Find the Perfect Manga Present with Kodansha's 2024 Holiday Gift Guide
Cut down your holiday gift list with tons of manga gift recommendations!
If you've started your holiday gift shopping and are still coming up empty with gifts ideas, why not give the gift of manga!
Whether you're looking for that perfect story for fans of anime, wholesome tales, romantic stories, or even someone who's never read a manga before, we've compiled a number of recommendations (along with chapter 1 previews) to get you started, and help you become this year's best gift giver.
All the titles listed below are available at all major book retailers as well as digital retailers for select titles.
MANGA FOR ANIME FANS:
A Sign of Affection Omnibus
By suu Morishita
Yuki, who’s always been deaf, is used to communicating with sign language and her phone. But she’s not used to English, so when a tourist from overseas asks for directions, she nearly panics…until a handsome stranger steps in to help. His name is Itsuomi, and it turns out he’s a friend of a friend. A charismatic globetrotter, Itsuomi speaks three languages, but he’s never had a deaf friend. The two feel drawn to each other and plan a date on a romantic winter’s night…but Yuki’s friend is afraid that she might be setting herself up to get hurt. Could this be something real? Or will these feelings melt away with the snow?
Rated: 16+
Read the FREE Chapter 1 of A Sign of Affection
Attack on Titan
By Hajime Isayama
A century ago, the grotesque giants known as Titans appeared and consumed all but a few thousand humans. The survivors took refuge behind giant walls. Today, the threat of the Titans is a distant memory, and a boy named Eren yearns to explore the world beyond Wall Maria. But what began as a childish dream will become an all-too-real nightmare when the Titans return and humanity is once again on the brink of extinction…
Rated: 16+
Read the FREE Chapter 1 of Attack on Titan
Blue Lock
By Muneyuki Kaneshiro and Yusuke Nomura
After a disastrous defeat at the 2018 World Cup, Japan’s team struggles to regroup. But what’s missing? An absolute Ace Striker, who can guide them to the win. The Japan Football Union is hell-bent on creating a striker who hungers for goals and thirsts for victory, and who can be the decisive instrument in turning around a losing match…and to do so, they’ve gathered 300 of Japan’s best and brightest youth players. Who will emerge to lead the team…and will they be able to out-muscle and out-ego everyone who stands in their way?
Rated: 16+
Read the FREE Chapter 1 of Blue Lock
Mobile Suit Gundam: THE ORIGIN
By Hajime Yatate, Yoshikazu Yasuhiko and Yoshiyuki Tomino
It is the year Universal Century 0079, in a space colony the Earth Federation is storing and testing a new piloted robot for use in the battle against the Principality of Zeon. The experimental RX-78 Gundam mobile suit is scheduled to be transported to Federation command in Jaburo, deep within the Brazilian jungles. Unfortunately, before the transporter would arrive, the Federation would come under attack from Zeon. With few resources available against the Zeon’s most mobile mechs, Federation forces strike back using their new weapon, the mobile suit Gundam.
Rated: 13+
Read the FREE Chapter 1 of Mobile Suit Gundam: THE ORIGIN
MF Ghost
By Shuichi Shigeno
Second season of the MF Ghost anime currently streaming on Crunchyroll!
The author of Initial D has roared back onto the track with another hit! In a near future where cars have mostly switched over to sustainable power, combustion engine racing is a rarity. The MFG is the last major race for this dying breed, and half-Japanese Kanata Rivington has come back to try his luck. But that's not all he's come to Japan to do...he's searching for his father, too. Can even the ambitious Kanata accomplish all he's set out to do?
Rated: 13+
Read the FREE Chapter 1 of MF Ghost
MANGA FOR BOOKSHELF CURATORS:
Akira 35th Anniversary Box Set
By Katsuhiro Otomo
An all-new, complete 35th anniversary hardcover box set of one of the most acclaimed and influential comics of all time, with the original Japanese art and right-to-left reading format for the first time! The science-fiction epic that changed anime and manga forever is presented in six beautiful hardcover volumes, plus the hardcover Akira Club art book and an exclusive patch with the iconic pill design.
