*Bzzt Bzzt!*

Armin here with exciting news!

It may have taken much longer than its creators may have intended but the very first entry in the new Maiden in Disguise universe is finished and up for sale.

I also have it on good authority that fans of Hardcore Leveling Warrior, Solo Leveling, Sword Art Online, will find this fresh take on gender bender isekai manga quite enjoyable.

Let me tell you all about it!

What is Gender Bender?

For those of you who are new to the Realms that contain anime and all its various tropes (Generally, Realms Athus 5 through 14), “gender bender” — though it does roll off the tongue oh-so-easily — may be a little bit of a strange concept.

Basically, gender bender manga are stories where the main character switches gender! Sometimes it’s accidental, like when being reincarnated into a different world after being hit by a truck (why is it always a truck?). Or, it’s a misunderstanding, like when other characters don’t realize their friend’s outward appearance doesn’t match who they actually are.

As you might expect, this genre tends to be fun, light-hearted, and full of the good-natured, slice of life shenanigans that arise from the delightfully awkward situations of all involved. And, more often than not, they lead to some very wholesome romance! (*wink wink*)

What is Isekai?

Oh yes! While we’re at it — What in Eotera is this “Isekai”? Thankfully, Isekai exists not just in your Realm of Athus 8, but on Athus 12, too! Oddly enough. Ah, here I go again, digressing, as usual.

Anway, “Isekai” comes from Athus 8’s Terran Japanese word 異世界 which means “different world, parallel universe, or alternate dimension.” And yes, it is pronounced exactly as we’ve been saying in Terran English.

Isekai manga is an extremely broad genre that often goes hand-in-hand (or, tentacle-in-tentacle; we don’t discriminate here) with quite a few others — like adventure, harem, combat, and horror. Whether it’s reincarnation via an automobile induced demise, getting trapped in an online video game, or stepping through a closet that’s a portal to a land ruled by a divine lion, you’ll find realities unlike your own just tantalizing you to get lost in them.

It’s no wonder isekai graphic novels are some of the most popular stories in existence at the moment! If you haven’t read one yet, it’s about time you did.

Maiden in Disguise — Gender Bender Isekai Manga with TWO Stories in One!

Maiden in Disguise: New Game is not your typical graphic novel!

Without giving anything away, perhaps the most unique thing about our favorite new story is how the main plot follows the adventures of two completely different characters in two completely different worlds, but who are still essentially the same person.

And best of all?

There are quite a few other things that are different about Maiden in Disguise.

A Manga with a Surprising Twist . . . with a twist!

Right from the beginning, Maiden in Disguise gets its first twist right out of the way. It’s no secret that the world-famous icon Elrynd Aggronar, the strongest character in the most highly watched and played VRMMORPG on Eotera (Luminarion: Legend of Worlds), is actually played by an individual named Elianna Adelaide.

After deciding to reveal herself to the world after years of hiding behind her enigmatic digital alter-ego, her debut into the spotlight of the real world of her reality leads to some unforeseen consequences. Especially as shadowy forces in both worlds conspire to potentially nefarious ends.

And, unbeknownst to her, perhaps she wasn’t very clear to the public on exactly who she really is . . .

Weak MC vs. Overpowered MC

Isekai manga stories generally follow one of two tropes:

1. Either the Main Character (MC) is overpowered from the get-go, easily accomplishing all their aspirations and cutting through swathes of enemies with barely any effort from day one.
2. Or, they start off extremely weak and have to fight tooth-and-nail (or, fang-and-claw; we don’t discriminate here) to get to their overpowered state by the end of the story. This can be more thematically satisfying than the latter, but can end up feeling anticlimactic as the MC easily overcomes their final obstacle because, well, they’re overpowered by then.

However, Maiden in Disguise: New Game asks:

“Why not both?”

Elianna Adelaide and Elrynd Aggronar are polar opposites. One is weak in her world and the other is strong in his. But, is that really all there is?

That’s the fun of a story! You’ll just have to read to find out.

