Welcome back, manga fans! It may be the end of fall at publication but we’re looking out to the bitter months of Winter here in solicits land. February is a bit of a quiet month when it comes to releases so be prepared to see a few more out there titles, some classy reprints, and, your friend and mine, a standalone about Penguins in Tuxedos. Sometimes manga is good.
10. Horror? Cute? Gag manga? YOU DECIDE
Uh. So. This is a thing.
I need others to witness the existence of this comic and also the baffling description Yen Press gives us. I genuinely cannot tell what tone this comic wants to go for, or whether or not it has a deeper commentary on beauty and the way we judge others, or if it’s simply an experiment in expressing emotions through body language in art. Maybe it’s a way to make a gimmick for an entirely earnest romance series? Maybe it’s meant to be a joke (look at those background panels and don’t tell me they’re not a punchline.) Whatever the case, I am still kinda creeped out by faceless people.
Maybe it’s because I never see faces in my dreams.
Girl Without a Face, Vol. 1
Written and illustrated by tearontaron
Published by Yen Press
Her boyfriend thinks she’s the cutest girl around, but her expressions can be a bit hard to read…
9. She’s Not Evil, Just Misunderstood. . .and Also Hyper Jealous
I have never watched the original Creamy Mami, the Magical Angel from the 80s but I do love a good twist on classic magical girl shows. Specifically, I love the seeing things from the antagonist’s perspective. This isn’t a Maleficent, “oh, she was wronged the whole time” sympathy bullshit as, I presume, Megumi in the original was not some literal evil force but instead a flawed human who did not share the same perfect energy as the protagonist and so the lens of the show was unable to recognize the conflict and humanity in her.
This series might do that to her. Plus, that art reminds me of Marguerite Sauvage’s clean, bubbly and modern looks and that’s more than enough to get me to buy in.
Magical Angel Creamy Mami & Spoiled Princess, Vol. 1
Written and illustrated by Emi Mitsuki
Published by Seven Seas Entertainment, LLC
A manga following Megumi, the antagonist of the classic, genre-shaping magical girl anime! Life gets super rough for idol Megumi Ayase when starlit (and magical!) Mami joins her agency and inadvertently usurps the top spot. Rather than backing down, Ayase leans into her jealousy and will stop at nothing to reclaim her throne… all while still doing her best to be a good senpai!
8. REVERSE ISEKAI
Sometimes the heavens align and a genre parodies itself so hard that the only way to fix it is to reverse the formula in such a mundane and absurd way that it becomes genius. Instead of being trapped in a fantasy world, a fantasy creature is trapped in ours. . .and is a shut in who loves video games. I AM CACKLING AND I NEED TO SEE HOW THIS PLAYS OUT. It may burn through its premise in one or two volumes but sometimes that’s all you need.
Shut in Elf, Vol. 1
Written and illustrated by Akihiko Higuchi
Published by Seven Seas Entertainment, LLC
Koganei Koito is a teenager who works as an attendant to the Takamimi Shrine. Rumors have it that a deity dwells within the shrine, but the actual resident is an immortal elf who found herself stuck on Earth some four hundred years ago. What’s more, the elf is a total shut-in who won’t go outside… and has developed a taste for video games! Now the attendants at the shrine have to cater to the elf’s love of the most modern gizmos – from handheld games to virtual reality headsets – in this charming fantasy comedy!
7. Goooooood. Goooooooooooooood. Let the Love Flow Through You.
I didn’t highlight the first volume of this when it came out cause it just didn’t make the cut but I wanted to rectify that here. The premise seems rife with great drama and it’s always nice having more Yuri works that are not set in high schools and centred entirely around the human drama. Here, there is the added conflict of Witches being powered by hate. That’s so cool! So love is literally the antithesis of magic and yet that’s what we’re rooting for??? That’s some good conflict right there.
Continued belowWitch’s Love at the End of the World, Vol. 2
Written and illustrated by Kujira
Published by Yen Press
A witch must fill her heart with hate if she hopes to keep her magic, for a witch with love in her heart is no witch at all… Magical prodigy Alice feels herself softening toward her human classmate, Mari, and must face the terrible decision to either lose her magic forever, or destroy the thing she’s actually come to care about.
6. Oh Dead Murderer-kun, You’re So Funny
The cover fills me with dread but the blurb is weirdly jaunty? I don’t know what the tone of this comic is but unlike the girl without the face, that juxtaposition seems to be the point? Whether this is a comedy, a straight horror piece, or somewhere in-between, it’s certainly unique and definitely right up my alley.
Now if only that spirit would take a breath mint. Pee-yew.
Mieruko-Chan, Vol. 2
Written and illustrated by Tomoki Izumi
Published by Yen Press
Salt, ineffective. Prayer beads, no dice. Disinfectant-mildly effective. Miko’s attempts to ward off the horrific spirits haunting her and her friend Hana ended mostly in failure. But Miko hasn’t given up hope yet! One day, she’ll be free! In the meantime, what other strange encounters await Miko…?!
