Posted May 1, 2026 by Nicky in Reviews / 0 Comments
Delicious in Dungeon
Genres: Fantasy,
Manga Pages: 191
Series: Delicious in Dungeon #1 Rating: 
Synopsis: When young adventurer Laios and his company are attacked and soundly thrashed by a dragon deep in a dungeon, the party loses all its money and provisions... and a member! They're eager to go back and save her, but there is just one problem: If they set out with no food or coin to speak of, they're sure to starve on the way! But Laios comes up with a brilliant idea: "Let's eat the monsters!" Slimes, basilisks, and even dragons... none are safe from the appetites of these dungeon-crawling gourmands!
I didn’t really know much about Ryoko Kui’s Delicious in Dungeon going in, only that it featured a team of broke adventurers who need to learn to cook monsters in order to help them progress in a dungeon. I didn’t know about the whole “because a dragon has eaten the main character’s sister” part, which… to be fair… is not a major part of the story because they don’t seem to feel much urgency about it at all.
The pacing feels weird, as each chapter is essentially just a little episode in “what to cook next”. There are some fun touches, like the nutrition balance cards after the various meals, and the ingenuity of how to cook some stuff, and I really enjoyed the almost scientific interest Laios has in various creatures, figuring out how they work.
Overall, though, I felt a lack of character development (the most was Marcille, but it was mostly “whiny elf girl whines and then eats the food anyway”) and… direction? So I’m not sure I’ll read more. The lack of pace would probably have come across better if Laios’ sister wasn’t, you know, being digested. I know that they expect to just resurrect her but… yeah. Still.
Rating: 2/5 (“it was okay”)
Tags: book reviews, books, manga, Ryoko Kui, SF/F
Posted April 30, 2026 by Nicky in Reviews / 0 Comments
Do You Really Want Only A Meal?
Genres: Manga,
Romance Pages: 164
Series: Do You Really Want Only A Meal? #2 Rating: 
Synopsis: Now happily dating, 27-year-old Masamune Hanzawa takes his boyfriend, 19-year-old Natsuki, on a birthday trip, but he unfortunately spends the whole time worrying he hasn’t done enough. When they run into Natsuki’s mom at the train station, she thanks Masamune for taking care of her husband and son. Inspired, they decide to come out to Natsuki’s parents about their relationship. But in a world where same-sex relationships face societal resistance, how will Natsuki’s family react? As love meets uncertainty, Masamune and Natsuki must navigate uncharted waters together.
Volume two of Yasu Tadano’s Do You Really Only Want a Meal? is really pure fluff. There are two potential sources of conflict: firstly, Masamune trying overly hard to find ways to please Natsuki (actually against his wishes), and secondly, the two of them telling Natsuki’s parents they’re dating. Between the age gap and the fact that they’re gay, that does give them some pause.
Aaaand in practice all conflict quickly fizzles out! It’s just cute and fluffy, with Natsuki’s parents surprised but supportive, and Masamune being a pretty perfect boyfriend.
There is also a fun bit where Masamune practises cooking and makes food for Natsuki for once, and also where they clearly go a bit further than making out (unclear if they have sex, but probably; it fades to black).
But really, no conflict here, just fluff. My only negative comment would be sometimes the transitions between scenes were poorly or not-at-all signposted. Why have they suddenly changed location?! Ohhh, okay, time skip.
Rating: 3/5 (“liked it”)
Tags: book reviews, books, manga, romance, Yasu Tadano
Posted April 16, 2026 by Nicky in Reviews / 0 Comments
Tied to You
Genres: Fantasy,
Manga,
Romance Pages: 320
Series: Tied to You #4 Rating: 
Synopsis: Wooseo's heart has been swayed, and Jigeon is determined to win it over completely, once and for all. But a meeting between Wooseo, Jiseok, and the Connector may throw a wrench in his plans when Jiseok reveals his brother has been deceiving Wooseo. The lies, the manipulations, the mind games--when all is laid bare to Wooseo, will he choose to stay tied to Jigeon?
Volume four of WHAT/Chelliace’s Tied to You brings everything to a head: Jigeon lays all his cards on the table, Jiseok does too, and Wooseo has to choose what he wants and decide whether he wants the Connector to change anything, or whether he loves his fated partner after all.
