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This Week in Anime - Girls in Boyland
It's becoming more common for girls to be the protagonists of shounen manga. Sylvia and Chris discuss why that's a good thing.
― It's becoming more common for girls to be the protagonists of shounen manga. Sylvia and Chris discuss why that's a good thing. Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed by the participants in this chatlog are not the views of Anime News Network.Spoiler Warning for discu...
100 Girlfriends Who Really, Really, Really, Really, Really Love You Volumes 2-17 Manga Review
No scene in any of these volumes feels like it exists solely for the gratification of the viewer, but rather like a natural consequence of these adorkable, horny characters being trapped in a room together.
― Hakari Hanazono, Karane Inda, Shizuka Yoshimoto, Nano Eiai, Kusuri Yakuzen, Hahari Hanazono, Kurumi Haraga, Mei Meido, Iku Sutou, Mimimi Utsukushisugi, Meme Kakure, Chiyo Iin, Nadeshiko Yamato, ...
Grand Blue Dreaming Volumes 1-23 Manga Review
Peekaboo Diving Club’s definition of “fun” is much less about love of the ocean than it is about drinking, getting naked, and failing classes.
― Grand Blue Dreaming has all the emotional depth and resonance of that friend of a friend who, well into your 30s, always says things like “Dude! Remember that time you got blasted and puked on the shoes of the girl you liked? That was awesome!” Iori, an aver...
You and I Are Polar Opposites Volume 8 Manga Review
I have a lot of respect for the relationship built between Taira and Azuma throughout the series. On the other hand, there is a part of me that feels just a little unsatisfied.
― If there's one thing I like about this finale of You and I Are Polar Opposites, it's how it managed to bring the series full circle. The entire series was built on the idea of characters being obsessed with appearances and o...
Love from the Tip of the Tongue Volume 1 Manga Review
Is this the first official license of a cakeverse manga?
― Is this the first official license of a cakeverse manga? I'm not sure, but I can say that it's the first time I've encountered this omegaverse spin-off. For the uninitiated, “cakeverse” is a variant of the increasingly omnipresent omegaverse where, instead of people being classified as alphas, betas, and omegas, they are separated into cakes ...
Kaiju Girl Caramelise Volumes 5-8 Manga Review
Who you are on the outside doesn’t matter nearly as much as who you are in your soul.
― While prior volumes of Spica Aoki's Kaiju Girl Caramelise have focused on the metaphorical aspects of Kuroe's dual nature as Kuroe the High School Girl and Harudon the Kaiju, these four books take the story to a more grounded place. Kuroe has always assumed she's really a human with the odd ability to transform in...
Land Volume 2 Manga Review
Land is neither fantasy nor science fiction, nor is it historical fiction. It's close to all of those, but it settles for none. What it is is an excellent read.
― They say that the more things change, the more they stay the same. In Kazumi Yamashita's Land, that takes on a very different meaning. At the end of the first omnibus, An and her twin Anne (this second spelling begins to be used in this vol...
Baki The Grappler Volume 9-12 Manga Review
Young Baki faces losses, but he finds purpose in returning to the hidden arena under the Tokyo Dome to defend his title as the strongest fighter.
― As Volume nine opens, Baki is training again to face his father. Baki walks into a Northern Japan wilderness to find a team of battle-hardened, bloodthirsty commandos that defeated thousands of elite JDSF soldiers by themselves. In Baki The Grappler, ever...
Spring 2026 Manga Guide After Dark (18+)
Welcome to the steamy side of the Spring Manga Guide! Come see what manga gets up to when the kids are all asleep.
― Welcome to the steamy side of ANN's Spring Manga Guide. All of these titles are for readers 18 and older, from spicy to something a bit more, and featuring a range of tropes, groupings, and fetishes. Come find your next adult read - there's plenty to choose from. March On the Job Trai...
Bleach Volume 56-74 Manga Review
If, like me, you’re a longtime Bleach reader, you owe it to yourself to see this manga to its completion. You’re going to have a bad time, though, and the goodwill the series was already running low on will not carry you to its conclusion.
― Stop me if you've heard this one before, but when a mysterious figure from an otherworldly race/organization appears before Ichigo and pals, their peaceful lives...
Spring 2026 Manga Guide
It's the final update for the Spring Manga Guide, and we're closing out with a new series by Yuu Toyota of Cherry Magic fame: A Starlit Darkness! Plus a series about veterinarians, some zombies, and a contender for longest title!
― Welcome to Anime News Network's Spring 2026 Manga Guide! You may have seen one of our seasonal Anime Preview Guides, where a team of critics writes up each new anime tele...
Glasses With a Chance of Delinquent Volumes 1-3 Manga Review
If there’s one thing that these volumes have going for them, it’s that both Ichikura and Momose earnestly want to change.
― The high school debut or glow-up has become a staple of shoujo and shounen romances in recent decades. You know the story: a kid who was bullied or ignored or perhaps bad in middle school decides that since high school is a chance to start over, they're going to make some seriou...