Besides, as far as we’re aware, this is the only gender bender isekai manga out there that has the main character constantly living life on both ends of the gender spectrum.

How is the Maiden in Disguise manga similar to Hardcore Leveling Warrior?

In the Webtoon Hardcore Leveling Warrior, Ethan Gong is a downtrodden and luckless individual in the real world who is best known in the game Lucid Adventure as the cocky and invincible character of the same name as the story. As Hardcore Leveling Warrior, he stands peerless above all, snickering with his ever-present sneer at all beneath him, until an unfortunate event sends him straight back to level 1.

Maiden in Disguise draws a lot of inspiration from this popular Webtoon, what with how Elrynd also shows no mercy to the noobs who seek to dethrone him from his #1 spot and there being a simultaneous game/real world story. Elrynd and Ethan would probably make for good friends, except, you know, they wouldn’t.

However, in Hardcore Leveling Warrior’s Lucid Adventure game, all characters stay consistently unilateral in their gender across both worlds. Plus, while the game is exceedingly popular, its in-world events aren’t exactly widely observed by the outside world.

Plus, Maiden in Disguise: New Game aims to be considerably less dark than Hardcore Leveling Warrior can get at times, while still preserving tons of awesome action scenes (or so I’ve been told).

How is the Maiden in Disguise manga similar to Solo Leveling?

The overpowered MC trope is best experienced only after witnessing how that character reached that peak after tons of hardship and suffering. And Solo Leveling’s Sung Jinwoo is one of the best characters to enjoy that adventure, as he goes from the weakest E-rank Hunter barely clearing Gates to the planet-decimating OP MC that makes even Nation Ranked Hunters quiver in fear.

Unfortunately, once Sung Jinwoo reaches a certain level of power, he quickly becomes too powerful and basically all of his battles become, in a word . . . boring. Oh, don’t get us wrong. The fights are exciting, beautifully drawn, and Sun Jinwoo is hotter than any man has the right to be, but combat manga loses a certain amount of thrill when battles are extremely one-sided. No matter how gorgeous the fight scenes are illustrated.

Maiden in Disguise: New Game aims to be a gender bender manga with OP MC that is never quite that OP, if you catch my drift.

Luminarion: Legend of Worlds, the MMORPG game in Maiden in Disguise is one in which even the most powerful of characters (*cough* Elrynd *cough*) are ever invincible. And, a little cleverness by even some of the weakest of players can go a long way.

How is the Maiden in Disguise manga similar to Sword Art Online?

Sword Art Online (SAO) is arguably not an isekai — depending who you talk to — yet it’s the anime that largely popularized the genre in the modern Athus 8 Realm. And, it’s also the one that made the concept of being stuck in a video game world or reincarnated into one super vogue (sorry, .hack//Sign).

If you don’t already know, the Sword Art Online story follows Kazuto Kirigaya, AKA Kirito, as he logs into the game synonymous with the anime’s name. Shortly after many other players log in, they quickly learn from the game’s enigmatic creator that they are now stuck in the world of Aincrad until the final level of the game is beaten. And, of course, that they’ll die in the real world if they are killed in the game world, or if they are disconnected from the game for any reason.

It gets pretty heavy sometimes, for sure.

Maiden in Disguise has definitely got the like-real-life VRMMORPG thing. And while both stories do an excellent job of blending the separate lives of the characters in each of the worlds together, Maiden in Disguise does its best to be much less traumatic, while still maintaining high stakes via other means.

Plus, Elrynd Aggronar is, in our completely biased opinion, much more of a convincing badass character than Kirito. Sad, black-haired loners need to move aside for the cocky and jacked dragonman about to take over!

Where to buy Maiden in Disguise: New Game

If you’re looking for a new gender bender isekai manga to read, you’ll definitely find lots of enjoyable tropes being satisfied with just the right amount of unexpected subversions.

Our professional recommendation on where to get Maiden in Disguise: New Game on Realm Athus 8? (That’s where your Earth is, if you’ve forgotten where you exist in the Vast Realms of the Multiverse).

