When you want to start reading manga or complete your collection without breaking the bank, behemoths like One Piece and Naruto, or even the most recent Attack on Titan and My Hero Academia can be intimidating. That's why we offer you in this column ten works in five volumes or less likely to please both neophytes and experienced amateurs! The manga industry is indeed one of the only sectors of literature to offer works of up to several dozen volumes. This is due to the mode of production and publication, as well as the fact that the plots often take place in the heart of a very large universe and complex ramifications. Thus, it can be complicated to get directly into "extended" manga, even when they are of quality and you are very motivated! Nevertheless, it is still possible to find happiness with much shorter series. And this, the publishers have understood well, since they offer more and more works concluded in a few volumes. Today we invite you to a small overview of this new editorial field, with ten series in five volumes or less that are worth a look!
Golden Sheep, Kaori Ozaki
Tsugu, Sora, Yûshin and Asari form an inseparable quartet. Their friendship was consolidated for many years. However, before the end of elementary school, Tsugu's family moves! To seal their bonds and in the hope of seeing each other again one day, the four friends bury a time capsule together at the foot of the Golden Sheep statue. Seven years later, Tsugu returned to his hometown. And she intends to find her friends as she had left them. Alas, time has left deep marks, and their reunion will prove more difficult than expected! Already known here with the very good Our summer holiday and Mermaid Prince, Kaori Ozaki returns to Delcourt with Golden Sheep, her first long series published in France. Here she gives us a bittersweet story about friendship and coming of age. Indeed, the mangaka does not spare her characters. The torments of adolescence are transcribed with touching accuracy. The suffering of the four friends is revealed and brings them up against a harsh reality, fueled by unspoken and deleterious grudges. The character of Tsugu, on the other hand, represents hope, which feeds on childhood dreams and tends towards the future with force. Thus, the girl is like a ray of sunshine illuminating this story in the rather dark and melancholic background. Here all the talent of Kaori Ozaki is revealed: handling with strength and brilliance the waltz of emotions, she makes her characters grow and drags the reader in their wake, so that he emerges from this transformed reading. Series in three volumes, Delcourt-Tonkam editions. To read an excerpt, click here !
Kanon at the end of the world, Kyo Yoneshiro
In the near future, Japan has been invaded by aliens nicknamed "frozen". Their proliferation leading to incessant rain on the city of Tokyo, this has pushed the wealthiest inhabitants to shelter underground, while the others try to live at best on the surface. Kanon Kozuki is one of them. However, this discreet young woman seems far from the concerns of her contemporaries. Indeed, she only has eyes for Sōsuke Sakai, a national hero engaged in the war against frosts, and whom she has loved desperately since high school. Alas, Sōsuke is married! Will Kanon try everything to conquer her heart and finally live her fantasized love, as fate leads them to find each other? Skilfully mixing romance, slice-of-life and science fiction, Kyo Yoneshiro offers us with Kanon at the end of the world an atypical story. Indeed, the character of Kanon explodes all the criteria of the romantic heroine! Obsessed by her love for Sôsuke, selfish, sometimes infantile, brutal and distant with her loved ones, the young woman would have everything to displease! And this is Kyo Yoneshiro's tour de force: by plunging us into the side of a potentially detestable heroine, the mangaka weaves without seeming a lasting link between her character and the reader. Totally immersed in the story, he finds himself caught in the web and does not see the chapters pass! What if Kanon, through the annoyance mixed with compassion that it can provoke, represented precisely all the complexity of the human being and his feelings, not always praiseworthy or charitable? This question is also found with the character of Sôsuke, subjected to brutal personality changes according to the regenerations undergone by his body after the fighting. Who is he really? Does he even know? Is his love for Kanon sincere or dependent on his changes? Who is whose toy? In a world at war, the truth is not necessarily where we expect it… Will you be able to detect it before reaching "the end of the world"? Series in five volumes, Akata editions. The trailer can be seen here. You can also see this very interesting video from Akata's team about Kanon and Murphy's Law, for whom "anything that is likely to go wrong, will go wrong"!
