Christmas is just two days away! Need a last-minute gift? Want to pick something up for yourself with that Amazon or B&N gift card you’re anticipating getting? Well, we’ve got a bunch of possibilities for you, from brand new series like Animan and Love Bullet to long-timers like Zom 100 and Insomniacs, and everywhere in between! Check out our reviews below—and happy reading this Christmas!
Animan (Vol. 1) • The B-Rank Adventurer with a Scary Face Becomes a Father for the Hero and His Friends (Vol. 1) • Girl Crush (Vol. 4) • I May Be a Guild Receptionist, but I’ll Solo Any Boss to Clock Out on Time (Vol. 5) • Insomniacs After School (Vol. 12) • Kill Blue (Vol. 3) • Kingdom (Vol. 2) • Love Bullet (Vol. 1) • Magical Girl Incident (Vol. 3) • The Too-Perfect Saint: Tossed Aside by My Fiancé and Sold to Another Kingdom (Vol. 2) • Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead (Vol. 18)
Animan, Manga Vol. 1
A father and daughter survive a horrible car crash in the middle of a lonely forest, only to succumb to…man-eating beasts?!? No, not the wild kind; the refined kind, that walk around on two legs, wear vests and cravats, and dine at dinner tables that would impress even Charles III. There may be both predator and prey animals here, but there are no herbivores in this community—though it’s very possible that reading their story may inspire a few herbivorous conversions among readers! For my part, I was glad I picked this up well between meals, as a few of the stunningly rendered “dining” scenes certainly turned me a tad queasy. Let’s just say that Animan is not for the faint of heart—or of stomach! What’s more, unfortunately for the humans in this frightening world, the beasts not only consume them, but also mimic humanity’s depravity, so some trigger warnings are in order for SA (fortunately not detailed and limited to 3-4 pages) alongside the gore and body horror. (It’s rated Mature.) The animals are beautifully drawn, though, which adds to the creepy, uncanny atmosphere, while the plot twists are pretty good! In fact, the twist in the final ten percent of this volume saves this premiere, transforming it from visceral vegetarian parable into straight-up political allegory, and frankly, if I continue reading this series, it’ll be because of this final twist. I think I’ll give it one more volume to see where it goes…though I’ll have to remember not to read it anywhere near dinner time! ~ claire
Animan is published by Yen Press.
Girl Crush, Manga Vol. 4
The clock is ticking for our trio of new trainees at LJH, and it’s only a matter of days before their first monthly evaluation. After impressing one of the instructors with their ambitious take on a boy band number, Tenka, Minchae, and Jiwoo decide to up their game and add more acrobatic moves to their choreo. They have their sights set on achieving elusive rank A status on their first try! But when Minchae is injured with just six days to go, their dreams get a rude awakening. With her leader’s hat on, Tenka comes up with a risky strategy, but can she convince her group mates to trust her on it, and do the deep personal work they will each need to do in order to own their performances? Oh man, I feel like a broken record player here, but honestly, this series just keeps on getting better with each new volume! Seriously, how long can mangaka Midori Tayama keep this up?! I raved about Tenka’s leadership journey in the last volume, but it does not slacken in the least in this new installment. We see new facets to her as she learns to adapt her approach to the moods and personalities of her group mates, particularly Jiwoo, whom she playfully manipulates into doing some serious soul-searching by mirroring her confrontational style. We get a hint of backstory on the audacious street dancer this time too, and some pretty hefty insights into her take on the world and her place in it. And frankly, she’s pretty cool! Meanwhile, Minchae begins to face some of her own demons as well—the drill-coiffed, frill-wearing kind. Oh, that sweet summer child. My only criticism of this volume is that it was over too fast, and now I have to wait until February for the next installment! ~ claire
Girl Crush is published by Viz Media.
