Easily my worst trait. So, keep that in mind as you read this.
I didn’t need any more convincing to check out Saint Seiya: Dark Wing, it’s already Saint Seiya, it’s going to be great.
As an aging anime nerd, I watched the original DIC dub of Saint Seiya when it came to the United States… about 20 years after the original production concluded. The aesthetic is immediately recognizable as an anime from the mid to late eighties. I found it fascinating to watch as a kid, and I was so surprised that this franchise is actually still going. Maybe not in a regulated production kind of way, but every few years, something new contributing to the universe shows up, like the awful movie adaptation from 2023.
I say this to give the series some context; it is very difficult to summarize this universe because it is so long-lived. The most concise way I can put it is this: the Saints are 5 chosen ones – boys who wear sacred armor that are based on constellations, sworn to defend the earth from being taken over by competing gods.
It’s… a lot. And if you’re also into Greek and Roman mythology… uh, you’ll recognize a lot of names, but this series is not based on any of those stories, it is not a re-telling of those legends; it’s more along the lines of appropriation than anything else. Personally, I enjoy the surrealism of it all.
Set in high school, students’ fates are revealed as chosen ones, sworn enemies, divine figures, and all in the service of the battle of the gods. Our protagonist, Soichiro, goes on a school trip to the Mediterranean, but the ship is attacked and sinks into the sea as he tries to save his crush. But Soichiro is revived as one of the dreaded Judges of the Underworld, under the command of Hades. He is pitted against his twin brother, Sojiro, who is reincarnated as the Gold Saint of Gemini.
Dark Wing consists of 4 volumes in total. It is not-quite-linear, relies on dream logic, and honestly, I appreciate its updated setting of the modern world. The linework is clean and detail-oriented when it is called for—these pages have some very elaborate backgrounds when the backgrounds actually show up. It is delightfully nostalgic to look at; fans of the old Gundam Wing manga will recognize these 90s pattern and texture overlays. And maybe the best part of it all is the re-working of popular 80s design elements into a more modern aesthetic (those feathered up-do’s, I mean…).
I do want to be clear: I loved this next installment of the series, but I am fairly certain that a newcomer to this franchise is not going to know what’s going on if this is the first Saint Seiya book they pick up. It’s a good read if you’re willing to just let the story happen, wash over you as the reader. The mythic themes of destiny and fate and rising to challenges never get old for me.
It pains me to say it, but I don’t think this spin-off makes for a great addition to your library collection. If you can link it to some of the more foundational works in the franchise, I think that would be best. But, on its own, even with all four volumes, I’m not sure this is the way to go.
Saint Seiya: Dark Wing Vol. 1 By Masami Kurumada and Kenji Saito Art by Shinshu Ueda Titan, 2025 ISBN: 9781787747180
NFNT Age Recommendation: Middle Grade (7-11), Teen (13-16) Creator Representation: Japanese, Character Representation: Japanese,
A near apocalypse at the hands of an Aztec Earth goddess has led to the impossible: Pablo Ortiz is popular again. Since the publication of the first Monster Locker in October 2024, Pablo and his friends Takashi and Maggie have been working to banish the demons and mythical creatures that use Pablo’s basement locker as a FastPass into the human world back into their own dimension. Most of our trio is burnt out with all of their monster fighting, but Pablo is feeling the rush of finally being seen in a good way again and is pushing his friends to keep the monster banishing and their social capital up. The problem with being seen, though, is sometimes the wrong things are looking.
Monster Locker: Nine-Tail Trouble, scheduled for release April 21, 2026, sees creators Jorge Aguirre and Andrés Vera Martínez diving back into the world of the first book with a new focus and an equally lovely story. While monster banisher Pablo still acts as the protagonist, this story is really about his friend, the charmingly unhinged Takashi Rosenberg. Takashi is not overly thrilled with their heavily monster focused schedule and has a lot on his mind. He wants to get back to RPGs and becoming a J-Pop sensation and worrying about his upcoming Bar Mitzvah and missing his mom in Japan. Like many children from different, distinct backgrounds, Takashi doesn’t know how to reconcile his Judaism with his Japanese heritage and vice versa. He feels out of place in both, a situation escalated by his parents divorce and his mother’s physical distance. And this also leaves him vulnerable when a new, dangerous monster threatens not just the trio’s school and popularity, but the roots of their friendship.
