Hamtaro, known in Japan as Trotting Hamtaro (とっとこハム太郎, Tottoko Hamutarō), is a Japanese manga and storybook series created and illustrated by Ritsuko Kawai about a hamster. The manga was serialized in Shogakukan‘s “Second Grade” magazine in April 1997; more Hamtaro stories would later be added into the other grade-level magazines, as well as in Ciao. The series focuses on a hamster named Hamtaro, who has a variety of adventures…
Gakuen Utopia Manabi Straight!, often shortened to Manabi Straight!, is a Japanese multimedia project co-developed by the animation studio Ufotable and MediaWorks. The project revolves around a group of high school girls in the year 2035 when the birth rate has dropped dramatically. It launched in August 2004 in MediaWorks’ Dengeki AniMaga magazine, and went on to produce a manga adaptation serialized in MediaWorks’ Dengeki…
Family Complex (Japanese: ファミリー・コンプレックス, Hepburn: Famirī Konpurēkusu) is a Japanese manga written and illustrated by Mikiyo Tsuda. Family Complex was first serialized in the manga magazine South (a special issue of Wings) published by Shinshokan, with the only bound volume released in May 2000. Although the manga avoids openly image of any LGBT-themed content, it is also known because of the easy parody of yaoi and yuri fanservice. Plot The story centers around Akira Sakamoto, who…
Backstage Prince (Japanese: 極付 楽屋裏王子, Hepburn: Kiwametsuke Gakuya Ura Ōji) is a Japanese shōjo manga series written and illustrated by Kanoko Sakurakoji. It was serialized in Shogakukan‘s Betsucomi and Deluxe Betsucomi magazines from 2004 to 2005. Shogakukan later collected the individual chapters into two bound volumes under the Flower Comics imprint. Viz Media licensed the manga for an English-language release in North America, first serialized in their Shojo Beat magazine from October 2006 to March 2007…
Action Heroine Cheer Fruits (Japanese: アクションヒロイン チアフルーツ, Hepburn: Akushon Hiroin Chia Furūtsu) is a Japanese anime television series produced by Diomedéa and directed by Keizō Kusakawa. The series aired in Japan between July 7 and September 29, 2017, and is licensed in North America by Sentai Filmworks. A manga adaptation by Azuse was serialized in Young Champion Retsu in 2017. Plot Due to the popularity of a certain city’s “action heroine”,…
37.5°C no Namida (37.5°Cの涙, lit. “37.5°C Tears”) is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Chika Shiina. Published by Shogakukan, it was serialized on Cheese! magazine, with five tankōbon volumes compiling the chapters released so far. A Japanese television drama series adaptation aired on TBS from July to September 2015. In 2017, 37.5°C no Namida won the 62nd Shogakukan Manga Award in the shōjo category. Plot As Momoko Sugisaki is working in a child care…
Zoids Wild (ZOIDS ゾイド ワイルド, Zoido Wairudo) is an anime series based on the Zoids model kits produced by Takara Tomy. The 5th Zoids anime, is part of a cross-media relaunch of the franchise encompassing a new toy line, manga series, and video game for the Nintendo Switch, predominantly aimed at boys aged 10–12. Streamed from 19 May 2014 to 28 July 2014, this was the final series produced by Allspark Animation before…
Act-Age (Japanese: アクタージュ, Hepburn: Akutāju) is a Japanese manga series written by Tatsuya Matsuki and illustrated by Shiro Usazaki. It was serialized in Shueisha‘s Weekly Shōnen Jump from January 2018 to August 2020, with its chapters collected into 12 tankōbon volumes. Act-Age was canceled and removed from the magazine and all official platforms after Matsuki’s arrest in August 2020. Viz Media published the first three chapters for its “Jump Start”…
30-sai no Hoken Taiiku (30歳の保健体育, Sanjussai no Hoken Taiiku, trans. Health and Physical Education for 30-Year-Olds) is a Japanese guidebook series written by Mitsuba and published by Ichijinsha. The series is aimed at men in their 30s who have not had any romantic or sexual relationships with women. It includes colourful characters and some laughs. The manga adaptation by Rikako…
Umi Monogatari ~Anata ga Ite Kureta Koto~ (うみものがたり 〜あなたがいてくれたコト〜, lit. “Sea Story: That You Were There For Me”) is a Japanese anime series, directed by Yuu Kou and Junichi Sato and produced by Zexcs. It began airing on Chubu-Nippon Broadcasting on June 24, 2009. An unaired episode was featured in the final DVD volume, released on March 26, 2010. The anime is based on a pachinko game manufactured…
Rakujitsu no Pathos (Japanese: 落日のパトス, Hepburn: Rakujitsu no Patosu, “Pathos of the Setting Sun”) is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Tsuya Tsuya. It has been serialized in Akita Shoten‘s seinen manga magazine Bessatsu Young Champion since November 2014. Publication Written and illustrated by Tsuya Tsuya, Rakujitsu no Pathos started in Akita Shoten‘s seinen manga magazine Bessatsu Young Champion on November 4, 2014.[2] Akita Shoten has collected its chapters into individual tankōbon volumes. The first volume was released on…
Paradise of Innocence (Japanese: 無邪気の楽園, Hepburn: Mujaki no Rakuen) is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Uran. It was serialized in Hakusensha‘s Young Animal Arashi from April 2010 to September 2017. An spin-off, titled Paradise of Innocence Parallel, was serialized in the same magazine from November 2017 to May 2018. The chapters were compiled in 13 tankōbon volumes. A three-episode original animation DVD (OAD) was released from August…
