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Who Made Me a Princess Volumes 1-3 Manhwa Review
Gorgeous art and an interesting mix of subgenres make this manhwa a must-read.
― In The Perks of Being an S-Class Heroine, heroine Ailette's greatest desire is to be reborn into what she calls a “child-raising romantasy,” a subgenre of isekai where the heroine, an ordinary woman in her previous life, ends up starting from babyhood as the pampered princess of a powerful ruler. She doesn't mention that...
Read 30 Pages of Tezuka-Reimagining Comic, Unico: Awakening
Based on the classic manga series comes a colorful story from artists Gurihiru and writer Samuel Sattin.
― Publisher Scholastic and writer-artist team Samuel Sattin (The Essential Anime Guide) and Gurihiru ((Superman Smashes the Klan, It's Jeff) are set to release Unico: Awakening, their 210-page comic based on Osamu Tezuka's classic series on August 6. Anime News Network is sharing the first 30 pag...
Let's Do It Already! Volume 1 Manga Review
Let's Do It Already's first volume is frothy, but this still reads like a fluffy shoujo romance. It's less of a sexy comedy than its copy implies, but it's still a fun read if you're a genre fan.
― Ah, high school love – when some teens begin navigating the waters of relationships and their physical components, eager to learn what their bodies can do and do it with the people they're crushing on. The...
This Monster Wants to Eat Me Volume 1 Manga Review
Is Shiori a friend, foe, love interest, or some combination of all three? With the sexual meaning of “eat” also present in the text, it's hard to know.
― Yuri mermaid horror. That's not word salad, it's the genre identifiers for Sai Naekawa's manga This Monster Wants to Eat Me, a dark literary folktale about a high school girl and the mermaid who's protecting her until she reaches the perfect stage o...
Manga Guide to the Eisner Awards 2024
We have your ultimate guide to this year's competing manga, including sample pages, to introduce you to some of the best series of the year!
― Every year, a jury awards some of the best comics of the year the prestigious Eisner Award. For those honing their artistic craft, from inking to webcomics, the Eisner Awards are the industry's Oscars. The jury highlights the best in the field in over 30 cate...
This Week in Anime - Is OEL Manga Really Manga?
Viz debuted its new Originals One-Shots comic program, making way for the age-old discussion of whether manga is a "style" or based on country of origin.
― Viz debuted its new Originals One-Shots comic program, making way for the age-old discussion of whether manga is a "style" or based on country of origin. Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed by the participants in this chatlog are not the...
The Horizon Volumes 1-3 Manhwa Review
There's a sincerity about the story that goes a long way toward making this readable and engaging, even if dark dystopias aren't your preferred genre.
― It's not hard to see why JH's three-volume manhwa The Horizon has been nominated for an Eisner Award. Something about the series screams “critical darling” in that most literary ways – everything about its bleakness, its metaphors, and its late-break...
River's Edge Manga Review
For most of us who have lived through high school, the idea that it's "the best time of our lives" is a lie perpetuated by people who have forgotten high school.
― For most of us who have lived through high school, the idea that it's "the best time of our lives" is a lie perpetuated by people who have forgotten high school. Kyoko Okazaki's bleak single-volume story River's Edge is not interested in g...
Medicine and Fantasy: An Interview with Doctor Elise Manhwa Artist Mini
In her first-ever interview with foreign media, Mini discusses her background in design and what makes Doctor Elise a fan-favorite series.
― It's getting more common for anime series to seek inspiration outside of its traditional seedbeds of manga and light novels. In recent years, we've seen a rise in the number of series based on Korean properties, primarily webtoons serialized on sites like Tapas,...
Mysterious Disappearances Volume 1 Manga Review
Mysterious Disappearances' first volume probably won't blow you away. But how it plays with urban legend and classic Japanese literature hopefully hints at more interesting usages to come.
― What does the original manga version of Mysterious Disappearances offer that the anime does not? Nipples. Specifically, Sumireko's nipples, in both adult and child forms. (Notably, in her youngest form, they're l...
My Picture Diary Manga Review
In the Eisner-nominated work, Maki Fujiwara chronicles her daily life with her husband, lionized mangaka Yoshiharu Tsuge. Though deceptively simple at first glance, a foundation of abuse is slowly revealed.
― At first blush, Maki Fujiwara's My Picture Diary does what it says on the tin. It tells the story of her daily life as a housewife and mother, spending time with her daily activities, noting the...
This Week in Anime - Are Some Manga Truly "Unadaptable"?
With the release of Dead Dead Demon's Dededededestruction, Nick and Steve take a look at it and some other manga that were thought to be "unadaptable"—and see if that was truly the case.
― With the release of Dead Dead Demon's Dededede Destruction, Nick and Steve take a look at it and some other manga that were thought to be "unadaptable"—and see if that was truly the case. Disclaimer: The views and...
