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Under the Midnight Sun by HIGASHINO Keigo

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Under the Midnight Sun by HIGASHINO Keigo

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One of the most complex, thought-provoking and heart breaking mystery novels I've ever read!

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Interesting protagonists.

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Under the Midnight Sun by HIGASHINO Keigo

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Under the Midnight Sun by HIGASHINO Keigo

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One of the most complex, thought-provoking and heart breaking mystery novels I've ever read!

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Interesting protagonists.

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Under the Midnight Sun by HIGASHINO Keigo

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Under the Midnight Sun by HIGASHINO Keigo

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One of the most complex, thought-provoking and heart breaking mystery novels I've ever read!

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Interesting protagonists.

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A dark read on a bad time in human history, told to show the thoughts and feelings of those affected.

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I’m so happy I can read it after all of these years thanks to TJF USA

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I have been wanting to read this manga for so long but never put aside the time for reading it. I finally started reading it and can't put it down! I love the cute and heartwarming story.

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I read this in Japanese a few years ago, but it was interesting to read it again in English and also read the author's and translator's afterwords. I liked hearing about Asa Yoneda's new approach to translation as translating for an audience that can also read the original. As for the novella, I can't explain why but find it a bit lacking in some ways, maybe due to the length. I really feel for Akari though and I think the family dynamics are portrayed very realistically. I'm also really interested lately in how identity is formed through ritual consumption, so it was very thought-provoking!

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for how much I had heard about this book, I think I was expecting a bit more. the premise was interesting - albeit with a few holes - but the story itself was mediocre and I predicted the ending almost right away. I can see how it could be a valuable read for a younger person, but it didn't really hit for me.

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More light hearted than some of his other works but no less focused on humanity.

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Tokyo Tarareba Girls by Akiko Higashimura

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Tokyo Tarareba Girls by Akiko Higashimura

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As always, I love her art style and sense of humor. I did not really like the ending of the series but I still had a fun time with it!

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Very short book about the nuclear reactor meltdown, filled with lots of good information.

My only complaint is that the audiobook is narrator by AI and so the chapter delimitations weren't clear. The AI's voice though wasn't bad.

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This was a beautifully detailed love story blending religion, mystery, fate, and loneliness into a romance that transcends time and space. Long and has a bit of off putting sections but it is absolutely worth reading. Also it was so immersive that I forgot that we are in 2026 and not 1984 :-D

Favorite quote : “I am all alone, but I am not lonely” by Masami Aomame

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What did you eat yesterday ? Vol 1 by Fumi Yoshinaga

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What did you eat yesterday ? Vol 1 by Fumi Yoshinaga

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A wonderful story about a gay couple who wants to live a healthy life by eating good food at affordable prices. The story has very interesting characters who are unique and dare I say wholesome. The food prepared in the manga is also very delicious. Inspired to to try and prepare these dishes too.

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Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata

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Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata

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Another wonderful re-read of my favourite book!

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The conclusion to Osamu Tezuka's tale of 3 men named Adolf and how they fought for their worldview. This section takes it into WWII and beyond for our protagonists. Some humor, lots of darkness.

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Strange Houses/Pictures by Uketsu, The Cat who saved books by Sosuke Natsukawa, Jujutsu Kaisen Vol 1, and Witch Hat Atelier vol 1

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Strange Houses/Pictures by Uketsu, The Cat who saved books by Sosuke Natsukawa, Jujutsu Kaisen Vol 1, and Witch Hat Atelier vol 1

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Of all the books and comics I have read, the most surprising was Strange Houses by Uketsu. I had seen this title pop up in places online and was curious about it and was dropped into a shocking and thrilling story. The book is definitely not what it seemed and caught me by surprise that I tried Strange Pictures. I prefer Strange Houses because it got me to think more about home layouts when Strange Pictures seemed to confuse me. Uketsu is surely a creator I would follow to see their lore and story in the future. The cat who saved books was an interesting read and my friend told me to read JJK and WHA. Those were very exciting comics, but not as interesting as Strange Houses.