READ Reviews of Girl Crush: Vol. 1 // Vol. 2 // Vol. 3
Magical Girl Incident, Manga Vol. 3
The final installment of this playful gender-bending magical girl series appropriately ties everything up with a neat pink bow! It’s actually the longest of the volumes, so before it gets down to the business of loose end resolution, there are a few more twists—and new characters!—thrown into the mix. First off, Yuzuru, the childhood friend of main character Hiromi, turns out to be a Waltz (magical girl) too, and immediately upon shifting, proposes to our feckless hero. Awkward! Then s/he is drafted onto the Magicops investigative team as they go undercover in the high school where the villainous black uniform girl has been sighted, a la urban legend. Disguised as a janitor, Hiromi befriends a loner boy—new character number two—who gives off a really dark—ahem, black—aura… Who might he be, and what is his significance to the investigation??? The mysteries unfold as we are treated to more backstory and character drama than we’ve seen so far, investing this otherwise lighthearted magical girl crime drama with a bit more emotional heft. The cornerstone that emerges in this finale is the rock-solid friendship between Hiromi and Yuzuru, which remains firmly platonic, despite the proposal incident and the fact that they tend to take turns shifting into magical girls (so that one is a cute girl while the other is a handsome man most of the time). Their friendship is central to the neat, tidy way in which all the loose ends I mentioned come together, which is a good thing. Yet I can’t help but feel like mangaka Zero Akabane missed a trick here; there was so much potential in the worldbuilding to explore themes of gender and class in more expansive and interesting ways, if only the series had developed further. It’s a shame this is the end of the road! All in all, though, this has been a fun magical girl series, with its quirky focus on male friendship at its pink, beribboned heart! ~ claire
Magical Girl Incident is published by Yen Press.
READ Reviews of Magical Girl Incident: Vol. 1 // Vol. 2
The Too-Perfect Saint: Tossed Aside by My Fiancé and Sold to Another Kingdom, Manga Vol. 3
Philia continues to (thankfully!) thrive in this new country where she was sold by her prince ex-fiancé. Things are not easy as she makes preparations for a demonic invasion, though. Back in her home country, her sister Mia not only hears of all the incredible things her sister is doing, but also about a conspiracy concerning why her sister left. The more Mia discovers, the more her anger rises, leaving her debating which her priorities as a saint should be: her duties or her family loyalty? I confess that while I did really enjoy volume two, I felt hesitant at first about continuing the series because I adore Philia and want to see more of her journey. It seemed, based on that ending, the series would most likely shift to Mia, which wasn’t bad (seeing her anger in volume two was deeply satisfying to me as a reader), but I wanted to see more of Philia specifically. When I came into this volume, it sort of “confirmed” that the focus was mainly going to be on Mia, but! Seeing Mia’s struggle near the end of this volume blew me away and made me want to keep reading more of this series! Mia seems to be on this journey that is centered around a quest for revenge and how she wrestles with that emotionally. I was shocked and felt like I became a fan of this series all over again: Mia has had no difficulty expressing what she desires up to this point, so for her to question whether she wants to continue being a saint and how that fits with her desire for revenge surprised me immensely! I never imagined that she would think so much about what she wants and how to move forward! I’m hoping that at some point, there will be a reunion between these sisters, because their love for one another is among the most touching and beautiful I have ever read in a manga (especially when it seems all too common in manga right now to have one sister treat the other like crap)! I hope volume four will be just as engaging as this one was—I want to seeboth of these beautiful sisters grow in their dreams! ~ Laura A. Grace
The Too-Perfect Saint: Tossed Aside by My Fiancé and Sold to Another Kingdom is published by Seven Seas.
READ Reviews of The Too-Perfect Saint: Tossed Aside by My Fiancé and Sold to Another Kingdom Vol. 1 // Vol. 2
The B-Rank Adventurer with a Scary Face Becomes a Father for the Hero and His Friends, Manga Vol. 1
Gray is overwhelmingly certain that he’s been reincarnated into a video game called Bright Fantasy that he tried out with his friend. He’s not quite certain what his role is in this game, but he goes about being an adventurer and enjoying his life while staying under the radar. When two young orphans approach him after seeing him use healing magic, they ask him if he will come with them to heal their friend. Not wanting to live with any regrets, despite the fact that he also doesn’t want to “change” or mess up the original story, he decides to help them. Little does he know that this will be the first of many changes moving forward, because one of those children he’s helping could be the very next hero… This was just as fun as I had hoped it would be! The volume was a little bloodier than I personally prefer, but I absolutely adored this story! Seeing a “scary” young man really get attached to these kids, and more or less adopting them as his own, was everything! Gray already had a kind heart that led him to help them from the start, but there’s a subtle progression in which he comes to love being called “Daddy” and getting “father power” by the end that really touched my heart. These kids adore him so dearly, and it’s obvious in his actions that he loves them just as much! Granted, his actions don’t match what his face shows, and I loved the resulting humor! One of my favorite pages is a bonus illustration of him playing peek-a-boo with his face looking completely terrifying, while one of the kids is having a blast and smiling so big! Ha! It’s precious and a really fun part of this story that causes everyone around him to pretty much misunderstand him, but it’s all the more heartwarming when we encounter the people who do understand him! I would definitely recommend this if you love the found family trope and want an isekai manga with some action! (Warning: There are a few times we see heads fly, but I wouldn’t say it was gruesome.) I’m definitely looking forward to getting the next volume! ~ Laura A. Grace
The B-Rank Adventurer with a Scary Face Becomes a Father for the Hero and His Friends is published by One Peace Books.
