Posted August 19, 2026 by Nicky in Reviews / 2 Comments
Cat + Gamer
Genres: Manga Pages: 168
Series: Cat + Gamer #4 Rating: 
Synopsis: Just when office worker Riko Kozakura is beginning to rank up her Pet Owner skill from Beginner to Intermediate, another cat joins the household! Kozakura’s handled her one cat, Musubi, well, but with twice the feline antics she’ll have her hands full—and more XP to grind!
Ready Player 3: A New Furry Friend Joins the Fray! “Leveling up” in skills, surprises, and adventures extends to real life, as Riko discovers what it’s like living with cats!
In volume four of Wataru Nadatani’s Cat + Gamer, a new cat joins the party! It’s really fun watching Riko discover cat behaviour (and wincing in anticipation of what hijinks the kitties are going to get up to next), and you can see the author’s own experiences of learning what their cat loves coming through.
I do like that it’s responsible and doesn’t pretend the two cats will get along seamlessly right away: there’s always been an element of realism in figuring out Musubi, and the same goes for the new kitty.
Double the cute in this volume (and from now on), really!
Rating: 3/5 (“liked it”)
Tags: book reviews, books, manga, Wataru Nadatani
Posted August 16, 2026 by Nicky in Reviews / 0 Comments
Heaven Official's Blessing
Genres: Fantasy,
Manga,
Romance Pages: 244
Series: Heaven Official's Blessing (manhua) #1 Rating: 
Synopsis: A fallen god unravels supernatural mysteries and comes face-to-face with ghosts from his past in this manhua (comic) adaptation of the New York Times bestselling danmei novel by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu. Featuring stunning art by STARember, the official manhua produced by BILIBILI COMICS is now available in English in print for the first time.
Xie Lian, once the darling of the heavens, is a twice-banished god infamous for his fall from grace. Eight hundred years have passed since his mortal life as the Crown Prince of Xianle, and he’s now the laughingstock of the three realms. So when he ascends to godhood for a third time, it causes an uproar among his divine peers. Ascension may be nothing new to Xie Lian, but this time he has no followers, little power, and less luck. To repay his heavenly debts, Xie Lian must descend to the Mortal Realm to hunt ghosts that prey upon the living. There, he encounters a mysterious stranger – but is this newcomer friend or foe . . . or something else entirely?
Volume 1 includes the prologue and episodes 1–14 of the original webcomic based on the webnovel Tian Guan Ci Fu published on JJWXC.
I’ve read some of the Heaven Official’s Blessing manhua before, but not the official translation, so it was nice to dig in and get to read something a bit more official and organised (though the work of fan translators can be of amazing quality!). It’s a lovely volume as a physical object, with pretty sprayed edges etc — that part doesn’t matter enormously to me, but it’s still a nice touch.
STARember’s art is beautiful, and I think it’s a pretty strong adaptation overall, introducing Xie Lian and some of the other important characters without including every single possible detail (which would be overwhelming in this format). The character designs are pretty consistent with the other formats, though I’d forgotten some of the cuter/funnier bits with Xie Lian — it’s easy to just remember the beautiful version from some of the more serious scenes, and forget the cute/flustered silly faces he pulls as well. All of that is part of Xie Lian, but easy to forget against the seriousness of his story, so this was a nice reminder.
I do find some of the character designs harder to tell apart in the manga (like Fu Yao and Nan Feng), but that’s rarely critical to understanding a scene so it’s not a huge problem.
Rating: 4/5 (“really liked it”)
Tags: book reviews, books, manga, SF/F, STARember
Posted August 10, 2026 by Nicky in Reviews / 2 Comments
Cat + Gamer
Genres: Manga Pages: 168
Series: Cat + Gamer #3 Rating: Synopsis: A brand-new cat owner with no experience living with pets, quiet office worker Riko uses lessons drawn from video games to guide her in cat care.
Musubi, her cute new companion, tries to understand Riko's behavior through a cat's worldview. Enjoying their time together, Riko learns more about cohabitating with a cat, as lessons in grooming, play, and personal space continue to be learned.
