From Our TBR Pile…New Manga and Manhwa Recommendations! January 2026

Our TBR piles have only grown higher over the Christmas break (how did that happen?!) – so it’s time to introduce our new recommendations, this time all from ongoing series!

[Oshi No Ko] Volume 12 by Aka Akasaka & Mengo Yokoyari (Yen Press) reviewed by Darkstorm

Aqua’s plan for revenge kicks into high gear as he co-stars in a film based upon his mother’s life and untimely death. While the producer and director for ‘The 15 Year Lie’ try to find the right actress to play Ai, Ruby’s own journey for revenge continues. Plot-wise, it feels a lot like set-up, but there’s enough emotional moments to make this volume feel essential. Especially the big moments regarding Ruby’s past life, which have a real gut punch I was not expecting. Volume 13 comes out later this year. Translated by Taylor Engel with lettering by Abigail Blackman. Score 8/10

The Guy She Was Interested In Wasn’t a Guy At All Volume 3 by Sumiko Arai (Yen Press) reviewed by Darkstorm

Tensions rise between Mitsuki and Aya; Mitsuki randomly goes viral on social media when one of her songs gets attention outside of school. This leads to Aya pulling away from her, but can a prom at their school bring them closer together again? The characters continue to be incredibly electric and fun to read, especially in smaller moments such as going to a music festival. However the 4-page per chapter limit continues to hurt the development of the bigger plot threads, such as Mitsuki and Aya’s growing distance, and the introduction of a new rival from the second-year, fighting for Mitsuki’s attention. Regardless, I’m looking forward to the anime adaptation in 2026.  Translated by Ajani Oloye with lettering by Brandon Bovia. Score 7/10

Welcome to Demon School! Iruma-kun Volume 17 by Osamu Nishi (Vertical) reviewed by Noemi10

The Misfit Class needs to prepare for the Music Festival—the last chance for all the students to reach rank Dalet (4) to be able to stay in the Royal One classroom. However, this introduces a ‘new’ student in the Misfit Class, Purson, whose skill is to be unnoticeable, so the Misfits never noticed him until now. This raises the stakes as both Purson and Elizabetta need to go up by two ranks each…but Purson hates the spotlight. Will the Misfit Class be up to the challenge? The first half of the volume shows side stories with the characters interacting with each other and getting glimpses of their day-to-day life. It’s the second half that introduces the new arc of the Music Festival leaving the readers with a cliffhanger as the Misfit Class accepts a challenge… The volume is full of humour and mayhem as usual, and I can’t wait to read what mischief they will come up with next!  Score: 8/10

Solo Leveling Volume 14 by Chugong, DISCIPLES (REDICE STUDIO) (art) and h-goon (adaptation) reviewed by Noemi10

Volume 14 is a collection of side stories that form the epilogue. Hunter Sung went back in time to defeat all the enemies with his shadow army, thus stopping dungeons and hunters appearing on Earth. No one knows of these mystical battles that took place between dimensions, and now Jinwoo returns as a high-school kid trying to enjoy his teenage life with friends and find his first love, (Hunter) Haein, a middle-schooler. I’m a huge fan of the series, but I feel that the side stories are a sort of a let-down as they move from past to present, and from character to character, without clear distinction, jumbling up the narration. The artist changed for this volume, but it’s not that evident in the illustrations as they are as striking as in previous volumes. I’m curious to read the final volume that will introduce Jinwoo’s son who’s inherited some of his powers. Score: 7/10

Radio Storm Volume 2 by Team S & S (Ize Press 360 pages) reviewed by Sarah

In a world at war, core user Sak has been raised at a special academy. His special gift has driven him outside to find his pre-destined partner or ‘Caller’, who turns out to be Lima, a hard-bitten young mercenary. As they travel through communities ravaged by a lethal virus, Sak submits willingly to whatever Lima asks of him – but what starts out as a loveless act gradually begins to develop into something more meaningful. But then Sak is summoned back to the academy by Hana, the first core user, where – too late – he and Lima realize that they’ve been used. Is there any hope for their nascent relationship when others are pulling their strings to achieve their own sinister ends? This grimdark SF Boys’ Love manhwa is skilfully drawn (the mainly black-and-white palette is very effective) and the devious machinations of those using Sak and Lima are chillingly depicted. As this volume ends on a cliffhanger, readers will be glad to know that Volume 3 (of 4) has just been released! 18+ M (Mature) Score 8/10

Wistoria: Wand and Sword Volume 10 by Fujino Omori (Author), Toshi Aoi (Artist), (Kodansha) reviewed by Demelza

Thanks to some help from Julius and the Ageless Witch Cerridwen, Will managed to tap into his true power and proved himself worthy during the second Bloom. Now all that’s left is to be taken into Elfaria’s faction, but unfortunately, his performance has caught the attention of Zeo, who leads the Thunder Faction. Zeo aims to claim Will for himself, which Elfaria is none too happy about and challenges him to a duel over the fate of her precious childhood friend. With two of the most powerful Magia Vander at each other’s throats, there’s no choice but to let them fight it out and hope no one is killed in the process. It’s a volume filled with the chaotic battle between the two, meaning it’s light on narrative progression but allows Aoi’s art skills to shine to the fullest, which is always an absolute joy to see. And by the end, Will finally ends up in a faction which paves the way for some interesting changes in the story going forward. Translated by Alethea and Althena Nibley with lettering by AndWorld Design. Score: 8/10

Studio Apartment, Good Lighting, Angel Included Volume 6 by matoba (Yen Press) reviewed by Demelza

It’s coming up to a year since Shintaro had the angel Towa start living with him in his apartment. And while Shintaro begins to reminisce about all they’ve been through together, their gentle daily life continues. Sometimes full of drama, like when their hot water stops working, and sometimes peaceful, such as when the first snow of the year means they can build cute snowmen on the balcony. This volume does introduce a new character in the form of a visitor from hell, but given that matoba has gone a considerable length of time between our last newbie, this makes for a relatively good change of pace. On the whole, the manga is still up and down in terms of quality, but if you’ve stuck with it this long, there’s still plenty of fun to be had in watching over the two main characters. Translated by Kei Coffman with lettering by Katie Blakeslee. Score: 7/10

With our thanks to Kodansha, Yen Press, Ize Press, Vertical (Kodansha), Diamond Book Distributors and Turnaround Comics (Turnaround Publisher Services).