Welcome back, manga fans! We took a month off for January because 2023 was a LOT. Sometimes, you just need a little rest. Because of that, this month’s column is a little longer than usual and a little different. I’ve got seven picks from the January solicits that I wanted to highlight and then we’ve got our usual ten for February. We’ve got a lot to cover so let’s get moving!
Last minute edit! Humble has a obnoxiously good Kodansha bundle including “Drops of God” AND “Vinland Saga” DRM FREE!
17. Not a Snowball’s Chance in HFIL
The cover of this screams generic-ass shonen comic. I can muster very little enthusiasm for it from what I’m seeing. I am, however, intrigued by the concept of taking your prototypical protag-kun’s “friendship” motivation and having it be 1000% at odds with the environment he’s been dropped into. Not morally at odds but literally. How can you make a ton of friends when you crash onto a post-apocalyptic earth devoid of people!? That’s a hook I’m excited to explore.
Snowball Earth, Vol. 1
Written and Illustrated by Yuhiro Tsujitsugu
Published by Viz Media, LLC
Yukio was destroyed in battle and Tetsuo survived in an escape pod. After eight years in cold sleep, the escape pod finally lands back on Earth, and Tetsuo awakens, determined to fulfill his promise to his comrade in arms that he would live his life to the fullest and make many friends. But what he finds instead is a world in ruins, entirely frozen beneath a blanket of ice and snow-a snowball Earth! What happened to humanity, how did the Earth freeze over, and will Tetsuo be able to keep his last promise to Yukio?
16. Sand in My Boots
The first pick of January, this is another one that could easily turn into a blah fest. The cover is functional and the story is fine. I’m intrigued enough by the Ancient Egyptian setting and I’ve always been a sucker for that pantheon. Blame Rick Rioridan. This could be something fun or it could be something dull. That’s enough for me to give it a shot.
Edit: Apparently this manhua snuck onto my list while I wasn’t looking. I’ll allow it THIS time for two reasons. One: As I’ve said before, Manga as used here is already a pretty iffy, exclusionary category in-and-of-itself. Since this could get on without me noticing, it gets a pass. Two: I’m lazy and don’t want to change the whole thing up. If it were higher on the list, maybe.
Ennead, Vol. 2
Written and Illustrated by Mojito
Published by Seven Seas Entertainment
The first of three matches for the throne of Egypt has begun! Who will last the longest underwater without breathing? Horus may be determined, but he is no god, and Seth has both cunning and divine stamina on his side. Meanwhile, Isis has plans of her own to help her son… but will they be enough to ensure his victory?
15. 100 Ways to Love Your Manga
So. This manga. Another pick from January. I can’t say I’ve read it. I can’t say I’ve watched the recent anime adaptation. What I can say is everyone who has read or seen it has come away gushing about the character and the depth of the relationships and how fucking funny this series is.
Yep. You read that right. For a harem manga whose central conceit is “God fucked up and gave the main character 100 soul mates so he’s gotta love them all or they’ll DIE” you’d think it would be even trashier than “Rent-a-Girlfriend” or “We Never Learn.” And, yeah, it is WILDLY trashy. No one is denying that. Sometimes you just need a little trash in your life. And when you do, why not go for the best of it?
Continued belowThe 100 Girlfriends Who Really, Really, Really, Really, REALLY Love You, Vol. 9
Written by Rikito Nakamura
Illustrated by Yukiko Nozawa
Published by Ghost Ship
Rentaro’s new girlfriend, Momi Momiji, gets very handsy because she’s training to be the world’s best masseuse. Her hands will bring bliss to every strained muscle and stiff joint she comes in contact with. So lie back and relax. Momi and Rentaro’s tale is a touching one!
14. To BL or Not to BL
I almost didn’t include this on the list. Much like with the bottom two, it has the potential to be a real dull, by-the-numbers Boy’s Love story. Pedigree of creator notwithstanding, the “can my best friend love me” drama isn’t something I particularly gravitate towards and thus I could see this going either way. It sits higher on the list because damn if that cover isn’t beautifully composed and there’s fish!
Fish! I wanna know about the fish! How does fish unite these two!? FIIISHHHHH!