“Leveling up” in skills, surprises, and adventures extends to real life, as Riko discovers what it’s like living with a cat! Wataru Nadatani’s hilarious manga series is translated by Zack Davisson (Demon Days, Kaibyo: The Supernatural Cats of Japan) and lettered by Susie Lee of Studio Cutie.
Cat + Gamer vol 3 continues to be really cute: it’s essentially the same from volume to volume in many ways, but you do get to see Riko learning more about how to take care of her cats. The nerdy references to games that are not quite like real games are funny too, like playing spot the game.
It still veers a little too close to cringe for me when Riko acts like she only understands life through video games (how does she manage getting by when she refers to shop assistants as “shopkeeper” and so on?! how is she supposedly so high-functioning and good at work when she speaks in such unserious ways?!) but… kitty! So cute! And I know it’s not meant to be “realistic”; the whole idea is meant for laughs. But given the stereotype of gamers as cave-dwelling losers, it’s just… not so funny to me.
On the positive side, the interludes from Musubi’s point of view steal the show, really. Kitty!
Rating: 3/5 (“liked it”)
Tags: book reviews, books, manga, Wataru Nadatani
Posted August 5, 2026 by Nicky in Reviews / 0 Comments
Cat + Gamer
Genres: Manga Pages: 174
Series: Cat + Gamer #2 Rating: Synopsis: A quiet office worker embraces her new role as a cat mom when she begins sharing superfluous amounts of cat photos on the internet.
Riko can’t help it—her tuxedo baby is just too cute! Will her coworkers feel the same or will it add to their bewilderment about her? At home, Riko learns more about Musubi, from favorite toys such as a free grocery bag to their shared joy of video games. And Musubi himself learns a new trick—how to tell her when it’s dinner time!
“Leveling up” in skills, surprises, and adventures extends to real life, as Riko discovers what it’s like living with a cat!
Volume two of Wataru Nadatani’s Cat + Gamer is pretty much the same as volume one: it’s cute, silly, and a little bit cringe when Riko uses gaming terms for perfectly ordinary stuff (like calling the shop assistant “shopkeeper” all the time, and then “great sage” after she gives some extra advice about how to keep a kitty happy). I know it’s meant to be silly, but it just comes across as weird, and I promise gamers can actually function in society without treating it like a video game (as we know Riko must be able to, since she functions fine at work).
I did enjoy the chapter where Riko’s sister came over and gamed with her for a bit, that was fun, and it was also kinda nice to go see more of the “shopkeeper” (did she even get a name though?!).
And of course, Musubi (the cat) is adorable.
Rating: 3/5 (“liked it”)
Tags: book reviews, books, manga, Wataru Nadatani
Posted July 27, 2026 by Nicky in Reviews / 0 Comments
Our Not-So-Lonely Planet Travel Guide
Genres: Manga,
Romance Pages: 208
Series: Our Not-So-Lonely Planet Travel Guide Rating: Synopsis: Super serious Asahi Suzumura and laidback, easygoing Mitsuki Sayama might seem like an odd couple, but they made a deal; they'll vacation around the world and when they get back to Japan, they'll get married.
As they travel from country to country, the different people, cultures and cuisine they encounter begin to bring them closer together. After all they're not just learning about the world, but about themselves too.
The first volume of Mone Sorai’s Our Not-So-Lonely Planet Travel Guide introduces us to Asahi and Mitsuki, a Japanese gay couple who are going on a tour around the world. When they get back, they plan to get married. Obviously the wrench thrown into that plan is the fact that Asahi doesn’t want to be out, and the two of them bicker and seem ill-matched at several points in the story so far (though there are also some cute/tender moments).
Because of Asahi’s self-doubt and internalised homophobia, it’s hard to just view this as light fun — sorry, but getting het up about your boyfriend wanting to hold your hand or be sappy in public is just not where I’m at (at least not when it’s for those reasons).
