The manga audience in the U.S. is mostly teens and adults, but younger readers are snapping up graphic novels like never before, and they love manga too. Look no further than the perennial popularity of Pokemon and, more recently, the Splatoon manga. Here’s a look at some upcoming all ages manga, as well as some ongoing series and a couple of backlist titles.
New This Summer
Chi is a kitten who goes astray and is adopted by a kind but somewhat ditzy family. Her adventures were originally collected in Chi’s Sweet Home, which is a very sweet, kid-friendly manga that is printed from left to right and in color. Chi’s Sweet Adventures is a new set of stories about Chi and her family and friends, these ones adapted from the animated series, which is currently available on Amazon Prime. Like the original series, Chi’s Sweet Adventures is in color, but at 96 pages, the volumes are slimmer than most manga. The first volume is due on May 1 with an MSRP of $11.95, and the second is scheduled for August. (Vertical Comics)
Atsuko “Akko” Kagari is the only student at the Luna Nova Witchcraft Academy who doesn’t have any magical powers—but she has big dreams of being a witch someday. This manga is based on the anime television series, which is available on Netflix. The first volume is due out at the end of June with an MSRP of $10.00. (Yen Press)
Note: Yen Press has not released a cover yet, so this image is of the Japanese cover.)
The first of two new Pokemon series coming out this summer, Pokemon: Sun & Moon is inspired by the game of the same name. A mystery Pokemon attacks Sun and Moon as they are on their way to deliver a rare Pokemon to Professor Kukui, and the attacker leaves a strange stone behind. The 80-page paperback with an MSRP of $4.99 will be released on May 8. (VIZ Media)
Akira wants to be a Pokemon Trainer, but first he has to pass a test—and then his Pokemon is kidnapped. This story is set in the world of the Pokemon Sun & Moon game and the first volume, which is 192 pages, will be out on July 10 with an MSRP of $9.99. (VIZ Media)
Ongoing Series
This manga series is based on the Nintendo video game, in which teams use colored inks to claim and defend their turf. Goofy characters and slapstick comedy make this a nice adjunct to the game, but non-players may enjoy it as well (see “Viz Licenses Splatoon Manga”). Volume 3 is due out in June with an MSRP of $9.99. (VIZ Media)
A Polar Bear in Love
The catch in this gag series is that the polar bear is in love with a seal, which would normally be prey—most polar bears would love a seal for dinner, not as a life companion. The story is told in short chapters with expressive drawings. Volume 3 is scheduled for July 17 and has an MSRP of $15.00. (Yen Press)
Flying Witch
A slice-of-life series with a gentle supernatural spin, Flying Witch is a story about a novice witch who moves to the country to live with her cousins and learn witchcraft. The story is episodic and goofily funny. Volume 6 is due out on June 5 and has an MSRP of $10.95. (Vertical Comics)
Plum Crazy! Tales of a Tiger-Striped Cat
Plum is a bit more cat-like than Chi in Chi’s Sweet Home, mainly because we don’t know what she’s thinking. On the other hand, the humans that surround Plum—a teacher of Japanese dance and her teenage son—talk to Plum as if she can understand everything they say, and she usually does. The art is more realistic but still super cute, and Plum is almost immediately joined by a kitten, Snowball, whose antics bring the family plenty of entertainment. Like Chi, this is a series of short stories so each volume can be read on its own. There are four volumes of this series so far; the first has an MSRP of $11.99 and the others are priced at $12.99. (Seven Seas Entertainment)
Backlist Titles
Between 2008 and 2010, VIZ Media published 10 volumes of Legend of Zelda manga by the creative team known as Akira Himekawa, and over the past two years they have collected them into five handsome omnibus volumes (see “New ‘Zelda,’ ‘Tokyo Ghoul,’ ‘Naruto’ Releases”). The stories follow the plots of different games, and each volume stands alone; all are rated for all ages. Each volume has an MSRP of $17.99. Note: The current series, Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, is somewhat darker and is rated for teens. (VIZ Media)
The Boy and the Beast
This four-volume series is adapted from the anime film of the same name. It’s a very classic adventure story: A young boy, Ren, runs away during a family crisis and ends up in the world of the beasts, where he becomes a disciple of a bear named Kumatetsu who is competing for the throne of the kingdom. Eventually, Ren has to choose between the two worlds, and along the way there are plenty of obstacles to overcome and battles in which he must prove himself. Each volume has an MSRP of $13.00. (Yen Press)
Cowa!
A super-cute one-shot manga by Akira Toriyama, the creator of Dragon Ball, Cowa! follows the adventures of Paifu, a mischievous half-vampire, half-werekoala, and his friend Jose, a ghost, as they get into mischief and then, when the Monster Flu strikes, go on a journey to a distant mountain to get the medicine they need to save their village. This manga was nominated for an Eisner Award for Best Publication for Kids in 2009 (see “Eisner Nominations Released”). The MSRP is $7.99. (VIZ Media)
Jaco the Galactic Patrolman
An intergalactic patrolman crashes into the quiet life of a scientist who has retired to a desert island, causing all sorts of complications. This one-volume manga, also by the creator of Dragon Ball!, has a bonus for fans of that series: It includes Goku’s origin story (see “Review: ‘Jaco the Galactic Patrolman’ TP”). The MSRP is $9.99. (VIZ Media)
Sugar Princess: Skating to Win
This two-volume romance set in the world of figure skating is rated for all ages but has plenty of the drama that shoujo fans love: A spunky girl whose figure skating coach pairs her up with a handsome, famous figure skater—who is still mourning the death of his sister and former skating partner. Each volume has an MSRP of $8.99. (VIZ Media)
See covers for all releases in the Gallery below.
View Gallery: 13 Images