In 1982, Kodansha published the first chapter of Akira, a dystopian saga set in Neo-Tokyo, a city recovering from thermonuclear attack where the streets have been ceded to motorcycle gangs and the rich and powerful run dangerous experiments on destructive, supernatural powers that they cannot control. In 1988, the manga was adapted into what was at the time the most expensive animated film ever made, which brought Akira’s influence out of the manga world and onto the global stage. Today, it remains a touchstone for artists, writers, filmmakers, and fans, retaining all the brutal impact and narrative intensity it had when Otomo first unleashed it onto the world.
Rated: 18+
Learn more about the Akira 35th Anniversary Box Set
Ashita no Joe: Fighting for Tomorrow
By Asao Takamori and Tetsuya Chiba
Debuts: December 24, 2024
A massive cultural phenomenon, made even bigger by the hit anime based on it. To this day, “Ashita no Joe” remains one of the most important manga of all time, and now it will finally see the light of day in English for the first time!
A young drifter named Joe Yabuki wanders through the slums of Tokyo, but when the local ruffians try to give him a hard time he teaches them a rough lesson with his fists. The spectacle sparks a gleam in the eye of an old drunk who happens to be watching—Danpei Tange, a failed boxer and former coach who sees something special in the boy. He pleads with Joe to train with him off, but the cocky young fighter brushes him. Later, though, when Joe is arrested and put in a juvenile detention facility, he realizes that he’s going to need to hone his raw fighting skills if he wants to survive. Thus is born a partnership that might just take Joe all the way to the top…
Rated: 16+
Read the FREE Chapter 1 of Ashita no Joe: Fighting for Tomorrow
Blue Lock: Episode Nagi 1 + Exclusive Q Posket Figure
By Kota Sannomiya, Muneyuki Kaneshiro and Yusuke Nomura
Score big with this bundle including volume 1 of the manga spinoff Blue Lock: Episode Nagi, plus an exclusive Q Posket figure of the reluctant prodigy Seishiro Nagi himself. The perfect gift for the Blue Lock fanatic in your life--especially if that's yourself!
Second-year high school student Reo Mikage wants nothing more than to escape his illustrious family's shadow by becoming a soccer star and winning the World Cup. The only thing that's missing is a talented diamond in the rough who can help him achieve his dream. That's when he sets his sights on Seishiro Nagi, a notorious slacker whose quick reflexes are the only hint of athletic ability. Can Reo find the switch to awaken the beast inside Nagi?
Rated: 16+
Read the FREE Chapter 1 of Blue Lock: Episode Nagi
Sailor Moon (Naoko Takeuchi Collection) Manga Box Set
By Naoko Takeuchi
The Sailor Guardians awaken in this box set of the everlasting masterpiece, featuring 6 volumes of manga, 16 art cards, and a premium holographic box!
Teenager Usagi is not the best athlete, she’s never gotten good grades, and, well, she’s a bit of a crybaby. But when she meets a talking cat, she begins a journey that will teach her she has a well of great strength just beneath the surface and the heart to inspire and stand up for her friends as Sailor Moon!
Rated: 13+
Learn more about the Sailor Moon (Naoko Takeuchi Collection) Manga Box Set
Vinland Saga Deluxe
By Makoto Yukimura
The beloved action epic that inspired the hit anime returns, in premium collector’s hardcovers! Includes volumes 1-3 of the Japanese edition of Vinland Saga and new bonus content.
As a child, Thorfinn sat at the feet of the great Leif Ericson and thrilled to wild tales of a land far to the west. But his youthful fantasies were shattered by a mercenary raid. Raised by the Vikings who murdered his family, Thorfinn became a terrifying warrior, forever seeking to kill the band’s leader, Askeladd, and avenge his father. Sustaining Thorfinn through his ordeal are his pride in his family and his dreams of a fertile westward land, a land without war or slavery… the land Leif called Vinland.