Barely Glancing Ahead: Searching for the Future in Inio Asano's Works
Ahead of the Dead Dead Demon's Dededede Destruction TV anime premiere, Rebecca Silverman looks at its creator's stark, and sometimes depressing, manga work.
― Inio Asano may be one of the creators whose works don't allow for middle-ground opinions. There's something in the reactions to his work that smacks of “love it or hate it,” with readers either fully embracing his dark, psychological style of s...
Bloody Sweet Volumes 1-2 Manhwa Review
This is a good series to check out if you like more bite with your vampire romances.
― Going into Bloody Sweet, I expected to find a fluffy rom-com about a girl and the vampire she accidentally gets attached to. Instead, I found a story about a bullied high school girl whose bullies are smart enough to evade all of the checks and balances the school has put in place. When Naerim accidentally awakens ...
I Want You to Make Me Beautiful! – The Complete Manga Collection Review
The benefit of being committed to such a simple setup is that the story knows exactly what it needs to do to invoke the maximum emotional response for this type of story.
― I Want You To Make Me Beautiful is a simple story that does everything it sets out to do. At its heart, it's a straightforward story about moving on from the pain of a bad breakup and reinventing yourself into something better. Th...
Street Fighter Masters Volume 1: Fight to Win Graphic Novel Review
Honestly, you're getting a solid collection of character art with some disposable comic stories where you might get to enjoy some out-of-context obscure CAPCOM cameos.
― As a lifelong fan of Street Fighter, it's easy to get excited about the potential of seeing my favorite fighters doing stuff in different mediums. The flip side is that Udon Entertainment's hold on the comic treatment of the characte...
You and I Are Polar Opposites Volume 1 Manga Review
You've probably read some version of this story before, but I doubt that you've ever seen it be this adorable.
― You've probably read some version of this story before, but I doubt that you've ever seen it be this adorable. You and I Are Polar Opposites is based on the tried-and-true formula of a thousand romantic comedies: Suzuki is a popular girl, and Tani is the class nerd. She's bright and perky,...
Before You Discard Me, I Shall Have My Way With You Volume 1 Manga Review
This steamy manga's appeal is going to depend on how much you can stomach a female protagonist who kicks off the romance by assaulting her former fiance.
― This is a tricky one. Before You Discard Me, I Shall Have My Way with You is, to all appearances, a story that opens with a sexual assault. Agnès has been betrothed to Crown Prince Lucilleur since childhood, and she's been in love with him just as...
Healer for the Shadow Hero Volume 1 Manga Review
Healer Nanna's powers have one very unique caveat: she has to have sex with the person to heal them. See why Rebecca Silverman calls it "a cute story, decently racy, and generally good, fluffy fun."
― One of the fun things about Seven Seas' Steamship line of racy manga aimed at a female audience is finding which romance tropes are prevalent in any given release. While every genre has its tropes and s...
The Dangerous Convenience Store Manhwa Volume 1 Review
The plot is excellent in the romance camp. Everything that happens is to get Eui-joon and Gunwoo together, and it works pretty well.
― You can read The Dangerous Convenience Store in English two ways. The first is to read it on the manhwa site/app Manta, which has all seventy-five chapters and four bonus stories available. The second is to read Seven Seas' print (or ebook) edition, which, as of this ...
Made in Abyss Volumes 11-12 Manga Review
Some older mysteries inch closer to resolution as the true nature of the Abyss slowly comes into view, and long-posed questions start to be answered.
― Sometimes, being a fan of Akihito Tsukushi's acclaimed Made in Abyss series means acclimating to suffering. Like many Western devotees, I was introduced to this bizarre, squishy, disturbing world via the 2017 first season of Kinema Citrus' fantastic a...
This Week in Anime - Why Hunter × Hunter is Worth the Wait
Lucas and Steve catch up on the Hunter × Hunter manga in time for the long-awaited new chapter and gush about why, even with years between releases, Hunter × Hunter is worth it.
― Lucas and Steve catch up on the Hunter × Hunter manga in time for the long-awaited new chapter and gush about why, even with years between releases, Hunter × Hunter is worth it. Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed...
The Spring 2024 Manga Guide
The final Spring 2024 Manga Guide update includes not-yet-released series from this month, including Sword Art Online Re:Aincrad,Bungo Stray Dogs: The Official Comic Anthology, A Sign of Affection and more.
― Welcome to Anime News Network's Spring 2024 Manga Guide! You may have seen one of our seasonal Anime Preview Guides, where a team of critics writes up each new anime television premiere as it a...
Nude Model: Tsubasa Yamaguchi Short Stories Manga Review
Each story is like a dark portal into a realm of human sexuality that society usually sweeps under the rug, but I can't look away.
― Nude Model delivers on the promise of its lurid title. This manga, consisting of three equally intense short stories, is charged with eroticism and danger, with epiphanies lurking around every corner. Created by Tsubasa Yamaguchi, Nude Model is nothing like her most wel...
