Reformed troublemaker Yan is on his way to the employment exam for the Spellbook Library when he casually stops some bullies from shaking down a smaller boy. That boy, Tohru, is also on his way to the employment exam, and now he wants to be friends. When they find themselves paired up to work on the challenging exam, it seems they might actually make a good team. But who exactly is Tohru, and why does he want to work for the Spellbook Library?
As a child, Yan was rescued from a dangerous wild spellbeast by one of the elite Spellbook librarians, heroes who capture magical creatures inside books. That’s why he wants to join the library now. But when he asks what made Tohru apply for the job, the other boy is evasive. He also seems to have a strange magical power, perhaps linked to a mysterious necklace he wears. Tohru is a good friend to Yan, but what is he hiding?
In addition to sealing dangerous creatures into books, Spellbook librarians are responsible for crafting those books, keeping them in good repair, researching spellbeasts . . . and doing PR and education for the public. Yan has no interest in PR – he wants to be out bravely capturing spellbeasts. But the head of the PR department, who also happens to be a princess of the realm, runs the employment exam. Can Yan and Tohru impress her enough to get jobs?
There are lots of fun worldbuilding elements in this volume. Spellbeasts range from cute little critters to enormous dragons. Once sealed into Spellbooks, they can be let out again if desired. The library is full of these sealed-up creatures, some of which can be loaned to members of the public for use as mounts, messengers, and so on. Others are highly dangerous, and the librarians keep them sealed to protect the kingdom. Besides the creatures and the magic, we also get glimpses of a society with distinct upper and lower classes: Yan is a “commoner,” while Tohru seems to be from a wealthy background.
While this isn’t a comedy, there is humor sprinkled through. Yan sometimes struggles to maintain his new upright citizen persona – at one point, he punches a bully in the face while declaring “I’ve promised myself I’ll stop beating people up. Starting tomorrow.” The princess who runs the library’s PR department is comically deadpan most of the time, but does things like assign Yan and Tohru to wrangle a bunch of visiting schoolchildren while dressed, inexplicably, in rabbit costumes.
There is a little on-page violence, mostly in the form of Yan beating up bullies. (There is also a little swearing, mostly from those bullies and Yan, adding to their rough-around-the-edges vibe.) We do see a few dangerous spellbeasts, including a creepy one that can talk and take hostages. However, there is no death or serious injury in this volume, and no sexual content.
The art is detailed and fanciful, with interesting creature designs and intricate architecture. The characters are distinctive, which is helpful given that they spend much of the book all wearing the same uniform. The art is active and dynamic, supported by lots of variation in the panel layouts. I occasionally found it a little hard to know who was speaking, which can sometimes be tricky given that manga speech bubbles often do not have tails pointing to their speakers.
This volume is part of a new English-first manga series (though the panels still read right to left). Its creator is Japanese, but the manga will be released in English in the US before coming out in a Japanese edition. In a friendly note at the end of the book, the author describes being asked to write their first shonen manga (their background is in shojo and seinen) for American audiences, despite never having left rural Japan. There are also some fun character design sketches.
This new title features friendship, puzzling challenges, and interesting worldbuilding. Hand it to fans of fantasy shonen.
The Spellbook Library By Uta Isaki Kodansha, 2024 ISBN: 9798888772935
NFNT Age Recommendation: Older Teen (16-18), Teen (13-16) Creator Representation: Japanese, Nonbinary ,
Many graphic novel fans in the Western world know about Japanese manga, just as there are many people, including those same Western graphic novel fans, who have very rigid preconceived notions about manga, believing it to be about stories featuring magical girls or martial arts battles. Manga, like other formats of graphic storytelling, can tell a wide variety of stories that feature everything from hyperkinetic action sequences to quiet moments of psychological tension. The latter is demonstrated in Shiro Kuroi’s Leviathan Vol. 1.
The story begins in space with a group of looters in spacesuits discovering the derelict cruise ship Leviathan, a ship that disappeared decades ago. Realizing they’ve discovered a legendary ghost ship, the crew are initially excited about their discovery. One looter even discovers a diary from a middle schooler who, along with his class, was part of the ship’s final, fatal voyage. The looters soon discover that not everyone who was aboard the Leviathan died and something on the ship seems intent on making sure they can never leave.
