2025 In the Rear View Mirror

 First of all, it's time to announce this year's Holiday Review Giveaway winner! gimmickpunk decided to revisit a shonen classic this year, one that's near and dear to my own heart:

Tis the season! I finally started reading the FMA manga this year and I’m loving it as much as I did both shows way back when.

Congratulations!  To claim your prize, just reach to us via DM to our Bluesky account with a viable email address so we can get your Bookshop.org gift certificate to you in time for some New Year's shopping.

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.

Holiday Review #20: YOU CAN'T BLUFF THE SHARP-EYED SISTER

 These last few years have been great one for Natsu Hyuuga, mostly due to the incredible success of The Apothecary Diaries.  This year we started to get some of the manga adaptations of other works she's written, so naturally I had to check this one out myself.

YOU CAN'T BLUFF THE SHARP-EYED SISTER (Seijo ni Uso wa Tsujinai), based on the light novels by Natsu Hyuuga and character designs by Chiho Shinishi, with art by Yo Asami.  First published in 2023 and first published in North America in 2025.

PLOT:

In the land of Mythos, select young women are born with powers known as "charisms" that grant them great beauty and supernatural powers.  Chloe is a novice at the church with an eye for money and a knack for gambling, so much so that handsome, noble young paladin named Erald believes she possess a charism.  Chloe is skeptical of both him and his claim.  She has no magical gift - she's just good at observing others!  Regardless, Erald needs a woman of her skills for a very specific purpose: to investigate a murder.

Holiday Review #19: NEIGHBORHOOD CRAFTSMEN - STORIES FROM KANDA'S GOKURA-CHOU

 Now this is more of what I was looking for!  This is the sort of hyper-focused historical story that you could only ever get from manga (even if it's almost certain to never top the sales charts).

NEIGHBORHOOD CRAFTSMEN: STORIES FROM KANDA'S GOKURA-CHOU (Kanda Gokura-cho Shokunin-Banashi), by Akihito Sakaue.  First published in 2020 and first published in North America in 2025.

PLOT:

Centuries ago, back when Tokyo was still Edo, everyday craftspeople worked diligently on their wares.  It didn't matter if it was something as humble as a wooden tub or a plaster wall or as prestigious as a samurai's sword - they all understood the properties of the materials they worked with and the value of their skills, and their role in the everyday functions of the city.

Holiday Review #18: WASH IT ALL AWAY

Ok, after all that horny nonsense we need a palate cleanser of a manga.  I thought this next book would be ideal for that purpose but after reading it I'm not entirely sure...

WASH IT ALL AWAY (Kirei ni Shite Moraemasu ka), by Mitsuru Hattori.  First published in 2017 and first published in North America in 2025.

PLOT:

Wakame Kinme runs a small laundry shop in the seaside town of Atami.  The locals love her because of the care she puts into each order, whether it's the smallest repairs or her willingness to do deliveries.  You'd never guess that such a kind and happy young woman was suffering from amnesia, unable to remember anything prior to two years ago.

Holiday Review #17: GUSHING OVER MAGICAL GIRLS

Not all of this year's yuri titles were so sweet and heart-warming, though.  This one was particularly notorious, even before it got an anime, as well as a rare non-isekai release from J-Novel Club.

GUSHING OVER MAGICAL GIRLS (Maho Shojo ni Akogarete), by Akihiro Ononaka.  First published in 2019 and first published in North America in 2025.

PLOT:

Hiiragi Utena loves magical girls, and in particular loves watching Tres Magia fight the forces of evil.  That's why when a strange little creature named Venalita offers to transform her, she accepts without a second thought.  Utena doesn't become a magical girl but instead a magical villain, one who uses magically kinky methods to punish her foes.  At first Utena is reluctant, but with each new battle she learns more about her favorite magical girls...and herself.

Holiday Review #16: LOVE BULLET

It's seasonally fitting that after we got a Green Yuri last year, we get a Red Yuri this year to match it.

LOVE BULLET (Rabu Baretto), by inee.  First published in 2023 and first published in North America in 2025.

