My Happy Marriage, Vol. 8

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By Akumi Agitogi and Tsukiho Tsukioka. Released in Japan as “Watashi no Shiawase na Kekkon” by Fujimi L Bunko. Released in North America Yen On. Translated by David Musto.

I seem to have run into an awful lot of short story collection volumes lately. This is another one, as after finally getting to the ‘happy’ and ‘marriage’ part of the title, Miyo and Kiyoka are taking the time to have some leisurely microstories that were online web exclusives, or else more serious titles written for this volume specifically. You can probably guess what I’m going to be talking about the most. Still, overall it’s a good, solid volume, with a tragic flashback at the start followed by some romantic schmaltz. There is a suggestion we may get a darker present-day story later on, but even that ends up being a romantic schmaltz sort of thing. Which is great, frankly. I’ve been complaining forever about the fact that these volumes are too damn dark, particularly in the last one, and it’s nice to just see these two do things like accidentally get drunk, or get scared by a thunderstorm and a power outage. Couple goals.

The first story is written for this volume, and takes up almost half the book on its own. It’s a flashback showing Kiyoka’s college years, as he struggles between his powers and the destiny everyone wants him to grasp and his own dreams of being a research nerd. We then get a series of microstories arranged in a chapter, showing things that happened when Kiyoka was sick (mostly Hazuki fangirling over Miyo), Miyo showing off her skill at cooking and distracting Kiyoka from work, Miyo accidentally getting drunk by eating a liquor-laced sweet, in the best anime tradition; etc. The other story written for this collection has our happy couple staying at the main estate for a bit, only to have to deal with a moody Fuyu, who is upset over a broken gift from her husband. We then get a second series of microstories, which is actually mostly one story, showing Kiyoka and his subordinates going out to drink and running into Kazushi.

Every story with a strong, powerful spirit-user who always seems in control and together needs a doomed mentor somewhere in its backstory to explain how he got that way, and it’s now My Happy Marriage’s turn. It’s easily the best story in the book, showing how sometimes tragedies are not really the fault of one person, but also that sometimes, yes, the fault can indeed be spread around. And, honestly, it also shows that this is the sort of world where it’s for the best that Kiyoka did NOT become a research nerd. His mentor, Itsuto, is exactly what you’d expect the moment I said “doomed mentor”, but that’s not a bad thing. The other original story has a lot of Miyo and Kiyoka being adorable (and almost having wake-up sex, but they’re interrupted), but it’s also about interpretation. Kiyoka sees his father as controlling his mother and spying on her every move, while Miyo sees the fact that his mother is aware of it as meaning the gesture is about protection and love. Both interpretations are, in a way, correct – Kiyoka’s family is pretty messed up – but it’s clear Miyo is the best thing that could ever have happened to Kiyoka,

The 9th book in the series is scheduled but not out yet in Japan, so it will be a while till we get more. Despite being a short story collection, every fan of the series should enjoy this.

Sasaki and Peeps: The Gang Heads to School and Ends Up in a Friendly Little Romcom ~Who Will Get Their Hands on True Love?~

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By Buncololi and Kantoku. Released in Japan as “Sasaki to Pi-chan” by Media Factory. Released in North America by Yen On. Translated by Alice Prowse.

(This review discusses the dialogue in Sasaki and Peeps 8, which uses several sexual slang terms, and I mention them towards the end. Be warned.)

This is my own fault, I suppose. Last time I suggested that the middle part of the volume was a bit boring, and I said that Sasaki and Peeps was at its best when it was ridiculous rather than down to earth. Given this volume takes place at Kurosu’s school, I was perhaps not overly optimistic. Oh, foolish past me! This is easily the most off-the-rails volume of the series to date. I’ve also talked before about how the series is a harem series that doesn’t really have its lead be interested in anyone, and that’s done away with here as well. Sasaki manages to have a libido. When you add to this horny middle school students, numerous people being paid or threatened to act as “honey traps”, and a truth serum that also doubles as an aphrodisiac, and you have all sorts of no. On the bright side, at least for me, this volume is easily the shippiest he’s gotten with Futarishizuka, who, in age and compatibility, is Best Girl.