An elevator pitch for this story could be “William Golding’s Lord of the Flies in space,” but Kuroi’s narrative choices help it stand apart from Golding’s tale. With the story opening decades after the events that killed everyone aboard the Leviathan, Kuroi thrusts readers into the middle of the story. The inclusion of the diary being read by a looter limits the information the reader has while also tantalizing the reader with the slow but inevitable discovery of what truly happened to those who died. While the narrative moves back and forth between past and present, most of the narrative, at least in Volume 1, is told through schoolboy Kazuma’s point of view as his diary is read in the present. As a somewhat withdrawn student, Kazuma serves as a mostly reliable observer of his classmates’ and teachers’ duplicity and eventual savagery.
Though there are bloody moments within the narrative, most of the conflict comes from a more introspective horror, which blooms like mold in the scenes rendered by Kuroi. The book’s black and white color scheme means that blackness of space is truly black, while the cold, geometric interiors of the Leviathan makes the environment the characters navigate all the more oppressive. As these characters come to grips with their predicament, including seeing the corpses of people they know, their faces remain understated, seeming to actively deny expressing their emotions, leaving the reader to deconstruct them through their words and actions.
While this book features many middle school-aged characters, its violence and psychological complexities frames it for older audiences. For librarians looking to add to some manga to their adult collections, and for patrons who are fans of science fiction, horror, or when the two genres combine, now is the time to board the Leviathan.
Leviathan By Shiro Kuroi Abrams ComicArts, 2024 ISBN: 9781419777677
Publisher Age Rating: 16 and up
NFNT Age Recommendation: Adult (18+), Older Teen (16-18) Creator Representation: Japanese,
Monthly in the Garden with My Landlord by Yodokawa, translated by Stephen Paul, is a slice-of-life manga about Asako Suga. The 26-year-old manga editor decides to move to a new home for a fresh start after breaking up with her girlfriend. Little does she know, her 19-year old landlord Miyako Kitano is a former idol. The naive and friendly Miyako resides in the attic of the home as a “live-in landlord”. It helps to know something about idol culture to understand what Miyako’s life has been like up until now. “Idols” are famous pop stars (J-Pop and K-Pop) who perform in groups and are trained by and represent their recording labels or companies. They craft carefully controlled images and hone their performance-related talents. Young musicians and dancers covet and compete for idol status. (I know this from listening to the audiobook XOXO by Axie Oh).
Presumably, the story will continue with some explanation of why Miyako abandoned her successful career and retreated into a mundane life as well as offering backstory about Asako’s failed relationship. With the first volume, the story unfolds as a slice-of-life about Asako and Miyako getting to know each other and becoming roommates, even friends. Miyako hails from the Kansai region and speaks in a style that reads as rural or country. She calls Asako “Onee-san” which means “big sister”, and Asako calls Miyako “Landlord-san”. There is the potential for a romance to develop, but Miyako is so child-like that I find the idea a little off-putting. For teen readers who are closer in age to the main characters, the romance might be more appealing.
The art in the story is familiar to any manga reader, even a novice like myself. In grayscale with the panels reading from right to left, top to bottom, it shows the characters doing everyday things, mostly at home with simple backgrounds. Sound effects punctuate the panels as Japanese characters with tiny anglicized and translated captions. The characters have large eyes and occasionally exaggerated facial expressions. They are attractive and wear stylish clothes. In keeping with the slice-of-life genre, the tone is gentle, calm and soothing. The cover art represents the feel of the interior artwork very well.
As of July 2024, there are three volumes in print of Monthly in the Garden with My Landlord. This is a good title for teen readers who appreciate a gentle slice-of-life story with little action but the potential for some queer romance and drama. Some readers might prefer a more sophisticated story, but this should hit the spot for those who enjoy simple comfort reads with queer characters.
Monthly in the Garden with My Landlord Vol. 1 By Yodokawa Yen Press, 2023 ISBN: 9781975362652
NFNT Age Recommendation: Teen (13-16) Creator Representation: Japanese, Character Representation: Japanese, Lesbian, Queer,
Eight hundred years ago an artist, whose life story is now lost to time, created what would become a national treasure in Japan. This was the first of four scrolls that now comprise the Choju Jinbutsu Giga, which translates roughly to “Caricatures of Animals and People”. This particular scroll is known for its anthropomorphic rabbits, frogs, monkeys, and other animals jumping, dancing, engaging in archery tournaments, having wrestling matches, and preparing feasts and prayers. Manga artist Fumiyo Kouno, probably best known to English-speaking audiences for her moving manga-turned-anime In This Corner of The World, brings the essence of this incredibly popular medieval artwork to Giga Town: A Guide to Manga Iconography!
