2022 in Manga
Rakugo, a traditional form of storytelling, takes years for any apprentice to master and ascend to the top rank of shinuchi. Ever since she could remember, Akane Ousaki has been mesmerized by her father Tooru's rakugo performances. Peeking in behind a sliding door, she would spend hours watching and mimicking his work. For Tooru, the only thing separating him from that coveted rank is a promotion test in front of an audience and a senior rakugo master, Issho Arakawa. Despite his passionate performance, Tooru finds himself expelled from the rakugo school following the exam. This makes him give up on rakugo entirely and settle for a regular job, breaking his daughter's heart. Filled with grief and anger, Akane now seeks vengeance on the man who refuses to see the genius behind her father's rakugo style. She begs Tooru's former rakugo master, Shiguma Arakawa, to take her under his wing. But Shiguma feels unworthy of taking on another pupil after what happened to her father six years prior. In order to see if she has what it takes to enter the rakugo world, Shiguma urges Akane to test her resolve by performing in front of an audience. [Written by MAL Rewrite]
The Sukaku (Zhu He) family is a distinguished line of shamans that protects mankind from divine beasts. Our protagonist, Mutsuki, (Wang Yue) bears a promising future while his sister Uzuki (Chu Yue) completely lacks the capability to use any spiritual techniques. "You are not a child of Sukaku if you are not a shaman." Bound by those antiquated customs, Uzuki is forbidden from leaving the house. As her older brother, Mutsuki is determined to free Uzuki from her confines. (Source: Shogakukan, translated)
Gin Maeda is a student who enjoys drawing graffitis at an abandoned apartment complex building near his school, with his friends and acolytes, Teppei and Kon-chan. One night, while they're at work on one of their masterpieces, they're interrupted by a mysterious ghastly pale-skinned woman who scares them. In the process of fleeing, Gin loses his sketchbook to her and then from this point onwards, his life will change in a major way! Some nude painting with his beautiful and attractive art teacher? Welcome to Season of Alabaster. (Source: MU)
Inside a spaceship, a group of five crewmates—Tamago, King, Megane, Yankee, and Cap—has gathered to play a game of Among Us. They all have victory in mind, but only one person plans to win at the others' expense: the impostor, Tamago. With Tamago aiming to eliminate everyone but himself, the other crewmates must suss him out as quickly as possible. However, their absurd deductive skills prove ineffective in spotting the suspect amid the crew, as they poorly attempt to identify the impostor among them. [Written by MAL Rewrite]
Iroha is an average student newly enrolled in Cipher Academy, a Spartan school where students must crack code after code after code with barely enough time to catch their breath! Then a mysterious person named Kogoe gives Iroha an unusual pair of glasses with a crazy secret behind them! (Source: MANGA Plus)
At a young age, Aia Utagawa was scouted as a model, but his real ambition is to become a makeup artist. But, even as the end of high school approaches, it's a dream he hides inside, afraid of stepping outside his prescribed role as a pretty face. Then, one day, he meets Jun, a quiet classmate who hunches because she's ashamed of her face, covered in freckles. He convinces her to enter a school runway fashion contest together–with him doing her makeup. They make an incredible team, with Jun discovering a confidence she never knew she could show and Aia finally learning that, while it may be tough to open yourself up to failing at the one thing you care about, the difficulties can be worth facing. (Source: Kodansha USA)
Sora Akizuki, a second-year high school boy, confesses his feelings to Miya Fuwa, but she rejects him because she "likes someone else." The person she likes is... Asahi Suzukaze, the head of the mysterious "Clinical Trial Club." Sora joins the club, only to find out that Asahi also has someone she likes. He is a boy who once saved Asahi, who was seriously ill, by helping her get through a "clinical trial," so she calls him "the prince of clinical trials." But it turns out that boy is Sora, who was a mischievous elementary school kid at the time...? This is a high-tension "clinical trial" romantic comedy with a complex intersection of love interests! (Source: Hakusensha, translated)
Living with her grandpa who owns a coffee shop, these are the adventures of Aka, an innocent child.