Spring 2026 Manga Guide
Are you enjoying Aimi and Nami's Kirio-based escapades in anime form? Then check out the original manga version of Kirio Fan Club as the manga guide continues!
― Welcome to Anime News Network's Spring 2026 Manga Guide! You may have seen one of our seasonal Anime Preview Guides, where a team of critics writes up each new anime television premiere as it airs at the beginning of a season. Now, doing so...
Dangers in My Heart Volumes 9-12 Manga Review
Sakurai’s characters are so well-crafted, empathetic, and amusing, that I’d happily read a manga where they do nothing but watch paint dry.
― For fans of The Dangers in My Heart's excellent TV anime adaptation, we're into uncharted waters now. Although the recently released (mostly) recap movie features just under ten minutes of new material, it adapts at most a handful of short chapters from volume ...
Manga Author Keiko Takemiya Talks Toward the Terra and Its Deeper Meanings
"I grew up reading shōnen manga and didn't read much shōjo manga, so I felt there was potential in being able to draw for a shōnen magazine. I didn't want to miss my chance."
― To celebrate Toward the Terra's manga author, Keiko Takemiya, winning the Tokyo Anime Award Festival 2026 Lifetime Achievement Award, three episodes of the 2007 anime were screened at the festival. Afterward, the now 76-year-o...
Spring 2026 Manga Guide
An arranged marriage doesn't quite go as planned in the yuri fantasy Marrying the Dark Knight (For Her Money)! Plus a charming new fairy tale-style fantasy, a magical girl, and the inevitable Junji Ito short story collection as the Manga Guide continues.
― Welcome to Anime News Network's Spring 2026 Manga Guide! You may have seen one of our seasonal Anime Preview Guides, where a team of critics writ...
Gunsmith Cats Omnibus Volume 3 Manga Review
This third volume of Dark Horse Comics' latest Gunsmith Cats re-release is arguably its most essential to long-term fans.
― This third volume of Dark Horse Comics' latest Gunsmith Cats re-release is arguably its most essential to long-term fans; it certainly is to me. Not only does it include the fantastic storyline “Mister V” which really acts as a de facto climax to the entire series (despite it co...
Versus Volumes 2-4 Manga Review
ONE took all of his favorite game, movie, and book antagonists, altered them slightly to avoid copyright violations, and mashed them all together in one almighty smorgasbord of madness.
― Versus is another gleefully over-the-top action extravaganza from the pen of Mob Psycho 100 and One Punch Man author ONE. After the first volume's extended introduction to this complex world, the next three volumes ...
Wandance Volumes 11-13 Manga Review
Dancing like no one is watching you is freeing, but it won’t win competitions.
― We all know that dance is a form of communication, and we know that dance is a form of storytelling. In Wandance Volumes 11-13, the club members at Ichirin learn an important lesson about telling the right story to the right people at the right time. Kabo is struggling more and more with trying to decide who he is, what ...
Tower Dungeon Volumes 2-4 Manga Review
What really sets Tower Dungeon apart is the ever-present sense of progression, of uncovering the unknown, of overcoming trials to progress further.
― Although manga creator Tsutomu Nihei is well-renowned for his sprawling sci-fi epics Blame! and Knights of Sidonia, with these further volumes of Tower Dungeon, he proves he's equally adept at creating fascinating, mysterious fantasy worlds. In place of...
Welcome to Demon School! Iruma-kun Volumes 11-16 Manga Review
Whether Iruma’s changing the Netherworld or the Netherworld was always more “human” than ours, the root of the story is the same: you don’t need to go it alone.
― Welcome to Iruma-kun's longest arc thus far – the Harvest Festival. Unlike the Battler arc and the upcoming Music Festival arc, this one doesn't really have an analogous real-world school event, although I suppose you could make an argument...
Drops of God: Mariage Volume 11-13 Manga Review
To truly be worthy of the Drops of God, Shizuku and Issei have traveled the world through cuisine. Now they will take on the complex and delicious Chinese table.
― We're heading into the last battle to determine if either Shizuku or Issei is worthy of even searching for “The Drops of God.” Volume 11 into 12 just hits it out of the park, with a perfect play of the best of this series. Also, that is a ...
Devil's in the Lunch Deals Manga Review
This tale of an outcast goddess of death who makes delicious food and tries to do good deeds as penance for being, you know, a goddess of death, is prickly and weird, and I think I love it.
― Fairytales play a significant role in human society. They stand in as simplistic moral education, tales of punishment and reward. They are also expressions of psychological and philosophical experimentation. Fai...
Oshi no Ko Volumes 9-12 Manga Review
It’s painful to read this flawed yet sympathetic character slide further towards self-destruction, but that’s all part of the dark appeal of Oshi no Ko.
― For readers wanting to catch up on the manga story after the point where the anime adaptation's second season left off, volume nine is the place to start. Oshi no Ko's anime maintains close fidelity to its manga source, and the four volumes covered...
