Manga UP! Global Adds Five New Manga in English

Manga UP! Global has rounded out a busy month by adding five new manga in English. The lineup leans toward fantasy and romance, with a few familiar genre favorites in the mix.

Leading the batch is Notorious No More: The Villainess Enjoys Feigning Incompetence, based on Hanako Arashi’s novels. It follows a soul on her third life: once the infamous villainess Beljeanne, then a Japanese woman who lived to 86, and now reborn as sixteen year old Laviange, who carries all those memories and quietly hides her true talents to enjoy an ordinary life.

Also joining is The Free Life of the Forlorn Lady, in which a jilted noblewoman strikes out on her own as a gem appraiser, putting a cozy, independent spin on the cast aside heroine trope.

For lighter fare, the service added the sweet romance Boyish Girlfriend, along with the fantasy adventure From Old Country Bumpkin to Master Swordsman, a spinoff focused on a mage knight’s origins.

Rounding things out is the romantic comedy Can’t Choose a Childhood Friend, giving readers one more gentle option to sample.

My take: The villainess on her third life is the standout hook for me, since that extra lifetime of memories adds a fun, knowing twist. It is a nice, varied batch with something for most tastes.