Rated: 16+
Read the FREE Chapter 1 of Vinland Saga
MANGA FOR VALUE HUNTERS:
Ajin: Demi-Human Complete
By Gamon Sakurai
The breathless nightmare trip Ajin: Demi-Human, finally available in omnibus format. A thriller that just keeps on getting better and deeper.
For high schooler Kei—and for at least forty-six others—immortality comes as the nastiest surprise ever. Sadly for Kei, but refreshingly for the reader, such a feat doesn’t make him a superhero. In the eyes of both the general public and governments, he’s a rare specimen who needs to be hunted down and handed over to scientists to be experimented on for life—a demi-human who must die a thousand deaths for the benefit of humanity.
Rated: 16+
Read the FREE Chapter 1 of Ajin: Demi-Human
Attack on Titan Colossal Edition
By Hajime Isayama
This volume includes Vol. 1-5 of Attack on Titan in an extra-large 7x10.5-inch size, with 15 COLOR PAGES never published in any other book—not even in Japan!
A century ago, the grotesque giants known as Titans appeared and consumed all but a few thousand humans. The survivors took refuge behind giant walls. Today, the threat of the Titans is a distant memory, and a boy named Eren yearns to explore the world beyond Wall Maria. But what began as a childish dream will become an all-too-real nightmare when the Titans return and humanity is once again on the brink of extinction…
Rated: 16+
Read the FREE Chapter 1 of Attack on Titan
Fire Force Omnibus
By Atsushi Ohkubo
Dive feet-first into the world of devil-fighting firefighters with this 3-in-1 omnibus edition of the hit manga from the creator of Soul Eater! Blaze past the anime, 600 large-sized pages at a time.
In the year 198 of the Solar Era, the city of Tokyo is plagued by a deadly phenomenon: spontaneous human combustion! The only ones who can stop it are the Fire Force, a team of specialized firefighters. Shinra, a young man blessed with the ability to ignite his feet and travel at the speed of a rocket, wants nothing more than to be a hero, and knows that this is the place for him! He joins the company at Special Fire Cathedral 8, a team tasked with discovering the source of this strange epidemic. But many obstacles stand in their way, and there are secrets haunting Shinra’s past…
Rated: 16+
Read the FREE Chapter 1 of Fire Force
Initial D Omnibus
By Shuichi Shigeno
Relive Takumi Fujiwara’s journey from tofu delivery boy to street-racing legend in an all-new, large-sized, 2-in-1 print edition of the series that made Japanese street racing into a worldwide phenomenon.
Takumi Fujiwara spends a lot of time behind the wheel. His tofu delivery job sends him racing down the treacherous roads of Mount Akina, and without even realizing it, Takumi has mastered racing techniques that take most drivers a lifetime to learn. Of course, none of his friends realize this. They’re all too busy watching the Akina Speed Stars, the local street racing team. When the legendary Red Suns show up to challenge the Speed Stars, the rival team obsesses over a phantom car, the Trueno Eight-Six, seen racing through the mountain roads. Who is the driver, and will they take on the dangerous challenge?
Rated: 16+
Read the FREE Chapter 1 of Initial D
The Fable Omnibus
By Katsuhisa Minami
Omnibus edition includes Vol. 1-2. Anime season 1 streaming on Crunchyroll!
One hitman is feared above all in Japan: the killing machine known as “The Fable.” But is he really a tough guy or more of a…weirdo? After a particularly lucrative spree necessitates a break from his life of crime, the Fable faces his hardest assignment ever: living as a normal guy, with a cover story, an apartment, and a pet parrot!
Rated: 18+
Read the FREE Chapter 1 of The Fable
MANGA FOR BOOK READERS LOOKING TO TRY SOMETHING NEW:
Confession
By Kaiji Kawaguchi and Nobuyuki Fukumoto
Debuts: December 17, 2024
Stranded in a blizzard atop a treacherous ridge, badly injured, and quickly bleeding out, Ishikura knows he is about to die. But before he does, he decides to unburden his soul by telling his companion Asai a dark secret that has been weighing on him for years. No sooner do the words cross Ishikura’s lips, however, than Asai stumbles upon the shelter they’d been searching for—only to realize his friend’s confession has changed everything—and the brutal elements may no longer be the deadliest threat around.
