Goodbye, Overtime! This Reincarnated Villainess Is Living for Her New Big Brother, Vol. 8

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By Chidori Hama and Wan Hachipisu. Released in Japan as “Akuyaku Reijō, Brocon ni Job Change Shimasu” by Kadokawa Beans Bunko. Released in North America by J-Novel Heart. Translated by Rymane Tsouria.

We’ve now caught up with the series in Japan, for the most part (I think the new volume comes out there this month), so it’s worth checking to see if this series is anywhere near a conclusion. The trouble is, if I’m being honest, the series could end anytime, but can also be stretched to 45 books. The conflict is “these two are so brocon/siscon that they will never allow anyone else to be a romantic partner”, with a side order of obliviousness on Ekaterina’s part. Once someone sits them down and says that they need to actually make a decision, and no, they can’t just marry each other, then the series will resolve itself. The only other real romantic conflict is the fact that Flora is also in love with Ekaterina, and, like most series with a Maria Campbell in them that’s a bit less yuri than Bakarina, it’s not really that much of a conflict. That said, none of that happens here, so we move on.

Despite all her best efforts, Ekaterina has been amazing again and attracted the attention of the entire school and empire. That said, the festival must go on. With a little bit of politics, as we meet Vladimir’s little sister, who is adorable and also has a brother complex… as well as a very different description of what Vladimir is like than the one Ekaterina has been fed. Interesting. In other festival news, Mikhail’s cooking is so popular that it’s impossible to get through the line without claiming noble privilege, which Ekaterina would rather not do. And then there’s the closing ceremonies, where the voting determines who was the best class and also the best person at the festival. Take a wild guess. With all this going on, with Ekaterina still have time to go to the ball with her big brother, rather than making an actual decision to affect her future?

If I sound like I’m getting a bit bored with the premise, it’s because I am. I appreciate the author not giving this any incest subtext, but I also would like the two siblings to actually marry other people, and I’m not confident the author wants to pull 6that trigger yet, so we wait. Certainly the narrative is aware of it. Ekaterina’s narrative voice occasionally slips into future tense, where she points out how she could never have knows what the consequences would be, or castigating herself for being oblivious. I did like the final chapter, where they go to visit Flora’s adopted parents and we get some backstory again. What’s seen by our heroine as “my grandmother was bullying people again!” turns out to have been far darker and more twisted, as I think when you are arranging a marriage for the girl you don’t like to a man known for beating his wife to death, it has passed bullying and moved to psychopathy.

In any case, this gives everyone who enjoys this series what they want, but not more than what they want.

Zero Damage Sword Saint: I Enrolled in a Magic School and Wound Up in a Contract with the Demon Queen, Vol. 4

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By Isle Osaki and kodamazon. Released in Japan as “Kougekiryoku Zero kara Hajimeru Kenseitan: Osananajimi no Oujo ni Suterare Mahou Gakuen ni Nyuugakushitara, Maou to Keiyakusuru Koto ni Natta ” by Overlap Bunko. Released in North America by J-Novel Club. Translated by Stephanie Liu.

I do appreciate that this series knows the lane that it’s chosen to drive in, and it’s not going to move out of it, even when circumstances indicate that it really, really should. Towards the end of this book there is a threatened apocalypse, hideously overpowered monsters, and a chapter with “despair” in the title, so you would assume that things are going to take a darker turn. And then you remember what series you’re reading, and realize that the closest we get to suspense in this book is wondering whether he gets to bang his childhood friend or not. This is not a series that is going to revel in the emotional distress of its cast, to the point where, even when they’re facing certain death, everyone in love with Eugene is more concerned with who gets to hang off his arm at any given time than they are with disasters. This is a harem.