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A funny and interesting story about being a woman police officer. The characters are very relatable. I like how the story shows us the kind of issues women officers face and how they cleverly deal with them. Looking forward to the next volume!

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A light self-help read on perseverance and encouraging shifts in our mindset to work through and fulfill the challenges we might come across in life! Each of the 50 chapters are short and share a slightly difference lens on how to "ganbatte" in our day-to-day. I learned a few fun facts as well - Japan ranks first in the oldest companies that are still operating to date (makes sense!)

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A classic Tezuka manga filled with love, loss, betrayal, camaraderie, comedy, heart wrenching moments and epic battles, all amazingly woven in the journey that out main characters, Hyakkimaru and Dororo take to achieve their goals. A truly epic journey that leaves you captivated with each chapter. Really enjoyed it!

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Kinda funny, shows the humor later seen in DBZ. Very gag-like.

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I wasn't sure what to expect, but the title caught my eye as it's by the same artist as Chainsaw Man. What an emotional and reflective "coming-of-age" manga one-shot!

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Such a beautiful picture book! I enjoyed the colourful illustrations and whimsical feel of childhood thoughts and imagination!

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Last Winter, We Parted by Fuminori Nakamura

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Last Winter, We Parted by Fuminori Nakamura

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I had heard lots of praise for this book but it honestly didn't do much for me. I suppose the twist(s) at the end were interesting, but the story was quite disjointed up until that point so it didn't feel as dramatic as it was likely intended to be. the writing of the female characters was especially abysmal and almost misogynistic, and they all blended into one another. I probably won't read this author's work again to be honest

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A beautiful story that neatly captures the essence of nostalgia. The story is captivating and does an amazing job of making you reminiscent of your childhood days. It will leave you with an urge to visit your hometown or the seaside - I can assure you. Enjoy!

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What an intriguing, suspenseful story of a spirit who is on a home stay learning about his home stay family and his classmates. Recommend for everyone, not just readers who are the main character's age.

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My Japanese husband tells me his little brother wore blue and white diapers but I never saw them until today in this book! Such a cute book. “Daisuke doko?” Instead of “Where’s Waldo?” Ha!

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What Did You Eat Yesterday Vol 7 by Fumi Yoshinaga

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What Did You Eat Yesterday Vol 7 by Fumi Yoshinaga

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This series has been so refreshing to read. I'm not usually into slice-of-life fiction, but this one is genuinely interesting and made me realize that what a lot of slice of life is missing is the feeling of character growth and a real and interactive world that adapts with the story. This volume was really nice because we see Shiro finally introduce Kenji to his parents and also they start going out in public more. It's great character growth on Shiro's part and I can't wait to continue this series.

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The Genius of Japanese Carpentry by Azby Brown

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The Genius of Japanese Carpentry by Azby Brown

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A beautiful coffee table-like book, but also very informative and a joy to flip through with all the illustrations and history shared. I most enjoyed learning about the different types of Japanese wood and the mastery of techniques/thoughtfulness that goes into restoration work and woodworking.

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Such an incredible series! It’s so wonderfully heart warming! I picked it out randomly and I have to say it’s one of my favorite series now!!

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The Book of Five Rings by Miyamoto Musashi

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The Book of Five Rings by Miyamoto Musashi

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Having recently watched the TV show Shōgun, it's easy to find it intriguing to understand more about the way of the warrior and the life philosophies that come with it. This copy actually translates two books, with "The Book of the Five Rings" in the first half, and the "The Book of Family Traditions on the Art of War" in the latter half. I particularly enjoyed reading about the five scrolls: earth, water, fire, wind, and emptiness. The strategies are not just applicable to combat, but also to principles in another way to think about who we approach day-to-day life.

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The part where the author describes the aftermath of losing a dad was so deeply moving and real. Grief is an incredibly complex process that is hard to describe, but this part conveys a lot of the feelings very accurately.

“My depression after losing Dad wasn't acute—the suffering was more like a gradual accumulation of body blows. I would be deeply sunken into it by the time I noticed, and then barely manage to lift my face to break the surface and come up for air. It was a cycle that started over again before I knew it.

