Graphic Novels
8 - Beyond The Battle: Frieren’s Story
Volume 8 truly highlighted how Frieren's decision-making has now been strongly affected not only by her former party, but most specifically by Himmel himself. Although Eisen and Heiter also use Himmel as their guide whenever they make decisions, for Frieren it feels even more pronounced.
7 - Beyond The Battle: Frieren’s Story
“This volume reminded me of why I love Frieren. The fight scenes gave readers their much-needed dose of excitement and intrigue with magic, but the story never lacked heart'…”
Exploring Childhood and Healing in Taizan5’s Takopi’s Original Sin
Shizuka appears uninterested, or perhaps unbothered, but offers the alien some of her bread. This simple act of kindness reveals to us the purpose of Takopi. The alien from the Happy Planet: a planet focused on spreading happiness throughout the galaxy.
One of the realest aspects of this story to me was the fact that the author does not shy away from highlighting the impact of their environment on a child's mind.
Old Faces, New Twists: ‘Pokémon Adventures Vol. 3’ Turns Up the Heat
The character development really stood out in this volume. Watching the protagonists, and even the side characters, grow has been satisfying in a way the games never quite offered. Green, in particular, had a few moments that gave more insight into her background, and I’m even more intrigued by her now.
Comfort in ‘Kuma Kuma Kuma Bear’
Kuma Kuma Kuma Bear is your typical isekai story, but they work for a reason. The characters feel familiar yet exciting, the world is rich and layered without being so complicated you need breathing space and the adventure is reliable, we all know where this goes, the fun is in how they get there.
6 - Beyond The Battle: Frieren’s Story
Reaching the point where the anime ends felt incredibly satisfying. There’s a real sense of progression and payoff. At the same time, it’s hard not to hesitate before picking up the next book.
5 - Beyond The Battle: Frieren’s Story
This is one of my favorite volumes because we see more into Frieren. We don't just see who she was before the Hero Party, we see her as a collection of her past and present self. I love the way she managed the party she was assigned with as well.
‘A Man and His Cat, Vol. 2’ by Umi Sakurai: Grief, Healing, and the Softening of Walls
One of the standouts of this series thankfully remains the art style. Sakurai’s choice to keep the animals soft and rounded is in direct contrast to the more angular feeling of the human characters. This feels deliberate and symbolic. The contrast highlights the purity and vulnerability of the animals against the guarded and often harsher nature of the people in the series. To my surprise, in Volume 2 something shifted.
A Pretty Picture of Nothing: ‘Every Day’ Looks Good, Says Little
But here’s the thing. We know almost nothing about A. No origin. No family. No real sense of where this ability comes from or what it costs. That lack of grounding made it hard to connect with them. They started to feel detached. Almost arrogant. Like someone who believes they understand everything simply because they’ve seen so many lives.
Monsters, Friendship, and Fun: ‘The Last Kids on Earth’ Breaks the rules.
Jack was left alone in this post-apocalyptic world. He’s an orphan, so it wasn’t new to him, the feeling of loneliness. But this time, it’s different. He has his friend, Quint, whom he needs to find. And his crush, June, whom he needs to save. But are they still alive? Is there a point in wandering around town looking for these people?