Holiday Review Giveaway Winner & 2022 In the Rear View Mirror

 First of all, it's time to announce this year's winner for the Holiday Review Giveaway: @WanderinDreamr, who took her opportunity to promote a Manga Plus series:

I'm gonna put in a good word for Magilumiere Co. Ltd., a series about a magical girl start-up where everyone is trying to have a good work-life balance!

Congratulations! I'll be getting in touch you shortly to sort out your prize.

So how did our 10th year of The Manga Test Drive turn out? Honestly, not that much different from the others aside from a little bit of growth from some new Patrons. Things were somewhat more busy over at our sister site Renaissance Josei, where I completed not one or two but four new Disaster Reports. It also wasn't a bad year for me as a panelist. While I was not able to attend Anime Boston as planned and one of my Otakon panels got mis-scheduled and removed, my history of stop-motion panel went over well at both this year's Anime Iowa and filled a panel room at Otakon. That's not even getting into my many appearances over at Giant Robot FM, where I got to indulge my fondness for Gundam: The Origin and the works of Yoshikazu Yasuhiko a lot.

So what does 2023 hold in store for me? Aside from Year 11 of this humble little review blog, there will likely be more Disaster Reports (along with maybe another project). There will certainly be more panels. There might be another Anime Feminist appearance. Odds are good I'll end up on more podcasts at some point. Beyond that, I can't say with certainty but I'm sure that at the very least it'll be interesting.

In the meantime, I hope that everyone out there continues to find use and enjoyment from my words, share them with others, and maybe even join my Patreon (since who knows how long promoting things on Twitter will hold out).   Hopefully your 2023 will be a happy one as well.

Holiday Review #25: YOKOHAMA KAIDASHI KIKOU

I knew from the moment I started sorting out what manga to cover this month which series I would end it with.  It had to be the series that no one ever thought would be licensed, to the point that its unlicensability had become something of an inside joke among manga readers and reviewers.  It was too old, too odd, too obscure, and generally unmarketable to your average reader.

And yet here it is, less than a year after it was first announced, like a proper Christmas miracle.

YOKOHAMA KAIDASHI KIKOU, by Hotoshi Ashinano.  First published in 1994 and first published in North America in 2022.

PLOT:

Alpha the android runs her master's coffee shop while they're away.  There's not a huge demand for it in a world where most of Japan's major cities have been swallowed by the sea, but she does have a few neighbors who regularly pop for conversation and trade.  Sometimes Alpha ventures out on her trusty scooter to faraway towns, traversing the few paved roads that haven't broken down or turned into beachfront property, enjoying the sights and hoping to get a new message from her long-absent owner.

Holiday Review #24: BABY BEAR'S BAKERY

 The holidays are also a time for copious amounts of sweet things, so it's the perfect time to read something like this.

BABY BEAR'S BAKERY (Koguma no Cakeya-san), by Kamentotsu.  First published in 2018 and first published in North America in 2022.

PLOT:

This is the story of a baby bear who runs his own cake shop.  He's eager to learn about the world around him alongside the shop's waiter, all while making and sharing his many magnificent cakes with others.

Holiday Review #23: SHONEN NOTE

The holidays are a time that's full of music (whether you want it or not), so it felt like as good of a time as any to talk about this one.

SHONEN NOTE, by Yuhki Kamitani.  First published in 2010 and first published in North America in 2022.

PLOT:

Yutaka Aoi loves music.  It's not just that he has a beautiful, expressive soprano singing voice, it's that good music can bring him to tears and the sounds of the everyday world are like music to him.  He overhears the choir practicing at his new junior high school and immediately wants to join.  Not every member is thrilled by this first-year upstart, but others are awed by his talent and hope that he can lead them to bigger, better things.  All the while, there's always the concern that Yutaka could lose this special talent once puberty kicks in....

Holiday Review# 22: DRIP DRIP

No shojo romance, no matter how low-key or strange it could be, could compare to what came out this year from the mind of the woman who gave us Beastars.

DRIP DRIP (Bota Bota), by Paru Itagaki.  First published in 2020 and first published in North America in 2022.

PLOT:

Ever since she was a girl, Mako Higuri gets massive nosebleeds whenever she touches something dirty.  That includes literal trash, money, and in particular men.  It's extremely frustrating for her, when all she wants to do is to lose her virginity and enjoy a normal romantic relationship for once.  It doesn't help that every man she tries to seduce ends up being some sort of weirdo.  Will her luck turn around when she meets an old classmate who doesn't immediately make her nose gush?

