Welcome back, manga fans! Since Previews has a section of the catalog dedicated to manga, we’ll be highlighting that section’s most notable upcoming releases every month. Read on to see what stuck out to us this time!
10. Monthly reminder that I have no idea what Tokyopop is.
Regular readers of this column know that I’m always down for a good LGBT story, but this book is just a reminder that I have no idea what Tokyopop is doing. I did notice that there’s a LOT of LGBT manga this month from most publishers, and it’s both male- and female-centric. So maybe Tokyopop is just trying to follow that trend? While also following the trend of, uh… manga adaptations of Disney movies?
Your guess is as good as mine.
Dekoboko Sugar Days
Written and Illustrated by Yusen Atsuko
Published by Tokyopop
Yuujirou Matsukaze has been close friends with Rui Hanamine since the two of them were children, and at that time, Yuujirou was the one who stood up for and took care of his adorable, soft-hearted friend. But as it turns out, Yuujirou’s childhood dreams end up growing a little too big to handle — or, rather, too tall! At over six feet in height, the cheerful and happy-go-lucky Rui towers over his would-be protector… and still has no idea Yuujirou’s had a crush on him since they were kids!
9. Egypt, meet Japan.
I always enjoy seeing how other cultures interpret cultures different from their own. I generally think there’s a lot to unpack there. Here, we have a Japanese story about a resurrected Egyptian prince who is also a time traveler who befriends a schoolgirl.
I repeat: there’s a lot to unpack there.
Im: Great Priest Imhotep, volume 1
Written and Illustrated by Makoto Morishita
Published by Yen Press
From the sands of Ancient Egypt to the streets of modern Japan, the newly resurrected Great Priest Imhotep traverses time and space on the hunt for the magai, devious beings with an appetite for destruction who impersonate the gods! When schoolgirl Hinome crosses paths with this illustrious ancient, is her loner lifestyle about to change for the better…or for the worse?!
8. Critically acclaimed yuri?
Unfortunately, a lot of LGBT manga ends up being exploitative to find an audience. Yaoi specifically is a huge industry, depicting gay relationships in a (frequently pornographic) way designed for female audiences. So it’s always nice to see a series that depicts a realistic LGBT relationship — especially one that makes it to the states and receives critical acclaim! I haven’t heard of “Kase-san” before, but this sequel series has piqued my interest.
Kase-san & Yamada, volume 1
Written and Illustrated by Hiromi Takashima
Published by Seven Seas Entertainment
The continuation of the critically acclaimed and newly animated yuri manga series! After the events of the first five Kase-san and… manga volumes, Kase-san and Yamada are now university students. Yamada’s working diligently in her horticulture program, while Kase-san is training hard at her university. There might be a long train ride between their schools and hectic new schedules to plan around, but they’ll always make time for each other!
7. Bookstore adventures!
I recently read the first volume of this, and it was a blast. It’s as much a slapstick situational comedy as it is a look at Japan’s book market, and I highly recommend it to anyone interested in either of those things!
Skull-Face Bookseller Honda-San, volume 3
Written and Illustrated by Honda
Published by Yen Press
Gain a glimpse with Honda and the staff into the whirlwind that comes with second edition printings!! And if you’re wondering why you can’t find the book you want at any bookstore…well, that’s because everyone else is buying up copies, just like you were hoping to!
6. Gender? I hardly know her.
Remember how I mentioned earlier that a ton of this month’s new manga was LGBT-related? Well, while most focus on gay and lesbian relationships, this one is about gender. I hope the mangaka approaches the subject with the care it deserves and creates something fun and memorable in the process.
Continued belowMy Androgynous Boyfriend, volume 1
Written and Illustrated by Tamekou
Published by Seven Seas Entertainment
His makeup is flawless! The daily ins-and-outs of an office lady and her beautiful boyfriend.
Wako and her androgynous boyfriend don’t exactly have the most traditional of relationships. She spends her days working hard in the world of publishing, while he spends his time obsessing over fashion and makeup, all with the goal of making himself beautiful just for her. This romantic slice-of-life story is about love, relationships, and breaking with tradition!
5. Yakuza no more.
I read the first volume of this last week and was cracking up the whole time. Former Yakuza boss becomes a housewife? A thoroughly endearing concept. And that roomba chapter? Instant classic.
I thought it would be one of those slice-of-life books I enjoyed but nobody ever talked about, until I checked the Amazon stats. When I checked, it was #10 out of all “Young Adult Humorous Comics & Graphic Novels,” as well as #3 (!) of all “Young Adult Action & Adventure Comics & Graphic Novels” and #27 of “Teen & Young Adult Manga.” And that was a few weeks after release!
