#ga bunko

[shazzeaslightnovels]

Danmachi Familia Chronicle Episode: Asfi

Author: Fujino Omori

Collaborator: Fumikaru Nishijima

Illustrator: Nilitsu

Label: GA Bunko

Release Date: 11 October 2025

My Score: 5/5 stars

Danmachi did the thing again where they dropped three volumes on the same day: this one, the new volume in the main series, and the new volume in Sword Oratoria series. I was a bit lost where to start but Omori put on twitter that they recommend reading Danmachi 21 before SO 16 but Episode Asfi can be read whenever. It has the shortest page count so I ended up starting here.

This volume is split into two stories.

In the first, members of the Hermes Familia (Asfi, Lulune, Falgar, Meryl, Nelly, and Laurier) and Lyu investigate sightings of a ghost ship in Melen. This is a really fun story and a fantastic one for Asfi fans. It's on the more serious side with some exploration of Asfi's backstory. It also has a couple of excellent Asfi/Lyu moments that are sure to satisfy shippers. I was having trouble placing this story in the timeline but the afterword says that it takes place two years before the events of the main story.

The second story fully delves into Asfi's backstory as we learn how she came to be with the Hermes Familia. This story also properly introduces Ridith, the former captain of the Hermes Familia. She had a brief cameo in the first one, but she's a focus character of this one. She's essentially a woman version of Hermes and has some great moments. This one was also super interesting and great for Asfi fans. I really enjoyed learning about her past and how she came to be who she is. It made me really love her name as well. Her alias is Perseus, the hero, but her last name is Andromeda, the sacrifice who was saved by Perseus. That contradiction is explored here as we learn how she got that alias. It was really satisfying.

I didn't realise until I got to the afterword that this was a collaborative effort. I'm not too sure what the arrangement was. I get the impression that Omori came up with the story and Nishijima actually wrote it. If that's the case, props to Nishijima as they imitated Omori's style so well I didn't even notice. I've said before that I wish Omori would let other authors play around in this world, but in the afterword they talk about how their previous editors always insisted that only Omori could write Danmachi. It's only now they have a new editor who's encouraging them to expand the world by collaborating with other authors. This is absolutely a step in the right direction and I hope we get more Danmachi projects in the same vein.

I loved this volume. It made me appreciate Asfi more and was interesting throughout. It was great way to dive back into this world and it's a must-read for Danmachi and Asfi fans.

[jokerfan99]

Goblin Slayer girls bikinis by XDCUNT

Deviantart: https://www.deviantart.com/xdcunt

[otakunews01]

Vídeo promocional de julio para las series de novelas ligeras de Ga Bunko!! 

[shazzeaslightnovels]

Danmachi Familia Chronicle Episode Lyu 2

Author: Fujino Omori

Illustrator: Nilitsu

Label: GA Bunko

Release Date: 13 October 2023

My Score: 5/5

This volume is split into 3 short stories with the first one taking up most of the volume (a good 80% or more). This story fills in the blanks of Lyu's reunion with Astrea before the war game in volume 18 and it's really, really good. Seeing Astrea and Lyu reunite in person is fantastic itself but we also get to see Lyu trying to be a senpai to the new members of Astrea Familia. In particular, there's a blacksmith named Cecil who strongly resents Lyu for abandoning Astrea, and her character arc as a foil for Lyu's is a highlight of the short story. This short story was amazing and satisfying and it's one that I would love to see animated in the upcoming Danmachi V anime. It's probably my favourite story in the Familia Chronicle volumes so far.

The other two stories are much shorter and less relevant to the main plot. The second one features a sweet interaction between Ardee and Lyu. The third story features an event from 5 years ago in which Alise, Kaguya, and Lyra discuss Lyu's future. These stories are bittersweet, and while they aren't as good as the main one, they are definitely worth reading. I can see why they were included in the volume.

So with this volume, the 13 months of Danmachi volumes have officially concluded and it's been a blast. While I may not have read all the volumes in the month that they were released in, it's been great to have a steady stream of Danmachi content. There's been some top quality volumes and it's made me appreciate the Danmachi franchise more. All of the authors, illustrators, editors, and everyone else have done an amazing job this past year and I hope that everyone is able to take a well-deserved break now.

