Manga

This past week has been a busy one, but I have done quite a bit of catching up on older series. Here are a couple moments from the past week I wanted to bring up.

• I'm Not Breaking Off The Engagement / Boku wa Konyaku Haki Nante Shimasen kara ne

The final chapter for this series was posted to MD. Overall, I ended up enjoying this series way more than I thought I would. I do kind of hate that the manga ends just as it feels like the main story is about to start. That's how it goes sometimes when a manga is just an ad for the LN. Unfortunately, the LN is not being translated, so my time with this story has come to an end.

• The Story of Being Taught How to Fight by a Delinquent Gyaru / Houkago wa Kenka Saikyou no Gyaru ni Tsurekomareru Seikatsu Kanojo-tachi ni Sukarete, Boku mo Saikyou ni!?

This one just got picked up again by a new SL group. It's early, but it has been fun. It kind of reminds me a bit of Yankee JK Kuzuhana, but with a more straightforward plot, less harem, and more satisfying lead pair. I'm keeping an eye on this one, but we are almost up to the raws again (10 chapters), so I might have to let this one build up and knock out a couple chapters at a time.

• Lala Lab ⭐︎ Gyaru, Science, and Youth! / Lalalab☆ ~Gal to Kagaku to Seishun to!~

This is a new series I found this past week. It reads more like a workplace comedy or parody of Life Sciences in academia rather than what the title promises, gyaru romance. As somebody that spent years working in an academic lab doing life science-adjacent work, I can attest that it is nailing the parody aspect of that lifestyle. The author (probably TL as well) must have experience in the field because they talk about specific pieces of equipment, protocols, and demonstrate a level of understanding of how academic labs function that would be hard to replicate otherwise. I don't expect this series to be widely popular, but as a member of the target audience, I am a fan.

• I Think I'll Hide My True Ability to the Last Moment / Shin no Jitsuryoku wa Girigiri Made Kakushite Iyou to Omou

I had let this one pile up a handful of chapters and just caught back up. Overall, I like this series, but it isn't one of my favorites. The worldbuilding and power system of this story is probably my favorite part. Pacts are made with gods/goddesses and skills are granted. It reminds of Danmachi in that sense. The most recent chapters are in the middle of a tournament arc, so that's always fun.