Hidden identities, action and survival, and, of course, true love can be found in these new and ongoing manga series.

Upper Elementary to Middle School

Burns, Jason M. A Sunset at Sunrise, Vol. 1. ISBN 9798384922810.
–––. Undead Shenanigans, Vol. 2. ISBN 9798384922827.
––––. A Mess in the Mess Hall, Vol. 3. ISBN 9798384922834.
––––. A Long Way from Tome, Vol. 4. ISBN 9798384922841.
––––. Holly Jo Must Go, Vol. 5. ISBN 9798384922858.
––––. Blood Is Thicker than Water, Vol. 6. ISBN 9798384922865
ea vol: illus. by Madeline Ince & Minerva Fox. 48p. (Zombie Summer Camp). ABDO/Graphic Planet. Aug. 2025. lib. ed. $37.07.
Gr 5-8–Spencer isn’t too excited to get shipped off to a technology-free summer camp in the middle of some bear-infested woods, but a few other zombie-enthusiasts might turn his humdrum experience around. Welcome to Cabin 13, which is outfitted for a Zombie Apocalypse with snacks, makeshift weapons, and tons of survival gear. When Spencer’s new friends stumble upon a mysterious book, they turn fiction into reality and unleash a zombie. Now they must put their skills into action before the plague spreads outside the confines of their camp. A rushed and tidy ending may leave some readers rolling their eyes. An aggressive use of screen tones, including their use to shade the skin of characters, led to a distracting read overall. Some paneling appears rough like storyboarding, but illustrations become a bit more polished in later volumes. VERDICT This series continues the model of breaking up a full story into shorter, library-bound volumes for a higher price for the sake of durability for younger readers.

Matsuda, Mai. Hikaru in the Light! Vol. 2. illus. by Mai Matsuda. 192p. (Hikaru in the Light!). Scholastic/Graphix. Nov. 2025. pap. $11.99. ISBN 9781546141013.
Gr 3-7–Best friends Hikaru and Ran have made it to the second round of the Girls in the Light competition, but as they are among the top 40 of 10,000 girls who have auditioned, the talent pool has become fierce. Hikaru must readjust her mindset to realize how special she is while dealing with the honest feedback from the famous producer, M. Hayama. Ran also receives a critique from M. Hayama that shakes her confidence but helps her realize what held her back previously. While the overall story may be a little simplistic and predictable, the amount of self-reflection and character development from Hikaru and Ran provide complexity and beautiful human moments for readers to relate to. VERDICT The illustrations are soft and comforting, and there’s plenty of movement and vibrancy to bring the singing and dancing pages to life. A good choice for manga shelves.

MISAKO Rocks! Sew Totally Nala. illus. by Misako Rocks! 256p. (Bounce Back: Bk. 3). Feiwel & Friends. Oct. 2025. pap. $14.99. ISBN 9781250901408.
Gr 4-8–Aspiring fashionista Nala gets an opportunity to attend an exclusive fashion camp where she can hone her skills and meet other young aspiring designers. Nala initially hopes to make friends with others who are passionate about Harajuku fashion, trends inspired by a subset of Japanese culture. Instead, her confidence is tested as the challenges prove more difficult than she initially expected, and Nala’s normally bubbly and people-pleasing personality clashes with other designers. As with the other books in this series, Misako features one childhood struggle—in this case, confidence—and mirrors that struggle in her readership. The art continues to be bright and colorful as with other volumes, but this title focuses even further on brighter patterns owing to the focus on fashion and the outlandish fabrics common in Nala’s wardrobe and the design school’s choices. VERDICT Readers may not have adorable spirit guardians to coach them through their tough situations, but the lessons learned are nevertheless applicable and poignant. A strong purchase for most middle school shelves.

