Pick of the Week

SEAN: Naoki Urasawa tends to be one of those authors I know I should get into but I never really have for various reasons, but let’s face it, there’s one really obvious pick this week and it’s Asadora, his new Big Comic Spirits series. Though Mama Akuma sounds good enough to be my runner-up.

MICHELLE: I’m in absolute agreement with Sean. The only Urasawa series I’ve actually finished is Monster, but it was great and I really did like what I read of Pluto and 20th Century Boys, as well.

ANNA: I’m picking Asadora as well, I’m always curious about new Urasawa.

KATE: I admit that I was pretty disappointed in both Mujirushi and Sneeze, so I’m a little hesitant to recommend Asadora. Instead, I’m throwing my weight behind the fourth volume of Shuzo Oshimi’s creepy thriller Blood on the Tracks. Love or hate his work, it’s impossible to deny his phenomenal artistic chops or his crack sense of pacing, whether he’s re-imagining The Drifting Classroom for adult readers or recalling the unbearable horrors of being fifteen. Blood on the Tracks is no exception: it’s tense, uncomfortable, and filled with the kind of panels that invite 4,000 word think-pieces.

ASH: Normally Asadora would be the easy pick for me, but this week I find that I’m intrigued by all the debuts about girls dealing with the supernatural – Rozi in the Labyrinth, Dear NOMAN, Mama Akuma – so I’m just going to choose that entire subgenre. That being said, Kate is spot on about Oshimi and Blood on the Tracks!

MELINDA: There’s a lot to choose from this week, including all the series everyone has mentioned so far (as well as the re-release of Saiyuki!) but I’m getting behind the one Sean called for me from the beginning. I’m going with Mama Akuma as my pick this week.

MICHELLE: There isn’t a whole lot that appeals to me from this week’s releases, but what always does appeal to me is the chance to have a mini-marathon of one of my favorite sports manga series in order to get caught up to the most recent volume. I love doing this no matter the series, and next week it’ll be Ace of the Diamond‘s turn, so that’s my pick this week.

SEAN: My choice is also a sports manga… sort of. I’ve been delighted with Practice Makes Perfect from Day One, with its premise of two dumb jocks who treat having good sex the way they would treat becoming the best at any other major Olympic sport. Equal parts hilarious and sexy, the fourth volume is the last, so expect them to finally get the Gold. So to speak.

ASH: This week will largely be a week for me to catch up on me reading, too, without adding too much more to the to-be-read pile. But if Practice Makes Perfect ever makes it into print it would probably be by my pick, so I’ll just go ahead and pick it now.

SEAN: It’s an embarrassment of riches the first week of 2021. There’s the new Ascendance of a Bookworm novel, the new Sweat and Soap, and any number of Viz titles. But the book I’m most interested in is A White Rose in Bloom. When Classmates came out I loved its tone, and I’m hoping that we’ll see the same attention to tone and character in this new series.

MICHELLE: I am very interested indeed in A White Rose in Bloom. Not just because of its pedigree, but because I’m a sucker for boarding school stories. However, I must admit that what most fills me with manga squee this week is the prospect of a mini-marathon to get caught back up with Haikyu!!. This will probably be the last catchup I do before I hoard the volumes leading up to the 45th and final one.

ANNA: There’s a ton of great manga coming out this week, but I’m going to pick Daytime Shooting Star, because that always seems to be on the top of my to-read pile whenever it comes out.

KATE: I never miss an opportunity to plug Drifting Dragons, which is one of the best-looking fantasy/adventure series on the market right now, but I’m also going to sneak in a recommendation Blue Period, an engaging drama about a high school student whose foray into painting leads him on an unexpected journey of self-discovery. Paging Bob Ross!

ASH: I’ve really been enjoying Drifting Dragons, too, but this week my eyes are on A White Rose in Bloom. The manga is good-looking and distinctive in an entirely different way and Asumiko Nakamura’s work is always a must-read for me.

MELINDA: I’m typically late with my picks each week, so Sean always has to nudge me for them. Then sometimes I’m still slow, so he’s always having to come up with some kind of clever line to get me off my butt. But his week was easy. He said, it “has a manga by the author of Doukyusei.” A White Rose in Bloom had me right there. That’s all there is to say.

