Category Archives: dakazu’s reading

Various manga dakazu’s read with some commentary

Bota Bota

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Bota Bota

A manga about an extremely germophobic woman, who can’t touch men without spraying blood from her nose, trying to lose her virginity and find love.

We’ve discussed this on a previous episode.

As a mega fan of BEASTARS and its creator Paru Itagaki, I was predisposed to check out this series. When I read the first chapter and saw the main character Mako running naked through the streets, covered in blood, chasing a man, and shouting “I need to disinfect your penis with this boiling water!”, I knew why Itagaki decided to draw this manga. What follows is a whacky dark comedy about Mako overcoming her upbringing and finding love.

This is short, weird, and wonderfully entertaining. There are plans to release this book in five other languages so hopefully we’ll get to read it for the podcast in the future.

~dakazu

An Invitation from a Crab

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An Invitation from a Crab

A collection of surreal stories and essays by panpanya.

We’ve discussed this on a previous episode.

Reread this recently and it’s still great. Themes of surrealism are heavy throughout An Invitation from a Crab but it’s never off-putting. There’s just something unique in the way panpanya weaves together story, art, perspectives, and backgrounds that leave you feeling like you’re dreaming. Even the glossary for items in the back adds to this experience. Highly recommended.

You can pick up an English copy from Denpa.

~dakazu

Smoking

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Smoking

A manga about four homeless people who are actually a team of lethal assassins known as ‘Smoking’. They are hired to by criminals to exterminate those who can’t be brought to justice by the law. Juzo Sabe, the leader of ‘Smoking’, skins their targets and makes fluid preserved specimens to present to his clients. Other team members include a former underground martial artist, a weapons expert, and a chemist who specializes in chloroform.

I like the general premise of this series. There is a certain satisfaction you get reading a story about evil people facing retribution for their sins. But as a hardcore crime drama it doesn’t shy away from extreme violence. Sexual assault and torture are common place within each story arcs. Luckily, creator Hiroshi Iwaki doesn’t draw detailed gore which makes the manga easier to read. Iwaki has made other manga that are connected to this series so I’d like to check those out as well.

~dakazu

Mujina

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Mujina

A manga about young ninja Mujina who pretends to be useless so he can take revenge against the ninja clan leader who has taken advantage of his family.

I really enjoy Koji Aihara‘s manga but it’s a bit difficult to explain his appeal. Aihara is known for his low brow comedy and his simple character designs. When you combine that with what is essentially a parody of Kamui Den, you get Mujina. This book is very bloody and Aihara’s simple characters actually make the gore more effective. This is a manga for adults that doesn’t shy away from sex or violence.

~dakazu

Gotouge Koyoharu Tanpenshuu

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Gotouge Koyoharu Tanpenshuu

A collection of one shot stories by Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba creator Koyoharu Gotouge.

It’s always fascinating to read though these collections of manga prototypes. They really give you a sense of the manga artists interests and aesthetics. For Koyoharu Gotouge, I noticed common themes of supernatural powers, hand drawn sound effects, and lots of contrasting patterns throughout their stories. There’s even a prototype for Demon Slayer called Kagari Kari that features the characters Tayamo and Yushiro. This is a great read for Gotouge fans but I doubt it will ever be released in English.

~dakazu

Pop Life

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Pop Life

A manga about two single mothers, Akemi and Sakura, who live together with their kids Kaede, Taichi, and Ruru.

We’ve discussed this on a previous episode.

This is such a fantastic series and made me a fan of Minami Q-ta. I love how this is a slice-of-life story that doesn’t focus on dramatics. While the 2nd volume covers more somber and serious stories, Minami still keeps a subdued tone. It’s really refreshing to read a story about these friends who support and care for each other.

You can pick up both volumes of Pop Life from Star Fruit Books.

~dakazu

Emerald ni Taberaretai

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Emerald ni Taberaretai

A manga about the romance between a humanoid praying mantis named Emerald and Silver, her human suitor who loves her and wants her to eat him.

The cover for this series basically tells you everything you need to know. Silver loves Emerald and wishes to be consumed by her. Emerald likes Silver but doesn’t want to eat him because she’ll miss him when he’s gone. It’s about the tease of will they or won’t they. I can sense the manga artist Aimi‘s love of humanoid insects with how adorably Emerald is designed. With two volumes total, it was a short and cute story that didn’t try to be deep or fancy. I enjoyed it for what it was.

~dakazu

Chi. ~Chikyu no Undou ni Tsuite~

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Chi. ~Chikyu no Undou ni Tsuite~

A manga about the birth of the heliocentrism during a time period when such heretical ideas were punishable by torture and death.

We’ve discussed this on a previous episode.

What a fresh take on a historical manga! Not only is this series covering such an obscure topic as the Copernican Revolution but the creator Uoto cleverly shies away from focusing on any actual historical figure so far. This allows Uoto to be free of historical events that would bind the narrative and instead they’re able to weave interesting stories about individuals defying the church to pursue the truth they see among the stars. It’s absolutely amazing and I would love for this to get an official English release.

~dakazu

Ballpark de Tsukamaete!

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Ballpark de Tsukamaete!

A manga about a baseball stadium beer girl Ruriko and her interactions with her customers, the stadium staff, and baseball players.

This is such a cute series! It’s a refreshing take on sports manga that focuses more on the working staff at a baseball stadium then the professional players themselves. Tatsuro Suga does a great job balancing the light hearted comedy to the occasional dramatic storylines.

Available to read online in Japanese on Comic Days.

~dakazu

Kyou mo Shinemasen deshita

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Kyou mo Shinemasen deshita

A manga about a depressed teen who wants to die but instead ends up finding something to live for every day.

We’ve discussed this on a previous episode.

Really enjoyed this series. I’m a sucker for simple art styles that effectively conveys a story. The manga artist Amairo does an great job telling this heartwarming story of a teen who slowly begins to gain confidence and eventually leads to a happy ending.

Amario started drawing manga at age 45 and quit their day job when they turned 49. They’re currently working hard to make a living as a manga creator. I will definitely be checking out their other works as well.

~dakazu