Suicide Notes Laid on the Table

With the suicide of the popular and beloved Himeyama, her grieving classmates are left to wonder why she did it. All they have to go on are her mysterious suicide notes, which she left a personalized one for each of her classmates. As everyone works together to figure out the hidden meaning in the notes, it becomes increasingly clear that this is a classroom full of liars.

This was such an entertaining read. The mystery aspect was so fun, especially since at some point it becomes difficult to trust anyone. Some of these middle schoolers have the best fucking acting skills, and the amount of intense expressions they can pull is so impressive. With an entire cast of 30 students, obviously not everyone can be fleshed out. But everyone did get their dramatic moment. Hands down, Chikage was my favorite character. He’s such an annoying little shit that keeps increasing the tensions and drama. Himeyama also developed into a complex and interesting character as more details about her were exposed. Spoilers: For a while I was convinced that Himeyama was secretly a cold and manipulative person, but no! It’s actually our dear protagonist Hatsukaichi who is the morally grey mastermind. The depths of her people watching hobby have no bounds.

The amount of twists and turns is just so fun. Something will be revealed and then it’s actually wrong, or it turns out there was something more to a piece of information disclosed earlier. Almost every other chapter some student is revealing a dramatic twist and then it’s followed by like 3 panels of everyone making shocked faces. This was just so gripping and I couldn’t put it down. The final twist at the end was just the cherry on top.

Silver Gymnasium

I love lesbians and angst. I’m always a fan of yearning, pining, and childhood friends to lovers. There’s also a nice theme about growing up and still finding happiness. You don’t have to leave everything behind to grow up.

There’s technically 3 couples featured in this manga. However, the 3rd (sort of) couple only appears for one chapter and is a bit irrelevant. I understand it pushed forward the theme of finding happiness and also revealed that the gymnasium was closing, but it could’ve been removed and the story would still be fine. There’s also Toto and Eris. Spoilers: I’m happy that they ended up together, but I still think it’s sort of insane that Toto literally tried to kill Eris. It gets chalked up to her being ‘hysterical’ because of her love, but idk… I think that’s a bit extreme maybe. If they’re happy then it’s fine ig.

The actual main couple to this story is Fiona and Amy who are both yearning for each other despite being separated for 8 years. There’s Amy who has the guilt of having left Fiona, and Fiona who feels betrayed but tries to move one. On one hand I love angst and pining, but on the other I couldn’t help but feel a bit frustrated in the final chapter. I was praying for these girls to just communicate already. But, they got a happy ending so yay.

Fire Punch

I’m not the biggest shounen person, but an acquaintance recommended this so I figured I’d try it out. The only other Fujimoto work I’d read is ‘Look Back’ which I enjoyed enough.

At first I just thought that the concept was cool, and I assumed this was going to be some gritty revenge story. However, the plot went in a wildly different direction than I expected. Basically the plot is insane and also half the cast is insane too (Togata ♡︎). It was unexpectedly meta, hilarious, and also a love letter to cinema. At times, the plot felt messy and I wondered if Fujimoto was just making shit up as it goes. Characters are introduced who seem important, only to die a few chapters later. Some plot points just feel underdeveloped. However, I feel this manga was at its best when trying to dissect the roles of protagonist, villain, hero, or even being a god.

Also, Togata.Spoilers:I was so shocked by the Togata trans reveal, and then he goes and dies a few chapters later (TwT). I really enjoyed the comedy and meta commentary he provided, so after that it almost felt like the tone shifted again. Side note– the surprise incest during the prologue had me hysterical. I don’t know if it’s the translation I’m reading but, “Brother, do you want to make a baby?” had me laughing so hard. When he had sex with amnesiac Judah later, all I could think about was the fucking ‘make a baby with me brother :)’ scene.

I don’t really know how to feel about the ending. I enjoyed the last panel and also when he watched the movie about himself. But for some reason, I’m left a bit unsatisfied. I don’t really know how to articulate it, but whatever. Overall, I liked reading this.

