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Manga Bookshelf

Discussion, Resources, Roundtables, & Reviews

Katherine Dacey

The Manga Review: In Your Ear

February 3, 2023 by Katherine Dacey Leave a Comment

This week’s Manga Review is something of a departure. On Wednesday, I posted a brief message on Twitter, encouraging other users to recommend their favorite podcasts, or share a few details about their own. The response was enthusiastic, introducing me to more than a dozen new podcasts–well, new to me–that explore the mangasphere from just about every angle, from individual series such as City Hunter and Haikyu! to manga so bad they’re good. (Or at least fun to discuss.) Below, I’ve compiled the results of my survey, but feel feel free to suggest more in the comments; the internet is a big place, and it’s a daunting task to try and find smart conversation about any topic, let alone manga.

PODCAST DIRECTORY

I’ve organized this alphabetically, with links to each podcast’s home page. Because of the sheer volumes of recommendations I fielded, my descriptions of each podcast are brief; I encourage you to click through to the sites directly for a better sense of tone and content.

  • 19 O’Clock News: A Kodocha Podcast focuses on Miho Obana’s Kodomo no Omocha.
  • All-Mighty Podcast (AMP) is one of several podcasts focusing on My Hero Academia.
  • Anibae’s Anime bills itself as “3 friends that talk about anime in a sassy and messy way.” They also sponsor monthly manga book clubs.
  • The Anime Nostalgia Podcast explores what it was like to be an anime and manga fan before the rise of Tokyopop, Borders, and simulpubs.
  • Anime Roundtable offers a Canadian view on anime, manga, and pop-cultural headlines.
  • Behind the Manga is a mixture of analysis, discussion, and manga industry news.
  • Chatty AF is the official podcast of Anime Feminist, where you’ll find episodes addressing old anime, new manga, and everything in between.
  • CLAMPCast in Wonderland is hosted by Lucy and Robin, who are diligently working their way through the entire CLAMP canon, from RG Veda to Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicles. 
  • Dad Needs to Talk is a more wide-ranging podcast that covers “fatherhood, manga, anime, TV, and games.”
  • Deal with the Devils: An Eyeshield 21 Podcast celebrates the one and only football manga to be translated into English.
  • Demon Slayer Podcast focuses on Koyoharu Gotouge’s blockbuster manga.
  • D’OhMance Dawn is a playful mash-up of One Piece and Simpsons content.
  • Duckface Diaries: A World Trigger Podcast offers podcasts and video essays about the ongoing Weekly Shonen Jump series.
  • Hero Notes: The My Hero Academia Podcast is one of several exploring Kōhei Horikoshi’s wildly popular franchise.
  • Into the Shoujo-Verse is a five-person collective podcasting about movies, manga, and webtoons.
  • It’s Not My Fault The OASG Podcast Isn’t Popular is a mixture of shop talk, anime reviews, and manga news.
  • Kanzenshuu describes itself as “the oldest, biggest, most authoritative Dragon Ball resource” for English speakers.
  • Let’s Stay Together: A Fruits Basket Podcast offers a nostalgic look back at Natsuki Takaya’s hit shojo series.
  • The Lum Squad is an offshoot of the Manga Mavericks podcast that focuses on Rumiko Takahashi’s Urusei Yatsura.
  • Manga In Your Ears offers lively, in-depth discussions of new and ongoing series.
  • Manga Machinations is a team effort; the four core cast members regularly post in-depth reviews of current and classic series.
  • Manga Mavericks offers a mixture of news, reviews, and commentary on the manga industry.
  • Manga Melee is part of the BrosWhoThink Network, and serves up a twice-monthly mix of comics and manga analysis.
  • Mangasplaining is to manga podcasting what the the League of Justice is to superheroes; it’s an all-star gathering of smart, funny manga experts with strong opinions.
  • MokkoriPlay: A City Hunter Podcast is pretty much what it sounds like: a deep dive into one the 1980s most influential manga/anime series.
  • Multiversity Manga Club is a bi-monthly podcast about Shonen Jump titles.
  • My Hero Academia Podcast covers the series in all its incarnations, from movies to games to manga.
  • No Name Anime Show is hosted by GONZO.MOE, and features roundtable discussions of anime and manga.
  • The One Piece Podcast is just what the title implies: an ongoing podcast about the world’s most popular comic.
  • OverMangaCast describes the premise of the show as “heated adventures in over-analyzing manga.”
  • Over Soul: Shaman King Podcast explores the legacy of Hiroyuki Takei’s classic series.
  • Read Right to Left is a monthly podcast in which two friends “discuss, celebrate and criticize the many, many things we read” with a dash of “fangirling.”
  • Saint Seiya Cosmocast is the first English-speaking podcast dedicated to Masami Kurumada’s zodiac-themed manga.
  • Sailor Manga is an affectionate look at Naoko Takeuchi’s ground-breaking series.
  • Saturday Night Shoggy is dedicated to Shogakukan’s enormous catalog of manga.
  • Screen Tone Club is a bi-monthly podcast that focuses primarily on new and ongoing series.
  • Shojo & Tell focuses on shojo manga, old and new.
  • Shonen Flop revisits cancelled shonen series in an effort to separate the gems from the duds.
  • Shoujo Sundae describes itself as “safe haven for fans of shoujo anime & manga.”
  • Sparkleside Chats with Magical Girl Ayu brings fans together for friendly conversation about their favorite magical girl manga.
  • Spiraken Review Podcast just celebrated its 500th episode with a review of Vinland Saga.
  • TomoChoco describes itself as “a yuri podcast by queer people for queer people.”
  • Trash Manga Friends read bad manga so that you don’t have to.
  • The View From the Top focuses on all things Haikyu!! 
  • Weekly Manga Recap is a great way to keep abreast of the latest Shonen Jump chapters.
  • The Wonder of Anime is a weekly podcast featuring a behind-the-scenes look at the American anime industry.
  • Volume One is a weekly anime and manga podcast.
  • The Yona Podcast offers in-depth conversations about the shoujo fantasy series Yona of the Dawn.

REVIEWS

This week’s must-read review comes to us via the Sports Baka substack, which features an article about Moonland. The series is one party Haikyu!! and one part gymnastic primer, with “textbook-style explanations of skills and scoring” and plenty of drama. Over at The Manga Test Drive, Megan D. resurrects one of my favorite shojo manga of yore, The Secret Notes of Lady Kanako, while the crew at Beneath the Tangles dedicate their latest Reader’s Corner to Alice in Borderland, My Sister the Cat, and Solo Leveling.

New and Noteworthy

  • Honey Lemon Soda, Vol. 1 (Josh Piedra, The Outerhaven)
  • If We Leave It On the Dot, Vol. 1 (Justin, The OASG)
  • Mermaid Scales and the Town of Sand (Publishers Weekly)
  • Oshi no Ko, Vol. 1 (Rebecca Silverman, ANN)
  • Polar Bear Cafe, Vol. 1 (Adam Symchuk, Asian Movie Pulse)
  • SCRAMBLUES (Lisa De La Cruz, The Wonder of Anime)
  • She Loves to Cook, and She Loves to Eat, Vol. 1 (Justin, The OASG)

Complete and Ongoing Series

  • Beauty and the Beast of Paradise, Vol. 5 (Onosume, Anime UK News)
  • Beauty and the Feast, Vol. 6 (Krystallina, The OASG)
  • Cherry Magic! Thirty Years of Virginity Can Make You a Wizard?!, Vol. 6 (Sarah, Anime UK News)
  • The Dark History of the Reincarnated Villainess, Vol. 6 (Demelza, Anime UK News)
  • The Fiancé Chosen By the Ring, Vol. 3 (Krystallina, The OASG)
  • I Want to Be a Wall, Vol. 2 (Sarah, Anime UK News)
  • Jujutsu Kaiden, Vol. 18 (King Baby Duck, Boston Bastard Brigade)
  • Kubo Won’t Let Me Be Invisible, Vol. 5 (King Baby Duck, Boston Bastard Brigade)
  • Lost Lad London, Vol. 3 (Johanna Draper Carlson, Comics Worth Reading)
  • My Idol Sits at the Next Desk Over, Vol. 5 (Luce, Okazu)
  • Romantic Killer, Vol. 2 (King Baby Duck, Boston Bastard Brigade)
  • Solo Leveling, Vol. 5 (Noemi10, Anime UK News)
  • The Wallflower, Vol. 1 (Ian Wolf, Anime UK News)

Filed Under: FEATURES

Pick of the Week: Atomic Devastation

January 30, 2023 by Katherine Dacey, Sean Gaffney, Anna N, Michelle Smith and Ash Brown 1 Comment

KATE: Though this is a lighter week than usual, I found two titles on the list that piqued my interest. The first is Maiden’s Bookshelf: The Moon Over the Mountain, which has a swoon-worthy cover, and draws from the same well of inspiration as Hell in a Bottle. I’m also interested in reading the new edition of Keiji Nakazawa’s I Saw It: A Survivor’s True Story of the Atomic Bombing of Hiroshima, which Last Gasp is releasing this week. It’s not clear from the packaging if this version is a reprint of the old Educomics edition, or is a fresh translation; nonetheless, it’s good to see this title available again, as it’s a simple but powerful way to help young readers appreciate the horrors of nuclear warfare.

SEAN: I’m picking the final volume of Mixed Bathing in Another Dimension. Its last volume came out in late 2019. I have forgotten everything about what happened in it. But I know I will miss this harem guy, his passel of bathing girls, and the importance of consent before he washes them.

