I have no idea what I’ve done this month, really. I remember that optimistic go-getter vibe from the start of the month where I said I was gonna get a bunch of stuff done… and then I think all my free time got eaten trying to catch back up with J-dramas before they expired and finishing off the anime season. And this week even with Seiyu to Yoasobi on break, I’ve been catching up with my YouTube subs and obsessing over Mrs. Green Apple’s new album. I feel like I read considerably less than usual too, but let’s take a look at how that actually worked out.

Bold = completed series
Italic = dropped

= recommendation

Manga

1. コードギアス　新潔のアルマリア volume 2
2. Bocchi the Rock! volume 3 – review
3. 君は明け星 volume 1
4. After We Gazed at the Starry Sky volume 3 (JP)
5. Bocchi the Rock! volume 4
6. At 25:00 in Akasaka volume 6 (JP)
7. スタートオーバー volume 1
8. Bocchi the Rock! volume 5
9. West Tokyo Metal Bros (Manga Plus)
10. グズと博士じゃ恋はできない！(Gateau)
11. チェイス・ユア・ハート (Gateau)
12. ダメ元の恋では、だめですか？(Gateau)
13. 笹森くんのスカート
14. K-9: Public Security Bureau, Division 9 – Special Abilities Countermeasure volume 7 (JP)
15. 虐幸のくるちゃん volume 2
16. 人の余命で青春するな volume 6
17. 営業部の高杉さんは心臓に悪い volume 5
18. 僕のいとこのおねえさん volume 2
19. ヤンキーとキャラメリゼ Second Bake
20. お嬢の愛は俺のもの (Noicomi)
21. かりそめ婚　～この溺愛は契約にありません～ (Noicomi)
22. The Fearsome Witch Teaches in Another World: Ms. Aoi’s Lesson Plans volume 4
23. I’m a Noble on the Brink of Ruin, So I Might as Well Try Mastering Magic volume 8
24. The Otome Heroine’s Fight for Survival, volume 7
25. Duchess in the Attic volume 7
26. Scooped Up By an S-Rank Adventurer! This White Mage is One Heck of a Healer volume 5
27. The Oblivious Saint Can’t Contain Her Power: Disgraced no Longer, I’m Finding Happiness with the Prince! volume 7
28. A Side Character’s Love Story volume 20 (JP)
29. Even Exiled, She’s Still the Beloved Saint! St. Evelyn’s Werid and Wonderful Friends volume 4
30. Seirei Gensouki: Spirit Chronicles volume 13
31. Teogonia volume 2
32. Hope You’re Happy Lemon (Manga Plus)
33. The Reincarnation of the Strongest Exorcist in Another World volume 10
34. A Wild Last Boss Appeared volume 11
35. Tearmoon Empire volume 10
36. The Banished Former Hero Lives as He Pleases volume 9
37. 推しの声帯拾いました volume 2
38. Deep-Sea Aquarium Magmell volume 1 – review
39. Wandering Son omnibus volume 1
40. Love Bullet volume 2 (JP)
41. 巣立てヒナがラス volume 1
42. なぞとき遺跡発掘部 volume 1
43. 暗殺者は不死の魔女を殺したい volume 1
44. The Case Study of Vanitas volume 2 (JP)
45. Jagaaan volume 1 – review
46. Otaku Vampire’s Love Bite volume 6 (JP)
47. 愛しき人魚 
48. Three Exorcism Siblings volume 2 (JP) 
49. Life-Man (Manga Plus)
50. Fruit of the Underworld volume 2 – review
51. 真田芽衣はアイドルの嘘を信じてる volume 1
52. 勇者は魔王が好きらしい (Comic Alive)
53. My Beloved Supper (JP)
54. 大家さんの光くん (Dessert)
55. ふみの恋文 (Dessert Pink)
56. 番われの錬金術師 
57. 魔女の就活帳 volume 1
58. Ωになれたらお前と番える？ volume 1
59. もう、幼馴染じゃいられない (Noicomi)
60. Reset
61. Alpha Wolfgirl x Omega Wolfboy volume 3 (JP)
62. キスしてキラーチューン volume 1
63. Candy Color Paradox volume 8 (JP)
64. 恋と呼ぶになささやかですが volume 2
65. The Journey of a Dark Elf with Fading Powers volume 2 (JP)

One Shot

1. Ghost Club, Assemble! (Manga Plus)
2. Mage Seat Scramble (Manga Plus)
3. I’m Off (Manga Plus)
4. Summers Past in Bloom (Manga Plus)
5. The Tracks We Left (Manga Plus)
6. 雪と君と好きと (Dessert Pink)
7. 二度目の熱はコンビニで (Dessert Pink)
8. ファーストキスはてっぺんで (Dessert Pink)
9. Afterschool Aquarium (Manga Plus)
10. 魔王を殺して俺も死ぬ (Weekly Shonen Magazine)

Light Novels / Novels

1. How Can My Manager Be So Stupid? – review
2. Unsung Epics of the Hero’s Journey volume 2
3. Tearmoon Empire volume 17
4. Sorry Darling, But You Won’t Kill Me Again!
5. Demons’ Crest volume 2 – review
6. 探偵ガリレオ
7. Peddler in Another World: I Can Go Back to My World Whenever I Want! volume 13

This is definitely a month where the manga numbers look good on paper but have been filled out largely by seralisations ending. That said, this is the most light novels / novels I have read all year, so I’m proud of myself for that. Feels like I’ve gotten back into the groove a bit, which is nice.

I also joined a Japanese language learning server that has an active book club, so I’m hoping that will encourage me to at least finish one JP book a month, maybe two in the long run. Joining the server was a frustrating nightmare that required passing a quiz, which I had made repeated attempts at some time last year and kept failing (you have to type the kana for the kanji it gives you, and it feels like there’s not always enough time). So far, so good, really, as I did finish the book for this month and have a couple more close to the finish line. I definitely think my goal for the rest of this year is one a month and then maybe two a month as of the new year. We’ll see how it goes… It should at least help with my problem of buying but not reading JP LNs. 

Not sure how my reading will go in general for October since there’s a half term, so I will be more busy than usual with work and I have some games I wanna clear off the backlog. I’m close to the end of Digimon Time Stranger, the Ghost of Yotei DLC just came out today, and I have Kyoto Xanadu in the mail. And then absolutely everything is getting shelved when Zelda comes out in November, so I’m hoping to finish things before then! Please join me again next month, where I will be in the midst of the new anime/drama season and not doubt wailing about having not finished any games.