Just Not Married, Kinoko Higurashi
Ritsuko Machida and Shûichi Nonoyama have been in a relationship for ten years. They evolve quietly in their well-arranged daily lives. But this would be without counting the pressure of their entourage, which seems blocked on the eternal question: "So, marriage, when is it? » ! The young couple thought they were impervious to this kind of embarrassing remark. However, more and more questions assail them and undermine the harmony in which they lived until now. How will Ritsuko and Non-chan handle this new stage of their relationship? With Just Not Married , Kinoko Higurashi invites us to share the daily life of a young couple in their thirties, and she uses an original method to say the least. Indeed, each chapter is divided into two parts, each presenting the point of view of a member of the couple. Far from giving rise to repetitions, this mode of narration allows access to two very different points of view. Therefore, the unspoken make sense, as do the actions and expectations of each, making the relationship between the characters even denser and more interesting. The mangaka places us as privileged observers of their couple dynamics, but also of their unique way of functioning. This gives in the end a very well conducted story, which we have great pleasure to read. Just Not Married is a quiet and good romance, whose conclusion is accomplished and flawless. If these five volumes are enough on their own, Kinoko Higurashi has decided to give us news of her characters, with the release in Japan on February 25 of Kû Neru Futari Sumu Futari Zoku ! We are looking forward to the French edition! Series in five volumes, available from Kana. You can read an excerpt by following this link !
It stays between us, Haru Aoi
Towako Oyanagi is as much known for his prestigious grades and impeccable morality as for his violent hatred of boys. President of the student council, she accepts without hesitation to help her classmates – but only the girls! – and the responsibilities of its role. It is in this context that she meets Yui Fukasawa, an impertinent first-year student who accumulates hours of glue. Tasked with watching him while he carries out a new punishment, Towako reluctantly executes before returning to his business. She then imagines never to meet again this comrade really too carefree … But this was without counting on the insight and pugnacity of Yui, whose interest was keenly piqued by this figure of frightened virgin! The young boy soon discovers a very embarrassing secret for Towako. This secret could well call into question the whole attitude of the latter towards the male sex … What if all this was just a façade, a mask that Towako forces himself to wear? Yui is determined to get her out of her comfort zone, and he will use all his malice for it! "Girls think about it too": the hook on the back cover of Ça reste entre nous could put off by making believe in a story with gravelly overtones. But this is not the case! Throughout the three volumes that make up this series, Haru Aoi builds complex and endearing characters. Towako, the heroine, reveals herself struggling with a family promise that has turned into a burden. As a result, she represses her emotions and desires, until she thinks she is abnormal and suffers in silence. Yui, on the other hand, holds many mysteries, but her approach to Towako is sincere. The relationship between the two teenagers, if it seems to start on strange bases, nevertheless helps them to grow together and to find a well-being whose evolution it is touching to observe! Moreover, Haru Aoi's dynamic and mischievous stroke makes this reading even more enjoyable. We would have liked to follow the adventures of Towako and Yui for many more volumes, as they are so cute and endearing! Nevertheless, the conclusion is well brought and it is a pleasure to see the two high school students take off. Ça reste entre nous is therefore a short but very successful manga. Thinking outside the box and putting clichés on the ground, he offers us an atypical and liberating romance that is good for morale! Series in three volumes, Kana editions. An excerpt is available here !
Drop Frame, Shinichiro Nariie
August 2016, Sendai, Japan. Junnosuke Kokusho and three of his classmates are taking advantage of the summer holidays to prepare a film for the next high school festival. Between the vagaries of filming and untimely changes of script, teenagers nevertheless have a good time and consolidate their friendship. Their meeting with Lou, a young Anglo-Japanese mixed-race woman, will give a new dimension to their project. As for Junnosuke, he is not insensitive to Lou's charm, and it seems mutual. Everything seems to be going well… until the terrible tragedy witnessed by Junnosuke! However, the next day, everything seems normal and no one is missing. Did Junnosuke dream? Why does he feel increasingly out of step with his friends? What tragedy is lurking in the heart of this burning month of August? Fans of science fiction and twisted psychological thrillers, you will be delighted with this masterpiece by Shinichiro Narie! Like a "book of which you are the hero", the mangaka plunges the reader into the heart of a story with drawers at the center of which is poor Junnosuke. But the young man will not be the only victim of this terrible month of August, and it will be necessary to act quickly to counter destiny. Drop Frame puts things down from the first volume, with this intriguing sentence that pushes you to reread the manga carefully: " You've already spotted what was wrong, haven't you?». Yes, Drop Frame, is not a reading like the others, it requires the informed reader a great investment! Indeed, the mangaka places the reader in the same place as his hero: it is up to him to be attentive to the smallest detail and to conduct his investigation alongside Junnosuke. This makes this reading very immersive and as enjoyable as a good thriller. The characters are well camped, their psychology is researched and accurately transmitted. We can easily identify with them. The line is incisive, dynamic, alternating darkness and luminosity, making the hunt for clues even more difficult! This unknown wonder that is Drop Frame is worth seeing.Budding detective friends, are you ready? The race against fate is about to begin! Series in four volumes, Doki Doki editions. NB: last year, the publisher announced the discontinuation of the series. Nevertheless, you can find it second-hand!