I loved the first Monster Locker when it came out but felt like the side characters, like Takashi, didn’t get a lot of fleshing out and it’s like Aguirre and Martínez were reading my dream journal. This second volume not only gives Takashi amazing depth and a massive struggle with identity, but pulls folkloric characters from both of his heritages into the story. While the first book was like an ode to Pablo’s Meso American ancestry and Aztec gods, Nine-Tail Trouble sees Kitsune (the Japanese nine-tailed fox trickster) and a Golem (an animated, humanoid chunk of clay from Jew folklore) doing battle, turning Takashi’s internal struggle into a visibly destructive one.
With the shift in focus comes a shift in artistic style. While the first Monster Locker took a lot of visual inspiration from Meso American art, this one pulls in references to Medieval Jewish art to draw in the Golem’s background and soft Japanese watercolor for the Kitsune. It’s lovely to look at and the emotional heft is clear without being overpowering. Takashi’s struggle is universal and makes a powerful framework for this story.As much as I love the focus on Takashi, much like the first Monster Locker, the other characters are not given much time to grow. The story sees many of the characters from the first book return but all, even Pablo, our protagonist, take a backseat. I would love to see more balance between the characters and their growth in future volumes.
Aguirre and Martínez have created a world that has some of my favorite things about graphic novels: the stories are fun and surprising, the characters are unique but grounded in real emotional stakes, and the art is gorgeous. This series continues to please and I can’t wait for more.
Monster Locker: Nine-Tail Trouble By Jorge Aguirre Art by Andrés Vera Martínez Macmillan First Second, 2026 ISBN: 9781250749765
Company Age Rating: 10-14
NFNT Age Recommendation: Middle Grade (7-11), Teen (13-16), Tween (10-13) Creator Representation: Colombian-American, , Character Representation: Japanese, Mexican-American, Jewish ,
A cryptic mystery ensconced in a fairy tale fantasy world permeates Keiichi Hara’s (Colorful, Miss Hokusai) anime adaptation of Mizuki Tsujimura’s Lonely Castle in the Mirror, an enchanting tale about the ties of friendship that bind us together. A story centered on a group of outcast middle grade adolescents who, for various reasons, avoid going to school, find connection with each other in a fantastic world where they band together to unravel a mystery while discovering that they share more in common than they realize.
The story begins when Kokoro wakes up one morning with stomach pains that prevent her from attending school. She has been confined to her home for several weeks now after a bullying incident at school instigated by a gang of mean-spirited girls. The mirror in her bedroom emits a sparkling glow on this morning, casting a light that turns into a magical portal. Upon stepping through the mirror, she beholds a castle straight out of a fairy tale perched on a cliff surrounded by the sea. She is greeted by a young girl wearing a wolf mask who assigns a single task: Kokoro, along with six other students who have somehow also transported to this world, must find a secret room containing a key that will grant its finder a wish, but there is one caveat: This task must be completed by spring time, and they must leave the castle by five o’clock each day or else face a ferocious wolf that prowls about, stalking its prey with a voracious appetite.
Segmented into a series of months, each scenario unpacks the inner stories of each student: Timid Kokoro suffered from bullying classmates at school; headstrong Aki experienced molestation from her father; Masamune the gamer was taunted for his habitual lying; pushover Ureshino was teased for his failed attempts to win affection from girls, and so forth. Despite their imperfections however, these students learn to accept each other and their flaws. What shines are their back stories as they crystalize and sharpen into focus, highlighting deeper secrets that reveal they have more in common than they initially realized. But what unites them all and why can they not find each other in the real world? In this blend between fantasy and reality, the architectural aesthetics of the castle rooms contrast in tone and style with the tawdry mundaneness of their everyday lives, poignant moments unravel through unspoken silences, and an uplifting musical soundtrack reinforces the narrative action, propelling the story to its triumphant climax.
