Helen: Reading this third volume of Mofu Mofu reminded me a bit of some caramel popcorn I got for Christmas: it was amazingly tasty and addictive but the second I stopped shoveling it into my mouth my stomach would let me know that continuing to eat this much sugar was a bad idea, yet I kept eating it anyway. While reading Mofu Mofu, in the moment everything seemed fine, as Laetitia continues to meet more people associated with the royal court and continues to acquire fluffy friends, but as soon as I put the book down I’d start to think wait, was that it?
I am a bit bemused at how the story keeps hinting at having more suitors vying for Laetitia’s affection, but hasn’t done anything yet with that idea. After being introduced to Hayruth at the end of volume 2, a visiting artist who seems to be keeping secrets, he doesn’t pop up at all in volume three, aside from a mental aside by Glenreed that he’s secretly a spy for another country. Nearly the exact same thing happens in volume 3 as well: Laetitia runs into a dashing bard named Leonard, who is able to tell exactly who she is even when she’s incognito, and then despite that tantalizing hint of another element of added drama, he shows up exactly zero other times in this volume. Keep in mind, both of these men have appeared in the character pages/colored pages at the start of each volume, which would imply that they’re important characters! Perhaps it’s just an instance of illustrator Kasumi Nagi wanting the opportunity to draw hot men, but again both times now I’ve been baffled why author Yu Sakurai has framed both of these characters meeting Laetitia like it’s a significant event but then not having anything significant happen.
To be fair, I’m not sure too many “significant” things happened in this volume either. The set-up here shares some similarities with White Cat’s Revenge but that story had the heroine come clean about her double-life as a cat and human by the end of the second volume and generally move along at a faster pace. Less than a month seems to pass in each volume of Mofu Mofu so far and, since Laetitia could be the figurehead queen for up to two years, I shudder to think just how many volumes this series could be (or just how many more furry friends she’s going to have, she’s already got a small zoo!).
Again, it’s less that I didn’t enjoy any particular part of this volume, but nothing truly grabbed me either. I think I’d rather read a summary of volume 4 before I decide if I want to spend my time reading it or something else, all fluff and no structure makes for bad cakes and bad books.
Helen’s rating: 2.5 out of 5
Krystallina: In the previous review, I bemoaned the lack of fluffies. Well, volume 3 certainly doesn’t disappoint in that department!
In fact, the most apt way to describe this volume is those ads you see on TV for local car lots — you know, the ones with an overenthusiastic car salesman. “We got big fluffies!! We got little fluffies!! We got new and old fluffies of all shapes and sizes!! Come on down to Since I Was Abandoned After Reincarnating, I Will Cook With My Fluffy Friends: The Figurehead Queen Is Strongest At Her Own Pace volume 3 for all your adorable animal needs!!”
Laetitia is too laid back to do a commercial like that, but I wouldn’t be surprised if she becomes the face of Wolfvarte’s newest zoo! Probably a petting zoo, in fact, as Laetitia and others she meets continue to indulge in the animals’ soft coats. Kasumi Nagi’s illustrations certainly reflects the adorableness of these creatures, especially when they are being happily petted.
Progressing through volume 3 is a low-pressure adventure about Laetitia’s growing collection of fluffy friends — and cooking, of course. I’m not a foodie, but cookies and chocolate? I hope your stomach is full while you’re reading this or you’ll be taking breaks to raid your pantry!
It isn’t until toward the end of the book that author Sakurai seems to realize it’s time for some drama and plot beyond a couple of queen candidates becoming closer. After the relaxing pace for most of the book, the climax and cliffhanger portions felt a bit cramped. There’s a hunt for a missing person for instance, and, well, there wasn’t much of an investigation before Laetitia and company figure out what happened. Sure, like most isekai protagonists, Laetitia is powerful and is surrounded by capable allies, but I still wish either this volume had been kept as a lackadaisical read or if the final portions had been a little longer.
As before, the novel switches to Glenreed’s perspective on occasion. Laetitia continues to have a audio block as he not-so-subtly remarks about things he’s learned as Lord Aroo the wolf. Laetitia remarks on some similarities, but it’s not like he’s whispering random things like that one girl in the Pitch Perfect movies. Fortunately, though, this part of the story isn’t dragging on, and the relationship between the two of them is progressing nicely. But while the two get closer in volume 3, how things will change now between them looks like will be saved for volume 4. This provides a good hook for readers to want to come back.
Again, the only real criticism is that all of this comes a bit abruptly. Nothing severe enough to ruin the story, but a little more rising tension would have been the pièce de résistance. But hey, this volume of Mofu Mofu answered the call for more fluffies, so I’m satisfied.
Krystallina’s rating: 4.5 out of 5