<harmony/>, Project Itoh and Minato Fumi
In 2019, the world descends into chaos: riots are followed by nuclear wars, and humanity is on the verge of extinction. Fifty years later and in order to avoid a new "Maelstrom", the preservation of human health has become the top priority. Thus, each human being, now considered a common good, is implanted with medical molecules connected to a global server responsible for controlling his health on a daily basis. Benevolence and love of one's neighbor have become norms. Yet this society aiming for harmony through biopolitics is soon shaken by an unprecedented wave of suicides. Thousands of people killed themselves at the same time, all over the world. Tuan Kirie, an inspector with the World Health Organization, is tasked with solving this case, which threatens the hard-won societal balance. But for that, the young woman will have to confront the ghosts of her past, even if it means putting her own life on the line… With <harmony/>, Minato Fumi offers us a masterful manga adaptation of the eponymous novel signed by the master of Japanese SF, the late Project Itoh (Keikaku Itô). With Genocidal Organ and The Empire of Corpses, <harmony/> composes a staggering triptych of realism, with consciousness and human nature as its central point, and the manipulations they can undergo. To what extent do we remain free when our entire life is governed by normative technology, even when it is aimed at our well-being? Tuan Kirie embodies the counterweight of this "maternalist fascism", this benevolent and self-righteous dictatorship which, under the guise of the greatest good for all, puts individuality under a bell. Tuan thus voluntarily places himself near the margins of this sanitized society, so smooth that it seems to have forgotten the very concept of feelings and emotions that nevertheless found the foundations of the human being. Beyond the science fiction story mixed with who done it , <harmony/> is a political and philosophical pamphlet, a rabid plea that questions us bluntly. Its resonance is even stronger in the context of the health and social crisis that we are currently experiencing. How far do we have to go to protect humanity? Should this protection go through the extinction of the individual and singular identities that compose it? To what extent is the individual part of the group, and where do the boundaries of the group end? Another question underlies the works of Project Itoh: that of the innate and the acquired, as well as the instincts most deeply buried deep within each of us. The controlled, dynamic and very expressive stroke of Minato Fumi makes this adaptation even more successful. The four volumes are read in one go despite their density, and the tension rises crescendo, taking our breath away as the motivations of the various protagonists are revealed. Minato Fumi has masterfully seized the original work to transcend it and offer us this breathless investigation at the confines of the concept of humanity. In addition, the manga can be read in combination with the film adaptation signed by the studio 4°C and available in France at ADN. At the helm, directors Michael Arias and Takashi Nakamura deliver a rather different interpretation both in substance (notably by playing with a more sensual body dynamic between Tuan and his "antagonist") and in form (we think of urban landscapes that seem sterile but bright), but which remains just as complementary to the original work. Series in four volumes, available from Pika.
