From Our TBR Pile… April 2026

We really love reading manga and manhwa here at Anime UK News…so that must be why our TBR piles never seem to shrink; if anything, they’re growing taller! So here are our reviewers with some new recommendations for April…

Jungle Juice Volume 5 by Hyeong Eun, Juder (art) (Ize Press) reviewed by Noemi10

The Breeder’s faction attacks Nest, and their goal is to get rid of Professor Ji, Nest’s strongest weapon. Because of this, the Breeder despatches enhanced fighters who don’t hesitate to kill and attack students and civilians alike. However, Su-chan and the rest of his classmates won’t stand aside and will fight them to protect the place they have started to call home… the only questions is, are they strong enough to protect someone else? The volume is full of action from start to finish, but the battle is used as a stepping stone for the students to realize their growth so far, thanks to their special lessons but also for them to acknowledge their weaknesses and what they are still lacking. Score 7/10

A Terrified Teacher at Ghoul School! Volume 17 by Mai Tanaka (Yen Press) reviewed by Noemi10

Since Haruaki and the gang have travelled to the past, they have been trying to create the spark for Izuna and Ibara’s future relationship. But, an oni engagement and an illegal youkai slave trade market keep getting in their way, and readers know by now that wherever Haruaki goes, chaos ensues. The volume is full of mayhem and laughter caused by Haruaki, but the protagonists are Izuna and Ibara as they take centre stage. It’s a nice twist to dig deep into these side characters’ relationship, and it made me hope that we can see something similar in future volumes for some of the other characters as well! Score: 7/10

Welcome to Demon School! Iruma-Kun Volume 19 by Osamu Nishi (Vertical) reviewed by Noemi10

It’s time for the Music Festival to start and if the Misfit Class doesn’t want to lose the Royal One, they need to win it. However, Purson is conflicted between his family duty and his passion for music and for his classmates. It’s hard for him to decide, but the Misfit Class doesn’t despair. Like usual, they will do their best and believe in their classmate to make the best decision for himself. Compared to previous volumes, there is no mayhem this time as the readers are treated to various music performances and interactions among the students that help to build hope and excitement for the performance by the Misfit Class. The comedy element though is not missing, and it helps to endear the music judges to the readers. I can’t wait to find out how the music festival will turn out! Score: 8.5/10

15 Minutes Before We Really Date Volume 3 by Perico (Yen Press) reviewed by Demelza

There’s only half a year left until Yuuki and Natsuha graduate, and now winter break is over and it’s back to school for the pair. As Natsuha leaves for two weeks to take her college exams in Tokyo, Yuuki grows ever aware of how little time is left and wonders where their relationship will go from here. Will the two-week separation spell the end of their romance? Following the previous two volumes, this one is very similar in giving us glimpses into the lives of the two leads through 14 short chapters. But there’s a strong emotional throughline due to Natsuha’s time away in Tokyo, which helps to keep you invested in their story despite it feeling a bit disjointed at times due to chapter length. According to the afterword, the main story ends in Volume 4 (with everything after being an extra/afterstory, I suppose), so it doesn’t seem like things are going to be dragged out. Certainly worth continuing with if you enjoyed the first two books. Score: 7/10

You Can’t Bluff the Sharp-Eyed Sister Volume 2 (Kodansha) by Natsu Hyuuga (Story), Yo Asami (Manga), Chihho Shinishi (Character Designs), reviewed by Demelza

Trainee priestess Chloe is getting stuck into investigating the murder that happened two years ago alongside the paladin Erald. But the more she comes to learn about her fellow candidates for Vestal Maidens, the more confused she’s getting about the events that took place back then. With only ~150 pages in this volume, it doesn’t feel like we make considerable headway in solving the mystery. We do learn a lot about the extended cast, but as an individual release, this feels slow and quite wordy, likely due to being based on a light novel. Still, Chloe remains an interesting lead, and as a fan of Hyuuga’s Apothecary Diaries, I know the time spent on the nitty-gritty details will pay off in the end. This might just be better as a binge read than volume-to-volume. Score: 7/10

mono Volume 4 (Yen Press) by Afro, reviewed by Ian Wolf

The majority of Afro’s fourth volume of this slice-of-life manga consists of two stories. Firstly, manga artist Haruno and biker vlogger Kako work together to attach a camera to Haruno’s car, like one from “Goggle Maps” (yes, we see what you did there) to do some filming in the surrounding area. Later, Haruno is asked by her publishers to gather some information for a travelogue manga by visiting Mt. Fuji. Unfortunately for her, a typhoon is forecast a few days beforehand and so what she and most of her schoolgirl friends see is cloud, but they make the best of the situation. While at times the yonkoma format makes it a bit of a slog to read, the artwork and characters make it entertaining enough to make mono fun. By the way, is the condition of “manga knees” a real thing? Haruno says that she a condition caused by sitting too much and not exercising enough makes it hard to stand. Score: 7/10

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