#MangaMonday 54 “Manchuria Opium Squad” by Tsukasa Monma (story) and Shikako (adaptation)

Did you watch “Breaking Bad” and think “needs more historical drama?” This is the #manga for you.

The story follows Isamu, a Japanese conscript in the puppet state of Manchuko (Manchuria) who starts dealing opium, initially to buy medicine for his ailing mother. He soon runs afoul of the army and the Chinese underworld, both of which have an interest in the drug trade, but gains a diverse group of allies.

This is historical fiction with an emphasis on ‘fiction.’ E.g. “Alexei Rodzaevsky” appears to be a de-nazified version of Konstantin Rodzaevsky. The “true opium” Isamu produces is almost comically addictive. But the tale is a gripping one. The art has a great scratchy realism, with some nudity and a lot of violence (n.b. including torture.)

Ongoing with 5 of 19 volumes available digitally in English (Kodansha.) Censored (of nudity only) chapters are available on K Manga.

#ManchuriaOpiumSquad

#MangaMonday 55 “Tokyo Alien Bros.” by Keigo Shinzo

Fuyunosuke Tanaka is a college student living his best life in Tokyo. He’s been there a year when his older brother, Natsutaro, shows up to check on him. He’s concerned that Fuyunosuke has been neglecting his job, scouting the earth for colonization.

This is a fish-out-of-water story, with Natsutaro out of his depth and Fuyunosuke only somewhat less so, but making up for it with his positive attitude. It’s a fun slice-of-life, right up to the end of volume one which leaves us on an ominous cliffhanger.

It bears mentioning that there are some adult situations. It’s not the focus, but the #manga leans hard into it in the first chapter, as if to set the bar.

Complete with one of three volumes available in English (Viz.) The next volume drops tomorrow. A Japanese live-action drama ran in 2018. I recommended Shinzo’s “Hirayasumi” in MM09.

#TokyoAlienBros

#MangaMonday 56 “Shadows House” by Somato

Emilico is a Living Doll, created to serve her young Shadow mistress, Kate. Shadows emit soot when feeling negative emotions, so much of Kate’s time is spent cleaning. Once Kate debuts into Shadow society, one of Emilico’s duties will be to act as Kate’s “face”—expressing emotions on her behalf—since Shadows can only be seen as silhouettes, even by other Shadows.

This is an Age of Steam Fantasy #manga that immediately hits us with questions and then reveals answers (and more questions) slowly. The cast also gradually expands, with each having their own distinctive looks, personalities, and shifting allegiances. The story almost incidentally describes an oppressive system and how that system is bad for both the oppressed and the oppressors.

Ongoing with eight of 19 volumes in English (Yen Press.) An #anime ran for two seasons in 2021-22 (before all but the first of the English editions were released.)

#ShadowsHouse

#MangaMonday 57 “Island in a Puddle” by Kei Sanbe

I’m not sure if “Assassin and child swap bodies” counts as a sub-genre, but it’s weird that there are at least two. #IslandInAPuddle predates “J⇔M” (See MM48) and doesn’t have its humor or action film vibe, opting for a more grounded feel.

Minato Myojin (Grade 5) and his little sister Nagisa have a difficult life. Their policeman father was killed in the line of duty and their mother disappears for days at a time, leaving them to look after themselves.

Lightning strikes and Minato suddenly finds himself in a grownup body with a corpse at his feet. Meanwhile, professional killer “Kuromatsu” finds himself in the body of a child, with an even younger child at his side. He quickly realizes the advantage of the situation—the perfect disguise—if only he can get back the money he had with him.

This is a nice little action thriller by the author of “Erased” that’s complete in five volumes (all available digitally from Kodansha.)

#Manga

#MangaMonday 58 “They Were 11” by Moto Hagio

This reads like a seventies space opera, unsurprisingly since it was originally published in 1975.

The story revolves around a group of ten candidates for a space academy doing a final practical exam aboard a drifting space ship, only to realize there are eleven of them. Suspicions run high, but they pass or fail as a group. There’s a hidden connection to the past and a subplot about gender identity. (I imagine the last would be written a little differently today, but I think it holds up fairly well.)

It’s a short story, and in the current digital release (Denpa) it has been paired with its sequel, “Horizon of the East, Eternity of the West,” to fill out a standard size volume.

This is an early work by Hagio, an extremely influential #manga creator and a certified Person of Cultural Merit. A ninety minute #anime adaptation was released in 1986. That even got an English dub and a DVD rerelease, but it is hard to find now.

