A Sign of Affection continues to be an excellent romance series, with distinct detail into a life of a death person and the challenges that comes with it, whilst also exploring different issues with communication across the board. I cant wait to see how it continues in Volume 8, and how the anime adaptation will go in January 2024!

Weve been getting a few mermaid stories lately, so if youre into them, A Sinner of the Deep Sea is definitely one to add to your reading pile. Its an atmospheric, beautiful drawn tale with a twist on The Little Mermaid story in a new way, with gorgeously detailed world building of the mermaids on top of it.

A Sinner Of The Deep Sea continues to look absolutely gorgeous, but has struggled to maintain its excellent atmosphere and quality storytelling in the second volume. I hope the story can pick itself up when the final volume comes out in March 2025.

I cant say that the series ever truly recovers from its quality dip in Volume 2, but I can say that Volume 3 is a satisfying read that concludes the story well enough and visually, its one of the best looking manga you could purchase from your bookshop right now. If you like mermaid tales, and dont mind the choppy waters that the story can take you into, its worth at least one read through.

A Witchs Love at the End of the World has the right ingredients for a magical yuri love spell, but overall, its a quick but disappointing read. Its only three volumes long however, so if youre interested in this series, it isnt too much of a money sink.

Forgive the pun, but Ako and Bambi has little spirit in it, despite one of the leads being a ghost. It fails to drum up suspense, excitement or even set up its various locations on the page in a convincing and interesting way. Theres a good story in here, but for me, I had trouble getting invested in it. Perhaps others will, but I will be leaving this mystery unsolved.

Anyway, Im Falling in Love with You has the foundation of a great coming-of-age romance story, and having it centred on a swimming team, at the time when the Summer Olympics were meant to happen, is a stroke of emotional genius. But its let down by a by-the-numbers heroine and a boundaries-pushing male love interest. I personally couldnt get into this, but if anything I said above catches your interest, and are happy to ignore the forcefulness of the male lead, give it a shot; you may find something that I personally missed.

Assassin & Cinderella was one of the manga series I was looking forward to most in 2025, but I found myself speed-reading this very bland, over-designed book. There's no action to complement the characters' jobs, or spicy sexual tension to get invested in, so overall unless you really like the art style and like this genre of romance, it's a pass.

Bestia has just the right mixture of familiar, unusual and interesting for an urban fantasy manga that I can definitely recommend to anyone whos interested. Volume 2 is due out in October and Yen Press has kindly made it available digitally and physically.

If youre looking for an interesting take on vampire romance, without the stereotypical brooding vampire, then Call of the Night may surprise you. Its a volume full of promise for a fang-tastic new series to come.

Call of the Night continues to be a fang-tastic series, although theres no set ongoing story for now, the journey with these characters is, so far, very entertaining and well written. Definitely check it out if you havent already.

Each new offering of Call of the Night is a pleasure to take a bite into; from the interesting characters to the evolving story, this vampire series continues to be a fang above the rest. Recommended.

Never read the original Sakura Cardcaptor manga or forgotten what happened? Never fear: CLAMP have very thoughtfully provided a 2-page illustrated summary to get you right up to speed. And theres the anime TV series on its way, starting soon.

Cat + Gamer = a light-hearted, fun read that will please both sides of the equation. Check out the preview now from Dark Horse comics.

Not even the possibility of the main character having brain damage is going to drag the mood down of this delightful comedy yuri manga! The story takes a (usually) drama-heavy trope and uses it for comedy that explores how it affects an established relationship in an endearing, fun way. The first volume of Cheerful Amnesia will certainly put a smile on your face.

Our review copy from Kodansha (Vertical Books) was supplied by Turnaround Comics (Turnaround Publisher Services).

Death Note Short Stories is going to mean something different to everyone. If you havent picked up a manga related to Death Note since its last volume, then this is a lovely book with great stories to re-introduce yourself into this unique world. If youre a hard-core collector, then youll find less here that is new and to get excited about. Either way, its presented very well and would make a good addition to anyones manga collection.

Detroit: Become Human – Tokyo Stories – is an interesting spin-off from the original game. There's a lot of potential to tell stories within this world, considering how interesting the landscape the game is set in is, and there is plenty of material left untapped in the game itself. This manga touches on SOME of it, but also copies a few emotional punches from the game that we didnt need repeating. If youre a fan of the game, I would check it out, theres enough here to enjoy, I think. But I also hope that we see an improvement in the coming volumes.