Holiday Review #21: NO LONGER HEROINE

 This next one won't be for everyone, but I appreciate the way to tries to interject some weirdness and awfulness into the standard shojo romance formula.

NO LONGER HEROINE (Heroine Shikkaku), by Momoko Koda.  First published in 2010 and first published in North America in 2022.

PLOT:

Hatori Matsuzaki is convinced that she is the heroine of her own life and she knows just who her love interest should be: her handsome playboy childhood best friend Rita.  Sure, she's never told him about her feelings, but she's certain that after breaking so many hearts, he'll figure out that she's always been there, knows everything about him, and is meant to be his true love!

...that is, until he starts dating their mousy classmate Miho Adachi and seems to be getting serious about it.

Hatori won't take this lying down, though.  She's gonna get her man, even if requires a bit of scheming, passive aggression, and maybe the odd failed group date.

Holiday Review #20: IN THE CLEAR MOONLIT DUSK

 It's so nice for once to be reviewing a Kodansha-published shojo manga and not walk away from it bored or frustrated with its gender politics for once.

IN THE CLEAR MOONLIT DUSK (Uruwashi no Yoi no Tsuki), by Mika Yamamori.  First published in 2020 and first published in North America in 2022.

PLOT:

Yoi Takeguchi is used to being a called a prince.  After all, she's a tall girl with a more masculine look and a deep voice.  She's used to all the girls swooning over from a distance and all the boys staying away.  That's why she's so confused by Kohaku Ichimura, a new boy who's also cool and good-looking.  He thinks she's gorgeous and tries his best to sweep her off her feet.  Will Yoi ever accept the idea of someone treating her like a girl for once?

Holiday Review #19: LOOK BACK

 While everyone is talking about the Chainsaw Man anime, it's time to check out of its creator's first projects after it first wrapped up.

LOOK BACK (Rukku Bakku), by Tatsuki Fujimoto.  First published in 2021 and first published in North America in 2022.

PLOT:

Fujino is inordinately proud of the simple little gag comic she publishes in the school paper, but her work can't compare to the exquisite drawings of her shut-in classmate Kyomoto.  While delivering her junior high diploma, Fujino is shocked to learn that Kyomoto is her biggest fan, and from there a friendship and manga-making partnership is born.  Alas, it is all too short-lived, thanks to the pull of the world beyond high school and an unforeseen tragedy.

Holiday Review: #18: WORLD END SOLTE

 But that's enough isekai - let's look at a fantasy story from one of the better (and deeply underrated mangaka) of our time!

WORLD END SOLTE (Saihate no Solte), by Satoshi Mizukami.  First published in 2020 and first published in North America in 2022.

PLOT:

Solte is tired.  She's tired of missing her parents, who disappeared years ago on a quest to clean their world of magical pollution.  She's tired of being betrayed by the adults who are supposed to care for her.  She's tired of feeling powerless.  Instead, she's determined to travel on her own deep into the magical realm, all the way to the land of the dead.  Along the way she's joined by an immortal swordsman with a death wish, her uncle (now transformed into a human-sized mole), and a chatty fairy who swears she's met and traveled with them all before.

Holiday Review #17: HOUSEKEEPING MAGE FROM ANOTHER WORLD: MAKING YOUR ADVENTURES FEEL LIKE HOME!

 Of course, I can't talk about isekai manga without talking about J-Novel Club, who in recent years set up a new imprint just for shojo- and josei-adjacent light novels (and manga adaptations thereof).  It's about time I looked at one of those titles to see how it might serve as an antidote to the more mainstream, male-led tales out there.

HOUSEKEEPING MAGE FROM ANOTHER WORLD: MAKING YOUR ADVENTURES FEEL LIKE HOME! (Kasei Madoushi no Isekai Seikatsu: Boukenchuu no Kaseifugyou Uketamawarimasu!), based on the light novel series by You Fuguruma and character designs by Nama, with art by Akihito Ono.  First published in 2019 and first published in North America in 2022.

PLOT:

Four years ago Shiori Izumi was just another overworked office lady, living alone and trying her best to get as much done as possible.  Then she fainted, only to find herself in a strange new world of magic and adventurer guilds.  Over time she learned the language, gained some low-level magic, and started using it to recreate the comforts of home for weary travelers, only to end up betrayed by her own party and left for dead.  Can Shiori learn to trust in herself and others again?

