Manga Monthly - October 2024

Welcome one, welcome all, to Manga Monthly! This is my attempt to continue my contribution to the Soliciting Multiversity column while messing with the format to make it my own. The first big change is I’m not using Previews anymore. Get outta here Diamond and take your impossible to sort site and three-month FOCs with you!

The second change is I’m only looking at books releasing in the next calendar month. I always wished I could have a bit more recency with my recommendations and now I can! Of course, this one’s coming out a bit later than I would’ve liked. That’s what I get for fritting away September trying to get this “perfect,” as if it were a souffle that would collapse at the slightest withering look.

The third, as most consequential change, is the format. I’ll be breaking my list into three parts: Perennial Favorites, Titles that Caught My Eye, and then a Top 10 (or 11 or 12.) Perennial favs are titles I vouch for - certified fresh, as it were - but don’t have anything extra or new to say about. It’s basically a reminder that a new volume of a top tier manga is out.

That middle category is for all the books that seem interesting - or that I’m keeping up with - and I want to point them out, but for one reason or another didn’t excite or intrigue me enough to break the top ten. Sometimes I highlighted the previous volume and still haven’t read it; sometimes I’m actively reading it, but it’s not an unqualified, ongoing recommendation; and sometimes cuts have to be made because I only have so much time in the day. I may do one line capsule thoughts for these if I have the time or the snark.

Lastly, we have the list itself, where I try to explain why I made each choice. OK. Let's get to it.

Perennial Favorites:

My love for these titles are very well documented and you will not go wrong reading them, though some titles that get featured here come with more caveats than others (“Berserk,” for instance, gets my full endorsement, but is certainly not for everyone.)

A Man and His Cat, Vol. 12

Written and Illustrated by Umi Sakurai
Published by Square Enix Manga

In this best-selling, heartwarming tale, a lonely older man takes home a pet-shop kitten that no one else wants. It doesn’t take long for the pair to warm up to each other, and soon, they’re inseparable. Told through the eyes of both the man and his cat, this sweet and hilarious story is a balm for the soul!

Kanda agonizes over the right cat tower for Fukumaru. Then, a lost dog shows up in Kanda’s garden, and Sorako brings it inside?! A familiar face known online as “twinkle_bell” also intrigues a teenager who’s stopped attending high school… Although Kanda and Fukumaru’s simple life continues to change when Siam gets a new owner, the pair’s bond grows deeper than ever.

Akane-banashi, Vol. 8

Written by Yuki Suenaga
Illustrated by Takamsa Moue
Published by Viz

After the first contestant of the four-person selection event receives a stern reception, the audience and other contestants begin to realize how high the stakes truly are. Kaichi is second to take the stage. His style may not appeal to the judges, but it has a familiar element to it that can be attributed to only one master in the Arakawa School. Soon to follow is Hikaru, who vows to use all her training and every new skill she’s acquired since their first encounter to get her revenge on Akane! Once all of her rivals have performed, it’s Akane’s turn to take the stage and perform the story that was passed down from her father to one of her fellow apprentices and now to her: “Changing Time.”

Caught My Eye:

This month, I had a lot of romance titles get my attention. Not sure why. These are also in no particular order. Maybe in future months they will be.

• The Great Snake's Bride 4
• Kimi Ni Todoke 3: From Me to You; Soulmate, Vol. 3
• Blue Period, Vol. 15
• Ako and Bambi, Vol. 3
• Falling in Love With a Traveling Cat
• My Dress-Up Darling, Vol. 12
• Gachiakuta Manga, Vol. 4
• Boy's Abyss, Vol. 7
• Nightfall Travelers: Leave Only Footprints, Vol. 2
• Spider-man, Vol. 1: Octo-girl
• Blue Box, Vol. 12
• Ajin Complete Edition, Vol. 1
• Trigun Maximum, Deluxe Vol. 1
• The Barbarian's Bride, Vol. 1
  • Cute cover!
• I Wanna Do Bad Things With You, Vol. 2
  • The title and description are wild. They feel so incongruous to the genres given. Like a prank YouTube channel being “comedy.”
• Manhole, Vol. 1
  • WTF IS WITH THAT COVER??? Look at it! LOOK AT IT!

