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Glaucos situates itself somewhere in between The Climber and Children of the Sea. Though it at first introduces itself like a mature sports manga about dangerous sports and the strange people who attempt to test their limits and find their place in the world, the story's preoccupation with evolution, biology, ecology, the nature of humanity and the potential for evolution slowly seeps in to take over the narrative.

To be fair, Glaucos is rather thin as a sports manga. Aside from his transcendental and contemplative birth as a human born in the sea, sent to the human world by dolphins, Cisse is no Mori Buntaro ... (from The Climber). He is rather flat and uninteresting as a character and much of his characterisation can be chalked up to 'being tied to the sea' due to his birth, or some innate love for water. As a result, the early moments (about 10 chapters or so) do drag quite a bit. Still, while the central character is rather flat, the panelling, art, and pacing of the competition sequences are so excellent that I could not help but feel incredibly tense trying to anticipate what might happen next.

The story itself does get much more interesting later on as the manga deviates from a character study and starts delving into more 'arthouse' territory to explore the human condition and humanity's relation to the sea. Strong transcendental and thought-provoking moments can be found here, especially with the marvellous art. Pivoting to more otherworldly themes, Cisse becomes an impossible and exceptional figure, embracing his status as a child of the sea, and becoming more incomprehensible to the ordinary person. Interestingly, it is here when the manga has stopped trying to make him relatable and appealing to the reader, that Cisse becomes a more intriguing figure to follow.

Sadly, the manga takes a dive for the worst at its most interesting point. The ending is quite one note, rushes straight to the end, and leaves much of its premise and potential at the shore. Reading the manga, you could almost find the point where the mangaka got the notice from the editor that the manga has to close. For that, I find it a bit hard to wholeheartedly recommend this work. Still, its short length might make for an interesting read.

I would, however, recommend the mangaka's other manga: River End Cafe which delves into environmentalism with a less heavy-handed touch and develops its characters much better.

An incredulously edgy, blatantly misogynistic, story masquerading as a meaningful dark fantasy tale. The truth is, this isn't really Berserk. The protagonist does many 'edgy' things claiming that he is happy being in the background, giving his other family members the platform to bask in the light. But the way the manga develops and tells its story constantly puts the protagonist front and centre in every single one of its conflicts makes it hard to take what he says seriously. Also, what is with the gratuitous sexual violence and activity in this manga? Why is sex the only way to 'conquer' and get a female ... character on the protagonist's side? Why are all the characters so blatantly horny, with rape being the no.1 activity in the manga to signal to viewers that a character is antagonistic? Hell, sometimes the use of sexual violence and seduction of women isn't at all necessary to the progression of the story, or the development of the characters.

But aside from the edgy elements, I think one of the worst things in this manga is its poor characters. The characters aside from the main protagonist and his family are barely fleshed out at all (Though honestly, the female family members are also not very well characterised and often play out as cliches). The female characters especially, making them sometimes feel like meat puppets made to parade around the protagonist. The most egregious thing is how the manga constantly flips antagonists into his companions. It is forced and a little nonsensical when you bring in the context of their actions before they became an 'ally'. These antagonistic characters don't have a strong motivation to change their allegiance at all! But it's forced in there anyway to serve the fantastical narrative that the protagonist is some alpha that bathes in the darkness, converting all morally grey-black characters into allies to do his bidding.

Still, I think there are some interesting ideas in this manga. For one, the manga does fulfil the promise of a 'ruthless' and intelligent protagonist who uses his glib tongue and scheming to his advantage. In fact, some of the schemes that the protagonist pulls are interesting and kind of well thought out. It's just a shame that most of the conflict just falls down to pure firepower, making much of the scheming feel rather unnecessary. Still, while the manga explores its themes in the most juvenile and thoughtless way, the art is quite nice, and some action sequences are really good.

If you've read Memories of Emanon you know what you're going to get into.

Beautiful art, coupled with a meandering, but thought-provoking narrative about a person's place in the world, the importance of memory, and a de-anthropocentric ideology that decentres people as the centre of the world. In years to come, rocks and soil will probably outlive the human race. I loved Memories of Emanon, and Sasurai Emanon continues this lineage with a more personal take to this theme and tone (albiet repeating itself a few times). We no longer see our mysterious main character, Emanon through the eyes of another, but she is now ... our protagonist. Her thoughts, emotions are all privy to us. There's also an over-arching narrative about espers and the like.