The Spring 2024 Manga Guide
The Manga Guide library expands with six more series, including Trinity Seven -Revision-, Watch Dogs Tokyo, Fed Up With Being the Spoiled Queen's Genius Butler,, and more!
― Welcome to Anime News Network's Spring 2024 Manga Guide! You may have seen one of our seasonal Anime Preview Guides, where a team of critics writes up each new anime television premiere as it airs at the beginning of a season. N...
Manhwa and Manga: Similar but Different Art Forms
Manhwa is starting to find its footing in American comic book sphere, but it's not just another version of "manga." Find out what makes Korean comics unique.
― The door to English-translated manga opened in the 1980s, and despite some fits and starts, essentially never looked back. Manhwa, or Korean comics, have had a much more troubled journey to popular visibility in English. Around 2006, manhwa be...
The Spring 2024 Manga Guide
The Manga Guide library expands with six more series, including Shakespeare Manga Theater, The Banished Former Hero Lives as He Pleases, My Gemini,, and more!
― Welcome to Anime News Network's Spring 2024 Manga Guide! You may have seen one of our seasonal Anime Preview Guides, where a team of critics writes up each new anime television premiere as it airs at the beginning of a season. Now, doing som...
This Week in Anime - What's Weekly Shonen Jump's Next Big Manga?
Some of Shonen Jump's biggest manga hits are approaching their end. Does the magazine have new heavy-hitters lined up to take up the mantle?
― Some of Shonen Jump's biggest manga hits are approaching their end. Does the magazine have new heavy-hitters lined up to take up the mantle? Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed by the participants in this chatlog are not the views of Anime News Netwo...
Dark Moon: The Blood Altar Volumes 1-2 Manhwa Review
Some books are good. Some books read like self-insert fanfiction from the early days of AO3, but you can't stop reading and enjoying them. Dark Moon: The Blood Altar is one of those.
― Some books are good. Some books are not and read sort of like self-insert fanfiction from the early days of AO3, but even though you recognize that they aren't objectively filled with literary merit, you can't stop rea...
The Spring 2024 Manga Guide
The Manga Guide returns bigger than ever! Check back every day for reviews of manga and manhwa released from March to May! Today we have INITIAL D and One Piece x Food Wars crossover, SHOKUGEKI NO SANJI!
― Welcome to Anime News Network's Spring 2024 Manga Guide! You may have seen one of our seasonal Anime Preview Guides, where a team of critics writes up each new anime television premiere as it airs...
INTERVIEW: Small-Town Horror Comes to Life in Masaaki Ninomiya's GANNIBAL Manga
The manga creator shares the horror films that influenced his series set in rural Japan, where humans are on the menu.
―
Is Masaaki Ninomiya's horror manga Gannibal folk horror? It certainly fits a lot of the subgenre's definition. Set in a strange, isolated mountain village, it touches on how ritual can influence insular communities and how that looks to outsiders – and even more importantly, how o...
Ragna Crimson Manga Volume 11 Review
Ragna Crimson volume 11 effectively ends the first major arc of the manga and encapsulates all of the strengths and struggles of what has come thus far.
― Ragna Crimson Volume 11 effectively ends the first major arc of the manga and encapsulates the strengths and struggles of what has come thus far. The volume is essentially broken into three pieces: the battle, a flashback with Ultimatia and Wolteka...
Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint Volume 1 Manhwa Review
This is for the ones who knew the Red Wedding was coming, gleefully chuckled when the film Bridge to Terabithia grossly misled parents, and always read the book before seeing the movie.
― This one's for the smug readers, the ones who knew the Red Wedding was coming, who gleefully chuckled when the film for Bridge to Terabithia grossly misled parents as to what it was about, and who always read the bo...
Godzilla: Here There Be Dragons Graphic Novel Review
It's kaiju and pirates in this ahistorical take on the dragons found on old treasure maps—but it doesn't quite deliver on its fantastic elevator pitch.
― The elevator pitch for Godzilla: Here There Be Dragons is fantastic—a voyage of Sir Francis Drake to find the Dead Bishop's treasure, only to find forbidden seas filled with the kaiju of the Godzilla franchise, presented as a pirate's tall tale by a...
Rooming With My Two Lovers Volume 1 Manga Review
Rooming With My Two Lovers does something that I wish a lot more BL stories would do: the characters sit down and have a proper conversation like adults.
― Rooming With My Two Lovers is a series that I wouldn't say I liked when it started. In many ways, it falls into the typical conventional trappings you'd see in most other adult BL stories. There is this emphasis on teasing and gaslighting in a way...
My Ultramarine Sky Manga Review
My Ultramarine Sky is a slow burn, which may drag for some readers, but it's ultimately a very rewarding reading experience.
