On this week’s corner, romance blossoms in a bike shop, Gabriel and the Guardians gets its start, Your Forma relationships begin to form, and much, much more! Check out our reviews of new and recent manga, manhwa, and light novel releases below!
Gabriel and the Guardians Introductory Issue • The Ice Guy and the Cool Girl (Vol. 8) • Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint (Vol. 5) • The Person I Loved Asked Me to Die in My Sister’s Stead (Vol. 1) • Takahashi from the Bike Shop (Vol. 1) • With You, Our Love Will Make It Through (Vol. 1) • Your Forma (Vol. 2)
Takahashi from the Bike Shop, Manga Vol. 1
Panko is a single thirty-year-old woman who does her best to ward off her boss’s very unwanted advances and seemingly nice coworkers who dump their work onto her. Rather than telling them to leave her alone or say no, she continues to struggle to stand up for herself. However, maybe that starts to change after she meets the kind but blunt Ryohei, who works at the bike shop and fixes her rusty bike. Is there something in store for them together? I so wanted to love this more, and feel that maybe I should binge-read it when more volumes come out because I feel that’s the best way I would enjoy it? I am unsure if it was the story itself, or how uncomfortable I personally felt in seeing so much of myself in Panko that it was hard to read because I related to her in such a painful way. The way she never stands up for herself because she doesn’t want to make people angry hit me so hard, and I think it’s ultimately why I didn’t overwhelmingly love this first volume, which is hard to admit. I feel like this story is set up in a way where I know Panko is going to find freedom from that “worry” about not speaking up, because near the end there was one moment where she did and I completely cheered! She deserves so much better, and I really hope she only becomes happier as the story goes on! Ryouhei is fantastic! I agree with Panko that I was nervous about him at first, but I loved seeing how caring and bold he is! I think he will really help Panko slowly start to say no to things she doesn’t want to do, as well as be more open about the things she loves and likes. He’s a really, really great male lead! I also loved how the romance is slowly blooming, as I have no doubts it will be beautiful, but for now, I think I will come back to this series at another time when I feel more mentally prepared to read someone so similar to myself. ~ Laura A. Grace
Takahashi from the Bike Shop is published by Yen Press.
Your Forma, Manga Vol. 2
Echika and Harold find a new lead in their investigation involving technology that tampers with brains (which humans have now connected directly to the Internet through the titular “your forma”), but things are getting more complicated, not less, especially when a billionaire who worked with Echika’s father becomes somehow involved. Actually, that’s just the beginning in the latest thrilling volume of Your Forma, which also dives right into Echika’s past after just hinting at it in volume one; introduces an Amicus that looks just like Harold and is also seemingly a little different from the usual model; and brings relational difficulties to the job, particularly between the secretive Echika with the pesky Harold, whose background also begins to be unraveled. Just as with volume one, this issue is so engaging because it moves thoughtfully and demonstratively on multiple levels—with the mystery at hand, the sci-fi components that recall other great works like Minority Report, and the characterization of the lead characters. This is a rare series that’s both creatively fulfilling and a blast to read. Unfortunately, the Your Forma manga has been discontinued, and we’re left with only one volume left to read; it’s a real shame, because mangaka Yoshinor Kisaragi has done a more than admirable job with this adaptation, adding strong visuals and unique elements (among other things, the manga is much funnier than the novels) that will be missed. I’m continuing to read the light novels, which I highly recommend, but my hope is that somehow—maybe because the upcoming anime will be a hit—we’ll get more of this wonderful manga series. ~ Twwk
Your Forma is published by Yen Press.
READ Your Forma Vol. 1 Review
With You, Our Love Will Make It Through, Manga Vol. 1
Mari lives out her everyday semi-boring life of doing the same thing every day and seeing the same people every day. That is, until she bumps into a new transfer student, Tsunagu, who happens to be a beastfolk! Though humans and beastfolk are starting to coexist together, he is the first beastfolk to come to her school. The more she sees him and gets to know him, the more interested she is in him, and maybe not just as a friend… This is not the first “furry” manga I’ve read, but I think this might be the first one I’ve read where I deeply enjoyed it! I’m actually even considering picking this up physically because of how deep my enjoyment was! I decided to give this manga a try thanks to a friend who I know adores the series, and I can totally see why! While I did feel a few scenes were a little too spicy for me personally, I loved all of the characters! I was genuinely surprised at how invested I was in wanting Mari and one of her friends to genuinely welcome Tsunagu into this school and show others how amazing he is. I appreciated all their “antics” of willingly wanting to do crazy things so they could show others he isn’t scary or mean like rumors say beastfolk are. A lot of my favorite scenes stem from seeing all three characters grow in their friendship and Tsunagu really “loosening up” and seeing he’s not alone. It was absolutely wonderful! When it comes to Mari, I really really liked her as a female lead! I deeply admire when characters are not blinded by prejudice, especially when everyone else around them is and they instead choose to see that individual as an individual. I will say that she does do that, but she really is fascinated by him being different from herself. She doesn’t see him being a beastfolk as something to look down upon, and she wants others to feel the same because she feels completely captivated by him. I definitely enjoyed seeing her feelings grow for Tsunagu and how it really was love at first for her. I’m also very much hoping Tsunagu will return her feelings! I’m definitely interested in reading more and seeing where this story goes! I think if you’re looking for a romance where they start as friends and see prejudice overcome (even if slowly), then this is definitely one I would recommend! ~ Laura A. Grace
With You, Our Love Will Make It Through is published by Yen Press.
