I’ve talked about the problems with “happily-ever-after” many times on Okazu. And I’ve frequently mentioned that I love media that looks beyond it – “after-happily-ever-after.” And I’ve addressed the fact that looking past the princesses riding off together on the flying horse or whatever leads to a complicated series of questions and answers, most of which are about human society and politics and not at all romantic, so it’s mostly always handwaved away for “and they lived happily-ever-after.”

So, while the climax of Volume 3 (and/or the anime) left us with hope that Euphyllia and Anisphia would be able to achieve something together, it was a bit thin on details.

The Magical Revolution of the Reincarnated Princess and the Genius Young Lady, Vol. 4 not only digs deep into the practical matters of “happily-ever-after” and after that, it addresses all the actual political issues that lead to the bigger social problems and the smaller issues that made Princess Anis’ life a misery. Piero Karasu took time to address the rather large and complex issue of just how can magicology help people…but also took time to figure out how magicology could bring the Ministry of the Arcane together with Anis and Euphie. This is a major plot point and was handled thoughtfully. A pile of new characters (and therefore new future plot complication) were introduced, as well.

But best of all, this series really got into the weeds of addressing Anis’ and Euphie’s relationship. I heard that some folks were unhappy with them being formally made sisters. In Japan in 2023, where same-sex relationships have no national legal status, adoption is still a common method to give people a legal bond. So that was not unexpected. What happened in Volume 4 as Euphie is crowned – that was unexpected. And very welcome. So if you were among the disappointed, I recommend reading this volume. ^_^

In fact, so much happens in this volume, it’s easy to not see any of it actually *happening* as the modus operandi for most of it is people having much-needed conversations…like people do. What an actual pleasure. ^_^

Ratings:

Art – 7 Kisaragi’s art is better and more relevant this volume
Story – 10 Does everything it needed to
Characters – 9 Euphie finally steps up and we have two Queens to bring revolution to the world
Service – 6 Euphie’s “feeding” is not heavily veiled and we get an actual sex scene, mostly
Yuri – 10

Overall – 10

I can’t wait for Volume 5 which should be headed our way in August. ^_^

In light of yesterday’s news about a new Lycoris Recoil anime on the way, today seems like the perfect time to review the light-novel spin-off, Lycoris Recoil Ordinary days (リコリス・リコイル Ordinary days).

Just to set the scene. I enjoyed the anime. And I also noted that it had plot holes so huge you could push a destroyed radio tower through them. ^_^ It hardly mattered whether the plot held together as we were in it for the moe girls shooting guns while engaging in what passes for witty repartee in a moe action anime. Because of all this, LycoReco was the runaway season hit and despite the fact that much of the Yuri was in our imagination, it was a huge hit with Yuri fans.  When the spin-off novel was announced, it sold 100K copies in pre-orders and passed a quarter of a million copies in print by November of last year. Of course I had to at least give it a try. ^_^

The title is a pretty solid clue as to what the book is like. An introduction to each short provides the ribbon story, with mostly adult men coming to the cafe and having their lives transformed by good coffee, delicious food and cute girls, in that order. This is followed by a short stand-alone story that range from typical DA shenanigans against armed opponents to an in-depth exploration of Takina’s terrible cooking.  And detailed discussions of the coffee, traditional Japanese sweets and guns. Pretty much exactly what you might expect. It’s a slice-of-life story mostly, so is slow going. Early chapters include an attempt by Chisato to set Takina up on a date with one of the cafe’s regulars. It was a bit of a slog for me, as it it will surprise no one that I didn’t care about Doi-san or his shoes. ^_^;

I also did not expect there to be any Yuri. It was my interpretation of this series that the Yuri was seeded to string viewers with a Yuri interest along, as Bee Train did in the 00s. If you want to see it, it’s there, kind of Yuri. If you want to call it something else, that’s fine. I was wrong. ^_^ Imagine my surprise when a zombie story ended up including Takina literally awakening to her interest in the idea of being alone with Chisato, forever. So there we go, Yuri fans, at least Takina kind-of-sort-of has a clue now.

The final story was the most problematic. More problematic than setting adult men on dates with a young teen girl? Yes, actually. It was problematic in the sense that the bulk of the story forces us to watch a middle-school girl being bullied and tortured, and gives us only the promise of future retribution. I deeply dislike this kind of story, so I finally gave up and skipped to the end. It was an unsatisfying way to end what was otherwise a harmless, sometime dull, deeply fannish look at a world that has plenty of room to play in. 

Ratings:

Art – 6 Moe heads floating in a panel with largely the same one expression. Chisato smiling, everyone else looking at her.
Story – I would have said 7, but the final story really tanked it.
Characters – Same ones you know from the anime. Mika’s an 8
Yuri – 6, BL – 6 Now that we know Mika’s gay, we do have to mention it. It’s in the contract
Service – No, until that final chapter

Overall – 6

These scenarios were created by Asaura, the writer for the LycoReco anime. My guess is, therefore, that all or some of these stories will be in the new season.  “Takina’s cooking,” “Lycoris of the Dead” and an introduction which focused on coffee and the order in which one should eat one’s traditional Japanese sweets were fun to read. These would make good episodes of an anime. ^_^

Where do I even begin with The Magical Revolution of the Reincarnated Princess and the Genius Young Lady, Volume 3? It…was good! seems like the best place to start.

This novel took a trope I strongly dislike and gave it a genuine reason to exist, then resolved it beautifully. In almost every series where the plot hinges upon the fact that the main characters can’t, don’t or won’t have a conversation, my teeth begin to grind. Not so here, in a set-up that set Anis and Euphie at odds with one another in a way that could not be compromised, in order to protect the other. They really could not have it out in the usual way. So when they do, in a reasonably epic manner…it made actual sense!

Then, in the fallout of the epic scene, they do address the Yuri in the room and that, too, makes sense.

Then there is a ridiculous handwave, which was 1000% acceptable because this is an Isekai LN and even I am not so philistine as to require everything be practical. ^_^

When I reviewed Volume 1 of this series, I gave it a 7 and said that it “had a lot of room to grow.” I don’t appear to have reviewed Volume 2 of the manga, which wrapped up the first arc. I understand why I did not. It does resolve the plot, but to do so focuses more on Anisphia’s relationship to her brother and father, than to Euphyllia.

Here in Volume 3, Euphie and Anis are front and center, the entire plot wrapped around their feelings about their life goals versus life roles and about each other, in an immensely satisfying way. The story gets emotionally heavy in the most honest and useful way possible, that sets the stage for the next novel. The next two novels, in fact, notes Sr. YNN Correspondent Sean G, who pointed out that Tensei Oujo to Tensai Reijou no Mahou Kakumei (転生王女と天才令嬢の魔法革命) Volume 4 and Volume 5 are out in Japan. Volume 4 in English is slated for a June release from Yen Press…and, I find myself looking forward to it. ^_^

Ratings:

Art – 5 As usual, rather irrelevant to the story
Story – 8
Characters – 9
Service – 1 Hardly any this time
Yuri – 8 Euphyllia and Anisphia are now a great couple

Overall – 8 Satisfying conclusion and a great opening gambit for the rest of the series to continue

I want to know what Anis and Euphie will do with themselves now that all of …/flailing hands/ this…is out of the way. ^_^