― Nagisa Furuya excels at writing gentle, yearning BL stories. Her previously released titles, The Two Lions from Seven Seas and My Summer of You from Kodansha, have demonstrated this knack, and My Ultramarine Sky is no exception. The story follows two friends, Kai and Ren, who...
A Kingdom of Quartz Manga Volume 1 Review
Sometimes, with an exceptional manga, all it takes is a few pages to fall hopelessly in love.
― Sometimes, with an exceptional manga, all it takes is a few pages to fall hopelessly in love. That was my early experience with Canadian mangaka BOMHAT's first published manga A Kingdom of Quartz. I'd describe it as Witch Hat Atelier meets Haibane Renmei by way of The Ugly Duckling. Initially published (wi...
Blood Blade Volume 1 Manga Review
Fans of The Case Study of Vanitas and Undead Girl Murder Farce are likely to find much to enjoy in this classic monsters-turned-manga characters tale.
― Chapter two of this dark supernatural fantasy begins with the words, "Why does Vlad the Impaler look like a young girl?" The obvious, facetious answer that immediately springs to mind is "because Japan." If Oda Nobunaga can be reborn in multiple form...
Kowloon Generic Romance Manga Volume 1-6 Review
What started as a lushly drawn nostalgia piece about a long-gone city soon delves into sci-fi mystery material and a burgeoning sense of dread.
― This is one of those mystery-focused manga that's almost impossible to discuss without some significant spoilers for at least the first volume. Author Jun Mayuzuki holds her cards incredibly close to her chest, so if there's even a chance you'd consider rea...
This Week in Anime - What Manga Should Become Anime Next?
Nick and Steve peruse the series competing in AnimeJapan's "Manga We Want to See Animated Ranking" poll to find the next possible anime hit.
― Nick and Steve peruse the series competing in AnimeJapan's "Manga We Want to See Animated Ranking" poll to find the next possible anime hit. Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed by the participants in this chatlog are not the views of Anime News Netwo...
The Blue Wolves of Mibu Volume 1 Manga Review
Soon to be an anime series, The Blue Wolves of Mibu is a safe bet for fans of the Shinsengumi historical subgenre.
― The Shinsengumi is pretty inescapable in Japanese fiction, and I fully admit that most of my reading about them in the manga and visual novel sphere has been on the shōjo side – the Hakuouki franchise and the incomparable Kaze Hikaru, in particular. But there's undoubtedly more than ju...
A Returner's Magic Should Be Special Volumes 1-3 Manhwa Review
Despite hitting a lot of very familiar beats, there's something about A Returner's Magic Should Be Special that's incredibly readable.
― Despite hitting a lot of very familiar beats, there's something about A Returner's Magic Should Be Special that's incredibly readable. Yes, our hero Desir Herrman is the typical overpowered protagonist seen in so many isekai and time loop stories, and yes, he's faci...
Love, a Kitten, and a Salty Dog Manga Review
Love, a Kitten, and a Salty Dog is, by and large, a pleasant read, but it feels like a story that was shoved into a one-volume format when it might have benefitted from having two.
― BL series about veterinarians seems to be a budding, if not booming, subgenre. Alongside Therapy Game and Honey Darling we now have Seven Seas' release of Love, a Kitten, and a Salty Dog. Like Honey Darling (released by ...
Tokyo These Days Volume 1 Manga Review
Taiyo Matsumoto turns his talents to exploring the manga field from various creative angles and the inescapable hold creative work (and manga, in particular) has on us.
― Many authors and illustrators have tried to write about what it means to work in a creative field. For my money, John Kendrick Bangs' 1896 novel A Rebellious Heroine best captures the writing life, and that's illustrious company for...
My Boss Is a Giant: He Manages My Every Need With Enormous Skill! Manga Review
Unfortunately, the steamy story is undermined by abandoned plot threads leaving fairly non-graphic sex scenes to entice readers.
― The title says it all as far as major content warnings go with this one: it's a romance manga about a woman who becomes involved with her boss. It's hardly novel in the genre, but it's also one of those tropes that doesn't work for all readers, so the good news is that yo...
Tekkonkinkreet: Black & White 30th Anniversary Edition Manga Review
Taiyō Matsumoto's Tekkonkikreet is a powerful manga, one unique and beautiful in its off-beat presentation and heartbreaking/warming in its characters and themes.
― I knew next to nothing about Taiyō Matsumoto or his work before reading Tekkonkikreet, and with the manga in question, I only knew of Treasure Town, coming across it when looking up cool anime cities. I'm glad I ended up going in blind to...
Pokemon Adventures: Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire Volume 1 Manga Review
This manga is best read with prior knowledge of the characters and the base games, but inside is a worthwhile, fast-paced adventure.
― I will always take advantage of any opportunity to talk about the Pokémon Adventures manga because I genuinely think it is fantastic. Composed of dozens of volumes, the Pokémon Adventures manga series is the closest thing that fans have to a dedicated expansion of the...
