Welcome back, manga fans, for this month’s “best of” the manga section of the Previews catalog. Read on to see what stuck out to us!
10. All the shonen tropes!
Take a look at this cover. Now note how the solicit mentions an average teenager, special powers, supernatural elements, and high school sports clubs. I think this is one of the most on-brand books that Viz has ever put out in their Shonen line.
Jujutsu Kaisen, volume 1
Written and Illustrated by Gege Akutami
Published by Viz Media
Although Yuji Itadori looks like your average teenager, his immense physical strength is something to behold! Every sports club wants him to join, but Itadori would rather hang out with the school outcasts in the Occult Club. One day, the club manages to get their hands on a sealed cursed object. Little do they know the terror they’ll unleash when they break the seal…
9. Classic shoujo!
I mentioned in a recent column how shoujo manga (directed at teen girls) isn’t very popular in America; we usually only see a handful of active series releases per month. So it’s great to see a classic and one of the first of the genre get a big new release! Originally released in 1972-1973, my calculations say these books should get through the entire series over four volumes — and for the first time in English!
Rose of Versailles, volume 1
Written and Illustrated by Riyoko Ikeda
Published by Udon Entertainment
Oscar François de Jarjeyes is a young noblewoman raised as a son by her father. As commander of Marie Antoinette’s palace guard, Oscar is brought face-to-face with the luxury of King Louis XVI’s court at Versailles. Joined by her servant André, Oscar is privy to the intrigue and deceit of France’s last great royal regime.
The Rose of Versailles, the queen of shojo manga, is available for the first time in English! This deluxe hardcover volume contains the first 22 chapters of Riyoko Ikeda’s historical fiction masterwork.
8. Tokyopop, who are you?
I don’t have a ton to say about the book itself — this seems like a typical (but fun) paranormal action-mystery — but I do want to use this space to talk about Tokyopop again. Their recent releases have included Disney-themed manga, a horror series, re-releases of a classic slice-of-life series, and this month we have a paranormal book and a Boy’s Love book. I really don’t get their business model. Up above, I mentioned how “Jujutsu Kaisen” fit perfectly in Viz’s Shonen line. I can’t see anything like that with Tokyopop’s book. Who are they? What is their brand? Are they just picking up whatever spare licenses the other publishers didn’t already take??
Parham Itan: Tales from Beyond, volume 1
Written and Illustrated by Kaili Sorano
Published by Tokyopop
Yamagishi and Sendo are schoolmates, but that’s about as far as their similarities go: one is a short, no-nonsense boxer, while the other is a tall, bookish conspiracy nut. But when they find themselves embroiled in a paranormal phenomenon at school involving plant-faced monster people assimilating innocent victims, it seems they’ll have to set aside their differences and work together as best as they can.
Of course, it doesn’t help that the only one with any answers to this bizarre situation is a mysterious “paranormal investigator” named Akisato, who insists they must find some sort of “key” to stop it all – before giant insects and other preternatural perils from the world “beyond” get to them first.
Inspired by Lovecraftian horror and the Call of Cthulhu, this is a brand-new manga series from the creator of Monochrome Factor!
7. More Junji Ito!
Viz is really going all-out with exploiting the Junji Ito library! This month we have a manga adaptation of the classic Japanese novel “No Longer Human.” If you were happy with Ito’s adaptation of “Frankenstein,” I’m sure this will be just as great.
Continued belowNo Longer Human HC, by Junji Ito
Written by Junji Ito and Osamu Dazai
Illustrated by Junji Ito
Published by Viz Media
Mine has been a life of much shame.
I can’t even guess myself what it must be to live the life of a human being.
Plagued by a maddening anxiety, the terrible disconnect between his own concept of happiness and the joy of the rest of the world, Yozo Oba plays the clown in his dissolute life, holding up a mask for those around him as he spirals ever downward, locked arm-in-arm with death.
Osamu Dazai’s immortal-and supposedly autobiographical-work of Japanese literature, is perfectly adapted here into a manga by Junji Ito. The imagery wrenches open the text of the novel one line at a time to sublimate Yozo’s mental landscape into something even more delicate and grotesque. This is the ultimate in art by Ito, proof that nothing can surpass the terror of the human psyche.
6. An anniversary worth celebrating.
Ai Yazawa’s “Nana” was hugely popular during the height of the manga boom in the US. It isn’t quite as popular now, but Yazawa’s name should still resonate with fans of a certain age. While I’ve never read “Paradise Kiss,” it sounds like a lot of the things that people love about “Nana,” and this sounds like a great way to try it out!
Paradise Kiss: 20th Anniversary Edition
Written and Illustrated by Ai Yazawa
Published by Vertical Comics
One of the most popular comic artists in the world, Ai Yazawa, returns with a 20th anniversary edition of the fashion-inspired comic that made her an international sensation, Paradise Kiss. High fashion and hot drama come together. One of the manga to launch the manga boom globally, Paradise Kiss combined stunning design work and YA-themed narratives that made it a multimillion unit seller worldwide. This new edition celebrates 20 years since Paradise Kiss began serialization in Japan and combines the original 3 volume release into 1 beautiful package.