#TheyWere11

#MangaMonday 59 “Magical Girl Incident” by Zero Akabane

We’ve seen deconstructions of the magical girl pretty much since “Sailor Moon” codified it in its modern form. There’s even a subgenre of boys or men transforming into magical girls. At a glance this #manga is one of those, with an overworked salaryman discovering he can transform into a cute magical girl.

At its heart, #MagicalGirlIncident is a REconstruction of the magical girl. It actually plays things pretty straightforward. Unlike most of these type of stories, the gender bending isn’t a joke but is a result of the world’s magic system. Magic itself is a nice balance of being only partially understood, even by experts.

This is a three-volume story with all available in English (Yen Press.) It appears to be the first original manga from Akabane, who has previously contributed chapters to anthology volumes for established properties.

#MangaMonday 60 “Dragon and Chameleon” by Ryo Ishiyama

Garyo Hanagami is at the top of the #manga world. His series “Dragon Land” is a bestseller with an anime adaptation. Shinobu Miyama is a rookie assistant whose talent is in mimicking the style of others. An accident causes them to swap bodies. Now Garyo has to climb his way back to the top, competing against “himself.”

There’s a few manga about making manga, but this is the first I’ve seen that’s both about, and in the style of, the big “Weekly Shonen Jump” titles. It’s a tall order, since it has to manage art and a story on par. Fortunately, Ishiyama delivers with great images—sometimes giving us splash page worthy art in a single panel—and an evolving plot. Garyo finds that he needs to adapt now that “he” is already dominating the market, and Miyama discovers he can’t sit still at the top of the heap.

Ongoing with three of six volumes available in English (Square Enix.)

#DragonAndChameleon

#MangaMonthly 61 “Monthly Girls’ Nozaki-Kun” by Izumi Tsubaki

High School girl Chiyo Sakura is a fan of Utemarou Nozaki, a boy from another class. When she tries to confess her feelings to him, he gives her an autograph. Turns out he is the creator of a popular monthly girls’ manga and assumed she was a fan of his work. She’s soon roped into working as his assistant.

This is a gag #manga in the 4-panel format. It’s partially a high school comedy, partially a workplace comedy, and partially a sendup of manga tropes. Often it blurs the lines between them; several of Nozaki’s friends work as his assistants and he bases some of the characters in his manga on his schoolmates (invariably gender-swapped.) The load-bearing joke is that Nozaki is clueless about love, although that doesn’t stop his acquaintances from making progress.

Ongoing with 15 of 16 volumes available in English (Square Enix.) The next drops in late July. A 12-episode #anime aired in 2014.

#MonthlyGirlsNozakiKun

#MangaMonday 62 “Fool Night” by Kasumi Yasuda

Toshiro Kamiya is desperately poor and his mother is dangerously disturbed. To pay for her treatment, he wrecks his health and volunteers for a procedure. He’s immediately rolled for the bonus; now he’s poor and has months left to live as a human.

For a century, thick clouds have blotted out the sun. Winter never ends and most natural plants have died. Science has created a solution; special seeds that will turn human bodies into hardy plants over a few years. Only the terminally ill are allowed to volunteer, and they are given a government bonus so they can live their remaining time in relative luxury before becoming ‘spiriflora.’

For some reason—possibly because of the industrial runoff he ingested to qualify for the procedure—Toshiro can understand the ‘language’ of spiriflora. This is a talent that he might be able to earn some money with.

Ongoing with four of 10 volumes in English (Viz.)

#Manga #FoolNight

#MangaMonday 63 “Otonari Complex” by Saku Nonomura

Makoto is a boy who sometimes crossdresses. His neighbor Akira is a tomboy. Though frequently mistaken for a couple, they’ve been friends since childhood. But lately Makoto has been thinking he’d like to be more.

This #manga is marketed under “#LGBT+ Topics,” which… it is if you squint. Makoto and Akira are a boy/girl pair of childhood friends obviously destined to be together in the end. Makoto’s crossdressing is treated like a hobby.

Akira’s is the more interesting story. As a kid she was bullied for being tall and boyish. Unfortunately, she internalized that to the point of considering herself unlovable. She doesn’t appear to have ever considered a romantic relationship and has a way to go to meet Makoto’s feelings.

Complete with three of five volumes in English (Seven Seas.) The fourth drops tomorrow. A J-Drama adaptation aired this year.

#OtonariComplex

#MangaMonday 64 “Tropic of the Sea” by Satoshi Kon

Before moving to #anime Kon worked as a #manga artist. This is his first serialized story, and only complete one. It’s a more straightforward than most of his films (closer to “Tokyo Godfathers” than “Perfect Blue.”)

