before them. Fortunately, they can all manage to give each other pep talks, which helps. I also want to take one last time to mention Airia, who has to be one of the more sensual love interests we’ve seen in a male dominated series. From the start, she was down for that werewolf [censored], and this has not changed. I’m honestly surprised she didn’t have more kids between Friede and Othilie.

Also, kudos to see what the immortal Parker is up to in the epilogue. He’s living his best life! I am happy to see this series has finally come to an end, but it was a good ending, and I’m glad I read it.

Too Many Losing Heroines!, Vol. 3

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By Takibi Amamori and Imigimuru. Released in Japan as “Make Heroine ga Ōsugiru!” by Gagaga Bunko. Released in North America by Airship. Translated by Matthew Jackson. Adapted by Acro.

Finally, with its third volume, I think this series is winning me over. Oh, I will admit, Nukumizu can still be irritating as hell, but it’s by design, and everyone (including himself!) calls him out on this. I did worry when we saw the appearance of the first winning girlfriend, Karen, but she’s kept to a minimum, so I can merely try to forget she exists. (Their subplot was, I think, meant to reference Nisekoi, but Karen is exactly the sort of heroine who usually wouldn’t win a manga like that, so I’ve no idea.) Mostly, though, this volume works because a) Komari’s subplot is interesting, works very well with her character growth, and tugs at the heartstrings, and b) Anna is finally becoming the sort of annoying character I can enjoy, rather than merely one I tolerate. I am now prepared to like her. Honestly, she’s almost becoming the voice of reason in this series, because Nukumizu is too caught up in his usual stuff.

Nukumizu thankfully tells us that this series can’t afford both a sports festival AND a culture festival, and besides, Lemon got focus last book, so no wants a track meet. So it’s just Culture Festival time, with the Literature Club being half-heartedly threatened by the Student Council, only one of whom really seems to have it in for them. More to the point, Tamaki and Tsukinoki are retiring from the club, and have chosen Komari to be the new president, with Nukumizu as a very reluctant vice. This is a good aesthetic choice, but will require her to – shock, horror! – speak in a group and deliver the literature club’s minutes at a meeting, something this introvert is seemingly incapable of. Given she’s already running herself ragged trying to do everything for the festival, can Nukumizu figure out what’s wrong *and* communicate properly with Komari about it? Spoiler: he manages neither of these.

There’s a bit near the end of this volume where Nukumizu is trying to figure out where he went wrong, and he realizes that while he and Komari are both introverts who say they want to be left alone, he really does, whereas she’s actually lonely and genuinely wants to be around other people. Leaving aside his stunning misreading of his own personality, Komari’s arc here reminded me that a lot of times in light novels and manga that feature the shy, introverted character, the goal is always to drag them out of their shells and make it so they can open up to everyone and communicate better. There’s a “we can fix you” aspect to them. And since Nukumizu thinks in light novel cliches, he assumes that’s what this is. But of course he forgets what Komari was dealing with when he met her – being in love with the president who helped her find a place in the club. She’s had that pillar taken away, and wants Nukumizu to understand that she would like him to be her new pillar. Sadly, as with Anna and Lemon, that would require Nukumizu to have more self-awareness than a bug.

Since I ended up enjoying this a lot more than the first two, I will forgive yet another oddly bordering on creepy younger sister who adores her big brother, mostly as it rests on the correct side of “incest is weird, don’t”. Anyway, we’ve run through our core heroine team, so who’s the next loser? Judging by the cover, it’ll be Shikiya, assuming she can wake up for it. For fans of this sort of series, “deconstruction” or no.

Shannon Wants to Die!, Vol. 1

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By Ao Satsuki and falmaro. Released in Japan as “Shinitagari no Shannon” by Kadokawa Sneaker Bunko. Released in North America by J-Novel Club. Translated by Olivia Plowman.

This book screams out to a certain kind of reader. And yes, I was that sort of reader. Did you read Wandering Witch? Did you want to read the story of a mage going from city to city and meeting various people in an anthology format? And did you stop reading it because the protagonist was a hideously insufferable little shit? Of course. We all did. This book is the antidote for that. I won’t say that Shannon is not occasionally a bit full of herself, but it’s about 1/10 the attitude Eliana has. For the most part she’s nice, wants to help people, and is pleasant to be around. We want to see her daily life. That said… this book is not for everyone. As the title may have hinted. The premise of this book is about an immortal mage trying to find a way that, after centuries, she can actually die, as she is tired of what she has now. If this would bother you, move on.

Shannon looks like a buxom 20-year-old in a mage’s outfit. In fact, she’s immortal, and has spent years and years wandering the world looking for her master, the man who caused this to happen to her. She’s also trying to see if anything will kill her. In this volume, she a) stays at a quiet village, talks with a cute young man, and tries to get eaten and digested by a dragon; 2) she meets a man trying to save a dying girl from a disease with no cure, and volunteers to drink poison antidotes till they find one that’s not poison; 3) She and an old adventurer go to a dungeon no one has ever come back from, to try to find the remains of his son; 4) she meets another young mage, who is trying to help her dying mother, and whose mentor may be the man who cursed Shannon with immortality in the first place.

I’m going to get the big negative out of the way first, as it’s just my personal preference, because the writing is fine. This artist has featured in a lot of series that come out over here in English, and I can’t stand their work every time. They have a heavy fanservice style, and tend to use the same poses. Basically, skip the art. Other than that, I enjoyed this a great deal. As I said, Shannon is very likeable. If she’d actually acted morose and depressed, the way the title suggests, this book would be unbearable. Instead, she’s well aware of the near-impossibility of her task, and is perfectly fine, while she’s searching, with helping people out every now and then… provided, of course, that helping them out might lead to a new way for her to be killed. Not to spoil the premise, but at the end of this volume, Shannon does not, in fact, die. The search continues.

Unfortunately for Shannon, it’s been two years since her last volume. Still, if she ever does come back, I’ll happily keep her company on her wandering journey. (not you, Eliana.)