I grew pedantic and over-logical, and my body seemed to have hardened and shrunk. Out of self-protection, I took to wallowing in my own thoughts even more than before.

Flowers and light, hope and excitement all suddenly seemed like things that were very distant from me, and I was trapped inside a deep, putrid, and bloody darkness. In it, only the ferocious power that lay deep inside my gut had meaning, and what was beautiful or light had no value at all.”

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人間椅子 by 江戸川乱歩

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人間椅子 by 江戸川乱歩

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短くて面白い話でした。

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I always love Tezuka’s manga, but my favorite read is usually always Black Jack. There’s just something special about the way Tezuka manages to lead the reader through morality play after morality play, where people get their comeuppance or find their salvation through the Faustian bargains made by Doctor Black Jack. Tezuka’s own experience as a doctor shines in these stories.

I recommend it to anyone who loves beautifully drawn manga, medical stories, or the macabre.

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This is a story I read in English as a child, and it was a great experience to get to read my first book in Japanese!

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On my reread of this series and remembering how much I love Chise and Elias. A nice manga for those who love fantasy and fairy tails.

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The Curious Kitten at the Chibineko Kitchen by Yuta Takahashi 

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The Curious Kitten at the Chibineko Kitchen by Yuta Takahashi 

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A gentle bittersweet novel about closure. A nice quick read. I enjoyed how each story was broken up from the others and I could easily set it down and come back it.

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We’ll Prescribe You A Cat by Syou Ishida

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We’ll Prescribe You A Cat by Syou Ishida

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Just like the characters in this book, I was healed. A really nice book with simple and sweet stories that made me smile.

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A History of Japan by R.H.P. Mason, J.G. Caiger

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A History of Japan by R.H.P. Mason, J.G. Caiger

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Surprisingly detailed given the huge amount of time that is covered in this book

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A charming read! Great glimpse into that time period in Japan.

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Amazing visuals and an absolute bonkers tale as expected of Junji Ito

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So heartwarming! Really captures the tiny micro-aggressions queer kids go through on a daily basis.

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The scene where the protagonist leaves his hometown on the train really stuck with me.

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I recommend this audiobook to anyone pondering how their ‘rose-coloured campus life’ would have turned out had they made different choices. The Tatami Galaxy is a nice mix of dark comedy, romantic comedy, moments of despair and laughter, and surrealism/absurdism. I really enjoyed it! I am excited to listen to the sequel, ‘The Tatami Time Machine Blues’.

One of my favourite recurring quotes in each chapter is the part where the nameless first-person narrator encounters a fortune-teller.
‘The old woman took my hands and pored over them, nodding to herself.

"Mm. You seem to be extremely hard-working and talented." I was already impressed by her keen insights. Just as in the proverb "a clever hawk hides its talons," I had modestly kept my good sense and talents hidden so no one would find them, but I did such a good job that I hadn't been able to locate them myself for the past few years; for her to spot them within five minutes of our meeting meant she couldn't be any ordinary fortune-teller.’

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My Brother’s Husband Volumes 1 and 2 – Gengoroh Tagame

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My Brother’s Husband Volumes 1 and 2 – Gengoroh Tagame

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I recommend this manga to anyone looking to confront prejudice and homophobia, and who appreciates changing perspectives.

I found the story's events deeply moving; there were a few moments when I cried.

Besides the heartwarming scenes, I also liked the quiet moments when they shared delicious-looking meals as a family, or when they walked to a local shrine, which were also mouthwatering and calming punctuation points.

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Pure Invention: How Japan Made the Modern World – Matt Alt

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Pure Invention: How Japan Made the Modern World – Matt Alt

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My discoveries from this book are the historical context and background of various ‘pure inventions’ of popular culture, and what was happening in Japan in the lead up to various entertainment innovations such as Karaoke, Walkman, video games such as Nintendo’s Pokémon, Tamagotchi, Hello Kitty, anime, manga, and the list goes on. I really enjoyed the chapter about Pokémon because a) I found it nostalgic, and b) I did not know that Pokémon had been so underestimated in the beginning and is now considered the highest-grossing media franchise. If I have one recommendation, the second-to-last chapter about anti-social online communities was uncomfortable to read, and seemed out of place with the rest of the book.