However, you'll find that contrary to Memories, the writing is not as focused as Memories of Emanon, most likely attributed to the non-linear structure. Plot points come and go, some stories aren't even finished, only hinted at, foreboded but never told. I think the idea is intriguing, especially poignant thematically, but its execution feels haphazard, especially when these are stories that have a narrative thrust. What's up with the espers? What's going to happen to her brother? The man who wants to wed her? With narrative threads that intriguing, you can't just end on the note of - I've yet to discover them, they are the in the future...

Still, the tonality of the story, and the art is fantastic.

It's just such a shame that the story ended in such an inconclusive, and unfinished way. Perhaps the reason why Emanon captures the spirit of wandering so well is because the mangaka has the same aimless spirit, constantly wandering to the next project and only revisiting when inspiration strikes. Ok, but jokes aside, it's a shame that the publisher dropped the project. Even if I could understand that it was ongoing for a tad too long. Still, considering what we have right now, even if I think the story won't hit the same highs as the end of Memories of Emanon, it would've been nice to see Emanon's story of wandering through.

I sure hope that another publisher picks this up, or it continues as a Doujinshi.

The first 24 chapters or so were simply a pleasure to read. The ideas and themes, though typical for this kind of narrative (certainly that Usagi Drop's influence can be felt in slice-of-life works today) were done in such a mature and thoughtful way, the pacing was just right, and the way the manga told and executed its story, through the eyes of our protagonist and budding parent, Daikichi was just great. Reading about the nuances of parenthood and the internal struggle of feeling lost despite being a central figure to look up to for a child was just an interesting read. So far, I've ... not read a manga that has told this kind of narrative with such subtle and gentle nuance.

Okay but with that said, past these 24 chapters, when we hit the time skip, that is when the manga's central focus began to shift and the story and theme of parenthood - of what it means to be an adult and to be relied upon - lost its focus. I don't blame the mangaka for the time skip. After all, it was necessary considering that there wouldn't likely be any more interesting conflicts left to read about past those 24 chapters. After all, Rin and Daikichi's relationship stabilised past that point. We'll just be reading about slice-of-life scenes with nothing strong to tie everything together (the bonus volume proves my point). Still, the rest of the story here pretty much fell toward your typical melodramatic affair that in the face of the first 24 chapters, reads rather disappointingly. Characters think they like each other, but as it turns out they don't, then throw in some kind of love triangle into the mix, and well, it's not particularly revolutionary or especially thoughtful as a coming-of-age story. I wish we could gleam more into the problems of puberty, desiring to craft your own journey, having your own life separate from your parents, and parental separation from the perspective of the parent that the story kept hinting at but never really fulfilled because the romantic melodrama kept taking priority.

Still, because of those first 24 chapters, I was invested. It also helped that there were nuggets of interesting perspectives from Daikichi's point of view seeing his daughter grow up and falling in love.

Though perhaps the manga's biggest grievance is its infamous ending. I won't spoil it explicitly, but I'm sure for people who roam around sites like this, you already know. Personally, I don't take that big of an offence to it. It is an interesting and rather unpredictable twist, and after all, where else would you find intriguing narratives like this other than in fiction? My problem here is its execution. For something so charged with psycho-analyst energy that it'll even draw in Freud from the grave for a chat, it's done with such little nuance, such a poor pace, and such little insight into the psychology of both parties that I can't help but be unconvinced by the twist. Maybe even the author felt this way because the ending just felt so flat and inconclusive it was as if it had to end before we see how the whole mess of 'after'. The whole end just felt so unstable and one-sided that it felt like it would just fall apart once the awkwardness of sexuality and other things came in.

At the end of the manga, there was even a small verbal callback to those early 24 chapters. But no, you can't do a callback to those early childhood days anymore because things have changed drastically. They aren't just family anymore. It's a new relationship with different expectations, different dynamics, and different perceptions from outsiders to consider. Maybe if the manga went toward a Shuzo Oshimi brand of psychological exploration, only then a route like this feel more plausible and read as more interesting.

