Monthly Manga Highlights: June 2018

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It’s June! With June comes the summer, some warm weather, and if you’re still in school, the end of the school year. It’s nice outside, so why not pick up some manga? There are plenty of good titles this time around, knocking it out of the park. Here are our top picks from June 2018!

This is a title I’ve been greatly looking forward to- the sequel to Kabi Nagata’s Lesbian Experience With Loneliness. My Solo Exchange Diary continues the tale of Nagata herself, as she navigates relationships and the search for personal independence. Just like the first installment, Nagata’s work is filled with a lot of uncomfortable truths that resonate with anyone struggling with their life. Funny and hard-hitting, this is a title I’d recommend to all.
Princess Jellyfish had a good run, but now it’s coming to an end. The ninth and final volume is out midmonth, and with it the story of the Amars girls comes to a close. Still, with that, not all hope is lost, as Higashimura spins a quiet but gently ending to this wild story. This volume also features color images and interviews by Higashimura herself, the perfect cornerstone to any fan of the series.
However, for those hoping for more from Akiko Higashimura, not all hope is lost. Releasing in the same month is Tokyo Tarareba Girls. The story is girl centric, and focuses on something all too relatable– life not going as planned. Rinko had dreams, but reality has won out, and she finds herself stumped. She gets drunk in a bar with some of her friends and vows to change her life before the Olympics roll around. Wouldn’t it be timely if this series was fully translated before the Olympics?
There’s been a steady influx of yuri titles being translated, but those have all been either oneshots or standalone series. Eclair brings a fresh new look of oneshots with a brand new anthology. Many well known yuri authors contributed to it, such as Nio Natakani of Bloom Into Your fame, so any fan of the genre is sure to find an author they love. With sixteen short stories in one, there’s plenty of heart-pounding tales to go around.
Wotakoi is hilarious, fun, and so supremely relatable. Every time I pick up this series, I find myself nodding along with all of the characters. It’s nerdy adulthood while keeping your professional persona on at work. The second volume comes out this month and with it another round of the four friends and their constant battle between normalcy and their hobbies.
The Promised Neverland is something I can’t recommend enough. Every chapter is jam packed with twists and turns, and you desperately want the children to succeed. The fourth volume continues that wild ride. As the trio’s plan nears fruition, there comes a shocking development, one that shook many to the core. Also, the series has been confirmed for an anime come January, so give it a read before the anime comes out!
Like Promised Neverland, To Your Eternity is also a masterpiece. It’s an incredibly human story, despite the protagonist being anything but, and is bound to stir anyone’s heart. The fifth volume comes out this month, and with it comes more of Fushi’s adventures as he travels to Jananda, where the worst of the worst are sentenced to live and die there, forever. Fushi can fight, but it’s not just the Knockers on his trail, but old enemies as well.
It’s a trend for classic manga to be reprinted, first Queen Emeraldas and Devilman, and now the original Captain Harlock. While Space Pirate has been going on for a few months, now readers can enjoy the very first Harlock and all of his adventures, fighting in every corner of the space. As always, there’s plenty going on in the universe, both good and evil, and Harlock is sure to bring his own brand of justice to light.
I picked up Sleepy Princess In The Demon Castle on a whim, expecting just another fantasy series. I didn’t expect it to be so hilarious. It takes the idea of a fantasy princess kidnapped by a demon lord, as is true for many JRPGs and isekai novels, and puts its own personal twist on it. The princess is by no means incapable, but she is tired. All she wants is a good night’s sleep and she’s going to get it– no matter what stands in her way. Who would’ve guessed the princess would be scarier than the antagonist?
Shibuya Goldfish is bound to be a wild ride. While I haven’t read it myself, it’s definitely something interesting from the concept alone. First of all, it’s about man-eating goldfish floating around Shibuya. Do you really need much else? I’ll be honest, I’m picking it up for that alone.
That’s our highlights for the month! If you picked any up, tell us what you think!