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Simply Japanese: 100 Authentic Recipes for Easy Home Cooking – Maori Murota

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Simply Japanese: 100 Authentic Recipes for Easy Home Cooking – Maori Murota

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I recommend this book to anyone interested in step-by-step instructions and photographs of authentic recipes, and I also appreciated that there were quite a few vegetarian/vegan dishes, which I enjoy as a flexitarian.

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The Ghibiliotheque Anime Movie Guide – Jake Cunningham, Michael Leader

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The Ghibiliotheque Anime Movie Guide – Jake Cunningham, Michael Leader

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I would recommend this book to anyone looking for beautiful descriptions, movie posters and scenes, of a wide variety of anime films.

From reading the descriptions, I have discovered and added a few anime films to my “to-watch” list.

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I recommend this book to anyone curious about the names of various traditional Japanese everyday items still in use. Fascinating descriptions of various beautiful, well-made, everyday objects. Photographs of the objects, the names in Japanese, and explanations of the objects have been used in Japan in the past and continue to be used today.

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The Book of Ichigo Ichie – Héctor García, Francesc Miralles

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The Book of Ichigo Ichie – Héctor García, Francesc Miralles

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I discovered in this audiobook the concept of focusing on the here-and-now, not on the past or the future. The current fleeting moment is the only moment that will ever be like it.

I appreciated the practical chapters on the five senses, how to make the most of each moment through them, and on paying attention. When I had a tea recently after having listened to this audiobook (even though tea/coffee is usually a part of my daily life) I took the moment to pay attention closely at the sight of my mug and the shade of the colour of the tea, the sounds a first spring-time bird co, feeling the warmth of outside of the mug, smelling and tasting the flavour and aroma of the tea. It was a great insight into an everyday experience.

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One thing I discovered is that manhole covers in many places in Japan have beautiful artistic designs; it’s something you easily forget when travelling to look down at your feet and find beauty in unlikely places. I also liked the chapter about various stamps, such as eki stamps (train station stamps), goshuin (seals from temples and shrines), and Castle stamps.

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I recommend this book to anyone looking for a coffee-table-style book with nice, visual photographs that summarize traditional and contemporary Japanese culture.

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The Lantern of Lost Memories – Sanaka Hiiragi

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The Lantern of Lost Memories – Sanaka Hiiragi

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I would recommend this book to anyone who is a fan of the ‘Before the Coffee Gets Cold’ series. In this book, three people who have recently died meet with the character Hirasaka in a photo studio, who helps in their transition to death and assembles the lantern of lost memories, showing how life flashes before our eyes just before we die. The characters get to compile photographs representing memories, one for each year of their life, and relive a day of their life to take a final photograph to capture a memory that had faded. The Lantern of Lost Memories was a deeply moving and hopeful book.

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A fun cookbook read! I highly recommend this cookbook to all anime fans and those who enjoy cooking up great meals.

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I love the drawings and how the book is broken down when it comes to traveling around Tokyo! I definitely got some inspiration on what to do if and when I decide to travel to Tokyo in the future.

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To be honest, this ebook was not what I expected - a lot of images of curated sushi pieces, but that is about it.

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It was so cool to see all the different gyoza types and recipes! I'm looking forward to making some on my own soon!

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Another great read by the author! I'm definitely adding more places to check out as I plan the possibility of traveling to Japan in the future.

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包みと袋のおりがみ: 手紙やお礼を入れる・包む、便利な折り方76点 by 布施 知子

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包みと袋のおりがみ: 手紙やお礼を入れる・包む、便利な折り方76点 by 布施 知子

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This helped me a lot on origami and it was fun doing the letter origamis!!!! I would love to have it again!

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I think our son is gay by Okura Volume 1

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I think our son is gay by Okura Volume 1

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It's so heartwarming and I love the artstyle for it and I love all the characters in there!!!!