Rated: 16+
Read the FREE Chapter 1 of Confession
Junji Ito's Cat Diary: Yon & Mu Collector's Edition
By Junji Ito
Master of horror Junji Ito turns his twisted eye on his own life in this comedic graphic memoir about becoming a cat owner, now reissued in a deluxe hardcover featuring an exclusive interivew with Ito and a NEW cover illustration by the author that GLOWS IN THE DARK!
Reigning king of horror manga Junji Ito presents a series of hissterical tales chronicling his real-life trials and tribulations of becoming a cat owner. Junji Ito, as J-kun, has recently built a new house and has invited his financée, A-ko, to live with him. Little did he know...his blushing bride-to-be has some unexpected company in tow--Yon, a ghastly-looking family cat, and Mu, an adorable Norwegian forest cat. Despite being a dog person, J-kun finds himself purrsuaded by their odd cuteness and thus begins his comedic struggle to gain the affection of his new feline friends.
Rated: 13+
Read the FREE Chapter 1 of Junji Ito's Cat Diary: Yon & Mu
River's Edge
By Kyoko Okazaki
From renowned author Kyoko Okazaki, the creator of Helter Skelter and Pink, comes a story of adolescence filled with friendship, drama, and the intertwined relationships of six high school friends. Cover designed by Eisner Award-winning artist Becky Cloonan!
At the edge of the city not far from the sea, a field of goldenrod sways in the breeze, its veil of amber flowers obscuring secrets underneath. Old bones and forgotten memories rest in silence, waiting for someone to dig them up. This is where the lives of six young men and women intertwine in ways both tragic and extraordinary. Decaying secrets are revealed as they forge friendships from pain, find betrayal in pleasure, and stare into the face of death itself—in a field of gold by a stagnant river, under the smoke-filled skies
Rated: 18+
Read the FREE Chapter 1 of River's Edge
The Drops of God
By Shu Okimoto and Tadashi Agi
Inspiration for the Emmy-nominated Apple+ live-action drama, Drops of God!
The award-winning comic about wine that has been a hit not just all over Asia but also in France! Learn about legendary bottles as well as affordable secrets while enjoying a page-turner that’s not about superheroes but people with jobs to keep. When world-renowned wine critic Kanzaki passes away, his will reveals that his fortune of a wine collection isn’t bequeathed as a matter of course to his only son, who in a snub went to work sales at a beer company. To come into the inheritance, Shizuku must identify—in competition with a stellar young critic—twelve heaven-sent wines whose impressions the will describes in flowing terms…
Rated: 16+
Read the FREE Chapter 1 of The Drops of God
The Ghost in the Shell: Fully Compiled
By Shirow Masamune
All of Shirow Masamune's original The Ghost in the Shell manga in one massive hardcover make this the ultimate collector's edition of the ultimate cyberpunk classic. Contains The Ghost in the Shell 1, 1.5, and 2 for over 800 pages of manga.
The award-winning comic about wine that has been a hit not just all over Asia but also in France! Learn about legendary bottles as well as affordable secrets while enjoying a page-turner that’s not about superheroes but people with jobs to keep. When world-renowned wine critic Kanzaki passes away, his will reveals that his fortune of a wine collection isn’t bequeathed as a matter of course to his only son, who in a snub went to work sales at a beer company. To come into the inheritance, Shizuku must identify—in competition with a stellar young critic—twelve heaven-sent wines whose impressions the will describes in flowing terms…
Rated: 13+
Read the FREE Chapter 1 of The Ghost in the Shell
MANGA FOR COZY / WHOLESOME READERS:
Chi’s Sweet Home Box Set
By Konami Kanata
Chi’s Sweet Home, a multiple New York Times Best Seller, now bundled up in a purrfect box set which includes all 4 volumes of the series! And no Chi box set would be complete without sweet bonus items inside! Bring this cute set home today!
