Pick of the Week

MICHELLE: There are new volumes of several series I enjoy coming out, and I’ll definitely be picking those up, but what grabs my attention the most is a josei debut. Nina the Starry Bride doesn’t have the most original-sounding plot, it seems, but a) it’s josei and b) I can’t help it—that cover is just really neat! I look forward to checking it out.

SEAN: I love josei manga, and will certainly check out Nina. But my pick(s) are the one-two punch of Shonen Sunday titles, as Komi Can’t Communicate and Sleepy Princess in the Demon Castle are two of my top favorites right now.

ANNA: I’m interested in Nina the Starry Bride but I’m also curious about Call of the Night because I generally like Shonen Sunday titles and vampires!

ASH: Since it’ll be the last time that I can choose it, I Hear the Sunspot: Limit gets my official pick this week. I’ve been greatly enjoying the series and its predecessors from the beginning, so I don’t expect that to change with the ending.

SEAN: There’s a veritable buffet of picks this week. I could go with Yona, or Natsume, or Versailles. But let’s face it, I want my Maple! This week’s pick for me is Bofuri: I Don’t Want to Get Hurt, So I’ll Max Out My Defense.

MICHELLE: I’m also happy for more Yona and Natsume and hopeful the fourth volume of Versailles will come out, but the most intriguing title for me this week is A School Frozen in Time. Kids trapped within an “eerily empty” campus? Sign me up!

ANNA: I’m team Rose of Versailles all the way!

ASH: Likewise! If Rose of Versailles is a choice, it will almost invariably be my pick. That being said, I’m looking forward to reading all of the titles that have been mentioned so far.

KATE: C’mon, you know what I’m going to pick… Rose of Versailles! I gotta stay on brand here; you’d be suspicious if I shilled for Fire Force or Please Put Them On, Takamine-san!

MELINDA: It’s gotta be Rose of Versailles!

KATE: I only have eyes for one series this week: BL Metamorphosis, a series that’s rueful, funny, and heart-warming without ever being sappy. One of the things I love most about BL Metamorphosis is that Kaori Tsurutani treats the main characters’ interest in BL with respect; there are no cheap jokes at either heroine’s expense, just a thoughtful and loving exploration of what it means to be a dedicated manga reader at any age.

SEAN: BL Metamorphosis is definitely on my list, and I agree with everything Kate said. My pick this week is Those Snow-White Notes, a series getting an anime soon, which is probably the only reason it got a digital release here at all, as it’s about the shamisen – no, not Kyon’s cat from Haruhi Suzumiya, but the traditional Japanese stringed instrument. This is, honestly, what “digital-only” releases were meant for.

ASH: As far as continuing series goes, BL Metamorphosis is at the top of my list this week – it’s a truly wonderful series. If Those Snow-White Notes is ever released in print, it will absolutely be my pick. (That being said, I might make an exception and read it even though I usually avoid digital releases.) While it’s not manga, my official pick this week actually goes to the novel Yokohama Station SF as I’ve been on a speculative fiction prose kick lately.

ANNA: I find the idea of shoujo horror intriguing and we haven’t had a ton of that genre translated, so I’m going to pick Love and Heart (Koi to Shinzou).

SEAN: My pick this week is Beauty and the Feast, a title about a young widow who still hasn’t recovered from the loss of her husband, the teenage boy living alone next door who plays baseball, and the food that brings them together – she cooks it, he eats it. I do worry that this book – sold as a romcom, and with a mature rating – will go in a direction I’d rather it didn’t. But if it sticks with food and how to heal after a tragedy, I’ll be quite happy.

MICHELLE: I share your trepidation, but the cover for the first volume looks wholesome enough for me to also give Beauty and the Feast my pick this week.

KATE: I second Sean’s pick of the week; non-competitive food manga is my jam! (No pun intended.)

ANNA: I’m not going to be the one to break this streak!

ASH: I won’t be the one, either. Whether competitive or non-competitive, fantastical or realistic, I’m always here for another helping of food manga! Beauty and the Feast is my pick this week, too.

