My Top 5 Summer Manga Series

by Saia, Glendale Branch

With a bit more free time this summer, I was able to dive into some epic manga series. Here are my top five manga that I have enjoyed over the past few months. Some of these titles I have read because I started watching the anime online or they have been recommended to me by other teens. What are your top 5 Manga reads for the summer? 

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Kaiju No. 8 
By Mostumoto Naoya 

Monsters called "kaiju" have been appearing around Japan for many years. To combat these beasts, an elite military unit known as the Defense Corps risks their lives daily to protect civilians. Once a creature is killed, "sweepers"—working under the Professional Kaiju Cleaner Corporation—are left to dispose of its remains.
Kafka Hibino is unsatisfied with his job as a sweeper. From a young age, he has aspired to join the Defense Corps and kill kaiju for a living. After a few failed attempts, however, he gave up on his dreams and resigned himself to the mediocrity that provided a decent paycheck. 
Following a chain of unfortunate events, Kafka encounters a parasite-type kaiju that forces its way in through his mouth—turning him into a humanoid monster. With his newfound powers, Kafka aims to give his lifelong dream a final try. -Fandom.com

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Living Stone 
​By ​Jinsei Kataoka and Tomohiro Maekawa

Each person is born with a soul, its plan determining ninety percent of one's life. People who stray from their soul's fate, whether it be through an unfortunate accident or an unplanned murder, leave behind a shattered "psycholith"—a rock that is a manifestation of their soul. When these are left behind, they stain the environment, ultimately creating "negative points"—places that interfere with a soul's plan, causing a vicious cycle of misfortune.

The righteous Sakurai and apathetic Amano are a pair of specialists tasked with ensuring that souls follow their natural paths. To that end, as part of Psycholith Collection & Cleaning, they collect and dispose of shattered psycholiths and clean up stains. But there is another side to their job, one with moral ambiguity. They must also prevent psycholiths from shattering—even if that entails killing the soul's host.- MAL

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Toilet Bound Hanako-kun 
By Aidalro

Nene Yashiro, a first-year high-school student who loves the occult and wishes for a boyfriend, summons the Seventh and most famous Wonder, "Hanako-san of the Toilet", the spirit of a girl who allegedly haunts the bathroom and can grant wishes for the right price. Upon summoning her, Nene discovers that "Hanako-san" is nothing like the rumors say; Hanako-san is a boy. With a turn of events, she is spiritually bound to Hanako and becomes his assistant, helping him destroy evil supernaturals and change rumors in order to maintain the balance between the spirit world and the human world. Along the way, Nene learns about her connection to the spirit world and the dark secrets regarding Hanako and his past.- Wiki

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The Way of The House Husband 
By Kousuke Oono 

Who would have ever thought that the most feared gangster of his time now spends his days as a modest househusband? Seemingly giving up the way of the yakuza, the legendary "Immortal Dragon" Tatsu, best known for his prolific skirmishes against rival gangs, has abruptly vanished. Unbeknownst to most, however, Tatsu is currently staying at an apartment with his wife, doing his best to live a peaceful life.

Donning his trusty apron, Tatsu is now striving to become an efficient homemaker. Because of this, he has mastered the required skills—be it cooking the most delicious dishes, making sure to get the best deals at supermarkets, and everything in between—garnering the surprise of both of his former subordinates and enemies alike. Despite being a man with quite a controversial past, Tatsu's new way of life will only be more eccentric from here on out! -MAL 

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Fire Force 
By Atsushi Ohkubo

Spontaneous Human Combustion: a chaotic phenomenon that has plagued humanity for years, randomly transforming ordinary people into flaming, violent creatures known as Infernals. While Infernals make up the first-generation accounts of Human Combustion, the second and third generations became known as pyrokinetics—people gifted with the ability to manipulate and control their flames while remaining human. To combat the Infernal threat and discover the cause, the Tokyo Armed Forces, Fire Defense Agency, and Holy Church of Sol produced their answer: the Special Fire Force.
Young and eager third-generation pyrokinetic Shinra Kusakabe, nicknamed Devil's Footprints for his explosive ability to ignite his feet at will, becomes a member of the lively Special Fire Force Company 8. Upholding the brigade's duty to extinguish the blazing Infernals and lay their souls to rest, Shinra is determined to become a hero who will save the lives of those threatened by the flame terror. -MAL 

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