Nagahama: To Be or Not to Be
Written and Illustrated by Scarlet Beriko
Published by Seven Seas Entertainment
A new Boys’ Love/BL school romance by the popular creator of Jackass! and Jealousy. Nagisa may look like a delinquent, but he’s just a typical teen trying to figure out what to do with his life. Nagisa’s best friend, Issa, already knows what his own passion is: fish! Issa often skips school to work at the Nagahama fish market, and the two boys hang out near the ocean almost every day. When Nagisa suspects that Issa has a girlfriend, it turns his world upside down. Is he in love with his best friend? Could his best friend possibly like him back?
13. Hazard: Sleeping Is Not Advised
Sci-fi goodness that hits a little too close to home? Sign me up! Will I be as uncomfortable reading about a pandemic resurging in cured individuals as I was watching “Outbreak” a year ago? Probably. Does the mixing of “Ghost in the Shell” and “Inception” style mind-games offset that? Oh hell yes.
King in Limbo Omnibus, Vol. 2
Written and Illustrated by Ai Tanaka
Published by Kodansha Comics
Eight years ago, a sleeping sickness that fed on traumatic memories threatened human civilization. Only a two-person team, diving into the stricken patient’s mind, could cure it, and at great risk. The most skilled of these “divers” was Rune Winter, codename King, the only one who could cure the Sleep while leaving the patient’s mind intact. Now the sickness is back, and this new strain can reinfect patients who’ve been cured. As the secret threatens to leak, King and his new partner, disabled Navy veteran Adam Garfield, have stumbled upon evidence that suggests the unimaginable: Did someone release this new Sleep deliberately? Omnibus edition includes Parts 3 and 4.
12. Rock on!
Bless Seven Seas for continuing to bring over out-of-print classics from all sorts of genres and eras in omnibus/collector’s editions. That’s really all I have to say about “Gravitation” that isn’t said by its cover. You’ll either love this or be turned off by the late 90s, early 2000s aesthetic.
Gravitation Collector’s Edition, Vol. 1
Written and Illustrated by Yukino Sonoyama
Published by Seven Seas Entertainment
The iconic Boys’ Love/BL manga is back! The inspiration for the popular anime of the same name, Seven Seas presents this romantic comedy of a rockstar and his novelist boyfriend in large-trim omnibus editions featuring an all-new translation! Rockstar wannabe Shindo Shuichi is determined to top the charts with his best friend and their rising band. But Shuichi’s ego takes a hit when a handsome romance novelist, Yuki Eiri, bashes his lyrics. As Shuichi attempts to make Yuki eat his words, he unexpectedly develops a crush on the harsh critic-and the cold and prickly Yuki even seems to like him back! As they continue to gravitate toward each other, Shuichi discovers that success in the music biz may cost him his very soul.
11. Ya Machina
The placement of this manga comes down almost entirely to the parakeet on the cover. It’s very cute. It makes me think this will be funnier than your usual serious mob story but not nearly as wacky as, say, “Hinamatsuri” or “Way of the Househusband.”
Continued belowThe Fable Omnibus, Vol. 1
Written and Illustrated by Katsuhisa Minami
Published by Kodansha Comics
The man called The Fable is a self-proclaimed “genius at killing.” The mention of his codename strikes fear into the hearts of every yakuza in Japan. His talent has brought him everything he could want: money, respect, purpose. But this is no legend. He’s just a rather irritating man who loves stupid jokes and bad TV. After a bloody period of gang enforcement in Tokyo, the Fable’s boss advises him to lie low and enjoy his earnings for a while. So begins the Fable’s toughest mission yet: a full year living a normal life, at the other end of the bullet train, in Osaka. It’s a mission he takes on with his usual professionalism and rigor. But can the Osaka mob let this legend rest? Or will they be unable to resist pulling him back into the underworld?
10. Ollie
“Sketchy” gives me serious Taio Matsumoto vibes, though I don’t think it’s quite as out there as his work gets. It’s the story of a former skater rediscovering her love for the sport but contending with the passage of time. That’s good shit! GIve me more contemplative manga like this Kodansha. Please and thank you.
Sketchy, Vol. 1
Written and Illustrated by MAKIHIROCHI
Published by Kodansha Comics
Ako finds herself coasting along, watching her twenties pass her by. Work at the video rental store, see her boyfriend, repeat… Her days are becoming an indistinguishable, listless blur. Until she encounters a skateboarder practicing a trick-and she’s a girl! For some reason, Ako feels a pull toward the sport. Slowly, all the dreams and ambitions she gave up on and the futures she imagined for herself come flooding back, and Ako resolves to change herself now, before it’s too late. But is it ever really too late to discover something new? From the creator of the digital fan favorite Is Kichijoji the Only Place to Live? comes a relatable portrait of young adulthood.