The List:

11. The Garden of Needin'

I’m a real sucker for a cover with an art nouveau, Kamome Shirahama-esque style. The thin, intricate linework, as if done with a pen, gets me every time, even if I know few books live up to it with their interiors. Did I expect it to be a full-on fantasy, complete with an overly-detailed, eye-glazing over description? Nope! Do I care? Not particularly. It’s also easy to recommend a one-volume title, particularly one with as fun a title as this.

I wonder why few BL-titles have long runs. I wonder if it’s because of a healthier publishing schedule for their magazines? Or maybe the market isn’t as blockbuster big as, like, Shonen or Shojo titles, be they weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly? Or maybe we just don’t get any of them here.

The Gardener's Favorite Poisonous Flower
Written and Illustrated by Rirako Kabashima
Published by Tokyopop: Love X Love

When itinerant traveler Orbit, also known as "Ollie," gets stranded without permit or paperwork in the authoritarian city-state of Belote, the only place that will hire him is as a caretaker, or "gardener," at the male brothel Le Jouet Queue. He quickly discovers that all of the companions working there are furless, half animal and half human beings who are treated as pets, property, and sometimes even as livestock for slaughter. For many of the furless there, life at the brothel is a marked improvement from all they've suffered earlier in their lives. They are fed, sheltered, pampered, and looked after by Ollie and the other gardeners— and even a gilded cage is better than the cruelties of the outside world.

But when Ollie's considerate, gentle nature and pure heart catch the eye of the tempestuous Aconit, the most prized and coveted furless in Le Jouet Queue, what begins as idle seduction soon blooms into something deeper. Aconit's haughty faÇade of careless allure masks his own old wounds and deep distrust of humans, but Ollie sees through his surface beauty to the lonely, resentful creature beneath. In turn, Aconit finds his cold heart stirred by Ollie's tender affection and innocent intentions. But can the love between the two of them last as tensions mount and the mistreatment of furless weighs heavier and heavier upon Ollie's heart...?

10. H.P. Lovecraft's the Call of Cthulhu

Gou Tanabe continues to adapt the work of Lovecraft and we should thank our unlucky stars for it. These books are a delight, if you think unknowable horrors brought to life on the page is delightful. I’m also very much in the mood to see a straightforward adaptation of what is, arguably, the most famous Lovecraft story. I just read Alan Moore and Jacen Burrows’ “Providence” and, while it’s great, I could use something a little less obtuse, dense, and sprawling. Spooky month ahoy!

H.P. Lovecraft's the Call of Cthulhu
Written and Illustrated by Gou Tanabe
Translated by Zack Davisson
Published by Dark Horse Manga

H.P. Lovecraft’s most famous horror story, rendered in chilling detail by modern manga horror master Gou Tanabe!
The complete graphic novel in one volume, faithfully reproducing the original Japanese release, featuring a title page in silver ink, eight pages in full color, and eerie metallic copper tones and spot color on the cover.
What links together two bands of worshippers, one deep in the Arctic snows, one hidden in the bayous of Louisiana, is more than their shared practice of blood sacrifice.
It is the inhuman phrase they both chant: Ph’nglui mglw’nafh Cthulhu R’lyeh wgah’nagl fhtagn—“In his house at R’lyeh dead Cthulhu waits dreaming.” Now these nightmares will disturb the sanity of Francis Thurston, a young man pursuing an investigation into the cult of Cthulhu that leads to the most forsaken spot in the vast Pacific…and to Earth’s supreme terror, the risen corpse-city of R’lyeh.
First published in 1928, The Call of Cthulhu, rendered in chilling detail by modern manga horror master Gou Tanabe, is the most famous of all of H.P. Lovecraft’s stories, and was the namesake of the acclaimed role-playing game system set within the Cthulhu Mythos.
“I love H.P. Lovecraft…It would be great to adapt him as a serialized manga, but I actually saw Gou Tanabe create a great adaption of H.P. Lovecraft’s stories. Afterwards, I ended up not doing it because I thought I wouldn’t be as good as Gou’s version.”— Junji Ito (Uzumaki, Black Paradox)