The White and Blue Between Us Manga Review
This is only a one-volume story, and it simply doesn't have the space to give us the needed depth of emotion, especially for lead character Mishima.
― So many love stories in fiction begin or end with a lie. That's not surprising when you think about the genre; its very nature means that any antagonistic actions need to be either ridiculously huge (kidnapping, war, etc.) or small enough to be a fixtu...
Ako and Bambi Volume 1 Manga Review
From one the creators behind Horimiya, an up-and-coming writer meets a ghost haunting his new apartment, but there are still mysteries lingering behind her death.
― You may recognize HERO as one of the creators behind Horimiya, and for some readers, that will be enough to merit picking this up. But Ako and Bambi's first volume stands on its own two feet even without that endorsement, and it is striki...
God Bless the Mistaken Volume 1 Manga Review
Bloom Into You's Nio Nakatani is no one-trick pony as she takes on a gentle slice of magic realism life tale in God Bless the Mistaken.
― Sometimes, a creator works on a series that is so good that it risks shadowing all of their other works. For Nio Nakatani, that series is Bloom into You, and fans of that one might find themselves a little dismayed that God Bless the Mistaken isn't a similar gentle...
Smoking Behind the Supermarket with You Volume 1 Manga Review
The award-winning manga hinges on the humorous rapport between an overworked salaryman and the biker-chic woman who smokes behind the supermarket.
― Let me start by admitting that I think cigarette smoking (in fact, any kind of nicotine inhalation, whether cigar smoking, e-cig vaping, or snuff… uh… snuffing?) is gross. It's not just the myriad of horrific health complications, nor the hideous stench ...
holoX MEETing! Volume 1 Manga Review
This is probably a must-buy for holoX fans. However, I think it also functions perfectly well on its own.
― VTubers have exploded as a form of online entertainment in the past couple of years and it makes sense why. On a corporate and professional level, they have tapped into the appeal of mainstream idol cultures. This has given birth to various forms of media, from music to animations and even mang...
Taking Care of God Manga Review
Like the best science fiction, Taking Care of God posits an absurd situation to illuminate our present or near future: how will we care for our aging population?
― Fans of Chinese sci-fi may recognize the name Cixin Liu, the Hugo award-winning author of the short story that inspired this manga. The 2019 theatrical adaptation of his novel The Wandering Earth broke records as the highest-domestic-gross...
This Week in Anime - A Look Back at Tatsuki Fujimoto Of The Prophecy
Director Kiyotaka Oshiyama will adapt Tatsuki Fujimoto's Look Back manga into an anime film this year, so there's no better time for review the inimitable creators' other one-shots.
― Director Kiyotaka Oshiyama will adapt Tatsuki Fujimoto's Look Back manga into an anime film this year, so there's no better time for TWIA to look back at the inimitable creators' other one-shots. Disclaimer: The views ...
All You Want, Whenever You Want Manga Review
If you want your BL to be equal parts graphic raunchiness and sweet romance, All You Want, Whenever You Want is the perfect recipe.
― If there's one thing I very much appreciate about Tokyopop's current incarnation (apart from the fact that they've been doing quite well with their BL licensing choices), it's how they list content warnings on their product pages. Rather than simply noting that a book ...
Whoever Steals This Book Volume 1 Manga Review
A manga about fiction coming to life, Whoever Steals This Book's art for each new fictional world is distinct and captivating.
― Fiction about fiction is a weird, woolly, postmodern fantasy genre I tend to enjoy. The best examples from the Western comic oeuvre I can think of would either be Neil Gaiman's The Sandman or Mike Carey's The Unwritten. Both play with the structures and tropes of fantasy st...
Gazing at the Star Next Door Volume 1 Manga Review
Gazing at the Star Next Door takes on a coziness and warmth that many other series lack. If you like sweet shoujo goodness, this is a series to pick up.
― With this second series released in English, Ammitsu has officially become one of my favorite creators. In Gazing at the Star Next Door, she takes the childhood friend trope, combines it with the celebrity romance, and somehow manages to come out w...
In the Name of the Mermaid Princess Volume 1 Manga Review
Yoshino Fumikawa and Miya Tashiro's manga tackles ableism and racism via a fantasy lens.
― In the kingdom of Blognig, it doesn't do to be anything but human. People born with animal features are not tolerated, even though they're a perfectly natural occurrence. Even if neither parent has them, and according to both law and custom, such "unhumans" are transported to other, more tolerant countries. Pos...
What's Wrong with Secretary Kim? Volumes 1-3 Manhwa Review
A kidnapping incident, a possible romantic triangle, and family business politics make What's Wrong with Secretary Kim? a page-turner.
― Although there are plenty of differences between manga and manhwa, a modern trend seems true for both: originating as a novel. What's Wrong with Secretary Kim? began its life that way in 2013. GyeongYun Jeong's book has been adapted into a live-action television ser...