KATE: Since this is the final week of 2020, we decided to pick our favorite new manga of 2020 instead of highlighting something from the new arrivals pile. I’m torn between two books: BL Metamorphosis, which is a feel-good series that’s never pat, obvious, or cliche in its portrayal of BL fandom, and Blood on the Tracks, a creepy, atmospheric series from Shuzo Oshimi about the perils of helicopter parenting. Though Oshimi’s manga always explores uncomfortable territory–seriously, this guy must be a joy at cocktail parties–he is one of the most distinctive and expressive artists currently being licensed for the US market. Oh, and he has a killer sense of pacing.

SEAN: There are all sorts of new manga I could talk about, from surprise romantic sweetness Sweat & Soap to the hilarious and sweet thriller Spy x Family to, as Kate said, the fantastic generational series BL Metamorphosis. But for me, the series of 2020 is actually from 1972. The Rose of Versailles was a Holy Grail of manga licensing for so long, and for a while it looked like it was in development forever, but the finished product shows off how it was worth the wait. One of the most iconic manga ever.

ANNA: No question for me, to have The Rose of Versailles released in such a wonderful edition after waiting so long for it to come out is something to be celebrated. To have such an iconic manga available in English is such a treat, and it deserves to be manga of the year.

MICHELLE: Looking back, there were a lot of debuts I loved (Knight of the Ice, Blue Flag, With a Dog AND a Cat, Every Day Is Fun, Yoshi no Zuikara…) and some that I’m sure I will love when I actually manage to read them (BL Metamorphosis, The Rose of Versailles, Ping Pong…) but the series that only took a few pages to completely secure my eternal love and devotion was Spy x Family. It’s stylish and clever but doesn’t lack substance, the characters are endearing and interesting, and it also manages to be both funny and heartwarming. I hope to be reading this series for years to come!

ASH: Many of my top manga of the year have already been mentioned – the coveted The Rose of Versailles, the undeniably wonderful BL Metamorphosis, the distinctive Ping Pong. It was also a great year for alternative and indie manga with the release of The Swamp, Magician A, and not one but two volumes of the Glaeolia anthology. But, if I’m to be completely honest, the single volume of manga that left the greatest impact on me this year was the conclusion of Blank Canvas. Akiko Higashimura’s ability to combine humor with brutal honesty is unmatched, making this series both heartwarming and heartwrenching.

MELINDA: It feels too obvious to say, “I’ve had a life-changing year” in 2020, but with so much new going on for me, career-wise, there hasn’t been much time for reading manga. That said, there are a number of series I know I should be reading, and I know I’ll love them when I do. Top of the list is BL Metamorphosis, which has been getting rave reviews from my colleagues, and wow, Michelle’s endorsement of Spy x Family is not something I can ignore. But I’m going to go “obvious” yet again and give my pick of the year to the long-awaited The Rose of Versailles. I can’ count the number of times we’ve chanted the name of that title—first, waiting for it to be licensed, then waiting for it to actually appear. And from what I’ve seen, the wait was more than worthwhile. What a gorgeous release! It has to be my pick.

SEAN: It’s not a very inspiring week for me this time around, though a new volume of the stellar BL Metamorphosis is always welcome. I’m sure the others will talk about it. My pick, though, is the final volume of Bloom Into You: Regarding Saeki Sayaka, a fantastic light novel spinoff of the original manga. This third volume promises to show us a romance for her that actually works out. Can’t wait.

MICHELLE: I haven’t yet ready any of BL Metamorphosis, but am nonetheless very happy it’s coming out here. I also really enjoy DAYS, which I suppose is not terrifically original as far as sports manga goes, but is still very entertaining with a fun cast of characters. I look forward to getting caught up on both of these series.

KATE: I heartily endorse BL Metamorphosis, as author Kaori Tsurutani understands why readers love BL, never reducing their passion to a cheap punchline. She also creates one of the most interesting, appealing, and authentic inter-generational friendships I’ve seen in manga–or, frankly, in just about any other medium. If you’re not reading it, add it to your list today–it’s one of the best new series of 2020.

