I’m Kinda Chubby and I’m Your Hero Vol. 1 by Nore

Translated by Philip Reuben 4 stars This is such a sweet story. Ponjirou is a stage actor hoping to make it big. His confidence grows when he receives fan gifts from a fancy patisserie. Konnosuke is a dedicated pastry chef who wants to be the best. He has a hard time opening up about his…

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My New Life as a Cat Vol. 1 by Konomi Wagata

Translated by Molly Rabbitt 3 stars After a near-death experience, Nao wakes up… as a cat. His human body is in a coma and he has no idea how he wound up in his new form. While he tries to figure it out, he’s taken in by a high school classmate, Chika, and renamed Nyao….

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Witch Hat Atelier, Vol. 1 by Kamome Shirahama

Translated by Stephen Kohler 5 stars A breathtaking read full of mystery, magic, and secrets. Coco has always been fascinated by magic. When she discovers the secret to casting spells, she tries to teach herself. But her attempts result in a devastating mistake. To set things right, she becomes a witch’s apprentice and dives headfirst…

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Nate’s Lucky Day (Yo-Kai Watch #1) by Noriyuki Konishi

Translated by Tetsuichiro Miyaki 3 stars A fun manga with plenty of humor. I enjoyed watching the show so thought I’d give the manga a try. In the first volume, we’re introduced to Nate, shown how he meets his yokai butler, Whisper, and how he befriends various yokai including the ever-popular Jibanyan. As with the…

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That Time I Got Reincarnated As a Slime Volume 1

Story by Fuse Adapted by Taiki Kawakami Characters by Mitz Vah Translated by Stephen Paul 4 stars I’ve been enjoying the anime so far and thought I’d give the manga a try. The first volume covers the first 5 episodes of the anime. The show sticks pretty closely to the manga from what I remember….

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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…

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Cat + Gamer Volume 2 by Wataru Nadatani

Translated by Zack Davisson 5 stars Another fantastic volume featuring Riko and Musubi. I love the humor in these books so much. Cat lovers will easily relate to this series. This volume of slice-of-life adventures sees Riko dealing with Musubi as he levels up, clears ideal surfaces for napping, tries new tasty treats, and gets…

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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….

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Shuna’s Journey by Hayao Miyazaki

Translated by Alex Dudok de Wit 3 stars A standalone tale loosely based on the Tibetan folktale, “The Prince Who Turned into a Dog”. This book is all Miyazaki. Stunning settings, a strong woman with agency and determination, fascinating creatures, rich backgrounds, and intentional ambiguity. Slow-paced story that puts more emphasis on the visuals than…

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