By Megumi Morino | Published by Kodansha Comics Tetsu Misato makes up for what he lacks in height with his energy and determination. Due to a mysterious promise he made to his hospitalized mother, Tetsu is driven to earn money. So much so that he plains to join the work force after graduation and already is working several part-time jobs while in high school, abandoning the … [Read more...] about Wake Up, Sleeping Beauty, Vol. 1
Waiting for Spring, Vols. 1-3
By Anashin | Published by Kodansha Comics Mitsuki Haruno is a first-year in high school who has always had trouble making friends. Her luck begins to change when she befriends the most popular quartet of boys in school. If someone read those sentences to me and asked me to guess in which magazine this manga was serialized, I’d say Dessert, based on past offerings we’ve seen … [Read more...] about Waiting for Spring, Vols. 1-3
Shojo FIGHT!, Vols. 1-2
By Yoko Nihonbashi | Published digitally by Kodansha Comics Neri Oishi was a great volleyball player in elementary school, when she was captain of a team that took second place in the national championship. At her prestigious middle school, however, she’s a benchwarmer, often tasked with picking up balls and doing laundry. One of her teammates, Chiyo, is vocally frustrated … [Read more...] about Shojo FIGHT!, Vols. 1-2
Otherworld Barbara, Vols. 1-2
By Moto Hagio | Published by Fantagraphics It's 2052 and Tokio Watarai, a dream pilot, is coming home to Japan for the first time in three years. Although his ex-wife and son are in Japan, he's actually returning for a job involving a girl who's been sleeping for seven years since being found with her parents' hearts in her stomach. Her name is Aoba, and when Tokio enters … [Read more...] about Otherworld Barbara, Vols. 1-2
Love’s Reach, Vol. 1
By Rin Mikimoto | Published digitally by Kodansha Comics I am an enormous fan of Kodansha’s digital offerings, so it pains me to admit that I can’t find anything to recommend about Love’s Reach. Sixteen-year-old Yuni Kururugi, a “genius ice queen,” excels in every subject except for English, which is taught by her 24-year-old, supposed-to-be temporary homeroom teacher, … [Read more...] about Love’s Reach, Vol. 1