Living in the slums of a wealthy town, Rudo and his foster father Legto try to coexist with the rest of the town's residents, but Rudo despises the wastefulness of the upper class. Ignoring the warnings from those around him, Rudo regularly rummages through the town's garbage in search of anything useful or valuable to save from the "Abyss"—a massive hole where anything considered trash is dumped, including people. Rudo's biological father was one such person, having been thrown into the Abyss after he was accused of murder. One day, after running into a mysterious figure on the way home, Rudo returns to find Legto's dying body on the floor. He is immediately found at the scene by the authorities and is charged with murder. No one believes his claims of innocence, and he is thrown into the Abyss. Instead of dying, however, he finds himself in a strange, foul-smelling place surrounded by monsters made out of trash. When Rudo is attacked by said monsters, he is saved by a man named Enjin, who reveals himself to be a "janitor"—someone who uses special weapons called "jinkis" to combat these creatures. In order to get his revenge on the one who killed Legto, Rudo reluctantly becomes a janitor to fight his way back up and out of the Abyss. [Written by MAL Rewrite]
In a world where humans were invaded by kaiju-like dragons, a boy meets with one that can take the form of a little girl. (Source: MangaDex)
Gokurakugai, a bright and bustling working class district with a hidden dark side. In this area without order, Tao and Alma work as troubleshooters for hire. Their missions involve helping a young boy find his lost friend, a person who disappears without a trace, and disfigured animal corpses. All the while, the evil spirits who live in the shadows bring out a different side to these troubleshooters! (Source: MANGA Plus)
The fantasy story centers on Zabi, who ventures into the outside world Utopie in order to save his kingdom of Belso, the last human nation which is fast running out of land and resources. (Source: ANN)
He lives alone and falls in love at first sight. But he's the most fearsome yankee in the world?! (Source: Lilac Scans)
Imaizumi is a high school student who lives alone for a reason. He has a secret that he cannot tell anyone: he lives with three of the top caste gals in his school, Hamasaki, Kurumizaka, and Sasaki. He spends his days playing, talking, and getting physical with these gals, all of whom have one or two quirks. As time goes on, Imaizumi becomes more and more addicted to the lazy, naughty, and free "youth"...? (Source: Takeshobo, translated)
Yuu Isshiki, a first-year university student, learns that his girlfriend Karen is having an affair with his senior, Kamokura. He was so devastated that he asked Kamokura's girlfriend and the most beautiful girl on campus, Touko: "Please have sex with me!" If you are the victim of NTR, just return the same treatment back. This is the shocking "revenge" romantic comedy depicting the relationship between the minds and bodies of four college students!! (Source: Kadokawa, translated)
Ryuuto Kashima is a gloomy high-schooler who quietly spends his days watching his crush, the beautiful Runa Shirakawa, from afar. She rules the school and has had no shortage of boyfriends. Although Ryuuto is fully convinced she'd never accept him, fate leads him to confess his feelings to her anyway. To his astonishment, she accepts—simply because she's "available" at the time—but the surprises don't end there. She immediately invites him over as if it's the most natural thing in the world! This odd couple is different in just about every way—the friends they keep, their hobbies, their love lives—but with every passing day, they grow a little bit closer. This may not be Runa's first relationship, but their dating story is going to be full of firsts for them both! (Source: J-Novel Club)
Hikari's your typical freshmen in high school who's been recently daydreaming about Mari's, her shy best friend, love story. She decides to ship Mari with Ootani-kun, their classmate, after finding out about his crush on Mari when his friend, Asagiri-kun, tried getting the two to talk. The main character is Mari, the leading man is Ootani, and Hikari is the typical best friend in the story. Not bad... right? A youthful story between four kids going through unrequited love. (Source: Kodansha, translated)