Holiday Review #16: SHUNA'S JOURNEY

 But let's take a diversion to a more highbrow sort of fantasy, created by the one anime director that literally everyone knows.

SHUNA'S JOURNEY (Shuna no Tabi), by Hayao Miyazaki.  First published in 1983 and first published in North America in 2022.

PLOT:

Shuna is the prince of a far-away valley, where the people work hard to scrape what sustenance they can get from its cold, thin soil.  Shuna learns of a glorious golden grain, grown in a land far beyond his own.  Determined to gather some for his own, he sets off on his trusted yakul.  Along the way he faces off against slavers, cannibals, strange monsters, and the forces of nature itself, with only a few allies to aid him.

Holiday Review #15: THE OTHER WORLD'S BOOKS DEPEND ON THE BEAN COUNTER

 Mind you, not all the isekai fantasy manga that came out this year was dire.  Yen Press managed to find a real gem, as well as the first instance of BL isekai I've seen since Kyo Kara Maoh.

THE OTHER WORLD'S BOOKS DEPEND ON THE BEAN COUNTER (Isekai no Sata wa Shachiku Shidai), based on the light novels by Yatsuki Wakatsu and character designs by Kikka Ohashi with art by Kazuki Irodori.  First published in 2020 and first published in North America in 2022.

PLOT:

Seiichiro Kondou was just another salaryman, working long hours at an accounting firm, wondering how his twenties got away from him.  Then he stumbles across a young woman getting sucked into a strange portal, and in his attempt to save her gets transported alongside her to the fantastical realm of the Romany kingdom.  It seems this young girl is the maiden destined to save them, but the prince and his counselors have no idea what to do with Kondou.  He decides to make himself useful by joining the royal accountants, but his efficiency begins to make him enemies and a bad reaction to a magic potion leads to a close encounter with the stern royal captain Aresh Indolark.

Holiday Review #14: MY [REPAIR] SKILL BECAME A VERSATILE CHEAT, SO I THINK I'LL OPEN A WEAPON SHOP

 The ongoing tsunami of fantasy light novel manga adaptations continued into 2022, although it started to take on a different quality.  Amidst the slave harems and the demon kings was a more low-key strain of stories.  These were about guys who wanted to leave the adventurer lifestyle behind, settle down, maybe start a business.

MY [REPAIR] SKILL BECAME A VERSATILE CHEAT, SO I THINK I'LL OPEN A WEAPON SHOP ("Shuufuku" Skill ga Bannou Cheat-ka shita node, Bukiya demo Hirakouka to Omoimasu), based on the light novel by Ginga Hoshikawa and character designs by Nemusuke, with art by Yukimi Enoki.  First published in 2019 and first published in North America in 2022.

PLOT:

Luke has wanted to be an adventurer since he was a child, but he has no luck.  He's useless with weapons and his only magical skill is the ability to repair items.  Abandoned by his latest party and left to die, he's forced to find innovative new ways to use his skill just so he can get out.  In the process he strengthens his sword so much that he's able to slay a dragon, saving the samurai swordswoman Sakura and her companion Sylvia.  They vow to help him in return, and together they create a second-hand weapon shop where Luke can put his skill to the best possible use.

Holiday Review #13: TALES OF THE KINGDOM

 Mostly I'm just glad that this year brought us yet another beautiful and subtly queer manga from Asumiko Nakamura.

TALES OF THE KINGDOM (Okoku Monogatari), by Asumiko Nakamura.  First published in 2017 and first published in North America in 2022.

PLOT:

This collection features two stories.  The first is of two twins, Adalte and Adolte: one a prince, the other a prisoner.  The two finally meet as young men, escape and find a degree of modest happiness until insecurity forces them apart.  The second is of Shao, a servant from a far-away land.  He is a man held captive not just by his terms of service but by his undying love for his royal master.

Holiday Review #12: TO STRIP THE FLESH

Yet again, if you want trans (particularly transmasc) representation in comics, manga remains the best place to find it and this year brought another fine example.

TO STRIP THE FLESH (Toda Oto Tanpenshu Niku wo Hagu), by Oto Toda.  First published in 2020 and first published in North America in 2022.

PLOT:

Chiaki has known he was trans since he was a kid, but for years he felt beholden to his late mother's wishes and his dad's misunderstandings.  The only way he and his dad can connect is through working on his dad's hunting Youtube channel, even if it's only to do the butchering while the livestream ogles his chest.  It's only when Chiaki's dad is diagnosed with cancer that Chiaki finally takes action and the two of them are forced to reflect and reconnect.