As someone who really enjoyed the Detroit: Become Human video game, and is always happy to see more material from its fascinating world, I did appreciate this manga spin-off. I dont think it's perfect, with a few missed opportunities and odd choices made here and there, but I love the opportunity to explore deeper into this world. If you like the game, this two-volume mini series is worth ‘deviating' to your local store to pick up your copy.

Draculas on the Night Shift is a fun read overall. I really like the world-building and characters, to the point that I was sad to find a lack of resolution at the end. Maybe well get the full story one day via the light novel, but if you like all things vampire-related and are prepared for an open-ended conclusion, it's worth a read.

The volume ends midway through the current arc and I hope that it does not take as long for the thirdvolume to come out for the sake of Fate fans. Whilst the story isnt as engaging as other Fate properties, and will never be as immersive as the original game, this volume has a lot more going for it than the first book did, and that at least counts for something.

Fate/Zero manga Volume 1 doesnt offer anything that the Fate fans wouldnt have already seen before. Due to the lack of time spent building up characters and even choosing to reduce the amount of masters we see in the opening acts, it feels like a watered down version of the story rather than a worthy companion. If youve seen the anime or read the light novel (somehow) theres nothing of note here. This is for collectors only.

Final Fantasy: Lost Stranger could have been a recipe for generic isekai fodder but thankfully its been written and drawn by long-term Final Fantasy fans – Hazuki Minase (Story), Itsuki Kameya (Art) – and their love for the franchise shines through. The story, with its twist on standard Final Fantasy elements, is interesting, the art is lovely and there are plenty of references for old and new fans of the franchise to pick up on. A worthwhile manga series to look out for if the premise ticks the right boxes for you.

The story of Final Fantasy: Lost Stranger continues at a gradual yet fun pace, with plenty of FF franchise references for fans to lap up, whilst also providing engaging battle scenes and story developments. A few artistic choices bring this volume down a touch but the way the story is progressing so far is intriguing, so be sure to check it out.

I don't want to discount Hauntress's impact on the horror manga scene in Japan, but I felt myself unable to really get swept up in this particular story, due to writing issues that ended up clashing with the overall intention of the story. If classic horror manga intrigues you, then give this a try, as it's the first time this story has been made available in the UK, and hopefully you'll find something to enjoy that I sadly didn't.

One Peace Books have a short interview with mangaka Masao Ohtake on their website here.

I felt very conflicted about I Dont Know Which is Love throughout the whole first volume; the art is lovely, the protagonist is instantly likeable, and theres great potential in this story. But the heavy use of fanservice merely being unhealthy depictions of queer relationships rubbed me the wrong way. If it wasnt so ramped and constant within the book, I would have been kinder to it, but I found myself less enthusiastic with every page turned. Lets hope that future volumes can improve.

I wanted to like this harem yuri series but the lack of chemistry, the trimming down of the heroines personality and lack of agency make this a frustrating read. The art still looks lovely but plot-wise its starting to feel more like frustration, rather than love.

Despite the silly name and lack of fanfare around this title, In/Spectre starts off very well with likable characters, sincere chemistry between the two leads and interesting spin on Japanese folklore. This series already concluded in Japan earlier this year, so nows a great time to pick up the sequel volumes and enjoy the ride before the final volume is due out in April 2018.

Its All Your Fault is a promising new Yuri series, with a clear love for cosplaying and anime, with a good portion of interesting character dynamics and exploration on what other enjoys about cosplaying. If you like your Yuri fan service, but also want good character arcs to chew on, look no further. The manga recently concluded in Japan, so if you wish to dive into a new series, at least you know it's wrapped up.

The frustrating lack of care and attention to detail in this yuri series is so noticeable that not even my love for vampires can save it. Its a collection of tropes the mangaka loves (she says so in the author afterword) but she's given no thought as to how to weave them together to create an engaging series. If you really love soaking up anything related to Class-S yuri stories, or vampires, then it might be worth a read if you can be more forgiving than me. The series recently ended in Japan, with the third volume coming out next year, so if you did want to invest in this series, you wouldn't have to fork out too much money.

The start of Mint Chocolate doesnt provide anything that a veteran rom-com manga reader hasnt seen before: from the characters to the premise, it's all been done better elsewhere, but I couldnt help but find it an easy-breezy read and enjoyed it regardless. If you are hoping for something spicy and heated in the vein of Domestic Girlfriend, this series isnt for you, but if you just want something comfy and romantic, you may well enjoy that minty aftertaste this series provides.

Mint Chocolate continues to be an unspectacular series but mostly consistent in what it wants to accomplish: a romcom about step-siblings who struggle to really communicate with each other for various reasons. The book ends on an intriguing cliff-hanger, however, so it will be interesting to see where the series goes from here.

Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug and Cat Noir continues to be a fun adventure in manga form, with its minor touches to make the journey feel different from the original whilst also maintaining what made it fun and engaging in the first place. Topped with lovely art and fun-to-read translation notes, I look forward to seeing how this progresses into Volume 3.

The three volumes of the Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug and Cat Noir manga are a fun ride, and definitely a collectors item for all Ladybug fans out there. Im a little concerned however that the end of the book advertises an upcoming fourth volume, but according to fan sites, there have been no new chapters released since 2022will we get a new volume of the manga version? Only the holder of the Bunny Miraculous will know for sure. Until then, is this worth picking up? I would say yes, if you like Miraculous, and want a quick reminder of the first season without watching it; its a good substitute.

Overall, the first volume of Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug and Cat Noir offers a solid adaptation of the shows opening episodes in a stylish and easy-to-read format that I think will go down well with both fans of the show and newcomers of all ages. Its great to see the show finally meet its originally envisioned manga style, even if some character artwork can look a bit out of place; meanwhile, the individual stories are well told, although I do wish it was a bit more ambitious in inserting more new material.

Monthly in the Garden with My Landlord is a dud of a starter for this new LGBT series; the slice-of-life yuri fails to find a balance between making a chill manga more engaging, or a yuri manga with actual chemistry between the leads. Its a shame, but monthly or otherwise, I can't recommend signing up for this landlord.

The first manga volume of My Happy Marriage is an intriguing start to a new romance story, with a unique setting and lots of potential for the characters to grow within themselves and together as a couple, with beautiful art to boot. Recommended, especially if youre tired of high school-based romances and want something different.

My Happy Marriage continues to be a really good romance series; the world-building is getting there but its the gentle romance of the leads and the peeling of layers of the growing cast of characters that make it an absorbing read. Lets hope this continue in Volume 3!

A lot happens within this volume, but it's paced very well as the pair, despite having overcome a large hurdle already, now realise theres a lot more they need to learn to get to the happy part of My Happy Marriage. Its an emotionally gripping volume, and Im glad the series is providing more for the reader outside the Cinderella story it started off with.

The latest volume of My Happy Marriage manga is a good, chunky read with many layers of your favourite characters to uncover. Even if you're deep into the light novels, or have watched all the anime by now, the manga continues to bring its own flavour of the story to the table.

The way that After the Revolution sells itself, from the cover art to the blurb on the back, is quite different to what we eventually get. From the back and forth of story edits that apparently Chiho Saito went through, it seems to have resulted in static characters that mostly re-tread arcs they should have moved on from as teens, like the editors themselves who did not think fans wanted to see the characters change too much from what we know and love. The book has some nice imagery and story beats, but potential to be great isnt the same as being great. Overall, its a nice experiment, but not what all fans are going to be expecting for the series 20th anniversary.

The official manga adaptation of RWBY is an interesting altered take on the beloved series, but the changes fail to convey what made the original show fun to watch in the first place. This book isnt even a more accessible version of the story, as the original series (at least the first six series) can be watched entirely free on Rooster Teeths YouTube. The changes made here may pay off in the long run, but right now its for collectors and/or hardcore RWBY fans only.

The comedy romance Shes My Knight boldly makes its way into the English market and first impressions are good; it flips shojo tropes and explores gender roles in a fun, light-hearted manner. Worth checking out.

Sadly Snow and Ink and me seem to go together like oil and water; theres a lot of really good ideas in here, and clearly the mangaka is a history buff, but I just couldnt get over the hurdle of the couple getting together so quickly with little to no chemistry. If youre a fan of historical dramas, and dont mind a hasty courtship, Im sure this viral hit from Japan will strike a chord with you, more than it did with me.

The Boy I Loved Became the Jaded Emperor stumbles at the very start but theres enough really good material in there to forgive its pacing and world-building issues. Since there's only one more volume, I hope it means we get to see the full story and the happy ending for this pair.

I had high hopes after the first volume, but sadly the conclusion to The Boy I Loved Became the Jaded Emperor fell flat and didnt conclude in an emotionally satisfying way. If youre a fan of happy endings overall, and dont mind it when stories dont finish what they set up, you might find this book more enjoyable than I did, and considering it's only two volumes, it's not a huge money or time sink. But in my opinion, theres other fantasy romance series out there that are more enjoyable overall.

The Guy She Was Interested in Wasnt a Guy At All is a great first read, with its unique, eye-catching style, and really niche but relatable love for Western music. The pacing sometimes gets in the way of the storytelling, but overall Im looking forward to see how this romance develops more in Volume 2, due out February 2025.