Chi is a mischievous newborn kitten who, while on a leisurely stroll with her family, finds herself lost. Separated from the warmth and protection of her mother, Chi feels distraught. Overcome with loneliness she breaks into tears in a large urban park meadow, when she is suddenly rescued by a young boy named Yohei and his mother. The kitty is then quickly and quietly whisked away into the warm and inviting Yamada family apartment…where pets are strictly not permitted.
Rated: 13+
Read the FREE Chapter 1 of Chi’s Sweet Home
Medalist
By TSURUMAIKADA
Read five volumes of Medalist in print and 10 volumes available digitally.
Inori is a little girl who dreams of becoming a figure skater. Yet, the obstacles to this dream feel insurmountable: Inori’s already “too old” (she’s 11); she’s always had trouble at school; and, worst of all, her older sister’s skating dreams ended in failure, so her mother is dead set against putting her other daughter through a similar experience. Still, the rink is the only place Inori can be herself, and she’s out on the ice when a fateful meeting takes place. Tsukasa, a frustrated coach on the edge of giving up competitive skating himself, will join Inori to form an unstoppable duo powered by hard work, transcendent joy, and an unshakeable belief that they can prove everyone wrong.
Rated: 13+
Read the FREE Chapter 1 of Medalist
Shikimori's Not Just a Cutie
By Keigo Maki
Shikimori and Izumi are high school sweethearts. They hold hands walking home from school, they flirt in the halls, they tease each other. But Shikimori knows what she wants, and how to get it, and she can turn from cutie to cool in an instant.
Rated: 13+
Read the FREE Chapter 1 of Shikimori's Not Just a Cutie
That Time the Manga Editor Started a New Life in the Countryside
By Hishiwo Miyazawa, Hishiwo Miyazawa and Kumagae
Sick of his job and the city, Yohei “Kuma” Sakuma has a grand plan—to start anew in the countryside and live off the land. Thing is, he hasn’t told his wife yet, nor does he know the first thing about growing rice. Between crooked houses, swarms of bugs, and grueling work under the sun, the city slicker Kuma and his wife Miyu get a crash course in country life. But at the end of the day, with beer in hand as they take in the sights, they begin to understand that country life can be real hard, but real good.
Rated: 13+
Read the FREE Chapter 1 of That Time the Manga Editor Started a New Life in the Countryside
Witch Hat Atelier Kitchen
By Hiromi Sato, Kamome Shirahama and Kamome Shirahama
Includes a variety of real sweet and savory recipes with step-by-step instructions.
Witch Hat Atelier is back in this culinary spinoff that lets readers try their hand at recreating a variety of sumptuous recipes. This time, the magic is in the kitchen as Qifrey and the gang whip up everything from sizzling stews to crackling croquettes. Ideal for both existing fans of the main series and newcomers looking for an easily “disgestible” introduction to the world of Witch Hat.
Rated: 10+
Read the FREE Chapter 1 of Witch Hat Atelier Kitchen
MANGA FOR READERS OF ALL AGES:
Cardcaptor Sakura Collector's Edition
By CLAMP
Cardcaptor Sakura brought a generation of readers to manga, and now it’s back in a definitive collector’s edition!
Cardcaptor Sakura is one of the all-time classics of the magical-girl genre, and the Collector’s Edition will be the definitive version of the story, for both long-time fans and readers new to the story. The adventures of the plucky Sakura Kinomoto are as adorably thrilling as ever, as she tracks down the magical Clow Cards and plunges headlong into a world of sorcery beyond anything she could’ve imagined.
Rated: 10+
Read the FREE Chapter 1 of Cardcaptor Sakura
Lovely Muco!
By Takayuki Mizushina
In the beautiful mountains of Akita stands GLASS STUDIO amato, run by Mr. Komatsu and the shiny-nosed dog who loves him—MUCO!!
