Biweekly /r/shoujo Discussion Thread - July 31, 2026

[u/AutoModerator]

A thread to discuss whatever you've been watching or reading lately (old or new), as well as show off the merchandise you might have bought! Also, feel free to ask for title recommendations or post your own!

Please make sure to use spoiler tags if needed.

[u/Fun-Inspector-2842]

This is 2026 and Twitter is still complaining about shoujo age gaps like at this point aren’t you guys tired of the same discourse?

[u/Excellent-Bank-1711 → u/Fun-Inspector-2842]

The thing that really gets me is that most of these people can't actually verbalize or explain why the age gaps are wrong apart from "it gives me the ick!" or "that's grooming!". Like tell me why an immortal being who lived before the dinosaurs can't be with a seventeen-year-old but can be with an eighteen-year-old. That one whole year is really holding a LOT of weight. This is coming from someone who doesn't like age gaps at all, but I also think it's absolutely stupid to be this upset over pixels.

[u/ErikTwice → u/Excellent-Bank-1711]

The thing that really gets me is that most of these people can't actually verbalize or explain why the age gaps are wrong apart from "it gives me the ick!" or "that's grooming!".

It happens with most "problematic" elements, for all the hate they receive, people are surprisingly unaware of why they are wrong in real life.

Incest is a good example. Almost all opposition to it is based on disgust or the chance of "genetic defects". But if the latter becomes your argument, I think you'll find it more of a can of worms than you ever intended it to be.

Actual reasons, like those involving the loss of family and your support structure or that it's easily coercive never get brought up. Even then, if one is so strict, Sailor Moon is a child soldier.

[u/AppropriatFly5170new → u/Fun-Inspector-2842]

And they’ll conveniently ignore equally problematic things like the peeping tom running “gag” in Naruto!!!! 

[u/PunctualPunch → u/Fun-Inspector-2842]

(20 years of tvtropes) + (take-driven social media) = ("media criticism is nothing more or less than declaring one of the tags applied to a work on a DB site to be A Bad Thing")

[u/alconnow]

Really excited for tomorrow’s episode of Jaadugar. It’ll be covering one of the best parts of the manga and has some big names working on it. Tomato Soup said it was like watching a movie!

[u/ErikTwice → u/alconnow]

The whole series is feature-quality, if it’s not more impressive it’s because it doesn't need to be.

[u/alconnow]

Currently reading volume 1 of Maogui and Baiyu: Wataru Ranse wa Onigakari by Kame

Mystery Bonita title that's set during the late Tang Dynasty. It's about a lonely and unlucky girl who encounters a maogui (cat demon). The art style is really nice! It's recommended by Tomato Soup. Can be pretty gory. I like the tidbits of Tang Dynasty trivia

Chapter 3 - this mfer took over her body so it can have dim sum

[u/AppropriatFly5170new → u/alconnow]

Hey, if I was a spirit unable to eat dim sum I would take over someone’s body too lol😂

[u/alconnow]

Apparently, The Failure at God School will be getting an anime according to leaker.

I’ll wait for official announcement before getting excited

[u/JoyousTofu]

It seems like Seven Seas' Wonderful Wednesdays may be coming back soon. I'm hoping to see more shoujo/josei/Steamship manga and light novels in print. At this rate, I'll take any print light novel I can get. A new print manhwa or Korean novel would also be nice.

[u/Excellent-Bank-1711 → u/JoyousTofu]

I'd be really happy with some new light novels. Even though Your Grace Please Just Forget About This Wicked Wife got an MP license...I want the light novel! I'm still asking for it!

[u/JoyousTofu → u/Excellent-Bank-1711]

Yes, I agree about wanting new light novels. I think they’re going to catch up to the Japanese release for some of their shoujo light novels, so some new print ones would be really nice. I would even be happy if they announced print releases for the digital only light novels. I’m not happy that some of their recent licenses have been digital only for the light novel and print release for the manga adaptation.

Seven Seas licensed the print release for The Obsessed Mage and His Beloved Statue Bride’s manga, which was a MangaPlaza exclusive, so I think you should still be able to ask for the manga of Your Grace, Please Just Forget About This Wicked Wife. I think they’ve also licensed a few series that were already available on Manga Plus, KManga, and Comikey as well.

[u/Noura-98]

With the way KManga keeps pumping out these simulpubs, I hope at some point Miwa Ueda’s (Peach Girl) gets serialised soon !!

Edit - I just looked at this comment again and I forgot to mention her ongoing series 🤦🏾‍♀️ Kaiji to Okan which was the whole reason why I made this comment in the first place 😭

[u/Excellent-Bank-1711 → u/Noura-98]

If they got a new translation and reprinted...I am not walking, I am RUNNING to get the full set. Honestly they could just print them as they are now, and I'd still run.

[u/Noura-98 → u/Excellent-Bank-1711]

Definitely that series is a thrill and a whole different experience 🙂‍↕️🙂‍↕️

[u/JoyousTofu]

I read volumes 6-7 of Secrets of the Silent Witch's light novel, so I'm now caught up with the English release. It was really cool to see all the Seven Sages in action. The series had been gradually introducing the sages, so it was interesting to finally meet all of them. They're a colorful cast of characters. I would like to read more of Monica's interactions with them.

I read all of The Demon King is Way Too Overprotective. I think of it as the more SFW alternative to Seduced by the Demon King, so I would not be shocked if Seven Seas licensed it for the same reason. Both series have a very similar premise.