Like I said, there are some cute moments, and aspects I do like, but… I’m not a huge fan of the art style (particularly Asahi’s design and expressions), so I’m not super drawn to reading more. Glad I gave it a shot though.
Rating: 3/5 (“liked it”)
Tags: book reviews, books, manga, Mone Sorai, romance
Posted July 21, 2026 by Nicky in Reviews / 10 Comments
Cat + Gamer
Genres: Manga Pages: 186
Series: Cat + Gamer #1 Rating: Synopsis: Riko, a twenty-nine-year-old office worker with an obsession for video games, finds her quiet life upended when she takes in a stray cat in this adorable manga series!
Her coworkers can’t quite figure her out—she never talks about her personal life, she never works overtime, and she never joins them for happy hour. Is she antisocial? Nope, she’s rushing home to play video games! One day, a stray cat is found in the office parking lot, and before Riko knows it, the cat has moved in with her! Having no experience with pets, Riko uses lessons drawn from video games to guide her in cat care, while her cute companion tries to understand her behavior through a cat's worldview.
Volume one of Wataru Nadatani’s Cat + Gamer is pretty fun: an office worker who clocks off right on time and goes home to play video games at night impulsively adopts a cat. She knows little about taking care of pets, and eventually decides to view it in a gamified sort of way.
Sometimes that’s kinda cringe (rushing the cat to the vet with fleas, talking about it having a debuff), but it mostly comes out cute. I especially like the interludes between chapters, showing events from the cat’s point of view.
Overall it’s silly light fun, and a nice palate cleanser.
Rating: 3/5 (“liked it”)
Tags: book reviews, books, manga, Wataru Nadatani
Posted July 6, 2026 by Nicky in Reviews / 0 Comments
Dinosaur Sanctuary
Genres: Manga,
Science Fiction Pages: 200
Series: Dinosaur Sanctuary #7 Rating: Synopsis: Suma Suzume, the newest dinokeeper at the struggling Enoshima Dinoland, stops by the lab to see her old friend Benkei...but will he have a place to stay much longer? Back at the park, the crew from a local TV station that's hoping to capture a day in the life of a rookie dinokeeper gets more than they bargained for when an unexpected visitor shows up in the Dilophosaurus paddock! And to top it all off, it's time for Suzume to learn the ropes at the park's facilities for disabled dinos...
Volume seven of Itaru Kinoshita’s Dinosaur Sanctuary is the last one that’s already out in translation at the time of writing, and I feel bereft. I love this series and how sweet it is, with Suma’s deep care for the dinosaurs, the supportiveness of (most of) her coworkers, and the sheer enthusiasm of the series’ consultant in the fact files between chapters!
This particular installment includes Trom, a blind Deinonychus, who has been trained with a clicker! He doesn’t go on display because he’s blind, so the park just takes care of him, and Suma learning to understand that he’s not necessarily to be pitied is pretty neat. We also get a bit with the psittacos in the petting zoo, which is so cute.
But really, the fact files are full of such enthusiasm, they especially made me smile in this volume.
Rating: 4/5 (“really liked it”)
Tags: book reviews, books, Itaru Kinoshita, manga, SF/F
Posted July 5, 2026 by Nicky in Reviews / 0 Comments
Welcome Back, Aureole
Genres: Manga,
Romance Pages: 210
Rating: Synopsis: Outgoing and popular Kazu and shy and serious Moto grew up together as childhood best friends. But something changes during junior high, and the familiar, easy rhythm of their friendship begins to break apart as Kazu starts nursing deeper feelings for his oblivious friend. When Kazu's troubled home life and Moto's budding romantic forays create a clash of misunderstandings, secrets, and hurt feelings, will their relationship be able to survive these growing pains?
Welcome Back, Aureole is a bittersweet yet tender exploration of the maturation of young love. Two boys growing up side by side... their stars drift apart and come together again.