PLOT:

Any young person who dies young without knowing love will be given a second chance by the goddess of love.  They become cupids, with white hair and red eyes, invisible to the human world.  Their task is to pair up the lonely hearts of the world to earn enough karma to gain a second life, although now they use modern munitions instead of the traditional bow and arrow and things can get a bit competitive when multiple cupids are involved.

Kohaku is one of the latest additions, a teen girl who died in a freak accident just as her best friend Aki was confessing her feelings.  Even in life, Kohaku had a knack for picking couples among her classmates, but those skills will be put to the test on her first assignment: find the perfect match for (the now college-aged) Aki.

Holiday Review #15: BLACK BLOOD

Only one book this year dared to ask the question "can you make a BL manga about a man and a cyborg, much less make it good?"

BLACK BLOOD, by Hayate Kuku.  First published in 2021 and first published in North America in 2025.

PLOT:

In the far-off future, a cyborg named Ethan is sent to the planet of Peridot to work as a security guard on a human terraforming project.  It's there that he meets Mihail, a botanist trying to study the native plantlife of this strange planet.  Ethan gets assigned to be Mihail's security on his missions, and the two soon find themselves drawn to one another.  Is it love? And how does love work for a man who is no longer human, a man made more for the battlefield than romance?

Holiday Review #14: HABERDASHERY GINMOKUSEI

 But that's enough straight romance!  There was plenty of fine BL released this year and this series in particular was one of the most handsome examples to hit the shelves.

HABERDASHERY GINMOKUSEI (Ginmokusei no Shitateya), by Mamita.  First published in 2020 and first published in North America in 2025.

PLOT:

Ubuki chose to leave his job and take over his grandfather's tailor shop because he wanted to honor him, but he barely had a chance to learn the ropes before his grandfather died and now the shop is on the verge of failure.  That's when a statuesque blond named Theo walks through the door, insisting that only he can save the shop.  Ubuki soon realizes the two of them met before during a drunken hook-up, but he's in no place to refuse help.  As the shop transforms under Theo's guidance, Ubuki finds himself questioning just what Theo's true intentions might be.

Holiday Review #13: BETRAYED BY THE HERO, I FORMED A MILF PARTY WITH HIS MOM!

 That last review represented one of the earlier, classier isekai offerings!  These days, it seems the only way these creators can distinguish themselves is by getting hornier and stupider than ever before.

BETRAYED BY THE HERO, I FORMED A MILF PARTY WITH HIS MOM! (Yusha ni Zenbi Ubawareta Ore wa Yusha no Hahaoya to Party wo Kumimashita!), written by Ishino Yassan with art by Makoto Kuon.  First published in 2022 and first published in North America in 2025.

PLOT:

Ceres had been happy to be a member of the Guiding Light adventuring group...until its dirtbag leader Zechs kicked him out in order to monopolize all the cute girls.  That's fine with Ceres, who prefers older women anyway (unlike seemingly everyone else in this world).  He happens upon Zech's mother Shizuko at the local slave market, whom he adored as a child.  Ceres takes it upon himself to purchase her and show her just how worthy of love she still is.  Lucky for him that she's also a former S-rank adventurer, and that her equally illustrious colleagues also just happen to be attractive, big-breasted older women in need of an escape from their unhappy marriages.

Holiday Review #12: CAMPFIRE COOKING IN ANOTHER WORLD WITH MY ABSURD SKILL

 Of course, most of the fantasy manga we got this year was nowhere near so ambitious.  Most of it was your bog-standard isekai light-novel adaptations, like this one which hit print for the first time this year.

CAMPFIRE COOKING IN ANOTHER WORLD WITH MY ABSURD SKILL (Tondemo Sukiru de Isekai Horo Meshi), based on the original light novels by Ren Eguchi and illustrations by Masa, with art by Akagishi K.  First published in 2017 and first published in 2025.

PLOT:

Mukouda was just another twenty-something salaryman when he found himself magically transported to a fantastical world by accident.  Possessing nothing but a bit of coin, the clothes on his back, and the ability to identify things and purchase food and supplies from his world via a magical stat screen, he ends up trading his services as a cook to a group of adventurers in return for protection on his travels.  His cooking ends up attracting the attention of a powerful fenrir, who is happy to provide Mukouda with fantastic beasts to cook up in return for three square meals a day.