Gachiakuta Manga Volume 1 Review
Gachiakuta looks like a promising entry to satisfy readers with Mad Max-esque itch.
― From the outset, Gachiakuta's heavily graffiti-inspired art is striking – with deceptively simple and immediately cool-looking character designs depicted with clean, thick line-work contrasting with a grimy, lived-in world. The opening chapter, in particular, plays with perspective and warped proportions to instantl...
All About My Two Dads Manga Review
Together, the two men struggle with the highs and lows of raising a child in a story that, despite its title, is much more about being human than anything else.
― Ask any parent, and they'll tell you – raising a child isn't easy. It doesn't matter what your gender or sexual orientation is or if it's your first or fifth baby; every child is their own person. Roji's All About My Two Dads takes this tru...
Ennead Manhwa Volume 1 Review
Ennead is undoubtedly a must-read if you're interested in Ancient Egypt and its mythology, but it's also just an interesting story in its own right.
― Although it isn't fair to say that Egyptian mythology gets no exposure in pop culture, it certainly doesn't have the same recognizability as Greco-Roman or Norse mythologies regarding ancient cultures. Authors like Pauline Gedge and Danielle S. LeBlanc...
Steel of the Celestial Shadows Volume 1 Manga Review
This slow-burn supernatural series will test reader's patience, but the reveal is worth the wait.
― Perspective is everything. That's more than just a pat statement in the case of samurai Konosuke Ryudo, who has suffered (as he sees it) from an inability to interact with metal since childhood. In his mind, it's a curse – he's a samurai who can't use a steel blade, a man who can't even get a close sha...
Witch's Life in a Micro Room Manga Volume 1 Review
Witch Life in a Micro Room is about standing out while not standing out. It's a story that effectively combines the slice-of-life, fantasy, and underdog genres in a digestible package.
― Have you ever felt outdated? Have you ever felt like you were constantly being compared to those more marketable than you? This is an existential crisis that most of us go through in this world of social media and in...
King in Limbo Omnibus 1 Manga Review
From the creator Apple Children of Aeon, Ai Tanaka, comes a fascinating story if you're up for reading about a pandemic.
― It's important to note that King in Limbo was originally published in 2017, before the COVID-19 pandemic, making this feel just a teensy bit prescient. Predicting conspiracy theories surrounding a global pandemic is probably no great feat. It reads differently today than it would...
MARRIAGETOXIN Volume 1 Manga Review
When everything is so bloodthirsty, and everyone has an ulterior motive, you appreciate the mundane much more, which gets us into the mindset of our protagonists very well.
― What's more dangerous, living life as a deadly assassin or trying to find the love of your life as quickly as possible? I can't speak for everybody, but I'm pretty sure the answer to that question would be the latter if we were ...
Manhwa: What Korean Comics to Start Reading
Rebecca Silverman dives into the ever-expanding world of manhwa to find some of the best series to dive into.
― It isn't fair to say that Korean comics being translated into English is new. Back in 2006, Netcomics was releasing books, and bigger publishers like Seven Seas have been venturing into those waters since at least 2012, with titles like the delightful historical mystery series Lizzie Newton...
Love Murder Basketball Volume 1 Manga Review
While certain story elements will be hard to stomach, Love Murder Basketball is a story of abuse and how it can shape a person's affection.
― Love Murder Basketball is a story of abuse and how it can shape a person's affection. The pacing is breakneck, with a bland presentation at first glance. There isn't much shading to the designs or environments, but there is attention to detail when artist Tsund...
Villains are Destined to Die Manhwa Review
Well-written, making use of actual game mechanics in ways that benefit the story, Villains are Destined to Die is simply a good series.
― How many times has this happened to you? You're reading an isekai story that takes place in an otome game, but as you go on, you begin to realize that the story's creator has never played an otome game. Maybe it's the weird way they talk about game mechanics, or ma...
The Best Manga and Light Novels of 2023
Don't close out your reading list yet! We've got the best manga and light novels of 2023 right here.
― For the first time, we're adding the best manga and best light novels to our year-end wrap-ups! We've split both publishing mediums into two categories: new and continuing. The new section highlights our favorite series published in English for the first time this year, while the continuing section...
True Beauty Manhwa Volume 1-3 Review
True Beauty is the newest addition to the category of media I think of as "I know it's popular, but I really don't see why."
― I've gotten the feeling that part of my reaction to True Beauty may be due to unfair expectations from the English title. The original Korean title, which translates literally to The Rise of a Goddess, may give a more accurate impression. The phrase "true beauty" evokes the ...
Fairy Tail Manga Omnibus Volume 1 Review
If Rave Master was the series that gave Hiro Mashima his first dose of fame, then Fairy Tail was the series that launched his popularity into the stratosphere.
― It's hard to believe that Fairy Tail is almost 20 years old. If Rave Master was the series that gave Hiro Mashima his first dose of fame, then Fairy Tail was the series that launched his popularity into the stratosphere. While the franchise ...
