My Favorite Manga and Graphic Novels I Read in 2024 (Patreon)

 I read 114 manga volumes and graphic novels last year! Here’s a link to my Goodreads year in books, which tallies one book from each manga series ( I've arranged it so the manga/gns at the beginning, the novels start with Red, White & Royal Blue) and my storygraph wrap up.  

I have a post for my favorite books of 2024 you can read here!

I also have a post on my top 12 anime for 2024 and you can read it here!

(Note to patrons: this is an extremely unedited-content version, meaning you're getting some extra rambling that definitely won't be in the final tumblr post.)

Love Bullet by inee

When someone who has never had the chance to experience love meets an untimely death, they're given a chance to become a cupid. If they help enough people fall in love, they earn the chance to have another shot at life. Koharu meets her end after her best friend, Aki, confesses her love to her, and she becomes a cupid...

Love Bullet is a brand new yuri with fun characters and a cute art style that feels a little charmingly retro. The concept of modern day cupids using modern firearms and having their job of making people fall in love play out like a action movie is so hun, but there's also a beating heart behind it, The tragedy of Koharu's life being cut sort and the bittersweet arc where Koharu tries to help her living best friend deal with her lingering trauma over her sudden death is touching and well written. We don't know much about the other cupids yet, but they already have a great dynamic--with Koharu being guided by a kind mentor and being challenged by her boisterous battle loving teammate. And, as befitting a yuri, the way the girls approach their jobs is casually queer, with the "targets" often shown to have both guy and girl options.

It's a charming story that seems like it could go a ton of interesting places. It's a little different than the rest of this list that it's not officially out in English yet. The reason it's here is because the author sent out an SOS that the first Japanese volume is struggling in sales, and the international yuri community, excited about the awesome story they've seen so far, rose to the challenge and bought out the first volume in Japanese! So far it's been successful, with volume one even going out of stock for a bit. If you end up reading it (you'll have to rely on scanlation but they're easy to find) or even if you just simply want to support a yuri that's outside the box, I really encourage you to do the same. Here's a document on how to buy the Japanese version. Hopefully, the grassroots support will mean we get an official English release soon!

The Summer You Were There by Yuama

All you loves of tragic lesbians, this is for you. The manga follows Shizuku, a deeply depressed girl who is so guilty about something in her past she's got some serious suicidal ideation going. But when Kaori, a girl in her class, reads her writing and guesses what's behind it, she challenges Shizuku to a bet where she has to write a novel about a romance between the two of them. Now they're suddenly spending a lot of time together, and Kaori is helping Shizuku unpack her guilt. However, Kaori is struggling too. She's actually very sick, and though she hides it, it's getting worse.

The manga is a heart wrenching meditation on grief and redemption. For very different reasons, both girls think they shouldn't be loved for whatever reason, and both girls are shown they're very, very wrong.

I like how Kaori tries to be the manic pixie dream girl who fixes all of Shizuku's problems, but then Shizuku's very firmly says "what the hell. no. You need support too" and they're both allowed to be full characters who find solace in each other. Unlike what certain other media have done with the concept! Shizuku's backstory is also really interesting, and it hits well. It's just a very good, but very sad read.

Barefoot Gen by Keiji Nakazawa *(I completed the series at ten volumes)

Barefoot Gen is a semi-autobiographical manga by Hiroshima survivor Nakazawa Keiji, following a little boy named Gen, showing how he lost most of his family to the bomb, and then following his struggle to survive in a post-war Japan where he and the people around him are struggling with the horrible effects of radiation poisoning, economic devastation, and American imperialism.

It sticks out from other tales about Japanese stories about World War II in that it's very critical and angry at the Japanese government, to the point that Gen even calls the Emperor a war criminal. It also is very direct in denouncing of Japan's war crimes against Korea and China, as well as condemning racism against Koreans. It makes sure you know that Korean POWs and forced laborers also died and suffered because of the bomb, and then were made to wait on receiving medical treatment by Japanese doctors based on their race. It even states that Koreans are well within their rights to make fun of Japanese people for losing the war.

Though it puts most of the blame on Japan for entering the war, the story is also extremely angry at America and critical of American imperialism, going into a lot of things America did with Japan post-war we don't get taught-- like soldiers taking advantage of Japanese women with starving families, offering food in exchange for sexual favors or in some cases just jumping and gang-raping them, like getting Japanese labor activists and protestors removed from their jobs, like literally torturing Japanese leftists (McCarthyism didn't just affect America, but also its colonies/occupied territories!) , like paying for desperate and poor Japanese men to steal their own people's corpses from the crematorium so they can study the radiation sickness, like having doctors imply that going to this treatment center that will cure the radiation sickness when they really just tested whether they had it so they could have further data, then were like "well you do have it. bye." and sent the citizens on their way with no help whatsoever.

