The Manga Review: Out With the Old, In With the New

Between the bad weather and the bad news from all over the globe, the first twelve days of January have felt more like the End Times than a fresh start. One thing that’s helped lift my spirits: browsing the best-of-2023 lists at Anime News Network, Anime UK News, Asian Movie Pulse, The Beat, The Comics Journal, From Cover to Cover, Okazu, and The School Library Journal. Though a few manga appeared on multiple lists, there was no real consensus among critics about the year’s best—a refreshing development, as best-of lists can sometimes feel more like an echo chamber than an expression of individuals’ own taste. Go, read!

NEWS ROUNDUP

Brigid Alverson pores over the December 2023 Circana Bookscan data for insight into end-of-year manga sales. Not surprisingly, Chainsaw Man, Jujutsu Kaisen, and Spy X Family all posted strong numbers, as did Demon Slayer and One Piece… Beckett Collectibles announced that it will rate, bag, and board manga, just as it does for floppies and trading cards… The Simpsons won an Emmy for poking fun at Death Note…  Makoto Ojiro, author of Insomniacs After School, will unveil a new series on February 5th… and Kia Asamiya is also launching a new series which, true to form, he describes as “retro future sci-fi action” and features the “Symphonica Waffe,” some sort of intergalactic weapon.

ESSAYS AND PODCASTS

Erica Friedman explains why she loves doujinshi, comparing it to a “schmaltzy mid-20th century American movie in which, oh, I don’t know, Rosemary Clooney or Donald O’Connor says, ‘Hey kids, let’s put on a show!'” She elaborates: “The appeal of that idea is the youthful energy of a bunch of enthusiasts who get together and make a thing. Well…in many ways, doujinshi is a different example of that ideal.” [Okazu]

In their first new episode of 2024, the Mangasplainers discuss one of last year’s best new titles: Kyoko Okazaki’s River’s Edge. (N.B. The podcast and the book itself contain some NSFW material.) [Mangasplaining]

Ed Pisko, Jim Rugg, and Geof Darrow explore the work of Taiyō Matsumoto. [Cartoonist Kayfabe]

Should ANN have pulled its controversial review of My Pancreas Broke, But My Life Got Better? Tony Yao weighs in. [Drop-In to Manga]

Over at Women Write About Comics, Kayleigh Hearn, Masha Zhdanova, and Carrie McClain dish the dirt on Asa Mitaka, “the HBIC” of Chainsaw Man‘s current story arc. [WWAC]

ICYMI: That Manga Hunter explores the complicated, frustrating discourse around “good enough shoujo.” As they explain, this term applies to “a series that’s not technically” shoujo or josei “but shares enough traits that it gets a pass. It’s well… good enough except in the only way that matters: targeting a female audience.” [That Manga Hunter]

REVIEWS

Before we get too deep into 2024, I wanted to highlight two recent reviews that you might have missed. The first is Tegan O’Neil’s in-depth essay about Osamu Tezuka’s One Hundred Tales and the second is Helen Chazan’s thoughtful critique of Shin’ichi Sakamoto’s Innocent. Both reviews demonstrate why they are two of the smartest, sharpest voices in comics criticism right now. If they haven’t been on your radar, both essays are an excellent introduction to their writing. Go, read!

Here are this week’s new review links:

• The Apothecary Diaries, Vols. 1-4 (Liz, No Flying No Tights)
• Akane-banashi, Vol. 3 (King Baby Duck, Boston Bastard Brigade)
• Bungo Stray Dogs, Vol. 23 (Antonio Miereles, The Fandom Post)
• Chainsaw Man, Vol. 13 (King Baby duck, Boston Bastard Brigade)
• Cherry Magic! Thirty Years of Virginity Can Make You a Wizard?!, Vol. 9 (Sarah, Anime UK News)
• Dark Moon: The Blood Altar, Vol. 1 (Yazmin Garcia, The Beat)
• Daughter of the Emperor, Vols. 4-5 (Noemi10, Anime UK News)
• Demon Slayer, Vol. 18 (Sara Smith, The Graphic Library)
• Kaiju No. 8, Vol. 9 (Michael Guerrero, AiPT!)
• Kubo Won’t Let Me Be Invisible, Vol. 11 (Josh Piedra, The Outerhaven)
• Marriage Toxin, Vol. 1 (King Baby Duck, Boston Bastard Brigade)
• My Ultramarine Sky (Sarah, Anime UK News)
• Nina the Starry Bride, Vol. 1 (Demelza, Anime UK News)
• Not-Sew-Wicked Stepmom, Vol. 2 (Adam Symchuk, Asian Movie Pulse)
• One Piece, Vol. 3 (Sara Smith, The Graphic Library)
• Otherside Picnic, Vol. 6 (Onosume, Anime UK News)
• The Shadow Over Innsmouth (Richard Serrano Denis, The Beat)
• Tsubaki-chou Lonely Planet, Vol. 5 (Demelza, Anime UK News)