Mamori Wataya has always faded into the shadows at her school. Tall and plain, she long ago accepted her role as a side character. When she befriends Soushi Fuji, her brusque classmate who walks with a cane and gets even when people underestimate him, a new avenue appears before her. Can Fuji teach her to embrace her bad side and become a villain like him? When Fuji asks Wataya to drain the school pool for him, she gets her first taste of the high that comes from breaking the rules. Like the villains in anime and manga that Wataya admires, she’s ready to try being a little naughty. Though she may not be ready for drastic crimes, Wataya knows she wants to start doing bad things. (Source: VIZ Media)
The Royal Diana Academy is a prestigious school that accepts individuals with adept magical abilities. Upon graduation, these students find themselves at the top of their field or employed by the royal family. Spica Virgo dreams of studying at the academy, aiming to be a top-rate sorceress like her idol Claude Sirius. Claude is a world-renowned sorcerer who became the institution's youngest instructor, but mysteriously disappeared soon after. Lacking the experience and connections required for admission, Spica finds herself unable to make meaningful progress with her training. One day, however, she meets a talking black cat with magical abilities. Hoping to change the situation for the better, she begs the animal to take her as his apprentice and teach her the magic she needs to attend the academy. The cat accepts the deal on one condition—she must find a way to reverse his feline curse. Despite the arduous challenges ahead of her, Spica is determined to prove herself as a student worthy of the cat's mentorship. [Written by MAL Rewrite]
For fans of epic fantasy and supernatural battles between gods and demons, this manga will take you on an epic quest, as the young boy Tsuchimaru acquires a powerful sword from a mysterious artisan and joins the gods to fight fiends himself! In a time when gods and humans live and fight together the young boy Tsuchimaru was helpless, a mere child in the face of those mighty struggles... until a mysterious wandering artisan came with a sword they had forged and gifted it to the child, enabling him to take up arms in the titanic conflict! (Source: Titan Comics)
Milia, the great witch who reigns over the demon world, has fallen in love for the first time... and the other person, believe it or not, is her arch-enemy, the "hero"!? The witch is maxed out in MP but has a zero points in love experience. An other-world romantic comedy! (Source: Shogakukan, translated)
Born blind, Kunon aims to be the first person to use water magic to create new eyes for himself. After five months of study, he has already surpassed his teacher, and continues to grow his talents. Not only can his magic help him sense color, but he can also use it to make handy items and even conjure a whole cat! Word of his skills and ingenuity soon reach the court and earn him a spot as disciple to the most powerful magician in the land. But is his ultimate goal even attainable? (Source: Yen Press)
"Huh? Who are you calling loser?" As the background of the class, I, Kazuhiko Nukumizu, witnessed a popular girl—Anna Yanami—getting rejected by another guy. "Even though he said we'll get married. Don't you think he's pretty mean?" "When did he say that?" "When we were 4 or 5 years old." That doesn't count, right? With this, the losing heroines like Remon Yakishio from the track and field club and Chika Komari from the literature club. "Nukumizu-kun. There are two types of girls: childhood friends or cheating cats." "I see. Well, that's a bold statement." There's a fortune for those who shine only after losing. Losing heroines—the curtain to the mysterious coming-of-age story Makeine opens now! (Source: Shogakukan, translated)
A modern man is reincarnated into the world of a fantasy game he knows well: as Werner, the son of a powerful noble. The thing is, Werner isn't the hero or even the villain—he's a background character likely to die during a climactic siege! Werner seeks out and befriends the hero, but he doesn't have powerful enough skills to be a hero himself. Unwilling to die as a later plot point, Werner uses his knowledge of the game and his power as a noble to aid the hero and defend against evil attacks. That's when he realizes that when he does so, he saves other people who were doomed as he was, which changes the "plot" he thought was inevitable. As the hero's close comrade who can see the future, perhaps Werner will be a savior to this place, after all! (Source: Seven Seas Entertainment)
(No synopsis yet.)
