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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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…

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Food Wars!: Shokugeki no Soma, Volume 2

by Yuto Tsukuda Illustrated by Shun Saeki Translated by Adrienne Beck 3.5 stars Another entertaining volume in the Food Wars series. In this one, we learn more about how Totsuki works, specifically the shokugeki and the Council of Ten. As always, the food looks amazing. I love when they go into detail on how a…

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Komi Can’t Communicate by Tomohito Oda

Translated by John Werry 2 stars Tadano just wants to blend in at school. But when he meets Komi and discovers her difficulty talking to people, he resolves to help her, even when it puts unwanted attention on him. For me, this one was just okay. Based on the title, I assumed the story followed…

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Food Wars!: Shokugeki no Soma, Volume 1

by Yuto Tsukuda Illustrated by Shun Saeki Translated by Adrienne Beck 3.5 stars Hilarious and weird. It’s an odd one to rate. I’m not a huge fan service person, but I love the cooking aspect. I have watched the anime previously so I knew what I was getting into. For those unfamiliar with the series,…

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Cat + Gamer Volume 1 by Wataru Nadatani

Translated by Zack Davisson 5 stars This book is absolutely adorable. Riko’s life revolves around video games. When she unexpectedly adopts a stray kitten, she uses her knowledge from her favorite games to figure out how to take care of him. With her over-the-top reactions, she takes on each challenge as though it is a…

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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….

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The Way of the Househusband Vol. 1 by Kousuke Oono

3.5 stars A humorous slice-of-life comedy following a yakuza-member-turned-househusband as he navigates daily life. Follow Tatsu as he carries out duties like shopping for groceries, taking a cooking class, tackling a DIY project, and looking after a neighborhood kid. While his tasks are often mundane, Tatsu’s old life catches up with him and his over-the-top…

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