Upper Middle School to High School

Arai, Sumiko. The Guy She Was Interested in Wasn’t a Guy at All, Vol. 1. 184p. Oct. 2024. ISBN 9781975399689.
––––. The Guy She Was Interested in Wasn’t a Guy at All, Vol. 2. 168p. Feb. 2025. ISBN 9798855412598.
––––. The Guy She Was Interested in Wasn’t a Guy at All, Vol. 3. 184p. Nov. 2025. ISBN 9798855427974.
ea vol: tr. by Ajani Oloye. illus. by Sumiko Arai. (The Guy She Was Interested in Wasn’t a Guy at All). Yen Pr. pap. $20.
Gr 7 Up–Aya’s friends all think her taste in music is a little bit out there, but the guy at the CD store she frequents gets it. They develop a bond, and Aya starts crushing, but everything gets very confusing when Aya finds out that the CD store guy is actually her classmate, and a girl. Mitsuki and Aya form a timid friendship over music, attend live shows together, and Mitsuki even shares some of her original compositions with Aya. But, Aya must navigate her feelings and social interactions while Mitsuki juggles feelings, self-discovery, and her identity as an aspiring musician. Arai’s frequent use of neon green has a variety of eye-catching and lively purposes; it accentuates panel backgrounds during dramatic moments, colors characters during emotionally charged moments, highlights speech bubbles for important phrases, fills sound effects or character details for extra effect, and so much more. VERDICT The story is adorable and moving, and the use of color is both surprising and electric.

Doronoda, Inuhiko. Spacewalking with You. illus. by Inuhiko Doronoda. 224p. (Spacewalking with You: Bk. 1). Kodansha. May 2025. pap. $13.99. ISBN 9798888774380.
Gr 7 Up–Kobayashi’s difficulties in school began in middle school, and he embraced a tough exterior and a delinquent image in which giving up on himself became his usual. This extended to jobs where he often screwed up simple tasks and quit before he could be fired. Now in high school, he finds that transfer student Uno changes his outlook on life with his odd personality and his notebook—his tether—where he writes daily tasks, instructions for social situations, and what to do when he’s overwhelmed and scared. Without sharing diagnoses or labeling anything, Kobayashi comes to realize Uno’s daily strategies may help stabilize himself as well. Doronoda’s depiction of daily life for neurodivergent individuals is done with care and accuracy that will resonate with readers who may be experiencing this, too, but this also goes a long way to building empathy bridges for everyone in understanding how different and beautiful brains can be. VERDICT This excellent manga presents a relatable story with much-needed representation.

Kanazawa, Shinnosuke. On and Off: Work-Life Imbalance, Vol. 1. Jun. 2025. ISBN 9781646093670.
––––. On and Off: Work-Life Imbalance, Vol. 2. Sept. 2025. ISBN 9781646093908.
ea vol: illus. by Shinnosuke Kanazawa. 144p. (On and Off: Work-Life Imbalance). Square Enix. pap. $14.99.
Gr 7 Up–Amata and Hanku both have two sides to them—one while they’re at work, and one while they’re home. Amata is confident, kind, and loved by all his coworkers. Off the clock, he becomes Kanade, a beautiful Lolita in a long, blonde wig who favors fancy, frilly dresses and stylish hair accessories. Around the office, Hanku is efficient but no-nonsense and comes off as gruff and unfeeling. Her tough exterior matches her down-time persona Aki, a punk rock girl with murderous spikes, adorned with chains, and stomping boots full of buckles. The two tolerate each other at work, but their out-of-work personas meet in a chance encounter and strike up a timid friendship without initially realizing their work proximity. Each page is beautifully illustrated with gorgeous attention paid to both sets of fashion, with particular care given to the care of minute details as well as makeup and hair styling. VERDICT Plenty of close ups for emotional depth also lend moments to appreciate the care paid to Aki and Kanade.

Mikami, Saka. The Fragrant Flower Blooms with Dignity, Vol. 6. Apr. 2025. ISBN 9798888771433.
––––. The Fragrant Flower Blooms with Dignity, Vol. 7. Jun. 2025. ISBN 9798888771440.
––––. The Fragrant Flower Blooms with Dignity, Vol. 8. Aug. 2025. ISBN 9798888771457.
––––. The Fragrant Flower Blooms with Dignity, Vol. 5. Feb. 2025. ISBN 9798888771426.
ea vol: illus. by Saka Mikami. 192p. (The Fragrant Flower Blooms with Dignity). Kodansha. pap. $13.99.
Gr 7 Up–As Rintaro and his friends become closer to Kaoruko and Subaru, summer break begins, and the six decide to plan several get-togethers, including a beach trip, attending a summer festival, and celebrating a few group members’ birthdays. During one of these outings, Rintaro finds himself overcome with emotion and confesses his feelings to an adorable and vulnerable Yukata-clad Kaoruko. What follows is a summer marked by their budding relationship, navigating their feelings, and a changing group dynamic. This romance is as sweet as the cakes Rintaro learns to bake with his father at his family’s patisserie. VERDICT The story develops in a slow, comforting way, and each character feels like a friend. In the background lurks a threat to Rintaro and Kaoruko’s happiness and readers will be anticipating the release of the next volume.