At the heart of Lonely Castle in the Mirror, themes of bullying, acceptance, isolation, trust, and friendship interlock like shifting pieces of a complex yet beautifully rendered mosaic, bridging the disparate lives of each character across time and space. A refuge for the harsh toils of school and life itself, this anime combines elements of magical whimsy, mystery, and fantasy that will appeal to middle grade viewers, illuminating the astonishing connections we hold and cherish within each other.
Lonely Castle in the Mirror Directed by Keiichi Hara GKIDS Films/Shout! Factory, 2023 Run time: 116 minutes minutes Stream this series
NFNT Age Recommendation: Teen (13-16) Creator Representation: Japanese, Character Representation: Japanese,
Many young people know what they want to do with their lives from the very beginning. Ema Asano is one such person. Most of her classmates are focused on fashion and dating. But Ema cannot be bothered with such things. She dreams of following in the footsteps of her parents, who were both police officers before their deaths defending their community. Until such time as she can become a real cop, Ema roams the streets of Tokyo as a vigilante.
Ema’s diligence leads her into the bad part of town one night after her older sister, Yuko, goes missing. To her horror, she discovers that Yuko was lured there by one of her co-workers, Tamaki, who is a vampire in need of a meal. Ema is ready to call the authorities, but is stopped by another of Yuko’s co-workers, Taiga, who also a werewolf.
That encounter marks the night when Ema’s vigil becomes something else entirely. For there are monsters in the shadows besides vampires and werewolves. And Tamaki and Taiga, despite nominally being on opposite sides of an eternal war, find they have more in common with each other than their own kind. Thus forms an unusual team, as the trio work to put down those monsters who cannot control their urges to kill.
On the surface, there is little to distinguish Outsiders from other urban fantasy series. Indeed, creator Akira Kanou freely admits to having been inspired by the Twilight Saga. And there certainly are innumerable horror series built around the idea of a rivalry between werewolves and vampires. Despite this, Outsiders puts enough unique spins on its mythology to mark it as unique. It also boasts some twisted artwork with a far lighter and sketchier style than one would associate with a horror shojo.
Outsiders defies expectations in other ways as well. Usually, a novel of this sort would inevitably feature a love triangle between the teen heroine and the two dashing older men who barely look older than her. There is no such romance in Outsiders. While Ema does show some casual interest in wondering what dating a vampire or a werewolf would be like, her feelings are not reciprocated by Tamaki or Taiga. In fact, most of the romance in this first volume involves subtle hints of a growing attraction between the vampire and werewolf. All these twists help to make Outsiders into something unique that may appeal to fans of the genre looking for something different.
Outsiders Vol. 1 is rated 12+ by Titan Manga. I consider that to be a fair grade for the content. There is a fair bit of violence and bloodshed, but nothing inappropriate to a T-rated Manga. As noted, there is no sexual content or nudity. Indeed, there is barely any hit of romance and most of that confined to meaningful glances between the two male leads that the heroine presumes mean something more. The closest any of the characters come to impropriety is Tamaki undressing and dressing an unconscious Ema in clean clothes after her own clothing is torn while trying to save her sister. Even then, he is a perfect gentleman, and explains he only did this because he couldn’t well let Ema (who is immune to his hypnosis powers for some reason) run off into the night in a bedraggled state.