It’s culture festival time, and that means that Eugene could, theoretically, walk around the festival with up to two of his three lovers. Unfortunately, Erinyes is still trapped in the deepest dungeons for being evil, Sara is having to Student Council it up, and Sumire is helping with the theme park attraction. This gives an opportunity for Airi, who has decided to show up at the festival now that she has made it clear back home that she is a) next in line for the throne, and b) has dumped her fiance. There are even love hotels at this festival (?!?!), but fortunately for Eugene his childhood friend still seems to be a child at heart. Unfortunately for everyone, Eugene has also met the standard “I look ten years old but I’m really in the hundreds”. She’s the Dungeon Master, and she’s not happy with how things have been going lately. What’s going to happen when she lifts the lids off ALL the cans of worms?

I remember reading that Airi was *very* unpopular with Japanese readers when they were polled, so it does not surprise me that when she and Eugene head into a love hotel she doesn’t realize what it actually is and then falls asleep. It’s OK, kid, the others are bonking Eugene a *lot* to make up for your flaws. I also appreciate the strongest swordsman in the school, who is introduced in this book and we get sixty pages of everyone waiting for him to fight Eugene. His fate is hilarious and obvious, frankly. Come back when you were introduced in Book One, guy. Other than that, the bulk of this book is dedicated to showing us how awesome Eugene is and that he is the next savior of the world. It does try to end the world sort of half-heartedly, but sadly the one big flaw is the dungeon master, who’s great when she gets to be evil but when she’s shown her evil has ruined everything she just pathetically whines. I expected better from a token loli.

Next we appear to go on the road again, so expect less Erinyes and more Sumire and Sara. This is fun trash.

Lady Bumpkin and Her Lord Villain, Vol. 8

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By Ageha Sakura and Kurodeko. Released in Japan as “Imokusa Reijou desu ga Akuyaku Reisoku wo Tasuketara Kiniiraremashita” by Overlap Novels f. Released in North America by J-Novel Heart. Translated by Vasileios Mousikidis.

When I reviewed the 7th book in this series, I had not realized that this 8th book would be the final one. It does its absolute best to cram everything in so that we’re not disappointed, though. There’s lots of Nazelbart spoiling Agnes, being overprotective of Agnes, and trying to seduce Agnes. (There is a joke made here that if Agnes dies, Nazelbart will destroy the entire world, only to everyone but Agnes, it’s not a joke.) There’s Agnes saying that she’ll be careful and wait right there, and then heading into battle anyway. There’s another guy who’s so evil it’s almost comical, and of course he ends up getting caught and being put to manual labor. We see Robin again, he’s a schmuck. We see Mia again, she’s so hung up on her past actions that she fails to realize how much she’s changed. And there’s the next generation, who are very shippable. A bit earlier than I would like, admittedly.

About two years after the last volume, there’s a fresh new disaster: giant hoppers are attacking their domain, and no one is quite sure how they got there. Fortunately, everyone is able to work together to take them out, but there’s some crop damage. They then head to the capital, where the King is getting ready to marry his younger brother off to a foreign princess. She’s arriving with her older brother. He seems… like he’s trying to hide his evil. She seems like she’s desperately trying to be normal. Both are true. When Nero (the brother) offers then a horribly mercenary plan to help them after their lands have been mysteriously ravaged by hoppers, everyone smells a giant rat. Are these new characters really responsible for all the natural disasters of the last few books?

Starting off with a bit that made me uncomfortable, they’re both so young it shouldn’t matter, but the 3-year-old falling in love with the 1-year-old at first sight, and remembering this even when he’s an adult, smacked too much to me of gender reveal parties and parents whose friends talk about their babies marrying right after said babies have been born. Other than that, this is a fun “victory lap” sort of book, where Agnes gets to show off, be sweet, and finally has to give in and become the next Saint (we all saw it coming). I also really liked Beatrice, the bug-loving princess who gets to turn traitor against her homeland and have it all work out, because (the funniest part of the book) all her brothers, sisters, parents, and evil nobles killed each other in a throne war while she was away. That sure was lucky! We also get several flash-forwards, where we see Agnes’ daughter Luna and her insecurities about her power, which is the opposite of her mother’s.

As Agnes and Nazelbart re4mark, we’ve come a long way from the pancake makeup and 200-pound dresses of Book 1. Agnes is living her best life now. Good for her! Fun series, glad I read it.