Inhabiting a teapot are the tsukumogami Chaki and Ryu—their job is to pour delicious tea. However, following the teapot’s dwindling use, it one day breaks. The two set out on an adventure into the outside world. On their journey, they encounter a "baby mountain" who doesn't know anything about themself, a "water person" who always imitates Chiaki, "Yamada-kun" who wears a mysterious costume, and many other strange and fun characters. (Source: Kadokawa, translated)
Art student Hibari Akanishi struggles to find free time between her part-time job and school. Her schedule becomes even more hectic with her upcoming project: she must make a trendy fashion design to display in front of countless people. However, all her creations end up being stale. While continuing her project at work, her laptop is accidentally soaked and broken by a customer—a flashy guy making a scene. Furious that her hard work is gone, Hibari lashes out at him before she storms out. At the end of her shift, the rude client takes Hibari to his apartment to apologize. The eccentric boy introduces himself as Gaku Sausei, a member of a rock band and fellow art student. He lends her his computer so she can finish her assignment by the deadline. Despite Gaku's free-spirited personality clashing with Hibari's serious nature, his blunt remarks encourage Hibari to experiment with her design in ways she would not have dared to attempt before. As Hibari gets closer to Gaku, her ordinary world is about to be flipped upside down. [Written by MAL Rewrite]
After facing a devastating defeat at the hands of Dragon God Orsted at the Red Wyrm's Lower Jaw mountain range, Eris parts ways with Rudeus and makes her way to the Sword Sanctum in order to rectify her own inexperience as a swordsman. As the "Mad Dog" continues to hone her sword skills under the tutelage of the Sword God, her fangs continue to grow stronger and sharper! (Source: Square Enix)
A world blanketed in an endless and ever-growing ocean of snow. The people eke out a living, either huddled around the roots of enormous trees dotting the surface, or high in the canopy, which spreads over the planet's atmosphere. A chance meeting between Kaina, a youth from the canopy, and Liliha, a young woman from the surface, sets off a chain of events that will change the fate of the world. (Source: Polygon Pictures)
Friendship vs. love?! A love triangle romantic comedy about being caught between two princesses!! Shunsuke and Hinaki are childhood friends who entered high school together. They've always been good friends, but their new classmates mistake them for lovers? (Source: Akita Shoten, translated)
(No synopsis yet.)
High school student Akane Amou has been banned from accessing all sorts of media from a young age. As a result, even the mildest of romance dramas prove too graphic for her to enjoy. However, aside from this unusual quirk, Akane is a model student beloved by students and teachers alike. One day, Akane walks in to her classmate Fuyumine watching a vulgar scene in the Film Research Club room. Fuyumine is quick to explain that she came at an unfortunate time—what was playing was merely a sensitive scene in an R15+ movie. In the face of a doubtful Akane, Fuyumine convinces her to stay and watch the film together to prove his innocence. Mesmerized by the world of movies and determined to catch up to her peers in her tolerance for the lewd, Akane decides to join the Film Research Club as an unofficial member and delves into the dimension of entertainment that she knows so little about. [Written by MAL Rewrite]
After a powerful dragon attacked her country, Princess Arsinoe Grancamano of the Kingdom of Helentar was forced to create a pact with Sent Fauna, a powerful deity of Paradise, to drive it away. In order to do so, Arsinoe sacrificed one of her most precious memories and subsequently fell into a coma. A month later, she wakes to find herself hidden away from the world in the care of a nearby village and discovers that her mother died in the attack on Helentar. While she is overcome with grief, Arsinoe meets King Cervin, a mysterious man claiming to be her father. However, Arsinoe has no recollection of him ever being involved in her life—as her memories of her father are what she offered to Sent Fauna. Despite their uncertain past, the pair decide to travel together and endeavor to achieve Asinoe's goal: to exact revenge on Contrano, the one who summoned the dragon that killed her mother and destroyed her kingdom. [Written by MAL Rewrite]
Ruri Aoki is just another average high school student—until she wakes one morning to discover horns growing out of her head. Confused and unimpressed by the change, she shows them to her mother. However, her mother remains unfazed and reveals a shocking truth: Ruri is half-dragon! Although Ruri has no idea what to make of this sudden development, she decides to go to school like normal, hoping that another ordinary day awaits her. But it does not take long before her best friend, classmates, and homeroom teacher all notice something amiss. Swarmed by people requesting to look at, feel, and take selfies with her horns, Ruri realizes being a half-dragon is going to be much more chaotic than she expected. [Written by MAL Rewrite]
Kyouya Kujou is a boy who was unable to save the world because he does not possess the unique abilities that are the blessings of a goddess. In another world where returned heroes who have saved many worlds gather, he is a boy who could not save the world. In the academy, he was ridiculed as a "Failure Hero." However, he is the most powerful and unique hero who trained for 30,000 years in another world with Felice, the most evil demon king who has destroyed 3,000 worlds! Kyouya's latent ability is so powerful that even the strongest heroes cannot compete with him...? The tale of a boy trained by the most powerful demon king is about to begin! (Source: Hobby Japan, translated)
(No synopsis yet.)
