What manga are you reading now?

CANIS Dear Hatter Volume 1 by ZAKK from Kuma - long-awaited English translation in what should be a lovely edition with removable dust jacket but, alas, Kuma shrink-wrapped it (not sure why for this volume) and the cover is quite flimsy and suffered as a consequence. 😢 Kuma are bringing out some very desirable titles in the BL range (Harada, Tanaka Ogeretsu etc.) and their attention to detail and quality is usually very good but shrink-wrapping paperbacks with dust jackets that aren't very thick seems a potential minefield.
Our Not-So-Lonely Planet Travel Guide Volume 3 by Mone Sorai from Tokyopop - digital edition out now of this warm-hearted travelogue. Review to follow soon!
 
Fairy Tail: 100 Years Quest ch 116

Hajimete no Gal ch 145

How Not to Summon a Demon Lord ch 86.1 - 87.3

In Another World With My Smartphone ch 70

Karakai Jouzu no (Moto) Takagi-san ch 242 - 243

Kissxsis ch 153 - 154 (Complete)

Lust Geass ch 45

Monster Musume no Iru Nichijou ch 77

The Rising of the Shield Hero ch 90

Tsugumomo ch 151
 
Komi Can't Communicate vol 17 - 20
This series is so good and easy to read. There's actually some significant moving forward of Komi, Tadano and Rumikos situation which is nice. As well as the general shenanigans you'd expect from the series. A really fun time all round.

Edit: Also listened to Dawnshard audiobook by Brandon Sanderson. Even his novellas have amazing world and universe building. This one is set between Stormlight 3 and 4 and follows Rysn and Lopen. Its a really entertaining read and has stuff that's going to be real important for the Cosmere one day.
 
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Semelparous vol 1 + 2, probably move on to 3 later.
Might as well Cheat 1+2.
Who says Warriors can't be babes.
Witches of Adamas vol 2.

Should have been reading Ladies on Top but it's been delayed. 🤬
 
Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou Vol 1
Got this after reading @ayase post about it. Really enjoyed it. It manages to be gentle and fun on the surface but has a really sad undertone that's mostly expressed through visuals as we see the world has become a very different place. The story however is about how the characters live their best life in this world and maintain a sense or normality. It's very charming and Alpha is a very likable protagonist. Looking forward to the rest being released.
 
D-Genesis: Three Years After the Dungeons Appeared volume 2 (LN)

Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? volume 17 (LN) - Wasn't super into the storyline for the first half of this book, but it picked up a lot toward the end and now I'm eagerly awaiting volume 18... which isn't due out until Winter in Japan. May have to read the next one in Japanese since right now the turnaround to English is taking more than a year...

The Apothecary Diaries volume 6 - Some excellent faces in this one and it reached one of my favourite bits of the light novels at last.

Ano ko no Kodomo volume 1 (JP) - This was free to read in Japanese until the end of the month, so I picked it up after the Seven Seas license. Interesting story which I'm sure will find its audience in English. Unsure if I'll personally continue since I wasn't a massive fan of the art, but I've kept it on my wishlist in case there's a sale.

Dead Dead Demon's Dededede Destruction volume 11

Usotoki Rhetoric volume 5 (JP) - Halfway through the series now, continuing to pray for the English release to be good so I can push it on all my friends.

Destiny Unchain Online volume 1 (JP) - A fairly generic VRMMO storyline but the artwork is excellent, so will definitely be keeping up with this one going forward.

Mr. Bride volume 6
 
Monotone Blue by Nagabe (The Girl from the Other Side) Seven Seas (digital) is described as BL but is more like a study of the friendship that develops between two loners/lonely high school boys, how it’s tested and whether it’s strong enough to endure when curious classmates start to interfere. The fact that one of them is a cat-boy and the other a lizard-boy means that it’s a close cousin of Beastars – except there are no female characters here.

