KY's Reads

  https://ebay.io/m/qdMcIy   Introduction When I first picked up Delicious in Dungeon , I honestly didn't expect that much from it. At first glance, it looked like another fantasy manga built around dungeon exploration, monsters, and adventure. I even assumed it might be one of the many manga adaptations of the kind of web novels that have become popular in Japan in recent years. But I was quickly proven wrong. The further I read, the more I realized that Delicious in Dungeon had a surprisingly deep and carefully constructed world behind its comedic premise. What initially looked like a funny story about adventurers cooking monsters gradually revealed itself to be a much more thoughtful manga about food, life, death, magic, and the relationships between living things. Overview Delicious in Dungeon ( Dungeon Meshi ) is a fantasy manga by Ryoko Kui. The story follows adventurers exploring a dangerous dungeon. After a disastrous encounter leaves them in a desperate situation...

https://ebay.io/m/FzODlt   https://ebay.io/m/zV1Jh0    If you have read Silver Spoon and enjoyed its portrayal of agriculture and rural life, you might be interested in another manga by the same author, Hiromu Arakawa. It's called Hyakushō Kizoku , and unlike Silver Spoon , it isn't a traditional story manga. It's an autobiographical essay manga based on Arakawa's own experiences working on her family's farm in Hokkaido, Japan. I was curious about what this manga would be like, especially because I already knew Arakawa as the author of Silver Spoon . What I found was a surprisingly entertaining combination of agricultural knowledge, everyday farm life, and hilarious stories. Some episodes made me laugh out loud. But the manga also gave me something else: a strong desire to visit Tokachi, the region of Hokkaido where Arakawa grew up and worked on her family's farm. After reading it, I wanted to see the agricultural world she describes with my own eyes. Overvi...

 https://ebay.io/m/R7wlnJ   If you know Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind , there is a good chance you know it through the famous Studio Ghibli anime film. I did too. So when I first discovered that Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind was also a manga written by Hayao Miyazaki himself, I was honestly surprised. I had always known the anime, but I had not realized how different—and how much larger—the manga was. Once I started reading it, I found myself unable to stop. I ended up staying awake all night and reading the manga from beginning to end. And after finishing it, I realized that the manga is not simply a comic version of the movie. It is a much larger, darker, and more complicated story. Overview Title: Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind Japanese title: 風の谷のナウシカ ( Kaze no Tani no Naushika ) Author: Hayao Miyazaki Genre: Fantasy, science fiction, adventure, post-apocalyptic Original publication: Animage Original serialization: 1982–1994 Volumes: 7 My rating: ...

Parasyte  Review (Rating: 5/5) Overview Parasyte is a manga series written and illustrated by Hitoshi Iwaaki, originally serialized from 1988 to 1995. The story depicts the sudden appearance of parasitic life forms that infiltrate human society, while continuously questioning what it means to be human and what life itself represents. Known internationally under the title Parasyte , the series has reached a wide global audience through anime and live-action adaptations. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parasyte Plot Summary One day, mysterious parasitic creatures arrive on Earth and begin invading human bodies by taking control of their brains. Shinichi Izumi, an ordinary high school student, becomes partially infected when one of these creatures fails to reach his brain and instead takes over his right hand. Forced to coexist with the parasite—later named Migi—Shinichi finds himself caught between human society and other parasites that prey on humans. As the conflict escala...

Abu-san  Review (Rating: 5/5) Overview Abu-san is a Japanese baseball manga written and illustrated by Shinji Mizushima. It began serialization in 1973 and continued until 2014, making it a work that spans more than forty years. Set in the world of professional baseball, the series is notable for depicting real teams, real players, and actual seasons as they happened, blending fiction with historical reality in a way that is almost unprecedented. An English overview can be found here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abu-san Synopsis The story centers on Yasatake Kageura, a professional baseball player for the Nankai Hawks (later the Daiei Hawks and SoftBank Hawks), better known by his nickname, “Abu-san.” He is neither a superstar slugger nor a legendary ace pitcher. Instead, he spends most of his career as a pinch hitter, entrusted with only a few crucial at-bats each game. Rather than building toward a single dramatic climax, Abu-san quietly follows Kageura’s daily li...