9. The Manga from Another World

Small confession: I have not actually read “Uncle from Another World” yet. I’ve been highlighting it for years! I really should rectify that, particularly because the anime is one of the few isekai I actually enjoy, thanks in large part to a great cast and the right balance of hijinks and serious storytelling. I mean, come on. Uncle is mistaken for an orc and they play that for laughs AND pathos throughout the series. Uncle’s time in the other world AND his antics in this one with his nephew are equally compelling, though I’d be lying if I didn’t say I wanted more other world revelations. And that’s what volume 10 seems to promise! Dungeon crawling with him and Elf! What’s not to love?

Uncle from Another World, Vol. 10
Written and Illustrated by Hotondoshindeiru
Translated by Christina Rose
Published by Yen Press

Magatsu-Koto-no-Nushi, a powerful enemy enshrined deep inside a dungeon that severely dampens magical power, has possessed Elf. Uncle, who has been quiet with an odd look on his face, finally makes his move!

8. The Revenge of the Wish

Supernatural revenge stories are all the rage right now, what with “Oshi no Ko” being such a hit. I’m not immune to their charm, though “Endroll Back” seems to have all the charm of a grimy alley in Mega-City One and the vibes of “Old Boy.” That’s not actually a bad thing! You just gotta be in the right mood.

Also, this is from Alien Books, which has my attention. They’re a fairly new publisher, filling a similar niche as Ablaze, complete with a major licensed property to anchor their business (Valiant) so I’m pretty excited to see what other books they pick up. Always happy to see more publishers picking up the weirder stuff.

Endroll Back, Vol. 2
Written by Kantetsu
Illustrated by Haruna Nakazato
Published by Alien Books

In his search for answers behind Yuuka's suicide, Asaharu embarks on a race against time to discover the sender of a mysterious email addressed to the school's students. Get ready to dive into the second volume of this desperate tale of supernatural revenge!

7. In Space, No One Can Hear You Win

Not to be confused with the Manhwa of the same name or the YA book of the same name or the biblical beast of the same name or the treatise of the same name, “Leviathan” is a new sci-fi manga that’s channeling some old-school vibes. The art has that dense, dusty, lived-in feel, like Miyazaki’s “Nausicaa,” and the plot is…well the plot’s a “Battle Royale”/Alien/ Sunshine turducken but who cares! Claustrophobia and questions of human nature at the brink are the bread and butter of sci-fi; a recipe for success if I ever saw one. Beam me up Scotty.

Leviathan, Vol. 1
Written and Illustrated by Shiro Kuroi
Translated by Montana Kane
Published by Kana

In the depths of space, a group of students is pitted against each other in a brutal battle for survival—a gripping sci-fi survival horror from rising star manga artist Shiro Kuroi perfect for fans of Battle Royale and Attack on Titan.

Monster or human . . . What sleeps deep in the darkness?

The Leviathan, an enormous spaceship, drifts in spaces, abandoned in a galaxy far, far away. When looters break into the abandoned ship, they discover the diary of a middle-schooler, Kazuma, who documented the horrific fate of its passengers. Shocked, the looters read on, but as they do, they reach a chilling realization—there is still one survivor somewhere inside!

Along with the looters, the reader will piece together the decades-old tale of an innocent school trip to Earth with a tragic and brutal ending, as sudden explosions destroy the hull of the Leviathan. Trapped in space without enough oxygen left to wait for rescue, Kazuma documents the mental collapse and treachery of his teacher and classmates as they realize that the only hope for survival is the cryopreservation unit at the heart of the ship . . . which can only fit one person. A bloody battle for survival ensues as friend turns against friend, teacher against student, and each survivor is forced to confront the value of their own life.

