This article was written by Emilio Mejill and Adriana Echevarria
We live in a golden age of unparalleled access to Japanese pop culture. Streaming has allowed new audiences to discover their love for anime, binge-watching series such as Naruto, One Piece, My Hero Academia and hundreds more. Anime’s older brother, manga (basically Japanese comic books), has exploded in popularity, whereas American comic books—particularly superhero-themed comic books—have experienced a slump in sales figures.
Although anime and manga are often indistinguishable in terms of content, reading manga is much similar to curling around a novel after a tedious, hectic day—it whisks you away to new worlds and introduces thought-provoking concepts or ideas. If you’re planning on dipping your toes into this sea of content, but are unsure how to proceed, this article is for you! Next up are four manga, divided into four categories, that’ll help you kick-start your voyage and make the ride a little more enjoyable.
Romance
Wotakoi: Love is hard for Otaku
Recommended by: Adriana
If you’re a sucker for romantic mangas (like me)… rest assured, Wotakoi will give you the feels.
The eleven-volume collection brings us the story of Narumi Momose, a twenty-six-year-old woman running late to her new job. As she hurries her way, we discover her biggest secret: Narumi is an otaku and fujoshi (fujoshi: japanese term used to describe female fans of the yaoi manga/anime genre). According to her, her particular lifestyle has been the reason for her failed love life. So this time, she is determined to live a “normal” life and have another chance at love.
Upon arriving at the office though, her very plans are suddenly interrupted by Hirotaka Nifuji, an otaku himself and Narumi’s long time childhood friend who coincidentally works at the same company. He asks her if she will attend the Summer Comiket (an anime convention) in front of both of their senpais/upperclassmen: Honako Koyanagi and Tarō Kabakura (who are secretly otakus as well). After the mishap, Narumi opens up to Hirotaka about her romantic struggles. Taking advantage of the opportunity, Hirotaka suggests that Narumi date him instead of putting on a facade when dating other people. And so, we get to enjoy how Narumi and Hirotaka adorably adapt from being friends to a romantic couple, as well as the growing friendship between Narumi, Tarō, Honako and Hirotaka. If you’d like to indulge in their sweet and hilarious adventures, click on the link above… Enjoy!
Thriller
Recommended by: Emilio
What would you do if you discovered a notebook that had the power of life and death? For high school student Light Yamagi, the answer is obvious: take it upon himself to right the world of its injustice and vice. After testing out the Death Note one night, Light Yagami puts his vision into action, killing criminals and prisoners. Eventually, Interpol goes out to hunt the culprit, dubbed “Kira” by the public, and enlists the help of the greatest (and weirdest) detective in the world, simply called “L”.
With the entire world searching for him, will Light Yagami bring forth his utopia? Or will his ambition twist his judgment and make him the very monster he swore to destroy? Find out in this 13 volume series!
Action
Recommended by: Emilio
With his family slaughtered and his sister turned into a demon, Tanjiro Kamado must find a way to be strong. After encountering a swordsman who is part of the Demon Slayer Corp, he sends Tanjiro to be trained by a retired Demon Slayer, Sakonji Urokodaki.
Set in 1910s Japan, Demon Slayer is an action-packed adventure series with a neat magic system (special breathing techniques and cool katanas!) and a colorful cast of secondary and supportive characters. Unlike its predecessors, like Dragon Ball Z and One Piece, with their slow story development, training montages, and multiple arcs, Demon Slayer gets the ball rolling in chapter one. And while Demon Slayer is targeted at a shonen demographic (young male teens around 13 to 18), it is still an interesting story to follow.
Slice of life
Recommended by: Emilio
Originally a four-panel manga (different from other manga that are organized in tankobon), K-ON! broke into the scene mainly because of its anime adaption. Nevertheless, this slice of life deserves your attention.
The manga follows four high school girls (Yui, Mio, Ritsu, Tsumugi) as they form a light music club. While Mio, Ritsu, and Tsumugi are familiar with musical instruments, clumsy Yui is the only one left out, and so the group takes some part-time jobs to help Yui buy a guitar. From then on, the light music club embarks on its high school adventures: drinking tea, practicing their instruments, and the regular hassles of school life.