Takase, Umi. I Wanna Be Your Girl, Vol. 2. illus. by Umi Takase. 224p. (I Wanna Be Your Girl: Bk. 2). Random House Graphic. Nov. 2025. Tr $20.99. ISBN 9780593902967.
Gr 7 Up–Hime continues to explore her feelings for Akira, this time with the help of her new friend Yukka who has experienced and shares a vulnerable moment from her junior high years. Akira takes a big leap by becoming the manager of the boys’ soccer team. More characters are introduced, and with them come more interesting commentary on beauty, perception, and how people act toward one another. Takase lightens these heavy topics with cartoony illustrations of Hime’s over-the-top reactions to just about everything, but the mangaka also shows sensitivity with softer illustrations when needed. VERDICT While this story infuses humor and caricature often, there are also important topics and introspective conversations on gender, societal norms, friendship, and romantic relationships that raise questions for the characters and in turn, readers.

Uzuki, Coco. Fall in Love, You False Angels, Vol. 1. Feb. 2025. ISBN 9798888773772.
––––. Fall in Love, You False Angels, Vol. 2. Apr. 2025. ISBN 9798888773789.
––––. Fall in Love, You False Angels, Vol. 3. Jun. 2025. ISBN 9798888774724.
ea vol: illus. by Coco Uzuki. 176p. (Fall in Love, You False Angels). Kodansha. pap. $13.99.
Gr 7 Up–Otogi Katsura and Toki Ninomae, president and vice president of their class, are model students, and exceptionally nice to all their peers. Both are pinnacles of beauty for their respective genders, with Katsura even garnering nicknames like “Hearthrob Angel.” Hidden behind their perfect exteriors are the real people – edgy, rude, direct. Both accidentally find their personas slip in front of each other but are relieved to have a confidant who is just as dark as themselves. Later, Katsura realizes that she has developed feelings for Nimonae, and she’s sure she’ll win him over with her girlish charm and sheer will. But someone else might want to make a move for Katsura’s heart if Ninomae isn’t interested. This series is gorgeously illustrated with abundant alluring close-ups of Katsura and Nimonae and their voluptuous hair that is always perfectly flowing around their elegant faces. VERDICT Romance fans who love delayed gratification will enjoy this series.

Tomato Soup. A Witch’s Life in Mongol, Vol. 1. 192p. May 2025. ISBN 9798855414219.
––––. A Witch’s Life in Mongol, Vol. 2. 176p. Nov. 2025. ISBN 9798855414233.
ea vol: tr. by Amanda Haley. illus. by Tomato Soup. (A Witch’s Life in Mongol). Yen Pr. pap. $15.
Gr 7 Up–In the small Muslim kingdom of Tus during the 13th century, Sitara finds herself indentured to a kind family of scholars interested in her potential to learn and grasp difficult concepts of mathematics, philosophy, and religion. Her peaceful life is torn apart during the Mongolian invasion and destruction of her city. To conceal her heritage and to pay homage to her mistress, Sitara takes her mistress’ name, Fatima, and becomes a lady-in-waiting for the wife of Genghis Khan’s fourth son. As Genghis Khan passes, the balance of power becomes unstable between the four sons; Fatima is sent to spy on affairs of the second son to report but instead aligns herself in a more advantageous role within the new Khan’s household. Unique illustrations and character designs coupling beautiful period outfits and settings makes this historically inspired court intrigue tale fascinating. VERDICT Readers who love stories with twisted plots and intricate narratives will love delving into the past in this story.