Shikabana – Corpse flower, Nojo and Kei Monri
Tsuyu Shitoyagawa is a young man who has not been spared by life. However, for the past three years, he has been living a sweet and happy daily life alongside his girlfriend Mizore Giboshi. But one day, Mizore dies crushed by a truck, and Tsuyu's world collapses. Immersed in the throes of despair and denial, the student discovers by chance a letter signed by his deceased love… In this letter, Mizore begs him not to cremate his body but, on the contrary, to watch over him "until a miracle happens". Disoriented, Tsuyu decides to fulfill his girlfriend's last wishes. For several days, he watches over the corpse of Mizore, locked in the darkness of his apartment. As the year draws to a close and Tsuyu gradually loses his sense of reality, the impossible happens: Mizore comes back to life! The young man is at the height of joy and enjoys the return of his beloved. But he does not suspect the curse that has just been triggered and that will lead him into the purest horror … With Shikabana – Corpse Flower, Nojo and Kei Monri offer us to read a particularly well conducted horror story, which can recall in some ways the now cult Tokyo Ghoul (Sui Ishida). If the rocker is used (dead people come back to life), the reason behind it is original. Creatures perfectly aping humans would proliferate within society, using the corpses of violently deceased people to reproduce. These usurpers are called "Kuroe", after the black defilement that makes up their bodies. But the Kuroe are also able to infect people who are still alive… This is what happens to Tsuyu after he is attacked by Mizore. Having become a "wandering dead", he finds himself forced to join a special brigade of the Japanese police, responsible for tracking down and destroying these creatures. This could be the way for him to find Mizore and return to his previous life! But for that, Tsuyu will have to go through many trials… Starting with the cohabitation with the Kuroe who infected the right part of his body! A certain philosopher once wrote that any human being who dares to scrutinize the abyss and darkness for too long will in turn be scrutinized by them. Shikabana – Corpse flower could be the perfect transposition of this phrase. Indeed, if Tsuyu becomes able to fight the Kuroe, it is because he is "half" of one, and he is forced to accept his dark part to survive and find Mizore. Now, do we not become fully ourselves when, and only when, we accept all parts of ourselves, including the darkest? Nojo and Kei Monri's manga could therefore be read as a metaphor for the human condition. Especially since the second volume, by teaching us more about the Kuroe and their societal system, brings an intriguing nuance to the story. Who is really the monster in this story? The character of Tsuyu perfectly represents this oscillation, this constant struggle between what is good and what is bad. The graphics reinforce these elements, with a very dark atmosphere that however disappears when the central figure of the Kuroe, with the trappings of divine icon, flooded with light, appears. The paradox is there, drawing the reader into this tortured and profound story, where emotions are treated accurately and the treatment of characters optimized, for an immersive and thought-provoking rendering. Series in three volumes, Glénat editions. The third and final volume is available since April 21, 2021. You can read an excerpt here !
The cat with seven lives, Gin Shirakawa
After a serious accident, Nanao, a young domestic kitten, finds himself on the street. He soon meets Machi, a kitten of the same age destined to become the next leader of the cat clan of this district of Tokyo. But despite Machi's friendship, Nanao must face the mistrust of his peers. Indeed, he still wears around his neck the ribbon with a bell that his master had offered him, and his distrust of humans is tinged with regret. While they are looking for a new "table" that would allow them to spend the winter, Machi and Nanao cross paths with Yoshino Narita, a young woman who takes care of the thermal baths in the neighborhood. Despite a disastrous first meeting, a bond seems to be woven between the stray cats and the young widow. But that would be to forget the dissensions and the dangerous daily life to which the two friends are subjected… Who said manga about cats should be light? Certainly not Gin Shirakawa, who delivers us with The Cat of the Seven Lives an intense and intimate drama. Like the novel Memoirs of a Cat by Hiro Arikawa, the mangaka plunges us into the difficult daily life of stray cats, narrating without frills survival in a hostile world. Because humans, if they can bring food and warm places to sleep, sometimes prove cruel or even deadly. One of the very first scenes of the manga clearly demonstrates this, and leads us to identify with these brave cats who did not ask to live like this. Through feline eyes, the author denounces the selfishness of some humans and the compassion disorder of others, highlighting our shortcomings while demonstrating how men and cats need strong bonds to be happy and feel good. Gin Shirakawa poses strong characters with in-depth psychology. It spares them neither grief, nor violence and exclusion, and even less the happiness of being together. The cat with seven lives is a story about resilience and love, to which it is impossible to remain insensitive! Despite the harshness of some passages, we come out of this reading with a smile, certainly wet with tears, but a frank smile that pushes us to look with a new eye at our dear four-legged companions. Series in three volumes, available from Glénat editions. Discover Nanao and Machi in this excerpt !
