5 Manga With Unique Art Styles

Pioneered by artists such as Osamu Tezuka and Machiko Hasegawa, modern manga has a history dating back almost eighty years. A recognisable style has formed over the decades, with notable techniques both across and within each demographic, but the medium is never short on creativity, with artists continually experimenting and innovating with distinctive methodology. WithContinueContinue reading “5 Manga With Unique Art Styles”

Manga Review: Sheeply Horned Witch Romi

Sheeply Horned Witch Romi (known in rōmaji as Youkaku no Majoromi) is the newest series by mangaka Abe Youichi, who is known in Japan for his unique art style, characterised by thick, bold lines, and for his fascinating storytelling, where he interweaves supernatural and realistic concepts to create highly eccentric settings and scenarios. It’s theContinueContinue reading “Manga Review: Sheeply Horned Witch Romi”

Manga Review: Inuyashiki (Oku Hiroya)

Inuyashiki solidifies my belief that Oku Hiroya is the Roland Emmerich of the manga world. The series is bombastic and action-packed, with many compelling ideas, but like an Emmerich movie, the exciting premise is bogged down by surface-level details, with a plot and characters that could be much more persuasive and captivating than they everContinueContinue reading “Manga Review: Inuyashiki (Oku Hiroya)”

Manga Review: Chainsaw Man (Tatsuki Fujimoto)

Chainsaw Man is one of the most beloved new series to have featured in Shueisha’s famous Weekly Shounen Jump magazine, sharing the prestigious 66th Shogakukan Manga Award in 2021. Written and illustrated by Tatsuki Fujimoto, with a profusion of influences from Western horror media to the Kizumonogatari anime and Nihei Tsutomu’s esoteric Abara, it isContinueContinue reading “Manga Review: Chainsaw Man (Tatsuki Fujimoto)”

Manga Talk: JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, Part 1 – 3

If you know anything about anime or manga, then you’ve probably heard of JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure. If not, then perhaps you’ve seen the memes. Either way, it’s a series that carries with it a certain renown. Beginning with Part 1, which began publication in 1987, the manga is now on Part 8, with an animeContinueContinue reading “Manga Talk: JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, Part 1 – 3”

Manga Review: Monster (Naoki Urasawa)

The story goes that Naoki Urasawa toyed with penning a manga set in the medical field early in his career, but met resistance from his editor. Now, almost two decades since Monster concluded, it’s clear to see it was not only – against his editor’s predictions – a landmark work for Urasawa in terms ofContinueContinue reading “Manga Review: Monster (Naoki Urasawa)”

Manga Talk: Bio-Booster Armor Guyver

Guyver is a classic — the manga began early in 1985 and is still published to this day. Written and illustrated by Yoshiki Takaya, it follows a high school student named Fukamachi Sho, who stumbles upon a strange device that envelopes him, and subsequently allows him to transform into the Guyver, which is a sortContinueContinue reading “Manga Talk: Bio-Booster Armor Guyver”

Manga Review: Kanai-kun (Matsumoto x Tanikawa)

In 2014, mangaka Taiyo Matsumoto released a 48 page picture book, exploring attitudes towards death. It was a collaboration with famed poet Shuntaro Tanikawa, and the artwork and manuscripts were also presented as an exhibition at the Parco Museum in Shibuya, Tokyo. Recent events in my own life have led me to rediscover this heartfeltContinueContinue reading “Manga Review: Kanai-kun (Matsumoto x Tanikawa)”

Manga Talk: I Am a Hero

Kengo Hanazawa’s manga I Am a Hero ended just the other day, after eight years of publication. The ending has divided readers—understandably so—as it leaves many questions unanswered, but I don’t believe it’s as open as it seems. Warning! Spoilers below. After the showdown atop the Sunrise building in Tokyo, a group of survivors manageContinueContinue reading “Manga Talk: I Am a Hero”

Manga Review: Gintama (Hideaki Sorachi)

“At its heart Gintama is a science fiction human pseudo-historical comedy. The bottom line is that this is a nonsense manga. But I don’t believe in telling readers what to think, so read it any way you like.” – Hideaki Sorachi Set during the 19th century in an alternate-reality Edo that has been conquered byContinueContinue reading “Manga Review: Gintama (Hideaki Sorachi)”