Kouno’s art is, as always, gentle and captures the spirit of the Choju Jinbutsu Giga well, drawing the well known medieval animals in a more modern, pastoral setting. The reader follows the daily life of a small rabbit family and their frog and monkey neighbors. While most characters are not named, they wear items of clothing as identifiers, which utilizes some gender stereotypes. Female presenting characters are mostly denoted by aprons, bows, or skirts and are often seen doing domestic activities that male presenting characters do not participate in.
Giga Town is more of a reference book than a story readers should experience cover to cover. Each page is devoted to a symbol commonly found in manga that might represent a sound effect, time or seasonal context, or situations and emotions that would otherwise be difficult to fully depict visually. Along with a brief, clear description of the icon and its possible uses is a four panel vignette demonstrating the use of the symbol. Kouno’s work successfully increases the reader’s understanding and deepens their manga reading experiences. Some of these brief vignettes flow together in a short sequence, but most stand on their own. There is no overarching plot in Giga Town, just small slices of life illustrating common manga situations.
Originally published in Japanese in 2018, there are references to cultural situations that might be unfamiliar to English speaking audiences. The translated version solves this with cultural context boxes where necessary, briefly explaining what characters are doing or what item they are using so that they can be better understood by all readers. Making the guide even more accessible, a visual table of contents that includes just symbols and page numbers makes searching simple and straightforward. Tokyo based writer and reporter Matt Alt provides the book’s introduction, with a brief but helpful history of the Choju Jinbutsu Giga, along with a short overview of the manga industry and Kuono’s work as an artist.
There are a few depictions in Giga Town that some readers might find insensitive, beyond the rare, mild cartoon violence. In one of the vignettes, a female coded character requests and is shown being dragged across the floor by her hair. In another, a usually white rabbit returns from a trip with completely black fur and what seems like a large belly. As her friends comment on her size and dark complexion, it becomes clear that she was actually holding a sack and covered in dirt. Situations like these are rare, and are meant to comedically illustrate how a specific icon is used, but they could rub readers the wrong way.
Overall, Giga Town is a delight to read and learn from. As a reference, this would be at home in any tween, teen, or even adult focused manga collection. Regular and new manga readers, as well as aspiring manga artists will find the deeper understanding of manga iconography and cultural context valuable.
Giga Town: The Guide to Manga Iconography! By Fumiyo Kouno UDON, 2024 ISBN: 9781772943085
NFNT Age Recommendation: Adult (18+), Teen (13-16), Tween (10-13) Creator Representation: Japanese,
Newly single and ready to live on her own, Asako rents a charming house that “comes with a landlord.” When it’s too late to break the contract she discovers it comes with a beautiful landlord… living in the attic.
Though the volume begins with Asako’s harsh breakup, she has little time to wallow in sadness. The mangaka she edits for immediately points out her girlfriend was awful, but Asako is a sucker for a pretty face and someone in need. Asako can’t deny this. When she later spots a rental ad that’s too good to be true it sparks a desire to reset her life and prove she can be independent. Meanwhile, all around her, people are gossiping about a an idol group’s lead singer unexpectedly retiring before immediately retreating from the public eye.
A visit to the house cements Asako’s desire to start over, even if she has to tell herself not to be swayed by her prospective landlord’s pretty face. As she’s planning her move, she discovers her landlord, Miyako, crashing in the attic. Backing out now would be far too much trouble and Miyako has a sob story and an obvious secret to go along with the looks Asako can’t resist.
What follows are primarily gentle episodes about eating, shopping, and spending time together that highlight how well Miyako’s naivety and spontaneity work with Asako’s thoughtfulness and logic. They find their rhythm as roommates. Miyako refers to Asako as big sister, not seeing how Asako denies her attraction to Miyako.