All in all, I wouldn't go so far as to say stop reading at the 24th chapter but do set yourself up for a dip in writing quality.

With a growing awareness of toxic work culture and a need for more humane working conditions globally, along with the ongoing reaction against the terrible and near inhumane work cultures in East-Asian countries like Japan and Korea, of course, a story like Zom 100 would emerge to become such a force among the anime and manga community.

Zom 100 is set during the onslaught of a zombie apocalypse. But not necessarily the kind of zombie apocalypse that you would find in a horror movie where nihilism and despair reign supreme. This one subverts that trope to show that perhaps, one's happiness can only come from ... being free, from the destruction of societal rules and norms as the zombie apocalypse rides on to completely overturn all the toxicity built by people and systems. That turns ordinary people into mindless beings made to work and work and work. We can see this in our central character, Akira who, before the zombie apocalypse was an office worker stuck in a toxic work culture, constantly plagued by the need to be productive and meet deadlines. But upon the destruction of society, as zombies overrun the streets, he suddenly finds himself free to pursue the pleasures of 'ordinary' life and find meaning in his existence.

This is clearly some form of critique of capitalism, of the system's explicit need to constantly strive for productivity and numbers in spite of human working conditions and suffering. It is only when this system comes crashing down that our protagonist can live life as a human being, to become someone he sees fit of being. It's kind of fitting that Zom 100 would take on such an angle especially when you consider how the advent of the zombie genre in popular consciousness, Romero's Night of the Living Dead has been reinterpreted into a grand social critique of capitalism, of the mindless, endless consumption that comes about from unbridled, unrestrained capitalism.

Unfortunately, apart from the opening chapter and an arc about 20 chapters down the line, the social critique, drops away for a more conventional comedy-action adventure where the mindset of 'YOLO' and 'Not giving up on your dreams' takes centre stage. As a result, while the first few chapters were enthralling and quite thought-provoking, the rest of the chapters end up feeling more like your typical Shounen series.

Humour definitely takes the front seat for the manga, with most of the zombies being played for comedy more than anything. As the story continues, this approach deepens greatly with the ways our central characters take on the challenge of zombies becoming all the more absurd. (Why does Kencho have to get butt naked? Why does that raise the zombies agro? Why is running away from a horde of zombies a recurring comedic gag?)

Yet, despite this emphasis on comedy above all else, the manga still has aspirations of drama and tragedy. Consider how much of the conflict in the story revolves around the threat of the zombies (zombies attacking a village, zombie bites, etc.). As the story bounces back and forth between treating the zombies as both comedy and conflict, where we see the characters take on the zombies in such absurd ways whilst still trying to impress on us how dangerous the zombies are, the tension surrounding zombies as a legitimate source of conflict becomes negligible. When a bad situation surrounding zombies pops up, you don't fear for the characters' survival or anything else. Just like how Kencho is able to run away from the zombies butt-naked basically all the time, you know that the main characters will always survive regardless of the zombie horde numbers that are thrown at them.

While this might be fine as superficial engagement for the reader when the manga pivots its intent and tries to deliver a dramatic narrative -- things like people losing loved ones to the zombies, it all just falls flat and doesn't have the emotional punch that the manga thinks it has.

Other conflicts that are not centred on zombies are also done with such an absurdist touch with the characters resolving the conflict through comedic ways (e.g. luring zombies by doing some kind of Buddhist chant). Be it other humans, or mutated zombie experimentations... as long as the central characters are tackling the conflict from a more comedic angle, regardless of how great the art is, or how great the action set pieces are, tension always seems to be lacking.

All in all, Zom 100 is an interesting work. The art is great, and the characters are quite endearing (though they do act a little too much like caricatures of themselves for comedy's sake from time to time), and the variety of scenarios that the gang gets wrapped up in is actually quite inspired and entertaining to see unfold. However, as you continue to read on, you'll eventually come to realise that there are no real stakes to this whole story. So, what's the point of reading on? If anything, the manga seems more like a platform for random educational facts and trivia that while intriguing, seem rather touch-and-go. They'll be unlikely to ever appear again in any other chapter other than the arc that they popped up in. It is also quite a shame that the more heady and intriguing social critique promised in the beginning has been left behind for something more conventional and typical of the demographic.

