Staff Picks: Manga One and Done

This manga features a series of vignettes about a young girl named Hana living in a rural Japanese village in the 80s. The title follows the adventures of Hana, her cat, and her best friend Uta. Some of their exploits include journeying through a storm at night to get a stash of chocolate hidden in a tree, and an attempt by their village to remove weeds from abandoned rice paddy causing some strange changes to the people in the village. While this manga was not originally intended for children, younger readers who like magical realism which is sometimes absurd and sometimes a little scary will enjoy this manga.

Fans of Goosebumps or other stories that are scary with a dash of silly will find this manga right in the wheelhouse.

Mild body horror, Death of a side character implied.

Tayla Cardillo

This manga is a meditation on the meaning of happiness through the eyes of a grade-schooler. This young girl is not your ordinary young student, her closest friends are a single woman in her 20s, a high schooler who loves to write, and an old woman living out the end of her life alone. When she is given an assignment at school to present on what happiness is, she looks to her unique acquaintances to help her figure it out, and along the way learns a lot about the different people in her life and what can lead someone to unhappiness as well as happiness.

Anyone looking for a though provoking slice-of-life story with a touch of magical realism.

Depictions of self-harm, discussions of suicidal ideation

Tayla Cardillo

After her parents separate, Tokiko and her father move to her mother’s hometown by the sea. Tokiko wants to find the mermaid who saved her life when she was four years old, but Yosuke, a boy from her class, warns her against talking about it with others. Soon, Tokiko discovers that the town has multiple mysteries.

With lovely black-and-white illustrations and a story that slowly builds, Mermaid Scales and the Town of Sand will appeal to fans of stories that focus on a strong sense of place, big feelings, and blurry realities. I would especially give this title to readers who enjoy Studio Ghibli’s attention to setting details and quiet, yet expansive stories.

Brief nudity, but nothing is really visible

Megan Rupe

In this manga split into three parts, Niimura explores the Japanese folk tales he was told as a child and what it means for something to be taboo. With inspiration from popular Japanese tales like Urashima Taro and The Crane Wife, Niimura uses his unique storytelling style to explore why there are rules around keeping certain things hidden.

Fans of folklore and literary comics will enjoy this title.

Violence and blood, Death of a parent, Animal cruelty, Manipulation, Kidnapping

Tayla Cardillo

It's the distant future and the Earth is now almost entirely a desert, with a small supply of water under the control of a self-styled king. To try and find another source of water and fight back, all things demons are enlisted to help. Thus begins the adventures of Beelzebub, the demon prince, and the ragtag crew cruising the desert for water and fighting the king's army.

First: yes, this manga is out of print. However, the ebook is available, and there have been a lot of recent developments around it (an anime, a game, and a sequel) so it's likely to get a reprint soon.
As a manga recommended for kids, Sand Land falls outside the norm because it does have high drama and darker story points, but it also shows that sometimes bad people can change, and expectations don't always match reality. This is a great read for kids who enjoy series like Dragon Ball because it's the same creator so it has a lot of the same kind of humor, but also for kids who like post-apocalyptic stories or just stories with a little more bite and action.

Though there's no blood or guts, there are a lot of guns, tanks, and fighting, as well as some partial nudity (the main character mostly just wears shorts and no shirt) and depictions of smoking.

Shannan Prukop

Twenty-something Meiko despises her unfulfilling office job and struggles to feel part of the world; her boyfriend Naruo lives with her as he pursues music and works part-time as an illustrator. Follow Meiko as she figures out her life alongside Naruo and her other friends.

With excellent art and a story that skillfully moves between reflective, sad, and funny, Solanin is a powerful coming-of-age story. I first read Solanin in my twenties and found it relatable and comforting as I was also in the process of figuring out my own life. While rereading it for this list, I still found it relevant and especially enjoyed the quirky, funny, and little quiet moments that built up the characters' relationship. Teen and adult readers who enjoy coming-of-age stories and/or are going through a transition period may want to pick up Solanin.

Depictions of alcohol and drinking; character death (with blood); brief discussion of depression and grief

Megan Rupe

In this heartwarming story, transgender woman Chii tells the story of her transition and marriage. Within the story's bite-sized chapters, Chii uses adorable drawings of herself and loved ones to tell her story and educate readers on various vocabulary surrounding the transgender experience.

Readers looking for a positive story featuring a transgender character will enjoy The Bride Was a Boy. Readers who are curious about transition stories set in other countries will also be interested.

Megan Rupe

This story begin with Hana meeting a mysterious stranger in one of her college classes. They are quickly enraptured with each other, but this man has a secret, he is a wolfman and can transform into a wolf at will. Hana is undeterred by her lover's secret, and they start what is looking to be a wonderful life together. But soon after the birth of their second child, the wolfman dies in a tragic accident, leaving Hana to raise two children, who are part wolf themselves, on her own. This story is a portrait of the joys and hardships of motherhood.

Anyone who knows a mother who has had to make sacrifices for her children, but still loves them fiercely will enjoy this story.

Depiction of character death, depiction of a dead animal

Tayla Cardillo