The big news in the manga blogosphere today is EW’s announcement about the upcoming Twilight graphic novel from Yen Press. Adapted by Korean artist Young Kim with Stephanie Meyer “reviewing every panel,” the character designs so far resemble manhwa versions of the film actors without the over-the-top movie-star perfection. Though comments on the EW article online are mixed, this announcement is undoubtedly a cause for many fans of the book to rejoice over yet another means by which to experience the source material.

For manga/manhwa fans… maybe not so much.
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For those who don’t know, Right Stuf is having a 33% off sale on all Yen Press books. The sale ends tomorrow, so I thought I’d do my part and recommend some Yen Press titles I’ve enjoyed!

My top recommendation is for One Thousand and One Nights (further reviews/rambles to be found here, here, and here), a loose retelling of the original tales with Scheherazade (“Sehara” in this version) cast as male. Sehara’s tales are taken from a wide range of times and cultures (including modern-day) and though the story has a BL feel to it, similar to stories like Banana Fish, Wild Adapter, or Silver Diamond, it can’t actually be called BL, at least not as of volume seven. From my review of volumes 1-6:

One Thousand and One Nights is a beautiful, compelling series that is pleasurable both to read and to look at. With at least five more volumes coming, it has the potential to become a classic of its kind, as long as it continues with the same strength JinSeok and SeungHee have displayed so far.

Secondly, a new title, Nabari No Ou, the story of a boy reluctantly pulled into his ninja heritage. Though my PCS colleague Grant Goodman did not agree, both Danielle Leigh and I found a lot to love in Nabari No Ou. Notable as the only manga that’s ever made me even remotely interested in ninja (and further proof that my love for shonen manga simply will not die), I’ve become an immediate fan after just one volume. From my review:

Overall, Nabari No Ou is a funny, energetic, visually compelling, nicely dark shonen manga, and a surprising new favorite for me!

Thirdly, Comic, the story of a high school girl who dreams of being a manhwa-ga, and her trials in career and romance. I’ve had some disappointment over how far into romance the story has gone while leaving behind the heroine’s career dreams, but I’m still plenty hooked on Alice and friends and I keep looking forward to future volumes. From my review:

With its energetic, attractive art and idiosyncratic characters, Comic has the potential to be both entertaining and romantic while also offering an enticing glimpse into the world of aspiring young manhwa artists. Hopefully over the next few chapters it can pull itself out of the romantic dregs and restore the balance that made its early volumes so much fun.

Here are a few other reviews of Yen Press books I’ve written over the past six months or so, some of which I’ve really liked, some less so. You’ll note, however, that even when I’ve had issues with a Yen Press book, I’ve never actually disliked one. It’s never hard for me to find something good to say.

11th Cat Special
13th Boy
GA: Geijutsuka Art Design Class
Jack Frost
Legend
Pig Bride
Sumomomo, Momomo: The Strongest Bride on Earth

Also, a couple of recommended titles I’ve read but not yet reviewed: Goong and Nightschool.

As someone relatively new to manga/manhwa, I’ve read only a small fraction of Yen Press’ catalogue, so please feel free to list more recommendations in comments! Happy shopping! :D