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I think our son is gay by Okura Volume 2 

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I think our son is gay by Okura Volume 2 

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I love this volume and it's so heartwarming and I love how it talks about being gay and gender stereotypes and I will reread this again!

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This made me so motivated to draw more stuff and I love it!!!!

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This made me interested in origami specially the envelope and letter ones. And I truly love the ghost origami it's so cute!

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A good primer for those who didn't take Japanese history in school.

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He's known as the godfather of manga and the story of his life is as interesting as any of his famous works

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This delightful manga about a budding witch has the most beautiful art. Rereading the volumes before the anime premier!

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I recently watched the TV adaption of this best selling novel. The book is even better. A historical epic with an engaging point of view of the tumultuous time.

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A winding tale commenting on post war Japan. An adult tale told through traditional Tezuka techniques.

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Before Tokyo was Tokyo, Tokyo was Edo. I learnt the history of capital of Japan and how it became today's modern city from a small fish village.

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My Love Story Volumes 2, 4, & 6 by Kazune Kawahara

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My Love Story Volumes 2, 4, & 6 by Kazune Kawahara

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Vol. 2: The double standards were crazy 😨😨😨 with Suna and Takeo.
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Vol. 4: Ai is such an interesting and sweet character and seeing the happy times at M.M. land and how everything resolved itself with Ai was really nice!

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Vol. 6: The mochi waffles sounded really tasty in this volume, and it was really nice seeing Takeo's mom again and seeing how everyone was treating her with more care even though she didn't feel as if she needed the extra caution! It was also really nice to learn more about how Takeo and Yamato were as babies.

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セロ弾きのゴーシュ by 宮沢賢治

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セロ弾きのゴーシュ by 宮沢賢治

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The way the animals visit ゴーシュ one by one at night, each with their own unique and interesting request, is really cute.

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ALL the foods sound so yummy and made me hungry just thinking about them! One of the ones I was most interested in was the coffee jelly (related to Saiki K.) since he really enjoyed it in the show.

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The animals all looked so cool! My personal favorite was the serene swan and the frank frog.

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Classic Ukiyo-e Tattoo by Utagawa Kunisada

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Classic Ukiyo-e Tattoo by Utagawa Kunisada

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The patterns were very nice! I hadn't realized there are different styles these type of tattoos could have and there prominence in Japanese art. It was also interesting to see how the different poses play into how much one could see of a tattoo style.

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Classic Ukiyo-e Tattoo by Utagawa Kunisada

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Classic Ukiyo-e Tattoo by Utagawa Kunisada

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The patterns were very nice! I hadn't realized there are different styles these type of tattoos could have and there prominence in Japanese art. It was also interesting to see how the different poses play into how much one could see of a tattoo style.

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Blank Canvas: My So-Called Artist's Journey, Volume 1 by Akiko Higashimura

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Blank Canvas: My So-Called Artist's Journey, Volume 1 by Akiko Higashimura

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It was scaringly surprising how much I found relatable and how many experiences I couldn't even start imagining. It wasn't until I reached the back cover that I found out the creator was also the one behind "Princess Jellyfish." This was such a good read!

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I was going to make a review for extra prizes entries but it is really just better to summarize them all together. This is both so wholesome and heartbreaking. It is a sweet widower who is a master pianist that takes in an 'ugly' cat and they both grow with each other. Honestly one of the best written cats I have ever read. Despite being sooooo adourable, it also deals with a lot of grief which might be good for some or bad for others.

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My Hero Academia, Volume 3 by Kohei Horikoshi

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My Hero Academia, Volume 3 by Kohei Horikoshi

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Great to get to see MHA in written format and not just the anime. An inspiring story and this is the climax of the first major arc, the USJ

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Great intro to veganism! I am not a vegan myself but I do try to limit my meat. The author talks about the difficult and ease of making Japanese foods vegan. Many already are but thing like fish sauce can be snuck in. I also like that he gives 'non-Japanese' uses of ingredients so if money is too tight or you don't like being wasteful, you can use all of it while trying out the recipe. Also, he wrote an entire chapter on MSG, need I say more?