This Week in Anime - ChainsawED Man
Sylvia and Lucas process their feelings on Chainsaw Man's ending. Was the real Chainsaw Man the friends we made along the way?
― Sylvia and Lucas process their feelings on Chainsaw Man's ending. Was the real Chainsaw Man the friends we made along the way? Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed by the participants in this chatlog are not the views of Anime News Network.Spoiler Warning for discu...
Gizmo Riser Volume 1 Manga Review
When the system is designed to keep you at the bottom, there is no other way to go but up.
― This series checks all the boxes for “shōnen bildungsroman/Hero's Journey tale built on a foundation of social inequity that is actually about the cool gear.” Kuro is a slave among slaves. He's beaten and mocked by a man who claims Kuro as property, with no hope in sight, except for the very brief glimpses he...
Kowloon Generic Romance Volumes 9-10 Manga Review
While everyone else around her remains prisoners of their own regret, pulled into Kowloon like insects by a pitcher plant, Kujirai deserves to fly free, away from this place.
― Being a Kowloon Generic Romance fan is suffering. Since I last reviewed volumes 7 and 8 back in November 2024, only two further volumes have been published in English, with the eleventh due at the end of May 2026. The only bri...
GOGOGOGO-GO-GHOST! Manga Series Review
GOGOGOGO-GO-GHOST! is for the people who want to see a grown, tax-paying adult revel in petty revenge on everyday annoyances.
― Let's just be honest with ourselves: Broadly speaking, manga and anime are full of goody-two-shoes protagonists. They're usually teenagers. They tend to have selfless personalities or goals, and there's usually some element of needing to stop a superpowered bad guy for anyon...
This Week in Anime - The Interior Worlds of Tomoko Yamashita
Does manga creator Tomoko Yamashita know us better than we know ourselves? Sylvia and Coop have their suspicions.
― Does manga creator Tomoko Yamashita know us better than we know ourselves? Sylvia and Coop have their suspicions. The views and opinions expressed by the participants in this chatlog are not the views of Anime News Network.Spoiler Warning for discussion of the series ahead. Crunchyroll...
Wandance Volumes 8-10 Manga Review
Kabo gets closer to the beat, but the distance between him and dance is growing.
― One of the most delightful things about Wandance is that it continues to buck narrative trends repeatedly. In other sports/club stories, the focus would be on the way the team seems to lack cohesion, while one character or another fails to live up to their promise. Here, people do well sometimes and not so well other t...
Hell's Paradise: Jigokuraku Box Set Manga Review
At times, Gabimaru’s surprisingly vulnerable, and even a little adorable – like a white-haired, fluffy murder-puppy.
― It's telling that the Hell's Paradise: Jigokuraku manga is unavailable to read directly on the Shonen Jump app, at least not on Apple devices. It can only be read digitally via the Shonen Jump website. This is no doubt due to the manga's much higher-than-average (at least for Shonen ...
Answerman - Hiding Behind Pen Names
How did the MangaONE scandal happen? Jerome explains.
― A Reader asks: "How does someone convicted of a serious crime simply reappear in manga under a pen name, and nobody raises a flag? Do publishers run any checks on the actual person behind the pseudonym, and why are pen names becoming more and more popular for manga creators, writers, and artists? Should proper background checks become a regulat...
Welcome to Demon School! Iruma-kun Volumes 7-10 Manga Review
Building on earlier information and seemingly throwaway comments and characters, the story continues to delight as it pushes its characters to develop in meaningful ways.
― One of the strengths of Welcome to Demon School, Iruma-kun is that it rarely lets anything become a one-off joke. Ameri's surprisingly demure alternate self in volume six not only makes Ronové look even more ridiculous, but it als...
Food Diary of Miss Maid Volumes 1-4 Manga Review
Despite it being about food, whether or not this manga will have you eating well is something up for debate.
― Oftentimes, my dinner is the biggest highlight of my day. I get so hungry that my appetite becomes insatiable, resulting in that moment mid-afternoon where I inevitably scroll through whatever food porn comes across my YouTube home feed (we're up to taking up a good third of the page). There...
Read it First: Manga, Light Novel Sources for Spring 2026 Anime
Not sure what to watch in the coming anime season? Read our reviews of the manga and light novels that inspired the shows from Witch Hat Atelier to Daemons of the Shadow Realm!
― It's hardly a rule that you have to read the source material before you watch the adaptation, but what if you want to? A decade ago, anime fans who wanted to read the manga or light novel before the show debuted were out of...
Oshi no Ko Volumes 3-8 Manga Review
This is a dark, haunting revenge tale with a side order of unsettling insights into the murkier side of the Japanese entertainment industry.
― Oshi no Ko is what Kaguya-sama: Love is War's author Aka Akasaka did next, this time delegating artistic duties to Scum's Wish creator Mengo Yokoyari. Those expecting another light-hearted romcom are likely to be surprised: this is a dark, haunting revenge tal...