ANNA: I’m going to join Kate in picking I Saw It: A Survivor’s True Story of the Atomic Bombing of Hiroshima, it is good that important stories like this are kept in print and accessible to readers.

MICHELLE: I agree that it’s good for I Saw It to remain in print, but personally I just can’t take something so devastating this week. Instead, I’ll pick volume six of Cherry Magic!, a cute series that I look forward to catching up on.

ASH: I’m not sure how I overlooked that it was being released this week (maybe because I’ve had it preordered for what seems like ages…), so I’m glad that Kate made mention of The Moon Over the Mountain. I’m a big fan of Atsushi Nakajima’s work and the first volume of Maiden’s Bookshelf was beautifully done, so I’m particularly looking forward to this next installment.

Filed Under: PICK OF THE WEEK

The Manga Review: Lost in Translation

January 27, 2023 by Katherine Dacey Leave a Comment

If you were on Twitter this week, you may have seen folks talking about Titan Comic’s Kamen Rider Kuuga for all the wrong reasons. Gizmodo’s James Whitlock summarized the controversy succinctly, noting that fans were upset by “a consistent pattern of errors and awkward phrasing in the English translation of the manga. From clunky syntax to inconsistent name romanization, from awkward line breaks to printing errors cutting off art and dialogue, both volumes of Kuuga showcase a pattern of sloppiness that make them difficult to read at best.” Titan Comics’ initial response stated that both books “were worked on by two highly respected translators in the business,” though readers expressed skepticism over the company’s claim. Within 24 hours, Titan posted a new response acknowledging the shoddy translation and production, this time promising to implement new quality control standards and fix the “identified art errors and textual inconsistencies” in both volumes.

NEWS AND VIEWS

Party like it’s 2008! Barnes & Noble will be adding 30 new stores to the chain this year–a hopeful sign for anyone who remembers the manga boom of the aughts, when teenagers clogged the aisles at BN and Borders any time a new volume of Fruits Basket or Naruto hit the shelves. [ICv2]

No Flying No Tights publishes its list of the Top Comics of 2022. Though the emphasis is on American titles, Our Not-So-Lonely Planet Guide got a shout-out as well. [No Flying No Tights]

Jocelyne Allen explains why Hitomi Takano’s Gene Bride is both totally relatable and also… totally bananas. Someone license this, please! [Brain vs. Book]

Over at SOLRAD, Bradathon Nu explores the creepy horror of Masaaki Nakayama, “a creator obsessed by the plane of existence between ours and the next.” Nu elaborates: “That is to say, horrors that we as humans can just barely grasp, horrors that are so subtle, so close to our world, that we might not even notice them (one notable example of this is a story in which a man smokes a cigarette in the woods, completely unaware that he is being watched by a shadowy figure who lurks just shy of his peripheral vision). Many of Nakayama’s stories are only a few pages long, giving the reader a glimpse into some kind of otherworldly terror, but never giving any details. Nakayama often utilizes the short, uncertain nature of his works to insert an air of creepiness into them. ” [SOLRAD]

REVIEWS

Helen Chazan’s latest Comics Gridlock column is up, and she doesn’t mince words about Last Gender: When We Are Nameless. “Last Gender is definitely LGBT Manga, pejorative,” she observes. “Kodansha’s putting out this one, it’s packaged all fancy, you won’t be able to tell from the cover or ad copy but it’s smut. Credit to Kodansha for including a crisis line number under the table of contents, I’ve never seen that before and I hope I’ll see it again, especially since I don’t think reading a comic this facile and tawdry is gonna make things better for any sad gay kid that might come across it. I don’t know much about the author Rei Taki, but the work definitely has the feel of a wikipedia binge brought to life, down to a character referencing how many gender identities are offered on Facebook.” (Spoiler alert: she liked The Gay Who Turned Kaiju a lot better.)

The latest installment of Beneath the Tangles’ Reader’s Corner offers pithy reviews of Tatsuki Fujimoto Before Chainsaw Man: 17-21, Kaiju No. 8, and Tombs, while the Manga Bookshelf gang posts a fresh crop of briefs. (Spoiler alert: I was kinda underwhelmed by 17-21, but Ash’s review of Hell in a Bottle persuaded me to order a copy.)

New and Noteworthy

  • Archlord, Vol. 1 (Matthew Alexander, The Fandom Post)
  • A Capable Man (Danielle Van Gorder, The Fandom Post)
  • Doomsday With My Dog, Vol. 1 (Harry, Honey’s Anime)
  • Go With the Clouds, North by Northwest, Vols. 1-5 (Adam Symchuk, Manga Obsessive)
  • I’m Quitting Heroing, Vol. 1 (Harry, Honey’s Anime)
  • Natsume and Natsume, Vol. 1 (Rebecca Silverman, ANN)
  • Neijishiki (Tom Batten, Publishers Weekly)
  • Oshi No Ko, Vol. 1 (Darkstorm, Anime UK News)
  • The Restorer’s Home, Vol. 1 (Adam Symchuk, Asian Movie Pulse)
  • Run Away with Me, Girl, Vol. 1 (Matt Rolf, Okazu)
  • Tatsuki Fujimoto Before Chainsaw Man: 17-21 (Rory Wilding, AiPT!)
  • Tsuredure Children, Vol. 1 (Krystallina, Daiyamanga)

Complete and Ongoing Series

  • Call of the Night, Vol. 10 (King Baby Duck, Boston Bastard Brigade)
  • The Dangers in My Heart, Vol. 4 (Justin, The OASG)
  • Fly Me to the Moon, Vol. 15 (Josh Piedra, The Outerhaven)
  • Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End, Vol. 7 (Josh Piedra, The Outerhaven)
  • A Galaxy Next Door, Vols. 2-3 (Demelza, Anime UK News)
  • The Great Jahy Will Not Be Defeated!, Vol. 4 (Justin, The OASG)
  • Hard-Boiled Cop and Dolphin, Vol. 5 (King Baby Duck, Boston Bastard Brigade)
  • Lost Lad London, Vol. 3 (Sarah, Anime UK News)
  • Magu-Chan: God of Destruction, Vol. 6 (King Baby Duck, Boston Bastard Brigade)
  • My Happy Marriage, Vol. 2 (Justin and Krystallina, The OASG)
  • Read or Dream (ROD), Vol. 1 (Megan D. The Manga Test Drive)
  • Whisper Me a Love Song, Vol. 6 (Erica Friedman, Okazu)
  • Young Ladies Don’t Play Fighting Games, Vols. 3-4 (Justin, The OASG)

Filed Under: FEATURES

Bookshelf Briefs 1/25/23

January 25, 2023 by Ash Brown, Katherine Dacey, Sean Gaffney and Michelle Smith Leave a Comment

A Certain Scientific Railgun, Vol. 17 | By Kazuma Kamachi and Motoi Fuyukawa | Seven Seas – After briefly wrapping up the previous arc (and, sure enough, glossing over the fact that Uiharu developed story-breaking powers), we end up flashing back to Mikoto’s first year in middle school. She’s just turned Level 5, and lacks the confidence she’ll gain later. We also see Misaki, who has the same problems (though now that Junko’s spinoff has finished, we can officially see her kicking ass in Railgun proper). As for the plot, well, it’s a turf war between the school’s three cliques, who are being manipulated by some unknown factor. Meaning this is basically now a delinquent manga with middle school girls. To be fair, that’s par for the course with this franchise. – Sean Gaffney

Hell in a Bottle | By Kyusaku Yumeno and Towoji Honojiro | Kodansha – The first work included as part of the Maiden’s Bookshelf, a series of classic short stories re-released in beautifully illustrated hardcover editions, “Hell in a Bottle” was originally published in 1928. The translation by Angela Yiu used for this volume was previously released in the anthology Three-Dimensional Reading (which, tangentially, is a great collection of stories for readers interested in modernist, Taishō era short fiction). “Hell in a Bottle” is an epistolary tale about a brother and sister shipwrecked on a deserted island as children, a tragedy fully revealed in reverse chronological order through a sequence of letters placed in glass beer bottles and thrown out to sea. The overall design and presentation of Hell in a Bottle, from the use of color and lettering to Honojiro’s beautiful and evocative artwork, greatly enhances the reading experience of Yumeno’s story. I am definitely looking forward to future volumes of the Maiden’s Bookshelf. – Ash Brown

Honey Lemon Soda, Vol. 1 | By Mayu Murata | Yen Press – Uka Ishimori was bullied in middle school for her stony mien, and chose a laidback high school with the goal of changing herself. Alas, some of her bullies have enrolled there too, but with the help of blond bishounen Kai Miura, she finds the courage to start making progress. As this is another series about a socially awkward girl who catches the attention of a popular guy who then helps her to make friends, it took a little while for me to warm to it. However, Ishimori eventually won me over with how endearing she can be in certain moments—I adored her spontaneously asking a classmate whether they can be friends and being stunned at the “Aren’t we friends already?” reply she receives. This may be reminiscent of several different series I have read, but I still enjoyed it and will be back for more. – Michelle Smith

Kageki Shojo!!, Vol. 7 | By Kumiko Saiki | Seven Seas – This entire volume is an exquisitely written kick in the teeth. After a first half where we deal with Sugimoto having to face up to the fact that Sarasa has a bit more “oomph” than she does (which is why Sarasa was cast as Tybalt), we then get a family crisis meaning that Sarasa can’t do the role anyway. I’m glad that it all worked out OK, but the frustration in that she didn’t get to perform and everyone turned out to be fine is hellacious—I worry that this will affect her getting roles in the future, if she’s going to be thought of as unreliable. Being a Takarazuka idol is hard, and this volume shows why in the best ways. Oh yes, we also write out one of the semi-regulars for a brutally realistic reason—even the side stories are harsh. – Sean Gaffney

