Let’s talk about manga. I’ve been reading a lot of manga lately (as one does) and I’ve come across a lot of good ones, a lot that have promise, and a few that didn’t catch my attention as much. But we’re experiencing a time when it seems, to me, that a BUNCH of new manga are getting licensed / released / bought by me / read by me and I hardly have enough time to keep up with it all. I got a job, you know!
But given the amount of manga I’ve read, I feel like I have a relatively good grasp on approximately 93 percent of 47 percent of what’s coming out. I’m gonna run through five cool manga in hopes you find something good, with a few honorable mentions thrown in throughout.
Without further ado…
Komomo Confiserie by Maki Minami published by Viz Media
This just finished up from Viz’s Shojo Beat imprint and, while I haven’t read the fifth and final volume yet, I’ve been very impressed by what I’ve read so far. What seemed to be a rather formulaic shojo series in most of its first volume turned into a much more complex and cute little romance between a stuck up rich girl who learns to temper herself a little and a know-it-all baker boy who just can’t help but like her…a little (a lot).
Jumping into this largely sight unseen, I didn’t really know what to expect. Last time I did this, I got Honey Blood (which isn’t all that great, but enjoyable enough). This time, I got a nice little shojo story for the ages. It isn’t going to knock anyone’s socks off, but it also isn’t going to waste your time. It could serve as a nice introduction into shojo or another great manga in a years long tradition.
To the Abandoned Sacred Beasts by MAYBE published by Vertical Comics
I will always trust the Vertical brand to make the right decisions for me, and this one doesn’t disappoint. It’s been a while since I’ve been so excited to talk about a manga, but this one really got my creative writing flowing. Set a civil war where artificially enhanced humans turn into beasts able to topple entire armies, To the Abandoned Sacred Beasts follows Hank and Schaal on the former’s mission to kill all his comrades before they kill innocent people as a result of their enhancements…
There’s a lot going on in To the Abandoned Sacred Beasts to enjoy. The commentary of a nation recovering from war, or of a commander doing right for his squad even if it means killing them, or of a daughter (Schaal) trying to get her revenge on Hank killing her father… It’s to be enjoyed. Plus there’s awesome monster art.
Yowamushi Pedal by Wataru Watanabe published by Yen Press
Bicycle boys!! I’ve been so excited with the resurgence of sports manga that’s available. First Yowamushi Pedal, then Kuroko’s Basketball and Haikyu. Sports anime / manga fans could not be happier (unless they continued to release more sports anime and manga, like Chihayafuru!!). This one’s about a little anime otaku named Onoda who just wants to make an anime club and talk about anime with friends. He finds himself instead caught in the world of road racing, where he sings anime songs while he bicycles up hills. HIMEEEEEEEEE!!!!
Yowamushi Pedal is something to be enjoyed. Not only are the highs and victories in the manga some of the best ever, it doesn’t give you any cheap shots. It works to get there just as hard as you read to get there. Yowamushi Pedal, just like Onoda’s specialty, is an uphill climb. But you never know what you’ll find when you reach its peak. Yen took a gamble with this one, but I’m glad they did. Looking forward to reading more and more of this series.
Nichijou by Keiichi Arawi published by Vertical Comics
If you’re looking for jokes, look no further my friend. Nichijou is some of the funniest stuff that’s happening in manga right now (perhaps save for also Vertical’s My Neighbor Seki). The weakest part of the manga is the stuff with the Professor, which is still occasionally funny. Many may know it from the anime adaptation, which I just didn’t like as much for whatever reason (but every gif from it is the best gif ever). The manga is on point though. Well worth reading.
Princess Jellyfish by Akiko Higashimura published by Kodansha USA
Ok, ok, I have a confession to make… I haven’t actually read Princess Jellyfish yet… But I have the first two volumes sitting next to my bed, patiently waiting to be read!! It’s still on here though because I did watch the anime adaptation and it caused me to incessantly (and probably annoyingly) ask Kodansha on various social media that I am definitely interested in buying and reading these books. Both remain true and I will get around to those eventually.
One of the most spectacular things about Princess Jellyfish is that it’s just about nerdy girls who are accepting of that very fact. They’re learning to grow outside of their shell a little, but never at the sacrifice of who they are at their core. And that’s incredibly important for anyone to know. Don’t pretend to be someone else even if your looks betray the social norms of who you are, or even how you think you should look. Because there’s no reason for anyone to judge based solely on that.
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There are plenty more manga I could list here (Yona of the Dawn, which is a great story about embracing different kinds of bravery in the face of great adversity; Kiss Him Not Me, which is a cute shojo about embracing a different kind of you after…unexpected circumstances; Tokyo ESP, which just went over the volume cap; or Ninja Slayer, because YEEART!!, but there’s only time for so many manga and we can’t have this post going on forever.
But hopefully this at least provides a springboard for your next manga reading. As always, happy reading!!