Both the artwork and writing are charming, though it doesn’t offer much new to the genre. That isn’t a flaw, however, as it contributes to an overall cozy feeling. There are occasional moments of tension – a potential stalker, Miyako possibly being forced to leave, etc. – but these are blips in a sea of soft humor, sweet moments, and blushes.
This is a story of people finding their place in the world – probably with each other. I don’t think we can have too many stories like this. Even when the characters fit into well-known archetypes, their personalities vary enough to give new people a chance to feel seen. In this case, while they fit into a common serious vs. goofy dynamic, both characters are dealing with their own types of co-dependence and hopefully learning how to create a healthy relationship with each other.
While the publisher rates the title teen, it’s likely more interesting for an adult audience. Both characters are adults – 26 and 19, respectively – and are primarily dealing with adult issues. However, this is a chaste volume with no violence beyond face grabbing. Older teens may be interested in the themes dealing with finding your own place, growing comfortable with new roommates, and finding confidence in yourself.
It’s lighter, so far, than series such as Doughnuts Under a Crescent Moon and She Loves to Cook, She Loves to Eat, but will appeal to fans of both. A second volume released in March and the third arrives in August, so now is a great time to start reading and recommending.
Monthly in the Garden with My Landlord By Yodokawa Yen Press, 2023 ISBN: 9781975362652
Publisher Age Rating: T
NFNT Age Recommendation: Adult (18+) Creator Representation: Japanese, Character Representation: Japanese, Lesbian,
Mismatched relationships, chance encounters, and unforeseen circumstances unravel in the short story collection of Toryumon Takeda’s One More Step, Come Stand by My Side as random twists of fate populate these intriguing tales of wonder, subterfuge, and duplicity.
A young princess, abducted, blindfolded, and held against her will, opens up the collection in “When the Time Comes.” Her pensive caretaker, a hulking sentinel whose silence surpasses his strength, guards her like a precious gem. They navigate through a delicate terrain of uncertainty and trust while fostering an unspoken harmony of mutual understanding. What might they be attempting to communicate?
In another story, the tenuous relationship between a woman and her tied-up stalker reveal shifting dynamics of gender and power in “Ten Minutes Later, The Cops Showed Up.” In a space of just ten minutes, unexpected connections form between the two shortly before the police arrive, detonating a series of flirtatious overtones in this unusual exchange.
In “Paradise,” misconstrued interpretations across cultural barriers arise between a pair of explorers and a tribe of natives in a secluded jungle. They behold their peculiar practices and experience discomforting silences that alienate them in this bizarre encounter.
What might they be attempting to communicate? In “The Wife Whom I Loved Dearly,” a devoted husband traverses the landscapes of grief with his increasingly distant, cancer-stricken wife as they grapple with impending mortality and the fragility of life. How does one cope with this inevitability in light of the fleeting moments threatening to sever their relationship?
Nuanced scenarios between characters gradually unfold across shifting yet skillfully crafted plots in the stories of Toryumon Takeda. Wordless panels capture subtle shades of meaning, emotion, and actions among characters, culminating in serendipitous plot twists that confound and surprise, dissecting the complicated wonders of human behavior and idiosyncrasies. From muted relational connections and deceptive lies exchanged not only between characters but also with readers, Takeda conveys unspoken interactions through wispy line character designs and subtle gestures and facial expressions whose facades belie their ulterior motives.
The ephemeral and protracted dimensions of time intersect these stories of human relationships, filling a niche in short fiction manga collections aimed at older teens and adults. The afterword contains anecdotal insights that inspired these intricately designed stories. Eschewing formulaic-driven plots, Takeda illuminates surprising sides of humanity with profound depth and care infused with a range of emotional resonance.
One More Step, Come Stand by My Side By Toryumon Takeda Yen Press, 2023 ISBN: 9781975376871
Publisher Age Rating: 16+
NFNT Age Recommendation: Adult (18+), Older Teen (16-18) Creator Representation: Japanese,
The beautiful and dangerous city of Tokyo is the backdrop to a story unfolding between a young exorcist and his older friend who might have darker intentions than he claims; a story that will one day affect the trajectory of the end of the world.
Tokyo Babylon is essentially a prequel connected to a larger work by CLAMP called X or X/1999, which focuses on Kamui Shiro and the fight between the Dragon of Heaven and the Dragon of Earth for the fate of the world. The main characters of Tokyo Babylon are major characters in X, so while reading one is not necessary for reading the other, reading both does provide context and give the characters more depth.
