The Past Year’s Manga I Recommend!

At the end of the year last year, I had considered doing a post about unexpected books of 2022, and I didn’t end up putting that together in time. Busy retail season, all that. I do still want to do that kind of thing, though, so here’s me writing a post about manga I’ve gotten into recently. This covers stuff that I’ve started reading this past year, some of it new stuff and some of it stuff I just hadn’t gotten to until now.

First off, probably the most vital thing for me to gush about: Pompo the Cinephile. In short, it’s a two-volume series about what movies are, what they should be, what makes them great, and what goes into making good movies for the tortured souls the story portrays; it’s author, Shogo Sugitani, works in the animation industry and has helped make several animated films. I honestly don’t remember if that only came out this past year or not, but I got it early 2022, and I love it so much! Part of why is because I hadn’t seen anything about it in previews or listings before, so it was a real organic find for me on the shelf; this was going to be top of list for my unexpected books of the year article. It’s such a strange, energetic, passionate, smart book that’s clearly mostly concept, yet it has these incredible characters and a clear narrative arc that it holds onto fiercely. It had such a big impact on me when I first read it, like a lightning bolt. The art is very stylized and thoughtful, with different characters being drawn in different styles without clashing. It makes a lot of very clear and bold choices as a story that you don’t see very often, which really excited me. It’s one of those strange books that at least feels like it’s trying to challenge your notion of what a manga can be, how a story can be made. The whole time, you can tell the whole thing exists to act out the arguments about film the author is putting forth, and it still feels organic and fresh and believable from the character’s perspective. Highly recommend to anyone who wants to read about movie theory or who wants a really weird, stylistic manga that’s not quite most genres.

In a similar note of like weird books that are hard to fit into genre categories is Coffee Moon, another book for my unexpected 2022 list. It’s about a girl, Pieta, who has been living in a time loop of her birthday for over a thousand days now, and the unfolding mystery that begins when new players start looping with her. It explores a lot of interesting ideas, like what makes a good life, how you can’t ever really be prepared for everything life throws at you, and what change requires and means for your life. It’s an unusual narrative in that, after this first volume, it’s not fully clear to me what exactly it’s trying to be. It’s an interesting collection of themes with some solid, likeable characters, a compelling art style, and a rich lore that you see enough of to keep your interest piqued. I picked it up because of the name, and then the cover art is truly wonderful, and the blurb is this weird dream poem in a warped font? Like, the book jacket is so intriguing by aesthetics alone, and the book inside delivers. So yeah, definitely check it out, it’s very fresh and cool.

On another note, one thing I’ve been wanting to get into more recently is horror stuff. I don’t yet have my sea legs for buying horror books, so I’ll talk here about a couple horror-comedies I dipped my toes into this year, Mieruko-chan and Night of the Living Cat. The first one I had seen for a while and knew was the popular thing, so I dragged my feet on trying it out; the second came out late last year, and I knew I wanted on the ground floor for it. They’re both really smart, well-made horror-comedies in very different directions. Mieruko-chan is about a girl named Miko who can see ghosts, a la Japanese horror movies, and pretends not to see them. It’s a great exploration of a character given this great gift and choosing not to use it, and carries through with the smart or cowardly thing most people would do in a horror movie. Like, of course you’d opt out of the scary monster stuff if that was an option. As it goes along, the series is able to seamlessly shift into more serious territory as Miko is pushed to confront her problems, and it does so by consistently and effectively playing on the idea that things are not what they appear. She can see things, but what is she seeing? It’s very funny and effective, with a clear build-up into something more dramatic and full. It has an anime, too, so I suggest checking it out in either form.

Night of the Living Cat is what the name suggests: The zombie apocalypse, except people are turning into cats. It’s a wonderfully silly book that takes full advantage of the ridiculous premise. The second volume ends with a full-page image of a cat riding a bear, and that’s most of what you need to know about this book. The main character, Kunagi, thinks he lost a group of cats that had been chasing him, and then they’re behind him, and he’s like, “It’s incredible how they still have the energy to play more!” It’s a blast that really has fun playing up the melodramatic tone of a serious, C-list zombie movie, but with cats that people still think are cute. And the thing I like best about it is that it’s already doing the serious take on horror that one could imagine it transitioning into. For as silly as it sounds, a virus that turns people into cats is exactly as realistic as a virus that makes people into zombies, and cats are the scarier of the two. The cats only have to touch you, no scratching or biting, so they don’t have to be aggressive to be a threat. They’re silent and can move through spaces you wouldn’t expect. They’re smaller and harder to track. They have night vision. All the corny, over the top jokes that make this such a hilarious book cover for the fact that it’s already as deep into horror as it can get, because the scariest thing about this apocalypse is you love a cat too much to kill it. But like I said, it’s not wearing that idea on its sleeve; check it out if you want to read a really funny, intentionally corny book about cats causing the apocalypse.