Lost Lad London, Vol. 3 | By Shima Shinya | Yen Press – I really wish this series had been longer, with the opportunity to introduce more possible culprits. Because, to my mind, there was only one likely prospect and, indeed, I was right. This rendered a lot of the action of this final volume somewhat anticlimactic and, combined with the social criticism that I once admired getting a little more blatant and heavy-handed, I was starting to feel a little disappointed. However, the final scene between Ellis and Al redeemed it all for me, because the mystery of who killed the mayor was never really the point of Lost Lad London. It was about these two loners relying on each other and learning not to let something negative from their past dictate their whole lives. The series ends on a note of new beginnings, symbolized by one dinky little houseplant. Highly recommended. – Michelle Smith

Snow White with the Red Hair, Vol. 22 | By Sorata Akiduki | Viz Media – We do indeed go on the road this volume, but last time I asked for less of Hisame/Kiki (they’re both here) and also suspected there would be less romance. Instead Shirayuki is once again the center of attention, and once again cannot simply come out and say “I’m dating Zen”, so things get awkward. That said, she and her group are also being manipulated, which makes her rather angry. I actually really love seeing Shirayuki in fury mode, if only as it’s a very mild, gentle fury rather than exploding rage. As for those who are hoping for more evidence of a Shirayuki/Zen/Obi OT3, well, you won’t be disappointed here either. That said, it does look like getting the cure spread will be hard.-Sean Gaffney

Tatsuki Fujimoto Before Chainsaw Man: 17-21 | By Tatsuki Fujimoto | VIZ Media Given the critical reception for Look Back and Goodbye, Eri and the strong sales for Chainsaw Man, it’s no surprise that VIZ decided to license Tatsuki Fujimoto Before Chainsaw Man. The first installment of this anthology series, 17-21, focuses on Fujimoto’s earliest published work. As you might imagine, volume one is a mixed bag, filled with ambitious stories that sacrifice character development in favor of show-stopping plot twists and detailed layouts. The exception is “Love Is Blind,” in which a lovelorn teen’s awkward, earnest outburst saves the world from annihilation. Fujimoto does a great job of subverting sci-fi and romance tropes with bold, imaginative artwork that honors the intensity of the hero’s feelings while acknowledging how solipsistic they are–a level of nuance that’s missing from the other stories. Here’s hoping 22-26 is more satisfying. – Katherine Dacey

Filed Under: Bookshelf Briefs

Pick of the Week: Finding Gems

January 23, 2023 by Sean Gaffney, Katherine Dacey, Michelle Smith, Ash Brown and Anna N Leave a Comment

SEAN: There’s no new manga titles that really call out to me, and while I am interested in These Legs Don’t Lie!, that borderline H cover makes me wary. So I’m going to pick Ascendance of a Bookworm, because it’s always fantastic.

KATE: I’m in the same boat as Sean; this week’s list is long but not very enticing. If I had to choose a title, though, I’d pick the new edition of Polar Bear Cafe, if only because the premise sounds like a nice bit of escapism. (The artwork looks pretty darn cute, too.)

MICHELLE: The blurb for Happy of the End includes the line ” Chihiro may not have a place to call home currently and Keito may not be a good person by any means, but maybe the two of them could be happy together.” Depending on how bad Keito actually turns out to be, this could be dreadful or right up my street. Either way, I’ll take a chance and pick this one this week!

ASH: While there are a few debuts that vaguely interest me this week, I think I should probably make up for being delinquent in my reading of Wave, Listen to Me! and take some time to get caught up with that series, so that’ll be my pick.

ANNA: I’m also not seeing a ton out there that is a must buy for me, but I am curious about A Condition Called Love.

Filed Under: PICK OF THE WEEK

The Manga Review [Insert Snappy Title Here]

January 20, 2023 by Katherine Dacey Leave a Comment

Before I get to this week’s news and reviews, I’m making my quarterly appeal for help. Do you follow a podcast or YouTube channel that’s producing great manga-related content? Did you just launch a manga-centric Substack or blog? Have you recently joined the reviewing team for an established site like ANN or The Fandom Post? If so, let me know! Your suggestions have helped me cast a wider net for my weekly round-ups, so leave a link in the comment section or contact me through Twitter; my handle is @manga_critic.

NEWS

Earlier this week, Kodansha announced that it is suspending simulpub updates on Crunchyroll and Azuki, and will pull a number of series from these platforms on January 31st. Krystallina offers a thoughtful, in-depth analysis of the company’s decision, outlining several possible scenarios for what Kodansha might do next. [The OASG]

Yen Press just announced 10 new licenses for summer 2023. [ANN]

It’s that time of the month again: the Seven Seas’ January 2023 Reader Poll is now open. [Seven Seas]

For the curious: here’s a highlight reel of scenes and songs from the Attack on Titan musical, which is currently playing at the Nihon Seinenkan Hall in Tokyo. [Otaku USA]

…AND VIEWS

Translator Jocelyne Allen delves into the world of explainer manga. “These are born from the artist getting really, really into something,” she observes. “Rather than bursting at the seams with this new knowledge, they barf it all up into a manga. Which is not a bad thing. They do the work of studying and we get to learn something new in a fun and accessible way.” [Brain vs. Book]

The all-star line-up of Masha Zhdanova, Carrie McClain, Paulina Pzystupa, Alenka Figa, and Kathryn Hemmann discuss the manga and graphic novels they’re reading right now, from Oshi No Ko to Darlin’. [WWAC]

Kristin breaks down the cost of buying the full run of Bleach and Naruto in all their various formats, from individual volumes to box sets. [Anime Collective]

Over at Honey’s Anime, Brett Michael Orr names his five most anticipated yuri and yaoi manga of 2023, as well as five manga that will “help you stick to your new year’s resolutions.” [Honey’s Anime]

The Manga Machinations crew hold a round table discussion about three current series: Chainsaw Man, Kowloon Generic Romance, and Drowning Love. [Manga Machinations]

David and Jordan share their first impressions of Shounen Shoujo. [Shonen Flop]

The latest episode of Screentone Club focuses on Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou and My Wonderful World. [Screentone Club]

Once again, Jon Holt and Teppei Fukuda team up to translate an essay by manga critic Natsume Fusanosuke–this time, focusing on Jiro Taniguchi’s fruitful partnership with Natsuo Sekikawa (The Times of Botchan, Trouble Is My Business). [The Comics Journal]

REVIEWS

Tony Yao posts a thoughtful–and thought-provoking–review of Sensei’s Pious Lie, while Good Comics for Kids’ Renee Scott explains why My Sister, The Cat, is “by far one of the cutest found-family stories I’ve ever read.” Over at Anime News Network, Rebecca Silverman reads You Like Me, Not My Daughter?! so that you don’t have to, while Sean Gaffney, Michelle Smith and I warn readers off Love at Fourteen, The Music of Marie, and Rainbow Days. 

New and Noteworthy

  • Captain Corinth, Vol. 1 (Rebecca Silverman, ANN)
  • Choujin X, Vol. 1 (Harry, Honey’s Anime)
  • Embrace Your Size (Sara Smith, The Graphic Library)
  • Gang King, Vol. 1 (Adam Symchuk, Asian Movie Pulse)
  • Guyabano Holiday (Justin, The OASG)
  • Honey Lemon Soda, Vol. 1 (Rebecca Silverman, ANN)
  • Kamen Rider Kuugu, Vol. 1 (Sara Smith, The Graphic Library)
  • Oshi No Ko, Vol. 1 (Adam Symchuk, Asian Movie Pulse)
  • Pandora Seven, Vol. 1 (Adam Symchuk, Asian Movie Pulse)
  • Show-Ha Shoten!, Vol. 1 (Sara Smith, The Graphic Library)
  • Towa!, Vol. 1 (Krystallina, Daiymanga)
  • The Trouble With My Boss, Vol. 1 (Krystallina, Daiyamanga)
  • Villains Are Destined to Die, Vol. 1 (Noemi10, Anime UK News)
  • The Youkai Caretaker, Vol. 1 (Justin, The OASG)
  • Your Forma, Vol. 1 (Sara Smith, The Graphic Library)

Complete and Ongoing Series

  • ATOM: The Beginning, Vol. 2 (Grant Jones, ANN)
  • Beast, Vol. 6 (Justin, The OASG)
  • Blue Period, Vol. 10 (Sarah, Anime UK News)
  • Bungo Stray Dogs: Another Story, Vol. 2 (Demelza, Anime UK News)
  • Citrus+, Vol. 4 (Jaime, Yuri Stargirl)
  • Fist of the North Star, Vol. 7 (Grant Jones, ANN)
  • Fly Me to the Moon, Vols. 14-15 (King Baby Duck, Boston Bastard Brigade)
  • The Geek Ex-Hitman, Vol. 2 (A Library Girl’s Familiar Diversions)
  • Hi Score Girl, Vol. 10 (Justin, The OASG)
  • Ima Koi: Now I’m In Love, Vol. 4 (Sheena McNeil, Sequential Tart)
  • Kubo Won’t Let Me Be Invisible, Vol. 5 (Josh Piedra, The Outerhaven)
  • Mashle: Magic and Muscles, Vol. 9 (Sheena McNeil, Sequential Tart)
  • Mashle: Magic and Muscles, Vols. 9-10 (King Baby Duck, Boston Bastard Brigade)
  • Mission: Yozakura Family, Vol. 2 (Sheena McNeil, Sequential Tart)
  • MURCIÉLAGO, Vol. 20 (Erica Friedman, Okazu)
  • My Happy Marriage, Vol. 2 (Darkstorm, Anime UK News)
  • Natsume’s Book of Friends, Vol. 27 (Karen Maeda, Sequential Tart)
  • Prince Freiya, Vol. 6 (Sara Smith, The Graphic Library)
  • Queen’s Quality, Vol. 16 (Josh Piedra, The Outerhaven)
  • Record of Ragnarok, Vols. 4-5 (King Baby Duck, The Boston Bastard Brigade)
  • Skip-Beat!, Vol. 47 (Patti Martinson, Sequential Tart)
  • Sleepy Princess in the Demon Castle, Vol. 19 (Sheena McNeil, Sequential Tart)
  • The Two of Them Are Pretty Much Like This, Vol. 2 (Erica Friedman, Okazu)

Filed Under: FEATURES

Pick of the Week: Soda, Idols, and PTSD

January 16, 2023 by Michelle Smith, Sean Gaffney, Katherine Dacey, Anna N and Ash Brown Leave a Comment

MICHELLE: I’m intrigued by [Oshi no Ko] and Honey Lemon Soda, but how could I not pick the finale of Lost Lad London, which I have enjoyed exceedingly thus far? I hope we see more mysteries in manga form in future!

