Manga Review

Interviews with Monster Girls – Volume 1 Review

Interviews with Monster Girls – Volume 1 Review

Interviews with Monster Girls – Volume 1 Review

Following the rise of monster girl manga, it's a welcome surprise to find Interviews with Monster Girls - a series that revels not in sexual fetishism, but in treating its characters as girls first and monsters second. A delightful slice-of-life for any fan of monster girls, or just teen life in general.

Josh A. Stevens • 2nd December 2017

Neo Parasyte f Review

Neo Parasyte f Review

Neo Parasyte f Review

The best contributions in Neo Parasyte f are strange and compelling, making this unusual collection of short stories well worth reading, especially if you’re a fan of Hitoshi Iwaaki’s original work.

Sarah • 29th November 2017

Arakawa Under the Bridge Vol. 1 Review

Arakawa Under the Bridge Vol. 1 Review

Arakawa Under the Bridge Vol. 1 Review

Arakawa Under the Bridge is a quirky comedy with vastly strange but likable characters. You may feel sorry for poor Kou being stuck with them but can’t help but wonder what he’s going to find next.

darkstorm • 28th November 2017

To Your Eternity Volume 1 Review

To Your Eternity Volume 1 Review

To Your Eternity Volume 1 Review

To Your Eternity might not succeed in being the follow-up to A Silent Voice I was hoping for, but with such well-drawn artwork it's certainly worth owning if you're a fan of Yoshitoki Oima's work.

Demelza • 23rd November 2017

In/Spectre Volume 1 Review

In/Spectre Volume 1 Review

In/Spectre Volume 1 Review

Despite the silly name and lack of fanfare around this title, In/Spectre starts off very well with likable characters, sincere chemistry between the two leads and interesting spin on Japanese folklore.

darkstorm • 19th November 2017

Fire Force Volume 1 Review

Fire Force Volume 1 Review

Fire Force Volume 1 Review

Overall I found Fire Force a bland, unengaging and often boring story. The synopsis led me to believe I was in for a much more interesting series than what we have.

Demelza • 18th November 2017

A Strange and Mystifying Story Volume 1 Review

A Strange and Mystifying Story Volume 1 Review

A Strange and Mystifying Story Volume 1 Review

Looking for a well-drawn, appealing urban fantasy BL with believable, relatable characters? Start here with Tsuta Suzuki's A Strange and Mystifying Story. Just don’t expect it to show all its strengths in this first volume; it gets much better later on!

Sarah • 17th November 2017

Yokai Rental Shop Volume 1 Review

Yokai Rental Shop Volume 1 Review

Yokai Rental Shop Volume 1 Review

Yokai Rental Shop is an engaging supernatural manga series that delivers just the right kind of delicious thrill to be relished on long, dark winter evenings.

Sarah • 15th November 2017

Otome Mania!! Volume 1 Review

Otome Mania!! Volume 1 Review

Otome Mania!! Volume 1 Review

While Otome Mania!! might not be a particularly realistic look at the games industry, it’s still an interesting story with a fun cast of characters. If you’re looking for a shojo series set within the world of otome game development, then this book will be perfect for you.

Demelza • 26th October 2017

Frau Faust Volume 1 Review

Frau Faust Volume 1 Review

Frau Faust Volume 1 Review

New series Frau Faust reveals Kore Yamazaki to be a skilled writer of contemporary fantasy who just happens to tell her stories through manga, her artwork adding a rich extra dimension to the telling.

Sarah • 27th September 2017

Kiss Me at the Stroke of Midnight Volume 1 Review

Kiss Me at the Stroke of Midnight Volume 1 Review

Kiss Me at the Stroke of Midnight Volume 1 Review

Kiss Me at the Stroke of Midnight seems like a promising shojo tale at first, but as I delved further into it I found it didn't quite live up to the expectations I had for it. The series wants to be a Cinderella story but unfortunately the cringeworthy comedy and huge age gap between lead characters leave a lot to be desired.

Demelza • 20th September 2017

Kigurumi Guardians Volume 1 Review

Kigurumi Guardians Volume 1 Review

Kigurumi Guardians Volume 1 Review

Kigurumi Guardians delivers a delicious variation on the magical girl theme that’s artfully written and attractively illustrated by Lily Hoshino; a fun read that has more than a few tricks up its sleeve.

Sarah • 16th September 2017

I Hear the Sunspot Volume 1 Review

I Hear the Sunspot Volume 1 Review

I Hear the Sunspot Volume 1 Review

I Hear the Sunspot is a very different work from A Silent Voice but just as worthy of your time for its characterization and bitter-sweet depiction of a nascent relationship. And the artwork is gorgeous. Recommended.

Sarah • 14th September 2017

Descending Stories Volumes 1 & 2 Review

Descending Stories Volumes 1 & 2 Review

Descending Stories Volumes 1 & 2 Review

Shōwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjū

‘What is rakugo? The lone storyteller sits on stage. Using only a paper fan and a small cloth as props, and without standing up from the seiza sitting position,…

Sarah • 21st August 2017

Bleach – Volume 70 Review

Bleach – Volume 70 Review

Bleach – Volume 70 Review

Bleach continues its path towards completion as Volume 70 hits UK shelves. Battles between enemies and allies, Quincy and Shinigami, and a certain mad scientist gets to have one more insane "I thought of this impossible scenario beforehand" fight!

Cold Cobra • 12th August 2017

Aho-Girl, Volume 1 Review

Aho-Girl, Volume 1 Review

Aho-Girl, Volume 1 Review

“Only two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity, and I’m not sure about the universe.” – Albert Einstein

British comedy is full of classic idiotic characters: Baldrick, Father…

Ian Wolf • 16th July 2017

Land of the Lustrous, Volume 1 Review

Land of the Lustrous, Volume 1 Review

Land of the Lustrous, Volume 1 Review

“Remember when you were young, you shone like the sun.” – Pink Floyd, ‘Shine On You Crazy Diamond’

Land of the Lustrous is set in the far future. The Lustrous is the name of the main inhabitants of …

Ian Wolf • 28th June 2017

Dragon Ball Super – Volume 1 Review

Dragon Ball Super – Volume 1 Review

Dragon Ball Super – Volume 1 Review

Dragon Ball Super's manga version arrives in the UK with, appropriately, Volume 1! It covers the first three arcs of the anime, though the first two are extremely brief (to say the least in Resurrection F's case!), all with Toriyama's trademark art style perfectly presented by his personally selected understudy Toyotarou. Let's take a closer look at both the story and how it does and doesn't differ from the anime...

Cold Cobra • 13th June 2017

The Girl from the Other Side: Siúil, a Rún Volume 2 Review

The Girl from the Other Side: Siúil, a Rún Volume 2 Review

The Girl from the Other Side: Siúil, a Rún Volume 2 Review

An engaging follow-up to the exquisitely drawn first volume which – even though not quite so successful – still manages to enchant and chill in equal measure.

Sarah • 30th May 2017

Dreamin’ Sun Volume 1 Review

Dreamin’ Sun Volume 1 Review

Dreamin’ Sun Volume 1 Review

Frequent readers of the site may remember that last year I reviewed Orange from mangaka Ichigo Takano. Orange is now a critically acclaimed series, so it will come as no surprise that publishers …

Demelza • 21st May 2017