I guess Kemono Jihen is sort of horror-adjacent? I think it’s safe to say it’s more supernatural mystery, but it does get gory at times, at least. Anyway, that one started up late last year, and it’s pretty fun. It’s a story about a boy, Kabane, who’s half-human, who gets recruited by a detective to solve crimes that involve supernatural beings called kemono. Relatively long chapters for a series of this type, still well-paced. The characters are the strong point so far, three volumes in, and it’s got the charm to pull you through. There’s a lot going on with the world they’re developing, and right now it’s definitely in the exploratory phase to set the tone and build the larger narrative. I strive to one day dress like Akira, and Kon is my favorite type of character done really well. Check it out, it’s a pretty fun mystery book with creative supernatural elements.

Looking at other action stories, Crazy Food Truck is a great entry. It’s a story about a man named Gordon who owns a food truck in some form of post-doomsday wasteland; it opens when he meets a young woman named Arisa, who’s on the run from the military. You can tell that there’s a lot of thought put into every panel and chapter, and it says exactly as much as you need it to say every chapter. The story is both rushing forward through the plot before you have all the lore you might expect, while also taking its slow, meandering time as the characters set their own agendas. It delivers on all fronts, and the craft going into it makes this a very compelling read. Definitely recommend for anyone wanting a fresh action-adventure manga.

For a taste of romance, I have a few options this year. For my top heteromance from 2022, I highly suggest Kowloon Generic Romance. The story follows a woman named Reiko in Kowloon Walled City who slowly realizes she’s in love with a co-worker, and then finds out that nothing about her life or their relationship is what it appears to be. The story works with themes of love and nostalgia, which is a big thing for the real life Kowloon. For those that don’t know, Kowloon Walled City was this massive collection of buildings in Hong Kong that were constructed right on top of each other that connected to one another and, for all practical purposes, became its own administrative unit. It was crowded, unhealthy, had its own little climate, a really harsh place to live, and was torn down in the mid-nineties. My understanding is that many residents wanted to keep it, having this love for their own unique space in the world which people have said comes from nostalgia; it’s the only home they knew and was only theirs, so even the hard times felt warm and personal. This book starts with the idea that nostalgia is a central and important component to all loving relationships, and slowly turns everything you know about these ideas on their head. The art is incredible, the pacing is subtle, and there’s a clear sense of identity as soon as you open it up. It’s a really intelligent and interesting book in so many ways, and it feels as intimate as life in that stuffed compound must have been. Definitely check it out.

Back in my lane, there have been some great yuri books the past year, as well, so let’s talk about a few. Let’s start with Asumi-chan Is Interested in Lesbian Brothels. As the name suggests, it’s about how Asumi, a college student looking to reconnect with her first love from elementary school, gets hooked on lesbian escort services after hearing her first love is working for one. Each chapter covers a different night she spends with a new woman, each time hoping she’s found her old love connection. It’s one of the best and most effective sex comedies I’ve ever read by a margin. Everything about it, from the art to the dialogue to the layouts, is designed to work equally well for straight-up comedy and the sexiest sex scenes I’ve personally ever read. It’s able to balance both at once by basing the humor and eroticism in the awkwardness of Asumi. She’s clearly a sheltered kid who’s just now discovering that it’s ok to express her desires and ask for things she didn’t know were allowed. It’s a very relatable and personal theme that puts you in her shoes really well, which helps both in terms of the cringe comedy of her embarrassment and the intense sensuality of the sex scenes. It’s really wonderful and I can’t recommend it enough.

Next up is Black and White: Tough Love at the Office. It’s a story about rival employees in a bank’s foreign investment department, Junko and Kayo, who get along so poorly, they get into real, intense fist-fights, which then turns into sex. I really love the raw violence of it, because they really are going for it when they fight. I love any story that treats women neither as delicate little dolls nor helpless victims. Beyond that, the story is really solidly constructed and gets into actual financial stuff (enough to sound real) and intricate office politics. It’s really charming and funny, great character designs. PERFECT FACES! One thing anyone should know about me, faces are everything, and these are some Eri Ejima level faces. It’s a really compelling read. And probably my favorite element is that at no point in this first volume has there been an explanation as to why the love interests are this way. Like, most people don’t think a fist to the face is foreplay, and it goes unaddressed. Why ruin it? It’s amazing. Highly recommend to anyone who wants a really contentious, heated romance between bruisers.