Muco dreams of the day when Mr. Komatsu will become a dog, too, but in the meantime she spends her days chewing up towels, jumping in the pond, and inventing new games…all called "Komatsu"!
Rated: 10+
Read the FREE Chapter 1 of Lovely Muco!
Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir
By Koma Warita, Riku Tsuchida, Toei Animation, and ZAG
Return to Paris with Marinette and Adrian in the manga of the beloved animated series, now streaming on Netflix and Disney+!
Marinette is your typical high school student: cheery and a little clumsy. Not so typical? She can transform into a superhero! As the confident, masked Ladybug, Marinette guards the streets of the City of Lights alongside Cat Noir, another superhero who, unbeknownst to Marinette, is her classmate Adrian, and her crush! Adrian doesn’t know who Ladybug is, either, but he’s crushing on her, too. Supervillains, school, and criss-crossed crushes? As if being a teenager and a crime fighting superhero wasn’t enough!
Rated: 10+
Read the FREE Chapter 1 of Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir
Penguin & House
By Akiho Ieda
Pen is a penguin. His favorite things are pancakes and fastidious household upkeep. Pen lives in the city with his friend Hayakawa, a human. They can’t communicate in words, so the only way for Pen to express his love is by doing laundry and getting good deals at the supermarket. This is a chronicle of their life together–let it snuggle on your shelf next to A Man and His Cat or Way of the Househusband!
Rated: 10+
Read the FREE Chapter 1 of Penguin & House
Witch Hat Atelier
By Kamome Shirahama
In a world where everyone takes wonders like magic spells and dragons for granted, Coco is a girl with a simple dream: She wants to be a witch. But everybody knows magicians are born, not made, and Coco was not born with a gift for magic. Resigned to her un-magical life, Coco is about to give up on her dream to become a witch…until the day she meets Qifrey, a mysterious, traveling magician. After secretly seeing Qifrey perform magic in a way she’s never seen before, Coco soon learns what everybody “knows” might not be the truth, and discovers that her magical dream may not be as far away as it may seem…
Rated: 10+
Read the FREE Chapter 1 of Witch Hat Atelier
MANGA FOR ROMANTICS:
A Condition Called Love
By Megumi Morino
Hotaru is a 16-year-old high school first-year who has always been ambivalent about love, preferring instead to have a lively life with her family and friends. So when she sees her schoolmate, Hananoi-kun, sitting in the snow after a messy, public breakup, she thinks nothing of offering to share her umbrella. But when he asks her out in the middle of her classroom the next day, she can’t help but feel that her life is about to change in a big way…
Rated: 16+
Read the FREE Chapter 1 of Witch Hat Atelier
Anyway, I'm Falling in Love with You.
By Haruka Mitsui
Love in the time of COVID-19? This new series pits the the crushes, nostalgia, and friendship of shojo manga against a crushing pandemic. Can it be that a determined high school girl is more resilient than anyone expected? Guaranteed to delight fans of popular romance comics like Komi Can’t Communicate and Skip and Loafer.
Rated: 13+
Read the FREE Chapter 1 of Anyway, I'm Falling in Love with You.
Love, That’s an Understatement
By Fujimomo
Spare eraser? Check. Extra folding umbrella? Check. First aid kit? Check. Cool and collected high school student Risa Amakawa has something in her heavy bag for every situation, and the last thing she needs—or knows how to ask for—is anyone’s help. When she saves a beat-up delinquent in the park one rainy evening, she refuses any sort of repayment. But it turns out that saving the notorious Zen Ohira buys her the attention of some unsavory characters. As Zen keeps swooping in to help her out of one pickle after another, her feelings about relying on anyone but herself—and her feelings toward Zen—slowly begin to change… A new romcom from the author of Lovesick Ellie!
Rated: 13+
Read the FREE Chapter 1 of Love, That’s an Understatement
Sweat and Soap
By Kintetsu Yamada
Asako’s living her dream, working at the toiletry maker Liliadrop. Little do her coworkers know, the reason she loves the company so much is that she’s ashamed of her body odor, and their soap is the only thing that does the trick. So when the company’s lead product developer, a perfuming genius, approaches her in the lobby and wonders what “that smell” is, she’s terrified… but could it be… that he likes it? And, even more surprising to Asako… does she like him?
