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Lenni Reviews: “Komi Can’t Communicate” Vol. 34, by Tomohito Oda

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*This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review.

Rumiko still hasn’t responded to Wakai’s confession and Komi gets accepted to her first-choice school. Their class is gearing up for another festival and decides to do a ramen stand.

The ramen stand was a funny event. Komi’s come a long way from not speaking at all to leading the class to play for an event and having a great time. I like that this volume keeps most of the focus on this event with only a couple side stories like Rumiko and Wakai. The volumes with a ton of different little stories have been hit or miss but this volume was just some cozy fun. 4.5 out of 5.

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Lenni Reviews: “Vagabond Definitive Edition” Vol. 2, by Takehiko Inoue

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*This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review.

Takezo is traveling to get stronger, challenging as many people as he can. Along the way, he picks up a kid, Jotaro, who wants to be Takezo’s disciple. He’s training hard but his feelings for his childhood friend, Otsu, are a dangerous distraction.

This volume is so much better than the first volume. The fight choreography is great here and Takezo is getting some good character development. Now that he’s facing opponents so much stronger than he is, he can’t just “I wanna be the very best” his way out of it. He has to think and strategize. I do have to say, I don’t care about his friend and whatever he’s doing. I’d rather stick to Takezo’s side of the story since that’s where the action is happening. 4 out of 5.

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Lenni Reviews: “Tokyo Alien Bros.” Vol. 2, by Keigo Shinzō

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*This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review.

Under his superior’s directive, Fuyunosuke must teach his brother, Natsutaro, how to properly blend in, hold down a job, and find a mate. It’s a seemingly impossible task as Natsutaro nearly gets them caught. Especially now that a group of kids is determined to expose them.

This volume is much more pleasant than the first. The brothers are still trying to fit in and Natsutaro has his kooky antics but there’s a lack of grossout humor that I appreciated and stuck with the humor in the aliens trying to make sense of human culture and behaviors. There’s even a bit of them exploring human emotions. This is what I’d expected from the first volume and while I shouldn’t hold that against it since defying expectations can be a good thing, this was much more fun for me. 3 out of 5.

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Lenni Reviews: “Ask and You Will Receive” Vol. 1, by Niyama

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*This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review and is rated 18+

Shinobu Urakawa is an unsuspecting office clerk by day but off the clock, he’s a playboy frequenting a gay bar he views as his oasis from the constant fawning over his coworker, Hikaru Omoteya. Known as “The Prince” by the others in the office, he’s got a big ego, thinking he can score anyone he wants, even when he heads to the same gay bar and he’s straight. He flirts with Shinobu not knowing who he is; getting more than he bargained for.

This is an “enemies” to lovers story (I don’t think they’re really enemies; they just don’t really like each other, even though they don’t know each other by more than their work reputation) with a bi-awakening and some office romance thrown in. The relationship starts as purely sexual but this is no swoonfest. It gets to the smut quickly and it doesn’t stop or hold back. Our ego-driven Hikaru has no clue what he’s getting into but Shinobu’s plan to take him down a peg results in some feels between them. Aside for some dub-con elements because Hikaru is drunk at the beginning, this was a fun read. They’re relatably silly in some parts. 4 out of 5.

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Lenni Reviews: “Firefly Wedding” Vol. 2, by Oreco Tachibana

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*This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review.

Satoko and Shinpei plan to use the cover of working as a prostiitute to find the opportune time to escape the island but between sabotage from other women and Shinpei’s insistence that no other man touch her, it’s difficult for Satoko to maintain the ruse.

I felt bad for Nitobe. Spoilers but he comes to the island for his entertainment and the other girls “prank” Satoko bu switching his water with booze, knowing he’s sworn off alcohol because he knows he’s a violent drunk and doesn’t want to subject anyone to that. Those bitches fucked him over in order to get him to hurt Satoko and that’s fucked up. He really didn’t want to hurt anyone.

