Translated by Amanda Haley
3 stars
A humorous behind-the-scenes look at working in the manga department of a Japanese bookstore. Filled with relatable customer-service woes, Honda pulls from real-life experiences and shares a variety of interactions and issues such as out-of-stock items, staff recommendations, customer service training, and seriously awkward customer requests.
The artwork is fun, chaotic, and nicely captures the pandemonium of working in a bookstore. I loved meeting all the different workers. Chief Clerk Plague Doctor Mask, Bandages, and Fox were among my favorites.
A hectic work-place slice-of-life comedy series that also shares a love of the history of manga. It was especially fun to see all the real-life manga and comics references scattered throughout. From One Punch Man to Spider-Man, I loved looking for different references.
I didn’t realize until after I’d finished the main book that there are translation notes at the back, which are really helpful. They go through page by page to point out references and explain different aspects to non-Japanese readers.
A fun (and chaotic) read that challenges conceptions and assumptions about working in a bookstore.