A Bride’s Story
- Author: Kaoru Mori
- Publisher: Yen Press
- Age: Adult+
- Publication Date: 2011-present
- Volumes: 14
Currently at 14 volumes, A Bride’s Story is somewhat hard to come by and expensive because its volumes are published exclusively in hardcover by YenPress. Though the price tag can be a shocker, the value is there. With its richly detailed vision of the 19th century Silk Road, the main story starts from the point of view of a young bride Amir Halgal who is married off to her even younger husband. While Amir’s story remains present throughout, each new volume tends to focus on the marriage story of a new woman and family. This manga is an exploration of marriage and family traditions with a frankly lavishly detailed art style. It’s depiction of so many multiple cultures during a period of extreme transition makes a great read for history lovers.
Tags: Silk Road, History, 1800-1899, Arranged Marriage, Period specific nudity, Period specific violence, combat
I Want to be a Wall
- Author: Honami Shirono
- Publisher: Yen Press
- Age: Teen 16+
- Publication Date: 2022-2024
- Volumes: 3
Complete at three volumes. Yuriko and Gakurouta are young newlyweds married at the insistence of their families. This marriage is only a front, however, because Yuriko is asexual and Gakurouta is gay (and happens to be in love with his childhood friend). Both are interesting characters who are learning how to navigate each other in a now lifetime platonic partnership. I Want to be a Wall explores the idea of family and societal expectations.
Tags: LGBTQ+, asexual rep, aromantic rep, gay rep, slight suggestive language, marriage and family, slight violence, discussions of pregnancy
Cat + Gamer
- Author: Wataru Nadatani
- Publisher: Dark Horse
- Age: Teen 16+
- Publication Date: 2024-present
- Volumes: 6
Cat+Gamer is a rather wholesome series about a woman Riko Kozakura who unexpectedly finds a kitten on her way home from work one night. With no experience raising a cat, Riko delves into pet ownership the best way she knows how: gaming. Cat+Gamer is more of an adult manga specifically in vibes. The main character is an adult with adult problems, but the content of the volumes so far would work well for teens and younger audiences. It’s also a good primer for basic cat care since Riko gets advice pretty often from the “Great Sage” aka the lady who works at a pet shop.
Tags: Cats, video games, slice of life, animal care, cat care, humor, office work
One More Step, Come Stand by My Side
- Author: Toryumon Takeda
- Publisher: Yen Pres
- Age: Adult
- Publication Date: 2023
- Volumes: 1
One More Step, Come Stand by My Side is a bit of an odd duck. It’s a one shot anthology, which is somewhat rare in the manga publishing. This volume contains seven short stories from all sorts of settings and time periods. One More Step is a crossover title in that it’s rated Older Teen by Yen Press, but probably trends adult in content. It deals with some incredibly mature themes and “vibe” wise feels like it would appeal more to adults than teens. This volume is probably for readers who like their narratives a bit on the strange and speculative fiction side. It also dips its toes into mystery/thriller/horror.
Tags: Anthology, short stories, one-shot, cancer, death, kidnapping, stalking, women in history, period specific violence, miscommunication, apocalyptic fiction
The Ice Guy and the Cool Girl
- Author: Miyuki Tonogaya
- Publisher: Square Enix
- Age: Teen 16+
- Publication Date: 2023-present
- Volumes: 7
Currently at 7 published volumes, The Ice Guy and Cool Girl follows the antics of a group of office workers with a twist. The whole world is full of humans with magical capabilities. Himuro is the descendant of a snow spirit and is prone to turning his environment into a winter wonderland. His crush is his coworker Fuyutsuki, a base line human. The Ice Guy and the Cool Girl is great for fans of Wotakoi. It’s a fun and cute slice of life manga in an office setting. This series would also crossover well for teen readers.
