Manga might seem like an easy gift for a comics lover. But with many popular series running twenty volumes or more, starting a new manga series can feel like a big commitment. And as tempted as you might be to use the holidays as an opportunity to introduce a friend to your new favorite thing, gifting someone the first volume of a series might instead end up feeling like a burden.
Here are some manga gift ideas that run five volumes or less.
Contents:
Beautiful Classics
Memoirs
Weird Stuff
Self-Improvement
Beautiful Classics
Fancy volumes for fancy book enthusiasts.
The Strange Tale of Panorama Island by Suehiro Maruo
Adapted from the novella by mystery writer Edogawa Ranpo, this comic is more a of a slow burn than a straight-forward horror story. Mauro’s interpretation adds a delicate flair to the story with flowery, natural accents alongside blossoming Taisho-era modernity.
The Drifting Classroom by Kazuo Umezz
The Drifting Classroom is a story about an elementary school being seemingly whisked off to another dimension, later revealed to be Earth in the far, far, distant future. After their teachers prove to be unreliable, the students start to organize into societal roles for the sake of survival. Excellent fancy gift for fans of survival horror.
The Poe Clan by Moto Hagio
Moto Hagio is regarded as one of the “mothers of shojo.” Thankfully, Fantagraphics has taken it upon themselves to release hardcover editions of her work. The Poe Clan, a story following the escapades of a family of vampires over several centuries, will be collected into two volumes. The first book was released last summer. A lovely gift for any fan of shojo or vampires.
Memoirs
For narrative nonfiction lovers.
Blank Canvas: My So-Called Artist’s Journey by Akiko Higashimura
Akiko Higashimura is a josei rock star. While her most famous series runs a bit long, her memoir about her journey to becoming a professional manga artist concludes at a tight five volumes. It’s full of humorous jabs at the ambitions of youth and tender reflections on the adults who shape us. Highly recommended for the 20-something artist just striking out into the world.
The Bride Was a Boy by Chii
Part memoir, part guide to gender identity, cartoonist Chii walks readers through her gender affirmation transition leading up to her marriage. She tells her story in mix of 4-koma strips and fully laid out pages with cute chibi-style art. Overall, it’s a very positive, upbeat story and a good pick for anyone who might be interested in personal LGBTQ+ stories or cross-cultural gender studies.
My Lesbian Experience with Loneliness by Nagata Kabi
This is much more than a queer coming of age tale. Nagata Kabi’s original questioning of her sexuality opens a larger exploration of her mental health and interpersonal relationships. It’s a deeply introspective, painful, and redemptive account of a young person trying to confront and overcome their insecurities. My Lesbian Experience with Loneliness is one volume, but there are alo spin-offs for anyone who finds themselves invested in Kabi’s story – My Solo Exchange Diary (2 volumes) and the upcoming My Alcoholic Escape from Reality.
Weird Stuff
Gifts for people who love to laugh at anything a bit “off.”
Pop Team Epic by Bkub Okawa
If you’re “on the internet,” you’ve definitely seen a Pop Team Epic strip. The Pop Team Epic manga is two slim volumes packed with sarcasm and contempt for viral content. Perfect for that friend who’s sick of Twitter discourse and has an undying vendetta against Yahoo for what they did to Tumblr.
PINK by Kyoko Okazaki
PINK is fascinating feminist critique of the Japanese woman’s relationship with work and consumption. What twists this comic into the “weird” category is the satirical presentation: a young office worker must moonlight as a call girl to make enough money to feed her pet crocodile. A book for that one friend who’s not afraid to dig into the deeper social meanings in contemporary art, or simply has a thing for the 80s aesthetic.
An Invitation from a Crab by panpanya
Cozy ponderings set up against the backdrop of small-town life. Oh, and there are also lots of talking animals, and adults basically look like the physical manifestation of that “wahwahwah” sound of adult voices in Charlie Brown. This comic is basically all vibes.
Self-Improvement
For self-helpers in your life.
What the Font?! A Manga Guide to Western Typeface by Kuniichi Ashiya and Masayuki Yamamoto
Do you know budding graphic designer? Typefaces can be daunting when you first set out into the world of graphic design. There are all kinds of books out there on choosing the right font for your project, but What The Font?! provides a very solid introduction to typeface “personalities” that’s both easy to grasp and easy to refer back to.
Makeup is Not (Just) Magic: A Manga Guide to Cosmetics and Skin Care by Ikumi Rotta
I’ve written about my thoughts on this book’s style recently. Most of my criticisms lay in the narrative, but what it lacks in personality it more than makes up for in visual clarity. Makeup is Not (Just) Magic includes all kinds of charts and diagrams. And as I said in my original write-up, it’s a nice reference guide for a makeup newbie looking to personalize their skin care regimen and cosmetic purchases.
The Life-Changing Manga of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo and Yuko Uramoto
With a new year comes the approach of spring. After twelve months of being cooped up in our homes, you probably know someone getting a bit stir-crazy. And with online shopping boom, our living spaces might have started to feel a bit…cramped. Since reading this manga adaptation of Kondo’s best-selling book, I regularly find myself returning to her organizational strategies, both in housekeeping and in life planning.
What manga do you hope to get this month?
SpiderHouses 