There could be some really fascinating stories in this world with non-fated partners, even without the existence of the Connector — Jigeon clearly doesn’t trust to fate, after all, so perhaps there are other pairs out there who make do with ring connections that don’t reflect their feelings. But in this one I don’t think there’s much doubt about what Wooseo will choose in the end…
Even though Jigeon confesses to manipulating the situation, it doesn’t suddenly become a healthy romance — even if Wooseo now chooses it open-eyed. Jigeon’s nature isn’t trusting, not even of fate; I think he’d treat Wooseo well, and carefully avoid any chance of things cooling by manipulating the situation, no matter what. It’s not a relationship I’d choose for myself, for darn sure!
But… maybe it’s good for them. Certainly it was satisfying to see the decision made, and for Wooseo to realise that he has feelings for Jigeon in his own right, not as a stand-in for Jiseok. Still, once more, a warning that this isn’t a fluffy romance (and isn’t intended to be).
Rating: 4/5 (“really liked it”)
Tags: book reviews, books, Chelliace, manga, romance, SF/F, WHAT
Posted April 10, 2026 by Nicky in Reviews / 0 Comments
Genres: Fantasy,
Manga,
Romance Pages: 308
Series: Tied to You #3 Rating: Synopsis: Wooseo has finally found a way to remove the Ring. The catch? Doing so erases all memories related to one’s fated partner. While he loathes being a burden to Jigeon, for some reason, the thought of losing him hurts just as much…In the face of Wooseo’s uncertainty, Jigeon decides to make a gambit—by revealing he is irrevocably in love with him! But all risks come with consequences, and Jigeon’s actions have pushed his brother over the edge. No more sitting on the sidelines…Jiseok refuses to let his best friend be stolen away, even if it means dropping a truth bomb of his own!
Volume three of WHAT/Chelliace’s Tied to You keeps rattling on, with Wooseo wrestling with the idea of getting the ring removed and losing all his memories of Jigeon, and Jigeon still carefully manipulating the situation to force Wooseo to ultimately see and accept that he’s his fated partner, and nothing else compares…
And of course, even Jiseok’s part of that plan, his confused jealousy boiling up and making him rash — I would sympathise more with him and think that Wooseo probably would be better with him, if he hadn’t physically hurt Wooseo because of the rivalry between himself and his brother. That’s just not okay: it’s clear that Jigeon, too, would resort to violence — but he’s never behaved that way toward Wooseo, his desired romantic partner, while Jiseok has.
You end up kind of rooting for Jigeon, despite the manipulation and stalking. He would take care of Wooseo and make him happy, because he’s so desperate for Wooseo’s love. It’s impossible to feel totally at ease in rooting for that, though, because… well… manipulation and stalking.
I wanna be really clear that I am absolutely not recommending this as a romance, for that reason. It’s intense and fascinating, but definitely not any kind of fluffy romance, despite the soulmates concept.
Rating: 4/5 (“really liked it”)
Tags: book reviews, books, Chelliace, manga, romance, SF/F, WHAT
Posted April 3, 2026 by Nicky in Reviews / 0 Comments
Sailor Zombie
Genres: Horror,
Manga Pages: 200
Rating: 
Synopsis: Two months have passed since the world was overrun by zombies. High schooler Maiko Inui, a girl who longs to become an idol, finds refuge in Fujimi Girls’ High School, where the surviving students reside. When hordes of zombies mercilessly attack the girls, how will Maiko and her friends fight back?! Horror meets harmony in this vibrant tale where heroes don’t wear capes…but sailor suits instead!
Jiji and Pinch’s Sailor Zombie is a bit weird, and turned out to be not much to my taste. It’s set in a world where zombies have risen, and some schoolgirls (and some of their teachers, who seem to rely on the girls) have survived. One is weirdly bloodthirsty and gets them all into trouble (of course), while the main character stumbles upon the school after coming from somewhere else, and may weirdly (but predictably) have a key to making the whole zombie apocalypse thing a lot more manageable, by making the zombies cry.
I didn’t love the art and some of the decisions, like not even giving some of the cannon fodder girls faces (just blanks with numbers on them). Just… lazy. And overall it all just felt kind of scattered and rushed, without building up any real rapport between characters or anything like that.
The story is pretty lacklustre and scatterbrained; I won’t be continuing the series.
