#MangaMonday 105 “The Ramparts of Ice” by Kocha Agasawa

I picked this #manga up after being surprised by the anime “You and I are Polar Opposites.” That manga was preceded by this, although that aired last season and this is airing this season.

We follow Koyuki Hikawa, a quiet high school freshman with the titular barrier, and her best friend Miki, a newly minted popular girl, as they navigate relationships with their peers. There’s as much exploration of friendship and self-esteem as there is romance, and a lot of the introverts/extroverts dynamics that seem to fascinate Agasawa.

This was originally a self-published webtoon that was then picked for digital and print distribution in Japan. It’s currently being translated into English in webtoon form at mangaplaza.com. The first 48 chapters are free until April 30th, which makes me think that’s how far the anime adapts. At the current rate, they should have the completed series (117 chapters) by the end of June.

#RampartsOfIce

#MangaMonday 104 “Let’s Make Ramen!: A Comic Book Cookbook” by Hugh Amano and Sarah Becan

As the subtitle gives away, this is a graphic… #cookbook in the western #comics style, rather than a #manga. Hugh Amano is a half-Japanese chef, and it’s about ramen, so good enough!

It’s a surprisingly comprehensive book, covering the history and basics of ramen in its opening section, and then diving into the details of noodles, toppings, broths, and ramen-adjacent foods (e.g. yakisoba.) Recipes are provided with recommendations for products and details for how to make your own, but even if you plan to leave the cooking to the pros, you'll learn a lot from this book.

Sarah Becan provides color throughout, from copious illustrations to simple boxes for highlighting text, all in a watercolor style.

Published in 2019 by Ten Speed Press.

#LetsMakeRamen

#MangaMonday #102 "I Think Our Son is Gay" by Okura

A very cute #manga about the mother of a closeted #gay high school boy. She's got her son pretty well sussed out, and she tries to be discreetly supportive, but mostly she observes her son and his relationships with his peers. She also has some telling interactions with the other adults in her life.

There's an interesting dynamic with the (frequently absent on work trips) father of the house, who has more traditional views and is inadvertently hurtful to his son. Mom doesn't want to out her son, and isn't very confident in her opinions, so she runs low level interference.

There's another, younger, son who is more of a mystery (and ends up stealing most of the scenes he's in.)

Okura is a gay man himself but, as he explains in an extra chapter, he didn't come out to his mother until after volume one was published.

Complete with all five volumes available in English (Square Enix.)

#IThinkOurSonIsGay

#MangaMonday 101 “[OSHI NO KO] TV Anime 1st Season Official Guidebook: First Report” by Aka Akasaka (Author) & Mengo Yokoyari (Artist)

OK, it’s not a #manga, but it’s an book about an #anime based on a manga. Close enough! I also realized I haven’t recommended the original, so consider this a back-door recommendation.

“Oshi No Ko” the anime is winding up its second season, but Yen Press just released this translation of the guidebook to the first. If you’ve seen similar books, you’ll know what to expect. There’s a lot of illustrations, model sheets of the various characters, and interviews with the voice actors and some of the staff (including the manga creators, who are given titular credit for this as well.) There’s even interviews with the musicians who did the opening and ending credits.

Yen Press did a good job with this. Even though there’s no sequential images, the book reads right to left at the column of text level, preserving the feel of the original.

#OshiNoKo

#MangaMonday 100 “Yuko, the Ghost in My Room” by Nobuko Takekawa

Kanna has rented an apartment that is haunted. Fortunately, he’s never been scared of ghosts. He quickly dubs the mostly silent but very present ghost “Yuko” (from “Yurei,” ghost.)

Originally released on X/Twitter, this has VERY short chapters—from one to a handful of pages each. (I think they were reorganized into longer chapters for the #manga publication.) It’s a format the fits the story well, with small incidents providing the building blocks for Kanna’s growing understanding of his “roommate” and his own feelings for her. At heart, it’s a romance in a bottle, with almost everything happening in the apartment.

Ongoing with two(?) volumes in Japan. English chapters are available online at Manga UP!

#YukoTheGhostInMyRoom