I didn’t love the art in Takatsu’s Welcome Back, Aureole, but it’s a cute story nonetheless: Kazu and Moto have been best friends for a long time, but we quickly learn that Kazu has fallen in love with Moto, who doesn’t return the feelings. Nonetheless, he’s determined to remain Kazu’s friend and help him with what he’s going through (the abusive alcoholism of his father and his parents’ divorce), even if Kazu just tries to go away.
There’s a happy ending, of course: their feelings start out of step, with Kazu’s attempt at kissing Moto just confusing and angering him. Moto starts to see Kazu differently though, especially after his 2.5 year relationship with his girlfriend ends with purely friendly feelings between them.
There’s a bit of pining along the way, and background trauma on Kazu’s part, but it works out pretty cute.
Rating: 3/5 (“liked it”)
Tags: book reviews, books, manga, romance, Takatsu
Posted June 28, 2026 by Nicky in Reviews / 0 Comments
Dinosaur Sanctuary
Genres: Manga,
Science Fiction Pages: 200
Series: Dinosaur Sanctuary #6 Rating: Synopsis: SUZUME MOVES ON AGAIN, AND BENKEI RETURNS!
Rookie dinokeeper Suma Suzume is continuing to make the rounds through every department in the struggling Enoshima Dinoland. Now that Umeko the Centrosaurus is out of surgery, Suzume’s time with the ceratopsians comes to an end. Can she find a way to get close to Fuzuki, the decidedly peculiar head of the pterosaur department? And what happens when Benkei, the Troodon chick she raised, scampers back into her life?
Volume six of Itaru Kinoshita’s Dinosaur Sanctuary covers Umeko’s surgery and initial recovery period, and then has Suma moving on to a rotation with the pterosaurs and visiting Benkei in the lab. There’s some really cute stuff here, and of course Suma’s usual near-magic ability to eventually get along with everyone.
We do also get a moment between Suma and Kaidou (with Karin bailing) which gives us some more interpersonal background; I kind of wondered for a second if there’s a hint of romance there? I don’t know how I’d feel about that!
Anyway, as usual, it’s a fun volume and based in science, and I enjoyed it a lot. I’m not so appreciative of the slight cliffhangers between volumes (Umeko’s prep for surgery between five and six, and now the fate of the lab between six and seven), but it makes sense as a way to keep people buying the manga…
Rating: 4/5 (“really liked it”)
Tags: book reviews, books, Itaru Kinoshita, manga, SF/F
Posted June 19, 2026 by Nicky in Reviews / 0 Comments
Dinosaur Sanctuary
Genres: Manga,
Science Fiction Pages: 200
Series: Dinosaur Sanctuary #5 Rating: Synopsis: RELATIONSHIPS ARE COMPLICATED--BOTH HUMAN AND DINO!
Suzume is getting to know ankylosaur section head Katase Shogo. They're the same age, so they should get along, right? Wrong... Can Suzume keep from butting heads with him until it's time for her to move on to ceratopsians? The humans aren't the only ones with drama on their hands at Enoshima Dinoland, either! Centrosaurus sweethearts Umeko and Shoukichi are going through ordeals of their own...
Volume five of Dinosaur Sanctuary gives us some more of the uneasy working relationship between Suma and Katase, which continues to be a bit rocky, and some background into the vet, Shiranui, along with a glimpse of Karin handling a group of schoolkids as well.
Dinosaur-wise, we get some more time with the centrosauruses, which is really the main plotline of this volume and extends into volume six. As a warning, this volume includes a dinosaur (the Centrosaurus Umeko) with an osteosarcoma, and the story doesn’t conclude in this volume.
About that: I remember learning from David Hone’s books The Future of Dinosaurs that dinosaurs and birds can isolate infection in a certain part of the body rather than seeing the kind of systemic spread that humans do. Maybe that gives Umeko a better chance with cancer, too, since there’s less chance of metastasis? The manga doesn’t mention it, but I’m going to let that give me hope!
Slightly less light-hearted overall than some of the volumes, but still fun, and the variety does help to add depth.
Rating: 4/5 (“really liked it”)
Tags: book reviews, books, Itaru Kinoshita, manga, SF/F