SEAN: I’m a big fan of Kaguya-sama: Love Is War, and I enjoyed Scum’s Wish as much as anyone can enjoy a series like Scum’s Wish. The idea of a collaboration intrigues me, so I’ll go with [Oshi no Ko].

KATE: One of my favorite horror series of the last five years was PTSD Radio, a collection of interconnected vignettes that are every bit as spooky and weird as Junji Ito in top form. If you missed out on this series when it was digital-only, now’s your chance to pick up the first two omnibus volumes; the final omnibus will be available in May, so you won’t have to wait long to read the conclusion.

ANNA: I’m very curious about Honey Lemon Soda, looking forward to checking it out!

ASH: As a fan of horror manga, I appreciate Kate’s reminder about PTSD Radio, which I somehow haven’t actually read yet. My pick this week goes to the debut of BARBARITIES, however; I’ve been looking forward to giving another manga by Tsuta Suzuki a try.

Filed Under: PICK OF THE WEEK

Bookshelf Briefs 1/14/23

January 14, 2023 by Katherine Dacey, Sean Gaffney and Michelle Smith 2 Comments

Hello, Melancholic!, Vol. 3 | By Yayoi Ohsawa | Seven Seas I don’t think this series was cancelled, per se, but I am sad that this is the final volume, as it felt like it was just getting started. As you can likely guess, this final volume focuses on our main couple (the other pairings get side chapters that, alas, are not collected here) and their attempts to realize that they actually do like each other that way, as well as dealing with Minato’s terminal anxiety. I appreciated the way that this book showed that sometimes pushing a person to do something way outside their comfort zone can be a good thing, and I also enjoyed Hibiki being forced to realize that she may be more like her father than she thinks. Easily the best trombone-related yuri I’ve ever read, this is also an excellent manga even without the trombone. – Sean Gaffney

Kaguya-sama: Love Is War, Vol. 24 | By Aka Akasaka | Viz Media – This volume flat-out tells you that we’ve reached the final arc of the story, and the back half of it is dedicated to that arc, kicked off by Kaguya vanishing from school. Before that, we get a lot more Ishigami and Iino ship tease, some more of Maki being a good friend but a terrible romantic partner, and Chika wondering why on Earth she doesn’t have any romance in her life? (Kaguya offers to set her up with Hayasaka, and given how much Chika fawns over another girl in this book, it’s probably not a bad idea.) There are still plenty of laughs here, but no doubt the final arc will be a serious one. Let’s hope that Kaguya can not only stay together with Shirogane, but survive to the end of the series. – Sean Gaffney

Komi Can’t Communicate, Vol. 22 | By Tomohito Oda | Viz Media – It can be very, very difficult to confess your love to a crush, especially in Japan, where casual dating is far less of a thing than it is over here. That said, I feel the plotline of “when will Manbagi confess, get rejected, and try to move on?” is taking forever, and that’s not helped by this volume, which gives her the perfect opportunity to confess, but she just can’t work up the guts. It doesn’t help that this is killing Komi too, and Manbagi knows it. The rest of the volume is mostly just the rest of the school trip, the high point of which was my realization that they’re staying at the same hotel that I stay at when I go to New York. (It’s got a lot of international customers.) Still good, but get on with it! – Sean Gaffney

Love at Fourteen, Vol. 12 | By Fuka Mizutani | Yen Press – I don’t think I’ve been this disappointed over the direction a series went since Bunny Drop. Now, don’t worry, no one breaks up here or anything. We even get a flashforward showing our main couple still together (if fairly static). The issue is that the author ran out of ideas for the main couple and so decided to bring in their fetishes, and we pay as much attention to them as we do to the Love at Fourteen. There’s not one, but THREE teacher-student romances, one of which explicitly has the girl decide to romance the teacher so he’s not seduced by a gay man. There’s the middle schooler and the mature looking fifth-grader. There’s the middle schooler and the OL, who get married at the end. Why was this so seedy? – Sean Gaffney

The Music of Marie | By Usumaru Furuya | One Peace Books – In this visually arresting, maddeningly empty story, Usumaru Furuya envisions a world in which humanity has been stripped of its technological progress. Marie, an enormous clockwork automaton, floats through the sky, keeping a seemingly silent vigil over her creators. Only one person can hear her celestial music: Kai, a young man who is torn between his feelings for Pipi, a childhood friend, and his emotional connection to Marie. Furuya’s illustrations are gorgeous, but the story never quite finds its groove, see-sawing between Pipi’s increasingly desperate attempts to win Kai’s affection and Kai’s efforts to uncover who built Marie, and why. The script sounds a few cautionary notes about the dangers of idolatry and technophobia, but Furuya’s penchant for making icky jokes spoils the mood. – Katherine Dacey

No Longer Allowed in Another World, Vol. 1 | By Hiroshi Noda and Takahiro Wakamatsu | Seven Seas This manga has one joke, and if you’re not here for the joke, you’ll probably want to stay away. The joke is that the protagonist of famous novel No Longer Human, about to kill himself along with his lover Sacchan, is instead hit by the inevitable isekai truck, and ends up in a fantasy world. This is a broad comedy, and the parodies of isekais are hilarious if (like me) you’ve read too many of them. That said, the main character here tries to kill himself multiple times over the course of the volume, and if suicide as comedy bothers you, absolutely do not read this. For those with no such issues, and who are familiar with No Longer Human, it’s pretty funny. – Sean Gaffney

Orochi: Perfect Edition, Vol. 1 | By Kazuo Umezz | VIZ – It’s pretty rare for me to disagree with critics like Helen Chazan and Chris Mautner, but I was underwhelmed by Orochi, especially when compared with some of Kazuo Umezu’s other translated works. The stories read like half-recalled dreams, with baroque plot twists and dialogue that makes Whatever Happened to Baby Jane? seem like a work of cinéma vérité. To some extent, that’s true of Umezu’s other work, but at least Cat-Eyed Boy and The Drifting Classroom pack a visual and an emotional punch, both of which are sorely lacking in Orochi; the title character is such a cipher that she registers more as a walking plot contrivance than a person, thus blunting the tragedies she helps set in motion. – Katherine Dacey

Rainbow Days, Vol. 1 | By Minami Mizuno | VIZ Media – I typically enjoy manga that was serialized in Margaret or one of its offshoots, but in Rainbow Days I have found the exception. Natsuki Hashiba is a wholesome teen with more worldly friends, and when they try to warn him that his new girlfriend is a gold digger, he refuses to listen. Alas, they were right. I found Natsuki to be a bland protagonist, but he’s at least better than one of his friends, Katakura, whose only personality trait is “into S&M.” Practically any time he’s in a scene, he’s either holding a whip (at school, no less!) or making comments about mouth gags. At no point is any of this ever funny. I do like Natsuki’s new love interest—and her abrasive, overprotective, and smitten best friend—and honestly I just wish those two had their own manga instead, because I really can’t do fifteen more volumes of this one. – Michelle Smith

The Shadows of Who We Once Were, Vol. 8 | By Yae Utsumi | Kodansha Comics (digital only) – I wouldn’t exactly say The Shadows of Who We Once Were has been a fun series to binge—it’s about teens being held hostage by a former classmate and forced to participate in deadly experiments, after all—but it’s certainly been riveting in its own bleak way. From the outset, readers knew the total of deaths related to the incident, and the final two turn out to be quite a surprise. I also appreciated how the reporter factored in, and the cynical detail that her subsequent article managed to change public opinion for, like, three months. The best part of the series, though, is the way the survivors have changed from the incident, in many cases for the better. Overall, I really liked this series and hope that it will one day have a print release. – Michelle Smith

Filed Under: Bookshelf Briefs

The Manga Review: Coming Attractions

January 13, 2023 by Katherine Dacey Leave a Comment

According to the collective wisdom of the internet, Best of 2022 lists are out, and What to Read in 2023 lists are in! So in that spirit, here are a few articles to help you get off to a good start this year. The Beat’s list of 60 Anticipated Graphic Novels offers a pleasing mixture of manga, manhwa, and comics, while Brigid Alverson’s Manga Pick Hits highlights March’s big debuts. Over at Honey’s Anime, Brett Michael Orr organizes his recommendations by genre, naming his five most anticipated shoujo, shounen, josei, and romance manga. Readers looking for a complete overview of 2023’s most anticipated titles should click over to Anime Collective, which has compiled an exhaustive, month-by-month list of every new manga series debuting this year.

