by Lorie Lewis Ham
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Oshi No Ko Vol 1 and 2 By Aka Akasaka and Mengo Yokoyari
Earlier this year, I watched season one of the anime Oshi No Ko, so I was excited to start reading the manga, hoping to go beyond that first season. However, Volumes 1 and 2 haven’t taken me there yet. But it was still interesting to revisit the story and get some bits that weren’t in the anime. The manga is published by YenPress. This is definitely one of my favorite anime/manga series!
Amazon description of Vol 1: Gorou is an ob-gyn with a life far removed from the glitz and glamour of the entertainment industry?the world of his favorite idol, rising star Ai Hoshino. But when the two are unexpectedly brought together, their fates become intertwined in ways that defy all reason. For the good doctor, it’s time to stan(d) and deliver!
Amazon description of Vol 2: Ten years after the murder of pop idol Ai Hoshino, her young (and unusually mature) twins are now poised to enter high school. While her death has had a profound effect on the children, it’s manifested in polar-opposite ways. Ruby is determined to follow in her mother’s footsteps and become an idol, but Aqua has no desire to stand in the spotlight. Instead, he works behind the scenes in the entertainment industry, all while harboring an ulterior motive: discover the identity of the accomplice in his mother’s untimely death!
This series is a combination of the supernatural and mystery set in the world of Japan’s Idols. I won’t go into too many details so you can discover them for yourself, but Gorou ends up being murdered and coming back as one of Ai’s twins. In Vol 2, he is determined to find the person who murdered both him and Ai.
I love everything about this series. The behind-the-scenes glimpse into the entertainment industry in Japan, the supernatural elements, and the murder investigation. The artwork is great, the covers are beautiful, the characters are interesting—my favorite being Aqua—and I can’t wait to read more! Don’t miss out on this great series—and be sure to check out the anime too! Vol 3 and 4 are already out as well, with Vol 5 being released in 2024.
Bungo Stray Dogs: Dead Apple, Vol. 1
Review by Lorie Lewis Ham
As I continue to review more mystery manga from YenPress, I recently finished Bungo Stray Dogs: Dead Apple Vol. 1, which was released in August of 2022. It is based on the hit anime film with the original story by Bungo Stray Dogs DA Partners. Artwork by Gun_Zi.
Amazon description: An unexplained series of suicides among skill users sends the Armed Detective Agency on a search for a man who may be connected. But when the same phenomenon descends upon Yokohama, they’ll have to fight for their lives if they want a chance to reach the truth and save the city from certain destruction!
This is another series that is a supernatural/mystery combination. Skill users are people with powers. This was a very short volume that left me on the edge of my seat for the next one. Volumes 2 and 3 came out this year, and there appear to be other stories out there with these same characters. I will say that this one was a little more confusing to me than most manga, but it might work better if you can read them one right after the other. If you enjoy supernatural elements mixed with mystery, I recommend checking out Bungo Stray Dogs: Dead Apple, but if I were you, I would get all 3 volumes at once so you can keep going!
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Disclosure: This post contains links to an affiliate program, for which we receive a few cents if you make purchases. KRL also receives free copies of most of the books that it reviews, that are provided in exchange for an honest review of the book.
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