The second volume of this unique yuri series is best experienced in small batches, as the tightly crammed short story format can make for a grating read at times. But the manga itself is a sweet tale of two girls, falling in love through their love of rock music. I look forward to seeing how this gets translated into anime in the near future.

Our review copy from Square Enix Manga was supplied by Turnaround Comics (Turnaround Publisher Services).

Our review copy from Square Enix Manga was supplied by Turnaround Comics (Turnaround Publisher Services).

I cant recommend this book enough; its beautiful in both the art style and storytelling, with a story that doesnt shy away from the difficulties of living with disabilities, whilst also telling the side of someone who learns to accommodate them. If youre looking for a new yuri manga, or just want good representation of a disabled character, The Moon on a Rainy Night is an excellent example.

The Moon on a Rainy Night is an excellent series, from the complex characters to the textured world to the wonderful, detailed ways in which disabilities can affect someones everyday life. Will Volume 4 be the tipping point for their relationship? Well find out in March!

The latest volume of Moon on a Rainy Night (translated by Kevin Steinbach for Kodansha) is still an involving read. The world and characters are so likeable and contain depths that make these chapters so enjoyable to read and discuss. Whilst the romance takes a back seat this time, theres still plenty of development to absorb.

Summer is here in both in this manga and in the UK (hilariously, its raining as I write this) and The Moon on a Rainy Night is an evolving tale, showing the complex lives of these characters and how life-changing events can affect us. Its a humanizing and beautiful story so far, but I would like to see the main girls be happy and gay together soon please! Fingers crossed we see the relationship develop in the next volume.

The Moon on a Rainy Night continues to be a heart-warming story of finding love, despite life throwing curveballs at you in various forms, from misunderstandings to disabilities. The addition of new disabilities and stories to tell really makes this world feel more authentic, and I look forward to seeing how this translates into the anime when it premieres later this year.

The only way I can describe The Music of Marie is baffling. The look and feel of the world are good but the characters arent interesting, the themes and message of the story are not well written, with the bewildering epilogue making it all worse to the point where I wondered what I just wasted my time reading. If you want something that is completely different to whats currently in the English manga market, and dont mind switching your brain off for a wish fulfilment story, then you could probably find a lot to like in this series. But for everyone else, I would recommend not bothering with the tune this story is trying to sing.

The only way I can describe The Music of Marie is baffling. The look and feel of the world are good but the characters arent interesting, the themes and message of the story are not well written, with the bewildering epilogue making it all worse to the point where I wondered what I just wasted my time reading. If you want something that is completely different to whats currently in the English manga market, and dont mind switching your brain off for a wish fulfilment story, then you could probably find a lot to like in this series. But for everyone else, I would recommend not bothering with the tune this story is trying to sing.

If you're a connoisseur of villainess stories, you might not find much new material to consume here, but as someone who's just getting into it, I found this first volume enjoyable. There's a lot of similar themes and concepts seen elsewhere, but the combination with the comedy edge, beautiful art and the story taking its time for the audience to get to know each suitor, made it an easily readable volume. This villainess may be failing at (not) falling in love, but it succeeds at a fun opening chapter of this story.

Falling in love may not be the goal of the villainess, but the story is still easy to enjoy with pretty art, interesting titbits shared across the book and handsome men to keep you hooked.

Our review copy from Square Enix Manga was supplied by Turnaround Comics (Turnaround Publisher Services).

The Whole of Humanity has Gone Yuri Except for Me has a case of trying to do too much-itis. It has many good ideas, which is a positive for the mangaka, but sadly theyre within the same story fighting for page time, in the end resulting in all ideas never really feeling satisfactorily developed. If you want an easy-breezy shoujo-ai adventure that is complete (so doesnt hurt your wallet too much) then this book may hit the spot.

This prequel to the horror indie game is a gruesomely delightful book with a simple but effective story, dark imagery and strong lead character. The Witchs House: The Diary of Ellen is best enjoyed when accompanied by knowledge of the game however, so if youve yet to dive into it, theres no time like the present.

The Witches' Marriage starts off as a collection of self-contained comedy sketches about one cold witch trying to deny her feelings for another witch, but towards the second half of the series, more layers are revealed which I wasnt expecting. Itll be interesting to see where the series goes from here, but for now its a fun, very quick read with very pretty art too.

The Witches Marriage continues to surprise me in all the right ways; theres a small misstep in character design and the worldbuilding isnt quite there yet, but the characters and their arcs are enough to keep the audience engaged and excited to see if theyll ever make it to the Door of Truth at the end, together or apart.