Outsiders Vol. 1 By Akira Kanou Titan, 2025 ISBN: 9781787745711
Company Age Rating: 12+
NFNT Age Recommendation: Older Teen (16-18), Teen (13-16) Creator Representation: Japanese, Character Representation: Japanese,
Horror manga, like most horror subgenres, is a surprisingly deep and disturbing rabbit hole. A reader might read Junji Ito’s Uzumakior Ishida Sui’s Tokyo Ghoul series and then discover multiple authors, along with those authors’ twisted imaginations, who populate this genre. Indeed, one particular joy for a horror-loving librarian is being able to recommend a terrifying book based on the readers’ interests. For those librarians with patrons who are fans of manga and horror, they can suggest the stories lying in wait in Shintaro Kago’s collection Brain Damage.
Kago is no stranger to disturbing readers, having penned works like Dementia 21, and the four stories here, propelled by Shintaro Kago’s singular vision, will burrow their way through the readers’ skin and into their brains. Follow four identical women wake up in a strange room and try to discover why someone’s hunting them. Meet a woman who devotes her life to helping the living dead move on. See a family fights to be remembered to keep from literally disappearing from existence. Discover how used cars carry the deaths of their owners with them.
While this book doesn’t have a wraparound story that ties all these tales together, the stories individually stand on their own and savagely shock readers by way of brutal twists.Those familiar with horror manga from creators like Ito and Sui should find familiar ground as reality unspools around these characters like cheaply woven thread. But in this realm, Kago’s satirical stories and pitch black humor raise societal, ethical, and existential questions, whether it’s questioning the ethical care reserved for flesheaters or the moral quandaries involved in stopping a horde of hungry automobiles. In this way, Kago’s fiction hearkens back to anthology pioneers like Rod Serling’s Twilight Zone, who revealed real-world issues to readers through the lens of the fantastic.
Fans of manga might be familiar with how many books use black and white images to tell their stories, which can seem an odd choice for a graphic novel, particularly among horror graphic novel fans used to seeing red ink all over the page. However, Kago’s decision to use black and white should not be viewed as restraint or self-censorship. This book does indeed have bodies being turned inside out and twisted in all sorts of directions (with black ink substituting for blood). Some of the more disturbing images in this book require no blood; there’s something disconcerting about seeing a hole with no ragged edges or blood spurting simply appearing in a person’s head or torso.
Brain Damage could serve, for many readers of horror graphic novels, as a bridge between manga and story collections and vice versa. For librarians in charge of adult collections looking for content to satiate your gorehounds and manga fans, this book could offer another author for your patrons to digest after they have devoured all of Ito and other manga horror authors in your collection.
Brain Damage By Shintaro Kago Fantagraphics, 2025 ISBN: 9798875000935
NFNT Age Recommendation: Adult (18+) Creator Representation: Japanese, Character Representation: Japanese,
The world of Blade Runner has always favored Japanese aesthetics. This is not uncommon in the cyberpunk fiction of the 1980s, which was born of a belief that Japan would come to dominate the world of technology. The irony is that, for all that influence, Blade Runner is intensely focused on American interests. The original movie was set entirely in Los Angeles and the spinoffs which followed remained largely set in southern California. This makes Blade Runner: Tokyo Nexus notable as the first work in the franchise to be set outside of the United States or deep space.
Our story is set in 2015, four years before the events of the first Blade Runner movie. The action centers around former soldiers, Mead and Stix. After leaving the service, they came to Tokyo and established a detective agency. However, there’s a lot in their past they don’t want uncovered. For one thing, Stix is a Replicant; one of the class of artificially created human that are technically illegal on Earth. However, they both went AWOL after deciding they didn’t want to die on a suicide mission and stole some classified information as they made their escape.
The sins of their past catch up with the duo, as their latest case forces them to butt heads with the Yakuza. There is also the complication of an American Blade Runner arriving in Tokyo, hunting a rogue Replicant that has started killing to cover their tracks. The Blade Runner is convinced Stix is her man, but even that hunt may be covering up something bigger. Something tied into the Tyrell Corporation and a group of rogue scientists seeking to create their own Replicants outside of the Tyrell machine.
