From Our TBR Pile… New Recommendations! September 2025

As the nights begin to draw in, there’s more time to enjoy reading a good book (manga, light novel or manhwa!) and the reviewers at Anime UK News are here again with some recommendations, including mid-series volumes that are well worth your time!

K-On! Shuffle Volume 3 by kakifly – reviewed by Ian Wolf

The Pop Music Club continue to develop their skills. They get themselves a (temporary) name of “Risa and her Funny Friends”, and prepare for a summer training camp, albeit hampered by the fact that Shinano has to take make-up exams and won’t join the rest of the group for a few days. This series continues to entertain, and has the added delight of featuring cameos from K-On! when some familiar faces pop up when some club members happen to bump into Mio and Mugi from Hokago Tea-Time. We also get a full colour chapter and translation notes as extras. A few old tropes get added to the mix – what with it being a summer camp, they inevitably go to the beach. The translation from Stephen Paul for Yen Press, editing from Steven Shin and Carl Li, and especially the lettering from Rachel J. Pierce all work well as the series continues. Score: 8/10

mono Volume 3 by Afro – reviewed by Ian Wolf

This volume contains plenty that will already be familiar to mono fans of the manga series from Yen Press as they have already appeared in the recent anime adaptation which aired earlier this year, prior to this book being released in English. In it, we witness the cine-photo club go travelling to consume a load of shaved ice and then making a horror movie with the help of the club’s phantom member Tajima. Meanwhile, Haruno goes on a trip with some fellow manga creators, before coming into some money which she uses to purchase a custom keyboard for her work. Compared to K-On! Shuffle, another yonkoma, mono is much wordier but personally I think it’s funnier, from horror writer Torayo’s description of a project she worked on being cursed, to Haruno overindulging on cat keycaps. The book includes colour pages, extensive translation notes and a special cross-over strip with Afro’s previous work Laid-Back Camp. Amber Tamosaitis’s translation, Chiho Christie’s lettering, and Carl Li’s editing all hold up well. Score: 8/10

My Happy Marriage Volume 5 (Light Novel) by Akumi Agitogi – reviewed by Demelza

With Naoshi Usui still on the loose and targeting Miyo, she and Kiyoka take refuge with Crown Prince Takaihito in the Imperial Palace. In theory, this is the safest place for her, but Usui is a formidable foe, and one wrong move could spell disaster. And amidst this, Miyo finds herself grappling with her feelings for Kiyoka, which have bloomed into love. Does he feel the same? While Volume 4 felt like a mid-arc instalment, this one is the actual mid-arc entry that ends in a cliffhanger with nothing resolved. It’s filled with all the things we’ve come to know and love My Happy Marriage for, but you’re definitely going to want to have Volume 6 ready and waiting to move straight on to. Released by Yen On with translation by David Musto. Score: 8/10

Wash It All Away Volume 2 by Mitsuru Hattori – reviewed by Demelza

It’s summer festival time in Atami, and Wakane is tasked with an emergency job when the organisers find the festival costumes covered in mould! It’s going to require a few all-nighters to be finished, and even then, it might be tight, but luckily, help is at hand. Elsewhere, Wakane is asked to with restore a traditional doll, which is quite a unique and difficult job. Still, our protagonist rises to the challenge, and we get to enjoy being led through the intricate details of restoring items like this. If you enjoyed Volume 1, this is more of the same, and that is certainly not a criticism. The artwork remains absolutely stunning, Wakane is a charming lead, and there’s a growing cast of characters that we’re getting to know and love. Released by Square Enix Manga with translation by Sawa Matsueda Savage and lettering by Adnazeer Macalangcom. Score: 9/10

Dark Moon: the Blood Altar Volume 4 by Hybe (Ize Press) – reviewed by Noemi10

Sooha has been kidnapped by Dardan and it’s up to Heli and his friends to save her. Dardan is planning to drain Sooha of her powers and have her all for himself as he couldn’t in their previous lives. The readers finally get to know who Sooha really is and how Heli and the gang are all connected, thanks to flashbacks narrating their history. The werewolf Khan is also somehow involved as well, but how it’s still to be confirmed. However, the vampires have a nefarious plan that involves the werewolves and to save his species, Khan needs to go to the city of Automnal where Heli and his friends are also going. The story keeps being cheesy and somewhat cliché, with a secret love between a princess and a guard, a villain with a one-sided love, and a possible leader of the werewolves that possesses the power of the wolf god. I think many popular tropes have been thrown together in the story without thinking it through properly, but it’s still a quick and nice read for all romantics out there. Score: 5/10

Not-Sew-Wicked Stepmom Volume 4 by Iru and Mo9Rang (Ize Press) – reviewed by Noemi10

Abigail’s birthday is coming up soon and both King Sabrian and Princess Blanche insist on giving her gift after gift. Abigail though is still traumatized by her experiences in her previous life, so she doesn’t know how to let them spoil her. Sabrian doesn’t give up though, and he’s even willing to get Abigail’s maid’s advice for the perfect gift. However, all plans are ruined when Abigail and Blanche both get sick and show symptoms matching a mysterious epidemic disease. Now Sabrian has to find the cause and a cure as soon as possible, but if there is something we are learning in this story it’s that the Queen doesn’t need a King to save her; after all, she can save herself and the rest of the kingdom on her own! The story continues to be heart-warming and it’s satisfying to see the three main characters opening up and start treating each other like family. I can’t wait to see if Sabrian and Abigail will also develop a romantic relationship with each other. Score: 7/10

Nukozuke! Volume 4 – reviewed by Sarah

The mysterious young man with the eyepatch has been revealed to be Haruki, Yuya’s younger brother and a celebrity. But when he and Yuya go to the cemetery at Obon to pay their respects to Inori Yukimura, we learn the sad fact that she was Yuya’s partner and has passed away… although the nukos get to meet her in spirit. The coming of Halloween cheers everyone up, especially when both humans and nukos dress up to go Trick or Treating! Then, with Christmas on the horizon, the nukos write notes to Santa. There are also lots of extras and notes from mangaka Yugi Iro at the back of this volume. The translation is by Laura Egan for One Peace Books and works well although I still find the lettering font/choices (uncredited) difficult to decipher, often making reading a chore. Volume 5 is out in October! Score: 7/10

With our thanks to Yen Press, Ize Press, Square Enix Manga, One Peace Books, Diamond Book Distributors and Turnaround Comics (Turnaround Publisher Services).