Yosuke Yashiro’s family maintain a shrine near a seaside village. They are tasked with keeping a “Mermaid’s Egg” for sixty years, then returning it to the sea. In return the nearby seas remain calm and bountiful. But times change.

Yosuke’s father, the 23rd head priest, regards the egg as so much superstition and is trying to use it to help turn the small town into a tourist destination. The grandfather is aghast at what his son is up to. Yosuke… is worried about his entrance exams.

There’s a supernatural story and a fair bit of action, but also generational tensions, the pull of city life, and the tension of development in rural areas.

Complete English volume available digitally (Kodansha.)

#TropicOfTheSea

#MangaMonday 65 “Old Boy” by Garon Tsuchiya (story) and Nobuaki Minegishi (art)

Shinichi Goto has been imprisoned in a room with only a TV for company. After ten years he wakes up outside, in a park. Now he must figure out who did this to him, and why.

If this sounds familiar, it’s because this is the #manga the movie “Oldboy” (올드보이) was based on. The movie is excellent in its own right but made some significant changes in adapting eight volumes of manga into a two hour #film. The movie’s protagonist, Oh Dae-su, is a different character than the manga’s more thoughtful Goto. The ending is also very different, so one won’t spoil you on the other.

They both contain sex and violence, but the movie leans heavily into the latter while the manga is more of a psychological thriller in the noir vein.

It originally ran in the late nineties. Dark Horse published an English version in 2006-7. They later released a digital version, but it isn’t on their site as I write this.

#OldBoy

#MangaMonday 66 “Grand Blue Dreaming” by Kenji Inoue (story) and Kimitake Yoshioka (art)

Iori Kitahara is starting college and rooming at his uncle’s place, which is also a dive shop. He’s immediately inducted into the college’s bacchanalian scuba club despite not being able to swim. This leads to him making a bad impression on his cousin, who has blossomed since he last saw her 10 years ago.

This is adult-oriented comedy #manga, but restrained in its presentation. E.g., the scuba club guys get naked at the drop of a hat, but they’re just flashing censor bars. (The women never get undressed enough to need them.) Sex is a frequent objective, but an elusive one. There’s bouts of cartoonish violence and copious amounts of drinking.

They also go diving occasionally, and it’s the one thing that’s treated completely seriously.

Ongoing with 22 of 24 volumes in English (Kodansha.) It got a 12 episode #anime in 2018, with a second season (finally) due July 8th.

#GrandBlueDreaming

#MangaMonday 67 “Nichijou” and “Helvetica Standard” by Keiichi Arawi

If Monty Python made a slice-of-life #manga, it probably would look like “Nichijou” (Everyday Life.) It follows an ensemble cast of high school students, teachers, robots, etc. as they deal with (mostly) everyday problems that take an absurd direction. Despite the bizarre setting, you’ll find the characters very relatable. Ongoing (at a reduced pace lately) with 11 volumes in English (Kodansha.)

“Helvetica Standard” is both a manga in the #Nichijou world, and a collection of Arawi’s shorter works and illustrations, some of which feature Nichijou characters. It appears to be complete, with the two volumes subtitled “Bold” and “Italic” in English. It seems to only have a print edition (Kodansha.)

An excellent #anime titled “Nichijou,” but drawing from both works, was released in 2011. It arranged things to give a through-line centered around the robot girl, Nano.

#MangaMonday 68 "CITY" by Keiichi Arawi

A Keiichi Arawi #manga with an ensemble cast. Naturally, it has a lot in common with "Nichijou" (see last week) but there are also differences. The cast skews older—unsurprisingly—and it is somewhat more grounded (compared to #Nichijou, admittedly.) It also has more in the way of plot points.

An underlying theme is the interconnectedness of everyone. This becomes clearer in later volumes when we get things like the big race and the election. However, a great example happens in volume four, when various people we've seen previously turn up at a garden party. Arawi gives us a sprawling spread illustration of everyone interacting, which is impressive in itself but he then repeats it three more times with each spread acting as a panel, or a collage of panels.

Ongoing with 13 of 14 volumes in English (Vertical/Kodansha.) An #anime just started airing, but looks promising (I can't wait to see how they handle the four-spread sequence.)

#MangaMonday 69 "Grass" by Keum Suk Gendry-Kim

Granny Lee Ok-Sun (sometimes rendered Okseon Lee) has "never known happiness." She grew up in poverty in Busan, Korea. At 15 she was abducted into serving as a 'comfort woman' (a euphemism for military sexual slavery) for the occupying Japanese army. At war's end she wasn't so much "liberated" as "abandoned", so she managed a life in China before finding her way to a rest home for former 'comfort women' in South Korea and advocating for restitution from Japan.

