The one thing I really love about manga (Japanese comic books), is that like any other medium of writing, there’s something for every mood. Whether you want a dark tale of revenge of a sweet romance, there is something out there for you. Now, today, I wanted to share a couple of series, and to make things interesting, we’re going to choose different manga for different moods. But, to make it really interesting, we’re not going to limit ourselves to “feeling romantic” or “I need to good cry”, but rather, choose titles for very specific moods. You’ll understand in a minute, so let’s dive right in!
When you’re in the mood for…
Frightful short stories with a morally grey protagonist:
Thus Spoke Rohan Kishibe (Hirohiko Araki)
This series is a collection of terrifying one-off stories that were included in various manga magazines, collected for the first time into book form. Each tale is narrated by Rohan Kishibe, a manga artist who cares about two things above all else: self-preservation and getting first-hand experience for any topic that he includes in his manga. This means, for example, that if he wants to write about a haunted estate in the mountains, he needs to go to that estate. If he wants to share a story, he has to have heard it from the mouth of the person who experienced it. While these might seem at first to be garden-variety horror stories, Araki has a way to really get under your skin, and the tales are genuinely terrifying. The series is a lot of fun, and include some great stories, such as a man haunted by his own lack of charity, a woman who discovers there is something terribly wrong with her daughter, and a model who takes his concepts of physical fitness to a dangerous extreme.
A silly slice-of-life about a Yakuza who becomes father to a psychic alien girl:
Hinamatsuri (Masao Ohtake)
I watched the anime for Hinamatsuri several years ago, just long enough that I don’t remember all the details, so reading the story as a manga has been a delightful treat–almost like hearing it again for the first time. The story follows Nitta, a up-and-coming Yakuza who life is completely upended when a pod falls out of the sky and into his apartment. Inside is a 13 year old girl named Hina. Hina is heavily food-motivated, lazy, and also has psychic powers, and suddenly Nitta is thrown into reluctant fatherhood as he tries to navigate how to care for a child who could easily snap his neck. The supporting cast of the series is perfection, and it’s one of the few books that actually made me laugh aloud as I was reading it.
A series that explores what all the monsters in your favorite fantasy series might taste like:
Delicious in Dungeon (Ryoko Kui)
Laios and his friends are adventurers trying to get to the end of a dungeon created by a mad wizard. But, when a dragon eats Laios’s sister (right after she teleports the rest of the party to safety), the adventurers find themselves completely distraught and unsure of how to save her before she’s digested (since the party no longer has any money for food or supplies for the long, dangerous journey back). But, Laois has an idea: they don’t need to buy food when they can just eat the monsters within the dungeon. Along the way, they meet the Senshi, a Dwarf who has been living in the dungeon for years–and eating its more monstrous inhabitants. Hilariously, the series quickly becomes more about fine dining than about the rescue mission, as Laios finally gets to live out his weird fantasy of eating all the dungeon monsters that he can.
A sweet romance between a girl who has been given godly powers, the fox spirit who hates her, and a bunch of yokai who are trying to eat her:
Kamisama Kiss (Julietta Suzuki)
This is one of my favorite paranormal romances! Nanami Momozono loses everything thanks to her gambling father when debt collectors kick her out of the house. She meets a strange man who offers her his home after she rescues him from a dog, only to discover that the man was the land god, and that in accepting his house, she has agreed to become the new land god in his place. Tasked with all the duties that come with being a deity, while also trying to be just a normal high school girl, Nanami finds herself beset on all sides, whether she’s being berated by her cold-hearted new familiar, a handsome fox named Tomoe; or being pursued by other supernatural beings who intend to eat her in order to gain her godhood. The story is sweet and funny and full of romantic twists and turns. If you’re looking for a sweet reverse-harem romance with a lot of handsome, otherworldly love interests, then this is definitely your place to start!
A bonkers slice-of-life with a huge ensemble cast:
City (Keiichi Arawi)
I think what I like best about this series is that there are so many interesting characters that if you’re not digging one storyline, you’re sure to find another that you’ll absolutely love. This story follows the strange denizens of a single city, from a trio of college students to a restaurant owner to the writer of a beloved, but failing manga series. There’s the pop star who’s tired of being treated like a little kid, the man who is too nice for his own good, and the world’s most terrifying granny, as well as the police officer who is just trying his best, the local sports team, and the two best friends who don’t realize that they’ll be separating at the end of the summer. What starts off as just a silly story soon becomes a deep, rich tale of beloved characters you can’t help but root for, and in the end, finishing that last volume feels a little like leaving a place you’ve grown to love (or at least, it did for me). I can’t recommend this series enough!