Mahoutsukai to Aka no Pilgrim

Monstrous entity adopts a little girl trope + dark fantasy. The world of this manga is grim and fantastical. Wizards and magic exist but they have all taken a monstrous form. Wizards are born of wishes, and these wishes are considered ‘sins’. I loved the character designs of all the wizards. Especially the mosquito dude and Kalanchoe. There were also really cool wizard designs in the first chapter, it’s a shame they never made another appearance. Also, the art is pretty :)

Beni and Howcuttle are a great duo. Howcuttle looks scary but is sort of a dumbass and works well as comic relief. Beni is a naive child who is unaware of anything (she’s literally never eaten bread before). And of course, these two slowly start to see each other as family.

There’s recurring parallels drawn between wizards and humans. Despite the monstrosity of the wizards they are still alike to the humans. The whole ‘human beings can still be monsters’ thing. Wizards (and Beni) are ‘othered’ by society. Labelled freaks and whatnot due to their appearance. Humans aren’t necessarily ‘wrong’ to fear wizards, since wizards do tend to wreak havoc wherever they go. However, the actions of humanity can be equally cruel. Yadada you get the gist.

Honestly, I just wish there was more. The ending was rushed. There’s about 10 chapters to this manga, and only the last 2 are spent resolving the climax. This really could’ve been stretched out, and I wouldn’t have minded if there was another arc before reaching the climax.

Bibliomania

Alice in Wonderland inspired along with some biblical motifs, and really fucking good art. I was constantly stopping to stare at the art while reading this manga. It’s really beautiful and grotesque.

This manga starts with a lot of mystery. From beginning with a bible verse to serpents and manors, it does well in setting up a lot of intrigue. The main protagonist, Alice, is as mysterious as the rest of the story. From the get-go, you get the sense that something is off about her. However, the reader has little time to dwell on that because Alice is already on her way to getting out of this manor.

And now spoilers, because I can’t think of anything else to write. Spoilers: This manga would be a fun re-read because the twist reframes everything. Her character design as a serpent was soo cool. Alice’s desire for knowledge is ultimately a fruitless pursuit because she is all alone in the end. She can’t devour anyone else, so she’s just left with the knowledge she’s attained. She is stuck in a state of stasis. Which is ironic, because the residents of the book were in a similar state. They’ve gotten their desires. Now what?

Takopi's Original Sin

I appreciated the nuance that was given while exploring darker topics. A pitiful bully victim is still capable of doing harm. That doesn’t make her ‘evil’. Same for every character. They are all children who are victims of circumstance. But because they are powerless children, they all make the worst possible decisions. Does this mean their actions should be forgiven?

This manga attempts to tackle this through the lens of a very naive alien. Takopi is stupid but kind, and just wants everyone to be happy. Ngl, sometimes I was a bit annoyed by him… but I understand why he’s so naive. It’s his pure kindness that is necessary to the story after all. The cycle of abuse is difficult to break. However, a little bit of compassion can help.

Ultimately, I think this was a pretty good manga. It can get a bit confusing. Especially when the plot twist was being revealed, I was like ‘wtf is going on’. But yeah. Pretty good and short.

Spectral Wizard: Saikyou no Mahou wo Meguru Bouken

The melancholic tone was carried into this volume. But while vol. 1 drawed upon nostalgia followed by a feeling of emptiness, this just felt sad in general. Less reminiscing on the past and more focus on the bleakness of the present.

The plot was more solidified here, and it feels like the first volume was more of a prologue and introduction to the world and characters. Which by the way, the world is fairly interesting. This volume did more world-building in terms of sorcery society, but I was left wanting more.

The theme of change is pretty central to the story. There’s the changing world that is now hostile to sorcerers and the sorcerers who have changed after the guild’s disbandment. I believe the ending of vol. 1 touched on the thought that once something changes it is irreversible. The only thing you can really do is deal with it.

Anyways, character wise there was more of Crystal Wizard. I love her, she’s cool and stuff. There was also a sort of ‘the gang gets back together’ plot. It’s too bad there wasn’t a lot of content of all of them together. I think in general, I just want more. It ended on such a low note. The story is unfinished, and I have no idea if and when another volume will come out.

Spectral Wizard

You know that feeling when you look back on ‘the good old days’. A mixture of nostalgia, longing, and an overwhelming feeling of loss knowing that you can’t go back. Well, you can have that feeling explored in Spectral Wizard! Yay!