NEWS…

Over at ICv2, Brigid Alverson parses the December 2022 Bookscan data on the 20 Bestselling Adult Graphic Novels. “Six of the titles on the December charts are the first volumes of manga series that have been around for a while,” she observes. “It’s not unusual to see the first volume of a hot series, such as Chainsaw Man, in the Top 20, but first volume appearances on the chart seem to spike in December: there were eight or more first volumes on the chart in December 2020… and 2021.” [ICv2]

Topping the list of December 2022’s most popular manga are Chainsaw Man, Demon Slayer, Jujutsu Kaisen, and Spy x Family. [ICv2]

Coming soon to a screen near you: Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead, which is getting two separate treatments. The first is an animated television series, which will be available on Hulu in July, while the second will be a live-action movie, which will premiere on Netflix in December. [ANN]

Seven Seas is hiring: they need an editor for their extensive line of novels. [Seven Seas]

Australian fans’ demand for unlicensed manga has led to a surge in piracy Down Under. According to the Attorney General’s office, “There has been a general downward trend in the demand for unlicensed television shows, films and music since 2017, but a general increase in the demand for unlicensed publishing materials.” [The Guardian]

… AND VIEWS

Alenka Figa, Kayleigh Hearn, Carrie McClain, Paulina Przystupa, and Masha Zhdanova list their favorite manga of 2022, from Correspondence from the End of the Universe to The Vampire and His Pleasant Companions. [WWAC]

Also compiling a list of his favorite manga of 2022 is Tony Yao, who names Sensei’s Pious Lie and Akane-banashi as two of last year’s best debuts. [Drop-In to Manga]

Erica Friedman kicks off the fourth season of Yuri Studio with a preview of coming attractions and a reaction video. [Okazu]

Jocelyne Allen invites readers to “start your year off with some feminist manga” with a look at Takinami Yukari’s Watashi-tachi wa Mutsu Renai ga Shitai. [Brain vs. Book]

The latest Manga Machinations podcast focuses on three series: Tales of the Kingdom, Children of the Sea, and Welcome Back Alice. [Manga Machinations]

The folks at Taiiku Podcast have been busy, posting not one but two new episodes in the first days of 2023, the first exploring the work of panpaya (Invitation from a Crab, Guyabano Holiday), and the second critiquing Akane-banashi and Embrace Your Size. [Taiiku Podcast]

On the most recent episode of Shojo & Tell, Ashley and Colleen dish the dirt on Natsuki Tayaka’s Twinkle Stars. [Shojo & Tell]

REVIEWS

Sarah gives Phantom of the Idol solid marks, arguing that the series offers an “entertaining look at the world of idol culture that will appeal to readers who enjoy stories (like IDOLiSH7) set in the hothouse world of popular music.” Over at Beneath the Tangles, the gang posts a fresh crop of capsule reviews of Maison Ikkoku, Romantic Killer, Yakuza Finacé and Your Forma.

New and Noteworthy

  • Doomsday with My Dog, Vol. 1 (Adam Symchuk, Asian Movie Pulse)
  • The Food Diary of Miss Maid, Vols. 1-2 (Justin, The OASG)
  • The Girl I Like Forgot Her Glasses, Vol. 1 (Justin, The OASG)
  • Helck, Vol. 1 (MrAJCosplay, ANN)
  • I Want to Be a Wall, Vol. 1 (Sarah, Anime UK News)
  • The Magical Revolution of the Reincarnated Princess and the Genius Young Lady, Vol. 1 (Helen, The OASG)
  • Miss Miyazen Would Love to Get Closer to You, Vol. 1 (Josh Piedra, The Outerhaven)
  • My Gently Raised Beast, Vol. 1 (Adam Symchuk, Asian Movie Pulse)
  • No Longer Allowed in Another World, Vol. 1 (Adam Symchuk, Asian Movie Pulse)
  • Oshi No Ko, Vol. 1 (Brett Michael Orr, Honey’s Anime)
  • Run Away with Me, Girl, Vol. 1 (Demelza, Anime UK News)
  • The Saint’s Magic Power Is Omnipotent, Vol. 1 (Megan D., The Manga Test Drive)
  • Shuna’s Journey (Terry Hong, Book Dragon)
  • Shuna’s Journey (Firechick’s Manga Reviews)
  • Shuna’s Journey (Kevin Credo, Game Rant)
  • Shuna’s Journey (Linda Codega, Gizmodo)
  • Shy, Vol. 1 (Renee Scott, Good Comics for Kids)
  • Tomb Raider King, Vol. 1 (Adam Symchuk, Asian Movie Pulse)
  • The Witcher: Ronin (Sarah, Anime UK News)
  • Your Forma, Vol. 1 (Brett Michael Orr, Honey’s Anime)

Complete and Ongoing Series

  • Blue Box, Vol. 2 (MrAJCosplay, ANN)
  • Blue Period, Vol. 9 (Sarah, Anime UK News)
  • Bofuri: I Don’t Want to Get Hurt, So I’ll Max Out My Defense, Vol. 5 (Justin, The OASG)
  • The Crater (SKJAM! Reviews)
  • Dandadan, Vol. 2 (Arped Okay, The Beat)
  • Miss Miyazen Would Love to Get Closer to You, Vol. 2 (Josh Piedra, The Outerhaven)
  • Sleepy Princess in the Demon Castle, Vol. 19 (Justin, The OASG)
  • Suppose a Kid from the Last Dungeon Boones Moved to a Starter Town, Vol. 6 (Demelza, Anime UK News)
  • Yuri Is My Job, Vol. 10 (Erica Friedman, Okazu)
  • Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead, Vol. 8 (King Baby Duck, Boston Bastard Brigade)

 

Filed Under: FEATURES

Pick of the Week: Exciting Icelandic Sagas

January 9, 2023 by Sean Gaffney, Michelle Smith, Ash Brown, Anna N and Katherine Dacey Leave a Comment

SEAN: No question, my pick this week is I’m in Love with the Villainess: She’s so Cheeky for a Commoner. We’ve seen “the same events from another perspective” in other light novels, but usually as briefly changing narrators, not an entire new series. Plus… More Claire! More Rae!

MICHELLE: Given is no doubt a nicer series than The Shadows of Who We Once Were, but since I haven’t read it in ages, I don’t feel as though I can really pick it these week. Whereas I’ve been binging Shadows and, though I am still not entirely sure how I feel about it, the end being in sight definitely inclines me in its favor. So… half-hearted endorsement, I guess?

ASH: Debut-wise, I think the series that I’m the most curious about this week is The Knight Blooms Behind Castle Walls, but if I look towards currently ongoing series (and favorites) Vinland Saga is always a top choice for me.

ANNA: I may be far behind, but I won’t pass up a chance to hype Vinland Saga either.

KATE: All the enthusiastic praise for Vinland Saga makes me think I should give it a second try, so I’m joining Anna and Ash and making it my pick of the week.

Filed Under: PICK OF THE WEEK

The Manga Review: Looking Backward

January 6, 2023 by Katherine Dacey Leave a Comment

Buckle up, dear reader; this week’s Manga Review is bursting at the seams!

The first order of business? The best (and worst) of 2022. The Comics Journal recently posted its annual list, polling thirty-three critics, artists, editors, and scholars about their favorite titles. While some of the nominations were predictable—there were a lot of folks praising Kate Beaton’s Ducks—there were also a refreshing number of contributors who discussed their manga-reading habits, among them Ritesh Babu, Helen Chazan, Austin English, Charles Hatfield, Chris Mautner, Joe McCulloch, and Katie Skelly. The Beat’s 30 Best Comics of 2022 had fewer manga entries but offered a more balanced list of mainstream and indie comics, as did The Mary Sue, which gave nods to Junji Ito and Yamada Murasaki in its list of the 30 Best Comics and Graphic Novels of 2022, and From Cover to Cover, which named Gengoroh Tagame’s Our Colors among the year’s best titles. Perhaps the most interesting list was Polygon’s 10 Best Comics of 2022, which gave shout-outs to Look Back and Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou as well as Jamilla Rowser and Robyn Smith’s Wash Day Diaries.

Readers in search of manga-only lists will find plenty to choose from, including Okazu’s Best Yuri of 2022, But Why Tho’s Top BL Manga of 2022, and Anime UK News’s favorite Manga, Manhwha, and Light Novels of 2022. Also worth a look: Asian Movie Pulse’s 10 Best Manga Releases of 2022, Beneath the Tangles’ Best Manga of 2022, Bounding Into Comics’ Top 10 New Manga Series of 2022, CBR’s Best New & Ongoing Manga of 2022, Game Rant’s 10 Best Manga of 2022, The Outerhaven’s Top 5 Manga of 2022, and Screen Rant’s 10 Best Manga of 2022. Last but not least, I posted my first Best and Worst Manga list in… (checks notes) seven years, focusing on the titles that most delighted and annoyed me in 2022.