ANNA: I absolutely agree that I should be reading BL Metamorphosis, so I will make that my pick as well.

ASH: BL Metamorphosis is one of my favorite series currently being released, and I agree with Kate 100% that it’s also one of the best of the year, so it’s an easy pick for me this week!

MELINDA: I am embarrassed to admit that I haven’t yet had the chance to dig into BL Metamorphosis, but with endorsements like these, it’s the obvious pick. I absolutely must find out what all the fuss is about!

MICHELLE: I am looking forward to bicycle boys and creepy planets of doom, but I was so totally charmed by the first volume of With a Dog AND a Cat, Every Day is Fun, that I must make the second volume my pick of the week.

KATE: I never say no to pet manga, but the idea of Junji Ito in space is just too irresistible for me, so my pick is Remina. (May it erase the memory of Ito’s adaptation of No Longer Human…)

SEAN: Baccano! fans have been waiting for this novel more than any other since the series was first licensed. The second part of Huey Laforet’s tragic backstory, Baccano! 1710: Crack Flag is my pick this week.

ASH: I’m with Kate this week in picking Remina! I’m curious to see Junji Ito tackle a work that leans at least a little (if not a lot) more towards science fiction than some of his other horror manga.

SEAN: I generally try not to double dip light novels and manga, and the novel this manga is based on is coming out in two months from J-Novel Club. But The Apothecary Diaries has gotten so much good buzz that I feel I have to make an exception. A pharmacist is kidnapped and taken to the Imperial harem. She tries to live quietly and not get into trouble, but constantly finds herself drawn into mystery and politics I’m down.

MICHELLE: The combination of mystery and politics in manga will never not appeal to me, so I’m definitely planning to try out The Apothecary Diaries, but even more up my street is Manly Appetites: Minegishi Loves Otsu, with its BL/food combo. I love What Did You Eat Yesterday?, I loved Our Dining Table… I hope I love this, too.

ASH: I’m absolutely with Michelle on this one – I simply cannot resist BL food manga, so Manly Appetites gets my pick this week. That being said, I’m also really looking forward to the debut of The Apothecary Diaries and reading more of How Do We Relationship? among other releases!

ANNA: I agree, Manly Appetites and The Apothecary Diaries both sound great.

MELINDA: Like Michelle, despite a number of alluring releases this week, I’m going to let my track record of satisfaction with foodie BL tip me towards Manly Appetites: Minegishi Loves Otsu. Though I’ll admit the title gives me the slightest pause.

KATE: I just finished season four of The Crown and am still jonesing for a little more palace intrigue, so I’m picking The Apothecary Diaries. (I was going to make a bad joke about “curing what ails me,” but… 2020.)

MICHELLE: There are a few things coming out this week that appeal to me a great deal, not least of which is the latest Yona of the Dawn, but this week I’ll highlight a pair of digital-only Kodansha josei series that I’ve been enjoying a lot: Chihayafuru (now volume 23) and Ex-Enthusiasts: MotoKar Mania (now volume 5). I will never not be grateful that Kodansha is reliably churning out josei material on a monthly basis. Ten years ago we had a dearth of great josei and now we have a respectable amount of options!

SEAN: I’m also interested in Yona, as well as Reign of the Seven Spellblades, but my pick this week is Eniale & Dewiela, because honestly Kamome Shirahama could do a manga of the phone book and it would be gorgeous and awesome. I’m also interested in seeing how the creator of Witch Hat Atelier creator does comedy.

ANNA: There’s a lot of intriguing manga coming out this week, but I’m going to pick Yona of the Dawn, which is consistently great.

ASH: Like Sean, my top pick this week is Eniale & Dewiela, but I’m also curious about How Many Light-Years to Babylon since I enjoyed the creator’s odd sort of humor in The Voynich Hotel and have had good luck reading other Seiun Award winners in the past.

SEAN: Seven Seas has most of my attention this week, as I’m torn between the relaxing yuri feel of Days of Love at Seagull Villa and the less yuri but more drama majorey Kageki Shojo!! The Curtain Rises. I think I’ll go with the latter, if only in hopes that we might get the sequel. Plus, I always love Takarazuka stuff.