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Japanese for Busy People Book 1: The Workbook by AJALT

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Japanese for Busy People Book 1: The Workbook by AJALT

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Wanting to learn to read and speak Japanese. It's not an easy thing to do, as is obvious. But it's well worth it

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So cute! Kaori goes into a lot of details into making a good mochi but honestly I got the book to learn to make cute little mochi critters. I think Kaori made it really easy to follow along with troubleshooting and once you get the feel for the texture, it is just adding earrs, nose and eyes to a different coloured head haha

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Jujutsu Kaisen, Vol. 17-18 & 20-21 by Gege Akutami

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Jujutsu Kaisen, Vol. 17-18 & 20-21 by Gege Akutami

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--(Listed in order read)--

Volume 21: I can't describe the dichotomy of how nice but ominous it felt to see characters I've missed, again. Since I read this volume picking up from where I last left off a few years prior, I felt a bit lost. I was incredibly surprised by all the mix of comedy into the volume and the fact that it was even called out in the plot did help. Rather than a line, there was a particular scene this volume that I found funny as it reminded me of the abandon brain moment in the "Cartoon All-Stars to the Rescue" TV special.
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Volume 17: The inside volume cover is so good!! I'm really into the theme of these with our characters in kind of day to day photos. Something I didn't think would've happened was the preview of the new characters to come in later volumes. I also enjoyed seeing Ieri and Ijichi, even in such a short while. Outside of the aforementioned, there were two things I found quite interesting. One was seeing how different characters grapple with grief across the volume. The other boggles me. Volume 19 Ch. 168 has a cover that in my mind seemingly correlates to the imagery in this volume, but I can't quite put my finger on it. My guess is that it alludes or represents a curse or curses but I truthfully have no clue.
My favorite line from this volume was "No... She took it with her." I imagine this mini arc is probably where the creative choice involving Maki in the new season's Opening Theme Video stems from but maybe that's my wishful thinking.

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Volume 18: I ended watching the adaptation before reading this volume, so one of the things I most enjoyed was seeing the original material and extra bits that didn't make it in the animation. I had originally skipped volumes 17 and 18 because there was always a long line of readers borrowing them. It wasn't until now that I found out I missed out on crucial backstory for a character I was and continue to be fond of in future volumes. Something I found quite funny was finding out that because the volume cover is zoomed out on volume listings, I had originally thought the markings were a form of CPU/motherboard imagery. It was also fun to notice some typos, I don't remember that happening very often in this series.

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Volume 20: Rereading this volume reminded of the gem that was Slow Juju Days, Part 2. The line "Oh no! It's totally obvious!" was hilarious.

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Overall, going back to the previous volumes helped me notice that this arc (and it was probably laid out long before) is a lot about watching relationships and people connect in a time/situations where there are so many newly established and pre-existing walls around them. We're seeing and learning about the kindness our characters are or had bestowed onto others when at the start of the series it had to involve Yuuji in some way. I assume this is probably a work of world building and something that was bound to happen as the "world" expands and more characters come in. It's really fun and interesting seeing beloved pre-existing characters interact with these situations and with these new and largely really normal people.

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Are you someone that can never make the right portions? Because I am. I am either still licking my plate clean hungry (to be honest, the cats might be stealing some) or enough to feed an entire army. These are nice single serving meals with a great variety and can be easily doubled for a couple. But my favourite part of the book is that it is nicely laid out in a weekly meal plan. Check out the Seafood and Pumpkin bento!

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Lonely Castle in the Mirror by Tsujimura Mizuki

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Lonely Castle in the Mirror by Tsujimura Mizuki

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An wonderful story about loneliness and finding a connection with people (irrespective of your age). Really enjoyed the journey and would highly recommend it for anyone looking for a Ghibli-esque type of story. It turned out to be an unexpected good source of inspiration.