Kill Blue Volumes 3-5 Manga Review
Even if Fujimaki’s love of sports gets in the way at times, these three volumes of Kill Blue still make for a fun read.
― This trio of manga volumes rises and falls on its sportsy aesthetic. It's here where you can really, really tell Kill Blue was penned by the same mangaka who did Kuroko's Basketball (Tadatoshi Fujimaki), and he's definitely not gunshy about showing off his roots. He's got characte...
Ace of the Diamond Volumes 1-5 Manga Review
If there’s one thing that shines through in these first five volumes, it’s how much creator Yuji Terajima loves baseball.
― Do all sports manga about scrappy kids from tiny teams in the middle of nowhere start the same? It can certainly feel like it at times, and you could be forgiven for thinking that Ace of the Diamond is just Ao Ashi with baseball instead of soccer or [insert name here] with baseb...
You Can't Be In a Rom-Com with Your Childhood Friends! Chapters 1-47 Manga Review
It's a miracle that I didn't hate MY childhood friends by the time I sat down to write this review.
― We're all familiar with the childhood friend trope, right? Often, this is an element or subtrope of a larger trope that a slice-of-life or romantic comedy series revolves around. For example, a childhood friend may be one of the girls in a harem or the main love interest in a slow-burn romance. Howev...
This Week in Anime - The Failings of Industry
Sylvia and Coop break down recent unfortunate developments in the manga industry.
―
Sylvia and Coop break down recent unfortunate developments in the manga industry. CONTENT WARNING: This edition of This Week in Anime features discussion of real-life sexual abuse involving minors. Reader discretion is advised. The views and opinions expressed by the participants in this chatlog are not the views of ...
Dangers in My Heart Volumes 1-8 Manga Review
Where Kyotaro is prone to over-thinking and wrongly attributing negative motivations to others, Anna is almost pathologically open, and endearingly quirky.
― It's telling that author Norio Sakurai uses the German loanword “karte” instead of “chapter” for every installment of her most famous manga, The Dangers in My Heart. It's used in Japan to refer to a hospital inpatient's medical chart. Second-yea...
Baki The Grappler Volume 7-8 Manga Review
When beating the crap out of other people just isn’t enough, Baki turns to a giant ape for help getting stronger.
― Narrator Disclaimer: Baki The Grappler is not intended to illustrate martial arts in any meaningfully realistic way. Check with your doctor before continuing physical activity with broken bones and ruptured limbs. Baki The Grappler is a primer in unrealistic bloodsports. It's both amazi...
BEASTARS Volumes 5-22 Manga Review
This is not a series that will make it clear everything will be all right, as it doesn't offer solutions to its problems, even by the very end.
― BEASTARS is such a fascinating series on paper, with themes and setups that are beginning to seem more commonplace. Using anthropomorphic, furry characters as an allegory for real-world issues can have mixed results, especially when the separation between s...
JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Part 7—Steel Ball Run Volumes 1-5 Manga Review
Steel Ball Run is easily Jojo’s most bizarre adventure yet.
― Even by Jojo's Bizarre Adventure (JJBA) standards—which, to be clear, is an absurdly high bar to clear—Steel Ball Run (SBR) is absolutely, positively, aggressively, relentlessly, and lovably capital-W Weird. As vast as it is, the world of manga simply doesn't get wilder than this. Dare I say, SBR is easily Jojo's most bizarre adventure yet...
Welcome to Demon School! Iruma-kun Volumes 2-6 Manga Review
Iruma’s early adventures fully coalesce in this set of volumes with its shorter arcs.
― It took me an embarrassingly long time to realize that, since Ameri's father's name is Henri, her name is almost certainly meant to be Amélie. That's really neither here nor there, but it does add an interesting extra layer to one of the major plotlines in this set of volumes: Ameri is a closet shoujo manga fan. N...
MARRIAGETOXIN Volume 2-11 Manga Review
For a series with the word TOXIN in the title, this series is anything but TOXIC.
― When I reviewed the first volume of MARRIAGETOXIN, I wrote it off as a fairly solid action series with a very lovable lead. The idea of a socially awkward yet incredibly capable assassin willingly throwing himself into harm's way for the sake of protecting his sister was a solid setup, and I very much thought that the...
Always a Catch! Volumes 2-5 Manga Review
At its heart, this is a romp of a story about an atypical young lady bulldozing her way through the world.
― If I had to sum Always a Catch up in the easiest way possible, I would say that it's May I Ask for One Final Thing? but with a heroine who is as goofy as possible. Like Scarlet, Maria “Mimi” Annovazzi is as strong as she can be and has an incredible skill for punching people, but she lacks Sca...
MAO Volume 23 Manga Review
While Sana remains conspicuous in her absence, they now know where Daigo has been: in Natsuno’s eyes.