Anti-Romance #1 by Shoko Hidaka Seven Seas (digital) I’m a huge fan of Shoko Hidaka (Blue Morning) and this has all the usual hallmarks of their work: good characters; elegant graphics; a believable friendship that might be developing into a relationship. My only concern is that this has languished at only one volume so far – and Shoko Hidaka has gone on to start other works since then without returning to this one.

Jealousy #5 by Scarlet Beriko SuBLime (digital). The fifth and final volume of the harrowing yet occasionally mischievously amusing story of a would-be yakuza and his (hopeless?) crush on a young yakuza boss. This talented mangaka never does anything in the ways one would expect and while we should be hating on anti-hero Rogi, she somehow manages to make him appear unexpectedly sympathetic. Mature-rated for very good reasons!

Also Love Nest #1 (Sublime) Spy x Family #8 (VIZ) and Blue Period #8 (Kodansha).

(I have recommendations for French editions of manga too if ever anyone's interested?)
 
Sarah said:
(I have recommendations for French editions of manga too if ever anyone's interested?)
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As I'm learning German I'm looking for hardcover manga/LNs that are available in German in hardcover but only in paperback in English? I quoted your post cuz it kinda leads into my ask but ofc I understand that knowing French doesn't mean you necessarily know German, so this is more a general query for my fellow forumites (also if I ever decide to learn French as well I'll ask you for recs haha XD ) :)
 
RadFemHedonist said:
As I'm learning German I'm looking for hardcover manga/LNs that are available in German in hardcover but only in paperback in English? I quoted your post cuz it kinda leads into my ask but ofc I understand that knowing French doesn't mean you necessarily know German, so this is more a general query for my fellow forumites :)
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I tend to use Amazon to do my research for new titles as well as French publishers (except for one French online shop that I can order from direct) so I imagine that Amazon.de is quite useful, as well as UK Amazon for German titles. But my impression is (from the German manga I've bought in the past) that they're mostly in paperback and often cheaper (!!) than French manga. (I'm thinking of Carlsen Verlag, Tokyopop and KAZE - although a quick look also shows me manhwa from Altraverse). Perhaps other Forum members can help?
 
Some series I have early volumes for are getting new ones next month, so I thought I'd check them out.

JK Haru is a Sex Worker in Another World vol 1
Haru seems like a fun character, but boy the world she found herself in is pretty scummy. Not sure I like some of the stuff that happens to her.

Witches of Adamas vol 1
This is the dumbest horniest stuff I've read and read plenty of dumb horny stuff!

I was going to read I Can't Believe I Slept With You as well, but found out it finished at 3 volumes and as I have 2 already I might as well get the 3rd and read it all together.
 
Picked up a couple of first volumes from the Yen Press coin back event and read this to see if I wanted to continue:
Sex Ed 120% vol 1
Obviously not the target audience at all, but I found it quite funny, so will continue.

The other one will have to wait.
 
Orange Volume 6 - Future - Ichigo Takano - Finally got around to buying and reading this when I saw Volume 7 was up for pre-order, this series holds a special place in my heart, as someone who has suffered with the kinds of mental health things it is trying to encourage us to be kinder about and notice more, I cried just reading the author's afterword in Volume 5, and it was really nice to have a volume centred on Suwa - I'm so glad I took the time and I excitedly anticipate Volume 7. I also applaud the author for not dragging things out like some series do - I'm all for lots of volumes if they are needed but this is a great manga for people who want an excellent relatively short read. I also wish to note that the reason I dragged my heels so much on reading Volume 6 is because I was unsure as to whether to read it or watch the anime movie as I think for this volume technically it was anime first? I may yet watch the Orange anime series and movie (and perhaps the live-action version?) but regardless I love this manga :)
 
