Holiday Review #6: DON'T HOLD BACK, LORD HADES

 Of course, most of the josei we got this took the form of smutty ladicomi from Seven Seas such as this series, which itself is part of a wider trend of creatives trying to reframe the myth of Hades and Persephone into something more romantic and equitable.

DON'T HOLD BACK, LORD HADES (Gamanshinaide, Hades-Sama.  Reikoku na Meiou no Junai wa Sokoshirenaihodo Fukakude, Omoi ), written by Foxies Busho with art by Clione.  First published in 2022 and first published in North America in 2025.

PLOT:

Persephone is the youngest of the Greek gods and goddess, an eager-to-please newbie tasked with maintaining the gardens of Olympus.  On the rare occasion a flower in this divine realm dies, it is whisked away by Hades, lord of the dead.  This is how these two meet, and it is during this encounter that Eros plants his arrow into Hades at the command of Zeus himself.  Hades hides himself away inside his dark realm to contain his overwhelming desire for Persephone.  He could have never expected that she would take it upon herself to travel to his realm and offer herself freely in the name of ending his suffering.

Holiday Review #5: TAMAKI & AMANE

 This was a good year for josei, even if most people didn't realize it because nobody was marketing their josei releases as part of that demographic (which is a rant for another day).

If nothing else, it was a year that brought us a new Fumi Yoshinaga book and there was no way I was NOT going to talk about it.

TAMAKI & AMANE (Tamaki to Amane), by Fumi Yoshinaga.  First published in 2022 and first published in North America in 2025.

PLOT:

Throughout the ages, there has always been a Tamaki and an Amane.  Sometimes they are a tragic couple in the Edo era, torn apart by pride and death.  Sometimes they are a pair of Taisho-era school-girls supporting each other through the trials of marriage and motherhood.  Sometimes they are two former squadmates who bond while running a black market cafe during the Occupation.  Sometimes they are a terminally-ill nurse and a lonely little boy in desperate need of comfort and attention.

Despite the circumstances, a Tamaki and Amane will meet and their lives will always be changed by that meeting.

Holiday Review #4: DOGSRED

There was one more notable shonen sports story from a familiar creator this year, albeit one of more recent fame and a far cooler sport.

DOGSRED (Doggusureddu), by Satoru Noda.  First published in 2023 and first published in North America in 2025.

PLOT:

Rou was on the verge of greatness.  Despite losing his mother in a car accident, Rou Shirakawa managed to win the national figure skating championship...until he immediately lashed out in an angry tirade afterwards.  With no parents or career prospects, there's nothing for him or his twin sister Haruna to do but live with their grandfather in a small town in Hokkaido.  A chance encounter with a local bully leads to Rou accidentally sinking the local kids' hockey net, and the only way to get a replacement is for Rou to join the local middle school's hockey team for a single match before they (and the school) are shut down for good.  Now Rou has to figure out how to adapt his figure skating skills to a sport he barely understands how to play.

Holiday Review #3: SHORT GAME

Since we're already on the topic of long-awaited releases of sports manga by legendary creators, we might as well talk about one of Denpa's latest releases.

SHORT GAME (SHORT GAME: Adachi Mitsuru ga Tanpen de Tsumugu Koko Yakyu), by Mitsuru Adachi.  First published in 2014 and first published in North America in 2025.

PLOT:

This collection of short stories follows the stories of various young men nostalgic for their time as stars on their school baseball teams, and the the relationships they found, lost, and found again along the way.

Holiday Review #2: BAKI THE GRAPPLER

Now I can switch from talking about Paru Itagaki to her far more infamous father.  It's not the first time his best-known manga been released in English, but this year marks the first time it has been collected into proper volumes.

BAKI THE GRAPPLER (Gurappura Baki), by Keisuke Itagaki.  First published in 1991 and first published in North America in 2025.

PLOT:

Baki Hanma is just seventeen years old, but he has the body of a champion.  When he's not training, he's competing in martial arts competitions or squaring off against the karate champion at his high school.  Baki's not concerned, though.  He's always up for a fight, as each new battle is one more step towards proving himself as the strongest man in the world.