Whether you’re a student or already out in the work force, winter break is the best time to catch up on both new and classic series you’ve been putting off all year. With the weather too cold to go outside and all that time on your hands, why not grab a blanket and snuggle up with these 10 of these great Manga series!
※If you consider a synopsis a spoiler, skip the descriptions and go straight to checking out the series!
1. Your Lie in April
Middle-schooler Kosei Arima is a piano prodigy… or at least he used to be, before the death of his mother and the pressure of competitions made him shut down emotionally, and unable to play the piano. Then one spring day, he meets Kaori Miyazono, a fiery, impulsive violinist who also happens to be his classmate. Kaori asks him to accompany her on the piano as she plays violin in a music competition. Can she help him overcome his fears and rediscover his love for music and life?
Your Lie in April has been adapted as an anime series and a live-action movie – but even if you’ve watched the anime, you’d do well to check out this heartfelt, dramatic manga series as well. While the anime is a faithful interpretation of the manga series, there are many nuances about the characters in the manga that aren’t seen in the anime. If you haven’t watched the anime, you’re still in for a treat, as this series is simply a delight to read. Yes, it’s a tear-jerker, but it’s also a thoughtfully told coming of age story with well-defined characters that you’ll fall in love with again and again.
2. AJIN: Demi Human
After what should be a fatal accident, a high school boy discovers that he is a demi-human, a nearly unkillable being who can survive almost any injury, no matter how severe. This, of course, turns his ordinary life upside down, as he is pursued by government forces who want to use him for some incredibly grisly experiments, as well as other rogue demi-humans who want to recruit him to join their cause.
A-Jin is a smartly-written gripping, suspense-filled action/sci-fi series that will take readers down many strange and dark roads. Needless to say, there are some gory scenes that aren’t for the faint of heart, but for fans for The Walking Dead, A-Jin is a worthy binge-read. Also, if you have a Netflix subscription, check out the A-Jin anime series too.
3. The Story of Saiunkoku
Shuurei, a young girl, dreams about becoming a government official in the Saiunkoku Empire. In this fictional world, the customs of Saiunkoku are similar to those of ancient China, meaning that the world of politics is reserved for men only. Luckily, Shuurei is able to enter the palace, but not as a scholar... Instead, she’s been temporarily appointed as the empress consort! Rumor has it that the emperor only likes men, so what could possibly happen?
Highly recommended for fans of smart and strong willed heroines, fantasy, romance, and historical manga!
4. Future Diary
If darker sci-fi, action, and suspense are more your speed, then Future Diary is a good place to start. The action revolves around Yukiteru, a high school boy who’d rather sit on the sidelines and observe his classmates than engage in high school social activities. But his habit of keeping a diary of the things he sees and the events that happen around him on his phone take a strange turn when Deus, the King of Time and Space decides that Yukiteru’s life needs some ‘spicing up.’
Deus turns Yukiteru’s phone diary into a window into the future; that is, it reports to him things that will happen 5 minutes in the future. Then things get even weirder when he finds that he’s not the only owner of a Future Diary – he’s one of ten people who are now pitted against each other to become the new king of time and space.
Future Diary is a high-concept science fiction suspense story that will leave you guessing at every turn. It was originally licensed by Tokyopop back in the day, and left incomplete – but now the entire series is available to read online – even the volumes that were never released in print in its initial run.
5. Noragami: Stray God
Every follower counts. At least, it matters if you’re a deity whose powers might depend on it. Unfortunately for Yato the god of calamity, he’s lost both his home and followers, On a mission to bring back the glory days and build a magnificent temple for himself, he’s put his “godly” services up for sale! Desperate times call for desperate measures, and Yato will take on any job!
Noragami is an interesting series – of course, it’s beautifully drawn, but it’s also a skillfully woven story that goes in unexpected directions that keep readers coming back for volume after volume. If you’re new to the series, you should know that it takes about 2 volumes for the action to really kick into gear, and for the story to shift from what initially seems like a wacky romantic comedy into a rich, layered story filled with drama and action. It’s a continuing series, but even after reading 17 volumes in one sitting, I was left eager for more.