A ponderous, philosophical walk at the end of the world:
Doomsday with my Dog (Yu Ishihara)
The world is ended, and Haru’s master is the only human left. Haru is a shiba inu, a loving and loyal dog who is determined to spend the rest of the apocalypse with his favorite person: Master. Each book is a series of interconnected vignettes, dealing with topics of philosophy and psychology, as Master and Haru discuss everything from Schrödinger’s Cat to what makes someone tsundere, and grapple with the big questions, like what does love actually mean, or if you’d rather lose all memories of someone you care about or have them lose all memories of you. The whole concept sounds heavy, but it’s actually quite funny, with a strong cast of unique and interesting characters. Plus, if you’re looking for a short series or one that lacks an overarching storyline, then this is the one for you! At only four volumes, you could easily tear through this over the course of a long weekend, and the loose storyline means that you can easily dip into this series whenever you have a few minutes to spare.
A heart-rending tale of an immortal being discovering the reason for its existence:
To Your Eternity (Yoshitoki Ōima)
To Your Eternity is a tough one, an emotional gut-punch that somehow manages to be incredibly painful and incredibly beautiful at the same time. The story follows Fushi, a being that falls to earth in the form of an orb. Slowly, it develops other forms, taking on the appearance of other beings that it encounters. But, through no fault of Fushi’s each encounter teaches it a little more about pain, about death, and about loss. This is a deeply melancholy tale that is not for everyone, but if you’re looking for something deeply beautiful that leaves you with an ache in your chest, then you just might love this one. As of this writing, the series is just coming to an end, and I cannot wait to see what finally happens. You might want to stock up on tissues (and something funny to watch afterwards) when you’re reading this one.
A sweet slice-of-life four friends go camping and nothing bad happens:
Laid-Back Camp (Afro)
I watched the anime for Laid-Back Camp several years ago, and I loved how sweet and cozy this series is! There’s no big drama, no broken friendships. Just four girls going camping in the winter, where the biggest struggles are learning to set up a tent or trying to cook a new recipe. And this might sound boring, but the lack of real drama actually makes the whole tale more charming. (This might be a good series to pick up after To Your Eternity). Rin loves nothing more than winter camping (mostly because it’s quiet and she can get the solitude she craves). But, then she meets sweet, bubbly Nadeshiko, who has never gone camping before, but can’t wait to learn about it. Instead of feeling trapped by this newfound tag-along, Rin and Nadeshiko soon become good friends, and are joined by their classmates Aoi, Aki, and Ena for a series of delightful camping adventures!
A mystery series where the detective can hear lies:
Usotoki Rhetoric (Ritsu Miyako)
I love, love, love the concept for this series! A down-on-her-luck young lady named Kanoko gets a job as assistant to a detective in 1920s Japan. But, Kanoko has a secret: she can hear when people are lying. The words themselves have a strange, metallic feel to them. She might not know why they are lying or what the truth really is, but she can hear the lie itself. Meanwhile, her new employer, Soma, has incredible powers of observation. Together, the pair solves all manner of crimes, both mundane and seemingly supernatural, for a series that is thrilling, chilling, and absolutely addicting! If you’re looking for a historical mystery with a paranormal twist, strong character development, and a dash of romance, then this is definitely the series for you. While most of the mysteries are stand-alone tales, I still recommend checking out the books in order, as there are plenty of twists and surprises that would turn into spoilers if you read ahead.
A sweet, squeaky-clean romance that is to cute it hurts:
The Girl I Like Forgot Her Glasses (Koume Fujichika)
Komura really, really likes his classmate Mie. She’s so cute! But, Mie has a problem. She’s constantly forgetting her glasses, and she’s totally blind without them. Since the pair sit next to each other in class, Mie constantly asks Komura for help–since she can’t see well enough to do things on her own. This sounds like the perfect situation for a smitten young man, but Komura’s more worried that his heart is going to give out from the strain of being so close to someone so cute. Considerate to a fault, Komura will do everything in his power to help Mie succeed in school (without ever revealing his feelings for her), but he’s not sure that he can do this without completely falling apart at the seams. And little does he realize–Mie might actually like him, too! This is a super-cute series that somehow avoids getting too mushy. But, just like how Mie’s cuteness might be Komura’s undoing, this series has so many sweet and adorable moments that it almost makes your heart hurt, too (but in a good way)!