MICHELLE: These two are also vying for my top pick this week, and since Sean picked the latter, I’m going with the former. The premise of a lonely person being accepted (presumably) into a family makes me think of Our Dining Table, another Seven Seas title that I loved immensely. Thus, I am very here for this!

ASH: Perhaps unsurprisingly, these are the two manga being released this week that also have most of my attention! Of the two, Kageki Shojo!! The Curtain Rises sits the highest on my ever-growing mountain of to-be-read books, so that gets my official pick. But I’m looking forward to reading the debut of Days of Love at Seagull Villa, too.

KATE: If only the rest of the American electorate was as unified as we are! I’m in total agreement with the rest of the MB gang’s picks.

ANNA: I agree, I’m looking forward to Kageki Shojo!! The Curtain Rises as well!

MELINDA: Probably this is obvious, but it’s Kageki Shojo!! The Curtain Rises for me! I’m so on board for this!

MICHELLE: Most of the stuff that interests me this week is a reminder of how far behind I’ve fallen in various series. There’s one, though, that I waited so long to read that it’s now fresh and new and I can be timely, and that is Mermaid Saga! I enjoy Rumiko Takahashi on the whole, but have never read Rumiko Takahashi being scary, and it’s an experience I’m looking forward to!

SEAN: My eye is on horror as well this week, but not Mermaid Saga, though I’m sure that’s great. My pick is Sadako at the End of the World, a title that asks the question “what if you took the girl from Ringu and put her in a world where humanity is nearly destroyed?” The answer might not be what you think!

ANNA: Mermaid Saga for me! I’m excited to check this out.

ASH: It’s a horror-filled week for me, too! The new edition of Mermaid Saga gets my official pick (I still love it from back when it made its first appearance in English), but I’m also looking forward to giving Sadako at the End of the World and Mieruko-chan a try.

MELINDA: Okay, look. I’ve never been the kind of Rumiko Takahashi fan I’ve always felt I was supposed to be. But I gotta finally read this. Mermaid Saga it is!

KATE: If InuYasha didn’t convince you that Rumiko Takahashi has real horror chops, let the weird, unsettling stories in Mermaid Saga work their eerie magic on you. There’s a good deal of Monkey Paw Theater in this collection–lots of people discover that immortality isn’t what it’s cracked up to be–but the stories’ resolutions are never too pat or predictable, and Takahashi’s artwork is evocative. I already own the complete set, but I’m sorely tempted to purchase the new edition… just ’cause.

SEAN: I try not to do more than one pick per week, but I have to break the rules this time around, as I cannot decide between jazz-tinged Blue Giant and gut-wrenching My Broken Mariko They both look amazing.

MICHELLE: I am absolutely in the exact same boat. I’m really looking forward to both of these.

ANNA: I agree, both of them sound amazing.

KATE: I am 400% on board with Blue Giant. I’m contractually obligated to pick it; what’s more Berklee than jazz manga?!

ASH: While I’m certainly interested in My Broken Mariko, I’m with Kate this week in fully backing Blue Giant as my pick. Bring on the award-winning music manga!

MELINDA: Okay, I’ll admit I’ve been having a hectic week, and I’m feeling unprepared to make a pick. But I’m hearing “jazz manga” and I absolutely can’t resist. Make it Blue Giant for me!

MICHELLE: I’m reluctant to tout anything from TOKYOPOP, given that I am still bitter about past deeds, but I must admit that Ossan Idol! looks really fun. I’m worried they’ll abandon this series midway, like so many others, but I shall cautiously award it my pick of the week.

SEAN: This week’s pick is Easy Breezy for me: it’s the first volume of Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken, which if it’s even half as good as the anime will be very good indeed.

ASH: I’m certainly interested in Eizouken, too, but this week I think I’ll be focusing on catching up on Viz series, probably starting with JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure before pivoting to shoujo.

MELINDA: Okay, I’ll be honest, folks. I don’t have a pick this week, because I can’t focus on anything besides the impending doom we’re facing this week in the U.S. It’s pretty all-consuming. I know they are still selling manga, but that knowledge is buried under so much anxiety, I can barely even acknowledge it. Stay safe, everyone. I’m sure you know where my meager hopes fall. Sorry I’m useless.