You can buy the book here:

https://promos.eotera.com/

However, you’re not quite ready to buy the actual book yet, you can read the manga as it becomes available for free on our Manga Page.

The post Maiden in Disguise — Gender Bender Isekai Manga with a Surprising Twist appeared first on EOTERA.

That was quite the riot of a prologue wasn’t it?

Assistant Bean here.

When I’m not busy pecking away at my partner in a fit of editorial rage, I like to think I’m also creating other things that make the Realms and Realities surrounding the world of Eotera ever more captivating and charmingly complicated.

And that’s what this is! A Side of Beans is (as of now, and hopefully continuing for the foreseeable future) where you’ll find some of the additional of-to-the-side stuff that you might see and wonder about from each chapter of the comics and stories we produce.

[By the way, you haven’t actually ready the pilot chapter of our current main story, do so HERE]

There’s so much to explore, but sometimes so few comic panels to put everything we’d want to show you. That’s part of the fun though when it comes to stories like Maiden in Disguise. It’s the questions left unanswered, and the desire to know “what’s around the next corner” that keeps us coming back for more.

. . . You are coming back for more, right? Ok, good.

Because when it comes to the stories Bitsy and I make . . . just because someone might be the main character, and just because their actions may have world-altering consequences . . . that doesn’t necessarily mean that the entire world just also happens to revolve around them.

There’s so much more to a world! Or universe, even. And frankly, this bean finds it a bit annoying when just a single person seems to be the center of everything. Even if they are the “Chosen One.” 

So, A Side of Beans is here to fill in the gaps and create some new ones that hint at the other larger things happening concurrently in the real and digital realms. 

This is the first of many to come! Buckle in, fellow beans, and enjoy:

People Who Might be Important

High King of Karthion and son of the late King Boehrn Kaycis, Aldric has widely been regarded as a bit of a putz and ineffectual king. While not despised or otherwise thought ill of, this paltry royal wouldn’t exactly be any of his citizens first choice for a ruler. But, he performs his duties well-enough, if a bit stiffly and without fanfare. And he doesn’t seem to start any unnecessary wars, so his citizens haven’t felt any need to forcibly change the crown. Yet. Though, they will snicker behind his back. 

To make matters a bit worse, everyone knows his wife “wears the pants” in the relationship and makes most of the actual decisions of any true weight in the Kingdom. As such, there are some who’ll whisper that it’s actually the Queendom of Karthion. No, general respect for King Kaycis isn’t exactly an abundant resource, but there isn’t any citizen who will directly diss him to his face. Because, at the end of the day, things in Karthion surprisingly seem to go better than expected with him on the throne, despite everyone else’s doubts.

Beautiful, radiant, and a bit prone to wandering eyes. Everyone suspects the High Queen Lerulyn Lleanice is having an affair. With whom? It’s anyone’s guess, but most believe a certain Son of Aggronar may be the perpetrator. Either way, her marriage to Karthion’s crown was an arrangement made to strengthen the ties between the Humans and the Elvyn who reside nearby, but often unseen. This relationship has been favorable, fortunately enough, 

Despite rumors, however, there has yet to be any corroborated evidence beyond rumor as to the Queen’s fidelity. Is she a flirt? Yes. Does she seem to be often annoyed by her husband? Most definitely. Has she been caught in cahoots with someone to whom one could possibly even be cahoot-ing with? Remains to be seen. Perhaps she’s too good at what she does. Or, perhaps it’s something else entirely.

Huge and instigating, this young brawler hailing from the Splintered Tribes of Silderon, has come to Karthion having already made a bit of a name for himself. No one’s quite sure what that name is, except that everyone around these parts has at least heard his name before. It’s not much of a reputation, really, but it’s enough for this arm-for-hire as he seeks out employ and his next fight. 

Word is that he’s currently on a bit of personal quest seeking some unnamed legendary artifact that imbues the wielder with unfathomable strength. Hardly anyone believes it exists, even amongst his tribe members, yet it’s enough of a prize to him that he is currently one of the few Goliaths to be venturing off his home planet in search of it.

