draagon's reviews
352 reviews

Snow White with the Red Hair, Vol. 5 by Sorata Akiduki

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funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Another lovely volume. I like the parallel storylines, from the mysterious boy (a *handsome* boy, as Obi will not let us forget) on the search for Shirayuki to Prince Raj's (apparently reluctant) invite to Tanburun, where Shirayuki must put on her best face and show she can stand shoulder to shoulder with royals without Zen's help. The way Obi weasels his way into being Shirayuki's bodyguard is very interesting and shows how he's gradually becoming more attached to this group, though he keeps hinting he might leave. Raj is a riot as usual, he's really not prince material with how he wears his heart on his sleeve, but it does make for some funny shenanigans.
Delicious in Dungeon, Vol. 1 by Ryoko Kui

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adventurous funny lighthearted medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

This was an interesting first volume. It heavily focuses on the humor and cooking side of things, which is an interesting direction for a dungeon crawler -- it certainly makes it stand out in the genre! I liked the humor and how exasperated the elf gets at her teammates' antics. I'll tentatively continue.
Tamon's B-Side, Vol. 6 by ?? ?? Yuki Shiwasu

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emotional funny lighthearted reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

What a great volume. I love how we're exploring the personalities and backstories of Tamon's bandmates, and Natsuki's was just as engaging as the others. His backstory was quite depressing to be honest, but I love how he was essentially "adopted" by another family and able to receive the love and appreciation he deserves. I hope his relationship can progress and go well. Then... Utage finally makes a realization! The best kind of realization! Then... that ending... gosh, I can't wait for the next volume.
Snow White with the Red Hair, Vol. 4 by Sorata Akiduki

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adventurous emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

A lovely volume. From Shirayuki and Zen confirming their growing feelings for each other to getting more perspective on Zen's upbringing, the way this volume progressed was simply a treat. I really like how the mangaka is addressing the complications of royalty, from how it not only affects and constricts how Zen can behave, but also limits their ability to pursue their feelings for each other. But it's also inspiring to see them whole-heartedly declare they will work their hardest to make a space for each other in their futures. 
If the Villainess and Villain Met and Fell in Love, Vol. 2 by Harunadon

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challenging dark emotional funny hopeful lighthearted reflective tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

In general, this is a light and fluffy series, full of Brigitte and Yuri just being adorable dorks dancing around their feelings for each other. But then... the story will quickly get surprisingly dark and hit hard. This volume had more moments like that than the first one, with Brigitte being forced to confront her trauma in multiple ways.

We do get her ex-fiancé Joseph's POV in this volume, which I was wondering about a lot in the last one, and let's just say... while I can understand why he does what he does, it in no way excuses his behavior, and the consequences of said behavior are more than deserved.

I really love all the characters in this series, from Brigitte and Yuri to Brigitte's new posse Nival and Kira. Their dynamics are really fun, and the side conversations happening in the background that Brigitte is totally oblivious to are quite humorous. Of course, Yuri and Brigitte's relationship is developing nicely, with lots of blushes and comedic communication mistimings, so I'm looking forward to seeing when they will finally get on the same page (Yuri's adeptness at not being able to read between the lines of what Brigitte says at all is really something else). I'm also glad the world is expanding a bit more beyond just the school, and we're getting more details about the world of spirits and how they interact with humans.

That cliffhanger at the end sent me reeling a bit, and like the first volume, all I am left with is wishing for poor Brigitte to just catch and break and be able to finally enjoy her life and new-found small bubble of happiness.
A Devotion That Changes Worlds Vol. 1 by Mizue Odawara

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dark emotional funny lighthearted reflective sad slow-paced

3.0

This was an unusual start to a shojo manga. It starts with a pretty average premise -- naïve girl wants to experience love for the first time, falls for the first handsome face she sees despite knowing nothing about the guy, who of course (luckily) turns out to be a total softie and a good person, but... the darkness that lurks beneath the surface was both surprising and appreciated in how it was handled. While I'm still on the fence about the relationship because we're not told how big the gap between the two characters is, I like how down-to-earth they are despite being led by the hand into what is essentially a forced proximity romance. It's clear that developing yourself and overcoming your own shortcomings and traumas will be as much of a focus as the romance, which is always nice to see. I'll keep reading to see where it goes. 
MARRIAGETOXIN, Vol. 5 by Joumyaku, Mizuki Yoda

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adventurous challenging dark funny hopeful lighthearted tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

This series is really growing on me. It's got all the typical plot beats of every other shonen -- I'll save people for the love of my friends! -- but the way it's done is really endearing and it makes sense with Gero's character growth and how he's gradually being able to open his heart more and more to people. The theme of this arc was also interesting with how it explores the possible corruption of these great bloodlines, the monstrosity that can result of pursuing power too relentlessly. At this point, I'm not picky about who Gero ends up choosing, as long as he gets the happiness he deserves. Also, the hamster girl and her little companions are just too adorable.
Snow White with the Red Hair, Vol. 3 by Sorata Akiduki

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adventurous emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

The characters in this series are depicted so naturally, it's quite impressive. Especially Obi, who is such a free spirit and could have gone the way of annoying meddler, he's given the chance to be his own self pretty much from the time he declares himself as Zen's underling. Zen's brother Izana is also an interesting contrast to Zen, it's clear that they have gotten a very different understanding of how to interact with the world around them as royals, with Izana's method clearly being more underhanded and long game. The reappearance of Prince Raj was also great, I really like how Shirayuki got to put him in his place as he left, and basically told him to shape up as a ruler.
Tonari no Stella by Ammitsu (餡蜜)

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emotional funny lighthearted reflective sad fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

This was a fantastic volume. It completely turned around my rather lukewarm feelings towards the series thus far, and now I'm all in. I'm not the biggest fan of the childhood-friend-to-lovers trope, and I felt like Subaru was being too cold and ungrateful to Chiaki for no reason. I also hate how Chiaki and Subaru's parents just accept that she would be the one to take up the task of taking care of Subaru's needs, like she isn't a child herself who needs to be taken care of. But... I'm a total sucker for unrequited yearning and when the boy falls for the girl first, so getting Subaru's perspective on their relationship so far was like a sugar rush for me, and I really want to see how things develop from here. 
Kagurabachi Vol 1 by Takeru Hokazono

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adventurous dark funny tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

This was a great first volume. The only thing I disliked was the sudden time skip -- I would have rather seen everything occurring in chronological order. Still, I get that it was done to show the stark contrast between Chihiro before and after that event. I like the schtick with the magical blades and how it is both a retrieve quest combined with a revenge one. The characters are pretty well-developed at this point, and I'm looking forward to seeing where the story goes.