@radiantmemories said in [NEWS/RECAP] February 2026 New Series + Print Announcements:
Looking more, I can see that it's a bit of an exaggeration. I was looking quickly at work while on my break. And I did make assumptions about a couple based on how those types of stories typically go. […]
You can see why I'd be disappointed, right? It's still quite a few of them, though not as much as I originally estimated.
No, not really, though I admit I have a different angle than you.
JNC of late already licenses way more titles than I could possibly read. In fact, just the titles I already follow are more than I could possibly read, if all of them were active and releasing parts at the same time. So what I look for in each batch of new releases is enough titles amusing enough to keep me entertained between releases of the titles I really care about. With the hope that one or more will be good enough to add to the list of prized titles that I really care about and purchase, like D-Genesis. Hopefully you can see why that’s a lower bar to clear?
So if Reincarnated Mastermind turns into a harem at some point in the future, that doesn’t matter so much to me; because it’s amusing enough now, and I can always drop it if it does become boring. And I’m not afraid to drop a title if it does become boring; Isekai Walking, for example, had a first volume that was pretty fun but dropped off after that.
@Libri-Liberorum said in [NEWS/RECAP] February 2026 New Series + Print Announcements:
My initial thoughts on the new releases:
Reborn to Reign: Reincarnation isekai, but with little or no memory of past life. Becomes OP. Gets harem. These are all significant minuses for me. Reincarnated as a villian character: this is generally a minus, as it is so cliche now, although it is sometimes done well. With so much against it, I'm not even going to start.
For me, the stopping point was in the first part, when he revealed his recent reincarnation to the parents and brazenly announced that he reserved the right to be an asshole and they couldn’t do anything about it. Dude. Doing that in the face of parents who obviously still cared about their now-dead son, even as they mourned his turn to villainy? Not cool. Not to mention stupid, like a declaration of war.
Miss Medic's Diary at War: Refreshingly low on trope cliche overload. OK so far, I expect to at least finish the first volume.
Meh. Low on LN power fantasy cliches, but stuffed to the gills with grimdark “war is hell” cliches and I’m very tired of gore-porn. Didn’t make it past the first part on this one either.
Sister Mafioso: Has some interesting new angles. Another one I'll finish the first volume, but my hopes are not as high as for Miss Medic.
Yeah, it was one of the more promising ones from this batch.
Proud to be the Villianess: It took until the end of prepub part 3 to get a feel for what sort of story it actually is, which is refreshing. It appears to be
<snip>
This is a story type which I can enjoy for a while, but I typically drop after about 3 volumes, if not sooner.
This is probably my favorite of the new titles, just because the MC is so gonzo gung-ho about her actions, and looks like she’s about to find out she wasn’t as clever as she thought she was…
The Accursed Chef: I started the LN when it came out. It didn't hold my attention enough to keep reading it. However, with the lower time commitment of a manga, I'll probably keep this on my permanent to-read list. (I have a few like this, including Campfire Cooking, and My Daughter Left the Nest.)
I follow very few mangas, so that’s a strike against it to start. And like you, the LN didn’t keep me reading past volume 1, so I didn’t bother starting it.
All Eyes on Kekoyashiki-kun: Undecided, I'll keep reading for a while.
See above about mangas.
Starting on Hard Mode: OP, harem. Sigh. I'll give the manga a chance for a while, but I'll probably drop it fairly soon.
I’m giving the LN a try, but as I said earlier it’s overly bland - he literally has a help guide walking him through the world. The guide’s occasional snarkiness is admittedly amusing, but I’ll probably be dropping it shortly myself unless it improves.
Path of an S-Rank Adventurer: Big list of tired tropes. No manga to take the low-cost trial read. I'm not starting this one.
I try to give every non-manga title a try, so I did start it; but I’m just about burned out on kicked-out-of-the-party revengefics, especially with edgelordy protagonists. Will probably drop shortly.
Unsung Epics of the Hero's Journey: Interesting characters, alternative POV to the hero's journey. Might end up too combat oriented for my tastes. This is reasonably promising.
Yeah, another favorite out of this batch. I love it when a meek, apparently powerless character turns out to not be so powerless after all, so the last part cemented my interest.
The Reincarnated Mastermind: Looking very cliche so far. Might be worthwhile if the hero and first girl have good chemistry. I'm reading it, but it wouldn't take much for me to drop it. Reminiscent of the start of Hell Mode, which I did follow for a fair while.
Cliche, but handled well enough to be mildly entertaining so far; as you say, some potential for good chemistry with the first girl (and possible female lead?) Comparisons to Hell Mode are not in its favor, as that was a title I enjoyed in the first three books but got very tired of when it degenerated further into boring grinding minutiae.
Return of the Corpse King: Hasn't grabbed me, hasn't yet repelled me. I'll keep reading for a while, but pretty good odds I'll drop it.
What’s saving it for me so far is the MC’s snarky self-awareness about his former chunni behavior.
Fired? But I maintain All the Software: I've been reading the manga, and I'll keep reading that for now, but it hasn't inspired me to want to read the LN.
I like the hook, and followed the manga for a while, but see above about manga; I may keep following the LN for a while, but the MC is a little too far over the top for me, even for a Manic Pixie Dream Girl.