Gendry-Kim tells Lee's story in this powerful #manhwa. She manages the difficult task of conveying some horrific events in a graphic format without being exploitive. #Grass jumps around a bit in its timeline, which feels appropriate for what is essentially a memoir, so a second reading may be rewarding.

Complete volume available in English (Drawn & Quarterly.) It has numerous accolades, including the 2020 Harvey award for Best International Book.

#MangaMonday 70 “The Fragrant Flower Blooms With Dignity” by Saka Mikami

He’s a gentle giant with resting thug face who goes to an infamous high school. She’s a tiny scholarship student from the tony school next door. They fall in love.

This romance #manga is not doing anything new (his family runs a patîsserie, naturally) but it does it well. There’s zero doubt that the pair will get together—no harem hijinks here—and then it becomes a matter of winning over his friends to the fact. Then her friends. Then reconciling the friend sets with each other; the romantic drama in later chapters becomes if/how the friends will sort out. It’s a comforting world where almost everyone is good at heart and most problems can be sorted out by talking (and, usually, apologizing.)

Ongoing with seven of 17 volumes in English (Kodansha.) An #anime is currently airing in Japan, but Netflix has the streaming rights and is sitting on it until September.

#TheFragrantFlowerBloomsWithDignity

#MangaMonday 71 “Dra-Q” by Chiyo

Pako is a high school delinquent. Amelie is a vampire. They fall in love. He makes out with her severed head.

Alas, this sexy, funny, gory #manga only got three volumes (Kodansha) so any more details will spoil a large percentage of it. The story is a bit rushed, but it wraps up well enough. It’s just obvious that, going by the barely introduced characters, we could have easily gotten several more volumes.

Chiyo is no slouch at drawing memorable characters, but the backgrounds really stand out here. They use photographic screentones, which is not uncommon these days. What is unusual is the extent and the framing. Almost every background that’s shown started as a photograph, and a lot of them are unusual angles (bird’s-eye view, worm’s-eye view, etc.) There’s some image manipulation—the moon is shown heart-shaped a few times—but photoshop can only do so much. Someone had to get into odd places to get some of these.

#DraQ

#MangaMonday 72 "Takopi's Original Sin" by Taizan5

NUEINUkf is a Happian from Planet Happy who has come to earth on a mission to spread happiness. It meets a fourth grade girl named Shizuka who dubs it "Takopi." Takopi tries to make Shizuka happy by showing her its Happy Gadgets, but Shizuka still doesn't seem happy at all.

This #manga sports a "Parental Advisory" for good reason. It gets very dark, very quickly. The real subject is the perpetuation of the cycle of violence and there are plenty of examples of that, including parents mistreating their children in various ways, children bullying each other, and even #suicide. It's a powerful tale with an ending that's a bit of a thinker.

The art really sells the story, with Takopi drawn as the living cartoon it is, but everyone else in looser, sketchy lines.

An single omnibus volume is available in English (Viz.) A short but excellent #anime adaptation aired this season.

#TakopisOriginalSin

#MangaMonday 73 “The Ship of Theseus” by Toshiya Higashimoto

Shin Tamura grew up haunted by the fact that his father, a former police officer, has been on death row for an elementary school massacre that happened just before he was born. His father has maintained his innocence, but his mother doesn’t doubt his guilt. When Shin visits the site of the incident in preparation for confronting his father, he’s engulfed in a white mist and finds himself back in 1989—several months before it took place.

This is a #mystery #manga with a time travel twist. Shin’s actions in the past alter it both directly and as people react to his actions; meaning the basic facts of the mystery can (and do) change. Furthermore, as he learns upon returning, those actions have consequences in the present and the intervening years.

All chapters are available digitally in English on Kodansha’s K-Manga: https://kmanga.kodansha.com/title/10590

#TheShipOfTheseus

#MangaMonday 73 “Young Magazine USA” by Various Artists

I try to read an entire work (at least the official English releases) before recommending it, but this week is a little different. It’s a single volume anthology #manga containing twenty chapters—over 1,000 pages—and it’s free!

Young Magazine is an established brand in Japan; they ran “Akira” and “Initial D” among others. Now they’ve released an English language sampler so new readers can get a taste of their stories and vote on the ones they want to see more of. I’m about halfway through, and I’m impressed at the variety of offerings (from #SciFi to #Horror to #LGBT) as well as the quality.

If you were at Anime NYC this weekend, or live near one of the 17 US Kinokuniya stores, you might be lucky enough to get your hands on a physical copy. For the rest of us it’s available free for the remainder of 2025 at https://young-magazine-usa.com (or pretty much any digital outlet that offers Kodansha products.)

#YoungMagazineUSA