It also condemns America for the Korean war and the fact it tried to drag Japan into it. The story is very grim even in its depiction of how fellow Japanese treated the Hiroshima survivors, showing a lot of cruelty, though there are moments of comradery and kindness too. Gen helps a lot of people along the way, and his resilience and message not to give up is the heart of the manga.

So yes, it's very educational and very direct about subjects that both sides don't want to acknowledge-- both Japanese nationalists and American nationalists would not and do not like it (you can learn more about that here). It does a stomach churning. effective job depicting the horror of radiation poisoning and war, and its message is extremely firm: Its the common people who suffer in the wars while those in power exploit them, that war and violence are an endless vicious cycle we must break free from, and that there should never be a nuclear bomb dropped again. Despite extremely gruesome content, it's aimed at kids (it actually ran in Shonen Jump when it came out) so it's very blunt and direct in its messages, and the character speak in a similarly blunt way. There's a huge amount people hitting each other, both as slapstick or just fist fighting at the drop of a hate, and uh, you sure see boys pee on people as revenge against their evil deeds quite a few times, this manga sure loves to do that.

 It can get a little repetitive on occasion (I'm not talking about how almost every person Gen knows ends up dying of radiation poisoning, unfortunately that's extremely realistic, but the kind of repetitive way those and other stories start being structured on the end) and storylines and characters tend to be introduced very abruptly, but it does keep you rooting for and feeling for the characters all the way through, hoping things will get better for them.

Nakazawa says the story is taken from those of fellow survivors he talked to. It's highly probable that all the scenes or children peeing on adults and getting away with it, or of a twelve year old successfully killing yakuza members might be very fictionalized. However, any time I looked up a horror of war depicted in the manga I didn't know about (something America did, something Japan did, and so on), it was always 100% backed up, so most of it is definitely does reflect reality. I think it's an essential, highly informative and unforgettable read, and everyone should read at least a little bit.

This Monster wants to Eat Me by Sai Naekawa

Hinako is a depressed girl who survived a terrible trauma and has been searching for death ever since. One day she gets approached by, Shiori, a mermaid who wants to eat her…but the thing is, said monster mermaid is a gourmet who wants her to be as delicious as possible, which means she’s going to make her happy first before she eats her (as apparently that enhances her flavor). In the meanwhile, Shiori has to fight off all the other monsters who want to snack on her girl.

This is TOP TIER yuri horror and a must read for any lover of monster girls. It was custom made for a freak like me, who thinks a hot monster girl covered in the blood of her enemies seductively telling the protagonist she wants to devour her is the stuff dreams are made of.

Shiori, the woman-eating mermaid in question, is a fascinating character right off the bat, always having a hint of menace and inhuman mystery, but showing some potential for genuinely caring for Hinako someday. There's an ongoing mystery of why monsters are so attracted to Hinako that's a good hook, as is the irony of Hinako starting to come alive a little thanks to a girl who wants to kill her. It's good stuff! And it'll get an anime soon, which I'm praying is worthy of such a cool story.

Maus by Art Spiegelman

This comic about Spiegelman interviewing his father, a Holocaust survivor, and learning his story (with Nazis being represented as cats and Jewish people as mice) is, of course, incredibly well known to the point it feels almost redundant to talk about it. But I did read it cover to cover for the first time last year, and unsurprisingly it's a great piece of art and an important story for anyone to look into.

The parts recounting the Holocaust were heartbreaking and horrifying as expected, and I'd expected that. But the things I hadn't heard as much about was how much the book explored Spiegelman's complicated relationship with his father, and his anxieties as an artist and whether he was the right one to tell this story. It was fascinating to see him explore those things, and it added a lot of layers.

The Guy She Was Interested Wasn’t a Guy at All by Sumiko Arai

 The green yuri! This web manga finally gotten a physical release this year! It tells the story of Mitsuki, a girl who works at a record shop. Her classmate Aya wanders in. Aya doesn't recognize Mitsuki with a face mask and hair hidden by a cap. In fact, Aya immediately assumes Mitsuki's a guy. They bond over their mutual love of rock music and slowly start to get closer…and Aya finds her heart is fluttering not only over this mysterious boy, but her female classmate that seems a lot like him...

