Welcome to Manga Zubon, where I take a look at the manga that have come out each month and pick what I think are the best of the lot. These are the manga that I feel deserve recognition and readership more than the rest, so I’m singling them out. My focus in this column is mostly on first volumes to get you in on the ground floor of new series, but I will include standouts in ongoing series as well. Keep in mind that though I do my best, I can’t read everything that comes out each month, so if you have something you think I missed or just have something to say about the ones I’ve chosen, please chime in in the comments section.

This was a fairly light month, so not there’s not much here.

Dramacon V.3
Creator: Svetlana Chmakova
Publisher: Tokyopop

This has consistently been one of my favorite books from Tokyopop, and it’s a shame to see it come to an end, though not a surprise- all of their OEL books seem to come in 3-book contracts. Dramacon follows manga writer Christie and her adventures at a yearly manga/anime convention, selling her work and dealing with fans and a budding romantic relationship with a guy she only sees at the con. Each volume is a year later, with a more mature Christie, new characters, and new pitfalls for her and love interest Matt to work through. Funny, smart, and realistic (I’ve been to a few anime cons, though never as an exhibitor, and Chmakova nails the feel of them), the series is just a blast to read, and this final volume ties things up nicely without closing the door forever.

Japan Ai: A Tall Girl’s Adventures in Japan
Creator: Aimee Major Steinberger
Publisher: Go! Comi

It’s always interesting to see another culture through a visitor’s eyes, and in this case it’s also a hell of a lot of fun. Author Steinberger and her two friends head to Japan after she, a well-known columnist on ball-jointed Japanese dolls, is invited to meet with the head of a doll manufacturing company there and tour their store. What follows is a delightful tour of Kyoto and Tokyo through a self-admitted geek’s eyes, covering dolls, manga, cosplay, restaurants, hot springs, theater performances, and lots more. Brought to life in an anchanting cartooning style that makes the whole book a delight to read, I dare you to check this out without grinning like a goof. I know I couldn’t. Steinberger’s excitement and joy is infectious, and this was a delight to read.

Knockout Makers V.1
Creator: Kyoko Hashimoto
Publisher: Tokyopop

My first thought when I saw this book was that it wasn’t my thing. Three bishounen fashion specialists that help girls in need? How very… shoujo. Don’t get me wrong, I’m down with the shoujo, but… wow. Then I read the book, and yup, it’s girly, but also very cool. Each short story is a different vignette, looking at a girl who is unsatisfied with her looks for some reason and goes to the so-called Knockout Makers for help. What really sold it for me, though, was the emphasis put by Hashimoto through the Makers on the girls’ natural beauty and how important their acceptance of who they were was to the process. It isn’t just about slabbing on makeup and getting a new hairdo, it’s about the girls becoming okay with themselves, and that’s a message I can get behind. Plus, the stories are fun.

Kurosagi Corpse Delivery Service V.5
Writer: Eiji Otsuka
Artist: Housui Yamazaki
Publisher: Dark Horse Manga

If you are new to this column, I love this series. If you’ve been following along, you’ve seen me sing its praises before. Excellently inventive, neatly creepy, and fun as hell, I’m not real sure what more I can say about it at this point. This volume has the team looking into an unlikely mummy, a village wiped out by a mass murderer, and a cave full of cryogenically-frozen heads. Just when I think I’ve seen it all, the Kurosagi team throws me for a loop- and I love it.