Writer Kianna Shore does a fantastic job of capturing the aura of the Blade Runner setting while presenting this world’s take on Tokyo. There are plots within plots and multiple intrigues, as Mead tries to investigate a murder while throwing the Blade Runner off the scent of the one friend she has. At the same time, it becomes apparent that Stix has his own secrets, even if he isn’t the killer in question. All the characters are engaging, and the secret heavy story is sure to keep readers guessing until the end.
The artwork of Mariano Taibo is equally engaging. Despite the Noir aesthetic of the story, the artwork is unusually bright and airy. This creates an immediate visual contrast with the dark alleys and neon glow that dominated the Los Angeles of the Blade Runner film. What is more, we see the sun. This might not seem like a huge point, but it’s a rather amazing revelation given the original movie depicted a city shrouded in perpetual rain and gloom even in the light of day. And yet, despite this disparate distinction, this is still undoubtedly a Blade Runner story, with high octane action and intense combat sequences.
Titan Comics rates this first volume as appropriate for readers 15 and up. I believe that to be an appropriate rating. There is considerable violence and bloodshed. There is even a scene showing a dead Replicant being dissected. However, there is nothing here that would be considered excessive for an audience of older teenagers. There is no suggestion of sex and one nude Replicant with undistinguished anatomy in a body bag.
Blade Runner: Tokyo Nexus Die In Peace By Kianna Shore Art by Mariano Taibo Titan, 2025 ISBN: 9781787738492
Company Age Rating: 15+ Related media: Movie to Comic
NFNT Age Recommendation: Adult (18+), Older Teen (16-18) Creator Representation: Korean-American, Character Representation: Black, Japanese,
Zack and Joe Kazuma went down drastically different paths after the death of their father. Zack followed in their father’s footsteps, becoming a Police Sergeant in the Mirai City Police Department. Joe dropped out of school and spent his days playing video games until his mother made him get a job as a delivery boy.
Life has not gone the way either of the Kazuma brothers hoped. Zack is frustrated by the indifference and corruption of his superiors regarding the gangsters running wild in their city. Joe is similarly outraged, after he is fired from his job after being repeatedly cheated by customers who wouldn’t pay for their food or simply being mugged for what money he collected. The only release the two brothers have is a shared love of boxing, though Joe is out of practice and hasn’t hit the gym in a while.
Things change after a gangster hunts Zack down while the brothers are on a camping trip together, seeking revenge for Zack’s trying to arrest him. The two brothers fight back, with Joe finding a strange reservoir of strength when he wears his father’s old boxing gloves. This inspires Joe to head back to the gym, as Zack renews his efforts to clean up his department and take on the mob.
Space Punch is notable as the first manga by French comic creator ZD. However, had I not been informed of that fact, I would never have guessed this was a freshman effort. The story represents a unique blend of genres, with the early chapters presenting dual crime and slide-of-life dramas that are united only by the connection of the two brothers. Things shift into second gear midway through the book, however, as Joe starts displaying super-strength through feats like ripping the door off a car and throwing it like a discus. By the end of the final chapter, the story takes a supernatural turn, as it becomes clear that Joe’s newfound powers are tied to his father’s old boxing gear. Each of these story elements is introduced naturally and they all mesh splendidly.
The same can be said of ZD’s artwork. There is intricate line-work throughout, particularly in the action sequences featuring Zack. The sequences focusing on Joe look more comedic by comparison, but the visual differences between the brother’s stories flow into one another as they cross paths. Things shift at the end subtly, as Zack’s true crime tale begins to look more light-hearted compared to the body horror Joe experiences as he tries to remove his father’s boxing gear. This continual shift keeps things interesting, and I look forward to the next volume of this series.