Holiday Review #11: DUR-AN-KI

 There was some original fantasy manga to be found in 2025.  Fittingly enough, some of it came from the team that helped to craft one of manga's greatest fantasy epics.

DUR-AN-KI (Duruanki), written by Kentaro Miura with art by Studio Gaga.  First published in 2019 and first published in North America in 2025.

PLOT:

Long ago, the gods of ancient Greece and the Fertile Crescent combined their waning powers to create a child with the qualities of both man and god, man and woman.  This child, Usumgal, grows up carefree in the hillsides among the livestock and natural spirits.  Eventually they make friends with some of the boys from the local village, using their talent to make helpful devices and aid them on their hunts.  The more Usumgal spends time with other people, the more they learn about the human world for both good and ill.

Holiday Review #10: THE TOO-PERFECT SAINT: TOSSED ASIDE BY MY FIANCE AND SOLD TO ANOTHER KINGDOM

Of course, a lot of the romance manga these days comes in the form of light-novel adaptations, which are often just as much about the self-improvement of the heroine as it is about her getting dumped by a crappy prince only to pick up a better one on the rebound.

THE TOO-PERFECT SAINT: TOSSED ASIDE BY MY FIANCE AND SOLD TO ANOTHER KINGDOM (Kanpeki Sugite Kawaige ga Nai to Konyaku Haki Sareta Seijo wa Ringoku ni Urareru), based on the light novels by Fuyutsuki Koki and character designs by Masami, with art by Mago Ayakita.  First published in 2021 and first published in North America in 2025.

PLOT:

Philia is the finest saint Girtonia has ever known.  She's powerful enough to purge the land of monsters, summon rain, and develop new medicines all on her own, but she's seen as aloof and even arrogant because she never shows any outward emotion.  That includes her demanding, emotionally abusive parents and her bratty, deeply insecure fiancé Prince Julius.  He's so selfish and insecure that he sells her off to the neighboring kingdom of Parnacorta, exiling her overnight in the hope that he can marry her younger, sunnier sister Mia instead.

As Philia gets used to her friendlier new homeland, Mia takes it upon herself to find out what happened to her sister and to take down all the people responsible for her beloved sister's fate.

Holiday Review #9: ASSASSIN & CINDERELLA

 Of course, there were plenty of spicy romance manga to go around as well.

Doesn't necessarily mean they were all good ones, though.

ASSASSIN & CINDERELLA (Asashin & Shinderera), by Yuzo Natsuno.  First published in 2022 and first published in North America in 2025.

PLOT:

Neneko (aka "Ri") was supposed to be spying on the notorious, cold-hearted assassin Mi and reporting all that she could gather back to her agency.  Unfortunately "Mi" (aka Omi) has known from the start that his adorable new girlfriend was actually a spy.  To literally save her life, Omi makes Neneko an offer she can't refuse: she can continue to pose as a spy...so long as she marries him.  How is she ever going to get any spying done with a deadly new fiance who can't keep his eyes (or hands) off of her?

Holiday Review #8: TEPPEKI HONEYMOON

Of course, we got plenty of shojo manga this year as well (even if it continues to be a struggle to get anyone - even the publishers - to make a big deal out of it).  We even got some new titles from older, proven creators like this one.

TEPPEKI HONEYMOON (Teppeki Hanimun), by Meca Tanaka.  First published in 2018 and first published in North America in 2025.

PLOT:

Ena's been trying to hold her family business together with nothing but hard work and her unusual strength, but that alone can't save her from the millions of yen in debt hanging over her head.  A chance encounter with a strange young man leads to her getting summoned to the Kugo security company.  They want only the strongest young woman to marry their son Kanae, but Kanae just wants them to stop so he live and work in peace.  Eventually he and Ena come to an agreement: he'll pay off her debts in full if she's willing to pose as his fiancé for two months.  That sounds simple enough, but what happens when the lines between reality and the ruse start to blur?

Holiday Review #7: MISS RUKI

 I continue to be pleased that there are a precious few publishers out there willing to delve further back into josei's past to uncover acclaimed creators in need of an international spotlight.

