#imigimuru

[senjo]

[arctic-blade]

いみぎむる on X: "✌️ https://t.co/0SRVhu58MB" / X

[gabbyp09]

[shazzeaslightnovels]

Makeine 8.5

Author: Takibi Amamori

Illustrator: Imigimuru

Label: GAGAGA Bunko

Release Date: 26 January 2026

My Score: 3/5 stars

English Release: Seven Seas is releasing this series in English as Too Many Losing Heroines!.

This is a short story volume with 19 (I think) short stories. A lot of them are around 10-20 pages with a couple longer ones within the 50-80 page range. If I had to assign a theme to the collection, I'd say it's "rare character pairings". Most of these stories are not from Nukumizu's POV so we get to see a different side to the characters and see them interact with other characters that we usually wouldn't. I think my favourite story in the volume was about the relationship between Komari and Karen, of all people. I don't think these two have interacted ever before in this series and it was a surprisingly sweet scene. I also liked the story about Komari and Tiara. Again, a rare character pairing that I liked seeing.

As you might guess from a side story volume, there isn't much in the way of plot progression. There's a couple of things like touching on what Nukumizu's and Tiara's relationship looks like after the events of volume 8 and how Lemon needs to knuckle down on studying to keep on participating in club activities. There also seems to be an intent to make Anna feel like more of a viable love interest as she does show some signs here of romantically liking Nukumizu. There's the usual jokes about her eating but it felt a little less prominent here. I still would rather they remain best friends and a different romantic option is explored, like with Tiara or Komari, but at least it feels like an effort is being made to not make a romance feel like it comes out of nowhere if it does.

This volume was enjoyable enough, but most of the stories were forgettable and it's definitely not a must read to follow the main story. Still, it's worth reading if you're a fan of this series and I had a fun enough time reading it.

I also want to mention that there was a campaign for this volume and the Makeine art book on bookwalker when they were released where if you bought the volume you'd be able to vote for your favourite character. If you just bought the volume, your vote counted for 1 point, and if you bought the volume + the artbook, your vote counted for 3 points. But there's a fun twist to the poll: the second place finisher is declared the "true losing heroine" and gets a short story for the release of the next volume. I didn't buy the volume in time to vote but it's a fun idea since it almost makes you not want to vote for your favourite character and I'll be interested to see the results. The next volume comes out this week, I think, so we should know the results soon.

[technoneko-2000]

☆ art from CANVAS, circa 2000 ☆

[manekinekocake]

[hatsumishinogu]

Make Heroine ga Oosugiru! SSS

[kyousukebei]

Sea Monster Crisis event CE’s