Side note: I did finally listen to the drama CD that was bundled with Danmachi 19 and it was pretty good. In it, Bell finds himself in the Dark Period of Orario where the Astrea Familia are fighting against Evilus. He meets the members of Astrea Familia and Ardee, who he gets along well with as a fellow Argonaut stan. He realises that he is in a position to change the fate of the Astrea Familia and Ardee, and has to make decision about what to do. The story was okay. I enjoyed seeing Bell interacting with Alise, Kaguya, and Lyra a lot and there was a good amount of angst and humor in it. The voice actors all did an amazing job at conveying the feelings of the characters with just their voices. It was a good way to spend an hour but I wouldn't call it a must listen.

[shazzeaslightnovels]

Danmachi Eiyuutan: Argonaut 1

Author: Fujino Omori

Illustrator: Kakage

Label: GA Bunko

Release Date: 13 July 2023

My Score: 4/5

This is a new Danmachi spin-off based off the Argonaut event in the Danmachi Memoria Freese mobage. It takes place long before the events of Danmachi, in an age without the gods, and follows the legend of Argonaut, the hero that Bell, Haruhime, and Tiona admire. The characters here physically resemble the characters of the main series but the reason for that is unclear. The Danmachi wiki claims that these characters are the previous lives of the Danmachi characters, but that’s not mentioned in this volume so I don’t know if that’s true.

The story starts with Argonaut, a foolish young man who dreams of becoming a hero in an age where the world is heading towards it’s end and villages are destroyed by monsters every day. The king of the capital of this world announces a competition with an enticing prize: whoever wins will become a hero.

I enjoyed this a lot more than I expected to. It started a bit dull and felt like an generic fantasy but I came around to it by the end of the volume. The story and characters definitely feel formulaic but it’s interesting enough that it works. It was fun to read this story while thinking of the Danmachi characters who like this story. It’s easy to see why Bell idolizes Argonaut. He’s a man who never gives up, is always smiling, and can’t stand by when he sees other people suffering, despite being physically weak and leaving all the fighting to his younger half-elf sister. It’s easy to see why Haruhime would fantasize about being rescued by a hero like Argonaut. While the characters resemble the Danmachi characters physically, their personalities and roles are completely different, which was a really nice surprise and helped to make thing interesting. I liked seeing what this world was like before the gods descended and how much harder it was for humanity to fight monsters without the god’s help. Finally, as a Greek mythology nerd, I enjoyed all of the references to the story of the Minotaur. The interesting takes on mythology is something I’ve always enjoyed about the series and it’s done really well here.

This is the first part of a two volume spin-off and volume 2 will be released later this month so I’m excited to see how this tale concludes.

[shazzeaslightnovels]

Danmachi Shouhenshuu 1

Author: Fujino Omori

Illustrator: Nilitsu

Label: GA Bunko

Release Date: 13 April 2023

My Score: 4/5

This is a compilation of short stories that were released as bonuses previously with the volumes sold at different stores, as well as some that were released for anniversary events. This volume compiles short stories releasesd for the first 17 volumes of the main series. Most of the stories are only about 5 pages or less but there are a few longer stories spread throughout. Usually, for a short story volume, I would go over each story one by one but there are well over 30 stories in this collection so I’m not going to do that. Instead, I will just focus on the highlights.

Volume 3 features a cute short story about Hestia trying to give Bell a lap pillow. Volume 6′s “Shall We Dance? 2″ is a longer story taking place after the Hestia Familia move into their new home. Hestia arranges another banquet to get one more chance at dancing with Bell. Of course, things don’t go according to plan. I liked this one because it had some good moments with Asfi, Mikoto, and Lili and ended in a heartwarming way. Volume 7 has a cute and amusing short in which Ais wants to find some way to congratulate Bell for his victory in the War Game and gets dubious advice from Loki.