Rating: 1/5 (“didn’t like it”)
Tags: book reviews, books, horror, Isshin Inudo, Jiji, manga, Pinch
Posted March 21, 2026 by Nicky in Reviews / 0 Comments
Tied to You
Genres: Fantasy,
Manga,
Romance Pages: 320
Series: Tied to You #2 Rating: Synopsis: All’s Fair in Love and War
His heart torn from the bittersweet pain of unrequited love, Wooseo turns to Jigeon for solace…and the two of them kiss?! What starts as a natural physical affinity between Ring Partners quickly becomes a comfortable routine of intimacy, and Wooseo soon realizes he might be seeing Jigeon less and less as a “stand-in” for his best friend. But all is not well in paradise…Jiseok has caught on to his brother’s suspicious string pulling, dredging up complicated feelings and possessiveness. And he’s not the only one seeing green— a scorned lover from Jigeon’s past has resurfaced, and he’s dead set on severing his ex’s new Ring connection!
Partway through volume two of WHAT/Chelliace’s Tied to You, I decided that Jigeon’s behaviour is meant to be creepy and pushing out beyond the pale, which helped me decide how this was landing with me. It’s easier to be all-in on it when you’re sure it’s meant to be messy and not just romantic (though I think there is an amount of romanticisation of Jigeon’s behaviour).
The whole situation gets more complicated, with Jiseok seeming to be jealous of Jigeon and Wooseo’s growing closeness, and a friend of Jigeon’s joining in to help him pull strings. Wooseo’s unrequited love and his confusion are really well portrayed here — you can feel his pain, and the strength of the bond between him and Jiseok.
It’s an interesting exploration of obsession, of someone who wants someone else so badly they’ll manipulate them this way and that, even with the reassurance of a fated bond.
And of course there’s some drama with Jigeon’s ex, and the tantalising possibility that the rings can be removed…
I’ve already read volumes three and four as I write this, I got really into the series from this point. And the art remains really consistently beautiful.
Rating: 4/5 (“really liked it”)
Tags: book reviews, books, Chelliace, manga, romance, SF/F, WHAT
Posted March 9, 2026 by Nicky in Reviews / 0 Comments
Tied to You
Genres: Fantasy,
Manga,
Romance Pages: 334
Series: Tied to You #1 Rating: Synopsis: Wooseo Shin was never one to believe in fate...until a ring of red thread appears around his finger, that is! This ring marks a person's meeting of their soulmate, and with it, neither can fall asleep if the other is absent. This development is not a welcome one for Wooseo, who decides to keep it from his close friend and crush Jiseok Kang at all costs. Because as fate would have it, the person with Wooseo's matching set is Jigeon Kang — Jiseok's older brother! When Jigeon proposes that they start sharing a bed, if only to combat their joint insomnia, Wooseo reluctantly accepts... but as the two spend more and more time together, feelings start to get messy. Will Wooseo be able to survive his new life tangled up in between these two brothers?!
The main character of WHAT’s Tied to You (adapted from a story by Chelliace) is Wooseo, who is in love with his best friend Jiseok. In this world, after the age of twenty, if you touch your fated partner, you fall sick for 24 hours, and then a red ring forms — like the red thread of fate — for both you and your partner. After that point, you can’t sleep apart, and when you sleep side by side and touching, you get the best sleep you’ve ever had in your life.
Wooseo’s partner isn’t Jiseok, though… it’s Jiseok’s older brother, Jigeon, who had been close to the pair but pulled back for some reason a while ago. Wooseo’s afraid that Jigeon hates him, but it turns out more complex than that (of course). At first, they treat it as a transaction: I’ll pay you to come and sleep beside me so we can both get some sleep. Then Jigeon pushes for more, getting Wooseo to move in with him — all while the two of them hide the whole thing from Jiseok, who seems to be getting jealous, despite repeatedly saying he’s totally straight and not interested in Wooseo.
It’s all a bit of a tangled mess, and it’s not entirely clear how to take some of Jigeon’s behaviour; is he being creepy? Is it Jiseok being weird? Are the two of them just gonna ride rough-shod over Wooseo and what he needs…?
The art and colours are lovely (though some character designs are very similar, partly on purpose), and I’m curious enough about the plot/relationship to read more — especially since it’s a manhwa, so it doesn’t take that long to read a volume. I’m not quite sure how it’ll land with me, but I guess we’ll find out!
Rating: 4/5 (“really liked it”)
Tags: book reviews, books, manga, romance, SF/F
Posted February 14, 2026 by Nicky in Reviews / 0 Comments
Star and Hedgehog
Genres: Manga,
Romance Pages: 164
Rating: Synopsis: Ikumi Chiba is home for the summer from Tokyo, where he goes to university. Upon returning, Ikumi meets one of the gardeners who works in his family's yard, Harukiyo. Although Harukiyo looks tough and confident at first glance, Ikumi discovers that he is actually quite quiet and shy... Or maybe he is talkative and friendly, and he just doesn't like Ikumi!? They say 20% of the people in the world won't like you... Has Ikumi met his match?! Or maybe there's another reason why Harukiyo acts that way?!