Is it possible to keep one’s humanity when lost in the darkness of space? And moreover, what kind of survivor of that vicious struggle do looters find themselves alone with, decades after the dust has settled?

One of the top bestselling new manga titles in Japan, Leviathan’s incredible, brutal illustrations and tightly paced plot will leave readers at the edge of their seats, and linger in their minds long after the last page of each volume. Perfect for fans of Moebius, Star Wars, and Katsuhiro Otomo, Leviathan is sure to be an instant hit.

6. The River Runs Through It

One of the great things about the maturity of the manga market currently is how it means a lot of lesser-known, in the US at least, but important works are coming out. The other great thing is how some of these titles are getting re-releases in more compact, affordable editions. “Red River” is one such manga. What do I mean? Let me set the stage.

“Red River” is a shojo title from the late 90s that came out riiiight around the time the manga bubble burst in the mid-2000s, where excellent series went to die and even completed, decent-selling titles stayed out of print. Only the juggernauts and the currently running series could make it, which isn’t to say “Red River” is a slouch of a series - it’s sold over 20 million copies - but that doesn’t mean US audiences had a voracious enough appetite to keep it around once the final volumes came and went. It’s sadly true that shojo series struggle far more than shonen here in the states.

All that’s to say, “Red River” is back in print y’all. Get ready for a classic portal fantasy. None of that potato-kun, game-screen bullshit. Sign me the hell up.

Red River 3-in-1 Edition, Vol. 1
Written and Illustrated by Chie Shinohara
Published by Viz

A 3-in-1 edition of the classic romance fantasy series where a modern girl is whisked to ancient times and must navigate a scheming court and warring factions while trying to find her way home.

Yuri, a modern teenager, is transported to ancient Anatolia as part of a scheme by the evil Nakia, queen of the Hittites. Only the intervention of Nakia’s stepson, Prince Kail, saves Yuri from the queen’s bloodthirsty intentions. As an unintended consequence of the prince’s actions, the people of Anatolia embrace Yuri as the incarnation of the great war goddess Ishtar.

Finding herself entangled in the social and political drama of a fractured royal family, Yuri begins to maneuver through their manipulations and learn how to survive while stuck deep in the past.

5. The Passion of the Twink

What an excellent conceit for a detective manga. I thought the title was some sort of religious allusion but no, it’s a literal manifestation of the word. OK, I guess it’s still religious in that to have wounds appear on the body, usually on the hands and feet, is where the word comes from BUT in this case it’s taken a couple steps farther.

Asako’s special talent, manifesting the wounds of the recently murdered on his body, is fertile ground for a series like this. But then you throw in a secondary, overarching murder mystery plot AND a slow-build romance with a soft art style? I can only imagine the size of the grapes grown in this soil.

Stigmata, Vol. 1: Love Bites
Written and Illustrated by  Hidebu Takahashi
Published by SuBLime

Homicide investigators utilize supernatural abilities to solve their cases while simultaneously investigating their own feelings for each other!

Officer Asako, part of a special investigations unit, has the unique ability to react to the residual thoughts of murder victims, replicating their wounds on his own body. Together with his partner, the reserved Detective Kuroiwa, he works hard to solve the toughest of cases.

In a shocking turn of events, one of the cases this unique team of investigators takes on is the murder of Superintendent Kuroiwa’s own ex-wife, Mari. Upon visiting the murder scene, Asako reacts by collapsing and bleeding profusely from a wound that suddenly appears on his back. But why are Mari’s final thoughts about her ex-husband Kuroiwa, and what does Asako’s surprising reaction to them really mean?

4. The Diary of a Shojo Kid

Another series with a concept that seems absolutely rife with potential, and by all accounts has succeeded. As a “Monthly-Girls Nozaki-Kun” fan, I’m ready for more meta-shojo series. I’m glad this one’s not a 4-panel series, as it means they can play with the form a little more. Give me that good pastiche and parody!

