The Manga Review, 4/22/22

Back in the roaring aughts–when earnest manga fans posted reviews on LiveJournal and Blogger–link posts were a simple, effective way to connect with like-minded readers. The widespread adoption of social media in the 2010s was supposed to make it easier to find interesting content, but the proliferation of apps and platforms has had the opposite effect, turning the search for manga news and reviews into a part-time job. Our solution: an old-fashioned column that highlights some of the most interesting manga content on the web, from creator interviews to breaking news stories and reviews. If you write about manga, we encourage you to let us know so we can keep tabs on your site, podcast, or channel; feel free to leave a comment below or get in touch with us through Twitter. Now on to the links!

NEWS AND FEATURES

The latest Mangasplaining episode landed on Wednesday, and this time Deb Aoki and Christopher Butcher take a closer look at Birds of Shangri-La, a steamy boys’ love series, using it as a jumping off point for exploring censorship in Japanese comics. Word to the wise: this week’s show is definitely NSFW. [Mangasplaining]

For an insightful and entertaining look at how girl gangs have been portrayed in anime and manga, look no further than Erica Friedman’s latest Yuri Studio! video. [Okazu]

Erica Friedman interviews Japanese author inori, creator of the popular series I’m in Love with the Villainess. [Okazu]

Do you have a young reader at home? The crack team of librarians at No Flying No Tights have compiled a helpful list of great manga for the under-twelve set, from literary adaptations of children’s classics to perennial favorites Cardcaptor Sakura and Yotsuba&! [No Flying No Tights]

And file this under Better Late Than Never: NPR celebrates the thirty-year history of Sailor Moon with an in-depth look at why the show’s messages of friendship, love, and empowerment still resonate with viewers (and readers) today. [National Public Radio]

REVIEWS

Over at Anime UK News, Sarah reviews Marimo Nagawa’s influential BL drama New York, New York. While acknowledging that some aspects of the story haven’t aged well, Sarah praises Nagawa’s “striking” art and “thoughtful,” “sensitive” exploration of “the problems faced by its gay protagonists in a society that still had a long way to go to be accepting of LGBT rights.” Yuri Stargirl posts a mixed review of Nagata Kabi’s My Wandering Warrior Existence, noting that it suffers in comparison with My Lesbian Experience with Loneliness. “I’ve felt that each volume since that first one has been one of diminishing returns,” she notes. “That doesn’t mean they haven’t been good, or powerful, but with each one maybe a little bit less so.” And Good Comics for Kids contributor Johanna Draper Carlson posts an early review of the much-anticipated Cat + Gamer, in which a video game enthusiast adopts a stray kitten.

• Aggretsuko: Meet Her World (Tanya, No Flying No Tights)
• Apollo’s Song (Ian Wolf, Anime UK News)
• Beast Complex, Vol. 1 (Johanna Draper Carlson, Good Comics for Kids)
• Blood on the Tracks, Vols. 7-8 (King Baby Duck, The Boston Bastard Brigade)
• Chasing After Aoi Koshiba, Vols. 2-3 (Demelza, Anime UK News)
• The Dawn of the Witch, Vol. 1 (Helen, The OASG)
• Daytime Shooting Star, Vol. 9 (Jaime, Yuri Stargirl)
• Dick Fight Island, Vol. 1 (Erica Friedman, Okazu)
• Enmusu (Megan D., The Manga Test Drive)
• Fist of the North Star, Vols. 3-4 (King Baby Duck, The Boston Bastard Brigade)
• Getting Closer to You, Vol. 1 (Eric Alex Cline)
• I Am a Cat Barista, Vol. 2 (Johanna Draper Carlson, Comics Worth Reading)
• Ima Koi: Now I’m in Love, Vol. 1 (Renee Scott, Good Comics for Kids)
• Ima Koi: Now I’m In Love, Vol. 1 (Nic, No Flying No Tights)
• Ima Koi: Now I’m In Love, Vol. 1 (Kaley Connell, Yatta Tachi)
• Kaiju No. 8, Vols. 1-2 (King Baby Duck, The Boston Bastard Brigade)
• Kirby Manga Mania, Vol. 1 (J. Caleb Mozocco, Good Comics for Kids)
• Love of Kill, Vol. 6 (Krystallina, The OASG)
• Lovesick Ellie, Vol. 1 (Kaley Connell, Yatta Tachi)
• Maid Shokun (Megan D., The Manga Test Drive)
• Mao, Vol. 1 (J. Caleb Mozocco, Good Comics for Kids)
• Medaka Kuroiwa Is Impervious to My Charms, Vol. 1 (King Baby Duck, The Boston Bastard Brigade)
• Minami Nanami Wants to Shine, Vol. 1 (Renee Scott, Good Comics for Kids)
• My Idol Sits at the Next Desk Over, Vol. 2 (Luce, Okazu)
• My Idol Sits at the Next Desk Over, Vol. 3 (Luce, Okazu)
• Nighttime For Just Us Two, Vol. 1 (Eric Alex Cline, AiPT!)
• Penguin & House, Vol. 1 (Sarah, Anime UK News)
• Run on Your New Legs, Vol. 1 (Mary Butler, The Library Journal)
• The Splendid Work of a Monster Maid, Vol. 2 (Demelza, Anime UK News)
• A Springtime With Ninjas, Vols. 1-4 (Krystallina, Daiyamanga)
• Spy x Family, Vols. 1-7 (Krystallina, Daiyamanga)
• Sue & Tai-Chan, Vol. 1 (Johanna Draper Carlson, Good Comics for Kids)
• Sweat and Soap, Vol. 11 (Demelza, Anime UK News)
• The Trial of Kitaro (SKJAM!, SJAM! Reviews)
• Tuxedo Gin, Vol. 11 (SKJAM!, SKJAM! Reviews)
• Yuri Espoir (Erica Friedman, Okazu)