Rated: 13+
Read the FREE Chapter 1 of Sweat and Soap
The Fragrant Flower Blooms With Dignity
By Saka Mikami
Two rival schools stand next door to each other: one for elite ladies, one for good-for-nothing boys. But one of those boys might just be a naturally chivalrous diamond in the rough, and one of those girls might be a little more open-minded than is proper…
This cute and twisty manga spin on Romeo and Juliet is the latest hit in Japan, coming to print from a successful digital-first release!
Rated: 13+
Read the FREE Chapter 1 of Sweat and Soap
MANGA FOR FANTASY EXPLORERS:
Because I, the True Saint, was Banished, that Country is Done For!
By Mokuba Matsu, Pukyunosuke, and Shikiso Utsuzawa
Ever since she was a child, Eliane has been the saint and protector of the Kingdom of Belkheim, warding off monsters and ensuring bountiful harvests with her prayers. But when a pretender saint beguiles the foolish prince—to whom she is engaged—into believing she is nothing but a fraud, he calls off the marriage and banishes her from the kingdom. Homeless and penniless but free to chart her own course for the first time in her life, Eliane decides to make for the neighboring kingdom, where she hopes to blend in as a commoner and lead a quiet life…but a chance encounter on the road will totally upend her modest plans.
Rated: 13+
Read the FREE Chapter 1 of Because I, the True Saint, was Banished, that Country is Done For!
Nina the Starry Bride
By RIKACHI
Nina had a rough start to life, orphaned and stealing to survive, only to be abducted for her unusual lapis lazuli eyes. But to her surprise, her captor, Prince Azure, ordained that she would live the life of a princess…specifically, that of the recently deceased princess-priestess, Alisha, who had her same eyes. Despite her changing fortune, Nina won’t give up her old life without a fight. Azure might just be the one to finally match her wits, but how much can she trust him? And can she stop the feelings budding in her heart, knowing she must eventually marry another…?
Rated: 16+
Read the FREE Chapter 1 of Nina the Starry Bride
That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime Box Set
By Fuse, Mitz Vah and Taiki Kawakami
Can a single slime build the ideal society? Find the answer in this deluxe set of the hit isekai adventure manga, containing Vol. 1-6 in a premium box, plus an exclusive set of puffy stickers!
Mikami’s middle age hasn’t gone as he planned: He never found a girlfriend, he got stuck in a dead-end job, and he was abruptly stabbed to death in the street at 37. So when he wakes up in a new world straight out of a fantasy RPG, he’s disappointed but not exactly surprised to find that he’s facing down a dragon, not as a knight or a wizard but as a blind slime demon. But there are chances for even a slime to become a hero, and maybe even build a country where the rejects and outcasts can find a place to belong…
Rated: 16+
Read the FREE Chapter 1 of That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime
The Boy I Loved Became the Jaded Emperor
By Bekio, Ii Oshikawa and Mitsuya Fuji
As a young boy, Prince Alexei was rescued from certain death by a strange woman with the appearance of a monster. The two of them spent blissful years in the forest , but tragedy struck after his former life caught up with him. Now a young man, Alexei has taken the throne, becoming a cold-hearted emperor intent with no interest in finding love.
Little does he know, the person who saved him has been reborn as the daughter of a duke—a taciturn young lady named Eleonora. Soon enough, fate throws them together at the imperial court, but can Alexei overcome his jaded past to see what is right in front of him?
Rated: 13+
Read the FREE Chapter 1 of The Boy I Loved Became the Jaded Emperor
To Your Eternity
By Yoshitoki Oima
A new manga from the creator of the acclaimed A Silent Voice, featuring intimate, emotional drama and an epic story spanning time and space, To Your Eternity is a totally unique and moving manga about death, life, reincarnation, and the nature of love.
