It's Holiday Review (and Giveaway) Time!

 

               GET JOLLY! GET JOLLY! GET SO JOLLY IT MAKES YOU JOLLY!

*ahem*

Soon enough it will be December 1, and this means one of two things:

1.  My Twitter feed will soon be entirely consumed by people talking about the new JoJo's Bizzare Adventure anime.

2. It's time for The Manga Test Drive's annual holiday reviews!

That's right, it's time once more where I review 1 manga a day from the start of the month until Christmas Day, spotlighting some of the best and worst titles of the year.  That also means that it's time for the site's annual Holiday Giveaway.

If you've been a regular reader, you know how this goes.  If not, then all you have to do to enter is to leave a comment on this post or this Tweet to enter telling me what your favorite manga of the year might have been.  It doesn't necessarily have to be a manga that was released this year - so long as it was new to you, it counts!  I'll pick one at random afterwards to receive a $25 RightStuf gift certificate, ready to be spent on all those glorious post-holiday sales.

I'm looking forward to your responses, and I hope you'll be looking forward to these reviews!

Review: PLUS-SIZED ELF

After all the feasting on Thursday, I imagine there are plenty of people out there considering taking up a diet to combat holiday-related weight gain.  Funny enough, there's a food-related manga for that too!

PLUS-SIZED ELF (Elf-san ha Yaserarenai), by Synecdoche.  First published in 2016 and first published in North America in 2018.

PLOT:

Naoe's skill as a massage therapist is put to the test when Elfuda comes into his office.  She's an actual elf with a hopeless addiction to French fries, and because of that she's put on so much weight that she can't transport herself back home.  The combination of Naoe's masterful hands and sensible advice eventually gets her (temporarily) back in shape, and soon enough Naoe finds himself called upon to help other magical beings, all of whom have fallen prey to delicious human delights and gained weight because of it.

Review: NOODLE FIGHTER MIKI

Food manga and comedy should be a fine combination in theory, but this manga manages to turn it into an incredibly off-putting combo.

NOODLE FIGHTER MIKI (Muteki Kanban Musume), by Jun Sadagawa.  First published in 2002 and first published in North America in 2005.

PLOT:

Miki Onimaru wants to help her mother with the family ramen shop, but everytime she sets out to do a chore or make a delivery she gets distracted.  Sometimes it's something mundane like a loose bird's nest, cleaning the street outside the shop, or a gaggle of kids taking over her old treehouse.  Sometimes it's something more complex like investigating a potential break-in or getting caught up in old rivalries.  The only thing stronger than Miki's lack of focus is her hot temper, often with unintentionally destructive results.

Review: MANLY APPETITES

You've likely heard the old saying about food being the language of love.  This series just so happens to take that a little more literally than usual.

MANLY APPETITES: MINEGESHI LOVES OTSU (Minegeshi-san wa Otsu-kun ni Tabesasetai), by Mito.  First published in 2019 and first published in North America in 2020.

PLOT:

Otsu is cynical enough about his weight and how other people at the office treat him.  He doesn't need someone like the tall, handsome, fit, and popular salesman Minegeshi to hang around to ply him with tasty sweets.  He could never conceive that Minegeshi might find Otsu adorable and would do anything if it means getting close to him and watching him enjoy good food...even if everyone else in the office has figured it out by now.

Review: TODAY'S MENU FOR THE EMIYA FAMILY

With Thanksgiving and its many bountiful meals on the horizon, now's as good as time as any to take a look at some food manga.   After all, a lot of food manga are all about getting together with others and being thankful for good food like this series.

TODAY'S MENU FOR THE EMIYA FAMILY (Emiya-sanchi no Kyo no Gohan), based on the original story by TYPE-MOON with art by TAa and food direction by Makoto Tadano.  First published in 2016 and first published in North America in 2019.

PLOT:

In a world where masters can summon magical servants from history and legend, even something as momentous as a Holy Grail War can be put aside so that the cast of Fate/Stay Night can get together and enjoy some good food thanks to Shiro Emiya and his cooking skills.