Volume 9 has a cute one featuring Bell and Hestia after they take in Wiene. Volume 10 has some heart breaking ones. There’s one with Haruhime mourning after being seperated from Wiene that’s ruined a bit by a comedic gag at the end of it. There’s another one with Mikoto who goes back to Takemikazuchi Familia for comfort. There’s also one with the Xenos trying to make Wiene feel better after seperating her from the Familia. Finally, volume 10 has a longer story showing us the Fels’s diary from when he was observing Hestia Familia. It had a couple of bad gags but was interesting.

Volume 14 has two short stories. In the first one, Bell remembers what Ais told him about the deeper levels of the dungeon. In the second one, Lyu and Bell have to solve their lack of water problem. They hunt a monster and boil the liquid that it drops. I feel like these two may have made it into the anime? I feel like I remember them, especially the second one. Like, I remember Bell and Lyu boiling liquid they got from a monster, and them having an indirect kiss. I could just be imagining it though.

Volume 16 has short stories featuring different characters reaction to spotting Bell and Syr on their date. It also has a longer story showing more of the training that Master Hedin was giving to Bell on how to woo women. Volume 17 has some tear jerkers. There’s a story in which Bell asks Hestia about her hair accessories. She desperately wants to tell Bell that she remembers that he gave them to her but she can’t without putting her Familia at risk. There’s one where Lili questions how unbalanced Hestia Familia’s party is without an ace. She comes close to remembering Bell but she can’t. Tiona wants to read a story about the Argonaut but she doesn’t know why. It’s all very heartbreaking. This one featueres another longer story about Horn and how she’s feeling after her attempt to kill Bell failed.

I think my favourite story was one that was put into the “Others” section of the book that compiled the stories released for anniversaries, manga volumes, etc. In it, Bell has a day off and wants to buy a new book full of his favourite adventure stories because his old one has gotten torn. He runs into Lyu who offers to help him on his search. I’m not a big Bell x Lyu shipper but this one was very cute and wholesome and I really liked it.

Volume 5 had the worst of the short stories. They were all about different characters reacting to Bell seeing the girls in the bath. The worst of them was one about other male characters wishing that Bell had invited them to peep as well. It was gross seeing these guys talk about their comrades as though they were little more than pieces of meat and was very out of character for some them.

Most of the short stories that I didn’t mention are focused on gags or harem/romance plots. If you like Danmachi for those elements and for the characters, it’s worth giving this volume a read. If you’re more into the series for the action/adventure elements, I don’t think you would enjoy this one much. I also don’t recommend reading it before volume 18. Even though that volume’s short stories aren’t compiled in this volume, the final short story published here does take place after volume 18 and contains spoilers for it.

To be honest, I didn’t quite realise just how huge Bell’s harem actually is until reading this volume. There’s even a short story where Bell has a dream about marrying Ais 5 years into the future... only for all of his harem members to interrupt in their own white dresses. Even though I’m not a big fan of the harem/romance and comedy elements of this series, I still had a lot of fun reading this volume. Given how serious the main series has become, it was nice to kick back and read a lighter entry. It was also incredibly nostalgic reading those early short stories. Even though the later volumes in the series have been more to my taste, I do miss the lighter tone that the early volumes had so it was nice to revisit them.

There is a volume two getting released this month, featuring stories from Sword Oratoria until volume 12 and the Familia Chronicle volumes. I’m looking forward to it but, for now, I am finally caught up again with all of Danmachi!

[shazzeaslightnovels]

Astrea Record 2

Author: Fujino Omori

Illustrator: Kakage

Label: GA Bunko

Release Date: 12 November 2022

My Score: 3/5

This volume picks up right where the first volume left off: with Orario under siege by Evilus and Lyu grieving the loss of Ardee and questioning what “justice” actually means. I think this volume suffers from being the middle book in a trilogy. It doesn’t feel like there’s a whole lot of progression and the volume feels too long for what little progression there is. I do think that Lyu’s character arc in this volume is satisfying and I enjoyed getting to know Alize more. Plus, it was great to see a young Ais being a badass. But this volume just felt like it dragged and got repetitive long before it ended. I hope that the final volume in the trilogy is a lot better and more satisfying.

[jokerfan99]

Tactical Priestess by BookmarkAHead

Idk where I got this idea from, but here it is.

Deviantart: https://www.deviantart.com/bookmarkahead