MELINDA: I hoped I might be the one to break the unanimity this week, but no. Beauty and the Feast is my pick, too! I’m a little worried about where it might lead, but I live in hope.

MICHELLE: There are a handful of new volumes in series I’ve either started or intend to start, but of course I’m going to pick the new sports manga. Blue Lock isn’t a story about high school underdogs aiming for nationals, and I’m actually not sure I will like this one, given the coach’s methods, but I look forward to checking out a different twist on the genre.

SEAN: I suspect Rose of Versailles is gonna get bumped back a bit after all, release date-wise, though it is a must read – it would normally be my pick. Instead, I too will go with Kodansha Digital this week. We’re New at This has proven to be a title which emphasizes the strengths and minimizes the weaknesses from the prior work of the author, Ao-chan Can’t Study. It’s funny, it’s romantic, and it’s erotic. I want to read more of it.

ASH: Whenever Rose of Versailles ends up being available, that will definitely be my pick. But my backup pick this week is Beast Complex. I may be behind on reading the main series, but I greatly enjoyed the early volumes of BEASTARS, so I’m curious to read more stories set in the same world.

ANNA: Rose of Versailles would have been my pick, but I think my backup choice will be Blue Lock, just because it is always nice to highlight new sports manga.

SEAN: Given that it turns out Manga Bookshelf are top-tier futurists, I’m tempted to pick March Comes in Like a Lion, but that will have to wait for 2022. And there’s plenty coming out this week anyway, including the new Shigeru Mizuki and a new volume of Rozemyne’s latest antics. But no, I am too tempted by the wonder that is Penguin Gentlemen, which wins for cover art alone. Hot damn.

MICHELLE: Penguin Gentlemen certainly has the most unique premise of this week’s batch, but I’m most drawn to some sweet Boys’ Love in the form of the first volume of I Cannot Reach You.

KATE: After reading Ash’s lovely review of Tono Monogatori, that’s my top pick for this week. But I won’t lie: a little animal-themed manga sounds pretty good, too, so add Penguin Gentlemen and Wonder Cat Kyuu-Chan to my list of “things I’m going to check out this week.”

ANNA: I’m not sure when I’ll actually get around to reading it, but Penguin Gentlemen sounds hilarious so that’s my pick.

ASH: It probably isn’t much of a surprise that Mizuki’s adaptation of Tono Monogatari is my pick this week – I’m thrilled that this manga is now available in English – but I will also admit that Penguin Gentlemen has caught my attention, too. Granted, for entirely different reasons.

SEAN: I’ve gushed about A Sign of Affection before, so I’ll make my pick Golden Japanesque – A Splendid Yokohama Romance, because anything that runs in Flowers, even if it’s the online version of Flowers, demands my attention.

MICHELLE: I have to concur. I love suu Morishita’s Shortcake Cake, so I’m confident I’ll also love A Sign of Affection, but it’s hard to compete with Flowers.

ANNA: I’m very interested in Golden Japanesque – A Splendid Yokohama Romance, but since Sean has handled the gushing for A Sign of Affection before I feel I must take up the banner and do some additional gushing, because it really is one of the best romance manga that I’ve read recently. I hope the arrival of the print version will inspire more people to check it out.

KATE: As someone who teaches a Rock History survey course, I am irresistibly drawn to Days on Fes. I can’t wait to see how the artist handles 20-minute guitar solos, long lines at the bathroom, and crazy pyrotechnics….

ASH: All three of the manga mentioned so far are at the top of my list this week, too! A Sign of Affection is probably the one that I’ll be reading first, though.

MELINDA: Like Ash, I’m interested in all the manga that’s been mentioned by my colleagues, but the one for which I’m most ravenous is A Sign of Affection. It’s at the top of my list!

MICHELLE: I have really loved Lovesick Ellie throughout its run, and though I’m sad to see it go, I’m sure I will love the finale, as well. That’s my official pick this week, but honorable mention to Those-Not-So-Sweet Boys. The premise is not the most original in the world, but I’ve loved the other Yoko Nogiri titles Kodansha has published, so I’ll be giving this one a shot, too.