MISS RUKI (Ruki-san), by Fumiko Takano.  First published in 1988 and first published in North America in 2025.

PLOT:

Ruki is a young Tokyo-area woman who spends most of her days enjoying the simple pleasures of life.  She doesn't aspire to the sort of glamour and sophistication that her office lady friend Ecchan does, but Ruki is more than content to enjoy her company and lend a sympathetic (if sometimes unfocused) ear.

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.

Holiday Review #1: SANDA

Well obviously I have to start this year's holiday reviews with the manga about Santa Claus!

SANDA, by Paru Itagaki.  First published in 2021 and first published in North America in 2025.

PLOT:

In the not-too-distant future, the Japanese government has taken drastic measures to combat its declining birthrates.  Children are shielded from the world and their own bodies well into adolescence.  Anything that might serve as a marker of adulthood is suppressed, including the notion of Santa Claus and Christmas.

Shiori Fuyumura believes in Santa Claus.  More specifically, she believes that her middle-school classmate Kazushige Sanda is Santa Claus, and that his powers can help her uncover the truth behind the disappearance of her best friend, all while evading the machinations of their fellow classmates and their ghoulish principal.

IT'S HOLIDAY TIME!

 

The end of the year and holiday season is upon us once more, and that means it's time for another round of our Annual Holiday Review Extravaganza!

That means that once more I'll be posting reviews of some of the most notable and notorious manga to come out in 2025, once a day from December 1st all the way to Christmas Day.  Of course, the best way to keep up with these reviews (along with all the rest) is to follow our Bluesky account or to join our Patreon if you're not doing so already.

Another good reason to follow us on social media is so you can enter our annual Holiday Review Giveaway!  I'll be stuffing a $25 Bookshop.org gift certificate in the metaphorical stocking of one lucky reader chosen at random.  All you have to do to enter the giveaway is tell me about your favorite manga of 2025.  It doesn't matter whether it was long or short, brand new or older than you are - so long as it was new to you, it counts.  You can either leave a comment below on this post or at the pinned post on our Bluesky account anytime between now and the end of Christmas Day 2025.

I'm looking forward to your comments, and I hope you in turn are looking forward to the reviews and hopefully enjoy a peaceful holiday season.

Review: MOBILE SUIT GUNDAM WING: BLIND TARGET

 So my friends over at Giant Robot FM claim this is the best of the Gundam Wing manga they've read, but can this humble one-shot manage to rise above the rest?

MOBILE SUIT GUNDAM WING: BLIND TARGET (Shin Kido Senki Gundam W: BLIND TARGET), based on the franchise created by Yoshiyuki Tomino and Hajime Yatate, written by Akemi Omode with art by Sakura Asagi.  First published in 1998 and first published in North America in 2001.

PLOT:

In the months following the end of OZ, the boys of Operation Meteor try to settle back into civilian life.  This fragile peace is shattered when Quatre is nearly killed by assassins.  It seems that the remnants of Treize's White Fang faction want to overthrow Relena's government in the name of space colony independence, but they need the Gundams to do so.  Thus, the five former Gundam pilots must find a way to stop them before they start a new war.

Review: EUREKA SEVEN: GRAVITY BOYS & LIFTING GIRL

During the brief time period that Bandai Entertainment tried to be a manga publisher in the US, the majority of their titles were manga spinoffs to the shows they licensed.  They clearly hoped that name recognition alone would carry them, but titles like this one demonstrate why that strategy didn't work.

EUREKA SEVEN: GRAVITY BOYS & LIFTING GIRL (Eureka Seben Guravuiti Boizu & Rifutingu Garu), based on the original story by BONES and script by Dai Sato, with art by Miki Kizuki.  First published in 2005 and first published in North America in 2007.

PLOT:

Sumner Sturgeon comes from a rich family and everyone expects him to follow in his father's footsteps and join the military.  Sumner himself doesn't know what he wants to do with his life.  What he does know is that he loves lifting, a sport where people surf on the air.  He'll even sneak off-campus to participate in secret tournaments, although his real goal is to observe the rising star known only as B.B.