The Moment That Undead Unluck's Yoshifumi Tozuka Decided to Create Manga
Yoshifumi Tozuka met someone early in his life who believed in his artistic ability. The rest is manga history.
― Undead Unluck fans at Anime NYC were treated to a panel featuring the creator Yoshifumi Tozuka, his editor Takumi Hashimoto, and Fuuko's Japanese voice actor, Moe Kahara. During the panel, Moe Kahara spoke about how she chose to pursue a career as a voice actor because she wanted to impr...
Lord Hades's Ruthless Marriage Manga Volume 1 Review
It was only a matter of time until we got a manga based on the myth of Hades and Persephone. Yūho Ueji's manga shows they certainly did their research.
― It was only a matter of time until we got a manga based on the myth of Hades and Persephone. Even if we discount the popularity of world mythology-based Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon, that particular myth has been making the round...
Bergamot & Sunny Day Manga Review
This manga about a romance between a 40-something boss and his 20-something employee isn't the strongest BL manga to come out in recent months, but it is a good enough one
― According to twenty-three-year-old Riku, he's terrible at relationships. That means he's never managed to be in one for over three months, with all ending with his boyfriend breaking up with him. Typically, it's for the same host...
How I Met My Soulmate Volume 1 Manga Review
It's hard to pinpoint what precisely doesn't work here, but I think it comes down to lead character Yuuki herself.
― Anashin's first English-translated series, Waiting for Spring, may not have been anything overtly special in shoujo romance, but it was delightful and addictive to read. So far, that's not quite true of her subsequent work, How I Met My Soulmate, although it's still a good book. The se...
The Oblivious Saint Can't Contain Her Power Manga Volume 1 Review
This story has some real potential, so if you like an underdog tale, it's worth checking out.
― Flora has a lot to answer for. Flora, the older sister of heroine Carolina, has spent all of Carolina's sixteen years drumming the idea that she's a disappointment and a disaster into her sister's head. In public, Flora presents the perfect picture of both a saint-apparent and a loving older sister, but th...
When I Became a Commoner, They Broke Off Our Engagement! Manga Volume 1 Review
Message to the reader: When I Became a Commoner, They Broke Off Our Engagement suffers from what I think of as Light Novel Title Syndrome.
― Message to the reader: When I Became a Commoner, They Broke Off Our Engagement suffers from what I think of as Light Novel Title Syndrome. This is when a book is given a title that ought to be nothing more than overly descriptive but turns out to be misleading. ...
Since I Could Die Tomorrow Manga Volume 1 Review
Two women confront the onset of menopause and what reaching that particular age means, socially and emotionally.
― There's a reason why menopause is spoken of as The Change. The cessation of a woman's fertility and the exit from the menstrual cycle is traditionally, as with most things to do with the female reproductive system, considered at best mildly shameful and often becomes an excuse to make jo...
Neighborhood Story Manga Volume 1 Review
At long, long last, Neighborhood Story is available in English. Find out why this manga is such a triumph.
― At long, long last, Neighborhood Story is available in English. Why is that such a triumph? Apart from the fact that it's one of Ai Yazawa's best titles, it's also the story that comes directly before Paradise Kiss, so if you like that one, you need to read this one to get a fuller picture of ...
The Shiunji Family Children Volume 1 Manga Review
Is this a story about siblings realizing there's more to being a sibling than blood? Is this a story about teens realizing that blood was the only thing holding them back from hooking up?
― The Shiunji Family Children is a very well-drawn and well-presented manga. The character designs aren't anything flashy, but everyone is very distinct from one another, with a substantial amount of detail present....
Devil Is a Part-Timer! Official Comic Anthology Manga Review
It isn't perfect, but most of them have a real understanding of the original material and a clear love for it. I wouldn't call it a must-read, but it is a treat if you're a franchise fan.
― Regarding the three recent releases of official comic anthologies, The Devil is a Part-Timer! Official Comic Anthology falls in between Sasaki and Miyano's and Mieruko-Chan's offerings. That means that most of the...
Higurashi When They Cry: GOU Anthology Comic Manga Review
This compilation is best when it abandons the usual Higurashi setting and tone for something completely different.
― Welcome back to Hinamizawa in the summer of 1983, where things are looking a little…different. Released to accompany (or at least celebrate) the anime sequel to Higurashi: When They Cry GOU, SOTSU, the Higurashi When They Cry: GOU Anthology Comic collects nine stories that stick to the...
Fist of the North Star Manga Volumes 9-10 Review
This is the grandest entry in the series yet, a flawless entry in the canon of shonen fighting manga. But like with any great warrior, there lies a tragic weakness in its invincibility.
― Fist of the North Star Volume 10 is the grandest entry in the series yet, a flawless entry in the canon of shonen fighting manga. But like with any great warrior, there lies a tragic weakness in its invincibility. I...
