From Our TBR Pile… July 2026

It’s July and too hot to do much except seek the shade and read a book or two! If you’re looking for some manga or manhwa recommendations, the Anime UK News team are here to help…

Level Up with the Gods Volume 3 by B. Ain and Ohyeon (art) (Ize Press) reviewed by Noemi10

After Yuwon Kim finishes the tutorial in first place, the Olympus guild tries to scout him when he reaches the first floor of the Tower, but he has no intention of joining them as he plans to destroy the guild once he becomes stronger. So together with Hargan, Zeus’ illegitimate son, he starts to cut down the guild’s ‘rotten’ part (aka the corrupted low-ranking members) on the first floor. Yuwon also achieves his goal to protect Vulcaro, best known as Hephaestus, who in turn supplies him with arms. This volume is mostly an introduction to Yuwon’s climb and rise in fame and notoriety in the Tower, and as a stepping stone for his growth to become stronger. It’s full of action from start to finish, and the art is quite busy as the authors pay specific attention to the characters’ fighting scenes. Score: 8/10

A Terrified Teacher at Ghoul School! Volume 18 by Mai Tanaka (Yen Press) reviewed by Noemi10

Volume 18 concludes the arc of the Meiji Period Love Story, where Seimei and the usual suspects have travelled 150 years to the past to when Professor Hatanaka first met his future wife. As readers can expect, Seimei finds himself in trouble after trouble with the last one being meeting a young Akira who’s bound to become a murderer if Seimei can’t convince him to change and become the doctor that he is in the present. The story is full of humour and hilarious situations, and although the time travel arc ends midway through the volume, the remaining chapters can be considered as fillers, but don’t you worry, as readers get hints of what’s about to come in the next story arc! Score: 7.5/10

The Revenge of My Youth: Re Life with an Angelic Girl Volume 2 by Boiru Iseebi (Manga), Yuzi Keino (Original Story), Tantan (Original Character Design) (One Peace Books) reviewed by Demelza

Shin’ichiro Niihama went back in time to his high school days, where he resolved to live a better youth and get closer to his crush, Haruka, who was destined to die if history remained the same. And now a chance to shine has presented itself, as the school festival is fast approaching and Shin’ichiro wants to bring his class together. Recalling how terribly it went the first time, he dedicates himself to fixing it using his experience as a working adult to build convincing spreadsheets and documents to back up his suggestions. Volume 1 of this series was a slow burn, but #2 takes us through the festival storyline from start to finish, which I think is a lot more rewarding for readers. It’s unrealistic that no one ever asks Shin’ichiro why he’s suddenly come out of his shell compared to his former self, but, well, I’m willing to let these things slide as it’s enjoyable watching him move forward in his second shot at his youth. Score: 7/10

Honey Lemon Soda Volume 8 by Mayu Murata (Yen Press) reviewed by Demelza

Volume 8 finally addresses the fact that Kai and Uka have feelings for one another. And our heroine has finally found the courage to confess, which thankfully goes well for her! But now there’s a bigger question on her mind. What exactly is dating, and where is their relationship going? Once again, mangaka Mayu Murata delivers a realistic and thoughtful read that will delight readers who have been following the story so far. With plenty more volumes still to come, I’m glad the romance wasn’t dragged out, and instead we can look forward to a variety of storylines that aren’t just about getting these two together. Now in a relationship, there are a number of new challenges awaiting them. Although Yen Press have drastically reduced how often this is released, so it’s going to take a long time until we reach the end of the story… Score: 8.5/10

The Hitman Stans Volume 3 by Rintarou Ohshima OT (Yen Press) review by Sarah

Legendary hitman Owaru Endou has faked his own death and is devoting his life to stanning Kaori, member of aspiring idol group Rosaceae. Rosaceae are participating in QIF (Queens of Idol Festival) in the hope of making the Big Time! So why is Endou off to a certain sinister bowling alley? He’s gone to seek out the veteran genius inventor, Torahata-san, an old acquaintance, to ask her to convert his fan’s penlight into a weapon so that he can defend ‘Kaorin’. But once she’s got over her surprise at seeing ‘a ghost’, will she agree to help him? Meanwhile, Rosaceae are meeting some of the other groups they’re competing against and realizing that QIF is far from being a level playing field! But Nonoka (who has a crush on the hitman) is on his trail and is also appearing in QIF with a rival girl group! Volume 3 of this entertaining hitman x idol crossover series brings plenty of amusing and hair-raising moments as the tensions at QIF mount! Score: 8/10

Is the Order a Rabbit? Volume 5 by Koi (Yen Press) reviewed by Ian Wolf

Fittingly for July, this latest volume of Is the Order a Rabbit? is set during the summer. This is a bit of a problem for the girls at the Rabbit House café who don’t have a summer uniform, so they gather the materials needed to make them. Across this volume, Cocoa visits her family for a week where she helps out in their bakery business. During this time militaristic Rize goes full drill sergeant on Maya and Megu as they help out in Cocoa’s absence. Elsewhere, one of Aoyama’s novels is adapted for TV, Chiya prepares for a marathon race, Chiro is chosen to perform the solo in a musical recital, and Cocoa and Chiya are tasked of running a café for their class in the school festival. This has been one of the most enjoyable editions of the series so far. Plenty of entertaining moments and comic highlights, with bonus colour pages and translation notes adding to the quality. Score: 8/10

With our thanks to Yen Press, Ize Press, One Peace Books and Turnaround Comics (Turnaround Publisher Services).