In truth, B.B. is actually Ruri, a poor girl who poses as a boy so she can get around the rules and use her lift boarding skills to get herself out of the slums.  The two meet by chance, the first of many intersections between their very different lives and what lifting means to them and those around them.

Review: BRAIN POWERED

I guess it's finally time for me to look at this manga adaptation of one of the worst mecha shows in history, albeit from a surprising source.

BRAIN POWERED (Buren Pawado), based on the story by Yoshiyuki Tomino with art by Yukiru Sugisaki.  First published in 1998 and first published in North America in 2003.

PLOT:

The earth is under attack as massive, strange discs rise from the bottom of the ocean, bringing destruction in their wake along with the strange organic robots inside them.  A mysterious group known as Orphan is gathering as many of these plates and robots as possible, to study them for reasons known only to their leaders.  Yu Isami doesn't care about any of that, though.  His parents may run Orphan, but he just tries his best to keep his head low and do what he's told.

When his beliefs are confronted by a mysterious pilot named Hime Utsumiya, he choses to defect and joins her on the giant floating fortress called Novis Noah.  There they nurture the robots (known as "Powereds") like children, working in partnership with them like parent and child to oppose Orphan.  

Review: I WAS SOLD DIRT CHEAP BUT MY POWER LEVEL IS OFF THE CHARTS

It's mecha month once more, and that includes isekai manga.  There's been a recent spate of isekai light novel adaptations featuring mecha and this is...certainly one of them.

I WAS SOLD DIRT CHEAP BUT MY POWER LEVEL IS OFF THE CHARTS (Class Saiyasunede Urareta Orewa, Jitsuwa Saikyo Parameter), based on the light novels by RYOMA and original character designs by Susumu Koroi with art by Cambria Bakuhatsu Tarou.  First published in 2021 and first published in North America in 2025.

PLOT:

For Yuta and his classmates, it was just supposed to be an ordinary class trip. Then their entire bus was magically transported to another world expressly for the purpose of being sold off as slaves.  Those found to possess a high magical power (such as Yuta’s crush and his best friend) are sold for a fortune to nearby lords and kingdoms to pilot powerful, ancient mecha suits to fight their own petty struggles.  Those found lacking are sold off for practically nothing for cheap labor…like Yuta.  What Yuta doesn’t know is that his magic levels are so strong that they could not be accurately measured.  He’ll unwittingly use that power to escape slavery, make some friends, and eventually find his way into the cockpit of one of those magical mecha on his own terms.

Review: MONSTER

Of course, perhaps the most unnerving sort of manga are those about people whose minds and hearts become twisted enough to kill their fellow men, the sort of person worth of the moniker "monster."

MONSTER, by Naoki Urasawa.  First published in 1994 and first published in North America in 2006.

    

PLOT:

Dr. Tenma was a skilled neurosurgeon with a promising career.  He was working with some of the best surgeons in Germany, as well as a promising engagement to the daughter of the director.  Everything was looking up for him...until Tenma defies his superior’s orders and operates on a gravely injured young boy instead of the mayor of the town.  

This single decision costs him his cushy position and his fiancée, and the former is only saved because his superiors die from poisoning.  Years later, Dr. Tenma is the head surgeon, but he suspects that the recent chain of murdered childless couples may be tied to the young boy he saved so long ago.

Review: SCHOOL ZONE

It's the perfect time of year to look at yet another series from a legendary horror mangaka...just maybe not her best one.

SCHOOL ZONE (Sukuuru Zoon), by Kanako Inuki.  First published in 1996 and first published in North America in 2006.

PLOT:

It looks like just another ordinary school building, but within it boundaries are terrible things.  There are murderous ghosts, identity-stealing yokai, abandoned dolls, and more.  Only a few unlucky children can perceive these terrible apparitions, and none of them are quite the same afterwards.

Review: WELCOME TO DEMON SCHOOL! IRUMA-KUN

Thankfully, there's a much more recent shonen manga with a spooky theme that is a lot more confident in itself and its purpose, even if the title character isn't so much.

WELCOME TO DEMON SCHOOL! IRUMA-KUN (Mairimashita! Iruma-kun), by Osamu Nishi.  First published in 2017 and first published in North America in 2023.