Those kinds of stats are usually reserved for the big shonen titles with anime adaptations, like “My Hero Academia” and “One Piece.” I have no idea what caused the surge of interest in this series, but I’m glad so many people are finding it!
Way of the Househusband, volume 2
Written and Illustrated by Kosuke Oono
Published by Viz Media
The legendary yakuza “the Immortal Dragon” has washed his hands of the gangster life for something far more dangerous-becoming a househusband! Cleaning, laundry, grocery shopping, cooking… These days he’s doing everything he can to succeed as man of the house, if it doesn’t kill him first! The cozy yakuza comedy continues!
4. Real situations, relatable emotions.
The description on this one really intrigues me. Just from that paragraph, I feel like I know exactly who the main character is and what she’s going through. It’s a blend of familiar elements that also combines enough separate ideas that it seems unique. I hope the series maintains both that familiarity and the uniqueness.
Living Room Matsunaga-san, volume 1
Written and Illustrated by Keiko Iwashita
Published by Kodansha Comics
A romantic manga starring a high school girl who learns to live on her own, win at high school, and experience first love, all in a boarding house whose living room is home to the odd (but handsome) Matsunaga-san. After her parents leave to care for her ailing grandmother, high schooler Miko “Meeko” Sonoda moves into her uncle’s boarding house. There, she meets its rather unusual residents, including the oldest of the bunch: the grumpy mother hen Matsunaga-san. With the help of her housemates, Meeko begins to adjust to her new life away from her parents, but Meeko soon learns that no matter how far away from home she is, she’s still a young girl at heart, especially when she finds herself falling for Matsunaga-san.
3. …toilet-bound?
That title, guys. That title.
The series sounds pretty fun. A girl summons a spirit and works with him to uncover a series of occult goings-on at her high school.
But that title…
Also, note that this series has unexpectedly high ratings on MyAnimeList. Like, “#83 of all multi-chapter Japanese manga” high. Like, “same score as Attack on Titan and Evangelion” high.
Even despite that title.
Toilet-bound Hanako-kun, volume 1
Written and Illustrated by Aida Iro
Published by Yen Press
“Hanako-san, Hanako-san…are you there?” At Kamome Academy, rumors abound about the school’s Seven Mysteries, one of which is Hanako-san. Said to occupy the third stall of the third floor girls’ bathroom in the old school building, Hanako-san grants any wish when summoned. Nene Yashiro, an occult-loving high school girl who dreams of romance, ventures into this haunted bathroom…but the Hanako-san she meets there is nothing like she imagined! Kamome Academy’s Hanako-san…is a boy!
2. Can’t keep a good corpse down.
This is significant! Dark Horse stalled publishing “The Kurosagi Corpse Delivery Service” with volume 14 over four years ago, and their last 3-in-1 omnibus volume was released over three years ago. But here they are, bringing the series back, with a new omnibus that collects through the unpublished volume 15! I’ve always wanted to read this episodic black comedy series, and it looks like now is the time to jump in.
Continued belowKurosagi Corpse Delivery Service Omnibus, volume 5
Written by Eiji Otsuka
Illustrated by Housui Yamazaki
Published by Dark Horse Comics
Book five has the Kurosagi gang running into ever more bizarre incidents of modern horror, from mind-control mouse hats, to taxpayer-supported torture museums, to the most feared calamity of all . . . jury duty! Meanwhile, it seems a gang of corpse-clearing impostors is out to take away their meager business-and in America, someone’s made a cartoon series based off them . . . ?! Plus, three previously unpublished stories: a client whose psychological syndrome makes her believe she’s dead, the mad robot scientist trio invents a zombie biker gang, and fugitives from a deadly cult hide out in the radioactive ruins of Fukushima!
1. I don’t know how to give birth either!
Autobio comics can be fun, especially when looking at personal subjects (“My Lesbian Experience with Loneliness” comes to mind). I’m sure there’s a lot about pregnancy and childbirth that you would only know if you either went through it or worked at an OBGYN, so I hope this can clue me in on some of that knowledge. This mangaka has worked on spin-off manga of hits like Puella Magi Madoka Magica and “Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid,” so I’m especially curious to see what that experience brings to this story.
I Don’t Know How to Give Birth
Written and Illustrated by Ayami Kazama
Published by Yen Press
The humorous and heartfelt autobiographical comic essay of an otaku manga artist! Follow her journey as she learns the ins and outs of pregnancy and childbirth.
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Anything I missed? What are YOU looking forward to? Let me know in the comments!