Type Twelve wants to experience school life so she can learn about humanity – and, in particular, she wants to learn about love. So they fake her family register, change her name to Twelve Sasaki, and she transfers into Kurosu’s school. Along with Sasaki, her new math teacher. And Futarishizuka, her new English teacher. And two of the other new teachers are Mason and Inukai, the ones working with the magical girl. Oh yes, and the magical girl they’re working with also transfers in. Naturally, with so many World’s Most Wanted girls in one location, every single enemy sends their minions to kidnap Twelve, kidnap Kurosu, kill Sasaki, etc. And that’s not even counting the pink magical girl, who as always, wants to kill all psychics.

There’s quite a bit of death and gore in this book, mostly due to the magical girl, who is here to kill psychics and chew bubblegum and she’s all out of bubblegum. the final scene with her and Futarishizuka is actually very sweet, and possibly the nicest Futarishizuka has ever been. Kurosu, aka neighbor girl, also gets a much larger role than usual, though for once she’s too busy being the straight man (and tsundere, as Twelve correctly notes) to try to get into Sasaki’s pants much. Unlike many other women in this series, who are trying to seduce him for money, because their parents are being threatened, or because all their inhibitions are down. And then there’s Type Twelve, who is the reason that I think this book needs a bit more of a content warning than other books. She’s trying to figure out human love, and is very good at making boys her “simps” – but when she gets an actual confession, and uses truth serum to verify it, things go bad fast – and we find out that Kurosu’s classroom is a hotbed of sexually active teens. In addition to simp, ‘fuckboy’ is used here, and there’s also mentions of spanking and anal sex, though only in conversation, not in actual content. Basically, teens are horny and awful.

Fortunately, this seems to have stopped Twelve wanting to learn what gangbangs are (oh yes, that’s mentioned as well). She now wants to drop out of school. Where to next? We shall see. Honestly, I would not mind going back to isekai world for a while, which seems a bit less unhinged. Till then, boy, this will be fun if ever animated.

If the Villainess and Villain Met and Fell in Love ~ She Was All But Disowned for Her Spirit Contract, But She’s Still Competing with Her Rival ~, Vol. 3

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By Harunadon and Yomi Sarachi. Released in Japan as “Akuyaku Reijō to Akuyaku Reisoku ga, Deatte Koi ni Ochitanara: Nanashi no Seirei to Keiyaku Shite Oidasareta Reijō wa, Kyō mo Reisoku to Kisoiatte Iru Yō Desu” by GA Novels. Released in North America by Yen On. Translated by Evie Lund.

So-called Villainess books have glutted the market over the last three to four years, and I have seen a few folks saying that it’s just the female-narrated version of the isekai. But of course the two genres have very different goals. Isekai is, at heart, wish fulfillment. I have the coolest powers, I get a harem of girls, I battle the demon lord, etc. Villainess books, on the other hand, start out in much the same place as a lot of isekai – my life is wretched and everyone hates me – but the best examples of the genre dig deeper into the terrible life. I’ve come to terms with the fact that this series is never one I’m going to read for the cute romance, and I don’t think the author cares much about it either. This book is about seeing a survivor of abuse take control of her own destiny and confront her demons.

We left off last volume with her father’s ultimatum, telling her to come back to the main house or… well, we’re not sure, but Brigitte assumes it means “or I will disown you”. In the meantime, there’s a dance coming up, which she and Yuri agree to go to together after a lot of awkward faffing about. We also meet her brother Roze, who was adopted into the family after Brigitte’s disastrous spirit reading, and who seems to really like Brigitte a lot… possibly in a Keith Claes way, if you know what I mean. Yuri certainly does, and he’s unhappy. Unfortunately, Roze also tells Brigitte that their mother has disappeared, and Brigitte, still wrestling with what to do about that ultimatum, decides to help try to find her. What follows is basically all the dark secrets of the past revealed.

The author has also written Even a Replica Can Fall in Love, which I just reviewed the other day, and I have to say, they’re really good at writing trauma. It’s not much of a surprise to find that dad’s ultimatum is not “come back or be disowned”, it’s “come back and give me your phoenix, you ungrateful child”. Worse revelations are to come, too. But it’s a testament to Brigitte’s determination and resolve that she’s able to stand up and fight back… though the help of Yuri and her friends to make this a lot more final than anyone really intended also helps. The romance is pretty cute, too.

Honestly, this works perfectly well as an ending to the series, and I wondered if it was. But there is a suggestion that we still have further to go, as Brigitte worries that once the knowledge of her phoenix gets out, everyone will be coming after her. Likely that’s where this is going in future books. Till then, come for the cuteness, stay for the angst and schadenfreude.