PLOT:

Iruma is a nice boy, the sort of kid who can't say 'no' to anything...including being sold by his own parents to a demon for incredible wealth.  It's not all bad, though.  Turns out the demon in question is a lonely old man who is happy to treat Iruma like the grandchild he never had.  He's even willing to send Iruma to the school he runs...a school for demons who will eat Iruma if they discover he's human.  It's going to take a lot of luck and all of the skills learned at all the jobs his money-hungry parents forced him to do if he's going to survive!

Review: LYCANTHROPE LEO

It's October, which means time for more spooky manga.  I picked this one out hoping to get a neat werewolf story, which is something of a rarity in manga.  What I got was indeed a werewolf story...of a sort.

 LYCANTHROPE LEO (Reo), written by Kengo Kaji with art by Kenji Okamura.  First published in 1991 and first published in North America in 1999.

STORY:

Leo thought he was just another high school kid, doing his best to get through school, do well on the track team, and avoiding his strict father.  It's his father that reveals the truth: Leo is not human.  He is part of the "blood tribe," lycanthropes who can freely transform between human and beast form.  Further more, Leo's father is a member of a league of hunters dedicated to eliminating creatures like Leo.  This revelation triggers Leo's first transformation, who ends up killing his father in self-defense.

Now Leo is being pursued not just by the hunters but by other lycanthropes engaged in a centuries-long power struggle.  All the while, Leo must learn to control his powers and deal with the ramification of his actions.

Review: WILD 7

 Let's cap off this month with another 1960s gekika title, albeit one focusing on people fighting crime instead of committing them.

WILD 7 (Wairudo Sebun), by Mikiya Mochizuki.  First published in 1969 and first published in North America in 2002.

PLOT:

Sometimes, there are criminals that the police cannot handle.  They commit the most horrendous crimes, but they rely on loopholes, lawyers, and the basic decency of the cops to slip out of the grasp of the law.  In those cases, the only solution is to bring in Wild 7.  They are a gang of former criminals and societal outcasts, who are feared by the criminal underbelly and loathed by the everyday cops they outrank.  They have been deputized by the government to bring in the worst of the worst by any means possible - dead or alive.

Review: GON

 This series might be one of the most challenging old-school manga to review, but who am I to back down from a challenge?

GON, by Masashi Tanaka.  First published in 1991 and first published in North America in 2007.

             

PLOT:

Gon is a tiny little tyrannosaur with a big attitude.  He has somehow survived the Mesozoic, and now finds himself facing off against some of the biggest, toughest predators in the modern animal world.

Review: KAMIKAZE GIRLS

Let's talk about an old but beloved little one-volume wonder from the glory days of Shojo Beat.

KAMIKAZE GIRLS (Shimotsuma Monogatari), based on the light novel by Novala Takemoto with art by Yukio Kanesada.  First published in 2004 and first published in North America in 2006.

PLOT:

Momoko loves lolita fashion, but it's hard for her to cultivate her wardrobe and the aloof, elegant air she desires when she's been dragged from Osaka to the middle of nowhere by her deadbeat dad.  That's where she meets the biker girl Ichigo, who desperately wants to get her biker coat embroidered to honor her mentor but needs someone who knows their way around Tokyo.  This simple exchange blossoms into an unlikely friendship between two lonely girls from two radically different subcultures.

Review: LUPIN III

 It's time once more for Old-School Month here on the Manga Test Drive (even if it's a little later than usual), and we're starting with one of the most iconic manga to come out of the 1960s.

LUPIN III (Rupan Sansei), by Monkey Punch.  First published in 1967 and first published in North America in 2003.

PLOT:

Lupin the Third is a legendary thief, always able to sneak his way into the most secure locations.  With his right-hand man Jigen at his side, Lupin travels the world while stealing treasure and the hearts of beautiful women, all the while evading the ever-vigilant Inspector Zenigata.

Review: MAID WAR CHRONICLE

I wanted to end this month on a tidy and hopeful note.  I don't know if I entirely succeeded with this choice of manga, but it's probably as good as anything I was likely to find in my boxes of books to review. 

MAID WAR CHRONICLE (Maid Senki), by RAN.  First published in 2007 and first published in North America in 2009.