Tags: Romance, slice of life, office romance, fantasy, folklore
Smoking Behind the Super Market with You
- Author: Jinushi
- Publisher: Square Enix
- Age: Teen 16+
- Publication Date: 2024-present
- Volumes: 3
Currently three volumes, Smoking Behind the Super Market with You is a slice of life romance about a forty five year old office worker Sasaki who meets Tamaya when she invites him to have a cigarette with her behind the supermarket she works at and Sasaki shops at. This series is a refreshing read about two adults who form a friendship that slowly develops into something more. So far this is a crossover title rated Teen 16+. That’s a fair rating, but the story would probably appeal more to an older audience.
Tags: Age Gap, smoking, supermarket, office work, mistaken identity, slight suggestive language, slice of life, slight partial nudity
Our Not-So Lonely Planet Travel Guide
- Author: Mone Sorai
- Publisher: Tokyopop
- Age: Teen 16+
- Publication Date: 2021-present
- Volumes: 5
After collapsing from overwork Asahi agrees to go on an around the world trip with his friend Mitsuki. The catch: Mitsuki confessed his love to Asahi and at the end of the trip, if everything goes well, they’ve agreed to get married. Currently five volumes Our Not So Lonely Planet Travel Guide is a delightful tour of the world told through the lense of two people learning how to transition their relationship from friendship to something more. Asahi and Mitsuki meet a whole host of interesting people and go to some truly extraordinary places. Rated for teens 16+ this is an easy crossover title for adults just for vibes.
Tags: LGBTQ+, Boys Love, travel fiction, friends to lovers, slight suggestive language, homophobic language
Home Office Romance
- Author: Kinetsu Yamada
- Publisher: Kodansha
- Age: Teen 16+
- Publication Date: 2024
- Volumes: 1
Home Office Romance makes its mark by being a one-shot manga set during the lockdown of COVID-19. Nokoru has officially gone work from home because of the pandemic and decides to spruce up his living space. In doing so he meets his neighbor Natsu. A true pandemic romance Home Office Romance does really well capturing a time of uncertainty as well as creating a story of human connection. Nokoru and Natsu are really loveable characters that are easy to route for. Rated at Teen 16+ this manga is a crossover title that would also work well with adult audiences as both main characters are adults college aged or older.
Tags: Romance, pandemic fiction, COVID-19, social distancing, telecommuting, archeology, suggestive language
Snowball Earth
- Author: Yuhiro Tsujitsugu
- Publisher: Viz Media
- Age: Teen 16+
- Publication Date: 2024-present
- Volumes: 3
Snowball Earth is here to remind people that we haven’t had a mecha/kaiju series in a while outside of Kaiju No. 8. Currently on volume three, Snowball Earth follows the story of Tetsuo, a mecha pilot who survived the last great battle against invading aliens. The problem? Tetsuo survived, but the majority of Earth’s population did not. When he arrives back on the planet Tetsuo finds only a frozen wasteland with small groups of people trying to survive. It’s been eight years since the aliens inhabited Earth. Maybe Tetsuo can help humanity reclaim its home. Rated Teen 16+, Snowball Earth definitely trends teen in story, but adult in content.
Tags: Science Fiction, Kaiju, Mecha, alien invasion, apocalyptic fiction, coming of age, strong violence, nudity
The Heroic Legend of Arslan
- Author: Hiromu Arakawa
- Publisher: Kodansha
- Age: Teen 16+
- Publication Date: 2014-present
- Volumes: 19
A wild departure from Full Metal Alchemist, Hiromu Arakawa tells a sprawling historical story focused on royalty, war, and leadership in The Heroic Legend of Arslan. Arslan is a young prince of Pars. His father is a fearsome king, but is murdered on the battlefield in an attempt at a coup d’etat. What follows is Arslan’s journey to reclaim his birthright. While we typically agree with publisher Kodansha’s age ratings, The Heroic Legend of Arslan is more of a Teen 16+ – Adult crossover title. The world of Pars is often times unrelentingly brutal and violent. We think Kodansha put more weight to Arslan’s age (14) than the content of the manga during consideration.
Tags: Historical Fantasy, Persian legends, war and combat, regicide, political intringue, strategy, action, murder, extreme violence, suggestive themes, cruelty towards animals, death of animals, period typical violence