This certainly isn’t a tear-jerker manga. But between the cute artstyle and bits of comedy is an ever present feeling of melancholy and loneliness. The protagonist, Spectral Wizard, was incredibly relatable in some aspects. Her depressive state and unending loneliness was #mecore as the youths would say (it’s me, I am the youths).

Seeing how her former guildmates were doing post-disbandment was pretty bleak. There’s Chaos, who at least through her chaotic antics has some semblance of happiness. But literally everyone else is sad and depressed. Spoilers: In particular, Gargoyle Mage made me so sad at the end. At least she can have fun(?) floating in space, all alone. Forever in solitude. But at least maybe she can feel less guilty…

This manga is pretty short, and after finishing I was left wanting more, because there was a lot more that could’ve been expanded on. But, there’s a sequel so no worries.

Shoulder-a-Coffin-Kuro

Charming, beautiful, alluring, etc. etc. You get the gist. I have nothing but praise for this manga. It has irreversibly changed my brain chemistry.

First off, the art style and aesthetic is soo pretty. I’m not quite sure how to describe it, but it reminds me of the game ‘Don’t Starve’. Btw This manga ran from 2004-2018, so you get to see the evolution of the mangaka’s art :D

The story was executed so well. Everything was interconnected, it's so satisfying to see plot threads come together. It feels like this world has life to it, as if not everything revolves around the main cast. The themes of loss, letting go, familial love (the found family trope has a grip on me) were all excellently explored. The mangaka just loves to use those fucking metaphors. Specifically, the colors of black, white, and gray are significant to the story. Also, the idea of ‘mixing things’ and how once something is mixed it can’t be undone (for better or for worse). Not to mention the coffin and what it represents, a reminder of death and also the burden of carrying it. Anyways, I'm rambling too much.

The ending was incredibly touching and wrapped everything up nicely. Spoilers:I just love how Nijuku and Sanju accepted and loved the black spots because they were a part of Kuro as well. That every moment of both happiness and sadness were needed. That they’re willing to accept the burden and weight of these feelings because they love Kuro so much. And then they became two moons so they could be a light for Kuro TwT Also also, as Hifumi was dying and just repeatedly saying Kuro’s real name TwT

Lament of the Lamb

I have so many mixed feelings on this. The atmosphere is very somber, it feels dark and moody. The art only helps to contribute to this atmosphere. The harsh shadows and sketchy(ish) linework coupled with beautiful paneling helped to convey a very depressed feeling. I love the art style, and I might check out other works by Toume Kei, if only for the art. It’s definitely these aspects that carried this series.

As an angsty teen (almost adult) myself, I have a pretty high tolerance for teenage angst bullshit. I didn’t mind our brooding protagonist, in fact I enjoyed the angst… for the most part. There’s only so far you can go with a ‘I’m sad about being a vampire’ plot line before it becomes stale. The deuteragonist, Chizuna, is a way more interesting character. She manages to maintain this mysterious and somber air, even as her character is slowly unraveled. However, for as interesting as she is, the slow pacing really leads to the climax of her character arc feeling like it took forever.

Speaking of pacing, this manga suffers from having really slow pacing. It’s 7 volumes long but it definitely could’ve been cut down to maybe 4. One could argue that ‘nothing really happens until the end’, but this is more of a character driven piece so I don’t have a huge issue with that. My issue was that I felt like a lot of the ideas explored grew stale overtime. They kept being rehashed and weren’t further developed or looked at with a different lens. I don’t think I would’ve minded these themes if the manga had just been shorter.

From what I’ve read online, people pretty much hate the last chapter of this manga. Before going into it, I had heard that I should just not read the last chapter if I want a satisfying conclusion. But I got too curious, so I read it. I won’t spoil it here, but while I don’t think it’s an absolutely horrible way to end… It's still pretty bad. It basically takes away all of that character development that Kazuna went through.

All in all, I really can’t say that I hate this manga. For all of its flaws, it had a strange charm to it that made it stick with me and left me in a depressed mood for a few days. Reading it really felt like an experience, I just have no idea what type of experience.

