If you have followed the news around manga releases, you are aware that due to the paper crisis which is currently taking place, many volumes are victims of a postponement! This is notably the case of volume 31 of My Hero Academia which was to be released on January 6th and which will not be released until January 27th. This major crisis in the printing industry also had an impact on book prices, and therefore manga unfortunately. Despite these postponements, many outings are still planned, and fortunately! Moreover, for fans of the awesome OH! Great (Bakemonogatari, Hell and paradise), the French publisher Long reportedly announced on Twitter that a reprint of his manga Air Gear should take place in the year 2022! In the meantime, on the way to the selection of manga to read!
Blue Period T07 by Pika Édition – Released January 19, 2022
Blue Period was one of the 2021 novelties in the catalog of Pika Edition. In recent months, the manga has managed to gain a foothold among French readers and the distribution of animated sound on Netflix should not be unknown to this growing success. It is in March 2021, on the occasion of our first bi-monthly selection of manga to read, which we present to you for the first time Blue Period. Since then, the story of the manga has come a long way and the first narrative arc has even ended. In Japan, the publication is already in its 11th volume. In France, readers will be able to discover the new arc with this 7th volume.
In all honesty, even if you’re not into art, Blue Period may really be worth looking into. Although the main subject may indeed be the artistic milieu in Japan, Blue Period mainly deals with adolescence and Japanese schooling, but also the search for oneself and one’s reason for being, the famous Ikigai which we have heard a lot about in recent years. Moreover, it is interesting to note that the author of Blue Period, YAMAGUCHI Tsubasa, has experienced art schools herself since she graduated from Tokyo University of the Arts. She therefore knows perfectly well how they work, their expectations, but also the life of the students who wish to study there!
Tokyo Revengers T16 at Glénat – Released January 19, 2022
Tokyo Revengers is one of the most popular manga of recent months. After making a very discreet arrival on the French market, the manga, published by Editions Glenat, has experienced a real spotlight following the formalization of the animated adaptation. In Japan, the manga even joined the famous TOP 10 best-selling manga over the year that has just ended. And it was last mid-December that season 2 anime has also been announced on social networks! A real consecration for this manga which has already reached 25 volumes published in its country of origin. Tokyo Revengers is a manga that, until now, has not left anyone indifferent for several reasons.
First of all, if you have known Great Teacher Onizuka (shame on you if this is not the case), Tokyo Revengers brings to light a somewhat forgotten style: the furyô, which features what is commonly called scum. He is not the only one to do so since The Fable, at the house of Pika Edition, is also a very good example of furyô manga. But what is interesting with Tokyo Revengers it is the science fiction side that is present. Indeed, one of the main characters has the power to go back 12 years and therefore the possibility of changing the past in order to modify the present and the future. And of course, he will do it to save his friends but especially the love of his life! Nevertheless, beyond this somewhat cutesy side, we have above all deep, tortured characters who struggle to find their place in a society that does not correspond to them. Tokyo Revengers is actually much more a reflection of our current society than a simple work of entertainment.
Horimiya T01 & T02 at nobi-nobi – Released January 19, 2022
This year, the French publisher nobi-nobi decided to hit very hard from the start with the simultaneous release of the first two volumes of the manga Horimiya, a love comedy full of spice! It is true that in recent months, several love comedy manga licenses have been published in France. We think, for example, of Kaguya-Sama : Love is War at the house of Pika Edition or even to A Touch of Blue at the house of Glenat, to name just these two titles. But the initial current that we experienced with Love Hina Where Fruit Sneakers seems well behind us. Miss Fantasies, also at Pika Edition, is a very good example. And the arrival of Horimiya in France can only be good news for the fans!
Beyond being a love comedy, Horimiya is above all a title that has met with some success in Japan since a first animated season is already available on Wakanim. The story immerses us in the daily life of two high school students that everything seems to oppose. Until they discover that both of them actually have a double life: that in high school and that outside. While she is popular and he rather tries to be invisible to his comrades, they will then naturally grow closer and develop feelings for each other. This rapprochement is not without problems since their comrades will begin to ask questions. Their improbable friendship will thus cause a lot of ubiquitous scenes. Full of humor and sweetness, Horimiya is a manga to read which will delicately remind us that “the dress does not make the monk” and that we must know how to go beyond appearances.
Golden Kamui T24 at Ki-oon – Released January 20, 2022
Golden Kamui is definitely one of the most underrated manga! The manga already has 28 volumes published in Japan since its launch in 2014 in the pre-publication magazine Young Jump. Released in France in 2016 by Ki-oon, this manga immerses us in a post-war Japan where everyone is fighting for their survival. We follow the adventures of Saichi Sugimoto, also nicknamed “The Immortal”, in search of a fabulous treasure of 75 kilos of gold accumulated by the Ainu, the indigenous people living in northern Japan. The only problem is that the treasure was stolen and then hidden by a man locked up in the worst prison on the island of Hokkaido. The bugger, however, was clever since the only way to find the treasure is to reconstruct a map whose many parts have been tattooed on the skin of escaped criminals. A real treasure hunt then begins since Sugimoto is not the only one to have heard of this treasure..
Beyond a very original story, the author of Golden Kamui, NODA Satoru, is very involved in the historical side of his work, particularly concerning the Ainu. Indeed, NODA has learned a lot about the subject in order to avoid including false details and information in his manga. In addition, he manages to have a character design that allows him to give a real identity to each of his characters, including the secondary ones. The combat scenes are teeming with detail and the numerous landscapes are particularly well done. What’s more, Golden Kamui has benefited from an animated adaptation and a 4th season has recently been made official!
Smokin’ Parade T10 at Kana – Released January 21, 2022
Do you know the manga Deadman Wonderland ? If you don’t know it, go ahead and check it out! If so, you most certainly know that Smokin’ Parade is his little brother! This is a post-apocalyptic manga where a strange phenomenon turns some people into murderous monsters with the appearance of giant stuffed animals. The main character, Yôkô, has just witnessed the transformation of his sister Mirai after she received two prosthetic legs designed by the company Ame no Tori. And apparently, the said company would not be foreign to these incongruous transformations.
Well, let’s not lie to each other, Smokin’ Parade contains a lot of fan service. Fighting at all costs, violence, a brother who tries to save his sister, a diabolical company to destroy. But beyond all that, Smokin’ Parade deals above all with the search for immortality by all means. Because yes, in this manga, the company Ame no Tori has found how to replace defective organs or body parts of human beings. Immortality therefore seems to be near. Yet Ame no Tori also seems bent on destroying at least some of humanity. A scenario that could well see the light of day in real life.
You will have understood: January offers us many interesting outings! In addition to our selection, there is also volume 11 of Issak published by Ki-oon, volume 9 of Birdmen published by Vega-Dupuis (particularly interesting manga that we warmly recommend), volume 12 of Moriarty published by Kana or even volume 4 of Tower of God published by Ototo Manga. In short, the month of January is full of manga releases and there really is something for everyone! Besides, if you ever live in a cave that you weren’t aware of, the second part of the season finale of The attack of the Titans is finally available!