Holiday Review #11: THE TITAN'S BRIDE

BL manga also continued to thrive, and you could only imagine my surprise when THIS got licensed.

THE TITAN'S BRIDE (Kyojinzoku no Hanayome), by ITKZ.  First published in 2019 and first published in North America in 2022.

PLOT:

Koichi Mizuki was just enjoying some quality time to himself in his bedroom, but without warning he found himself transported to a world of giants.  It turns out that Caius, the prince of this realm, brought him here as his prophesied bride.  Caius is charmed by Mizuki and eager at every turn to savor his body, even if Mizuki isn't entirely convinced at first.  Alas, an accidental poisoning and a dangerous journey will put their nascent relationship to the test.

Holiday Review #10: CATCH THESE HANDS!

 But if we're talking about adult ladies in manga, we have to talk about yuri.  It continued to thrive and grow as a category here, so much so that it hard to settle on just one to talk about.  Ultimately I had to go with the best yuri title (in the most literal sense of that phrase) to come out in 2022.

CATCH THESE HANDS! (Watashi no Kobushi wo Uketomete!), by murata.  First published in 2018 and first published in North America in 2022.

PLOT:

Takabe was once the most fearless delinquent at her school, but years later all her old friends have settled down and Takabe is tired of bouncing from job to job and feeling left behind.  When she tries to get some new clothes, she runs into her formal rival Soramori.  Soramori couldn't be happier to be reunited with the girl she never saw as a rival but instead a crush.  Eventually Soramori issues her own challenge: if she can beat Takabe in a fight, Takabe has to go out with her!  She wins, but now they both have to figure out how this whole dating thing works...

Holiday Review #9: CAT + GAMER

 Sometimes though, you don't want bodice-ripping smut or complicated emotional masterpieces.  Sometimes you just want a simple story about an adult lady having a good time with a cute cat.  Luckily, Dark Horse Comics has you covered this year.

CAT + GAMER (Nekogurashi no Gamer-san), by Wataru Nadatani.  First published in 2018 and first published in North America in 2022.

PLOT:

Riko is a no-nonsense office worker who works hard so she can leave work right at 5PM.  That allows her to focus her spare time and energy on her favorite hobby: video games.  One day she takes in a stray kitten on an impulse.  Even though Riko has no experience with pet ownership, she's determined to apply the same mindset she takes to gaming to pet ownership.

Holiday Review #8 - TALK TO MY BACK

 Others looked back to the past and towards the more alternative side of manga to find the unique voices of women who would otherwise go unnoticed in the world of American manga.

TALK TO MY BACK (Shin Kirari), by Yamada Murasaki.  First published in 1981 and first published in North America in 2022.

PLOT:

A nameless housewife ruminates on her life and identity as she struggles to raise her kids, manage the household, deal with her feckless and frequently absent husband, get a part-time job, and somewhere in between all of that find some time and space for herself.

Holiday Review #7 - I'LL NEVER BE YOUR CROWN PRINCESS!

Speaking of ladies, this year was better than average for josei manga.  Seven Seas has been dabbling in it for a little bit, but this year they went so far as to establish an entire imprint for it.  Let's take a look at one of their first books.

I'LL NEVER BE YOUR CROWN PRINCESS! (Ohtaishihi ni Nante Naritakunai), based on the light novel by Saki Tsukigami and character designs by Enn Tsutamori, with art by Natsu Kuroki.  First published in 2019 and first published in North America in 2022.

PLOT:

Liddy is the beautiful daughter of a duke and royal adviser (and also secretly a reincarnated woman from modern-day Japan).  She's trying her best to dodge her father's attempts to marry her to the crown prince of their land, as royalty is allowed to engage in polygamy and she's simply not interested in that.  She thinks she has figured out a loophole: if she loses her virginity, she will no longer be eligible to marry the prince!  Too bad that the mysterious masked man she meets at a masquerade is the prince in disguise, and that he's so smitten with her that he left a magic seal upon her to mark her as his intended bride.

Holiday Review #6 - BE VERY AFRAID OF KANAKO INUKI!

Even Kodansha got in on the horror manga craze, picking up an anthology from one of Junji Ito's peers who has been somewhat neglected by English-language readers.