Last year, we were treated to a new short story collection from Yukiko, Cats and Sugar Bowls. The collection includes a number of stories that Yukiko wrote for various other collections, including the one that was in the first volume of Syrup. I have been reading Futaribeya for a while now, which is a 4-koma book by Yukiko following a pair from high school through college and soon into the adult world. There are times when I think it’s hitting below its weight class, and then the special chapters come up, the chapters drawn in a standard layout, and they’re so much better than the rest of the series. So I’m always excited to get more short story Yukiko, and this collection was a real treat. Not only does it deliver on everything that I love about Yukiko’s charm and humor, it also explores some very different territory than I’m primarily familiar with from her. The stories get into a number of kinks and unconventional relationships, and it’s a lot of fun. Definitely check it out if you want to see how cute it is for a young woman to finally find someone to bite her tongue till it bleeds.

I was a little unsure about putting this on, but let’s go ahead and talk about Run Away With Me, Girl. The story follows a pair of high school sweethearts, Maki and Midori, who were separated at graduation and reconnect a decade later. At this point, Midori has gotten engaged and pregnant, and she’s wanting to get out of her situation. Part of me was a little blasé going in, because I tend to eyeroll a little with any yuri book, especially with adults, that starts with the “but girls dating girls is hard and weird” thing. Like, I know I don’t know what it’s like on the ground in Japan, so it’s an American perspective, but also can we just agree that women do date, so it’s not impossible? But it still has these really relatable and effective characters, and some surprisingly powerful moments. What really pulled it back through for me was when Midori said, “I have to go be happy now.” The first volume sets the stage for the running away part of the premise, and I’m looking forward to seeing where it goes from here.

And before I forget, let’s talk about The Two of Them Are Pretty Much Like This. It’s a gentle, sweet slice of life yuri book following a freelance writer named Sakuma and a voice actor named Wako, and called Wanko. The characters are all really solid and likeable, and the jokes are all top notch. It’s really charming and sweet. The story starts as our couple has been living together for a year, with this being the first lesbian relationship for Sakuma, and Wanko is still working to get her career off the ground. Probably my favorite character so far is Ataru, a coworker of Sakuma. She’s the first non-femme lesbian I’ve found in a yuri book; like, I don’t know enough about lesbian culture to feel completely confident calling Ataru butch, but that feels accurate. It’s pretty refreshing, and since she’s in love with Sakuma, it helps to create even greater contrast with the jealousy she has for Wanko, who’s really cute and femmy. I highly recommend it for anyone who wants a cute slice of life book as a treat at the end of the day.

I forgot that Catch These Hands was only last year! Great book, definitely should read. We have rival high school delinquents Takebe and Soramori reconnect a few years out from graduation, with Takebe trying to reform her delinquent ways and Soramori taking the chance to date Takebe. It’s really funny, and all the characters are strong. They start off with their simple one-dimensional intros, and quickly expand to a much fuller outlook using surprisingly simple plots. The basic setup of the story takes a familiar mold and uses the characters’ goals and agendas to push it into something richer. Just overall really funny and cute, very much recommend.

In the non-romantic yuri category, I have to talk about See You Tomorrow at the Food Court. It’s a character study, a one-shot exploring the friendship between Yamamoto and Wada, odd couple best friends who continue to meet up at the mall food court after school every day after attending different high schools. It’s really fascinating and has a great sense of humor. By definition, it’s a story that has to sustain itself on two characters having a conversation in the same place every chapter, which is often a hard thing to pull off. This book hits it out of the park. This is the kind of book I fear is easy for people to overlook or wait on, so I want to make sure I tell you all, don’t sleep on it. Go check it out now.

Lastly, I have to talk about Sex Ed 120%. The story follows health teacher Naoko Tsuji, who’s very passionate about sex ed and very proactive about filling in the woeful gap in sex ed material in Japanese classrooms. Not only is this a really well-made and funny book with great characters, but it is educational, and can help fill in knowledge gaps we have here in America, too. Sadly, it was cut short at just three volumes, but that means it’ll be easier to stock on your shelf. I definitely recommend it.

For a lightning round, let’s start with Dinosaur Sanctuary. It’s like if Jurassic Park was a regular zoo, and you learned real dinosaur facts. Really solid entry into the educational space. On a similar note, I also started Heaven’s Design Team, which I think has some decent publicity with its anime out. It’s described as Cells at Work for zoology, and that’s accurate. Tons of fun, great characters, lots of learning. Crossplay Love: Otaku x Punk is surprisingly charming and great, but it’s on pretty thin ice from the start for me. It’s about two guys who crossdress and are in love with the other’s feminine persona. When the jig is up at the end of the series, I know my heart will break if they can’t date as guys, or long term as their feminine personas. And I just started Dandadan, which is a pretty weird and fun book. It’s about a girl who believes in ghosts and a guy who believes in aliens becoming close after challenging each other to opposing…challenges. The author used to be an assistant to Tatsuki Fujimoto for Chainsaw Man, so that’s enough of a rec.

There’s my list. Considering doing a seasonal thing for this, so I don’t have such a long list every time I want to talk about what I’ve been reading. Check these books out!