February 2023 Seven Seas Pubwatch

News Pubwatch Manga
Carrie McClain

Happy Black History Month! Remember this month is not the only month out of the year where you can support black creatives and business and take time to learn about the history of folks of the African Diaspora. But if you can’t do any of that, please just don’t aggravate Black folks this month.

Also happy month of love, whether that’s you celebrating Valentine’s day with a loved one or doing something along the lines of Galentine’s day like events, show love to those who love on you. Another gentle reminder before the haters come: please make sure you’re doing that everyone other month of the year! Happy celebrating, all!

Lastly, February is also Rare Disease Month. It is awareness that’s on my radar thanks to artist and fellow WWAC contributor Nicky because I too, have been suffering from migraines and wanted to find comics and zines to learn more about them and folks like me.

There’s a lot to take in this month: some intriguing titles with romance in mind from manga to light novel with a Shojo classic being reprinted and more! Jump in, and take a seat as we get into it!

Tis The Season (For Love):

 

Series: The Invisible Man and His Soon-to-Be Wife

Story & Art by: IWATOBINEKO

Release Date: 02/28/2023

Format: Manga

Translation: Elena Kirillova

Lettering: Vanessa Satone

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Y’all like office romances? Wait, wait, wait. I know the genre can get murky but this one looks to be worth reading. The Invisible Man and His Soon-to-Be Wife is set in a world inhabited by humans, elves, monsters and all types of living creatures. At a detective agency in the city Yakou Shizuka, a quiet and bashful woman agrees to go to dinner with her boss. Her boss Tounome, who owns the company, is the gentlemanly type. He’s kind and dapper, though he has an extra talent—he’s invisible! I am enamored with this quiet but lovely story that leans super sweet and supernatural by the creator of The Country Without Humans , another incredible story that’s a fave on my manga bookshelves.

The story includes the other coworkers at the agency who all find themselves costarring in this budding relationship of Tounome who is determined to get Yakou to date him and isn’t against using his many skills. His special ability is perfect for detective work, but he quickly comes to find it doesn’t work on Yakou, who is blind and always knows if he’s near. Included on the pages is a eye-catching  blend of of black, white, and blue artwork that makes the characters pop. I’m loving it!

Series: I’m in Love with the Villainess: She’s so Cheeky for a Commoner (Light Novel)

Story & Art by: Inori Hanagata
Release Date: 02/28/2023
Early Digital: /01/12/2023
Format: Light Novel
Translation: Kevin Ishizaka
Adaptation: Nibedita Sen
Interior Design: Clay Gardner

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I’m in Love with the Villainess is probably one of my favorite Yuri series from Seven Seas, it is also one of the more popular series of the genre from the publisher. The light novels and manga adaptation have even inspired an upcoming anime! Here the Yuri train gets rolling with a newer retelling of the hit series in the form of a new light novel—from the villainess’ point of view! Claire François has it all: beauty, brains, and the blood of nobility.

As the daughter of a high-ranking noble, she takes her status and the according responsibilities with utmost seriousness—even as the king threatens to undermine his realm’s stability with his visions of “meritocracy.” One of the new commoner students at her elite academy, Rae Taylor, turns her life upside down. Everything about Rae confounds Claire, from her behavior to her intellect to her bizarre fixation on Claire herself.Rae and Claire saved the world for each other and their love changed everything–pick this light novel up to complement the completed series you already have.

 

 

Series: Gap Papa: Daddy at Work and at Home

Story & Art by: Utakata
Release Date: 02/14/2023
Format: Manga
Translation: Alan Cheng & Rowena Chen
Lettering: Kai Kyou

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Oh HELP. Let me pop off the SOS signal cause this manga is too darn cute! WHOLESOME MANGA ALERT! I glanced over the preview of Gap Papa: Daddy at Work and at Home and I have to buy it now. No questions asked.  Originally started up as a popular webcomic, this manga follows a “frosty-looking salary man shows his true colors as a doting father and husband”. At work, he’s a distant but handsome reliable workaholic who can’t wait to get home and when he’s finally there: a switch is pushed. He’s all about that home life: playing silly games with his smol daughter and showering his wife with affection!

When I read the title on the publisher’s website, I knew that I was in for a treat when I saw “Gap” in the title. (I was reminded of Gap Moe and here’s a interesting longer piece on the definition for those who love examples and backstory) The preview I read shows about a gap between his appearance and personality at work and at home and it is a charming read! I was especially blown away by the full color (!) pages and the super cute paneling and page formats that bring the gorgeous artwork and wholesome stories about this family to the printed page!

 

Series: Marmalade Boy: Collector’s Edition

Story & Art by: Wataru Yoshizumi
Release Date: 02/14/2023
Format: Manga
Translation: Amber Tamosaitis
Adaptation: Krista Grandy
Lettering: Jennifer Skarupa

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Have I jumped in a time machine and become an high-school student again? Is Tokyo Pop still in its golden era of publishing manga? NO. But Seven Seas apparently picked up the license to reprint actual Shojo rom-com classic Marmalade Boy in a new large-trim omnibus edition with a new translation and bonus color content! Look, the premise for this one is WILD, I remember the loud discussions I had with my manga reading friends when this series first dropped. Miki’s life was pretty ordinary, boring even until the day her parents break the big news. Mom and Dad are basically  swapping spouses with another couple and this poor girl’s life is turned upside down. Thanks to this unconventional arrangement, Miki now has two new stepparents and a… hot new stepbrother. *Picture me screaming and throwing this first volume of the window like the scene in this film*