Places Worth Remembering 

The Kingdom of Karthion – Ashvoth, Mireth

Though not the largest, nor the most powerful kingdom, Karthion is central to the happenings on the continent of Ashvoth. Incredibly abundant in valuable resources, such as Myrrhlian spice and highly sought after cows, and with a favorable location that makes it a hub for trade, this Kingdom is almost always in the eye of other nearby powers as a country in need of conquering. 

However, despite Karthion being the only true city within its borders, with most of its surrounding plains being farmland and tiny villages, most invading armies are heavily dissuaded from attempting to take over simply due to one fact: The proximity of Aggronar Castle. For generations, the imposing dominance that is the Aggronar name is enough to strike fear in any interlopers heart. So, it goes without saying that the very shadow of their ancestral home’s ramparts arcing across the land acts as an intangible, but no less impregnable wall.

As such, the royals here have always done their best to maintain cordial relations with the Aggronars in the hopes that their mutual goals will always stay in line. However, as of late, there is talk that things are starting to become less-than-friendly between these two powers, and it’s only a matter of time before something happens.

Just as well, Karthion, like most other countries, has a host of its own domestic issues to worry about.

With its few untamed areas being scattered with forests, sudden gullies, and deep underground caverns, it has easily made a home for a violent race of beast-like humanoids called Gnolls, who frequently terrorize smaller nearby settlements, as well as travelers on the road.  They are a pest that seem nigh impossible to eradicate entirely, keeping the kingdom’s guards and intrepid adventurers constantly on their toes. And though the Humans and Elvyn occupying this territory have reached a comfortable alliance, there are hushed whispers of a shadowy group moving unseen, slowly plotting the demise of this tenuous existence.

However, there is one other reason why Karthion has remained unperturbed by outside forces seeking its fortunate position. Not too far from the castle itself, in the forests that seem to hold a preternatural darkness, a gigantic lumbering beast simply referred to as Red Eyes reigns supreme. Solitary, ravenous, and vicious, it answers only to the true king of Karthion, due to an ancient contract from time immemorial. But, agreements don’t always last forever, and there’s no telling if or when such a creature will once again foam freely.

Easter Eggs & Special Appearances

Thank you KittyClara00 for your support on Kickstarter!

Thank you Joselyn Murray for your support on Kickstarter!

—

How was your first experience with A Side of Beans? Not too bad? Excellent!

Take a deeper dive into the world of Eotera by becoming a direct supporter on Patreon. There’s plenty of goodies, rewards, and more in store for you by joining the Stranger Army! Just click the link below to get started:

BECOME A PATRON

See you next time!

The post A Side of Beans Entry #1 | Maiden in Disguise: New Game Prologue Extras appeared first on EOTERA.

It’s just so with Maiden in Disguise, and it’s even more so with NotImportant’s Replay Comic:

What is this awesome comic about?

From NotImportant’s website:

What if your boss could destroy the world…
…and went with the idea?

As civilization collapses under endless waves of monsters, a group of survivors desperately tries to find the means to fight back. Or at least die a little later.

Neither Ada nor Robert are willing to lay down and wait quietly for the end. As they figure out the long forgotten rules of magic, find ways to ensure survival, build new friendships and deal with the demons, our heroes throw bad puns, make anime references and fall in love with the wrong people.

Replay is a fun urban fantasy story with many secondary flavors. Despite the grim setting the story is meant to be a mix of lighthearted tone and serious storytelling. There’s occasional colorful gore, dead bodies and some language, so it might not be suitable for young or sensitive readers.

If you feel like watching people struggle while they plot revenge on the guy who destroyed the world on a whim, you’re in the right place! Not convinced?

Well, doesn’t that sound like an absolute blast?

Of course it does!

You can actually read her comic for free on her website here:

http://replaycomic.com/

I’m still trying to figure out how to do what she does on her website for Maiden in Disguise on here. But, until then . . . You’ll just have to wait *heh heh*.

