Five of my favorite manga I've been reading for work.

In addition to my job co-owning and working at Hello Comics, I also work as a professional manga reader for Seven Seas Entertainment. My actual job title is Copy Editor, which is someone who goes over the scripts for the manga and suggests edits based on the Chicago Manual of Style and the Seven Seas in-house style guide, but my job is more akin to an in-house proofreader, since most of what I do is review lettered proofs of manga and make corrections. Additionally, I double-check translations if things sound odd and help maintain consistency in type styles across multiple volumes of a series. In books where I do this, I'm credited as Quality Control, a title management came up with to distinguish me (and the other person in my department) from proofreaders and copy editors.  

ANYWAY, what this means is that in addition to whatever reading I do at Hello Comics and whatever reading I do in my spare time for fun, I also read and review somewhere between 300-400 volumes of manga every year. It's wild to think that my name is in the credits of probably somewhere north of a thousand volumes of manga at this point. 

Of those books, here are five of my favorite series that I get to work on.

MAGICAL BUFFS: THE SUPPORT CASTER IS STRONGER THAN HE REALIZED!

Magical Buffs is one my favorite fantasy series, full stop. It's about a hardworking sorcerer in a world where whole towns spring up around massive dungeons, and groups of adventurers seek to be the first to plumb their depths. This series reminds me of Delicious in Dungeon in the way it has built a rich, deep fantasy world that considers not only the fantastic but the way real people living in this world would react to living alongside these things. The art is incredible, the monster design is innovative and over-the-top, and there's incredible interplay between the competing adventurer factions (which is always super fascinating, and an element that's very important for tabletop role-playing games as well). There are even groups that publish an underground zine about the dungeon, which is such a fun little detail that makes so much sense. 

Additionally, there is NO male gaze. As a bookseller, and a parent to a ten-year-old who reads a STAGGERING amount of manga, it is so satisfying to read a fantasy series where all of the female characters are not only sensibly dressed, but they all have agency. It's a great read and I can't recommend it enough. 

(We are unfortunately currently sold out of this at Hello Comics because I recommend it too hard, but I'll update this with a link once we have it back in.) 

DAI DARK

DAI DARK is a newer series from Q Hayashida, who is more famously known for DOROHEDORO, which I also love (and need to finish reading). It's a story set in a grimdark future about a mysterious orphan, Zaha Sanko, whose bones will (supposedly) grant whoever possesses them one wish. So, of course, he spends a lot of his time fighting off twisted villains that want to take his bones for their own purposes, traveling through space, eating snacks, and making friends along the way. It's grim and violent but it handles it all with a strange sense of humor that makes it a very pleasant read overall. 

You can pick up the DAI DARK OMNIBUS Volume 1 here. 

KEMONO JIHEN

Kemono Jihen is a story about the secret world of monsters that live alongside humans, and a group of monster teens that get caught in the middle of a war with monsters that wish to dominate the world. It's got great character dynamics, lots of emotional growth and deep pathos, but also stacks on over-the-top monster fights and incredible character design. It's been building towards a very satisfying ending after twenty-some volumes and it's been a real privilege to have worked on this series since volume 1. 

You can pick up Kemono Jihen Volume 1 here. 

CHAINSMOKER CAT

Chainsmoker Cat is written and drawn by an artist collective known as NyanNyanFactory ("nyan" is the Japanese equivalent of "meow"). It's all short little vignettes that mostly center around a layabout alcoholic catperson and her friends that have the vibe of a late-night sketch comedy show. Lots of goofy jokes and gross gags all stacked into a fun series. 

You can pick up Chainsmoker Cat Volume 1 here.

THE INVISIBLE MAN AND HIS SOON-TO-BE WIFE

The Invisible Man & His Soon-to-Be Wife is a super cute romance series set in a world where humans and monsters co-exist, and the romance that blossoms between an invisible detective and a blind woman who works at his detective agency (as well as other characters). The story moves back and forth between solving various cases and solving problems in their day jobs, and the cute, slow progression of their romance in their personal lives. It's a very sweet book, a great beach read and a perfect palate cleanser after reading one of these other books about monster wars or drunk catpeople. 

You can pick up The Invisible Man & His Soon-to-Be Wife Volume 1 here.