Insomniacs After School Volume 1 by Makoto Ojiro

Translated by Andria Cheng 4 stars A sweet, low-stakes manga featuring unexpected friendship, life after dark, and an adorable cat. Ganta Nakami can’t sleep. When he discovers classmate, Isaki Magari’s secret hideout, they bond over their shared sleep issues. They form their own secret club and start fixing up the old observatory to make a…

Read More

Polar Bear Café: Volume 1 by Aloha Higa

2.5 stars A cute manga with plenty of puns in both Japanese and English. Fun slice-of-life adventures featuring Polar Bear, Panda, and all their friends. I have not watched the anime of this, but honestly if you have some non-traditional entity running a café, there’s a good chance I’m going to want to read it….

Read More

Ms. Koizumi Loves Ramen Noodles, Vol. 1 by Naru Narumi

4 stars A fun, gentle read, especially for ramen lovers. An interesting way to learn about different kinds of ramen and its components (sauce, broth, noodles, toppings etc.). Definitely recommend for those who like Food Wars!: Shokugeki no Soma, Vol. 1 but what something with less fan service. Fun characters, wonderful art style. I really enjoyed this…

Read More

Little Witch Academia Vol. 1

by Yoh Yoshinari Art by Keisuke Sato 3 stars A nice blend of events from the anime along with original mini-stories. Great for those who want more after watching the show. I especially loved the character design section at the end. It delivers on all the personalities from the show. Nice art style. Fun humor….

Read More

Chibi Usagi: Attack of the Heebie Chibis by Julie and Stan Sakai

3 stars A cute rendition of Usagi Yojimbo complete with Miyamoto Usagi in chibi form along with Chibi Tomoe and Chibi Gen. The three friends meet a dogu and help save the dogu village from the evil Salamander King. Nice story of friendship and helping others. Also includes some interactive and educational materials at the…

Read More

Cat Massage Therapy Volume 1 by Haru Hisakawa

4 stars Absolutely adorable. Purrr-fect low-stakes story for cat-lovers. Featuring toe beans, chin scritches, tummy rubs, and lap sitting. This book is packed with cuteness. Follow Nekoyama as he makes friends with the Manager of a cat massage parlor and spreads the joy of cat massages with his coworkers. A nice little stress reliever in…

Read More