5. A relaxed fantastical time.
The cover of this book excites me in a relaxing way, if that makes sense. There’s something comforting and familiar about it, as with the solicit’s mention of daily life aboard a fantastical vessel. With promises of travelogues and cooking, this should be a soothing good time.
Drifting Dragons, volume 1
Written and Illustrated by Taku Kuwabara
Published by Kodansha Comics
Take to the skies with the scrappy crew of the airship Quin Zaza, as they hunt the fantastical giants that rule the skies of their world… dragons! The daily routine aboard an airborne draking vessel springs to vivid life in this exquisitely crafted tale in the tradition of the lush, transporting fantasy of Hayao Miyazaki. Part travelogue, part imaginary cookbook, and part otherworldly slice of life, Drifting Dragons tells the stories of the Quin Zaza and the colorful band of misfits that makes up her crew.
4. An old favorite, still going strong!
Hey! I love this series! Small slice-of-life dramas affect this middle-aged gay couple, but at the end of the day the two always get to bond over their dinners together. In addition to all that, each chapter has an extended scene dedicated to one character preparing a meal, with all the Japan-specific ingredients and cooking methods that entails. The meals are usually ordinary meals, the kind you would have on a weeknight after a long day at work, so that really sets it apart from the gourmet cooking manga out there. The series is on volume 14 and you can really start anywhere, so start here if you’re interested!
What Did You Eat Yesterday? Volume 14
Written and Illustrated by Fumi Yoshinaga
Published by Vertical Comics
A hard-working middle-aged gay couple in Tokyo come to enjoy the finer moments of life through food. After long days at work, either in the law firm or the hair salon, Shiro and Kenji will always have down time together by the dinner table, where they can discuss their troubles, hash out their feelings and enjoy delicately prepared home cooked meals!
3. Kitaro concludes!
Kitaro has a massive presence in Japan, so it’s a little surprising it took Drawn and Quarterly, a boutique, non-manga-specific publisher, to translate it. I’m not exactly sure how they’ve been releasing the series — the solicit says this is the final volume, but I’m pretty sure the original series was longer than 7 volumes — but in any case, I’m glad D+Q got to the end of their planned releases!
Kitaro, volume 7: The Trial of Kitaro
Written and Illustrated by Shigeru Mizuki
Published by Drawn and Quarterly
In the final volume of Shigeru Mizuki’s defining series, our beloved hero Kitaro stands accused of beating up his fellow yokai to protect the human populace. He is put on trial for crimes against Yokai. Witnesses are called from both sides, but when Nezumi Otoko takes the stand, all bets are off. Will Nezumi Otoko be for Kitaro or against him? Only the biggest bribe will tell!
2. Across a culture and back again.
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Did you see Isle of Dogs? I kind of loved it. It’s everything I enjoy about Wes Anderson set to stop-motion with some distinctly Japanese influences. Some people took umbrage with the fact that the majority of the film’s team and voice cast were not Asian, so this it’s interesting to see a manga adaptation of the story, made by a mangaka who has a decent cult following in Japan but not in the US. For fans of the movie, this should be a blast!
Wes Anderson’s Isle of Dogs HC
Written and Illustrated by Minetaro Mochizuki
Published by Dark Horse Comics
This manga, adapted from the film by legendary director Wes Anderson, features a new take on the story about the banished bowsers of trash island. Here we follow a young orphan boy and his dog Spots on an adventure that all fans of the film will want to follow. Written and drawn by cult manga icon Minetaro Mochizuki of Dragon Head fame and now available in English for the very first time, and presented in a deluxe hardcover format, this is the perfect gift for all fans of Wes Anderson, dogs, and manga alike.
1. Heavenly roommates.
If a book were to, say, take Jesus and Buddha and use them in some epic sci-fi fantasy war, I probably wouldn’t be interested. But turn them corporeal, stick them in an apartment in modern-day Japan, and promise moments of “Jesus’ carefree attitude,” and “Buddha’s domestic qualities?” This is going to be a blasphemously good time.
Saint Young Men, volume 1
Written and Illustrated by Hikaru Nakamura
Published by Kodansha Comics
Buddha the Enlightened One and Jesus, Son of God have successfully brought the 20th century to a close, and after a few millennia of guiding humanity to salvation, these two sacred ones are in need of some rest and relaxation. They decide to share an apartment on Earth in Tokyo, but living among mortals in the 21st century is no cakewalk for the saintly duo…They may find it difficult to navigate modern Japanese living, but Jesus’ carefree attitude along with Buddha’s domestic qualities and maybe a few divine interventions will surely allow them to enjoy their new lives with peace and love.
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Anything I missed? What are YOU looking forward to? Let me know in the comments!