― Nine hundred years is a long time to go without answers. All of the former members of the Goko Clan have done their best with their unexpected time in the world, but none of them have had any true notion of why they continued to live – or even what truly caused the downfall of their group back in t...
Easygoing Territory Defense by the Optimistic Lord Volumes 4-6 Manga Review
Wealth and magic can make life easier, but making friends can save the world.
― In Volume 1-3, we were presented with a kind of manga The Sims scenario, as Van gathered around him people willing to help him transform this “unnamed” village into a prosperous town. In Volume 4-6, the story continues to build on Van's blueprints, as the town builds defenses, weapons, and a military capable of wielding t...
Trigun Maximum Manga Review
The world Vash lives in is so well fleshed-out in its manga incarnation, and the stakes for survival of its populace much higher.
― You know when you've been overdoing something when aspects of it begin to bleed into your dreams. So it has been the past few weeks for me and Trigun. Not too long after closing my eyes, my mind is filled with images of spiky-haired red-trenchcoat-wearing gunslingers, cr...
Frieren: Beyond Journey's End Volumes 10-13 Manga Review
After the first-class mage examination, mighty demons take on Frieren and Denken in both the present and the past.
― Frieren: Beyond Journey's End continues to surprise and entertain and has established a process to do so. Every large arc will require Frieren and Fern to understand magic just that much better. They will come up against their own limitations and analyze their enemies' weaknesses. Star...
I Want Your Mother to be With Me! Volumes 1-2 Manga Review
This is ultimately a story about recognizing that you don't have to stubbornly tackle everything on your own.
― Being a single parent is never easy. Raising a child demands a lot of time, expenses, and responsibilities that most couples would find difficult to manage. But being a single parent means that you're trying to fill all of those responsibilities by yourself, which naturally comes with sacri...
Drops of God: Mariage Volume 8-10 Manga Review
To find the perfect match of food and wine, we must travel the world and try new things, then come home and appreciate the familiar.
― Twice in Volume 9, someone rolled their eyes at someone else's melodrama during the big showdown, and I was 100% there for it. It actually made me like the whole story better. The first half of this arc is spent redeeming Chef Mikasa, the accomplished French chef whos...
Firefly Wedding Volumes 2-4 Manga Review
With richly detailed art and well-considered characters, Firefly Wedding is a traffic accident that you can’t look away from.
― If the first volume of Firefly Wedding set off warning bells in your head with its harsh story and themes of unwilling marriage and sexual predation, you may want to skip the rest of this series. It is hard to think of another ostensible romance that has as many flashing red...
The Winter 2026 Manga Guide After Dark (18+)
Happy Valentine's Day, and welcome to the steamy side of ANN's Winter Manga Guide!
― Welcome to the steamy side of ANN's Winter Manga Guide. All of these titles are intended for readers 18 and older, ranging from spicy to something a bit more, and featuring a variety of tropes, groupings, and fetishes. Come find your next adult read - there's plenty to choose from. DECEMBER The Cuckolding Wizard's A...
This Week in Anime - Fantasy Football
Are you ready for some football? No, not that kind - Coop and Lucas are talking about the football you actually play with your feet.
― Are you ready for some football? No, not that kind - Coop and Lucas are talking about the football you actually play with your feet. Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed by the participants in this chatlog are not the views of Anime News Network.Spoiler Warni...
Celebrating Girls-Love at the Yen Press Yuri Café in New York City
In a brutally cold New York February, there’s a warm home for yuri fandom at the Yen Press Yuri Café
― In 2025, The Guy She Was Interested In Wasn't A Guy At All by Sumiko Arai, often referred to as the “Green Yuri” among fans, saw incredible success. Named Best Manga of the Year at the American Manga Awards, it has opened doors for other yuri manga, including inee's Love Bullet, to get full merchand...
Touring After the Apocalypse Volume 4-6 Manga Review
Everyone is dead, everything is destroyed, let’s go on a road trip!
― In the early volumes of Sakae Saito's post-apocalyptic landscape bike tour, we met Youko, a young human, and her companion Airi, an artificial humanoid of some kind, who are traveling around Japan on a Yamaha XT225, known as the Yamaha Serow. This small motorcycle allows for off-road and street riding. With no people to repair infr...
Rewriting the Chivalrous Yakuza: Interview with Stray Manga Writer Ryu Kamio
"I have no time for those who uncritically submit to authority. If one senses that the direction their group is heading is misguided, I believe they should have the courage to cry out that it is wrong."
― Writer Ryū Kamio and artist Yu Nakahara's newest work available in English is Stray, a twisty crime drama that follows Hachiya Ken, a man who just finished serving time in prison for a crime he did ...
Hana-Kimi Omnibus Volumes 4-6 Manga Review
It’s got its ups and downs for certain, but this omnibus of the beloved shoujo manga mostly remains a fun read.
― After a slow start, what better way to kick things up than with a school festival? Here we have arrived at one of the more exciting parts of Hana-Kimi's early phases. It approximates itself towards a tournament arc with the way it opens up; what better way to show off than by having the h...
