Kodansha Manga Round-Up

I ended up getting accepted by Kodansha as an ARC reader, which is very exciting for me! I read quite a bit of manga, so this is a great chance to review another type of book! I netted eight books this past week, and you can find my thoughts on them below! I'm not giving public star reviews for these, just my general thoughts. It is a round up, so let's get started!

Perfectly Fine on My Own, So My Fiance Can Twist in the Wind - OUT NOW

This was my favorite of the bunch! I am a sucker for this sort of noble academy romance. That said, I've read a lot of it, and this one stands out beautifully. Watching Nicole decide that if her fiance is so happy with Princess Caroline, she can have him, and she'll be happy on her own is so satisfying. She goes on solo-dates, makes friends, and learns to live and enjoy the solo life! It's chock full of comedic misunderstandings and had me grinning and bouncing in my seat. Princess Caroline and Nicole's fiance, Keios are actually quite fun characters too! I HAVE to get my hands on a copy.

Magical Karina - May 19th, 2026

A nostalgic read with a deeply emotional twist. It deals with the demands on real-life, the difficulties of school, work, and family as well as grief and loss hitting in unexpected ways. Karina grapples with difficult emotions as her beloved grandmother loses the struggle with dementia and she finds herself… sad, yes, but also relieved? I felt it had such a realistic view of difficult emotions despite the magical twist. Is she becoming a magical girl to avenge her grandma, or to take back control over her own life? And what does that say about her? I can't wait to see where this series will go.

Hitting Rewind With You - OUT NOW

This is a cute and nostalgic romance about two college students who were too busy in high school to actually enjoy their teenage years… So now they're reliving what they missed out on together. The art style is beautiful and the story is sugary-sweet and compelling. I found myself so attached to the protagonist Wakaba — because who among us hasn't wanted to go back and enjoy what we've missed out on? I'll wait.

Cat-Life Balance - May 12th, 2026

An office romance that revolves around the stress of pretending to be someone you're not and the excitement of finding someone that you can truly be yourself with. Mamoru, our protagonist, is the prince of the office, a people-pleaser who can't say no to save his life. He discovers a different side to his solitary coworker Korone on a rare day he gets to walk home alone, and finds himself pulled into the world of stray cats. I learned a lot about the cat population in Japan and how society looks after them, and I found myself plenty attached to the cats themselves, and the cat-like Kurone.

Marrying the Dark Knight (For Her Money) - OUT NOW

Marrying a blood thirsty dark knight to save the life of her sister and preserve the lifestyle of her family… It's high-stakes to read as the dark knight is terrifying, but Clarice must charm the dark knight into supporting her family! Only, he never gives her the chance. He won't look at her, won't let her into their bedroom… As she quickly discovers why. He is actually a woman! In a land where female knights are forbidden! So not only does she have to romance the dark knight, there are underlying political implications that threaten the entire marriage and the security of her family. It's charming to watch Clarice try to win the dark knight's trust and settle into her new household. She's determined I'll give her that… And I like that the dark knight isn't so easily won over.

Drawing From Your Memory - OUT TODAY!

Do you like time-travel fix it? Do you like stories about grief and love and trying over and over again to prevent the inevitable because hope runs eternal? I do! This story follows a manga artist who became an award-winning best seller - but only because she plagiarized her story from the only other member of her high school manga club, Yukishima, after his sudden death. Swamped with regrets and guilt, she gets a chance to make it all right when she wakes up a decade in the past. Not only can she give him his story back, she might even be able to save his life! Let me tell you, I am HOOKED.

Voices in the Sea Foam - May 5th, 2026

I'm assuming we're all familiar with the little mermaid and her curse, but just in case: The little mermaid falls in love with a prince, and she begs for the power to become a human. She trades her ability to speak for a pair of legs — legs that hurt her with every step. Unable to capture the heart of the prince she loved, she turned into sea foam and drifted away… But what if that gave her a human soul? The ability to live again, as a human? Meet Aito, the current incarnation of the little mermaid, and Toru, who reminds him of his prince. This is a story about overcoming trauma and tragedy and even curses to fight for a chance at true love. It's a self-contained one volume story, and I deeply enjoyed it! The art style is beautiful and a little haunting at times, which fits the dark fairytale vibe just perfectly.

Honey Bee & Lemon Balm - OUT NOW

I enjoyed the gentle pace of this story and the overall sweetness of it. It focuses on the characters and their development and relationships, which I enjoyed a lot! I also loved the aspect of defying gender norms that it has. Yuichiro, the florist, is a beautiful man who is mistaken by a girl by the protagonist, Kaoru. His sister is a handsome woman, who is often mistaken for a man… I love that sort of thing in stories. And speaking of: This story is about an ex-yakuza member who stumbles across a night-time florist and ends up working as his assistant! A story about second chances and turning your life around, deciding who is important to you and what you truly want to do with your life… It's going to be a 3 volume series, which is just perfect.