NEWS…

Did you know the New York Times has revived its Graphic Books and Manga Bestseller List? (Me, neither.) By whatever metrics they’re using, Chainsaw Man and Shuna’s Journey are selling briskly but not as well as Dav Pilkey’s perennially popular Cat Kid and Dog Man series. [The New York Times]

To mark the twentieth anniversary of Yuricon, Erica Friedman is moving the event online and reimagining the format “as a series of presentations and panels to be held online throughout the year on Yuri Studio.” Anyone interested in organizing a panel or giving a presentation at Yuricon 2023 is encouraged to fill out an application at Okazu. [Okazu]

Publishers Weekly compiles its “top-15 most-read articles on comics” and, to no one’s surprise, “Manga Is Booming” topped the list. [PW]

Shonen Jump readers take note: the cost for US subscribers is going up a $1.00/month. Krystallina offers more context for the rate increase, and reflects on the state of the digital manga market. [The OASG]

Wondering what new series you can expect to see at your local bookstore this month? Bill Curtis has you covered with a comprehensive list of January’s manga and light novel releases. [Yatta-Tachi]

…AND VIEWS

Fatimah explains why Tenmaku no Jendoogar (A Witch’s Life in Mongol) deserves an English-language release. The title, which won a 2023 Kono Manga ga Sugoi Award, focuses on an Iranian girl “who’s a captive of the Mongol Empire and uses her education to her advantage.” Fatimah provides insight into the time period in which the story takes place, discusses one of the real-life characters who appears in the story, and praises the artwork for its graceful fusion of Japanese and Persian sensibilities. [Saffron Apple Pie Manga Recs]

In a generously illustrated essay, Leo Flemisch argues that “few cartoonists have explored what it means to exit childhood as profoundly as Japanese manga artist Taiyō Matsumoto.” [SOLRAD]

Marcel Green compares Shonen Jump‘s most recent crop of titles with older series and notices that the magazine has shifted away from stories that “center on an individual’s quest for glory or redemption” to stories that “focus on the individual’s connection with their family.” [Screen Rant]

Ana Diaz explains why fans of the Chainsaw Man anime should read the manga, too. [Polygon]

Over at Drop-In to Manga, Tony Yao uses the teacher-student dynamic in Akane-banashi as a jumping-off point for exploring mental myopia. [Drop-In to Manga]

Cy Catwell offers a thoughtful reflection on why I Am a Wall mattered to them in 2022. “Trauma is a vicious thing, and yet I Want to Be a Wall is a reminder that trauma has an opposite: healing,” they write. “This is the crux of I Want to Be a Wall’s narrative, a reminder that there are ways to be happy, ways to survive and even thrive in the world when healing is centered, when you no longer are forced to always feel strange.” [Anime Feminist]

LISTENING IN

Over at Manga Machinations, Seamus, Morgana, Darfox8, and dakazu unveil the winners of their Best Manga of 2022 Awards in categories ranging from Most Enjoyable to There’s Still Hope. [Manga Machinations]

Not to be outdone, David and Jordan hand out “the most prestigious awards in canceled manga – The Shonen Flop Awards aka The Floppies,” naming their favorite—and least favorite—titles of the year. [Shonen Flop]

Also weighing in on the year’s best manga are Ray and Gee, hosts of Read Right to Left. [Read Right to Left]

Justin and Helen close out 2022 with a look at the year’s weirdest anime and manga news. [The OASG Podcast]

For their final podcast of 2022, Elliot and Andy look at two fantasy series: Reincarnated as a Sword and Colorless. [Screentone Club]

Manga Mavericks Colton and Lum weigh in on four new series available on the Shonen Jump website: The Ichinose Family’s Deadly Sins, Cipher Academy, Ichigoki’s Under Control!!, and Fabricant 100. [The Manga Mavericks]

The dynamic duo of Ed Piskor and Jim Rugg take a deep dive into GENGA: Otomo Katsuhiro Original Pictures. First published in 2012, GENGA offers readers insight into Otomo’s approach to character design and layout, as well as rare glimpses of his work as a commercial illustrator. [Cartoonist Kayfabe]

REVIEWS

Johanna Draper Carlson explains why she doesn’t make the recipes in What Did You Eat Yesterday?, while Jaime explains why she found A Tropical Fish Yearns for Snow disappointing. On the capsule review front, the staff at Beneath the Tangles offer pithy assessments of Dandadan, My Gently Raised Beast, and SHY, my Manga Bookshelf colleagues weigh in on Captain Corinth, Skip and Loafer, and Usotoki Rhetoric, and WWAC’s Carrie McClain tackles the latest crop of manga and light novels from Seven Seas.

New and Noteworthy

  • Baby Bear’s Bakery (Megan D., The Manga Test Drive)
  • Blitz, Vol. 1 (Adam Symchuk, Asian Movie Pulse)
  • The Boxer, Vol. 1 (Adam Symchuk, Asian Movie Pulse)
  • The Boxer, Vol. 1 (Kristin, Anime Collective)
  • Captain Corinth: The Galactic Navy Officer Becomes an Adventurer, Vol. 1 (Danica Davidson, Otaku USA)
  • Deadpool: Samurai, Vol. 1 (A Library Girl’s Familiar Diversions)
  • Death Note: Short Stories (A Library Girl’s Familiar Diversions)
  • Dr. Stone, Vol. 1 (A Library Girl’s Familiar Diversions)
  • The Geek Ex-Hitman, Vol. 1 (A Library Girl’s Familiar Diversions)
  • Heavenly Demon Reborn, Vol. 1 (Adam Symchuk, Asian Movie Pulse)
  • I’m a Terminal Cancer Patient But I’m Fine (A Library Girl’s Familiar Diversions)
  • My Gently Raised Beast, Vol. 1 (Brett Michael Orr, Honey’s Anime)
  • The Girl I Like Forgot Her Glasses, Vol. 1 (Darkstorm, Anime UK News)
  • The Girl I Like Forgot Her Glasses, Vol. 1 (Danica Davidson, Otaku USA)
  • Loved Circus (Rebecca Silverman, ANN)
  • Midnight Rain (A Library Girl’s Familiar Diversions)
  • Mission: Yozakura Family, Vol. 1 (Sara Smith, The Graphic Librarian)
  • Mission: Yozakura Family, Vols. 1-2 (King Baby Duck, Boston Bastard Brigade)
  • Oshi no Ko, Vol. 1 (Kristin, Anime Collective)
  • My Stepsister Who Tells Me to Die Every Day Tries to Hypnotize Me So I Would Fall for Her…! (Danica Davidson, Otaku USA)
  • Romantic Killer, Vol. 1 (Ivanir Ignacchitti, Noisy Pixle)
  • The Remarried Empress, Vol. 1 (Adam Symchuk, Asian Movie Pulse)
  • Romantic Killer, Vols. 1-2 (Christopher Farris, ANN)
  • She Loves to Cook and She Loves to Eat, Vol. 1 (Karen Gellender, The Fandom Post)
  • SHY, Vol. 1 (Brett Michael Orr, Honey’s Anime)
  • SHY, Vol. 1 (Adam Symchuk, Asian Movie Pulse)
  • So What’s Wrong with Getting Reborn as a Goblin?, Vol. 1 (Rebecca Silverman, ANN)
  • Thus Spoke Rohan Kishibe, Vol. 1 (Brandon Danial, The Fandom Post)
  • Tomb Raider King, Vol. 1 (Richard Gutierrez, The Fandom Post)
  • Touring After the Apocalypse, Vol. 1 (Harry, Honey’s Anime)
  • Touring After the Apocalypse, Vol. 1 (Antonio Mireles, The Fandom Post)
  • True Beauty, Vol. 1 (A Library Girl’s Familiar Diversions)
  • Tsubaki-Chou Lonely Planet, Vol. 1 (Krystallina, The OASG)
  • Turning the Tables on the Seatmate Killer, Vol. 1 (Justin, The OASG)
  • Unnamed Memory, Vol. 1 (Demelza, Anime UK News)
  • Wistoria: Wand and Sword, Vol. 1 (Demelza, Anime UK News)
  • The Wrong Way to Use Healing Magic, Vol. 1 (Noemi10, Anime UK News)
  • Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou, Vol. 1 (Megan D., The Manga Test Drive)
  • YoRHa: Pearl Harbor Descent Record, Vol. 1 (Krystallina, The OASG)
  • Zombie Makeout Club, Vol. 1 (Adam Symchuk, Asian Movie Pulse)

Complete and Ongoing Series

  • The Abandoned Empress, Vol. 3 (Noemi10, Anime UK News)
  • Beauty and the Feast, Vol. 5 (Krystallina, The OASG)
  • Deadpool: Samurai, Vol. 2 (A Library Girl’s Familiar Diversions)
  • Even Though We’re Adults, Vol. 5 (Jaime, Yuri Stargirl)
  • Fist of the North Star, Vols. 6-7 (King Baby Duck, Boston Bastard Brigade)
  • For the Kid I Saw in My Dreams, Vol. 9 (Josh Piedra, The Outerhaven)
  • Hello, Melancholic!, Vol. 3 (Erica Friedman, Okazu)
  • I Belong to the Baddest Girl at School, Vol. 6 (Josh Piedra, The Outerhaven)
  • I Cannot Reach You, Vol. 5 (Sarah, Anime UK News)
  • In the Land of Leadale, Vol. 2 (Kate O’Neil, The Fandom Post)
  • Kanna’s Daily Life, Vol. 10 (King Baby Duck, Boston Bastard Brigade)
  • Kimi ni Todoke, Vol. 2 (SKJAM! Reviews)
  • Kowloon Generic Romance, Vol. 2 (Sarah, Anime UK News)
  • Love After World Domination, Vol. 5 (Justin, The OASG)
  • Love and Heart, Vol. 6 (Josh Piedra, The Outerhaven)
  • Mint Chocolate, Vol. 6 (Josh Piedra, The Outerhaven)
  • My Happy Marriage, Vol. 3 (Krystallina, The OASG)
  • Orient, Vols. 7-8 (Onosume, Anime UK News)
  • Rooster Fighter, Vol. 2 (King Baby Duck, Boston Bastard Brigade)
  • A School Frozen in Time, Vol. 4 (Sara Smith, The Graphic Library)
  • Shonen Note, Vol. 1 (Megan D., The Manga Test Drive)
  • Soul Eater: The Perfect Edition, Vol. 9 (Krystallina, The OASG)
  • The Story of Lee, Vol. 1 (SKJAM! Reviews)
  • Summertime Rendering, Vol. 6 (Sara Smith, The Graphic Library)
  • Sword Art Online: Realization, Vol. 4 (Karen Gellender, The Fandom Post)
  • Why Raeliana Ended Up at the Duke’s Mansion, Vol. 2 (Noemi10, Anime UK News)