9. Chart Topping Tension
“Oshi no Ko” absolutely blew up last year and for good reason. Akasaka and Yokoyari know how to tell a story! It’s tense, it’s twisty, it’s fun and it’s weird. I love it. You all love it. Anime fans can now read past where it’s been adapted.
Oshi no Ko, Vol. 6
Written by Aka Akasaka
Illustrated by Mengo Yokoyari
Published by Yen Press
The 2.5D Play Arc draws closer to the main event! The original creator of the Tokyo Blade manga, Abiko Samejima, rejected all the theatrical scripts by the writer, GOA. But they’ve finally reached an agreement-and the result is a script sharply focused on the actors’ performances?! Aqua Hoshino, who had been seeking out “emotional acting,” will have to face his deep trauma surrounding Ai…?
8. Tezuka’s New Home
Ablaze has been putting out a bunch of Tezuka’s lesser known works lately. I’m all for it. Round out the man’s collection here in the states, hence its inclusion from January! “Tomorrow the Bird” is exactly the kind of weird shit I expect from Tezuka’s smaller works. A few short stories about “what if Planet of the Apes…but birds” and probably some fetish stuff and lots of violence. Tezuka was a weird dude y’all and this is just the kind of work to remind us of that.
Tomorrow the Birds
Written and Illustrated by Osamu Tezuka
Published by Ablaze Publishing
A classic collection from Osamu Tezuka, the Godfather of Manga, now in English! Originally published between 1971 and 1975, this collection of short stories depicts an Earth in which birds become the planet’s dominate species.
It started with several minor but unusual attacks by birds against humans, more a nuisance than anything. However, as birds capable of harnessing fire began to appear, using it to set fire to people’s homes, things began to escalate. Eventually, a highly intelligent leader of the birds emerges to begin negotiations with humankind on behalf of his people…
What force jump-started the birds’ wild jump in evolution? And what will be the fate of humans in this new world order?
7. Hidden in Space Plane Sight
Kenji Tsuruta’s oeuvre can be summed up in three works: naked slacker women. From the “Emanon” adaptations to “Wandering Island” and now to “Captain Momo’s Secret Base,” one can see the kinds of characters Tsuruta likes writing and drawing. Now, however, that’s the whole conceit! The adventures of space slacker Momo in the year 3019. January brought us a few gems and this one I think is going to be the most under the radar of the bunch.
And, honestly? The perfect book for 2024.
Continued belowCaptain Momo’s Secret Base, Vol. 1
Written and Illustrated by Kenji Tsuruta
Published by Dark Horse Comics
New manga from the creator of Emanon. Moshi-Moshi Momo works from home like many people-in a den crowded with books and papers, shared with a cat that’s got its own agenda. Except Momo truly does possess office space-because she lives inside a starship, and relativity means Zoom meetings need half an hour just to ask a question! In the year 3019, humanity has gotten even more work casual: most of the time, Momo doesn’t bother to wear her captain’s uniform-or anything at all-onboard the cargo vessel Blue Chateau, as she struggles against interstellar tedium, company directives, low battery strength, and her ever-underfoot cat John. But fear not, for equipped with plenty of reading material and a crate of peach liqueur, in the long haul past Proxima Centauri space slacker Captain Momo will at last prove Newton correct-a body at rest will remain at rest! Presented shrink-wrapped with Mature Audiences advisory notice.
6. Phantasmagoric
There are only three volumes out in Japan so I’m glad I caught it from the January list. This book is FUCKING BONKERS. Go in with as little knowledge as you can and let the horror just wash over you. It’s delicate and fantastic and horny and a completely new retelling of a very old story.
#DRCL midnight children, Vol. 2
Written and Illustrated by Shin’ichi Sakamoto
Published by Viz Media LLC
The lines between reality and fiction blur as Count Dracula’s influence grows within the halls of Whitby School. The arrival of the eccentric Professor Abraham Van Helsing offers Mina and the others a chance to learn about the foul condition that afflicts their beloved companion. But will the professor’s knowledge be enough to preserve them in the face of this unspeakable evil, or will their fragile bonds be torn apart by the arrival of the son of the dragon?
5. All War Must Eventually End
It’s the final volume of the decade’s permanent romantic comedy! That’s more than enough to earn a spot on this list. Now that it’s finally over, I can finally read the dang thing!