The Witches Marriage is a short but sweet series with a happily ever after that will please any yuri fan looking for a feel-good fantasy series that doesnt drag on for too long. I hope we get more of Studio HEADLINEs series published in the UK, theyve got a lot of talent and hope to see it applied to a long-running series in the future.

This Monster Wants to Eat Me continues to be an intriguing series to devour with each page, as new elements are added in; the art is consistently strong too. The next volume is due in January 2025.

Hopefully well get more content in the fourth volume due later this year, but Volume 3 feels like a light snack, rather than a full meal.

The first volume of Turns Out My Online Friend is My Real-Life is a fun, nerdy slice of romance that has the potential to be really wholesome in the long run. Fans of boys' love, and video game-based romances, should definitely check it out.

This geeky Boys' Love manga continues to be an enjoyable read, with the relationship developing slowly but surely. I'm looking forward to Volume 3 (due out in March 2025 from Kodansha) to see how the current drama resolves itself.

This geeky boys love is still a fun, easy read, despite not a lot happening in this volume. The pairs relationship continues to grow, but I look forward to the misunderstandings eventually blowing up and seeing how the characters react in future volumes.

Whoever Steals This Book starts off on a magical ride that has a lot of promise if it can keep its rules easy to understand and build on the mystery it has set up. There are a few moments of confusion here and there, that seem to be down to the source material, rather than the manga itself, but the art style really works in elevating the material. Worth a go if the synopsis entices you.

Whoever Steals this Book isnt perfect but its really trying to be an engaging, Alice in Wonderland-esque adventure with love for books and stories at the centre of it. I look forward to seeing how it will all end.

Whoever Steals this Book is a fun, emotionally satisfying tale of adventure about how books and stories should be shared and nurtured, not kept away from everyone. Its a three-part manga that is definitely worth picking up from Yen Press, right now.

‘Espoir' is French for hope, which is something that I have for this series as it develops. Yuri Espoir has the potential to be good and theres a few pages and moments I really liked, so overall I would recommend. If youre interested, its available digitally now and physically out in late July from Tokyopop.

Yuri is My Job! may not be as intense or romantic as some of the more recent yuri anime weve had this past twelve months but its a quirky, fun comedy series. Its a strong first volume that sets up the premise and characters very well, and sows the seeds for lots of interesting conflicts in the future. If youre a yuri fan, or perhaps interested in getting into it but not sure where to start, this book is worth picking up.

Volume 2 of Yuri Is My Job! continues the story strongly by allowing events and relationships to progress naturally rather than trying to stretch the clichs to ridiculous extremes. The relationships are written well, with lovely art and the story is perfectly paced. Keep it up, Miman!

Yuri is My Job! is a series I can wholeheartedly recommend. It constantly pushes the characters in new and dynamic directions, exploring its themes in mature and complex ways whilst also not being afraid to let other characters shine and revisit past mistakes we THINK are concluded but are revealed in a whole new light. I would love to see Hime and Yano come back into the limelight very soon and get their overdue relationship development, but the other character development here gives readers so much to dig into and uncover in the meantime.

Volume 13 of this excellent yuri series is a great read, and leaves the characters in a prime spot to be picked up where the mangaka left off whenever they are able to return. But the book also provides enough emotional closure for now as we know our protagonists are in a better spot than they were previously. Whenever Miman is ready to come back, Ill be ready with a big smile to find out where these characters are heading to next.

Just by reading the first volume, I can tell that [Oshi No Ko] is going to be a very popular and talked about series when the anime adaptation comes out in April. Although the subject matter and the protagonist himself arent going to connect with everyone, with the first twist probably being the jump-off point for some, if you stay with this book, it has a lot to uncover. The positive reception it's received in Japan is, so far, well deserved; do check it out.

[Oshi No Ko] continues to really push the story with each volume whilst not shying away from the darkness aspects of the entertainment industry. It handles them with the bluntness and perspective that are not always explored, especially for a newish phenomenon such as cancelling. But where will Aquas journey into finding his dad take him next? Well just have to find out in Volume 4!

Volume 4 of [Oshi No Ko] isnt as densely packed with themes and drama as the previous volumes, but its still an entertaining ride with great character moments and the building mystery of Aquas investigation alongside it. Itll be interesting to see where we go from here as we enter the 2.5D Play Arc!

[Oshi No Ko] takes a break from the high stakes drama for a more character-driven volume, that lets the audience breathe and reminds us where we are now, before jumping into the next arc. The break in pace is appreciated, and I look forward to see where this rollercoaster goes next.