The story itself is very much a product of a different age of manga, with lots of dramatic and bittersweet dialogue overlaid on scenes of Tokyo at night or a character brooding alone somewhere mixed in with moments of high energy comedy. The art is very much of that time as well, with many of the adult men having incredibly wide shoulders and liberal use of screentones for backgrounds, which can be nostalgic for some readers. We follow Subaru, a powerful exorcist, his twin sister Hokuto who has no supernatural powers, and their friend Seishirou, who is a veterinarian but also secretly an assassin. Things end poorly for pretty much everyone involved in this story except the ghosts, so don’t expect a happy ending with Tokyo Babylon. The writing is pretty typical of CLAMP and 90s manga, but it’s not bad by any means.
As far as content though, there is still the issue of Seishirou being an adult who claims to be in love with Subaru, who is portrayed as a teenager. No ages are listed anywhere, so we’ll never know what exactly the age gap is, but Hokuto’s enthusiastic support of this not-quite relationship doesn’t help it from being uncomfortable. It’s hard to say if CLAMP meant for it to be funny, uncomfortable, or both, since they have a tendency to create potentially problematic age gap romances in their works. Otherwise at least visually Tokyo Babylon isn’t outside the realm of many teen-rated manga in content, with some supernatural horror and blood, but no gore, and the occasional nudity is not sexual and generally vague ghost body shapes.
This edition is actually a re-release; it was originally published in 1990 and is now part of a larger update and re-release of most of CLAMP’s works, called the CLAMP Premium Collection, that includes new cover art from the creators and new translations. The updated translation work really helps in this series because the original translation was incredibly awkward and did not read naturally, as well as including some outdated terminology. Currently most of the Premium Collection is not available in English, but it seems like that is in the works and for now at least, Tokyo Babylon is definitely getting the full translation treatment.
While a teen rating for content feels right, it’s less clear if this will have appeal with teens. It is of course a great choice for libraries with aging copies of Tokyo Babylon on their shelves that are still circulating so they can get the updated translation and covers and get away from the omnibus editions that so often don’t age well. But as far as pulling in new readers, it could be something to suggest for those that enjoyed thoughtful and bittersweet series like The Girl From the Other Side, or messy stories of growing up like Paradise Kiss and The Summer Hikaru Died.
Tokyo Babylon Vol. 01 By CLAMP Yen Press, 2023 ISBN: 9781975373252
Publisher Age Rating: Teen
NFNT Age Recommendation: Adult (18+), Older Teen (16-18), Teen (13-16) Creator Representation: Japanese, Character Representation: Japanese,
No one wants to work overtime—even if it takes facing a dragon singlehandedly in order to cut through the paperwork.
Alina Clover has a coveted job as a receptionist for the adventurer’s guild. She spends her days filing papers and assigning quests to dungeon-delving adventuring parties who battle enemies and collect treasure from progressively more dangerous labyrinths. However, Alina’s current problem comes when a particularly difficult enemy halts progress for the adventurers, leading to excessive paperwork as the heroes grind through the same challenges day after day, creating a backlog of forms. To spare herself the headache, Alina takes it upon herself, her cloak, and her magical hammer of immense power to clear the way for the adventurers to get on with things.
Unfortunately, her outburst (not the first of its kind) catches the attention of powerful figures, including the legendary adventurer Jade—who is determined to recruit the mysterious warrior to his party of warriors. Unfortunately for Alina, she’s comfortable in her employment and forbidden from taking on work outside of her receptionist duties. What started as a way to protect her position soon becomes the thing that may unravel it all as Alina finds herself caught between her day job and her secret life—a life that may also uncover secrets that will shake her world.
With I May Be a Guild Receptionist, but I’ll Solo Any Boss to Clock Out on Time, Vol. 1, Mato Kousaka delivers a fun and wildly entertaining introduction to a world based heavily in the lore and lingo of traditional Role Playing Game mechanics. With references to dungeon levels and raid bosses, this series, like a number of other recent manga titles, relies on a certain amount of reader understanding of RPG gameplay to form some of the underlying rules of the world. However, those rules only set the stage for a story that manages to carve out a unique tone of epic adventure and consistent humor. As Alina fights to maintain her comfortable life, she finds friend and foe in a colorful cast of characters who populate the wider world. The people who appear are memorable, the action is bold, and the visual humor is on point as this quiet receptionist carves her way through obstacles in an effort to pay off her mortgage and clock out on time. The writing knows exactly what story it’s there to tell and delivers beat after beat of engaging storytelling.
