Tomozaki isone of the best gamers in Japan, and in his opinion, the game of real life is one ofthe worst. No clear-cut rules for success, horribly balanced, and nothing makessense. But then he meets a gamer who's just as good as him, and she offers toteach him a few exploits...

THE BEST RPGS HAVE GREAT SIDE QUESTS, TOO. Tomozaki has been leveling up at a steady pace since he began training with Hinami, but he isn’t the only one wrestling with the game of life. What pushes Hinami forward? How is Izumi faring in her relationship with Nakamura? When did Kikuchi start seeing the world in color? And will Mimimi learn to outrun her insecurities? This series of vignettes, highlighting several major characters, provides a glimpse into the inner lives of Tomozaki’s new so...

From the pages of the hit light novel series Bottom-Tier Character Tomozaki comes a spin-off manga by the original author where beloved classmate Mimimi is the star!Whether doing high jumps or blending with a crowd, Minami Nanami has always been flexible both physically and socially. But when her friend Aoi outshines her at her track-and-field specialty, Mimimi starts to wish for something more, a light to claim as her own. As she contemplates her talents, her mom asks if she’ll model in a...

Why did I have to fall in love with my roommate? Takasora Hoshi’s life is upended when her schoolmate Umi Mizuike and her mother temporarily move into her family’s cramped apartment. From the outset of this arrangement, Takasora is annoyed by Umi’s behavior…and her good looks. Though the two girls initially agree to avoid interfering in each other’s lives, Takasora can’t help but start to wonder where Umi keeps wandering off to at night…From the author of Adachi and Shimamura comes the bit...

“Powerful . . . In I’ll Fly Away, the women have penned well-drawn evocative pieces about their experiences . . . . Healing is happening through writing.”—Lisa Ko, author of The LeaversThe #1 New York Times bestselling author offers an inspiring new collection of writings from the members of his acclaimed program in Connecticut’s York Correctional FacilityIn 2003 Wally Lamb, published Couldn’t Keep It to Myself, a collection of essays by the students in his writing workshop...

The tutorial phase is over! After finishing the busiest summer of his life, Tomozaki is ready to get back to school. He may not always agree with Hinami’s approach, but he’s still working to find the best strats for clearing the game of life. His first challenge of the new semester: to influence none other than Erika Konno, one of the scariest girls in class! As a reigning queen bee, she’s decided the school sports tournament isn’t cool enough to care about, and she’s dragging everyone els...

What makes the game worth playing?The first semester is over, and summer vacation has begun—although that doesn’t mean Tomozaki will get a break from his training with Hinami. His mission this time is a tough one: a coed overnight trip! On top of that, Hinami wants Tomozaki in a relationship by the end of the summer, too! Isn’t that more of an endgame objective?!

THE MAIN CHARACTER IS A MATTER OF PERSPECTIVE.The day after the school festival ends, second-year Class Two holds a Christmas party to celebrate a job well done. While the festivities are in full swing, Tomozaki happens to notice Hinami and Kikuchi having a conversation. But when the two try to play it off as nothing, Tomozaki gets awfully curious… This short story collection provides a glimpse at the characters’ lives and choices through the years: the birth of NO NAME, Mimimi and Kikuchi...

Game on.Fumiya Tomozaki’s opinion on the game of “real life” has been changing ever since Aoi Hinami started teaching him how to play. He’s not convinced it’s the greatest, but at least it doesn’t suck. Meanwhile, student elections are coming up, and obviously, Hinami will be running for student council president. But when Mimimi decides to challenge her, Tomozaki’s going to find out if he’s leveled up enough to handle the cross fire!

Sahoko had lots of friends in high school, so there's no shortage of people to catch up with at her reunion. But the one face she wants to see is missing: that of Aoi Koshiba, her classmate and first love. A star of the basketball team, Aoi caught Sahoko's eye as an easy way to score social points. But when Aoi quits the team, an unexpected kiss pulls Sahoko closer to her than she intended to be. With a difficult home situation, Aoi is in need of more than just a cynical social climber. Sh...

LOVE MIGHT BE THE HARDEST GAME OF ALL… It's November, and the school festival is right around the corner. Meetings with Hinami have begun again, and life has mostly returned to normal...until Hinami asks Tomozaki to decide who he wants to be his girlfriend by next week. As he searches for an answer, he's busy planning for the festival, taking photos, and even visiting another school with Mizusawa. But while Hinami's deadline approaches, Tomozaki will have to face his own emotions in a way ...

MAKING DECISIONS IS HARD WHEN THERE ARE MULTIPLE ENDINGS. With the school festival looming, Tomozaki finds himself busier than ever, his attention split between helping Kikuchi with her script, developing a comedy show with Mimimi, and wrestling with his feelings about Hinami’s instructions to find a girlfriend by the end of the year. As practice for the play begins, Kikuchi and Tomozaki decide to investigate Hinami’s past in order to help strengthen her connection with her role. In the bu...