I May Be a Guild Receptionist, but I’ll Solo Any Boss to Clock Out on Time, Manga Vol. 5
The mystery of the Dark Gods and who is trying to resurrect them deepens in volume five of I May Be a Guild Receptionist, but I’ll Solo Any Boss to Clock Out on Time. In fact, a significant amount of time is spent exploring these mysteries—including a reveal of characters who are sort of “gods” themselves in this world, and dealings that will lead Alina to perhaps face another powerful foe. This is all pretty interesting stuff, combined with Lulalee’s story and guilt, which is also connected through her former party member to the shady goings on. But what I enjoyed most in this volume was not the drama, mystery, or action, but rather the sweetness and humor involving Alina and Jade. They’re quite a combo, and it’s nice to see Alina open herself up to Jade a little more, particularly since we as readers have seen what a good dude he is. This is another strong volume in the series, which has proved to be an excellent read. Here’s hoping that we receive more than volumes of I May Be a Guild Receptionist, but I’ll Solo Any Boss to Clock Out on Time in 2026, which is unfortunately all that was released of this manga adaptation in 2025. ~ Twwk
I May Be a Guild Receptionist, but I’ll Solo Any Boss to Clock Out on Time is published by Yen Press.
READ Reviews of I May Be a Guild Receptionist, but I’ll Solo Any Boss to Clock Out on Time: Vol. 1 // Vol. 2 // Vol. 3 // Vol. 4
Kill Blue, Manga Vol. 3
After two strong introductory volumes, the third volume of Kill Blue takes a step back and makes me worry that this series may not fulfill its initial promise. Continuing the double-date story that ended volume two, these chapters move Ogami from the discomfort of being in a situation he himself finds creepy to suddenly becoming an all-out assassin battle as two new characters—brothers, including one that resembles Frankenstein’s monster—are revealed. The action sequences are fine, but they aren’t terribly exciting or creative; further, they introduce strong Ogami x Noren vibes, which until this point had been played for laughs and accompanied by the somewhat unique (in manga, at least) and fully praiseworthy stance that a middle-aged man should find a relationship with a middle school girl disgusting, even though he’s currently in a middle school body himself. And I don’t think these problems are unrelated. Tadatoshi Fujimaki is a noted mangaka and surely recognized that his shootout fight was stale, so bringing in a romance element feels like a recognition of such and an attempt to spice it up. He doesn’t go over the line or push too hard, but it’s still disappointing that Fujimaki lets up on Ogami’s “absolutely not!” stance, if even a little, as he does in these chapters. It was not only refreshing, but added an underlying humor to the tale as Ogami reacted strongly to the children around him trying to set him up. Until now, I’ve found the series to be absurd and hilarious and unexpectedly moral; here’s hoping that we get back to the humor and heart that’s mostly missing in this volume. ~ Twwk
Kill Blue is published by VIZ Media.
Insomniacs After School, Manga Vol. 12
Whenever a time skip pushes events forward in a manga to bring the series near its conclusion, I wonder why that choice was made. Did the publisher want the mangaka to move on to another work? Is the series losing popularity? Has the mangaka tired of the series or run out of ideas? Ultimately, there’s no satisfying answer to whichever of those questions applies—and volume twelve of Insomniacs After School, which jumps the action more than a year ahead between its opening chapters (in which the kids attend a local festival) and its closing one (when they are approaching graduation), feels likewise unsatisfactory. The chapters themselves are quite nice—as usual, it’s the quietness of the panels that conveys so much in a festival that heavily dowses readers in feelings of nostalgia, and the last few chapters are warm and sensitive and even exciting as Magari has an important conversation with her and mom, and as she and Nakami grow in their relationship—but skipping so far ahead feels like an easy way out of telling the story. The way that the passage of time is conveyed—through a series of double-page illustrations—is lovely, but that doesn’t make the decision any better. Adding insult to injury is that the artwork is lacking in the first few chapters. Faces look weird, and the usual detail in the illustrations is missing; I had to look through previous volumes to see if my mind was deceiving me, but no, the art isn’t as strong here as it typically is. So while the writing in volume twelve remains strong, all these unexpected faults have me worried for the first time that Insomniacs After School may not stick its landing. And that would be a shame for a series as special as this. ~ Twwk
Insomniacs After School is published by VIZ Media.