5. Disability Representation
For once, I have read a Vol. 1 before it appeared in the solicits! Originally released as a digital first, suu Morishita’s “A Sign of Affection” is a compelling romance story that centers its main character Yuki’s deafness without trivializing or fetishizing it, instead rendering her experience of the world and the ways it does, and does not, work for her. Morishita brought in a consultant to help with the signing representations and provides a fascinating look into the intricacies of the language for a non-Japanese speaking and non-signing person. I’m fully bought into “A Sign of Affection” and after one volume I think you will be too.
A Sign of Affection, Vol. 1
Written and illustrated by suu Morishita
Published by Kodansha Comics
Yuki is a typical college student in all ways but one: She’s hard of hearing. A chance encounter on a train leads to a serious crush…but will he give her a chance? A sweet and relatable manga romance from the creator of Shortcake Cake!Even with a hearing aid, the voices of others are an indistinct blur for Yuki. But she’s never let that get in the way of a life arranged around her friends, social media, and cute fashion. She’s browsing her phone on train when a tourist asks her for directions, and she’s ready to panic…but the handsome Itsuomi steps in to help. It turns out her new crush is a friend of a friend, and Yuki’s world starts to widen. But even though Itsuomi-kun can speak three languages, sign language isn’t one of them. Can Yuki communicate her budding feelings?
From the acclaimed author of Shortcake Cake, the hit shojo series with more than a million copies in print, this new work is sure to please fans of romantic stories like A Silent Voice, Kimi ni Todoke, and Love in Foc…One of the most prolific and successful shojo manga creators of the last decade, suu Morishita’s English-language debut was Shortcake Cake, which has more than one million copies in print worldwide. Morishita’s second series to be released in English is A Sign of Affection.
4. Leave Room for Your Dead Sister
Losing a sibling, especially a younger one at such a young age, is a traumatic experience. How that trauma manifests and affects the older sibling and the people in the younger sibling’s life is rife for exploration and “Haru’s Curse” looks to mine that from the perspective of a blossoming relationship between the older sister and the younger sister’s finance that only came about because of the loss of her. Vertical puts out complex and thoughtful books and I have no doubt this one will fit that bill. Get ready to cry and stress as Natsumi tries to grieve and move on in ways that are too contradictory to work.
Continued belowHaru’s Curse
Written and illustrated by Asuka Konishi
Published by Vertical Comics
After Natsumi’s younger sister and best friend Haru dies at the age of 19, she begins dating Haru’s fiancee Togo – on the condition that he take her only to places he had taken her sister. Their relationship deepens as the seasons pass, but Haru’s curse lies between them…
Will there be happiness after Haru’s curse is broken?
3. THESE BOOKS HAVE BEEN IN THE ARMSTRONG FAMILY FOR GENERATIONS
So why’s a twelfth volume of a reprint so high up? Well, for one, “Fullmetal Alchemist” is a masterpiece and these Fullmetal Editions have been gorgeous, bringing out Arakawa’s art to the fullest. The main reason, however, is the cover. I love the new covers and the way Arakawa conveys so much about a character in a single expression, with such detail too, blows me away every time. The pink is also a really nice color. Reading for the first time or a re-read, this is seriously a must have series.
Fullmetal Alchemist: Fullmetal Edition, Vol. 12
Written and illustrated by Hiromu Arakawa
Published by Viz, LLC
In an alchemical ritual gone wrong, Edward Elric lost his arm and his leg, and his brother Alphonse became nothing but a soul in a suit of armor. They seek answers in the north but are blackmailed into aiding a terrible plot that threatens to destroy the entire country.
2. Jesus and Buddha Walk Into a Convenience Store
Nick highlighted the first volume of this almost a year ago and I am back to remind you all that this is a must read. The creator of one of my favorite absurdist series’, “Arakawa Under the Bridge,” made this and every chapter is utter blasphemous absurdity. I have no purchase in either religion so the blasphemy part is less important but the amount of stigmata jokes might elicit that reaction from others.
It’s very good y’all. There are so many religious references that will go over your head but it won’t matter because you’re palling around with Buddha and Jesus as they hunt for the latest sale from the business district and the amazing, religious experience of finding a 100yen store when on a budget. Also, G-d uses rainbows to ask for chackees when Jesus goes on vacation? It’s glorious.
Saint Young Men, Vol. 5
Written and illustrated by Hikaru Nakamura
Published by Kodansha Comics
The divine live among us…in a flat in western Tokyo! After centuries of hard work, Jesus and Buddha take a break from their heavenly duties to relax among the people of Japan, and their adventures in this lighthearted buddy comedy are sure to bring mirth and merriment to all!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.
1. Nuff Said
I leave you to bask in the glory that is this cover and description. See you next month y’all!
Penguin Gentleman
Written and illustrated by Kishi Ueno
Published by Yen Press
In a certain secret bar, the “Penguin Gentlemen” work, wearing their long tailed tuxedos. “You say it’s cute how penguins waddle around? Hmph. We’re not just cute! We’re dandy, sexy, and marvelous!”
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Anything I missed? What are YOU looking forward to? Is “Shaman King” coming back to print in hardcover getting you excited? Do you love that 15th volume of Slime Time? Let me know in the comments!