How to Treat a Lady Knight Right Manga Volume 1 Review
This manga tries to make something fundamental the primary focus without doing anything else. Check out other recommendations before this one because our lives are too short to waste on something so dry.
― How to Treat a Lady Knight Right is a series that accomplishes everything that it wants to. The problem is that everything done in this volume has been done in dozens of other stories, and that's b...
One More Step, Come Stand by My Side Manga Review
Takeda's detailed art helps to highlight her versatility when it comes to length and genre, and every story in the book is unique.
― Toryumon Takeda is a relative newcomer to manga, but One More Step, Come Stand by My Side should make us hope she'll stick around for a while. This collection of seven short stories of varying lengths shows a versatile and creative creator. While not all of them make a ...
Kiss the Scars of the Girls Volume 1 Manga Review
With its combination of a dark story and yearning romance, this is an exciting treat for Class S yuri fans and one worth checking out for all yuri readers.
― Regarding genre combinations, "vampire" and "Class S" may not be the most obvious pairings, but they work surprisingly well in Aya Haruhana's Kiss the Scars of the Girls. It takes the trappings of classic Class S yuri – the isolated girls' schoo...
At 30, I Realized I Had No Gender Manga Review
At 30, I Realized I Had No Gender is the open, frank, and honest discussion that sticks with you. If you're looking for a book that doesn't hold back and just speaks its mind about its creator's experiences as a human being, pick this up.
― There's a lot that we don't always know about ourselves. Sometimes, that's because we genuinely don't know something genetic about our bodies, as happened to crea...
From Astro Boy to Pluto: The History of “The Greatest Robot on Earth”
Learn how “The Greatest Robot on Earth” chapter of Astro Boy would so greatly affect Naoki Urasawa that it led to Pluto nearly 40 years later.
― It's safe to say that the world of anime and manga would not exist as it does today without the works of Osamu Tezuka—to the point that he has earned the nickname “The God of Manga” in Japan. While he produced numerous classic works during his life that rem...
Kafka Manga Review
Drawn by the brother-sister team known as Kyōdai Nishioka, this avant-garde works as an introduction to Kafka's works for the uninitiated looking an abstract reading experience.
― Pushkin Press isn't a publisher many of us think of when looking for manga, off the beaten path or otherwise. They aren't entirely off the radar, though – while their main imprint publishes contemporary Japanese fiction, th...
Spy×Family Manga Volume 10 Review
This volume of Spy×Family sets a stark contrast to previous entries, even forgoing its usual chair motif to show young Loid perched on war-torn debris.
― While Spy×Family has always done a good job of lightly masking its more serious elements, this volume hit me right in the generational trauma. Eschewing its more typical "banter with a dose of emotional heft" style, this book opens with the reveal o...
Ragna Crimson Volumes 9-10 Manga Review
Ragna Crimson manages to do the unthinkable and rise even further, delivering an amazing read full of tension, drama, and comedy without leaning fully on its traditional strengths in art and action.
― Ragna Crimson Volumes 9 and 10 manage to do the unthinkable and rise even further, in my estimation, delivering an amazing read full of tension, drama, and comedy without leaning fully on its traditiona...
Developing a Diverse Cast in Kia Asamiya's Silent Möbius
Kia Asamiya has been writing manga for nearly 40 years. His most famous work, Silent Möbius, is an explosive mashup of genres: taking place in a cyberpunk Blade Runner-esque dystopia, it depicts the plight of AMP, an all-woman team of sorcerers, psychics, and even cyborgs.
― Kia Asamiya has been writing manga for nearly 40 years. His most famous work, Silent Möbius, is an explosive mashup of genres:...
Tokyo Aliens Manga Vol. 3-4 Review
This marked a turning point for Tokyo Aliens; things are starting to pick up. Everything feels greatly expanded: the cast, the mystery, the scenes, the emotional texture, and the action as well.
― I think these volumes marked a turning point for me in terms of my enjoyment of Tokyo Aliens. With the first two volumes, I found myself just sort of passively reading without much interest, but now things ...
After We Gazed at the Starry Sky Manga Volume 1 Review
This cozy BL read focuses on Subaru, a disabled graphic designer and astrophotographer Tougo as they navigate a budding relationship.
― It's always good – and important – to see representation in our fiction. It can help those of us who don't quite fit the mold of “normal” to find solace and enhance our imaginations, to show that no matter who we are, we can have adventures. Bisco Kida's BL romance A...
Why I Adopted My Husband Manga Review
Same-sex marriage is not legal in most of Japan, and same-sex couples have to find ways around the lack of legal marital status to have those basic couple rights, and this slim autobiographical manga is about one of them: adoption.
― As of June 8, 2023, same-sex marriage was still illegal in Japan, making it the only G7 country without protections for same-sex couples, according to Reuters. Those pro...
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