READ Reviews of Insomniacs After School: Vol. 1 // Vol. 2 // Vol. 3 // Vol. 4 // Vol. 5 // Vol. 6 // Vol. 7 // Vol. 8 // Vol. 9 // Vol. 10 // Vol. 11
Kingdom, Manga Vol. 2
Was Lord Changwen killed, or will he arrive at the safe haven and meet Zheng and help the young king regain his throne? That question is a pivotal one in this volume, which continues to lead readers to wonder, “Who are Ying Zheng’s allies and who are his enemies?” while introducing a mountain people who may turn the tide in the impending civil war. The development of the story and characters in volume two is interesting enough, but I do feel that all of it is ultimately pretty middling. The art and writing is standard or worse, and it compares poorly to the beautiful and poetic Vagabond, which is also receiving a release by VIZ right now. It just feels like another historical shonen series. While the mangaka’s creativity in playing within the historic record and legend is part of the draw of Kingdom, I’m not familiar enough to enjoy that aspect of the series. Meanwhile, Xin, Disao, and Ying Zheng are fine characters, but indistinguishable from those in similar series. Through two volumes, Kingdom is simply okay—it’s going to have to show me something special (and soon!) for me to continue the long journey to the series end. ~ Twwk
Kingdom is published by VIZ Media.
Read: Kingdom, Vol. 1 Review
Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead, Manga Vol. 18
Zombies in space! That sounds gimmicky, and Zom 100 loves to play within the world of such gimmicks, but the conclusion to the space arc is actually less focused on the unusual storyline and more on both providing a surprisingly moving moment involving a billionaire (I’m not used to spaceship business-owning rich men being shown in a positive light!) and turning the series closer and closer toward a resolution. And that’s really the most important part of volume eighteen, in which the gang’s research into what a pharmaceutical company was testing in space helps them better understand what started the zombie apocalypse and what it might take to end it. The flashback involving the billionaire, and the fun dialogue said and sometimes screamed amongst our main cast? All icing on the cake for volume eighteen. As we draw closer to the series’ end, Zom 100 remains an excellent series, and surely one worth reading to the very end. ~ Twwk
Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead is published by VIZ Media.
READ Reviews of Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead: Vol. 1 // Vol. 2 // Vol. 3 // Vol. 4 // Vol. 5 // Vol. 6 // Vol. 7 // Vol. 8 // Vol. 9 // Vol. 10 // Vol. 11 // Vol. 12 // Vol. 13 // Vol. 14 // Vol. 15 // Vol. 16 // Vol. 17
Love Bullet, Manga Vol. 1
In the author’s notes at the end of volume one of Love Bullet, a manga about girls reborn as “cupids” who shoot people to make them fall in love, mangaka inee notes that the story was developed by throwing a bunch of different elements together and seeing if what came out would be interesting and cohesive. And indeed, it does feel a little like that—romance, myth, battles, flashbacks, yuri—but it works surprisingly well. And, most appropriately, Love Bullet has a lot of heart. It starts with Koharu, the insecure cupid at the center of the series, who is trying to select which love interest a high school girl should pick—her more adventurous boy friend or rock-solid girl friend. The mission ends up erupting into a team battle amongst the four cupids present, in which they use their love guns and special grenades to achieve victory. It’s really as fun as it sounds, and made all the more so because the character designs and aesthetics are really pretty, and both cute and striking. But I was most won over by the last couple of chapters, which move past the slam-bang introduction and provide context for the series, as well as a lot of feels. I should note that the series is very girl-centric—all cupids (so far) are girls, and girls have been presented as better love options for the targets than boys. I don’t get the sense that the manga is anti-male by any means, but I definitely expect high levels of “girl power” to run through the series, which has plenty of room for the concept to play within. I’m eager to see what else inee throws into it, and if those elements will continue to hit their target. ~ Twwk
Love Bullet is published by Yen Press.
“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.
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