Going for the Gold! Our Favorite Sports Anime
The 2026 Winter Olympics are underway in beautiful Italy, but it's not just pro athletes racing for the finishing line; anime has its own sports stars, too.
― The 2026 Winter Olympics are underway in beautiful Italy, but it's not just pro athletes racing for the finishing line; anime has its own sports stars, too. We asked Anime News Network's critics to highlight their favorite sports stories: the ...
The Evolution of Shōjo Manga in the 1970s with Curator Rei Yoshimura
The manga studies specialist talks about the diversity of shojo and its reflection of girls' and women's lives across decades.
― This January, the Japan House London in Kensington hosted a talk by manga curator Rei Yoshimura. Yoshimura, pictured right, has worked as a curator for more than a decade, first at the Kawasaki City Museum and since 2017 at the National Arts Centre in Tokyo (NACT). A specia...
Wandance Volume 6-7 Manga Review
Is it enough to feel the beat and dance, or does everything need words, too?
― Since Ichirin won their first team competition, by the rules of manga, it is time for a humbling loss. Once again, Wandance bucks the trend. The Ichirin dance team, led by On-chan and the only other male member, Iori, who has a lot of experience in dance battles, shows up and does surprisingly well. Iori takes the individu...
Fire Force Volumes 11-20 Manga Review
There’s a certain point one comes to when reading Fire Force where it’s best to set aside one’s critical faculties and be swept along by the pyroclastic silliness.
― In my recent review of Fire Force volumes 1-10, I lauded Atsushi Ohkubo's apparently final manga series for its accomplished art, excellent character design, goofy humor, and exciting battles, while expressing frustration at the intrusiv...
Manga Creation with Kazumi Yamashita
Kazumi Yamashita has been creating manga since 1980. Come find out what makes her work so enduring.
― Manga creator Kazumi Yamashita has been crafting stories in the medium since 1980. Originally debuting in Margaret, Yamashita has moved fluidly through both shoujo and seinen magazines, bringing readers stories that are steeped in humanity even when they don't deal with characters who are, strictly s...
This Week in Anime - LOVE AND PEACE!
Chris and Coop talk all things Trigun .
― Chris and Coop talk all things Trigun. Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed by the participants in this chatlog are not the views of Anime News Network. Full Disclosure: Coop regularly works with Discotek Media, MediaOCD, and AnimEigo, having provided copy for the recent Blu-ray releases of City Hunter 2 and Hajime no Ippo. His opinions given here ar...
The Winter 2026 Manga Guide
It's the final update for the Winter Manga Guide, but don't worry - our K-Comics and 18+ Guides are on the way! In the meantime, check out Ghost & Witch, the new series from the creator of The Ancient Magus' Bride, and more!
― Welcome to Anime News Network's Winter 2026 Manga Guide! You may have seen one of our seasonal Anime Preview Guides, where a team of critics writes up each new anime televisio...
Greek Mythology and its Magical Adaptations in Manga and Anime
Asha Bardon explores how Greek myths form the basis of anime and manga series.
― Greek mythology is in vogue these days; we have novel series like Percy Jackson and Netflix has several series retelling or remixing mythology. There are heaps of novels like Madeline Miller's Circe and even an amazing Odyssey-inspired concept album for a musical called Epic! Oh, and Christopher Nolan's next movie has ju...
Wash It All Away Volume 2-5 Manga Review
Near the gleaming beaches of Atami, a small cleaning service can ensure that your clothes are just as bright.
― This manga, written and illustrated by Mitsuru Hattori, has a relaxed, somewhat distanced feel, even as we run around town with Wakana. The narrative is trying to do several things at once, and some of those things it does well, while others feel like a dissonant note to the whole. To begin...
This Week in Anime - Escalation by the Rules
Sylvia and Lucas discuss the building blocks of shounen battle series.
― Sylvia and Lucas discuss the building blocks of shounen battle series. Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed by the participants in this chatlog are not the views of Anime News Network.Spoiler Warning for discussion of the series ahead. Crunchyroll streams Dragon Ball, Dragon Ball Z, Hunter x Hunter, Jujutsu Kaisen, and ...
The Extraordinary Magic of Ichi the Witch
The first female writer-artist duo in Jump history has created a uniquely magical series that capitalizes on charm while juggling fantasy, action, and comedy.
― For better or worse, Shonen Jump reigns supreme in the world of anime and manga and has consistently churned out some of the biggest franchises on the market. As such, in the wake of juggernauts like My Hero Academia and Jujutsu Kaisen havin...
The Winter 2026 Manga Guide
New year, new edition of Battle Royale, plus the manga behind the upcoming anime Scenes from Awajima and more!
― Welcome to Anime News Network's Winter 2026 Manga Guide! You may have seen one of our seasonal Anime Preview Guides, where a team of critics writes up each new anime television premiere as it airs at the beginning of a season. Now, doing something like that for manga is tricky - there's n...