Capturing both the fantasy-adventure and the visual comedy, Suzu Yuuki brings the story to the page in bold fashion. The fantasy elements, action sequences, and individual characters are compelling from the start—and some of the best moments come when the unimposing Alina lets a bit of her power show as she threatens those who try to stick their noses into her business. Alina spends much of her time in the meek and respectful demeanor of many manga heroines—but when she summons a weapon the size of her own body as her face gets washed in shadow to match the threats she has no reservations making—the stark contrast and surprised terror of those around her never stops being funny. There’s minimal fan-service in the writing or visuals and Alina is largely given the space to become her own dramatic character, with party leader Jade appearing in a major supporting role as he chases down the mystery that he is sworn to solve.
Yen Press gives this title a Teen rating for language and violence and this fits well with the overall content. There are some colorful words as well as combat and death, but most of this is accompanied by a comedic tone. Teens will find plenty to appreciate here while there’s plenty to appeal to older readers as well. For audiences who like the power of Saitama in OnePunch Man or the daily life explorations of adventurers in titles such as Frieren, I May Be a Guild Receptionist should have plenty to offer. The manga is an adaptation of the light novel series and there’s expected to be an anime adaptation coming as well, so any fans of the work will have plenty of chances to spend time in this world. As much as the book draws from the rules of RPGs, it also does a fair job explaining concepts for the uninitiated. For those familiar with the genre and for those looking for an entry point into manga, this title is simple without being superficial, is delivered with skill, and is truly a fun read from start to finish. I look forward to seeing where Alina’s adventures take her next.
I May Be a Guild Receptionist, but I’ll Solo Any Boss to Clock Out Time Vol. 01 By Mato Kousaka Art by Suzu Yuuki Yen Press, 2023 ISBN: 9781975365769
Publisher Age Rating: T Related media: Book to Comic, Comic to TV
NFNT Age Recommendation: Older Teen (16-18), Teen (13-16) Creator Representation: Japanese
Junji Ito’s Mimi’s Tales of Terror is an adaptation of Hirokatsu Kihara and Ichiro Nakayama’s collection of urban legends, Shin Mimibukuro. Each of the tales in the original compilation is reworked by Ito and features Mimi, an original character. The book consists of nine stories featuring college student Mimi, a bonus tale introducing different protagonists, and two afterwords describing how he altered the tales. This is a treasure trove for those who are fans of Ito, horror, contemporary legends, and evocative and haunting illustrations.
The first tale “On the Utility Pole,” is only a few pages long and takes place in only a few minutes, during a car ride on a rainy dark night. It sets the stage for the spookiness that will follow in the rest of the collection. Several of the tales focus on Mimi’s various problems with her disturbing neighbours while offering relevant background about modern Japanese culture. In “The Woman Next Door,” Mimi is annoyed by her noisy neighbour, but soon realizes that the problem is much scarier than she anticipated. Mimi survives to feature in the next story, assuring the reader that she has moved to a different apartment building. The legend in this tale reminded me of the legend of “Teke Teke” because of the significance of the sound effects in both.
“Rustling in the Grass,” offers another horrific interlude for Mimi and her boyfriend, this time while they are walking in the woods. The story, like many legends, does not have a tidy conclusion…it just is! Mimi’s new apartment in the next tale, “Grave Placement,” also features an eccentric neighbour and an eerie setting. Obviously, Mimi needs to be more selective of her living arrangements. Mimi and her friends take a trip to the beach but, of course, things cannot be straightforward for her. In “Seashore” one of her friends is drawn to ghostly spectres that only he can see. One of the creepiest tales in the collection for me is “Just the Two of Us,” in which Mimi meets a child who is haunted by her mother’s burnt corpse. Through his illustrations and pacing, Ito conveys both dread and affection in this almost intimate tale. The next tale, “Scarlet Circle,” is also dreadfully affectionate, but not in a warm or comforting way. Mimi is the target of an extremely jealous classmate who wants Mimi’s boyfriend for herself. “Sign in the Field” is the final tale featuring Mimi and is the shortest one in the book. The images strongly echo those of the legendary Slender Man.