BE VERY AFRAID OF KANAKO INUKI! (Inuki Kanako no Daikyoufu!), by Kanako Inuki.  First published in 1997 and first published in North America in 2022.

PLOT:

Six tales of terrifying young girls are contained within.  There are spectral girls ready to spoil your birthday, little girls who want to grow up too fast, a little girl wishing for a toy that her sister can't break, a girl who loves a fictional character a little too much, a princess who makes a wish she regrets, and two schoolgirls dealing with bullying and a bit of divine intervention.

Holiday Review #5 - OROCHI

Viz has been the biggest beneficiary of the Junji Ito horror manga craze, but it wasn't until this year that they were willing to capitalize on that and bring back some titles from an even older horror mangaka.

OROCHI, by Kazuo Umezz.  First published in 1969 and first published in North America in 2002.

PLOT:

Orochi is a mysterious girl with a timelessly young face and untold supernatural power.  She wanders the world, inserting herself into other people's problems and using her powers to try and solve them.  Sadly, things don't always go as planned, whether it's helping two sisters suffering from a family curse or a tormented young wife who wishes for her beloved husband to return to her.

Holiday Review #4: THE TOWN OF PIGS

 After years of struggling, American publishers have finally figured out that horror manga can be successful and that they don't have to exclusively lean upon Junji Ito for that success.

Nowhere is that more evident than with the up-and-coming publisher Star Fruit Books.  They not only established their own horror manga imprint but started licensing works by some of the horror mangaka who influenced Ito in the first place.

THE TOWN OF PIGS (Buta no Machi), by Hideshi Hino.  First published in 1983 and first published in North America in 2022.

PLOT:

A young boy is horrified when a horde of marauding demons storm into his town, destroy every building, and imprison everyone but him.  Their plan is as cruel as it is senseless: they will turn the townspeople into pigs for the sake of slave labor and food, and anyone who resists is gruesomely tortured to death.  The young boy refuses to flee, choosing instead to try to find a solution - any solution - to this dilemma, all while evading a fate worse than death.

Holiday Review #3: AYAKASHI TRIANGLE

Most shonen romances these days are looking and behaving more and more like their shojo counterparts, but at least one guy is dedicated to making his shonen romances as old-fashioned and pervy as possible.

AYAKASHI TRIANGLE (Ayakashi Torainguru), by Kentaro Yabuki.  First published in 2020 and first published in North America in 2022.

PLOT:

Kazamaki Matsuri is the heir to his family's legacy as wind magic-wielding, ayakashi-banishing ninjas.   In particular, he uses his powers to protect his childhood friend Kanade Suzu, who not only can see the ayakashi but exudes a delicious life force that they crave.  This becomes a problem when she becomes fond of a fat, sassy cat that turns out to be Shirogane, king of the ayakashi.  Matsuri manages to seal Shirogane's power, but not before Shirogane turns him into a girl!  Now Suzu has to figure out a way to turn him back while Matsuri deals with her handsy friends, a rival ninja, and her own confusing feelings for her own friend.

Holiday Review #2: RECORD OF RAGNAROK

 Viz's domination of the manga market continued into this year, but that domination was pretty much entirely on the back of its Weekly Shonen Jump properties.  That's a good thing when their non-WSJ shonen titles includes manga like this.

RECORD OF RAGNAROK (Shumatsu no Warukyure), written by Shinya Umemura with script by Takumi Fukui and art by Azychika.  First published in 2019 and first published in North America in 2022.

PLOT:

The pantheon of gods have decided that humanity is beyond hope and worthy only of destruction.  Only the valkyrie Brunhilde is willing to speak up on behalf of humans.  She convinces them to participate in a series of one-on-one battles, pitting some of the greatest champions of human history against a selection of the most powerful deities.  This is the fated tournament known as Ragnarok.

Holiday Review #1: KAMEN RIDER

 For the second year in a row, I'm able to kick things off with a classic manga from Shotaro Ishinomori, and it might be the best one yet.

KAMEN RIDER (Kamen Raida), by Shotaro Ishinomori.  First published in 1971 and first published in North America in 2022.

PLOT:

Hongo Takeshi was a young man with just as much talent for science as he had for motorcycling.  His life is forever changed when he is captured by a mysterious organization known as Shocker, who seek to transform him into an animal-human hybrid cyborg as part of their plot to dominate all of humanity.  Hongo escapes before the transformation is complete, but he swears to use his super-strong body, strange new powers, and souped-up motorcycle to stop Shocker from conquering all of Japan.