White Note Pad Manga Review
White Note Pad is a story that demands introspection.
― Tomoko Yamashita is adept at writing stories that explore humanity. Although not many of her works have been translated into English, the two anime adaptations she's garnered – The Night Beyond the Tricorner Window and Journal with Witch – both amply demonstrate her thoughtful exploration of identity, gender, and sexuality alongside complex emot...
The Winter 2026 Manga Guide
Queer romance and horror intersect in Out of the Cocoon and folk horror takes center stage in Divine Incursions as our Winter Manga Guide continues!
― Welcome to Anime News Network's Winter 2026 Manga Guide! You may have seen one of our seasonal Anime Preview Guides, where a team of critics writes up each new anime television premiere as it airs at the beginning of a season. Now, doing something lik...
Baki The Grappler Volumes 5-6 Manga Review
This is a manga in which a thirteen-year-old bulks up by eating and training so effing hard he hits galaxy brain mode and bulks up in ways that are impossible.
― Having defeated Kureha Shinogi, despite the man's intimate knowledge of the human body gained at the cost of dozens of other's lives, Baki almost immediately seeks his next fight. He's spotted fighting 100 delinquents at once, knocking out o...
My Death Flags Show No Sign of Ending Volumes 1-2 Manga Review
Kazuki is a very boring, nothing character that is strictly driven by his survival and he needs to spend most of the story riding a very thin line.
― On the one end, I do appreciate a series that really likes to just cut out all the fat. When Death Flags starts, we don't get any set-up or preamble about our protagonist's past life or how he found himself in the circumstances that he does. He just wak...
My Awkward Senpai Chapters 1-104 Manga Review
What starts as comedic social awkwardness soon becomes an example of someone that is a workaholic and plagued by a deep fear of emotional dependency.
― I always find it at least a little bit funny when a series portrays an incredibly capable person in a field that requires a lot of social interaction only for the twist to be that they actually have no social skills whatsoever. Maybe there are some pe...
Fire Force Volumes 1-10 Manga Review
Fire Force has so many other positive aspects that it seems absurd that the author should want to torpedo his chances of a wider audience by so prominently featuring such prurient, out-of-place fan-service.
― Man's fascination with fire dates back to the primeval ages. Fire on demand was one of the very first technologies, and its transformative effects, once harnessed, led directly towards the machi...
This Week in Anime - Top of the Bookwalker Charts
Lucas and Chris explore BookWalker 's rankings of their top titles and attempt to make it make sense.
― Lucas and Chris explore Bookwalker's rankings of their top titles and attempt to make it make sense. Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed by the participants in this chatlog are not the views of Anime News Network. @RiderStrike @BWProwl @LucasDeRuyter @vestenet Chris Lucas, we must stay re...
Hana-Kimi Omnibus Vols. 1-3 Review
The beloved shoujo manga still maintains its charm after thirty years, even if the narrative reveals a few old cracks here and there.
― Towards the end of Hana-Kimi's second volume, Hisaya Nakajo wrote that before Hana-Kimi's success, she never penned a story that went beyond six chapters. She might not have expected her manga to achieve such international popularity either, even as she hastily drew ...
Kaya-chan Isn't Scary Volumes 2-4 Manga Review
It’s not quite as good as its most obvious sibling, Mieruko-chan, but it’s still a fascinating take on the ghost story.
― When I reviewed the first volume of Yuritaro's Kaya-chan Isn't Scary manga for the Manga Guide, I said that it was basically Mieruko-chan but in kindergarten. That holds true for the next three books, as the milder elements are gradually overshadowed by the horror, only deepening ...
This Week in Anime - Uncomfortable and Uncompromising: the Works of Shuzo Oshimi
Sylvia and Coop explore the works of Shuzo Oshimi in all their glory.
― Sylvia and Coop explore the works of Shuzo Oshimi in all their glory. Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed by the participants in this chatlog are not the views of Anime News Network.Spoiler Warning for discussion of the series ahead. @RiderStrike @BWProwl @LucasDeRuyter @vestenet Sylvia Hey, Coop! Let me poke my head in...
Rooster Fighter Volume 1-8 Manga Review
For a series that could be boiled down to super chickens taking down demons that threatened humanity, the artwork goes so much harder than expected.
― It took me a while to really figure out how I could articulate what makes Rooster Fighter so appealing. At first, I thought it was just the absurdity of its premise because it's a simple yet effective setup for what I thought was going to be a more com...
Wandance Volume 4-5 Manga Review
Wandance really gets you moving.
― Kabo and Hikari are both driven to get better as dancers. Club President On-chan, trying to entice Iori back to the club in the hopes that he'll step up as president next year, agrees to take the club to a dance battle. Kabo gets to bond with the only other guy in the club, and we get to learn the difference between street, house, and break dancing. I absolutely lov...
