Japanese Science

One day, in a peaceful lizardman village, an ominous messenger visits with a warning from the Great Tomb of Nazarick: In eight days' time, they will be annihilated. Unwilling to stand by and wait, the fighter and traveler Zaryusu journeys to the other lizardman tribes--who have received the same message--hoping to form an alliance against their impossibly strong opponent. But though the warriors try valiantly to resist, Ainz Ooal Gown and his undead army hold the power to determine their fate...

Following his defeat of the Minotaur, Bell has reached Level Two--and is the new record holder for the fastest to do so. Suddenly everyone in Orario wants to form a party with him and go adventuring! But with sudden popularity comes many a complication. How will Bell and Hestia know whom to trust? The Familia myth—written by the goddess and lived by the boy—continues!

Naofumi Iwatani, an uncharismatic Otaku who spends his days on games and manga, suddenly finds himself summoned to a parallel universe! He discovers he is one of four heroes equipped with legendary weapons and tasked with saving the world from its prophesied destruction. As the Shield Hero, the weakest of the heroes, all is not as it seems. Naofumi is soon alone, penniless, and betrayed. With no one to turn to, and nowhere to run, he is left with only his shield. Now, Naofumi must rise to become the legendary Shield Hero and save the world!

The Salamander Kampfgruppe has finally come off the front lines and is headed back west for much-needed R & R. The troops are more than ready to enjoy some peace and quiet after many long days flying missions on the eastern front. What they aren’t ready for is how unfamiliar it feels not to be surrounded by whizzing bullets and exploding artillery shells. For Tanya, though, this long-awaited return to the rear brings more disturbing realizations than respite. This vacation may be far more eventful than it has any right to be.

Belgrieve's return to Turnera has been marked by many brushes with larger-than-life figures, including a legendary adventurer, an elven princess, and a mysterious foundling with mystical powers. In the midst of all of this, Belgrieve is forced to confront unresolved old feelings about his past that have smoldered within him since his adventuring days came to an end so long ago. Meanwhile, after resuming her adventuring life in the big city, Angeline has done her father the dubious service of seeking out prospective brides for him (to no avail).

Even adventurers want a change of pace every now and then. Priestess stays behind for once, Cow Girl visits town without any work, Guild Girl takes a rare day off, and High Elf Archer reminisces about old adventures instead of looking for a new one. But evil doesn't take vacations. Goblin Slayer, Spearman, and Heavy Warrior are teaming up, but is this irregular party good enough to battle demons?!

In a city of the dead, long since ruined and far from human civilization, lives a single human child. His name is Will, and he's being raised by three undead: the hearty skeletal warrior, Blood; the graceful mummified priestess, Mary; and the crotchety spectral sorcerer, Gus. The three pour love into the boy, and teach him all they know. But one day, Will starts to wonder: "Who am I?"

At turns nonchalantly hip and charmingly deranged, Suzuki's singular slant on speculative fiction would be echoed in countless later works, from Margaret Atwood and Harumi Murakami, to Black Mirror and Ex Machina. In these darkly playful and punky stories, the fantastical elements are always earthed by the universal pettiness of strife between the sexes, and the gritty reality of life on the lower rungs, whatever planet that ladder might be on.

On a clear spring day in 1995, five members of a religious cult unleashed poison gas on the Tokyo subway system. In attempt to discover why, Haruki Murakmi talks to the people who lived through the catastrophe, and in so doing lays bare the Japanese psyche. As he discerns the fundamental issues that led to the attack, Murakami paints a clear vision of an event that could occur anytime, anywhere.

In a break from Lawrence and Holo's ongoing adventures, author Isuna Hasekura presents "Side Colors," a series of short vignettes focusing on the fans' favorite characters.

On October 24, 1944, more than 200 American soldiers were surrounded by German infantry deep in the Vosges Mountains of Eastern France. When their food, ammunition, and medical supplies ran out, the area's army headquarters turned to the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, a segregated unit of Japanese American soldiers, to achieve what other units had failed to do: rescue the "lost battalion".

Life is ephemeral and ever-changing; in Japan, it's called ukiyo—"floating world." How can we adapt to its fluctuations without being overcome? The answer is nagomi: a philosophy of balance—and the secret to a harmonious life. Neuroscientist Ken Mogi shares wisdom from Japanese history and culture to explain how nagomi can help you bring that balance into your health, work, relationships, and sense of self.

After successfully saving the town from Mobile Fortress Destroyer, Kazuma is ready to sit back and enjoy the hero treatment: fame, fortune, and...criminal charges?! Now in hot water with the law, he has to find a way to clear his name with the help of Aqua, Megumin, and Darkness before the judge can sentence him to death. Darkness has a plan to buy more time, but will it be enough...? After all, in this wonderful world, who knows what'll happen?

As autumn arrives, so too does the harvest festival, and everyone is in a celebratory mood. Dwarf Shaman, Priestess, and even Female Knight help with preparations for the revelries, but Guild Girl has her eyes fixed on an even greater prize—a date with Goblin Slayer! With no goblins around, the awkward adventurer has no reason to refuse, but where does that leave his old friend Cow Girl...? Emotional entanglements are in the air, but Goblin Slayer senses some menace lurking behind these seemingly peaceful days...

After returning from the battle at the Rust Mountains, what awaited Will was not a fairytale ending or another terrifying threat, but the commonplace events of his everyday life. His friendship and a fierce battle with his dependable ally, the swordsman Reystov. An adventure in a snow-filled forest with the troubadour Bee. A battle with an ancient indomitable giant. And prayers and conversation with the god of the flame.

What makes a Reaper? What hardships must an innocent child endure to become the vaunted champion of the Eighty-Six? A peek into the past will shed light on his truth. The path he walks is paved with bonds forged in love and broken by tragedy—the shattered fragments of stories untold, committed to memory through the iron will of the one who would shoulder their legacy.

In Ghostly Japan collects 12 ghostly stories from Lafcadio Hearn, deathless images of ghosts and goblins, touches of folklore and superstition, salted with traditions of the nation. While some of these stories contain nightmare imagery worthy of a midnight creature feature, others are not ghostly or ghastly at all. "Bits of Poetry" offers an engaging study on verse, and "Japanese Buddhist Proverbs" explains the meaning of several aphorisms based on Japanese cultural references.

Turning sixteen in Wisty Air has been interesting, with the Sugula looming ever higher in the sky, threatening our world's very existence. Still, life goes on as I purify monsters, come up with new alchemy recipes, and enjoy seeing my family when I can. Unfortunately, those ordinary days come to a sudden halt when I'm abducted by Edesa Kura! What awaits me in the country of mechanized soldiers?!

Trolls haunt the snowy forests, and terrifying monsters roam the open sea. A young woman journeys to the end of the world, and a boy proves he knows no fear. This collection of 16 traditional tales transports readers to the enchanting world of Nordic folklore. Translated and transcribed by folklorists in the 19th century, and presented here unabridged, the stories are by turns magical, hilarious, cozy, and chilling. They offer a fascinating view into Nordic culture and a comforting wintertime listen.

Kitsune are fox spirits that take on human form and play tricks on people. One such man fell in love with a kitsune disguised as a beautiful woman.