Kodansha Comics Gift Guide Part 2: If you liked ___, then check out ___!
Kodansha Comics Gift Guide Part 2: If You Liked ___, Try ___!
There’s nothing like discovering a manga series that swiftly earns its place on your list of favorites. So when a series like that comes to an end, reading that last volume can be bittersweet and, when it’s all over, can make you think: So what am I supposed to read now?! If you’re like us and shed a tear at that last chapter of Fairy Tail or Princess Jellyfish, or if you’re—or someone you know is— looking to find a new series to add to your list of favorites, this week’s installment of our Holiday Gift Guide is sure to help you find just what you want to buy.
For the Fairy Tail Fan—Can’t get enough Fairy Tail? Have you been looking to read more manga from Hiro Mashima? If so, these three brand-new series and spin offs are perfect to add to your TBR pile!
NEW message from Hiro Mashima to the Fairy Tail fans!
EDENS ZERO (Ages 13+)
It’s been not even a year since Fairy Tail ended, and shonen manga superstar Hiro Mashima is already back with a brand-new series that’s ready to become another fan favorite. If you loved the fist-pumping action, endearing cast of characters, and fantasy from Fairy Tail, EDENS ZERO offers all that and more—in space! EDENS ZERO revolves around Shiki, a boy who has lived his entire life among machines at Granbell Kingdom amusement park. One day, when his old homeland suddenly becomes too dangerous, Shiki joins a girl named Rebecca and her cat companion Happy on their spaceship, escaping into the boundless cosmos and beginning his epic journey to become an adventurer. So if you’re looking for an epic adventure, missed the heart-pounding guild action from Fairy Tail, or have been looking for a brand-new sci-fi manga that reaches for the stars (literally!), you won’t want to miss checking out EDENS ZERO. (Plus, if you look closely, you might be able to see some familiar Fairy Tail faces in the background!)
EDENS ZERO Volume 1 is available now and Volume 2 comes out in February 2019!
Wanna read ahead? EDENS ZERO simulpub is available on comiXology and Crunchyroll Manga!
Fairy Tail: Lightning Gods (Ages 13+)
One of the most awesome things about Fairy Tail was Mashima’s ability to create not only a great, compelling story, but with its wide cast of characters, fans were guaranteed to find at least one character they loved. So if you want to stay in the world of Fairy Tail a little longer, or if you happen to be a Laxus fan, Fairy Tail: Lightning Gods is the spin-off for you. Taking place in the mysterious aftermath of the disbanding of Fairy Tail, Laxus takes his Raijin Tribe to Blue Pegasus, where they quickly become popular new wizards. But when Ichiya is kidnapped, the tribe gets drawn into an inter-guild grudge match. If you’ve read the other Fairy Tail spin-offs and have yet to complete your collection, this final electrifying spin-off featuring Laxus and the rest of the Raijin Tribe in their very own adventure is the perfect note to complete your collection on.
Fairy Tail: Lightning Gods is available now in a single, complete volume!
Hiro Mashima’s Playground (Ages 13+)
If you’ve been on a search for a treasure-trove of Hiro Mashima manga, look no further than Hiro Mashima’s Playground. This super-stuffed collection includes eight never-before-seen tales from the master of shonen manga—including the one shot that would later become the Fairy Tail we all know and love today! At almost 400 pages of new adventures, from stories about love and magicians to devils and heroes, Hiro Mashima’s Playground is one wild ride you won’t want to miss!
Hiro Mashima’s Playground is available now in a single extra-large, complete volume!
For fans of sweet spin-offs and The Seven Deadly Sins—If a mix of sweet and shonen is what you’re after, look no further than The Seven Deadly Sins: Seven Days!
The Seven Deadly Sins: Seven Days (Ages 16+)
Nakaba Suzuki, creator of The Seven Deadly Sins, is not only great at creating a series with exciting twists and turns at every corner, but amidst all the action and tension he also develops amazing, compelling characters and their respective romantic relationships and histories—making The Seven Deadly Sins a series you can’t wait to read more of. And now, while you’re pausing between episodes of the newest anime season, make sure to sate your own hunger for more Sins with The Seven Deadly Sins: Seven Days. The official prequel manga to The Seven Deadly Sins, The Seven Deadly Sins: Seven Days focuses on the fated relationship between Ban, the Seven Deadly Sins’ Fox’s Sin of Greed, and Elaine, the Fairy King’s sister. When Ban, a young, opportunistic thief, is drawn to the Fairy King’s Forest by the rumor that it holds the Fountain of Life, he meets the Saint of the Fountain, a young Fairy named Elaine, and soon finds that the treasure he most desires may not be the one he originally came to seek.
The Seven Deadly Sins: Seven Days is complete in two volumes—Volume 1 is available now, with Volume 2 coming December 2018!
For the Akiko Higashimura, josei, and geek girl fans—Whether you’re an Akiko Higashimura mega fan or have been searching for the next Kiss Him, Not Me! or Princess Jellyfish-esque series, these final two josei rom-coms are sure to have your manga neuroses working overtime.
Tokyo Tarareba Girls (Ages 16+)
If you ever wondered what Bridget Jones’s Diary or Sex and the City would have been like if adapted into a manga, Tokyo Tarareba Girls is your answer. This sharply funny, well-plotted, and empathic comedy follows struggling screenwriter Rinko and her two best friends as they fight to find true love. At 33, Rinko can’t help but lament over the fact that her career’s plateaued, she’s still painfully single, and she spends most of her nights drinking with her two best friends in their favorite pub. One night, in a booze-fueled delusion, Rinko swears to get married by the time the Tokyo Olympics roll around in 2020. But finding a man—or love—may be a cutthroat, dirty job for a romantic at heart!
Tokyo Tarareba Girls Volumes 1 through 3 are available now in print, with Volume 4 coming December 2018! (And the complete 9-volume run is available digitally!)
Wotakoi: Love is Hard For Otaku (Ages 16+)
If you’re an otaku, gamer, nerd in love, or lover of nerds in love, Wotakoi: Love is Hard For Otaku is the perfect read. ICYM the anime premiere back in April, this otaku love story between childhood friends Narumi, who’s a fujoshi, and Hirotaka, a hardcore gaming otaku, instantly became a fan favorite—and with generously sized 2-in-1 volumes, the manga contains even more hysterical, adorably awkward moments between the two characters. After having every boyfriend she’s ever had dump her once they find out she’s an otaku, Narumi decides to go to great lengths to hide it. When a chance meeting at her new job with childhood friend, fellow otaku, and now coworker Hirotaka Nifuji almost gets her secret outed at work, Narumi comes up with a plan to make sure he never speaks up. But Hirotaka comes up with a counter-proposal: why doesn’t she just date him instead?
Wotakoi: Love is Hard For Otaku Volumes 1 through 3 are available now!
Want to save big? Head on over to Books a Million for their Graphic Novels and Manga: Buy 2, Get 3rd Free Sale!
Stay tuned next week for the final installment of our gift guide, featuring our staff recommendation picks!
