Mermaid Scales and the Town of Sand by Yoko Komori
We are trying out a new format for manga of the month . . . a podcast!
Manga of the Month: Mermaid Scales and the Town of Sand
Category: Manga of the Month
Manga of the Month: My Summer of You
My Summer of You by Nagisa Furuya
My Summer of You is a sweet, moving BL romance about two film buffs. The story is set over two volumes: The Summer of You and The Summer With You, each of which are distinct. In the first, we see their connection in high school. In the second, the two boys are navigating their new relationship in college.
Wataru and Chiharu became friends last summer when they discovered each other’s love for film. Now they spend multiple days a month going to the movies together. When Wataru inquisitively asks Chiharu if he has a crush on anyone, Chiharu admits he has feelings for Wataru. But before Wataru can formulate a response, Chiharu suggests he not worry about it and instead asks him to accompany him on a film pilgrimage over the summer. While they visit movie locations, Wataru sorts through his own feelings, but Chiharu seems to be leaving some things unsaid.
Wataru is enthusiastic but unsure of himself, while Chiharu has a quiet confidence. The shared love of movies is more than mere window-dressing for the story, too. Furuya depicts the bond of a shared hobby with charm and authenticity. And Wataru and Chiharu’s personalities come through in their movie discussions.
Depicted through a series of heart-warming vignettes, all set in summer naturally, My Summer of You is a perfect seasonal romance.
-Kate
Manga of the Month: Skull-faced Bookseller Honda-san
Skull-faced Bookseller Honda-san by Honda
While the names and faces (heads? masks?) are changed to protect the innocent, Skull-faced Bookseller Honda-san is an autobiographic, day-in-the-life series about working in a Japanese bookstore chain that nails retail life in every hilarious moment.
“To those of you who commented, ‘Now I want to work at a bookstore!’–Thanks, and think again!”
Honda, our titular skull-faced bookseller, works in the American comics and manga sections of a large bookstore. She helps customers both Japanese and foreign, works with publishers and wholesalers to keep books in stock, and lends a hand to her fellow booksellers. The series is brimming with details of the bookstore industry, and depicts working in retail in a most wonderful-terrible-relatable way.
From enthusiastic BL fangirls to sales reps who won’t take no for an answer, from creating a book fair to the worst customer service training session, Honda’s honest and self-depreciating humor, attention to detail, and spot-on observations lead us through the charming chaos.
If you, like me, have ever worked in a bookstore or in retail in general, then you’ll probably feel Skull-faced Bookseller Honda-san deep in your heart. But even if you haven’t, the camaraderie between Honda and her coworkers, the disdain-pride you get from the job, and the love-hate relationship you have with customers is drawn with laugh-out-loud humor that will have you chuckling long after you put down a volume.
-Kate
Reverse Thieves 