Filed Under: FEATURES Tagged With: Best of 2022, Chainsaw Man, Katsuhiro Otomo, Shonen Jump, Taiyo Matsumoto, Yuricon

Bookshelf Briefs 1/5/23

January 5, 2023 by Ash Brown, Katherine Dacey, Sean Gaffney and Michelle Smith Leave a Comment

Asumi-chan Is Interested in Lesbian Brothels!, Vol. 1 | By Kuro Itsuki | Seven Seas – I wasn’t originally planning to read this at all, but several people I respect said it was actually quite well done. So I read it, and they were right. Asumi is a young gay woman who pines after her older friend who took care of her when she was younger. She wants to find her, but the only reliable rumor is that she works as a sex worker in a place for other like-minded women. This is very consensual and sex-positive, despite the cover art. Each chapter is a different hostess, and the sex is explicit without getting too tawdry. The actual payoff is hinted at the end of the first chapter, but this is essentially a foodie manga, but with lesbian sex. The journey is the reason to read it. – Sean Gaffney

Captain Corinth: The Galactic Navy Officer Becomes an Adventurer, Vol. 1 | By Atsuhiko Itoh and Tomomasa Takuma | One Peace Books – Isekai seems nearly impossible to escape these days, but even so it’s not a subgenre that I tend to frequent. The manga adaptation of Captain Corinth caught my attention, however, by promising to meld science fiction and fantasy elements without relying on reincarnation to propel its lead character into a different world. Corinth’s near-death experience is still pivotal, though—as the only surviving crewmember of a starship, his escape pod crash lands him on a planet of magic-users, a rarity in the universe. Granted, his survival largely depends on highly advanced technology that may as well be a form of magic. His successes come far too easily as a result at this point, but that may soon change. This early on in the series the balance between science fiction and fantasy hasn’t quite been realized, but the potential is definitely there for them to be combined in interesting ways. – Ash Brown

The Food Diary of Miss Maid, Vol. 1 | By Susumu Maeya| Kodansha Manga (digital only) – There is a bit of a plot here, but only a bit. Suzume, a maid who works in an English mansion, is on vacation in Japan for a week or so… then her master tells her the mansion has been destroyed. While they rebuild it, she has to stay there. What this means is that you get a cute girl in a maid outfit who is Japanese but (having lived in England) has little idea what Japanese food and food etiquette is like, trying out various Japanese delicacies and telling us about them. As such, it’s a foodie manga (with no lesbian sex). It’s well done, as it made me hungry for the items in question, especially the dango. That said, there’s no character development here beyond her meeting her neighbor, who is essentially a straight (wo)man. – Sean Gaffney

The Full-Time Wife Escapist, Vol. 10 | By Tsunami Umino | Kodansha Comics (digital only) – This volume opens with a thoroughly charming sequence that I shan’t spoil, reminding us of the whimsy this series is capable of before it gets down to SO. MUCH. ADULTING. Mikuri and Hiramasa are expecting! Her morning sickness is extremely bad, so Hiramasa takes over a lot of household tasks (all while not letting on how worried he is) while they both try to navigate the many rules their employers and others have about leave time and applying for this or that. Meanwhile, Yuri is having a health scare and one of Hiramasa’s coworkers starts to fall for him (while dealing with rampant sexism in the workplace). A lot of emphasis is on Mikuri and Hiramasa functioning as a team, and that Hiramasa’s request for a month of paternity leave is frowned upon because what could a man possibly contribute? As good as ever, thankfully! – Michelle Smith

Night of the Living Cat, Vol. 1 | By Hawkman and Mecha-Roots | Seven Seas – Night of the Living Cat is to manga what Shaun of the Dead is to movies: both are loving spoofs of the zombie genre that faithfully reproduce its signature tropes. The central joke in Living Cat is that infected humans don’t turn into flesh-eating monsters but adorable kitties; the main mode of transmission is snuggling. While that premise sounds hilarious, the authors’ commitment to telling the story with a straight face ends up weighing down what should be a goofy, buoyant send-up of I Am a Hero and The Walking Dead. The result is like watching a Naked Gun movie in which every actor delivers their lines in a natural, conversational tone; the jokes are there, but the delivery is off. – Katherine Dacey

Skip and Loafer, Vol. 6 | By Misaki Takamatsu |Seven Seas – The main story of this manga continues to be terrific. Mitsumi is still bright and shiny, but has lost a lot of the country hick that she started off with (though she still needs other’s help buying “city-specific” presents). It’s also Valentine’s Day, so it’s time for Mika to shoot her shot and confess to Shima, even though she, the school, and the reader know how that’s going to go. And we also get a great chapter from Nao’s point of view, where she confesses to her friend that seeing Mitsumi’s supportive family and circle of loving friends makes her envious for all the support she never had. This is not a trans manga per se, as Nao is a supporting character, but trans readers should find it very welcoming. – Sean Gaffney

Teasing Master Takagi-san, Vol. 16 | By Soichiro Yamamoto | Yen Press – For the most part, unlike the anime (which expanded the cast out of necessity), this manga is very much about two kids and not much else. But, as the series has gone on, we have gotten side couples (such as Nakai and Mano, who remain adorable) and Those Three Girls. But now we’re moving up to second year (making the cast fourteen years old), and the series’ resident grumpy tsundere, Hojo, who is clearly in love with her neighbor and friend but is not really admitting it. All of this helps to balance and contrast Takagi and Nishikata, who pretty much have their one gimmick. It is a VERY good gimmick, though, and Takagi is blushing more and more each volume. This should please fans. – Sean Gaffney

Usotoki Rhetoric, Vol. 1 | By Ritsu Miyako | One Peace Books – Urabe Kanoko was driven out of her home village due to her ability to hear lies. She arrives in Tsukumoya Town in search of a job, and soon becomes the assistant of a perpetually penniless detective named Iwai Soma. He’s the first person who has wanted her by his side even after learning of her power, declaring, “I think you can become a real force for good!” Together, they test the limits of her ability and come up with a system by which she can inconspicuously signal when someone involved in a case is lying. In this volume, they solve such mysteries as “where did that kid go?,” “why did Iwai lie about knowing that lady?,” and “where did that other kid go?” Though the mysteries are light so far, I still really enjoyed this volume, especially the 1926 setting, and very much look forward to more! – Michelle Smith

Young Lady Albert Is Courting Disaster, Vol. 1 | By Saki and Tsukasa Satsuki| J-Novel Club (digital only) – As you can likely guess, this is another villainess story. Mary Albert realizes one day that she’s the villainess in an otome game, and will end up destitute and her family in ruins. The gimmick here is that she decides to embrace her fate wholeheartedly, and seeks out the various scenes with the heroine, Alicia, so that she can be as nasty as possible. There’s just one issue: Mary Albert is sweet as pie, both with and without reincarnated memories, and her attempts to be mean backfire horribly as she helps Alicia at every turn. There’s no reason she chooses to be evil other than “comedy,” but the comedy is fun, and I also like her long-suffering servant who’s in love with her. – Sean Gaffney

Filed Under: Bookshelf Briefs

Pick of the Week: Ravens, Killers, and Isekai

January 2, 2023 by Michelle Smith, Sean Gaffney, Ash Brown, Katherine Dacey and Anna N Leave a Comment

MICHELLE: I was originally going to pick I’m Kinda Chubby and I’m Your Hero, but a commenter on the Manga the Week of post described the Raven of the Inner Palace anime as “sad and lovely,” so now I am super curious about that. Thus, I’m actually picking a light novel this time!

SEAN: Raven of the Inner Palace is definitely on my list, because I am happy to add another “behind the scenes of the emperor’s harem” title. That said, the one that is most intriguing to me this week is No Longer Allowed In Another World, which has the potential to be amazingly funny or a giant trainwreck, and I want to see which.

ASH: I’ll throw another title out there for consideration since I’ve been waiting for it for so long—Rakuda Laughs—but honestly I’m interested in everything that’s been mentioned so far and will join Sean in picking No Longer Allowed In Another World for the reasons already outlined.

KATE: I’ve heard a lot of good things about Romantic Killer–especially its blunt, no-nonsense heroine–so that’s my pick of the week.

ANNA: Put me down for Romantic Killer too, I’m intrigued.