The Person I Loved Asked Me to Die in My Sister’s Stead, Manga Vol. 1
What would you do if the man or woman you loved asked you to die in your sister’s place so they could be with your sister while you were sent to a place where supposedly no one survives? For Wisteria, this is her reality. Having loved Lord Bright since she can remember, as an adult she has aimed to prove herself with her magical abilities and research that she would be a good match. But when her family gets the news that Wisteria’s sister has been chosen as the guardian to go to the Predawn Realm, Bright begs her to take her sister’s place instead. Heartbroken, she says yes, and so begins Wistera’s story as her new life begins with a talking sacred sword in hand. This was just as engaging as the first time I read it…and just as heartbreaking! I adore Wisteria’s strength even if she claims she’s selfish. I think she is human like the rest of us and found her feelings to make full sense and be realistic, so she shouldn’t berate herself for the feelings she had because, at the end of the day, she still chose to “volunteer as tribute.” She could have easily said no and tried to live out the happily ever after she’s longed for by Bright’s side, but again, she didn’t decide to stay. Instead, she cried and went to the Predawn Realm like the brave woman she was. I love her and definitely see why she recently was in the top 10 female characters from the Kono Light Novel ga Sugoi! 2025 Rankings, because her actions are incredible and so very inspiring! I also want to say that I loved the sword! He’s awesome, and I really liked the bonus story we got because it shows how he cares for Wisteria in his own grumpy way! Speaking of, I appreciate the short story at the end and do want to mention that it was extremely well written! Not saying other bonus short stories aren’t, but this one just stood out to me for some reason. Overall, I loved loved loved this first volume! I’m going to be cheering on Wisteria with all that I am moving forward! ~ Laura A. Grace
The Person I Loved Asked Me to Die in My Sister’s Stead is published by TokyoPop.
The Ice Guy and the Cool Girl, Manga Vol. 8
Fall might be upon us, but for Himuro and Fuyutsuki, spring vacation is upon them! Taking a trip to the hot springs with their two coworkers, Komori and Saejima, sounds like the perfect plan! However, what may sound like a fun trip between friends at first blooms into something much more! Once again, my heart has been revived with another volume in this series! So many fun and wonderful moments that had me squealing and giggling! I definitely love what the creator mentioned in the previous volume about a romance blooming, because oh my goodness, it did, and it gave my stomach butterflies! Eeeeepppp! I’m fully on board and hoping it will be some “inspiration” for Himuro in the future! Hehe! There is also a new character that makes an appearance, and I loved her! I think Granny might become a new favorite character because she was awesome in how she stood up for her grandson and was so passionate and supportive of him! It truly doesn’t matter what age you are; anyone can be excited about seeing and meeting their favorite singer! Truly, she was so much fun! The preview for the next volume has me super excited! I really, really love this series and am so thankful we have it in English! ~ Laura A. Grace
The Ice Guy and the Cool Girl is published by Square Enix.
READ Reviews of The Ice Guy and the Cool Girl: Vol. 1 // Vol. 2 // Vol. 3 // Vol. 4 // Vol. 5 // Vol. 6 // Vol. 7
Gabriel and the Guardians, Manga Introductory Issue
Why can’t someone make a creative, high-quality, Christian anime? Your answer may have arrived if you’re one of the many who have wished for that. Gabriel and the Guardians is an anime-style production produced by Angel Studios, the company behind The Chosen, and along with the animated series (which premieres in February), creator Jason Moody and his team are releasing an accompanying manga. To set the stage for it, they’ve released a short introductory issue that provides context for the series. It doesn’t feature the eponymous hero of the franchise but instead focuses on what got the world of this series into the state it’s in, which as explained is because of the chaos brought into it by mortals. This short manga introduces villains who may continue to play a role in the series, as well as some intriguing lore. You can see heavy fantasy influences here, both modern and older, along with manga and western animation influences as well (see Avatar: The Last Airbender). I was a little confused by the whos and whats, but I hope all my questions will be answered through the series proper. The booklet also features several pages from the upcoming first volume of the manga, as well as character sketches and other cool stuff. I think that Christians who are looking for manga that can be qualified as “Christian” will want to check this issue out, as well as fans of epic, fantasy-style series for adolescents. ~ Twwk
Gabriel and the Guardians is published by Angel Studios.
Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint, Manhwa Vol. 5
I was impressed by volume five of Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint, a series that I thought might have been hitting a wall. Instead, the new volume digs into characterization instead of leaning heavily on action (though there’s still plenty of that), while starting a new scenario that’s exciting and which adds a new wrinkle to the tale. But before that divergence, the volume focuses on Jihye and her part in the Cinema Dungeon stage, which leads to a really cool climax, especially for fans of Korean history. But it’s the next challenge to follow that really drew my attention, because it starts to spread the tale beyond just Dokja and has me keen on seeing what happens next and how Dokja will react. For the first time since volume one, the story itself is reaching the heights of the amazing artwork, which along with Dokja’s surly personality carried the series. But paired together, there’s potential here for something really special—and I am eager to see if Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint can deliver. ~ Twwk
Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint is published by Yen Press.
READ Reviews of Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint: Vol. 1 // Vol. 2 // Vol. 4
“Reader’s Corner” is our way of embracing the wonderful world of manga, light novels, and visual novels, creative works intimately related to anime but with a magic all their own. Each week, our writers provide their thoughts on the works they’re reading—both those recently released as we keep you informed of newly published works, and those older titles that you might find as magical (or in some cases, reprehensible) as we do.