A lonely boy wandering the Arctic regions of North America meets a wolf, and the two become fast friends, depending on each other to survive the harsh environment. But the boy has a history, and the wolf is more than meets the eye as well…
Rated: 13+
Read the FREE Chapter 1 of To Your Eternity
MANGA FOR LGBTQ+ FOLKS:
Boys Run the Riot
By Keito Gaku
High schooler Ryo knows he’s transgender, but he doesn’t have anyone to confide in about the confusion he feels. He can’t tell his best friend, who he’s secretly got a crush on, and he can’t tell his mom, who’s constantly asking why Ryo “dresses like a boy.” He certainly can’t tell Jin, the new transfer student who looks like just another bully… The only time Ryo feels at ease is when he’s wearing his favorite clothes. Then, and only then, the world melts away, and he can be his true self. One day, while out shopping, Ryo sees someone he didn’t expect: Jin. The kid who looked so tough in class has the same taste in fashion as him! At last, Ryo has someone he can open up to—and the journey ahead might finally give him a way to express himself to the world.
Rated: 13+
Read the FREE Chapter 1 of Boys Run the Riot
I Cross-Dressed for the IRL Meetup
By Kurano
“Cocoa” has made three best friends in her monthly meetup group, where girls get together every month to quell their sweet tooths by meeting up at the cutest and trendiest new dessert cafes. Cocoa is in it for the sweets—really!—but she’s also harboring a few secrets: Not only does Cocoa have a crush on another one of the girls in the group, Opera, but she’s actually a guy named Satoshi who’s been cross-dressing in order to attend the all-girl group! During one meetup, things come to a head when Opera discovers that Cocoa is cross-dressing—and to Cocoa’s surprise, Opera confesses that he is too! But Cocoa realizes that his attraction to Opera is more than clothing-deep, and as the two grow closer, they’ll learn more about each other—and their own selves—than they could have ever imagined.
Rated: 16+
Read the FREE Chapter 1 of I Cross-Dressed for the IRL Meetup
Is Love the Answer
By Uta Isaki
A poignant coming-of-age story about a young woman coming into her own as she discovers her identity as aromantic asexual. A complete story in a single volume, from the creator of Mine-kun is Asexual.
When it comes to love, high schooler Chika wonders if she might be an alien. She’s never fallen for or even had a crush on anyone, and she has no desire for physical intimacy. Her friends tell her that she just “hasn’t met the one yet,” but Chika has doubts…It’s only when Chika enters college and meets peers like herself that she realizes there’s a word for what she feels inside—asexual—and she’s not the only one. After years of wondering if love was the answer, Chika realizes that the answer she long sought may not exist at all—and that that’s perfectly normal.
Rated: 16+
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The Moon on a Rainy Night
By Kuzushiro
One rainy night, Saki is rushing to a piano lesson when she crashes into a beautiful, long-haired girl, dropping her sheet music in the process. Saki stutters an apology, but the girl simply hands back her sheet music and leaves without a word. Saki begins her first day of high school the following morning, only to find the stranger from the night before sitting at the desk next to hers. She learns that the girl’s name is Kanon and that she is not quite completely deaf, but very hard of hearing. Though Kanon needs to be close to people to read their lips, she tends to push people away with her icy demeanor. Through one kind gesture, Saki slowly begins breaking down the walls around Kanon, even as she feels something new blossoming within her.
Rated: 16+
Read the FREE Chapter 1 of The Moon on a Rainy Night
Twilight Out of Focus
By jyanome
Film enthusiast Mao Tsuchiya and his lone wolf roommate Hisashi Otomo make three promises:
- That Mao will never tell anyone that Hisashi is gay and has a boyfriend,
- That Hisashi will never approach Mao “in that way,” and
- That they’ll respect each other’s “private time.”
The second-years’ ground rules should ensure a peaceful life together in their dorm, but reality is never as simple as it seems in the movies, and some things are not so easily promised…
Rated: 18+
Read the FREE Chapter 1 of Twilight Out of Focus