The first afterword is told through two pages of panels featuring Ito himself. It is followed by two coloured pages, one of which is the splash title page for the bonus story “Monster Prop.” Haunted house attractions can be very disturbing, but when it includes a very dubious monster prop, the attraction can be even more dangerous than anyone imagines. It is a perfect tale for Halloween and those who admire horror films. The collection concludes with a two-page written appreciation by Ito for the original material, the chance to introduce the bonus tale to the audience, and the work of art of the book itself.
I must admit that I purchased this hardcover volume for my personal collection. It is truly a work of art, perhaps macabre art, but a gorgeous example of book making. The red-covered minimalist cover and endpapers are wrapped in a dust jacket that contains numerous spooky visual references to the stories inside. The illustrations inside are striking, unsettling, and sinister. The characters are distinctive, the settings evocative and realistic, and the monsters truly chilling and horrific. The pacing is well organized, with the panels offering just enough information to foster anticipation and activate the reader’s imaginings.
The essence of these tales may be familiar to those who know the three folklore collections of Alvin Schwartz and Stephen Gammel’s Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark. Both this book and those by Schwartz and Gammel are sourced from urban legends that have been circulating for years and both were newly adapted and illustrated for a contemporary audience. Highly enjoyable for those who like their horror based on folklore and those who like to be creeped out by things that may go bump, not only in the night, but in their ordinary habitats. Recommended for older teens and adults.
Mimi’s Tales of Terror By Junji Ito VIZ Signature, 2023 ISBN: 9781974738519
Publisher Age Rating: T+ Related media: Classic to Comic
NFNT Age Recommendation: Adult (18+), Older Teen (16-18) Creator Representation: Japanese Character Representation: Japanese
What if a bunch of spies working for different countries all landed in the same house? What if it turned out that they were also childhood friends and crushes? What if they were now each trying to seduce each other in order to gain access to state secrets? And what if none of this went according to plan?
In a world only slightly offset from our own, spies and nations compete for supremacy through violence and seduction. Seemingly immune to these seductive honey traps, unshakable master spy Hayato spreads rumors of vulnerable top-secret information and establishes a shared house to lure spires whom he plans to turn or kill as needed. Only one problem—the first person to take up residence in the house is his childhood crush, who is now a spy for a rival state. Unwilling to kill each other and falsely believing that their cover stories are intact, Hayato and Seraphy begin an uncertain dance of testing allegiances as they decide just what they’re willing to do for their countries. But as more spies arrive and a tangled web of past and present relationships takes shape, the seductive banter and hijinks that began the story may not be enough to overcome the external forces that have come looking for Hayato and the secrets he claims to possess.
With an intriguing spy story at its core, Honey Trap Shared House makes no attempt to hide that the main purpose of the book is to give page time to the sexy shenanigans and tangled relationships of the core characters. Kuji sketches an intriguing but sparse world of international spycraft and populates it with a set of characters that each have a grounded emotional core to their backstories, even if the women in the story are never allowed to exist apart from their sexuality. There are references to the harsh amorality of spycraft, marked by a trail of bodies and lies each character has left behind. The majority of the book however, takes a much more lighthearted approach to increasingly awkward and forced attempts at explicit seduction by a cast of unprepared characters who all quickly realize that they are in over their heads. There are moments of sweetness mixed into the increasingly bawdy storyline, but Kuji never lets the reader forget that the honey traps are the point, and all the rest of the story takes a backseat to the dynamic between the main characters and those around them.
If the writing left any doubt regarding the point of the book, Kozuki’s art is sure to remind the reader that the focus is on voluptuous young women in skimpy outfits failing to seduce their mark. There are some cool action sequences and engaging artistic styles, but each new female character brings with her a larger bust and fewer clothes than the previous. It’s worth noting that the male main character is never presented in this way. Even in their notes at the start and end of the book, Kuji and Kozuki are very clear that they came to write a sexy romcom, and that’s what they intend to do. Even more than the writing, it’s the visuals throughout the story that push the title solidly into adult territory.