Nayuta Nago’s Star and Hedgehog was a bit of a random choice for me, something I found a bit randomly while exploring the manga in Comics Plus. The art was fairly generic-manga, but not bad, and it all felt a bit rushed and not really fleshed out. Harukiyo is kind of cold and grumpy initially, but it quickly turns out it’s because he has a massive crush, and he and Izumi leap into a relationship… then have a few months apart just talking on the phone… and then leap toward having sex.
In other words, it doesn’t feel like it flows very well, and it feels a bit insta-love-y, because they don’t really connect about anything except finding one another attractive and maaaaybe a bit Harukiyo’s interest in plants (they meet when his family are working in Izumi’s family’s garden).
Harukiyo’s brother’s relationship with him is kinda cute, though.
Anyway, not a massive winner for me, but not awful.
Rating: 2/5 (“it was okay”)
Tags: book reviews, books, manga, Nayuta Nago, romance
Posted February 10, 2026 by Nicky in Reviews / 0 Comments
Do You Really Want Only A Meal?
Genres: Manga,
Romance Pages: 162
Series: Do You Really Want Only A Meal? #1 Rating: Synopsis: Masamune Hanzawa, a 27-year-old office worker with no time for love or cooking, reluctantly tries a housekeeping service at his section chief’s suggestion. Enter Natsuki, a charming college student and his boss’s son, who quickly captures Masamune’s heart. After their first meeting, Natsuki boldly confesses his feelings, leaving Masamune torn. Though undeniably attracted to Natsuki, Masamune hesitates due to their age difference and the potential complications of dating his superior’s son. As they navigate meals and growing emotions, Masamune must decide whether to embrace this unexpected chance at love—or let it slip away.
Volume one of Yasu Tadano’s Do You Really Only Want a Meal? is very cute, with a weird mix of love at first sight and taking it slow that I wasn’t sure about. Natsuki is younger than Masamune, and the son of his boss, ending up meeting him because he looks for a housekeeping service for someone to cook for him.
They don’t even get as far as kissing in this volume, despite Natsuki almost instantly saying he loves Masamune (and Masamune pretty quickly getting a crush too), which was a bit of a relief. There are genuine reasons it wouldn’t be a good idea, but they keep finding themselves drawn together, and I did find myself believing in the chemistry.
I’ll read volume two when it’s out, especially if it comes up on Comics Plus (love that I get access to sooo many graphic novels and manga via my library). I might even buy it.
Rating: 3/5 (“liked it”)
Tags: book reviews, books, manga, romance, Yasu Tadano
Posted January 30, 2026 by Nicky in Reviews / 0 Comments
Solo Leveling
Genres: Fantasy,
Manga Pages: 296
Series: Solo Leveling #13 Rating: Synopsis: Outnumbered a hundred to one, Jinwoo and his shadow army ready themselves for the fight that will determine the fate of the whole world. As hunters worldwide gather to make mankind’s last stand, Jinwoo focuses on the gate closest to home and those he loves. A superior strategy is his only hope in the face of such overwhelming odds, but as the first wave emerges, it’s clear his foes are already a step ahead of the new Shadow Monarch... Has Jinwoo leveled up enough to defend humanity from certain destruction?!
If I understand rightly, this 13th volume is the last of Solo Leveling‘s main story, which… it feels like the last 2-3 volumes all happened in a massive rush, because so much happens here. I wasn’t surprised by the fact that ultimately — despite all his allies — Jinwoo went at it totally alone. The clue is in the title: Solo Leveling. In the end, all he can depend on is himself: he learned that lesson very early on.
Now we know why he needed to learn it.
I don’t entirely know how I feel about the time travel plot here: it diminishes some of the sacrifices so far, but it entails a different kind of sacrifice, so… hm.
I think I’d like to read the light novels now: I wasn’t sure at the outset whether I would, because this isn’t my go-to style of story. But, in the end, I like reading a little of everything, and I’m curious to read in a bit more detail, and get an idea of where the story here might’ve been interpreted differently.
[Note: since writing the review, I have indeed started on the light novels, and I love them. Reviews will come eventually, though I still have a huge backlog of written but not yet posted reviews.]
Rating: 4/5 (“really liked it”)
Tags: book reviews, books, Chugong, Dubu, manga, SF/F