SEAN: I’m reading my Pick of the Week as I speak, and it’s as good as I’d hoped. The Apothecary Diaries has been a long-awaited LN that needed the LN market to be robust to justify a license. It now is, and I hope this sells well, because it is good – especially Maomao, the eccentric and somewhat terrifying heroine.

KATE: I have heard the mermaids singing, each to each, and their message is loud and clear: “Buy volume two of Mermaid Saga, the price is within reach.”

ASH: It’s a week with quite a few interesting new titles being released, but I find that I’m drawn to the re-issue of Mermaid Saga for my pick, too. The series is dark, disconcerting, and utterly fantastic – I’m so glad that it’s finally back in print again.

ANNA: Out of what’s coming out next week, Blue Flag volume 6 is what I’m most likely to read first, so that’s my pick!

SEAN: Even Though We’re Adults. Boy, that was easy. Next?

KATE: This week, I’m all about the DRAMA–specifically, romantic drama. I second Sean’s recommendation of Even Though We’re Adults, but am also stoked for a new volume of Knight of the Ice. (No, it’s not as awesome as Tramps Like Us, but it is deliriously silly and fun.)

ANNA: Knight of the Ice! Who could fail to love this josei manga about socially awkward office lady’s romance with an otaku elite figure skater??? I am consistently delighted by each volume.

MICHELLE: These two definitely top my list, as well!

ASH: Multiple josei releases in the same week! It happens a little more frequently than it used to, but it still thrills my heart. The debut of Even Though We’re Adults will be getting most of my attention this time, but I have been enjoying Knight of the Ice, too.

MELINDA: Same here! I’m totally here for Knight of the Ice, though Even Though We’re Adults may be my ultimate pick. Either one could easily grab my vote!

KATE: If you’re looking at this week’s new arrival list and thinking, “been there, read that,” why not check out Glacier Bay Books’ catalog? This indie manga publisher has been putting out a small but steady stream of manga by artists who aren’t writing stories about super-powered boys or boy-crazy teens. Though the catalog is a little hit-or-miss, Popicomi and <i<Glaeolia have some genuinely awesome material, and Glacier Bay’s new series En-Chan’s House looks promising.

SEAN: I think the digital version has been out for a few weeks now, but any excuse to pick Witch Hat Atelier is a good excuse. That said, I am also intrigued by She’s the Cutest… But We’re Just Friends!”, whose plot appears to be “I met this hot girl who loves gaming and we did not immediately fall in love.” Certainly a rare plot in Japanese media!

MICHELLE: I’m definitely intrigued by Sasaki and Miyano and The Vampire and His Pleasant Companions, but since I know for sure that I enjoy Rei Toma’s particular brand of shoujo fantasy, I’m going to choose The King’s Beast this time!

ASH: I’m very happy to back up Kate’s highlighting of Glacier Bay Books – I just recently go my hands on the second Glaeolia anthology and it looks great. That being said, like Michelle, I’m also really looking forward to the debut of Rei Toma’s The King’s Beast.

ANNA: I’m a big fan of Witch Hat Atelier, but I have to say that I’m really looking forward to Rei Toma’s The King’s Beast. I thought that The Water Dragon’s Bride was a great artistic leap forward, so I’m curious to find out what will happen when she returns to the world of Dawn of the Arcana.

SEAN: Not a lot of manga I’m really interested in this week, so my eyes turn to light novels. The Ideal Sponger Life is one of those “don’t judge a book by its cover” novels, which starts off a bit male fantasy but gets better as it goes along. I’m also very interested in the 2nd volume of Roll Over and Die, which combines yuri and grimdark in a way that doesn’t make me run screaming. Still, despite its manga being out already, Sponger Life is a debut, so I’ll go with that as the pick.

MICHELLE: There’s not a whole lot that tempts me, either, but I am at least somewhat interested in checking out Cutie and the Beast, so I will pick that this time.

ASH: I liked the first volume of Cutie and the Beast so I do plan on reading more, but my pick this week goes to Magus of the Library – I simply cannot resist fantasy librarians.

ANNA: I haven’t read the first volume of Cutie and the Beast yet, but out of everything coming out this week, that series is what I’m most likely to read next.

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.