Natsuko no Sake  Review ( Rating: 5/5) Overview Natsuko no Sake is a manga by Akira Oze that takes a direct and sincere look at the world of Japanese sake brewing. Set in a small rural sake brewery, the story follows a woman who steps into the brewing world and, through that experience, comes to understand both the tradition and the realities of sake as a cultural and economic practice in Japan. Reference (English): Wikipedia (English) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natsuko_no_Sake The existence of an English reference page also makes this work especially accessible for non-Japanese readers. Synopsis The protagonist, Natsuko , is a woman who had been living and working in Tokyo. After a turning point in her life, she returns to her hometown and becomes involved in her family’s sake brewery. Although she initially has little direct experience with sake brewing, Natsuko joins the brewers at the brewery and gradually learns what it means to make good sake, and what kin...

Koisuru One Piece (“One Piece in Love”) – Review Rating: 5 / 5 Overview Koisuru One Piece (“One Piece in Love”) is an official parody and comedy manga created by Daiki Ihara. It began serialization on Shōnen Jump+ in June 2018. The series went on hiatus in 2021 but officially resumed on April 10, 2025. English Wikipedia page: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Koisuru_One_Piece The series also released short vertical-format animated clips on YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram in April 2025, expanding its reach to new readers. Synopsis Koisuru One Piece follows a group of high school students who happen to share the same names as the iconic characters from One Piece . They form a fan club called the “Pirate Club,” reenacting or parodying famous scenes from the original manga while navigating their humorous high school lives. The story blends typical school-life comedy with carefully crafted parodies inspired by the world of One Piece . It’s light-hearted, accessible, and particula...

Kaiōki (海皇紀; “Tale of the Sea Emperor”) – Rating: 5/5 Kaiōki , created by Masatoshi Kawahara, is a sweeping naval fantasy epic that blends realistic sailing warfare, political drama, and the rise and fall of civilizations. This article is written for new readers—especially those outside Japan—who are interested in discovering the unique appeal of this long-running series. Overview Kaiōki is a fantasy manga set in a world dominated by the sea, where highly realistic sailing battles shape history. English Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kai%C5%8Dki Synopsis Much of the world has been swallowed by the ocean, and civilization has partially collapsed. The protagonist, Fan Gamma Bizen , possesses extraordinary skill in reading the sea and maneuvering sailing ships. With his tactical brilliance and strong personal ideals, he begins to influence the course of nations and peoples. As various factions compete for power—at sea and on land—Fan travels across the world, gathe...

Dōbutsu no Oisha-san Review (Rating: 5/5) Overview Dōbutsu no Oisha-san (Animal Doctor) is a Japanese manga series by Noriko Sasaki , serialized from 1988 to 1993 in Hana to Yume magazine. Set in the veterinary department of the fictional H University in Hokkaido, the story follows veterinary students and the many animals surrounding their daily lives. English Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/D%C5%8Dbutsu_no_Oisha-san Synopsis One night during high school, Masaki Nishine —nicknamed “Hamutarō” or “Hamuteru”—passes through the campus of H University and encounters an eccentric professor who hands him a Siberian Husky puppy. He names the puppy Chobi , and this unexpected meeting becomes the catalyst for Hamuteru’s decision to pursue a career in veterinary medicine. After entering H University’s veterinary department, he faces both the challenges of student life and the joys of living with a variety of animals. The story is mostly episodic, with each chapter highligh...

Sket Dance Review (Rating: 5/5) Overview Sket Dance is a Japanese school comedy manga series written and illustrated by Kenta Shinohara . It was serialized in Weekly Shonen Jump from 2007 to 2013 and later adapted into an anime. The story follows a group of high school students who form a club called the Sket-dan , short for “Support, Kindness, Encouragement, and Troubleshooting.” Their mission is to help others around the school with any kind of problem, no matter how small or strange it may be. Wikipedia (English) Synopsis The story is set in Kaimei High School, where the main character, Yusuke Fujisaki —nicknamed Bossun —leads the Sket-dan. The group’s goal is to make school life better for everyone by solving various issues that students face. His teammates are Hime Onizuka ( Himeko ), the tough and spirited “big sister” type who keeps everyone grounded, and Kazuyoshi Usui ( Switch ), a tech genius who communicates solely through his laptop due to a personal trauma. ...