Shin Shirakawa Genjin Oopa!
Manga version of manga artist Shin Morimura’s crazy DIY chronicles about leaving city life to start living in a cabin in the woods. I talked about it on the podcast, but I really enjoy these non-fictional stories about the artist’s outdoor activities such as Sanzoku Diary.
~dakazu
Uwabami Kanojo
Food manga that focuses more on alcohol than food itself. The main character’s girlfriend loves drinking and each chapter focuses on different alcohol. Chapters are presented in 4-panel yonkoma style so it focuses more on comedy.
It’s a nice manga with a cute art style. I don’t drink a lot but I can appreciate the subject matter.
~dakazu
Go with the clouds, North-by-Northwest
A manga about a young man living with his grandfather in Iceland who uses psychometric powers to do odd jobs.
The artwork is quite good and the character designs remind me of CLAMP: Lots of long limbs and pretty faces.
The manga initially focuses on the problems revolving around the protagonist’s younger brother but by the 2nd volume they drop the mystery in lieu of introducing Iceland’s scenic locations. It’s very strange and I wonder if they’ll get back to the mystery.
The setting of Iceland makes this manga unique so I’ll keep reading it.
Available from Vertical Comics.
~dakazu
Juuza no Ulna
Holy crap. This is the best manga I’ve read since BEASTARS. A powerful blend of science fiction and war drama, this manga follows a new female sniper fighting against alien creatures on an alternate world. It immediately reminded me of WOMBS because of the special division of women soldiers the story focuses on. The design of the enemy Zudo creatures are fantastically bizarre and the story quickly swerves you with twist after twist.
I could not put it down. Unfortunately it’s only been translated to Spanish so I’m going to have to spam Seven Seas Entertainment’s monthly surveys with this A+ series until we get a proper English release.
…I’m being 100% serious when I say this is the BEST manga I’ve read, only 2nd to BEASTARS!
~dakazu
Yakumo-san wa Ezuke ga Shitai.
A food manga about a young widow who starts cooking meals for her high school boy neighbor with a huge appetite. The series constantly teases the audience along with the two always being on the verge of starting a romantic relationship.
Personally, I really dislike the romantic angle between them. Ms. Yakumo convinces herself that she’s just being motherly to young Yamato but her buxom figure screams fan service. My guess is that they will eventually cross that line of intimacy and will probably end up together in the future. I think I would’ve preferred a nuanced story about a simple widow who copes with the loss of her husband by feeding this young boy and them becoming friends. The series is still ongoing so maybe I’ll be happily wrong about this.
~dakazu
Dance Dance Danseur
Manga about ballet dancing by George Asakura.
Asakura’s art style is fantastic. The fluidity of motion in the pen work is perfect for a manga about dance. I put this one easily over Welcome to the Ballroom.
~dakazu
Wakako Zake
Cute food manga about an office lady Wakako who loves drinking and eating. Every short chapter presents a type of food that paired with booze. It was adapted into an anime short and a popular live-action series as well. I’m not a big drinker but still enjoyed this manga.
~dakazu
Semai Sekai no Identity
Rensuke Oshikiri’s crazy manga about a dystopian manga industry where battles break out Scott Pilgrim-style between manga artists fighting for serialization.
From the 1st chapter where a young, hopeful manga artist is defenestrated and impaled on a spike while they insert the “This is a work of fiction” warning, I knew I was in for a wild ride. Oshikiri inserts real-world gripes about the manga industry but turns them up to 11. The result is a mix of dark humor, excessive violence, and brutal commentary with a nice sprinkle of reality. Real manga artists like Inio Asano, Tooru Seino, and Rensuke Oshikiri himself appear to both self-deprecate and destroy their critics.
This manga is absolutely insane and I love it.
~dakazu
Torii Jun Kyouju no Kuufuku
Food manga that focuses on local eats of Southern Asia. Like many food manga with a single protagonist,
Professor Torii has a lot of inner dialogue and commentary about the food eats. I’m unfamiliar with most Southern Asian food so reading this was pretty informative and fun!
~dakazu
Ginga no Shinanai Kodomotachi e
A manga about an immortal sister, her brother, and their mother. As centuries pass them by, the children ponder their existence against the rest of the world that can experience death.
Despite the simple design of the children the subject material was very macabre and I found it disturbing. Any manga that can illicit such a strong emotional response after reading deserves respect. But just like the one and only time I watched Requiem for a Dream, I’m not sure if I want to go through that again.
~dakazu