Diary of a Female Lead: Shujinkou Nikki, Vol. 1
Written and Illustrated by Yuu Yoshinaga
Published by Seven Seas Entertainment

The critically acclaimed meta shojo about taking charge of your own (love) life!

Tsujimura Aoi wouldn’t consider herself a main character by any means. Meek and insecure, she’s constantly alone, unlike her athletic older brother, Itsuki, or her mother, a famous shojo mangaka. Aoi doesn’t need to be the heroine, though—all she wants is a true friend. But Itsuki disagrees, and when he brings home Aoi’s effortlessly cool classmate Mizusawa Sena, the two concoct a plan to teach Aoi all about love, using shojo manga as their guide. Can this drab side character become an unparalleled female lead by falling for the perfect guy?

3. Someday We’ll Find It

Another one volume manga! And it looks to be a queer romantic melodrama, but perhaps on the softer side. I know I’m going pretty heavy on the romance this month, both in the comedy and drama departments, but I’ve just been feeling these titles more than my usual fare. Maybe I just need a good cathartic cry. Watching Look Back was a good start and I think reading “Even If There’s No Rainbow Tomorrow” will be a nice next step…in two months.

Yeah. In between writing and then gathering the info for this one, its release date slipped by two months. Whoops! Think of this as a sneak peak.

Even If There's No Rainbow Tomorrow
Written and Illustrated by Noriko Kihara
Published by Kuma

Whip runs a drag bar in Tokyo, where they interact with some of the most interesting people in society. But at home their days are often spent by idly chatting via a phone app with a user named "Insomniac Salaryman." Their conversations are nothing much more than grumbling about their day-to-days. So when Whip develops some light romantic feelings for this person that they have never met, they dismiss it as a romance that will never happen.

2. Before the Before, Begins the Beginning

I’m fascinated by these collections. I mean, I love that we get them, as it’s a chronicle of an artist before they got big and one can often see thematic through-lines in those worlds, not to mention their development as storytellers and creators. I mean, how often do we get to actually, legally read all those one-shots or short manga that appear on these major mangaka’s Wikipedia pages? Almost never. Still, I find myself wondering why these stories? Why these creators? Why now?

Money and popularity. Duh. 

I think the success of Fujimoto’s early works collections helped give Viz the confidence to do this for their other hot ticket artists. Doubly so for Gotouge, who hasn’t published anything new since “Demon Slayer;” I mean, do they even need to, with all that “Demon Slayer” money? I’m glad we’re getting it though, as a big process (and completionist) guy. You never know when there’s a true gem hiding in an artist’s back catalog.

Koyoharu Gotouge Before Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba
Written and Illustrated by Koyoharu Gotouge
Published by Viz

A collection of manga stories from the brilliant creator of Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba!

See how best-selling creator Koyoharu Gotouge, creator of the worldwide sensation Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba, got started. This collection features four short stories packed with supernatural action—including a deadly vampire hunt starring Tamayo and Muzan that would serve as the direct inspiration for Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba.

1. The Music of the Guy

This book is #1 solely on the recommendation of my friend Chris and the cover’s use of neon green. It’s just got style folks! Only two volumes are out in Japan as of writing so, uh, who knows if this is going to have a long run. I guess that makes this an easy choice for your wallet, eh?

The Guy She Was Interested in Wasn't a Guy at All, Vol. 1
Written and Illustrated by Sumiko Arai
Translated by Ajani Oloye
Published by Yen Press

Fashionable and upbeat high schooler Aya falls head over heels for an employee at a local CD shop. He’s got an air of mystery about him, always dressed well, and has impeccable taste in music. Little does she know―this supposedly male employee is actually her female classmate Mitsuki! Mitsuki generally keeps to herself, but since her seat is right next to Aya’s, she can't help but be extremely aware of the other’s crush. Revealing the truth is out of the question―but perhaps getting closer to Aya wouldn’t be so bad...