Yen Press gives the title a Mature rating for language, nudity, sex, and violence, and the book delivers on all of these elements without inhibition. As such, Honey Trap Shared House is clearly intended for an adult audience. Overall, there isn’t a huge amount of substance here as the primary focus is on the visuals of the female characters and the situations they end up in. However, the art is effective even when not focused on women’s bodies and the writing does find plenty of humor and occasional moments of sincerity amidst the explicit fan service. It’s not a title I’d recommend for most collections, but for readers specifically looking for an adult-oriented, harem, romcom set in a world of spycraft and seduction, this book does deliver on its promises, managing to have fun even where it forsakes subtlety—which is most of the time.
Honey Trap Shared House Vol. 01 By Masamune Kuji Art by Koichi Kozuki Yen Press, 2022 ISBN: 9781975365042
Publisher Age Rating: M NFNT Age Recommendation: Adult (18+) Creator Representation: Japanese Character Representation: Japanese
Reformed troublemaker Yan is on his way to the employment exam for the Spellbook Library when he casually stops some bullies from shaking down a smaller boy. That boy, Tohru, is also on his way to the employment exam, and now he wants to be friends. When they find themselves paired up to work on the challenging exam, it seems they might actually make a good team. But who exactly is Tohru, and why does he want to work for the Spellbook Library?
Many graphic novel fans in the Western world know about Japanese manga, just as there are many people, including those same Western graphic novel fans, who have very rigid preconceived notions about manga, believing it to be about stories featuring magical girls or martial arts battles. Manga, like other formats of graphic storytelling, can tell a wide variety of stories that feature everything from hyperkinetic action sequences to quiet moments of psychological tension. The latter is demonstrated in Shiro Kuroi’s Leviathan Vol. 1.
Monthly in the Garden with My Landlord by Yodokawa, translated by Stephen Paul, is a slice-of-life manga about Asako Suga. The 26-year-old manga editor decides to move to a new home for a fresh start after breaking up with her girlfriend. Little does she know, her 19-year old landlord Miyako Kitano is a former idol. The naive and friendly Miyako resides in the attic of the home as a “live-in landlord”. It helps to know something about idol culture to understand what Miyako’s life has been like up until now. “Idols” are famous pop stars (J-Pop and K-Pop) who perform in groups and are trained by and represent their recording labels or companies. They craft carefully controlled images and hone their performance-related talents. Young musicians and dancers covet and compete for idol status. (I know this from listening to the audiobook XOXO by Axie Oh).
Eight hundred years ago an artist, whose life story is now lost to time, created what would become a national treasure in Japan. This was the first of four scrolls that now comprise the Choju Jinbutsu Giga, which translates roughly to “Caricatures of Animals and People”. This particular scroll is known for its anthropomorphic rabbits, frogs, monkeys, and other animals jumping, dancing, engaging in archery tournaments, having wrestling matches, and preparing feasts and prayers. Manga artist Fumiyo Kouno, probably best known to English-speaking audiences for her moving manga-turned-anime In This Corner of The World, brings the essence of this incredibly popular medieval artwork to Giga Town: A Guide to Manga Iconography!
late to break the contract she discovers it comes with a beautiful landlord… living in the attic.
Toryumon Takeda’s One More Step, Come Stand by My Side as random twists of fate populate these intriguing tales of wonder, subterfuge, and duplicity.
The beautiful and dangerous city of Tokyo is the backdrop to a story unfolding between a young exorcist and his older friend who might have darker intentions than he claims; a story that will one day affect the trajectory of the end of the world.
No one wants to work overtime—even if it takes facing a dragon singlehandedly in order to cut through the paperwork.
Junji Ito’s Mimi’s Tales of Terror is an adaptation of Hirokatsu Kihara and Ichiro Nakayama’s collection of urban legends, Shin Mimibukuro. Each of the tales in the original compilation is reworked by Ito and features Mimi, an original character. The book consists of nine stories featuring college student Mimi, a bonus tale introducing different protagonists, and two afterwords describing how he altered the tales. This is a treasure trove for those who are fans of Ito, horror, contemporary legends, and evocative and haunting illustrations.
What if a bunch of spies working for different countries all landed in the same house? What if it turned out that they were also childhood friends and crushes? What if they were now each trying to seduce each other in order to gain access to state secrets? And what if none of this went according to plan?