Search and Destroy Volume 1-3 Manga Review
Kaneko’s art is so sharp it looks like it was drawn with a scalpel.
― “Why are you so… angry?!” So every opponent asks of the vengeful Hyaku immediately before their violent dismemberment at her rage-filled hands. Hyaku, it turns out, has a lot to be angry about. Like her namesake Hyakkimaru, protagonist of Osamu Tezuka's classic Dororo, Hyaku's infant body parts were sacrificed and replaced with pro...
Girl Past the Filters Volume 1 Manga Review
When the girl next door turns out to be your sexy selfie idol, and falls butt-first into your face, you know you’re in a manga comedy.
― This manga was the manga-est of all manga volumes I have read in the past year. Not a single thing that happens actually happens, but they all happen here, one after the other, to create a suggestive sit-com of manga situations. Narumi, who was traumatized for tryin...
Plus-sized Misadventures in Love! Volume 1-3 Manga Review
This went from being a story I was cautious about to a story that I think needs to be told more.
― Plus-size representation in media is very rare, and it's even more rare when it is positive representation. Anime doesn't have the best track record with displaying people of more unique body types in flattering ways, so making a plus-size person the literal face of your entire manga is admirable on its...
Drops of God: Mariage Volume 6-7 Manga Review
This manga about the perfect marriage of food and drink finally finds the perfect marriage of character and plot.
― Now that we are in the middle of this sequel to Drops of God, the story is really hitting its stride once again. Shizuku lost the first round (to prove himself worthy of the challenge of identifying the “Drops of God”) to Issei, saved a local western-style izakaya from competitors and j...
Frieren: Beyond Journey's End Volumes 5-9 Manga Review
The journey can be more important than the destination, but a journey can also be its own destination.
― Frieren: Beyond Journey's End is structurally one of the very best manga I have ever read. The story is simple. More than two decades after the death of Himmel the Hero, Frieren, an Elven mage, takes to the road once again, this time accompanied by Fern and Stark, students of her dear friends. Alo...
Dead Account Chapters 1-120 Manga Review
After reading Dead Account, I think this work is going to be my new go-to example of “shonen slop,” but that being said, this is pretty good slop.
― I think a person's enjoyment of Shizumu Watanabe's Dead Account will mostly boil down to their ability to tolerate characters talking like Redditors nonstop. On its surface, Dead Account promises a deeper examination of the growing intersection between s...
Read it First: Manga, Light Novel Sources for Winter 2026 Anime
Not sure what's ahead for the winter anime season? Check out the source material in our roundup of manga and light novels getting an adaptation!
― It's hardly a rule that you have to read the source material before you watch the adaptation, but what if you want to? A decade ago, anime fans who wanted to read the manga or light novel before the show debuted were out of luck (legally speaking), which ...
Easygoing Territory Defense by the Optimistic Lord Volume 1-3 Manga Review
For this reincarnated salaryman, a life as an unwanted noble’s son is a ticket to a new beginning, but an easygoing life is a long way off.
― Human creativity is unendingly interesting to me. We are in an unprecedented time of stories that start in incredibly similar ways, and yet, each story is different enough for us to warrant taking time to tell you all about it. Today, we are speaking of the fir...
The Invisible Man and His Soon-to-Be Wife Volumes 1-6 Manga Review
Soft, slow, and sweet, The Invisible Man and His Soon-to-Be-Wife is mostly a nice bit of reassurance that, despite what the news may tell us, the world isn't completely horrible after all.
― It can sometimes feel like not a lot of romances start at the very beginning or go beyond the couple getting together. Either we meet them when they're already fully involved with each other or leave them at that...
Manga Is An Art Of Its Own! at The National Museum of Asian Art – Guimet
The manga exhibit, which runs from November 19th through March 9th, takes pieces of the permanent collections and tells the story of manga’s origins in from comic strips and scrolls to kamishibai and commercial books in Japan.
― While in Paris for (the amazing! wonderful!) Y/CON 11, my wife encountered a poster in the subway for a manga exhibit that had just opened. At the same time, manga journalist...
Ren Arisugawa Is Actually a Girl Manga Review
If you’ve been reading manga for a while, chances are you’re familiar with the basic set up of Ren Arisugawa Is Actually a Girl.
― Norito Asaduki's Ren Arisugawa Is Actually a Girl is an interesting work. Not so much for anything it does within its text, but because of its place within fiction broadly today. It's a digitally published manga in a vertical format, which would suggest that it's a work p...
Jujutsu Kaisen Manga Series Review
The story becomes impenetrably incoherent to anyone without a PhD in Akutami’s fictional curse mechanics.
― What is it about recent big shonen hits that involve their protagonists engaging in cannibalism? My Hero Academia was bad enough, with Izuku Midoriya inheriting All Might's quirk by ingesting his hair. Then comes Jujutsu Kaisen's Yuji Itadori gobbling down Ryomen Sukuna's mummified finger to ga...
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