Kaguya-sama: Love is War, Vol. 28
Written and Illustrated by Aka Akasaka
Published by Viz Media LLC
Will all our beloved characters get a happy ending? Maki is still trying to get over Tsubasa, Miko is running for student council president, and Chika wants a romantic partner of her own. Then, which couple will wage war to obtain a confession of love, and which will battle for a proposal of marriage…?
4. Bloodble Tea
Look how fucking adorable this cover is. Look at it! I want to read all about these two and their spooky vampire lives. Is Noss a play on Nosferatu? Even better!
Noss & Zakuro, Vol. 1
Written and Illustrated by rariatoo
Published by Seven Seas Entertainment
A delightful supernatural comedy about a mother-daughter vampire pair! In Shadowsville, a supernatural land that exists between this world and the next, there lives a pair of spooky vampires. Well, not that spooky-the beautiful Noss (the Nosferatu) and her adopted daughter Zakuro don’t even suck human blood, since that’s gross and mean. A juice-box equivalent sustains them as they frolic around their town shopping for anti-sun accessories, meeting up with other monster buddies, and supporting each other like a real mother and daughter… because blood is less important when you find a good substitute.
3. MY BOYS
My boys are back! Mr. Kanda and Fukumaru are off on another kitty-based adventure. Celebrate ten volumes of this excellent, heartfelt manga with me. But…wait…it’s only at number 3? What could possibly be better than this? It’s not because it’s just a January book, is it?
A Man and His Cat, Vol. 10
Written and Illustrated by Umi Sakurai
Published by Square Enix Manga
A stint at the cat café to cover for Miss Sato unexpectedly leads to Mr. Kanda taking part in an impromptu rescue to save a kitty in need! The charge is led by the café manager, who ropes in Mr. Kanda and Teruaki Kuju, one of Mr. Kanda’s former pupils who happens to be in the right(?) place at the right(?) time. But when Kuju is tasked with bringing the cat back to the Kanda house after a successful, if intense, rescue, will his guilt and fear over what happened with Hoshinari in the past prevent him from seeing the mission through? And how will Fukumaru deal with yet another feline interloper on his turf?
2. RUNNING IN THE 90S
YOU’RE NOT EXPERIENCING DEJA VU. GET GASSED GASSED GASSED UP! “INITIAL D” IS BACK IN PRINT FOLKS. Drift your way to your local bookstore and order this RIGHT FLIPPING NOW. No more Tokyopop translation and poor scan quality for this manga. It’s only right that the original street racing epic makes its way onto the streets again to corner that Trueno like a dream in. January solicits, you were the gift that kept on giving.
Continued belowInitial D Omnibus, Vol. 1
Written and Illustrated by Shuichi Shigeno
Published by Kodansha Comics
Remember me? Relive Takumi Fujiwara’s journey from tofu delivery boy to street-racing legend in an all-new, large-sized, 2-in-1 print edition of the series that made Japanese street racing into a worldwide phenomenon. Takumi Fujiwara spends a lot of time behind the wheel. His tofu delivery job sends him racing down the treacherous roads of Mount Akina, and without even realizing it, Takumi has mastered racing techniques that take most drivers a lifetime to learn. Of course, none of his friends realize this. They’re all too busy watching the Akina Speed Stars, the local street racing team. When the legendary Red Suns show up to challenge the Speed Stars, the rival team obsesses over a phantom car, the Trueno Eight-Six, seen racing through the mountain roads. Who is the driver, and will they take on the dangerous challenge? Contains a new translation of Initial D volumes 1 & 2.
1. And Now For Something Completely Fishy
For all my excitement around “Initial D,” it didn’t feel right to dislodge “Fish Society” as my top pick this month. “An Invitation from a Crab,” panpanya’s previous work, is one of those short-story collections that continues to baffle and intrigue me. It’s eclectic, operating on pseudo-dream logic. I really love it. ANd now there’s a semi-sequel about fish?! Just take my money Denpa.
Fish Society
Written and Illustrated by panpanya
Published by Denpa Books
Protrag returns to their old job in the fish market (as seen in Invitation from a Crab) to try to help improve the labor standards of this old industry. But they soon realize that the seafood world is full of so much bureaucracy, middlemen, and waste. What if they could cut most of that out by letting the fish handle so much of that grunt work. And what if the beings of the sea took back control over how their products were caught, packaged and even sold?! Imagine how liberating that would be for fish…
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Anything I missed? What are YOU looking forward to? Let me know in the comments!