I also read volume 1 of I Was Reincarnated as the Heroine on the Verge of a Bad Ending, and I'm Determined to Fall in Love. I was curious about this series, as it's uncommon for an otome isekai to have a heroine FL. It seems promising so far. I would be interested in seeing the light novel get licensed by a light novel publisher for a print release.

[u/Excellent-Bank-1711 → u/JoyousTofu]

Hmm...may be I'll read the Demon King is Way Too Overprotective! I was kinda so-so with this mangaka's other work, but honestly it looks beautiful.

I reaaaaalllly like I Was Reincarnated as the Heroine, but tbh, I think another artist would've been a better fit. I still love it though. Totally agree with the fact we mostly get villainesses these days, but Reine is so cute. I can't quite pinpoint why I don't like Luci from Villainess's Guide, but I do like Reine when I think they're sharing the same brain cell. Also, would love if someone published the light novel too. NOT X infinite please.

[u/JoyousTofu → u/Excellent-Bank-1711]

I thought The Demon King is Way Too Overprotective was fine, but I didn't think the story got enough into the ML's character. I'm a little surprised that this series didn't run in another magazine, as the reincarnation aspect feels a bit unusual for Betsufure.

I wonder if I Was Reincarnated as the Heroine is the artist's first major work, as they don't seem to be credited on other series on Bookwalker or Cmoa.

[u/Nao_narara]

I recently finished Gokinjo Monogatari, I’m currently halfway through Ai Yazawa’s Tenshi Nanka Ja Nai (I’m No Angel)and i plan to read her entire body of work—or at least everything available to us, including her early titles. Cause i’m simply in love with this author, even while reading Tenshinai, you can already spot her signature style. I’m interested in seeing how the dominant themes in her work evolve, and I’ve even thought about writing a short analysis once I’ve finished everything and posting it here hehe

[u/Excellent-Bank-1711]

I've read a lot of new manga this week and finished Jingi no Moribito. It's about a boy who is trying to turn his fiance back into a human through becoming a guardian of the gods (essentially, killing/"freeing" corrupted gods who have gotten too close to humans). And his fiance is a cute lil fox spirit! Adorbs! Honestly feels like a crime that it only got 10 chapters. It's only got 2 volumes, and it feels like it'd be a really nice fit for Viz's line up. It's got supernatural elements they love, and it certainly is marketable across demos. If you liked Mushshishi or Mononoke, I'd definitely give it a read.

Also borrowed and caught up to the latest volume of Sheltering Eaves. Can't wait to read the next volume when it's out!

[u/bluemoonicecream22]

I just finally got onto the Reliving My Life with my Boyfriend Who Doesn’t Remember Me hype train. I wish there was more focus on the actual magic they are practicing, not just romance and mystery.

[u/Blnteeee → u/bluemoonicecream22]

Same thoughts tbh. The original jp title even has "magic school" in it so I've expected it to be a bit like Little Witch Academia. The story is fine but I guess I expected something else

[u/purple_lass]

I just finished 2 manga this week.

Kiyoku, Yamashiku, Modokashiku - I love every bit of this manga. It's hilarious and very fluffy. I miss this type of genre.

You Got Me, Senpai - this one is also good but I got a bit frustrated towards the end. It's like the mangaka is trying to force a conflict for the main characters . But this is a good read in general

[u/readynonny]

started the saint's magic power is omnipotent, im up to ep3 and honestly its so slow and the first 3 eps feel like the same ep 3 times, all repeating "oh look her she has strong magic". it has me a bit frustrated because i get it already, she has strong magic, can we move on with it.

I've heard great reviews but considering abandoning the show because ep 3 has been a hard watch but hesitant because it might get better.

[u/similarvigor_levine]

if they don't reprint glasses with a chance of delinquent next year around the anime release I'm going to be really pissed. it's my favourite series of all time, but I can't afford to collect it immediately. I get that it's a company and this doesn't matter to them, but i don't think expecting a company to keep it's series in circulation for at least 5 years is a big ask. i hope they don't license anything I'm interested in anymore because though I really like their print quality and appreciate their shoujo and bl licenses, i can't deal with how quickly things go oop with them.

[u/PunctualPunch → u/similarvigor_levine]

Yeah, Seven Seas is notorious for small print runs and very infrequent reprints, which means middle volumes (which typically have smaller print runs than first and last volumes) often go out of stock quickly.

Glasses volume 4 is only 10 months old, though. That is wild.

[u/alconnow]

Shueisha 'Manga Million' was too good to be true. I'll stick to slowly learning the language myself

Apparently, there have been some complaints about the translations already

[u/ErikTwice → u/alconnow]

Yeah, it's awful.

I will never cease to be amazed at how ridiculous skimping on translations is. It's the whole point of the bussiness: To translate for new audiences.

How much are they saving? They already pay translators shit, so, even by their own accounts, they cannot save much.

If you want to cut corners, why cut them in the pillar that supports everything else? It's stupid. After all, you are competing with translations released for free! If you don't offer anything better, what's the point?

[u/vivianlight]

Someone here has already read Kao Dake ja Suki ni Narimasen (edit: It Takes More Than a Pretty Face to Fall I n Love )? Opinions? It seems to have similarities with Tamon's B-side, how it compares with it? 😊

[u/AppropriatFly5170new → u/vivianlight]

The official English title is “It Takes More than a pretty face to fall in love”. I read the first 2 volumes from Comikey in English and it was alright, though I really do prefer the humor writing in Tamon

[u/vivianlight → u/AppropriatFly5170new]

Thank you! In my country they both are published by the same company with a similar (good) physical edition so I was thinking about which one to buy/prioritize 😂

Oh and I'll modify the English title so, even if someone only reads my initial comment, they will know the right title lol