6. Kanokon
Kouta Oyamada has just moved from the countryside and is starting high school in the big city. But nobody told him that city girls would be so… frisky? Well, at least Chizuru, the cute upperclassman who has confessed her romantic interest in him is. Eventually, Kouta discovers that Chizuru is not an ordinary girl… she is a fox yokai, or spirit. Things get weirder from there, as Kouta figures out that the school he’s attending is full of yokai in high school students disguises, and he’s got to figure out how to survive the strange new world he’s now a big part of.
Kanonkon is the latest in a long-running manga tradition: otherworldly beings mix and mingle with ordinary humans in the modern world, and bring their own style of romance into the mix. If you enjoy romantic comedies with a supernatural twist like Rin-Ne or Oh! My Goddess, plus a heaping helping of saucy sexiness, Kanonkon will give you what you’ve been looking for and more.
7. Zero’s Familiar
Louise De La Valliere is sorceress in training at an elite school for magic, a la Hogwarts. But try as she might, Louise is considered a “zero” – a failure who has a knack for casting spells that don’t quite work as they should. The result of one such mis-cast spell is summoning hapless high school student Hiraga Saito as her familiar, or magical companion. Now Hiraga is trapped in a magical world where Louise treats him like a dog, and political intrigue means there’s danger around every corner.
Like in any good romantic comedy manga, Louise and Hiraga have their share of misunderstandings and opportunities to get cuddly in awkward situations. It’s somewhat saucy, but not over-the-top sexy, and the political intrigue that simmers in the background keep the story moving along at a nice clip. A cute, fun read for fans of fantasy and magic stories that aren’t too dark or scary.
8. Kiss Him, Not Me
Nothing makes Serinuma Kae happier than shipping all the beautiful boys at school with one another. When her favorite anime character dies, the grief causes her to lose a jaw dropping amount of weight! Now, all the beautiful hot guys at school won’t leave her alone! What’s a fujoshi to do when all the boys want to date you instead of each other?!
9. Crying Freeman
Written by the legendary mangaka Kazuo Koike, Crying Freeman is a must read for fans of older series. The manga follows the story of Yo Hinomura, a ceramist who gets kidnapped by a Chinese Mafia and forced to become an assassin. Although he is highly skilled in the art of killing, nothing can stop him from shedding tears after each murder.
10. Deadman Wonderland
After an earthquake destroyed most parts of Tokyo, a prison named Deadman Wonderland rose from its ashes to double as a theme park. There, prisoners from all over Japan are used as attractions for the purpose of restoring the city. Falsely accused of mass murder, middle school student Igarashi Ganta, ends up in Deadman Wonderland. This series offers a mature reading experience. So be prepared for an exciting time, but keep in mind that this series also has its dark and disturbing parts!
Well, there you have it! 10 Amazing titles to get you started on a manga marathon this winter break! Luckily right now, all 10 titles mentioned and MORE are on sale for 30% OFF until January 5th on BookWalker Global. There’s also a mystery coupon lottery going on, so you can get another discount up to an additional 50% OFF until December 31st!
BookWalker Global is KADOKAWA’s official English digital manga and light novel store selling titles from KADOKAWA, Kodansha Comics, Viz Media, Seven Seas Entertainment, and more! Visit global.bookwalker.jp for more details!
(C) Jinsei KATAOKA (2007) (C) Kazuma KONDOU(2007) (C) Gamon Sakurai / Kodansha Ltd. (C) Junko / Kodansha Ltd. (C) Adachitoka / Kodansha Ltd. (C) Sakae ESUNO 2006 (C) Kairi YURA (2006)(C) Sai YUKINO (2006) (C) Naoshi Arakawa / Kodansha Ltd.