Suffering from a terminal illness, Yuuta's mother asks him to film her last moments, which he does. From her radiant smile when she is with her family to the times when sickness ravages her body in the hospital, he records hours upon hours of footage. After her passing, Yuuta compiles her life into a movie to screen at his school, deciding to add a bit of fantasy to the ending of his film, Dead Explosion Mother, with a literal explosion! Following the backlash caused by his supposedly tone-deaf portrayal of his mother's death, Yuuta trudges to the hospital roof to take his own life—but there, he meets a girl named Eri. Captivated by his film, Eri requests Yuuta to make a new one that will blow the previous out of the water and prove his critics wrong. The movie they set out to make will stand apart by blurring the line between fact and fiction. And of course, it wouldn't be a Yuuta film if it didn't have his personal flavor—just a dash of fantasy. [Written by MAL Rewrite]
Will, a boy who can use healing magic, escapes a research facility with his older sister. Together they travel this broken world to unravel the secrets of his origin. (Source: Shogakukan, translated)
(No synopsis yet.)
Only you are special. After school, Koutarou Nakayama returns to school to pick up something he forgot and finds Shiho Shimotsuki asleep in an empty classroom. Shiho is rumored to be Ryouma Ryuuzaki's crush, a popular boy who has formed a harem in his class, but she is always expressionless and no one has ever seen her smile. But now, her fair skin is holding Koutarou's hand...?! The "secret relationship" between the heroine and the mob begins! (Source: Micro Magazine-sha, translated)
When creatures, items, and even space itself can be summoned from other worlds, no one should want for anything...right? Tokoyo, a boy who was abandoned to live with the Summoned in the Fantasy District aims to become a summoner to help all his Summoned friends. When he arrives in Tokyo to attend the Summoning Academy, he's told he'll never make it by the first summoner he meets! Tokoyo realizes he has a lot left to learn...and finds a new dream: to become the bridge between humanity and the Summoned! (Source: Kodansha USA)
(No synopsis yet.)
Meguru Ukiyo has fallen for his childhood friend, Sara Tatsumi. One day, he stumbles across a white snake that...says it can see the future?! (Source: MANGA Plus)
Amidst a pandemic, system engineer Nokoru Mitsuhashi is ordered to telework. Spending far more time at home than he knows what to do with, he eventually meets Natsu Izumi, an archeology grad student living next door. While adjusting to life during the lockdown, Nokoru discovers newfound emotions as he navigates his relationship with Natsu, who—unbeknownst to him—is his future wife! [Written by MAL Rewrite]
When Konomi was five years old, her best friend and neighbor Kagetora moved away. After ten years with no communication, Konomi decides it's time to finally move on from her childhood crush. Luckily, with her other childhood friend Tatsuomi waiting in the wings, it looks like romance is right around the corner. That is, until Kagetora suddenly reappears, and Konomi's love life is thrown into chaos! (Source: Seven Seas Entertainment)
What if a child who died at a very young age appeared just as she was? What if it was the work of a supernatural tanuki? This isn't a reunion. She's not real, but still... I want to cling to it. That lie is kind, yet saddening. (Source: Square Enix, translated)
Post-apocalyptic science fiction manga about a lonely girl wandering around a world where humanity has been erased.
Set in a fantasy world where humans have been invaded and oppressed for hundreds of years after the emergence of their natural enemy, the demons. The demons are led by one Dark Lord and 47 generals. Throughout this time, humans have gathered from their number 47 heroes, who are marshalling forces to fight off the demons, and begin their desperate battle for survival. (Source: ANN)
Welcome to Kindergarten Noir, an exclusive school catering to children of the global elite. Rita, one of the teachers, has been on the hunt for a boyfriend but has had absolutely zero luck so far. One day, an assassin comes after one of the children...and he's totally dreamy?! Dive into this action-packed rom-com as it unfolds inside the world's "safest" kindergarten! (Source: MANGA Plus)