Kana rates this volume as appropriate for readers 13 and up. I consider that a fair assessment. There is no sexual content or nudity in this volume and no real romance apart from some one-sided flirtation between Joe and Kim, a childhood friend who works at the boxing gym. The violence and action is considerable, however, with some intense car chases and bullets flying. There is nothing more intense than what would be seen in a PG-13 movie, however, making this a worthy read for any fan of Shonen manga.
Space Punch, Volume 1 By ZD Morrison Kana (Abrams ComicArts), 2025 ISBN: 9781419777943
Company Age Rating: 13+
NFNT Age Recommendation: Adult (18+), Older Teen (16-18), Teen (13-16) Creator Representation: French, Character Representation: Japanese,
High in the mountains of Japan, the Tengu still roam free. These monstrous demons prey upon those who travel too far from civilization, feasting upon them. The more humans a Tengu consumes, the larger and smarter they become. Some legends say a Tengu who eats enough humans might become one. Others say that those who are bitten by a Tengu and survive might become one themselves!
21-year-old Mamoru Yamaemori has devoted his life to fighting the Tengu near the Yamae Shrine, like his father before him. He was given no choice in this, being kept out of school and savagely trained in the duties of a Guardian. Mamoru never questioned this, not even after his parents died when he was 12, leaving him to raise his two brothers by himself. The people of the nearby village leave them alone, for the most part, believing the Yamaemori line to be cursed, due to them all dying young, violent deaths. The local authorities know the truth and are thankful for Mamoru’s help, but most are ignorant of the threat Tengu pose in modern times.
Mamoru’s only comfort is that his actions have given his brothers the chance to live normal lives. 17-year-old Kei is a genius and a master chef, holding top marks in all subjects at his school. 15-year-old Yu is a popular athlete, whose football team is heading to the national finals. They have offered to help Mamoru with his duties, but he refuses to allow them to join his vigil. At least, until the night when Yu is attacked by a Tengu and Mamoru nearly killed as the beast devoured him.
Since that night, Mamoru has begun transforming into a Tengu. Under the guidance of an elder Guardian, Kei and Yu begin their training as Guardians themselves. It is their hope that they may cleanse the mountains of Tengu before their brother changes completely or maybe find some way to reverse his transformation. Unfortunately, the urges to attack those he loves most are growing stronger, and another nearby Guardian is ready to kill Mamoru himself at the first sign that he has crossed over completely.
Three Exorcism Siblings is an interesting take on the old warning that one should not battle monsters, lest they become one themselves. Unfortunately, this idea has been done before and done better in other supernatural shonen. While Mamoru’s plight is gripping and the drama around it well-played, the rest of the cast are strictly stock characters.
The artwork of Three Exorcism Siblings is a bigger issue. Shinta Harekawa’s style becomes muddy to the point of being incomprehensible during the fights with the Tengu. Given that this is an action manga centered around fighting Tengu, that is something of a problem.
Titan Manga rates this volume for readers 15 and up. I believe that to be a fair assessment. There is no sexual content or nudity. Indeed, there are barely any female characters apart from a few nameless classmates of the younger brothers, one delivery girl, and a young woman Mamoru saves in the opening action sequence. There is considerable bloodshed, however, but none of it is all that interesting. All in all, while this might appeal to fans of Tokyo Ghoul and Attack on Titan, there is nothing to make it essential reading for a library manga collection.
Three Exorcism Siblings, Vol. 1 By Shinta Harekawa Titan, 2024 ISBN: 9781787741379
Company Age Rating: 15+
NFNT Age Recommendation: Adult (18+), Older Teen (16-18) Creator Representation: Japanese, Character Representation: Japanese,
The seven children of the wealthy Shiunji family are the talk of their town. Numbering five girls and two boys, with two sets of twins in the middle, they are unmistakable when they go out. All the Shiunji siblings are good-looking and gifted, with the majority of them being talented scholar athletes. The girls all have their own fan clubs and students from other schools travel out of their way to watch them from afar.