Step-bro’s name is Yuu and he’s a jerk. He’s charming and yet he’s also a snake. Geez, did I mention that they’re all going to live together in one house?! It’s giving “It’s Complicated” with a whole lot of hilarity and hi-jinks and EVERYTHING ELSE. The manga follows Miki as she tries to sort out her complicated feelings for him, come to terms with her new family and figure out her relationships at school which also complicates the narrative. Understatement of the year: There’s a LOT going on here. While this wasn’t one of my favorite Shojo series, it was one that proved to be manga series that kept all of us talking! This collector’s edition boasts some 288 pages with illustrations and other special bonus content included! I’m happy to see the Shojo Hype Train get that nostalgia running for those of us who grew up with this series and move to reprint classics for the newer generation and also keep collectors happy.

 

A Slice of The Fantasy Genre, Anyone?

 

Series: Never Satisfied

Story & Art by: Taylor Robin
Release Date: 02/21/2023

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I do admit this web-comic was on my mind and after hearing the announcement about its print run, I knew my chance had come to finally read it. Championed as Best New Webcomic of 2015 on Comics Alliance, this first graphic novel of the acclaimed full-color web-comic by artist Taylor Robin is finally finally in bookstores bringing lots of magic, intrigue and drama to the printed page. Lucy Marlowe has a goal, a plan. They’re currently in a competition to become the new city Representative—a magician who serves the magistration and protects the people from monstrous husks—and the competition is fierce. There’s plenty of politics behind all the different apprentices and lots of money and influence behind the corrupt city officials who want their desired contestant to win.

None of that has deterred Lucy, a non-binary apprentice from trying their hardest for this win. A win would show their master that they aren’t a worthless waste of effort. This graphic novel is full of personality, lots of jokes and a universe that feels lived in and yet new. I am loving all the different animals familiars and the different characters that all populate the grand city that Lucy lives. This first volume seems to colelct the first five chapters of the comic originally published online, alongside print-exclusive bonus illustrations and goodies. I’m happy to finally get my hands on this webcomic and read the start of it again in one sitting.

 

WRAP UP:

For all my fellow Yuri lovers, be sure to peep the #yuriVday  hashtag on Twitter (IF the bird app hasn’t collapsed completely by time this Pub watch is published on the site…) It is a neat hashtag to go through to see lots of Yuri recs and a LOT of love in the Yuri/GL fandom!

 

I picked up the first volume of the manga adaptation of The Most Heretical Last Boss Queen: From Villainess to Savior because the reincarnation villainess era subgenre of isekai is my jam, bread and butter. The series follows Pride Royal Ivy, who is only eight years old when she realizes that she’s been reincarnated, destined to become the future wicked queen and final boss of an otome game. She’s got it all in this new life: razor-sharp wit, boss-tier powers, and influence over the kingdom as crown princess. Princess Pride decides to drop the maniacal villainess plan and protect the male love interests instead, cheating her way to saving everyone she can! Will this final boss end up earning the adoration of her kingdom?

 

The future looks great for the future of this series with the light novels being sold alongside the manga adaptation by its publisher. There’s even an anime adaptation coming this summer. So I was shocked when I found out that the manga series was being canceled due to the artist’s poor health.  Disappointing news? For sure. Gentle reminder that the creative in charge of the manga adaptation, Bunko Matsuura launched manga in March 2020 at perhaps what we may label as the start of the pandemic in a lot of places around the world (Perhaps the first month of the not lockdown here in the States).

 

These artists has been working through a world that is crumbling thanks not to a virus that that reshaped health and wellness but to a number of different stressors including climate change, political strife everywhere and a time where comics creators around the world but especially in the Asian Diaspora are experiencing terrible working conditions, low pay and losing greats in the industries–in recent years we’ve lost (Kim Jung Gi, Kazuki Takahashi (Yu-Gi-Oh!), Jang Seong-rak (Solo-Leveling), Mia Ikumi (Tokyo Mew Mew), Motoo Abiko (of Fujiko Fujio fame, one of the creatives behind Doraemon) and Kentaro Miura (Berserk)…and most recently, Leiji Matsumoto ( Galaxy Express 999 and other classic greats).

 

With a reminder that we should be grateful for any work creatives are giving us, I send Matsuura thanks for their work and strength in their recovery. With the same attitude that I side eye folks upset about Yoshihiro Togashi’s pace with his Hunter x Hunter chapters (now back on hiatus)–health comes first y’all. Manga and all our comics come second.

 

LASTLY, I mentioned the controversy months ago in the wrap up of a previous Pubwatch with the I Think I Turned My Childhood Friend into a Girl title. Volume two released this month and this series fell off my radar! I was wondering if the publisher would do a reprint of the first volume as I never saw it in stores–After a little digging on the bird app, I found that the publisher also noted the way folks who bought digital copies of the first volume get to download new versions. Interesting, I’ll have to check out both volumes and report back!

 

That’s it for now, see you next month!

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Carrie McClain

Carrie McClain

Carrie McClain is a Southern Californian native who navigates the world as writer, editor and media scholar who firmly believes that we can and we should critique the media we consume. The X-Men were some of her first best friends. She is forever chasing the nostalgic high of attending school book fairs. As a retired magical girl, you can usually find her buried under a pile of Josei manga.
mcclain.y.carrie@gmail.com
https://carriemcclain.carrd.co/
Carrie McClain

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