What a trainwreck of a manga. What an absolute mess.

But even so, chaos has its own appeal. This is a trainwreck that you don't want to turn away from.

The main conflict of this manga is really only explained about 15 chapters in. The character motivations are all over the place. The mangaka throws in strange characters with ridiculous motivations at a whim, and conflicts escalate beyond unbelievable. The thing is that it doesn't seem like the mangaka doesn't know what he's doing. He's doing it all willingly and with utmost sincerity. The panels are fantastic, the art is simple but consistent, and the ... action sequences - though often messy because of the 101 characters tossed in for the heck of it, and the ridiculous and over-the-top scenarios that verge on insanity, are so very inventive that you would need to have downed the entire bottle of Tequila in order to imagine something like that.

I don't for a moment believe anything that is happening in the manga. It's such a mess that even real life doesn't compare. But perhaps that is Hits greatest appeal. It is a stupid, stupid manga that doesn't care about the norms of storytelling. The story is all over the place, and the characters are woven in and out with the finesse of a child building a set of legos. It just wants to entertain. And damn does it do so.

Dungeon Meshi is an absolutely incredible manga that everyone should know about. A masterpiece in character design, world-building, and character dynamics that culminates into a mundane, but universal and beautifully rendered theme - one is not unexpected considering Japan's reputation as one of the world's gastronomical capitals - the importance of eating.

The brilliant thing about Dungeon Meshi is that it does not simply conclude on this point as many nice mangas, animes, and Japanese media content often do. It tells us about the importance of food to forge a healthy body, how meals can forge and strengthen personal relations, can make you reflect on ... old memories and many other great things. But Dungeon Meshi also takes notice of a wider dimension when it comes to consumption, of how food relates to the ecosystem, and the variations of food consumption from culture to culture. Dungeon Meshi does all this without being overly preachy about it, and it links this theme with its story with nuance and a deft touch.

But above all, Dungeon Meshi is just an amazing fantasy adventure. The manga begins seemingly typical, taking from the slice-of-life, slow-living, food-eating escapades popular among Seinen works of the time. You could tell that Ryōko Kui was just getting started. Yet, about ten chapters in, the manga quickly unravels and expands its scope beyond cooking and the feel-good cliches of the genre. It delves in-depth beyond the consumption and preparation of food (which the manga skillfully does I might add), into the ecosystem and the mechanisms of the dungeon, the lore and mystery of it (it doesn't just do the Isekai - oh Dungeons are created by the world type thing), and subsequently, into the politics and conflicts present within the world. The world-building here is incredibly immaculate, presented with exceptional pacing, and plenty of attention to detail.

But what is an adventure without the adventurers? Here is where Dungeon Meshi really excels. The characters of Laios, Marcille, Chilchuck, and Senshi seem to be ticking the tickboxes of a typical fantasy story. A human, dwarf, half-ling, and an elf. But their interactions surrounding eating monsters were light and fun to read. And as the story unfolded, we realise that these characters have a lot more depth to them than what seemed at first glance. Their lives are intertwined with personal history, racial traits that affect the way they view the world, and the societal biases that influence the way they interact with one another. And as we continued down the dungeon with this party, and dived into the mysteries of the dungeon and the intrigue of the world, the characters too, unravel. But here is where Ryōko Kui succeeds as a writer. Though the story takes dark twists and turns, melancholy, pain, and disappointment, she always finds ways to give these grim situations a light touch, while never distorting her characters into caricatures of what they actually are.

And the art! Oh, just look at the bonus chapters and see the depth of thought that goes into the character design in this manga! The panels are fluid and simple, and the art though looks simple, is detailed and charming. They convey both darkness and light so well. Perhaps a critique would be that the art always seemed quite static, and so action sequences never felt that fluid, even if the panelling was great. But Dungeon Meshi was never really an action series, at its heart, it's a fantasy tale that tells a tale that unfolds like a flower coming into bloom. The world was fantastic, and the characters endeared me to death. What a great read!

So glad this is getting an anime release. This needs to be BIG.

Though this manga seemingly appears to be a by-the-numbers take on the romance subgenre of pathetic man meets dream girl who changes his life and helps get him out of a slump type of story, there is a little more that lies beneath the surface.