All of this is an annoyance to Arata, the oldest of the two Shiunji boys. While many boys are jealous of him for being surrounded by such grace and beauty, the reality of living with five girls your own age is a far cry from the sister fetish stories other boys obsess over. His older sisters bully him. His younger sisters tease him. And worst of all is his twin, Ouka. Given that, and his fears of introducing his crush into the mix, it is no wonder the 16-year-old Arata has never had a girlfriend, despite being the most eligible young man at their school.
That changes on the night of the youngest Shiunji sibling, quiet Kotono, turning 15. It is then that their father confesses to a secret that he kept hidden from his children all their lives. Namely, that all of them are adopted and that apart from the younger set of twins, Minami and Sion, none of them are blood relatives.
This changes nothing for Arata, who is determined to protect the girls as a big brother should. Unfortunately, the girls he thinks of as his sisters all start showing signs that they might be viewing him in a different light. Even Ouka!
In the afterword of The Shiunji Family Children Vol. 1, creator Reiji Miyajima says they were inspired to write a story about sibling relationships because they had no chance to do so in their earlier series, Rent-A-Girlfriend. Because Siblings can be your best friends and your worst enemies. It is a fascinating dichotomy which they wanted to explore.
Your enjoyment of The Shiunji Family Children will likely depend upon how much you enjoy that dichotomy and harem manga. Because make no mistake, that is what The Shiunji Family Children is, despite Arata’s frequent protests that his life is NOT a light novel. Even as his youngest sister hugs him while naked, his second oldest sister mounts him in her bed clothes, his second youngest sister calls him sempai, and his older sister jokes about having a date with him.
Reiji Miyajima’s artwork remains excellent, however, with each of the siblings having a distinctive appearance. They also have unique personalities, moving beyond the usual stereotypes of “smart science girl” and “sporty tomboy” as the first issue goes on. This helps distinguish the book from other harem manga that are only concerned with the sexy bits.
On that note, Yen Press has rated The Shiunji Family Children as OT for Older Teens, 16 and up. I consider that a fair assessment. There is full nudity from the side of the 15-year-old Kotono and a lot of discussion of sexual content. There is no actual sex, however, but given the subject matter this book is rightly aimed at older audiences who can appreciate the emotional issues involved. Amazingly, these issues are treated seriously even as most of the comedy is born of Arata’s discomfort with the conflicting feelings that he and his sisters are dealing with.
The Shiunji Family Children, Vol. 1 By Reiji Miyajima Yen Press, 2023 ISBN: 9781975371418
Company Age Rating: OT
NFNT Age Recommendation: Adult (18+), Older Teen (16-18) Creator Representation: Japanese, Character Representation: Japanese,
Miyuu Seno had dreams of becoming an artist. Those dreams were shattered when her application to art school was rejected. With no other plan for her life after high school, she submitted to her mother’s plan for a safe and secure life.
Five years later, Miyuu is completely miserable. She’s working the safe office job her mother always dreamed of, wearing the clothes and makeup her mother picks out, and trying to attract the handsome young accountant her mother pegged as prime husband material. Ironically, that plan goes south when Miyuu gets him alone and he says that he likes her… because she is “a pale, pitiful imitation.”
Incensed and outraged, Miyuu leaves her mother’s house with nothing but the clothes on her back and a blank canvas—the last one she had from her teenage years. Now, homeless but hopeful, Miyuu hopes to make her dreams come true at last, becoming a real artist, getting accepted to art school, and finding a boyfriend who appreciates her true self.
The Essence of Being a Muse is a perfect opening to what promises to be a wonderful slice-of-life series. Aya Fumino does a fantastic job of establishing the setting. More importantly, she firmly sets Miyuu up as a protagonist we want to root for and see succeed.
Miyuu is immediately sympathetic, trying her best to succeed at being a dutiful daughter and competent office worker. When she seemingly fails at that, she questions everything in her life and concludes that she’d rather fail being happy and authentic than endure another day aspiring to mediocrity. Granting that this is standard RomCom fodder, Fumino largely avoids the usual tropes… at least until the last chapter.
