For manga fans

Manga is hitting Quebec shelves in large numbers. How to make a choice ? Here is our selection of recently released series and titles.

The stress of an early pregnancy

Among the titles expected this year, this very particular manga tackles head-on, but tactfully, a difficult subject, particularly in Japan, namely unplanned teenage pregnancy. We find a young couple still in school having a strong love, much more than the condom which split during one of their embraces. Realizing that she is pregnant, young Sachi finds herself assailed by doubts and anxiety. Should she take it? Consider abortion? Far from being woven from a story where self-pity takes center stage, this manga treats the subject with gentleness and compassion, the support of the young girl’s loved ones, including her lover, allowing her to cope. see more clearly in this ordeal. Class shojo (oriented towards adolescent girls), it also concerns young men, since the author has also given herself an educational mission with these boards.

The child in me

Aoi Mamoru

Kana
Teenagers – adults

Volumes 1 and 2 available

8/10

Everything is in the title

A word : Carnage. Two others: Junji Ito. Those who know this master of horror manga (Spiral) already know what to expect. Bringing together 12 short stories published in the early 2000s in Japan and previously unpublished in French, this collection is intended to be a summary of scenes that will give goosebumps or provoke grimaces of disgust. In addition to the terrifying visions of emaciated bodies, the atmospheres specific to the author – influenced by Stephen King and HP Lovecraft – intrude into each panel, serving degrees of reading going beyond the simple gore free. Its characteristic use of repeated lines and strokes is more effective than ever, served by a high-quality edition, with fine, contrasting printing, a large format and a hard cover. No keep in all hands.

Carnage

Junji Ito

Mangetsu

Seinen (adults)
Collection of 12 short stories

8/10

The dance of freedom

Several new series deal with the classic theme of surpassing oneself and social integration despite introversion. Wandance, edited by Noeve Grafx, features a stuttering and reserved young man captivated by a fulfilled friend, engaging in free urban dance. Overcoming his difficulties, he seeks to integrate his world and its discipline, in search of this taste of freedom provided by the movement of the body. The plot is therefore not really original, but the fine and dynamic drawing highlights the choreographic scenes well. The manga could therefore interest young people passionate about the discipline, for a pleasant and unpretentious read.

Wandance

Coffee

Noeve Grafx

Shonen (teens)
Volumes 1 to 5 published

6.5/10

Kindness

Come on, let’s forget about improbable families for a moment (hello, Spy X Family And Sakamoto Days) to drink in the soft light flowing into the home of Akito and Kinaho, a young professional couple. However, everything starts with a hint of darkness, since one fine day, Akito’s two nephews find themselves orphans, their parents having disappeared in a road accident. Rejected by other members of the family, the boys aged 5 and 14 are taken in by their uncle and his partner, who will become their guardians. Overwhelmed by work and daily tasks, the partner will assume her new role as mother of a family that she did not choose, even detecting its good sides, pushing her to emerge from a certain social seclusion. A down-to-earth, human and warm story, focusing on less common family models. Officially listed as josei (addressed to adult women), the work can in practice be put into everyone’s hands.

Like a family

Asou Kai

Shiba

For all
Volumes 1 to 3 published

7.5/10