PLOT:

The kingdom of Arbansbool has been without a king for years, waiting for the crown prince Alex to come of age.  On the verge of his coronation, the royal castle is attacked and young Alex must flee for his life with only a squad of royal maids to protect him.  Gifted with holy weapons from a hidden shrine, they must learn how to fight like knights to protect not just themselves but the future of the kingdom itself.

Review: THE FOOD DIARY OF MISS MAID

We could stand to read something more pleasant after that last review...perhaps a nice, soothing food manga?  With a maid?

THE FOOD DIARY OF MISS MAID (Maid-San wa Taberu Dake), by Susumu Maeya.  First published in 2019 and first published in North America in 2022.

PLOT:

Suzume Tachibana was perfectly content working as a maid for her unnamed English master...at least, until his home was destroyed while she was away.  It's going to take a year to rebuild, so now she's stuck in Japan for a year with nothing to do but take care of herself.  There's only so many times she can tidy her tiny little apartment, so she spends most of her time wandering around and eating whatever tasty delicacies she comes across.

Review: STEEL ANGEL KURUMI

We go from isekai maids to robot maids as I dig up this forgotten bit of nonsense from ADV's manga division.

STEEL ANGEL KURUMI (Kotetsu Tenshi Kurumi), by Kaishaku.  First published in 1997 and first published in North America in 2003.

PLOT:

In an alternate version of the Taisho era, Dr. Ayanokoji is on the run.  The army wants to seize his plans for his "Automated Dolls," and he's willing to do anything to protect them.  Nakahito is a cowardly young orphan who happens to stumble upon Dr. Ayanokoji's hideout in the middle of a dare.  He awakens one of his Dolls with an (accidental) kiss, and she pledges her eternal devotion to him.  Now Nakahito has a robot maid who will protect him from anything, including her mechanical 'sisters' and those who would wield them as super soldiers.

Review: HEROINE? SAINT? NO, I'M AN ALL-WORKS MAID (AND PROUD OF IT)!

Alright, time to tidy things up after that long, unplanned summer absence, and that means it's time to cover another round of maid manga.

HEROINE? SAINT? NO, I'M AN ALL-WORKS MAID (AND PROUD OF IT)! (Heroine? Seijo? Iie, All Works Maid desu (Horoki)!, based on the light novels by Atekichi and character designs by Yukiko with art by Keiko.  First published in 2022 and first published in North America in 2024.

PLOT:

Ritsuko was once a bright young Japanese girl who became so fascinated with maids that she wanted to be one.  Now she is Melody, a poor young orphan eager to begin her career as a maid of all work for the Rudleberg family.  It'll take a lot of hard work and powerful magic to bring the family's decrepit estate and rough-around-the-edges daughter up to to the standards of nobility, but Melody is more than up to the challenge!

Melody's life is about to get a lot more challenging as she follows her young mistress Luciana to school.  There are multiple people trying to find her, whether it's because of the secret of her parentage or those with ties to her past life.

Review: MAYO CHIKI!

 Of course, I can't talk about shonen manga without some sort of horny nonsense, and boy does this one live up to both parts of that phrase.

MAYO CHIKI!, based on the light novels by Hajime Asano and illustrations by Seiji Kikuchi, with art by NEET.  First published in 2010 and first published in North America in 2012.

PLOT:

Sakamachi Kinjiro is a teen boy with a serious problem.  He's got a terrible fear of women which tends to manifest as sudden, involuntary nosebleeds.  Through a series of accidents, he discovers that the butler serving the resident rich girl Kanade Suzutsuki is secretly a girl.  Said butler, Subaru Konoe, is all too ready to kill Kinjiro for uncovering her secret but Kanade has a better idea.  In return for keeping Subaru's secret, Kinjiro will go on dates with Suburu to cure his gynophobia.  Misadventures ensue, and Kinjiro is going to need to man up fast if he (and his blood pressure) are going to survive.

Review: RAVE MASTER

During Tokyopop's prime, they struggled to get their hands on big-name shonen manga titles.  They really only managed to do so twice.  One of those was Love Hina.  The other was this.

RAVE MASTER (Rave: The Groove Adventure), by Hiro Mashima.  First published in 1999 and first published in North America in 2003.