Filed Under: PICK OF THE WEEK

The Best and Worst Manga of 2022

January 1, 2023 by Katherine Dacey

When I sat down to compose my Best of 2022 list, I was certain I’d compiled a similar one as recently as 2017, only to discover that I hadn’t done so in almost seven years. In looking over some of my earlier efforts, I hardly recognize myself: who was this person with the energy to review 40 or 50 books in a year? Or who thought that Yowamushi Pedal was the best new series of 2015? It felt a little daunting to revisit those lists, honestly, as I’ve often let my blog lie fallow for months at a stretch as I adjusted to a more demanding teaching schedule or a longer commute; I’ve been vowing to “bring back” The Manga Critic for years. Reading other bloggers’ year-end lists, however, inspired me to get back in the saddle and take stock of the manga I loved—and didn’t—in 2022.

Best New Manga: Shuna’s Journey
By Hayao Miyazaki • Translated by Alex Dudok de Wit • First Second
In this deceptively simple work, Hayao Miyazaki creates a richly detailed world filled with beautiful, strange imagery that invites the reader to contemplate where and when the story takes place without definitively answering those questions. Miyazaki’s hero is just as mysterious as the landscapes he crosses; Shuna’s odyssey is not a journey of self-discovery but a practical quest that, despite its myriad hardships, leaves him fundamentally unchanged. Is a he a folkloric hero or a witness to environmental catastrophe? Miyazaki leaves that question unanswered as well, creating a work that’s more ambiguous and less didactic than Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind or Princess Mononoke, but similar in its emphasis on the complex relationship between humans and the natural world.

Best Archival Project: Talk to My Back
By Yamada Murasaki • Translated by Ryan Holmberg • Drawn & Quarterly
“For six years now, I’ve never walked at a pace that was mine,” observes Chiharu, the protagonist of Yamada Murasaki’s sharply observed Talk to My Back. First published in the 1980s, Murasaki’s thirty-six vignettes chronicle the small pleasures and intense disappointments of a middle-class Japanese housewife. Through spare linework and judicious use of blank space, Murasaki conveys Chiharu’s quest to define herself outside the role of mother and wife, documenting Chiharu’s anger, frustration, and alienation in a restrained fashion that suggests how stifled and powerless Chiharu often feels. In a thorough, thoughtful companion essay, translator Ryan Holmberg explores Murasaki’s trailblazing role as an alt-manga creator; Murasaki was one of the first women artists to be featured in the pages of COM and Garo magazines, opening the door for creators such as Akino Kondo and Junko Mizuno. Here’s hoping that Drawn & Quarterly decides to publish more of Murasaki’s work in English.

Best New Sci-Fi Manga: Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou
By Hitoshi Ashinano • Translated by Daniel Komen • Adapted by Dawn Davis • Seven Seas
I’m not sure if I would have been as receptive to Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou five or ten years ago, as its low-key depiction of life in the aftermath of an environmental catastrophe might have struck me as hopelessly twee. With the worst of the pandemic behind us, however, I found the series’ emphasis on small, everyday moments more resonant; Hitoshi Ashinano convincingly evokes the rhythm of everyday life in a world of scarcity, minus the Hobbesian emphasis on violent competition. Alpha, the main character, is an android who divides her time between running a small cafe and roaming the coastline on her scooter, photographing the empty roads and submerged towns as well as the small, vibrant communities where people still find time to hold rowdy association meetings and stage elaborate firework displays. Her efforts to document humanity’s final chapter offer a wistful—and hopeful—meditation on what it means to persevere in the face of uncertainty and change.

Best New Romance: Kowloon Generic Romance
By Jun Mayuzuki • Translated by Amanda Haley • Yen Press
The aesthetic of Kowloon Generic Romance is pure 80s manga—think City Hunter or RG Veda—but the story and characters suggest the work of filmmaker Wong Kar-Wai, as Kowloon focuses on an intense but unconsummated flirtation between Reiko, a real estate agent, and Kudou, her brash, horny colleague. Like Kar-Wai, manga-ka Jun Mayuzuki is as enamored of settings as she is of characters, leading the reader on a languid tour of Kowloon’s shopping districts, cafes, back alleys, and apartment blocks, conveying how densely settled this city-within-a-city truly is. Though there are some minor elements of science fiction in play, the main attraction is the artwork and pacing; Mayuzuki devotes an entire chapter to depicting, in rapturous detail, Reiko’s evening ritual of enjoying a cigarette on her flat’s meager balcony, allowing the reader to experience the moment as Reiko does: a brief, wordless respite from the hustle and bustle of Kowloon.

Best New Comedy: Phantom of the Idol
By Hijiki Isoflavone • Translated by Max Greenway • Kodansha
In this delightfully bonkers series, a grumpy male pop star swaps bodies with the ghost of a former teen idol whose discipline and talent help transform Yuya into a charismatic, telegenic performer. The twist? Yuya’s been possessed by Asahi Mogami, a perky girl whose budding career was cut short by a car accident. The physical slapstick takes the humor in some unexpected directions as Asahi navigates the complexities of inhabiting the lazy Yuya’s body, while the dialogue offers plenty of sly pokes at the music industry, as well as some not-so-subtle reminders that pop stardom can be as grueling as it is exhilarating.

Best Manga I Thought I’d Hate: The Men Who Created Gundam
By Hideki Ohwada, Hajime Yatate, and Yoshiyuki Tomino • Translated by Jason Moses • Denpa
Of all the ways you could tell the story of Japan’s most famous robot franchise, it seems only right that Gundam creators Hideki Ohwada and Yoshiyuki Tomino opted for an over-the-top manga that dramatically recreates key moments in the series’ early history. The prevailing tone is reminiscent of a VH-1 Behind the Music special, complete with sudden reversals and last-minute triumphs; every line of dialogue is delivered with the kind of urgency usually reserved for a nuclear crisis, even when the conversation is focused on the more mundane aspects of creating a hit television show. Interspersed among the chapters are brief but useful essays connecting the storylines to real events, offering readers a more nuanced explanation of how Gundam helped the create the template for modern pop-cultural fandoms around the globe.

Worst Manga I Thought I’d Love: Crazy Food Truck
By Rokurou Ogaki • Translated by Amanda Haley • VIZ Media
On paper, Crazy Food Truck sounded like a blast, a cross between Mad Max: Fury Road and The Great Food Truck Race. In practice, however, Crazy Food Truck was surprisingly dull, serving up fight sequences as unimaginative as the food its hero serves his few paying customers. The central joke might be funnier if Gordon’s menu was so good that people would risk life and limb for his gourmet sandwiches, but when a BLT with mustard is his signature dish, it seems more like a failure of imagination than a real attempt at humor, especially when creator Rokurou Ogaki frequently reminds us that Gordon has mounted a cannon on top of his truck to ward off bad guys. Gordon’s sidekick Anisa is a one-note character, inserted into the narrative primarily for fan service that’s so indifferently executed it’s hard to muster any outrage. I have no doubt this series rocked some reader’s world, but I found it flavorless. (Reviewed at The Manga Critic on 6/7/22)

Worst Manga I Read in 2022: Rooster Fighter
By Sou Sakuratani • Translated by Jonah Mayahara-Miller • VIZ Media
Rooster Fighter is a disappointment: the premise is too slight to sustain a long series, the script is strenuously unfunny, and the storylines are numbingly predictable. In every chapter, the nameless hero wanders into a new town, antagonizes and befriends the locals in equal measure, then kills a grotesque demon that’s been terrorizing the community. About the only good joke in whole series is how the rooster kills demons; anyone who’s lived on or near a farm will enjoy a rueful laugh or two at the hero’s superpower. Otherwise, this series is a total Cock-a-Doodle-Don’t. (Reviewed at Manga Bookshelf on 8/16/22)

Filed Under: Manga, Manga Critic, Recommended Reading, REVIEWS Tagged With: Bad Manga, BEST MANGA, Denpa Books, Drawn & Quarterly, First Second, Gundam, Hayao Miyazaki, Hijiki Isoflavone, Hitoshi Ashinano, Jun Mayuzuki, Kodansha Comics, Seven Seas, Yamada Murasaki, yen press

Pick of the Year: Small Publishers and Big Genres

December 26, 2022 by Sean Gaffney, Michelle Smith, Ash Brown and Katherine Dacey Leave a Comment

SEAN: It’s the end of the year, and as always I’ve forgotten 90% of what I read back in March and April. I will thus make my pick a collective pick, as this year had so many new Villainess Novels. Be it reincarnated in an otome game, a duke’s daughter who is publicly shamed, or just a depressed young woman who’s trying to quietly live through her teenage years so she can enter a convent, the Villainess genre has proven surprisingly wide, and I’ll be delighted to read even more of it in 2023.

MICHELLE: I didn’t read as much as I wanted to this year—blast that infernal “life crap” that always seems to intrude—but of what I did read, my favorite was Lost Lad London. Getting a real mystery in manga form is rare enough, and one that acknowledges racism and sexism is unheard-of. I am both looking forward to and lamenting the third and final volume, due out in a few weeks.

ASH: I likewise haven’t had as much time to devote to manga this past year as I would have liked. However, despite some sub-genres seeming to have flooded the market, I’ve been impressed (and pleased!) to see the wide variety manga being released these days. In particular, or in general, I’d like to make small, niche, manga publishers my pick of the year. Specifically, Glacier Bay Books continues to produce highly engaging releases and Star Fruit Books has brought Hideshi Hino back in English as part of a steadily developing catalogue of interesting print manga.

KATE: I want to echo what Ash is saying about small presses such as Glacier Bay Books and Star Fruit: they’re bringing all kind of cool, off-beat titles to the American market that otherwise wouldn’t be translated. In a market that’s so thoroughly saturated in isekai titles and formulaic high school romances, it’s great to have some meaningful alternatives, so I’m making these two presses my “manga of the year.”

Filed Under: PICK OF THE WEEK

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