Transparent, Jun Ogino
At the age of nine, Aya Kinomiya did not grow up in the best of homes. His father is violent; his brother remains deaf and apathetic; And her mother tries as best she can to protect her children while forgetting herself. The girl would have only one desire: to disappear … Which suddenly materializes when she discovers the power to become transparent! If this ability brings him some comfort, nothing changes within the family unit. Now fifteen years old, Aya can no longer stand this situation. So, to escape the despair that wins her, she will commit an irreparable act… Reflecting on the notion of guilt, Transparente also questions the notion of resilience and trauma. The character of Aya, whom we follow in its construction and whose voice serves as a common thread throughout the manga, is complex, but also touching by the fragility it releases. At an age when we usually think of having fun with friends, Aya is grappling with an act that was meant to save her, but that has tainted her mind forever. The girl hates her very existence, which is reflected in her face often hidden behind her glasses or a large scarf. Nevertheless, Aya will gradually open up to others, first driven by the need to share her burden, then by the hope of returning to a semblance of normal life, at least for a while. Because Aya wants to report herself to the police, the day she is ready. We feel through the drawings of Jun Ogino, all the weight that weighs on this fragile teenager. However, the empty boxes fill up as Aya becomes aware of her existence and the value she has in the eyes of her friends. The characters of Kana Minakami and Shiori Nakayama accompany and support her. In addition, they provide a counterweight to the deaf and anguished monologue that spins in Aya's head. We can think that Kana and Shiori, in their reaction to their friend's confession, embody what society will think of her act: reprehensible but understandable. Beyond the question of forgiveness or compassion, the two girls love Aya for who she is, not for what she does or has done. It is a beautiful lesson in humanism and friendship, which touches deeply the heart of the reader. Finally, the rather open ending in its staging, puts the latter in front of his own feelings and reasoning concerning the story of Aya. The blur it leaves hovering, this almost empty double page, is like a mirror that reminds us that human nature is not simple or dichotomous, but profoundly complex and variable. Series in four volumes, available from Kurokawa.
Helvetica, Shizuka Tsukiba and Tsumugi Somei
Asahi Mayuzumi is a young student who loves manga and anime. Finding refuge in the colorful world of magical girls, he protects himself from the outside world which makes him very uncomfortable. His friends despair of ever seeing him find a girlfriend. But one day, a young girl accompanied by a black cat arrives at his house, obviously looking for someone. Asahi is destabilized, especially since this stranger attacks him for no reason before fleeing! Still shocked by this sudden brutality, the young man sees a few days later a loyal customer of his store being attacked. Listening only to her courage, Asahi intervenes to help the girl. But the situation turns to drama when the aggressor finds himself devoured by flames! Was it Asahi who started the fire? Embarked by men he thinks are policemen, the young man is accused of being a "witch"! In the face of which barbaric organization did he fall? Does this have anything to do with the young stranger she met earlier? To save his life, Asahi will have to find allies and learn to master his new power, even as he finds himself hunted by ruthless mercenaries! Helvetica is a four-volume manga that stands out first of all for its very marked graphic identity. From the cover, the loose style and the fine and incisive features signed Tsumugi Somei catch the eye. The design of the characters is striking and carries a lot of emotions on its own. These include the black uniform and gas masks worn by members of the organization, which convey a sense of terror reinforced by their boundless cruelty. This blind pseudo-justice, Asahi decides to fight it. It is very pleasant to follow its evolution during the volumes. The links he creates with the "witches" who take him in bring a little balm to the heart in this uncompromising story. The confrontation between the two camps soon becomes inevitable, as each struggles to preserve its life and its vision of the world. Shizuka Tsukiba and Tsumugi Somei work together to deliver an intense narrative that leaves no second of respite to the reader. Helvetica sounds like a reminder of humanity's darkest hours, when blind discrimination leads to hatred and war. The fight of Asahi and his companions-in-arms then seems even more just. The only thing we regret is a matter of formatting. Indeed, Helvetica being a manga, it is precisely printed in black and white… whereas a color treatment would have admirably highlighted the work of illustration and reinforced the power of Tsumugi Sosei's drawing! Perhaps we could hope, despite the very short format, for an animated adaptation of this almost perfect manga? In any case, we strongly invite you to discover and contemplate it once you have finished reading! Series in four volumes, by Kurokawa. To read an extait, it's here ! It's now over for this little overview of the series in five volumes or less that French publishers offer us! The list is obviously not exhaustive, do not hesitate to browse the catalogs or make suggestions in the comments or on social networks!
