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.

Another fairly slow month.

Be With You
Writers: Takuji Ichikawa and Yoko Iino
Artist: Sai Kawashima
Publisher: Viz

A one-volume adaptation of Ichikawa’s novel of the same name, this is the story of a father and his young son mourning the loss of the woman in their life. Amazingly, as foretold in the son’s picturebook, when the rainy season begins, the woman returns from the dead, albeit with no memory, and the family gets a final chance to restore their bonds and make the most of their relationships before the rainy season ends and she leaves forever. A touching, heartfelt story of insecurity, deep feelings, and moving on in life. The fairly standard shojo artwork style is perfect for expressing the emotion needed to make the story work, and it’s in the eyes that it really shines. A great read if you’re in a softer frame of mind.

Fairy Tail V.1 and 2
Creator: Hiro Mashima
Publisher: Del Rey

This is the new series from the creator of Rave Master, though he’s drawing a somewhat different style here, one reminiscent of One Piece’s Eiichiro Oda. This makes a bit of sense, as Chloe Ferguson pointed out; Mashima was Oda’s assistant for a time. It isn’t just in the art that the One Piece comparison fits, though- this is a rollicking, over-the-top adventure, full of fun, fights, and grins. The premise is that there are a number of wizard guilds, made up of lots of different types of wizards, but only the Fairy Tail guild has the craziest, most extreme wizards around. They destroy whole sections of town as they save the princess, and burn down buildings to fight off burglars. These guys aren’t about rules- they follow their hearts, and are about as chaotic as you can get and still succeed. They are also one big family, learns hottie Lucy when she joins up. There’s a sense of controlled chaos in the book, in both the main characters and the enemies they run into, but there’s plenty about them to love. Everything is taken to an extreme here, and I dug it.

Nana V.9
Creator: Ai Yazawa
Publisher: Viz

I finally checked this series out after having it recommmended to me by a number of people, and it was well worth it. At its most basic, the story deals with two women, both named Nana, who move to Tokyo and end up as roommates and close friends. Both are trying to find their way in the world, one as a professional musician, the other with no specific agenda. The real genius of the story, though, and the reason it has become such a sales sensation in Japan (aside from Yazawa’s intricate lines and costuming), is the realistic relationships being depicted. The Nanas strive to be independent, but are locked in a cycle of inter-dependency with each other and other people that keeps them from truly getting where they want to be. This volume, one Nana continues to deal with her life as a new bride, and the other watches her life fall apart around her as she realizes how much she has lost. Though technically shojo, this gets more into josei territory, but either way, it’s brilliant.