High School Manga Round-Up & Review

Rather than make an excessively long post with all the manga I read so far in 2023, I thought it best to sort it out into middle grade and high school! Grouped by ascending grade appeal/appropriateness, I hope this list helps any discerning librarians, parents, or readers out there find their next great read.

The King’s Beast
Rei Toma

“Ajin boys who show signs of special abilities are conscripted to serve in the imperial palace as beast-servants—status symbols and shields for their royal masters, to be kept or discarded on a whim. When they were children, Rangetsu’s twin brother Sogetsu was ripped from her arms and sent to the palace to attend Prince Tenyou as a beast-servant, where he quickly fell victim to bloody dynastic intrigues. Now in a world that promises only bitterness, Rangetsu’s one hope at avenging her brother is to disguise herself as a man and find a way into the palace!

Prince Tenyou is not what Rangetsu expected, and the political currents in the palace run deep and strange. Does Rangetsu have any chance of finding justice for her brother, or will she become just another Ajin casualty in the game of kings?”
(Goodreads blurb)

For fans of Yona of the Dawn this epic fantasy tale does a good job of establishing multiple plot threads and characters to keep tabs on, where revenge and court intrigue pair nicely with the deep introspection offered by Rangetsu. The implied violence, while not explicitly on the page beyond more than a simmer, is still systemic, deep, and very real to the characters.

Worth picking up if you’re a fan of sweeping political fantasy with a sprinkle of magical abilities thrown in, it’s most at home on the shelves with other manga aimed at high schoolers to get the full gravity of everything happening.

Grade recommendation: 9+

Kaiju no.8
Naoya Mastumoto

“With the highest kaiju-emergence rates in the world, Japan is no stranger to attack by deadly monsters. Enter the Japan Defense Force, a military organization tasked with the neutralization of kaiju. Kafka Hibino, a kaiju-corpse cleanup man, has always dreamed of joining the force. But when he gets another shot at achieving his childhood dream, he undergoes an unexpected transformation. How can he fight kaiju now that he’s become one himself?!

Kafka hopes to one day keep his pact with his childhood friend Mina to join the Japan Defense Force and fight by her side. But while she’s out neutralizing kaiju as Third Division captain, Kafka is stuck cleaning up the aftermath of her battles. When a sudden rule change makes Kafka eligible for the Defense Force, he decides to try out for the squad once more. There’s just one problem—he’s made the Defense Force’s neutralization list under the code name Kaiju No. 8.”
(Goodreads blurb)

Perfect for fans of One Punch Man, Attack on Titan, and My Hero Academia, even in terms of art style, this features an older protagonist (clocking in at 30+) though high schoolers and new adults feature heavily in the cast of characters in this compulsive read. It’s hard not to root for Kafka, aptly named for his transformation story, I’m looking forward to seeing the other characters develop over time in addition to the larger plot — the potential for something shiny and new is here. Only time will tell if it falls into the familiar formulas or makes something better of itself.

Grade recommendation: 9+

Shino Can’t Say Her Name
Shuzo Oshima

“Oshima Shino is a girl with severe stuttering symptoms. When she introduces herself in class on the first day of school, she suffers a lot. Not only was she laughed at by her classmates, but even the teacher thought she was joking.

She meets and slowly befriends a classmate who loves singing but is tone deaf, Kayo, who after hearing her singing, invites her to form a band to participate in the school celebration competition. Will she muster the courage to face her school with her stutter?”
(translated by Google and adapted from Goodreads)

Inspired by the mangaka’s real-life, this standalone manga captures the taciturn nature of high school with the complexities of having an undiagnosed communication disorder (and the various “solutions” people propose). Fans of Komi Can’t Communicate will resonate with this story, though it is quite light on anything outside of friendship between the characters.

Grade recommendation: 9+

The Splendid Work of a Monster Maid
Yugata Tanabe

“Sumire, a “nekomata” phantom, has lost her beloved master. After wandering alone, she stumbles into…a foreign demon world!? Now Sumire serves under the president of a company, alongside an undead named Rose and an android named Ivy. In order to get back that “certain someone,” Sumire’s splendid work begins!”
(Goodreads blurb)

A simple enough premise with a horror bite to it, this first volume is shaping up to build a bigger plot with far ranging consequences in the tidy episodic chapters.

If it can take itself seriously away from its fan service adjacency, nothing in the nude or suggested nudity realm but some sexual tension situations/circumstances Sumire “happens” to fall into, this is can be a stand out series. The variety of monsters is commendable, but the variety in character design (mostly body type) leaves a little to be desired which is a disappointment. Fans of Interviews with Monster Girls or Kakuriyo looking for an aged up story will be happy with this one.

Grade recommendation: 9+

My Androngynous Boyfriend
Tamekou

“His makeup is flawless!

Wako and her androgynous boyfriend don’t exactly have the most traditional of relationships. She spends her days working hard in the world of publishing, while he spends his time obsessing over fashion and makeup–all with the goal of making himself beautiful just for her. This romantic slice-of-life story is about love, relationships, and breaking with tradition!”
(Goodreads blurb)

Beautiful men being in love with the hard working girl is such a lovely development in this genre for me, though this is one of my first forays into josei territory. The communication between Wako and Meguru is thoughtful and conveys a sense of time and emotional security in themselves and each other in this cute slice-of-life.

While there isn’t anything too inappropriate for a high schooler, the characters do have the prelude to sex illustrated at one point — not pornographic by any means, but this is a series that the intended audience is adult women.

Grade recommendation: 12+ / not for schools