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This books comes with LOTS of trigger warnings but is a really good read! Last year for for the Tree I read the Blood on the Tracks series and it has a similar 'vibe' except the relationships explored is mostly between the main character and the best friends she is accused of murdering [Last line of this will have minor spoilers]. Her lawyer and a cop think there is more going on and the writer is great at keeping you just as confused by it all as they are.

Spoilers and triggers: great for people who like unreliable narrators and multiple perspectives. BOTT was a great depiction of abusive parent-child relationship and this one is a good example for intimate partner violence, grooming, and the 'boyfriend method' of human trafficking. The two girls might be in love? I can never pick up on romance unless someone specifically offers to make miso soup or the book ends with them at the alter. Do no expect that kind of ending but it actually is a very empowering impactful ending even if this is otherwise a really messed up book.

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BL Metamorphosis Vol 1-3 by Tsurutani Kaori

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BL Metamorphosis Vol 1-3 by Tsurutani Kaori

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Came across the series at a Japan Foundation Book club meeting and have been a fan of it since then. I had previously only read vol 1 and watched the live-action movie. Recently picked up Vol 2 and 3. The movie is great but the manga is more heartwarming and inspiring. The artwork is very beautiful and soothing to the eyes. A must read for any manga fan.

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Do you know why Bowser 'speaks fancy' in Mario? It's because of this little cat Lord who thinks he is a noble but his daddy is a school teacher. It was recommended to me because I love trivia like that but if you're able to read it in Japanese it apparently is much more impactful because it is so hard to translate the word play. However, I loved it even if I wasn't able to pick up on some of that.

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I haven't finished the series yet but so far it is very sweet! The title is a little misleading.... since the mother is 100% aware her son is gay. He is still in the closest and she wants to support him until he can come out on his own. A great read for parents that might be struggling with their kids coming out, still loving them but not totally sure how to support them.

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Last Winter We Parted by Fuminori Nakamura

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Last Winter We Parted by Fuminori Nakamura

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This book is a bit hard to describe... Kind of like Silence of the Lambs if Hannibal wasn't 100% guilty.

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Without intending, I read First Love, Last Winter We Parted and Adabana which all have similar themes and plot but from different perspectives. To add to that, a series I read last year, Blood of the Tracks would square it up. I guess in a way, this post in recommending reading all of them together and comparing the way they use similar methods and symbolism to talk about the same social issues

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Haikyu!!, Vol. 5-13 by Haruichi Furudate

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Haikyu!!, Vol. 5-13 by Haruichi Furudate

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As always the extra bits of content like after the chapter extra moments/ doodles or like the chapter covers, are soooo fun to see. I'm trying to catch up to where I am on the adaptation so it's really fun noticing difference or just looking at things in a different style (for lack of a better word). The following are things that stood out to me in the volumes I read:
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Volume 5: These are really minor details but in Tsukishima's room, does he have him baby feet frames on a shelf? Also an iconic character in the series noted on their character profile that their favorite food is "soba noodle omelet." I'm never had it but I might have never heard of anything more delicious-sounding in my life! Lastly, there's a difference between the manga and its adaptation involving Hinata's eye that I just can't get over.
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Volume 6: The helper's featured art covers is soooo cool!!!
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Volume 7: The Kageyama and sneaker doodles gave me life! There's also a cool explanation on the term izui, which was very nice.
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Volume 8: This was a particularly hard volume to read. Kageyama thinking "Who are you?" and Oikawa's "That day isn't today" left me with a heavy heart for longer than I wish to disclose. Our advisor's talk didn't help either.
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Volume 9: The cover is so beautiful! There was a cute typo in the Shiratorizawa gym shorts, if anyone's interested in spotting it. Also, every mention of the Little Giant reminds me of how curious I am about them.
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Volume 10: As the volume cover would allude, this is a great time for those who enjoy some Tsukishima spotlight~!
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Volume 11: I don't think I can ever forget the Hinata and Monster Hunter comparison from now on.
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Volume 12: The bonus story was absolutely crazy haha
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Volume 13: I remember spoiling myself on a specific panel before even seeing it in the adaptation. To find out it's the cliffhanger of the volume feels so brutal.