Despite it's clunky title, this manga makes a premise that could have been painfully cliche and, in the worst case, extremely uncomfortable work. Mitsuki catches on that Aya thinks she a guy pretty immediately, and she doesn't mind that but finds it a bit awkward and has a hard time clearing up the misunderstanding. It never swings into homophobic or transphobic territory imo. It helps that Aya is clearly catching feelings for "girl" Mitsuki along with "guy" Mitsuki from the beginning, subconsciously knowing they're the same person.

The focus of the story is the way their relationship develops through a shared love of Western rock music and it really captures the joy of finding someone who can share your interests and the affection that can spring up for that.

 (and while people have had good fun joking about the panel "radiohead. nobody here knows about it..." I've also seen people get genuinely frustrated by it because they absolutely refuse to comprehend America, Canada, and UK is not in fact, the center of the universe???and obviously yes people in Japan are going to be less familiar with a band from your country, just like (to a much greater degree probably) the people in your country aren't going to be as familiar with J-rock? Mind blowing, I know)

 (I'm definitely going to cut this from the actual review on tumblr lmao I just started venting...)

 The characters are very likeable and easy to root for, the art is absolutely gorgeous, and the story as a whole has this laid back, naturalistic feeling while still developing at a good pace. I just really enjoy kicking back with my green yuri, and it's good reputation is well earned!

The Moon on a Rainy Night by Kuzushiro

One rainy night, Saki runs into Kanon and is immediately intrigued and infatuated with the other girl. When she sees Kanon at school, she discovers Kanon is hard of hearing. Kanon is understandably is a bit prickly and frustrated at the ableism she tends to endure. But as Saki reaches out and gets to know her, Kanon starts to open up. And Saki, having gone through struggles related to her sexuality in the past, starts getting anxious about her feelings for Kanon...

The Moon on a Rainy Night is just... REALLY good. Kanon is just a great character, and as a lover of stubborn, prickly girls I just find her so charming. She has a lot going on with her, like her interest in music and relationship with her family and various quirks.

One thing I really like is how narrative allows her to be frustrated about the stuff she goes through, allows her complex feelings about being disabled, and pays attention the little details. She has to clear up misconceptions she can't hear anything, she points out that only 20 percent of deaf people use sign language (but starts using it when she really relates to a movie and the way the cute actor uses it, which is such a teenager thing to do), the lip reading isn't treated as some magic thing, Kanon has to remind people to look at her and she can't hear them, and she misreads things a fair amount.

I'm not hard of hearing, so I'm far from the authority to speak on that but most examples of deaf and/or hard-of-hearing female characters I can think of in anime (okay so there's only like two I can think of, so I don't know if I could say that qualifies as a pattern) are depicted as shy, super sweet and socially naive, so it's refreshing to have a character who brings some variety.

Saki is also such an interesting and relatable character. Her struggles with being gay feel so real, and I especially felt it when she was learning sign language and got bummed out by the heteronormativity of one sign (using "man" and "woman" for marriage). Those things really can bring you down. I also like that Saki finds an adult lesbian who gently supports her, showing the importance of queer community. Above all, Saki is struggling with being in love, and the story is amazing at communicating her adolescent feelings. It's just a darn good romance and character study, and I hope the upcoming anime does it justice.

Wash Day Diaries by Jamila Rowser and Robyn Smith

Wash Day Diaries follows four best friends and their daily lives through interconnected short stories. As the official summary states: "The book takes its title from the wash day experience shared by Black women everywhere of setting aside all plans and responsibilities for a full day of washing, conditioning, and nourishing their hair".

The comic makes a great use of color to reflect the characters' moods, and the girls are drawn vibrantly and distinctively. The peek into the characters' daily lives feels like getting to know some good friends, and there's a great attention to detail, especially with the comic's beautiful step by step depiction of each woman does her hair and what it says about them.

 The comic touches on topics like depression, dementia, and homophobia. Just like real life, these things aren't neatly resolved, but the story does offer some hope and catharsis. It's a pretty quick read, but it's packed with good stuff.

Magilumiere Magical Girls Inc. by Yu Aoki

I'm going to give myself a little break and just reuse my entry for the anime. (The only difference between them is that the manga flows a bit better than the anime, moving at a faster pace with huge panels suiting the art style and the great action!)

Being a magical girl is no longer the domain of teenagers, and has evolved into an actual career dominated by adult women. Kana becomes a magical girl for a scrappy start up company, and tries her best to navigate working life.