Otherwise, Shinpei gives me whiplash. I kinda want them to get together but he’s a red flag despite how cute he can be.

Get you a man who can do both, I guess? But totally don’t do that…

The real highlight is still Satoko’s strength. She’s just awesome, keeping good spirits even with her illness and circumstances. I’m very interested in seeing what happens and how she grows! 4 out of 5.

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Lenni Reviews: “Boy’s Abyss” Vol. 9, by Ryo Minenami

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*This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review and is for mature readers only. Trigger warning for sexual assault.

Still obsessed with Reiji, Ms. Shiba hatches a plan to get back into his life but it doesn’t go as she’d hoped.

I think this counts as a spoiler, so be aware: Reiji, Chako, and Gen all go to Tokyo together and of course this trip is miserable for the lot of them. I just… Where is this all going? I’m getting this feeling that the plot is just spinning its wheels. I understand the characters are wallowing and trapped in their misery but they have been for some time and it’s starting to feel like a bumbling way to have more fucked up shit happen like (trigger warning) attempted rape. That I don’t care about spoiling. Fuck that shit. 2 out of 5.

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Lenni Reviews: “Pink Heart Jam Beat” Vol. 1, by Shikke

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*This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review and is rated 18+

Haiga has moved in with Kanae, and they have been living together for a year. Because Kanae is pushing himself so hard, Haiga is on the hunt for a job and is struggling to find what he wants.

While there is some smut in this, Haiga and Kanae are just so damn wholesome. With everything going on these days, and after the last romance manga I read, it felt awesome to enjoy a couple that loves and respects one another. Restores a little faith, to be honest. They have great chemistry, an interesting supportive cast that’s used just enough that they are a nice addition and complement our couple. Just great vibes. 4 out of 5.

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Lenni Reviews: “Tokyo Fears Rhapsody” Vol. 1, by Akira Sugito

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*This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review.

In a world where humans have to deal with monsters called “Fears” – named such that they feed on human fear, Hachiro was bred to be a destroyer. But he’d much rather enjoy what human life has to offer, particularly ice cream.

While at first I was getting Mr. Villain’s Day Off vibes, this comic is much darker. The other Fears can, do, and enjoy killing humans, and this volume has a significant body count. One moment, it’s bloody mayhem; the next, Hachiro goes back to being a big goofball. It’s a bit of whiplash, but it works, and I think it’s because Hachiro is entertaining. I want to follow whatever wacky journey he’ll be going on. There’s even a superhero group that’s trained to fight Fears, and Hachiro’s creator is lurking about so, it’s not all slice of life. We’ve got some good plot to look forward to. 4 out of 5.

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Lenni Reviews: “The Concierge At Hokkyoku Department Store” Vol. 1, by Tsuchika Nishimura

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*This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review.

Akino is starting her new job at the Hokkyoku Department Store, where some of the guests are animals. Since each animal is so different, Akino must navigate their unique needs and wants.

While personally having someone constantly trying to help me in a store is a fucking nightmare (just let me get my stuff and leave with as little human interaction as possible) this comic is a cozy read with low stakes and an earnest main character. She reminds me of Suma from “Dinosaur Sanctuary” with how hard she’s trying and how much doing a good job means to her. How Akino solves each issue can mean some mild info-dump situations talking about the animal species in detail, but these parts aren’t too long and do factor into how events play out. 3.7 out of 5.

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Lenni Reviews: “Cat + Gamer” Volume 7 , by Wataru Nadatani

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As her office experiments with remote work, Riko is dealing with the challenge of trying to get things done while dealing with two energetic cats.

While it is still cute that Riko likens gaming to learning about her cats, I am also loving how wide her gaming interests are. She plays EVERYTHING. Mobile, RPG, shooters, slots, rhythm; it’s so cool! I wish I had time for that. I don’t even wanna think about how many games I own that I don’t have time to play. Of course, the cats are adorable as usual, getting into all kinds of trouble. Plus my own cat rubbed her face all over this book, so it’s clearly great. 4 out of 5.

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