Imperfect Girl

Coming from NisiOisiN, the author of the monogatari series, is a story about a university student getting kidnapped by a grade schooler. Is it a masterpiece? No. It’s still a pretty solid story, nothing amazing but it’s fine.

The manga starts off slow and a lot of time is spent monologuing. I think I would’ve enjoyed this more if I read the light novel. The manga does have some interesting visuals, but for something this monologue heavy , it doesn’t feel like being in this medium was really needed.

I think the biggest hurdle was having to get over the ridiculousness of the premise. The protag has some interesting logic… but I guess his reasons for being complacent are believable enough. I mean at multiple points he references how ridiculous it all is, so I guess he’s self aware? The mystery surrounding U’s character was enough to keep me reading. When everything was finally revealed, I did feel bad for her.

Inside Mari

My very first Shuzo Oshimi manga (yay?). First off, the art is gorgeous. Oshimi has this very recognizable art style that I don’t quite know how to explain. Story wise, I wasn’t completely on board at first. I didn’t really like any of the characters, but I stuck with it because this was a pretty interesting take on the gender bender genre.

I’m glad I did, because I grew to really like Komori and Yori as the manga progressed. They both underwent massive character development that felt very satisfying to see. The twist at the end was predictable (I don’t think it was meant to be shocking though, so this isn’t a negative). There were hints being sprinkled throughout the beginning and I feel like further in the manga, it becomes far more obvious of what the deal with Komori and Mari is.

I do think the ending was a bit rushed. Especially the plotline with Mari’s mother, I think there could’ve been more done to explore their relationship. Other than that, I still enjoyed this manga and I’m excited to check out more of Shuzo Oshimi’s works.

Doughnuts Under a Crescent Moon

This was so cute and sweet. Uno’s feelings of uselessness and inferiority really resonated with me. Seeing her relationship with Satou slowly bloom was so nice. These two have such a sweet dynamic, where they both helped each other get better and grow as people.

Also, I was so surprised by what I think is asexual representation (I mean both of them don’t feel the need to get intimate with each other, so this counts as a win for asexual rep in my book). This manga just makes me so happy. I enjoyed the messaging about becoming confident in yourself, and I’m glad the characters got such a nice ending together.

Kekkai no Noah

This manga started off really strong but ended in such a confusing and a bit rushed way. But oh well, I still had fun reading it. Visually speaking, I think the art was great. There were a few panels that looked pretty stunning.

The manga can sort of be split into two sections. The first, follows Akari as her family goes on a luxury cruise but spoopy things keep happening. The second section drops the mystery angle and follows Kakeru as he does stuff to survive while vampire shenanigans happen. (sparknotes ass explanation). I honestly can’t tell if the author was earnestly trying to set up a mystery, because it was sort of obvious that it was vampires. I mean, the only two options were rich cannibals or rich vampires.

I don’t think that this was a particularly unique take on vampires (their weakness was a bit interesting tho), but I’m a sucker for vampires so I don’t care. The mystery surrounding Noah was pretty intriguing. I sort of wish the author explained it a bit more. Spoilers: was the cat that made Eve/Noah into a vampire possessed by some sort of demon or something? I think it’s implied that whatever it was got transferred into Kakeru maybe. But I think they left that part of her backstory ambiguous on purpose.

From the Red Fog

It’s edgy and has a bit of a gothic horror aesthetic, what more can I say. (Well actually a lot more).

I was really disappointed with this manga. The art is just gorgeous and I usually don’t mind reading exceedingly edgy stories. However, my biggest gripe was with the pacing. I thought it was too fast, especially when wrapping up the first arc. There was so much build up only for it to end in a few chapters.

When it came to the characters, I didn’t care about any of them. Rwanda lacked any of the charm that makes reading morally gray characters fun. Ivan was just a little guy who did stuff I guess. Maloco just showed up in the first few chapters and then was irrelevant for the rest of the arc.

I ended up dropping this series around the start of the next arc because I was just disinterested. Jack the Ripper was there for some reason? Also, I found it a bit weird that Rwanda entered a relationship with a girl who canonically looks like a young child (I know she's technically an adult, but still it's sort of off-putting).