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.