It’s the magical girl story about adult women I’ve been craving for years! Magical girl media often explores the struggles of adolescence and growing up, and this show takes us to the next step by using magical girls to explore what it’s like to be a young woman entering the working world. The focus is one Kana struggling to grow her confidence and accept support from her workplace, but it also has a lot to say about companies exploiting their workers, prizing efficiency and growth over actually taking care of their customers, and it shows how the world could be better than what it is right now. Check out my review here for more detail!

I Married My Female Friend by Shio Usui

A pair of best friends enter a platonic marriage they both agreed to with the promise they’ll divorce if one of them falls in love. But one woman has decidedly not platonic feelings for her wife, and is trying to repress them...

This is a sweet, laid-back story from the creator of Doughnuts Under the Crescent Moon. It has a very slice-of-life feel, with the characters feelings and conflicts developing subtlety. There's a focus on domestic life and the compromises and struggles one makes along the way. It's set in a world where gay marriage is legal in Japan, and homophobia isn't as big of an obstacle, which is cool to see. If you liked Doughnuts, or are just looking for a chill yuri, I'd check this out!

Himawari House by Harmony Becker

 Himawari House follows the story of Nao, a half-Japanese woman who immigrated to America when she was young. She's now returning to Japan and feels a feels a deep sadness from how disconnected she's gotten from Japan's language and culture. While in Japan, she lives with two other girls, Hyejung and Tina, who are from South Korea and Singapore respectively. They form a friendship as all of them struggle to get used to Japan and deal with language barriers.

We get the interconnected stories of all three girls, and all of them are really interesting in their own way. This story does a lot of cool things with language, for example, showing words fading out when someone can't understand them, giving the reader the same experience the character is having trying to understand the language. It was a fascinating experience. The book does a great job exploring Nao's feelings of alienation from both America and Japan, while having a lot of other interesting plotlines that made all the characters feel rounded and developed, such as struggles with independence and expectations from parents, trying to navigate romances, and dealing with homesickness. The art is beautiful as well. This is a well crafted and insightful story, that you might find especially great if you're interested in languages, cultures, stories about identity and stories about Japan.

Kiss and White Lily for My Dearest Girl by Canno

Kiss and White Lily follows multiple lesbian relationships, with its main storyline being about two academic rivals, where one is determined to rank first in class, and the other is an effortless genius who becomes intrigued at the possibility of someone beating her.

The main couple have the kind of messy combative sexual tension I wish we’d see more often in yuri because it’s so good. I just love the drama and mixture of rage and attraction. The manga follows other couples too and while some stories are stronger than others, they're all usually entertaining in some way and its fun to watch the characters grow. The art's also very cute and the characters are vibrant. The ending is really strong too, putting a perfect cap on the story of the main couple especially.

However, big warning for some nonconsensual kisses in early volumes, with Kurosawa being especially pushy. There's also a storyline with...well it does leave you a little wiggle room one whether it's actually incest between a minor and an adult portrayed romantically??? but um. the implication is strong. Fortunately, that's mainly contained to the seventh volume--you can just skip any stories about the sisters.

When the manga is good, it's really good, and that makes up for some of the questionable elements for me, even if I wish they weren't there. You might agree or disagree!

Ongoing and ended titles:

Here's a look at some of the ongoing titles I've been following! You can look at this post for breakdowns of what they're all about and why I recommend them.

I Think My Son is Gay and I Want to Be a Wall both wrapped up with fairly open endings but remained good reads over all. I finally got around to finishing After Hours, a yuri about a girl who gets ditched by her friend at the club, only to meet a cool punk girl who introduces her to the world of DJ-ing. It's a very charming three volume tale, and I love the playful vibe and more natural dialogue, especially for the cool party-girl love interest.

There are several manga that just stay the course as far as being excellent go: Otherside Picnic (which is finally at some of the best parts of the light novels! It's getting real!) , Monthly Girls Nozaki-kun, Witch Hat Atelier, A Man and his cat, How Do We Relationship, March Come in Like a Lion, The Summer Hikaru Died and She Loves to Cook and She Loves to Eat.

For Yuri is my Job, I have to warn for a intense predatory sexual assault scene between an adult antagonist and one of the underage main characters. It's even ambiguous whether the character in question got raped for a few pages (but she wasn't). It's completely framed as a an evil, bad act by the antagonist, but how it was handled was SO intense I'm not sure how I feel about it. Yona of the Dawn has gotten incredibly intense lately and continues extremely slowly but surely approaching the finale. Maybe we'll get it in four years or something.

And that it! I'm going to happily keep reading all these manga, as well as continue checking out some new ones, like Akane-banashi! I hope you enjoyed these recs!