RadFemHedonist said:
Orange Volume 6 - Future - Ichigo Takano - Finally got around to buying and reading this when I saw Volume 7 was up for pre-order, this series holds a special place in my heart, as someone who has suffered with the kinds of mental health things it is trying to encourage us to be kinder about and notice more, I cried just reading the author's afterword in Volume 5, and it was really nice to have a volume centred on Suwa - I'm so glad I took the time and I excitedly anticipate Volume 7. I also applaud the author for not dragging things out like some series do - I'm all for lots of volumes if they are needed but this is a great manga for people who want an excellent relatively short read. I also wish to note that the reason I dragged my heels so much on reading Volume 6 is because I was unsure as to whether to read it or watch the anime movie as I think for this volume technically it was anime first? I may yet watch the Orange anime series and movie (and perhaps the live-action version?) but regardless I love this manga :)
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Thank you so much for reminding me about how good this moving and thoughtful series is - I really must do that long-planned re-read before Volume 7! (Although part of me wonders whether the mangaka should have left it at #6...?) 🤔 My memory of the anime series was that it was faithful to the manga and an affecting watch (but others might disagree, and it's been a while since I watched it...)

@Demelza - you reviewed it for us; are you looking forward to Volume 7 too?
 
A Serenade for Pretend Lovers volume 4 - Sigh, into a jealousy-driven arc which doesn't particularly suit the two leads. Such a shame since I quite like their relationship on the whole and I was hoping the final arc would play out somewhat differently.

Slayers volume 16 (LN) - One more until we're caught up with the most recent LN release. I've enjoyed reading this one a lot more than I expected, it's certainly a product of its time but that's not a bad thing.

That's My Atypical Girl volume 6 - Still a difficult read, but I carry on since I find myself morbidly curious about where it's going to go in the end.

Tesla Note volume 6 - The plot twists are starting to get somewhat silly as we head into the final volume, but that doesn't take away from how enjoyable a read it proves to be. The action scenes were also once again very good.

Anti Romance volume 1 - Picked up Seven Seas' release since it included colour pages that were originally from a separate booklet in Japan. I really like the main characters and the premise of these two people being stuck in the same situation for so long that things have changed without them realising, but they're also unable to move forward due to how long they've let their relationship continue as it was.

@Sarah Volume 2 is scheduled for a release in late October in Japan, so it appears the author has at least concluded it! I'm certainly looking forward to seeing where it will go after the events of the last volume. I don't think I have read anything else of Shoko Hidaka's before, looks like a lot are unlicensed or OOP. Although Blue Morning is readily available, so maybe I will take a look at that. 🤔

Sarah said:
Thank you so much for reminding me about how good this moving and thoughtful series is - I really must do that long-planned re-read before Volume 7! (Although part of me wonders whether the mangaka should have left it at #6...?) 🤔 My memory of the anime series was that it was faithful to the manga and an affecting watch (but others might disagree, and it's been a while since I watched it...)

@Demelza - you reviewed it for us; are you looking forward to Volume 7 too?
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@RadFemHedonist I've not seen the movie since I don't believe anyone bothered to release it here, but I do remember the anime being faithful and an enjoyable watch for fans of the series so I definitely recommend checking that out. :)

As for the manga, I believe Volume 7 is a collection of almost one-shot-like chapters that all revolve around a different member of the friend circle, so it should be enjoyable even while not the same as what has come before it. Giving the rest of the cast more closure is not bad, but I confess in many ways that I feel like the original 5 volumes were enough never mind 6 and then this last one and at some point, it does begin to feel like the author is cashing in on the popularity of it, particularly when their newer series Become You seems to have just stalled out of existence...
 
@Demelza: Thank you for the more encouraging news about a second volume for Anti Romance! 🙂 And I'd definitely recommend Blue Morning which is more like a historical novel in manga form with a proper plot and complex characters and relationships (a very good translation too from Jocelyne Allen). But my top Shoko Hidaka recommend is Hana Wa Saku Ka? (5 volumes) which only reached 3 volumes in English (June yet again in a not very wonderful translation! 😤) and so I had to finish reading in my rather imperfect Japanese. But as I imagine your Japanese is way better than mine, I think you'd be just fine with it!
 
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