Holiday Review #25: STOP!! HIBARI-KUN

 With so many long-shot older manga releases coming out this year from so many different publishers, it was legitimately hard to pick one to close out this year's Holiday Reviews.  This one was special though, not just because of its place in the history of Weekly Shonen Jump but its place in the history of queer representation in manga, and that's absolutely something worth celebrating this Christmas.

STOP!! HIBARI-KUN (Sutoppu!! Hibari-Kun), by Hisashi Eguichi.  First published in 1981 and first published in North America in 2025.

PLOT:

After Kohsaku's mother dies, he's taken in by Ibari Ozora, a Tokyo-area Yakuza boss.  It's not long after he steps into their home that he meets the beautiful, charming Hibari.  Hibari is trans, much to the despair of her father, her elder sisters, and Kohsaku.  Hibari's not bothered, though, as she's both strong and clever enough to evade her father's attempts to make her more manly, the attempts of the local mean girls to take her down a peg, and keeping Kohsaku from chasing the cute girl managing the school boxing club.

Holiday Review #24: CAT'S EYE

This year also brought us quite a few older manga titles from some surprising sources.  Kana took advantage of their French heritage and that country's long-standing love of Tsukasa Hojo to not only put out City Hunter again but publish Hojo's other hit series from the 1980s in English for the first time.

CAT'S EYE (Kyattsu Ai), by Tsukasa Hojo.  First published in 1981 and first published in North America in 2025.

PLOT:

By day, Rui, Hitomi, and Ai are the beautiful proprietors of the Cat's Eye cafe.  By night, the Kisugi sisters become Tokyo's most notorious art thieves, using all their skills to capture priceless paintings and jewels in the hopes of finding a lead on their long-missing father.  The only clue they ever leave is a calling card, much to the consternation of lead detective Toshio.  He would never guess that the answer to all his problems lies within his favorite hang-out spot or that his high-school sweetheart Hitomi is using him for insider info on their heists.

Holiday Review #23: KINGDOM

 They say Christmas is a time of miracles, and there certainly were a lot of manga license miracles happening this year, including this long-requested shonen title.

KINGDOM (Kingudamu), by Yasuhisa Hara.  First published in 2006 and first published in North America in 2025.

PLOT:

Over 2000 years ago, the land that would become eastern China is divided between many different warring kingdoms.  Far away from all that is Xin and Piao, two young orphans in the countryside forced to slave away for the town leader.  They sneak away to practice fighting whenever possible in the hopes of become great generals.  Their sparring attracts the attention of a passing lord, who buys Piao's freedom and offers to train him at the royal court. 

 Not long thereafter, there is a revolt at court by the emperor's younger brother and Piao is slain in the process.  With his dying words, he sets Xin on a mission of vengeance and a fateful meeting with the young king of Qin himself.

Holiday Review #22: A VAMPIRE IN THE BATHHOUSE

 Of course, it's also fun to take figures of horror and put them into wacky situations for the sake of comedy.  For example, you could have...

A VAMPIRE IN THE BATHHOUSE (Sento to Vampire), by Niko Izuki.  First published in 2021 and first published in North America in 2025.

PLOT:

Luka Edelmondt Finsternis might be a regal, dashing vampire, but sometimes he gets curious about the human world and needs healing that his mage-in-training cannot provide.  His curiosity leads him the bathhouse run by Sakura Amamitsutsuki, who needs some extra help running his father's place.  Thus, Luka makes a deal: he will work for Sakura in return for free use of the baths...and a bit of blood now and then.

Holiday Review #21: MANSECT

 With so many horrors happening in the real world, it's almost a relief to turn to one of Living the Line's latest horror manga releases and enjoy a tale of supernatural terror on its 50th anniversary.

MANSECT (Yochu), by Koga Shinichi.  First published in 1975 and first published in North America in 2025.

PLOT:

After the loss of his mother, Hideo holed up in their empty house and filled it with insects.  His body soon undergoes a strange insect-like transformation, as silk spurts from his body to form a cocoon.  His transformation is interrupted before it is complete, leaving him a monstrous creature that is neither fully human nor fully insect.  He takes to lurking in the woods and the edge of town, seeking out other disaffected men who begin to undergo their own bizarre transformations.