Look, this manga's premise is definitely a social fantasy. An incredibly beautiful woman literally leaps at the main character and gives him a chance romantically because she is unable to turn away his mother. Where would you find this kind of behaviour in real life? But beneath this rather superficial narrative, is an intriguing story of compiled familial trauma and ... how even the smallest events at home can spiral into distorted perceptions of reality. As we continue to go down this tale, we will soon come to realise that the main character's anti-social loner behaviours can be attributed to unaddressed traumatic events that he experienced at home. While I think that the manga does not dive deep enough into the kinds of depravity that a fractured family relationship can develop, surprisingly, the recurring flashbacks and reminders of scenes are rather well done.

Yet, despite the intriguing twist, the manga does little to fully embody this more dramatic direction. Instead, it chooses to have its cake and eat it too, allowing its protagonist, and by extension, the readers to immerse themselves in this fantastical romantic setting, and indulge in a rather unbelievable romantic relationship with this 'dream girl'. While certainly, there are attempts to expand the character depth of the female lead by exploring her history and relationships with others, her actions and behaviour seem to fulfil the protagonist and give him a chance at a romantic relationship than truly allow her to be her own being with her own agency. She is ultimately shackled by the story itself. I think this is a problem of the initial setting that does not allow this girl to do anything else other than be the main character's 'fake girlfriend'. Maybe when more revelations come to light, the premise may read as being less contrived.

Overall, I think this is a manga to keep an eye on. There are some nice moments of drama and insightful depictions of trauma. But still, it has yet to shake off the cliches and contrived nature of its initial premise.

Toumei Kei's works really are one of a kind. Her illustration style and character designs are easily recognisable, but perhaps what makes her works stand out among the sea is her slower-paced storytelling and attention to naturalism without pitching herself too close into the corner of 'slice-of-life' cliches. She captures the heartwarming feel and slight awkwardness of simple conversations and mundane situations, and her strong character writing believably renders characters and their day-to-day struggle on the page - female characters especially. And she does this all while focusing on and progressing a central mystery and drama!

What makes her work more appealing is her central ... focus on arts and the people that move around the industry - musicians, aspiring artists, and in this manga, a used book store. Her manga series Static Princess especially showcases her skill with storytelling (definitely more so than Sing "Yesterday" for Me which delved too much into melodrama for me).

I am happy to say that Karakida-ke no Koshogurashi continues on this push toward nuanced storytelling that I felt as I read Static Princess. Believably capturing the seemingly slight, but significant day-to-day struggles of people. In this case, it's keeping up a used bookstore, the feelings of uncertainty transitioning to a new industry, the expectations of taking over a new generation, as well as the complexities of romantic relationships. Though this story moves at a languid pace and may lack the excitement and big overpowering conflict that most mangas usually introduce in the beginning, we need stories that reflect our own experiences from time to time.

While this is still early, the everyday complexity of the characters and atmosphere developed in these 6 chapters have lured me in. Looking forward to reading more of this.

There is something incredibly fascinating about contemporary Isekai narratives these days. Either it's a full-blown power fantasy with a harem attached, a ridiculous subversion of Isekai norms, or a grim-dark fantasy tale that embraces Isekai tropes while attempting to turn away from the more hard-to-take seriously spins on the genre. This manga falls in the first category. It's a full-blown power fantasy with a harem attached.

What makes this one special? Well, the girls are MILFs. Like yeah. That's the twist. That's it.

Look, the story is painfully predictable. The characters are lacking depth and thought. Like almost any other male other than the main ... character is literally the biggest scumbag there is. And the MC, with his Isekai powers and familiarisation with Japanese and modern culture, he's the dude that can please all of these motherly women. There's no intended big contemplative theme to really let you think about what you are reading. The characters are well illustrated, and as an extra, there's nudity and stuff in there for reader gratification. It knows what it is and it wears it on its sleeves. The only thing is that this story ideologically celebrates a lot of modern norms without thinking about it a bit more in-depth. But that's honestly every other Isekai out there.

Well, if you like MILFs, and you like Isekai. This one lets you read your dreams. It's a very, very dumb but kinda fun read.