Spoiler for worm protector:
I agree with the recurring pattern: often it goes like this:
<Yaya does something stupid>
<Harem time>
<Introduce bad guys/mystery of the volume>
<More Harem time>
---half way point---
<conflict takes place>
<battle+solution>
<Raishin ends up injured>
<More harem time at the end and a reflection by someone over what has happened>
Iirc the author mentioned about finishing the "first part" of the novel. I suppose the "fight of the volume" format is to keep readers attached while introducing all the background and characters involved.
This also begs the question: do people prefer to have the romcom integrated into the novel (such as the cooking contest), or have them separated as side stories? I personally do not mind having them integrated (although it may cut into the length of the plot). Some of the flavor goes away when I am reading side stories knowing they are fillers, and stories which might have taken place 2 or 3 volumes ago may also be a bit of a let down.
3+4 merger would be nice. Even though I wanted to see some Irori, I can't help but keep thinking how stupid Henriette and Yaya can be.
Yaya's plot-induced stupidity did not really occur to me. I guess I am tolerant when the auther uses her for the yandere jokes, but at moments that really matter she will stay by Raishin's side. (Forgot who it is, but someone mentioned that Yaya will likely still protect Raishin even if Raishin gets married.) It is further reinforced when Yaya swiftly returned by Raishin's side (in stealth) in vol5 even after he was engaged to Alice.
With Char's development, more happened in vol8. She befriended Hinowa (something that she likely would not have done in the past), and the conversation between Sigmund and Char carried a lot of depth. I am kind of sad how everyone seem to have gotten the conditions of decursing Charlotte though... as the words have to be true, I expected the confession to carry a lot more weight.
While she may have been the damsel in distress twice, I do not think it is entirely her fault. With what happened to Henriette: Alice way outclasses her and Charlotte is forced to do her biddings. Vol 7 was pretty much fan service but once again she cannot do anything about it (its a good moment for her to show her deredere side though). I think we will see some real growth in her in vol 9.
Not just with Charlotte, the rest of the crew needs to start learning how to rely on each other (Raishin is already willing to ask everyone for help when he needed the assistance).
Even though Hinowa is just a new addition, I believe underneath the soft shell lies a very strong character. Unlike most other heroines, she has the courage to face Raishin, and I am also impressed by her performance during her duel.
Similar to Charlotte possibly losing Sigmund, Loki failing to save Sophia... I believe Raishin need to loose "something". Classic example would be Raishin "using" his friends for revenge but end up critically injuring them.
Raishin has to realize he is no longer one lone wolf seeking vengeance, he now has to shoulder the hope and trust of the people around him. At some point he will also need to break out of the habit of asking doraemon Shoko and Kimberley for help. I believe he has pocketed enough experiences already to start fighting for "something he believes in" (and this might require him to break up his ties with the Japanese). More importantly, he needs to break free of being someone else's pawn.
Then there is also the offer from the prince...
Going from vol7->vol8 was just my inner curiosity screaming "hey look, Hinowa is making her debut!". Vol 8 laid down a lot for vol 9, thus my higher than usual expectation: because shit is about to hit the fan.
(any mistakes I make in this post/if I do not make any sense would be because I am half asleep)
I calculated in an earlier post that at the current rate, the manga will never catch up to the LN. The LN comes out roughly every 4 months, while there is no way the monthly manga can cover a volume in that time. Let's hope the LN author does not go on a hiatus. (I waited forever for the last volume of Full Metal Panic - and is still waiting for KyoAni to wrap up the series: seeing FMP's author on the Hyouka project gave me false hopes. *goes check Iris Zero manga status and end up disappointed again*).
Through a lot of my posts, if all stapled together, forms the skeleton of a summery of what happened in various volumes. I would probably have done more sophisticated summaries if I knew there is such a demand and if there wasn't a major backlog of LNs to finish.