Until then, until then . . .

Stay strange, strangers.

The post Feature Friday #2: “Replay” by NotImportant appeared first on EOTERA.

And, this may not be the best start because, well, it is barely even Friday any more . . .

Oh well!

Despite my lateness, what I’d like to do is to feature some of my comic-friend’s work on Fridays to showcase some of the amazing things they happen to be doing. So often, I get so caught up in my own work, that I forget how many others out there are doing the same thing (and also happen to be way ahead of me!)

Anyway, I wanted to start with Whyt Manga’s “Apple Black” series, because I actually won the first volume of his series during a giveaway contest of his! Turns out he and I both carry the same fascination for Tite Kubo’s “Bleach” manga series.

One of my favorite things about his books, is that they’re actual books for one! They really look, read, and feel like how manga is supposed to look, read, and feel. Plus, as far as I am aware, I think he still does all of his stuff traditionally, which gives all of his characters and stories that distinctness reminiscent of manga/comics from before the 2010s.

The story centers around . . .

Well, I’ll just copy and paste from Whyt’s website with his permission:

Many years ago, humans set out to Retrieve fruits called “Black” from a tree that fell from the skies, which turned humans into sorcerers. Now all Black are extinct, humans still have sorcery inherited from their ancestors but as generations go by, the effects of black in the bloodline diminishes.

Blessed by “Merlin” (aka the god of sorcery) with the Arodihs arm, Sano, a young sorcerer raised and trained in isolation and secrecy to be the world’s savior known as the “Trinity”, has now been released into the Eden continent for the sole purpose of “dawning the dark and infinite night”. The infinite night is prophesied to eclipse wars past in mayhem.

As his fellow gifted allies and sorcerers accompany Sano on his quest, Sano learns that treachery, betrayal and evil have plagued nearly all of Eden. Suffering from the hauntingly reoccurring nightmare of his father’s demise, Sano struggles to live up to the title of the Trinity but will not rest until the mysteries of these tragedies are resolved.

Ridding Eden of evil will require him to learn the secrets behind his father’s research on fully rejuvenating the effects of black in bloodlines with the immense new source of power that is “Apple Black”.

–ODUNZE OGUGUO WHYTMANGA

So, if that sounds like a completely awesome comic to read, you can check it out here:

https://www.saturday-am.com/apple-black-home/

Just as well, Whyt Manga has a super awesome YouTube channel that is very worth checking out too:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvMBMKniUFj89VwhH-MOG8w

Give them a follow and enjoy the reads!

Until next time . . .

Stay strange, Strangers!

The post Feature Friday #1: Whyt Manga & Apple Black appeared first on EOTERA.

I got my shipment in!!!

Now it is starting to actually feel like I am a two-time published author!

And book 3 is less than 20 Pages away!!!

WOW!!!! Just wow!

To think, only 5 years ago I was putting together the rough beginnings of an idea I had for a comic book and now I have published, twice! It is so amazing to see my hard work paying off. All of your support, all of my tears, all of my sweat over the years to bring my uplifting stories into this world and into your hand. It is truly an accomplishment by both of us! All of you Strangers out there reading my unedited webcomic and cheering me on. All of my Loyal Patrons. I could not have gotten here without you all, Thank you!

As most of you know, I’ve always had stories to tell! Being dyslexic I could never get the things in my imagination down onto paper until comics and manga had opened up a whole new world to me! A world where I could communicate! I have found my passion, and I devote all my free time to getting better at drawing and storytelling! Now it is my Full-time job, and I am, by definition, a professional in this industry… And it’s kinda scary sometimes.  But every time I get to have the pleasure of handing someone my book and seeing there face light up makes it worth working through the hard and the scary stuff!

Strangers, as much as I want to inspire you, you all have inspired me. You have helped me grow and become more confident in all aspects of my life. With you guys buy my side, I know we will go far!!!

Let’s share uplifting stories with the world!!! (ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧

Stay Strange,

Bitsy Tandem

The post 2 Time Published Author! appeared first on EOTERA.