PLOT:

Haru Glory has spent sixteen idyllic years on Garage Island alongside his sister.  Then he fishes a strange, snowman-like creature out of a pond, inadvertantly setting into motion the renewal of a battle between the forces of darkness and light, of Dark and Rave.  An ancient warrior stumbles into their village proclaiming that only Haru can wield the powers of the Rave, so now Haru must master his new weapon against the the forces of Demon Card while searching for the four remaining Rave Stones that can bring this battle to an end.

Review: AIR GEAR

This month we're looking at nothing but shonen manga.  The focus has been on Viz's offerings for the better part of two decades, but I'm going to start with a somewhat forgotten title from Kodansha.

AIR GEAR (Ea Gia), by Oh! Great.  First published in 2002 and first published in North America in 2006.

PLOT:

Itsuki Minami is the talk of his junior high class.  He's the leader of the Eastside gang, has incredible strength, and lives with the tough but beautiful Noyamano sisters.  One day, the violent and vindictive Skullsaiders gang take their violent revenge upon Itsuki's gang, which plunges him into despair.  That's when the sisters reveal that they are members of a secret gang of their own.  They bring Itsuki into their fold, gifting him a pair of special motorized in-line skates called Air Treks.  These combined with his natural strength and agility give Itsuki the ability to do all sorts of fantastic feats.  Now Itsuki has the tools he needs to rebuild his gang, take back his turf, and spread his wings.

Review: YAKUZA FIANCE

 Perhaps the hardest thing about this month is finding romance manga that are messed-up enough to fit the theme but aren't awful.  

This year, I managed to find one.

YAKUZA FIANCE (Raise wa tanin ga Ii), by Asuka Konishi.  First published in 2017 and first published in North America in 2022.

PLOT:

Yoshino is the granddaughter of an Osaka-area yakuza clan, but all she wants is a normal life.  That's why she's so frustrated when she learns from the local tabloids that she's being engaged against her will to Kirishima, the grandson of a Tokyo clan.  

At first, Kirishima seems too good to be true: handsome, polite, and attentive.  Then the mask slips and the real Kirishima is revealed, a cold, cruel, sadomasochistic enforcer.  At first Yoshino is frightened, but then resolves to scare him off with a stunt of her own.  Who could have guessed that it would backfire and that Kirishima would end up genuinely smitten with her as a result?

Review: RIZELMINE

Don't think we're ignoring shonen romance, as here's a wretched little one-shot example from the creator of D.N. Angel.

RIZELMINE (Rizerumain), by Yukiru Sugisaki.  First published in 2001 and first published in North America in 2005.

PLOT:

Tomonori Iwaki is having a very bad day.  It began when he learned that the teacher he's been crushing on is getting married.  It only got worse when he came home, only to find a tiny, obnoxious little girl named Rizel claiming to be his wife.  Rizel is a secret government experiment, a being who needs to learn about love to further her development, and her "dads" (who are totally not government spooks) easily bribe convince his parents to go along with it.  Rizel loves her new husband, but Tomonori wants nothing to do with her and his rejections come with explosive results.  Things only get more chaotic from there, as some of Tomonori's classmates, an American-made knockoff of Rizel, and a coma threaten to part the unwitting couple.

Review: DON'T TOY WITH ME, MISS NAGATORO

 It was inevitable that I would have to grapple with the series that gave us the go-to user icon/Favorite Anime Girl of online chuds everywhere.

DON'T TOY WITH ME, MISS NAGATORO (Ijiranaide, Nagatoro-san), by Nanashi.  First published in 2017 and first published in North America in 2019.

PLOT:

It began in the library, when Naoto accidentally dropped the manga he had been drawing in his spare time in front of a bunch of gyarus.  They all mocked it for a bit and then left...except for Hayase Nagatoro.

Despite being a year younger than him, she knows weakness when she sees it.  She needles him for ages, until he's on the verge of tears.  After that, it seems like she goes out of her way every day to tease him as he blushes and freezes.  Is it mere bullying, or something more complicated between them?  Naoto isn't sure, but neither can he quite gather up enough courage to make her stop.