It is here that the narrative shifts to Kairi Nabeshima, the accountant whose harsh words inspired Miyuu to abandon her life. We see the earlier scenes play out from his perspective and learn of his own shattered dreams of becoming a male model. Far from being sympathetic, however, he views Miyuu as being like him—a wannabe who never will be, which makes him like her.
In a lesser series, this would set up an immediate romantic subplot. Instead, Kairi’s half-hearted efforts to ask Miyuu out after she starts to find success in her new life are rightly shot down. This is a welcome change from the romance manga where the heroine can’t move on from her old flame and starts to see something decent in him.
The artwork is of similarly high quality to the scripting. For the most part, Aya Fumino’s art fits the standard Shojo aesthetic. There are novel touches, however, such as the perspective and pencils becoming jittery whenever Miyuu is upset. This is most apparent during the fight with her mother but comes up for a few panels later when she is trying to sketch something for the first time in years and starts crying. It is almost as if Miyuu is drawing the comic herself but cannot steady her hand or see clearly through her tears.
This volume is rated T for Teen, meaning audiences 13 and up only. I believe that to be a fair rating. There is no violence or bloodshed, beyond some vivid shouting matches and Miyuu cutting her feet after leaving her home barefoot. There is no nudity, though Miyuu does go home with Kairi and he opens her blouse before she tells him she seriously just wanted to talk before their all too honest conversation. All in all, there is nothing inappropriate for a teenage audience, who will benefit from the book’s themes of following your dreams, being true to yourself, and not entering into a relationship just to be with someone.
The Essence of Being a Muse, Vol. 1 By Aya Fumino Yen Press, 2023 ISBN: 9781975360979
Company Age Rating: T Related media:
NFNT Age Recommendation: Adult (18+), Older Teen (16-18), Teen (13-16) Creator Representation: Japanese, Character Representation: Japanese,
of the first Monster Locker in October 2024, Pablo and his friends Takashi and Maggie have been working to banish the demons and mythical creatures that use Pablo’s basement locker as a FastPass into the human world back into their own dimension. Most of our trio is burnt out with all of their monster fighting, but Pablo is feeling the rush of finally being seen in a good way again and is pushing his friends to keep the monster banishing and their social capital up. The problem with being seen, though, is sometimes the wrong things are looking.
Tsujimura’s Lonely Castle in the Mirror, an enchanting tale about the ties of friendship that bind us together. A story centered on a group of outcast middle grade adolescents who, for various reasons, avoid going to school, find connection with each other in a fantastic world where they band together to unravel a mystery while discovering that they share more in common than they realize.
classmates are focused on fashion and dating. But Ema cannot be bothered with such things. She dreams of following in the footsteps of her parents, who were both police officers before their deaths defending their community. Until such time as she can become a real cop, Ema roams the streets of Tokyo as a vigilante.
was born of a belief that Japan would come to dominate the world of technology. The irony is that, for all that influence, Blade Runner is intensely focused on American interests. The original movie was set entirely in Los Angeles and the spinoffs which followed remained largely set in southern California. This makes Blade Runner: Tokyo Nexus notable as the first work in the franchise to be set outside of the United States or deep space.
becoming a Police Sergeant in the Mirai City Police Department. Joe dropped out of school and spent his days playing video games until his mother made him get a job as a delivery boy.
civilization, feasting upon them. The more humans a Tengu consumes, the larger and smarter they become. Some legends say a Tengu who eats enough humans might become one. Others say that those who are bitten by a Tengu and survive might become one themselves!
the middle, they are unmistakable when they go out. All the Shiunji siblings are good-looking and gifted, with the majority of them being talented scholar athletes. The girls all have their own fan clubs and students from other schools travel out of their way to watch them from afar.
other plan for her life after high school, she submitted to her mother’s plan for a safe and secure life.