KATE: I’m intrigued by Ossan Idol, but my heart belongs to O, Maidens in Your Savage Season, a sharp, funny portrait of nerdy girls coming to terms with their budding sexuality. If you enjoyed the movie Booksmart, Maidens is for you, as it explores some of the same emotional (and humorous) terrain.

ANNA: I’m finding it hard to concentrate on manga right now. There’s a lot of great shoujo coming out this week, I think I’m going to pick Daytime Shooting Star, a manga that inspires both feelings of dread about potentially inappropriate relationships and hope that things all work out somehow.

SEAN: I am torn between two manga with really nice art this week. Shikimori’s Not Just a Cutie and Heterogenia Linguistico both make me want to judge books by their covers. I’ll make them a co-pick.

MICHELLE: I’m keen to get caught up on The Girl from the Other Side, but I too am charmed by the cover of Heterogenia Linguistico, so will make that my official pick this week.

ANNA: I’m going to signal my intentions of getting caught up on The GIrl from the Other Side and make that my pick!

KATE: The last two volumes of Girl from the Other Side have been such colossal downers that I’m going to highlight a different Seven Seas title this week: Nicola Traveling Around the Demon’s World, a handsomely illustrated, utterly charming manga about a plucky human who’s passing through a world of monsters, demons, ghosts and spirits, making friends and casting spells along the way. It’s the kind of all-ages series that adult readers can appreciate for the craftsmanship and young readers can appreciate for its emotional honesty and down-to-earth humor. Why this isn’t on more people’s radar, I don’t know, but Nicola is Eisner-worthy. Just sayin’.

ASH: I don’t think I can put it much better than Kate already has, but Nicola Traveling Around the Demon’s World is a truly wonderful and absolutely delightful series. While debut-wise I’m curious about Heterogenia Linguistico, my heart goes to Nicola this week.

MELINDA: Okay, I really didn’t have a pick this week, but you all have convinced me that I absolutely need to check out Nicola Traveling Around the Demon’s World. So I guess that’s that. I’m doing it.

MICHELLE: It’s all about the W’s for me this week. Wotakoi and Whisper Me a Love Song are high on my list, but I’m most excited to continue the story of Wave, Listen to Me. The digital releases paused to allow the print version to catch up, so it has been a long time! Honorable mention to non-W Blue Flag, as well.

SEAN: I’ll go with a double dose of light novels this week. Ongoing, no question it’s the new Ascendance of a Bookworm that has my pick. But we’re also seeing the debut of In the Land of Leadale, which has intrigued me since it first was announced, if only for the gorgeous covers. (Remember around four years ago, when we were desperate for any light novels with a female protagonist? Those days are happily long gone.)

KATE: Achoo! It’s Sneeze for me, as I’m really curious about Naoki Urasawa’s short game. I’ve enjoyed Master Keaton and Pineapple Army, two series that are more anthologies than epic sagas, so I’m cautiously optimistic about Urasawa’s ability to tell a self-contained story.

ASH: My wallet will certainly be hurting this week; I’m reading so much of what is being released! In addition to everything that everyone else has mentioned so far, I’ve also got my eyes on the (print) debut of Heaven’s Design Team.

ANNA: There’s a lot of manga coming out this week that sounds interesting, but I think for me more Blue Flag is what I’m most excited about.

SEAN: Was feeling kind of blue this week, so thought I might go for the adorable-looking Cutie and the Beast as my pick instead, but then I thought, so what? Let’s go with the manga I’ve been most excited for, that is miles ahead of the others. Blue Period is my pick.

MICHELLE: These are definitely the two titles I am most excited about this week! I must agree with Sean that Blue Period generates the most excitement, though, so I will also pick that one.

ASH: It’s the debut of Blue Period and Cutie and the Beast for me, too, this week! Quite different series from each other, I expect, but I’m looking forward to reading both of them.

ANNA: To be honest, I’m probably most excited for Cutie and the Beast, it sounds like an adorable distraction.

MELINDA: There’s not a lot luring me in this week, with the exception of Blue Period, which sounds like exactly my kind of manga. So here’s hoping!

KATE: What Ash said!