Netflix’s most touching anime arrives in manga… manga releases for April 2024

Culture news Netflix’s most touching anime arrives in manga… manga releases for April 2024

The big manga releases of March 2024

Kaiju No. 8 volume 11: A monstrous shônen

Kaiju No. 8 is today one of the gems of Shueisha, a worthy representative of contemporary shônen which perfectly manages to dust off the genre while largely meeting the expectations of the readership who seeks to rediscover its codes. The manga is a real success for the most famous Japanese publishing house, but is also a hit in France. It must be said that Kazé was able to hit very hard in 2021 to the release of the first volume. After almost three years of publication with us, Kaiju N°8 is still as successful as ever. In a world plagued by invasions of gigantic monsters (the famous Kaijus, the most famous of which is Godzilla), we follow the story of Kafka Hibino, a thirty-year-old who works on the front to clean up the damage caused during the clashes. Our hero has only one dream: to join the defense forces and fight alongside Mina Ashiro, his childhood friend. But although he never passed the entrance exam and has now reached the age limit to enlist, his destiny changes when a strange creature infects him and gives him the power to transform. into a fearsome monster. If the pitch is very simple, Kaiju N°8 serves it skillfully with a rather original protagonist for the genre and wonderfully characterized. A monstrously effective manga that will certainly entertain you. As a bonus, this new volume should be released as a collector’s edition in a large format version, priced at 19.99 euros.

• Available April 3, 2024
• Get Kaiju N°8 volume 11 in your nearest bookstore thanks to Booksellers Square.

Buy Kaiju N°8 volume 11 for €6.99

Manchuria Opium Squad volume 13: once upon a time in Manchuria

A major asset of the Vega publishing house since its integration into the Dupuis group, Manchuria Opium Squad is a historical thriller that is well worth the detour. Immersed in the 1930s in the heart of Manchuria, this Far Eastern territory divided at the time between Chinese and Japanese occupation, the reader embarks on a gripping underworld story, in the midst of an opium explosion. The story centers on Isamu Higata, a young Japanese man who lost the use of his eye after his military service, and was then forced to become a farmer for the state. Penniless, the young man must provide for his family’s needs, but he despairs when his mother falls seriously ill. Completely cornered, he decided to put his knowledge to work in poppy cultivation, an essential ingredient in the production of opium. From then on begins our hero’s journey through the underworld. Manchuria Opium Squad easily manages to stand out from its peers through its originality. But beyond its setting, the manga reveals a gripping story, a story rich in twists and turns that keeps us in suspense chapter after chapter.

• Available April 12, 2024
• Get Manchuria Opium Squad volume 13 in your nearest bookstore thanks to Booksellers Square.

Buy Manchuria Opium Squad volume 13 for €8.35

Iruma at the school of demons volume 22: a life in Hell

Iruma at the School of Demons is a little treat to enjoy without moderation. An obvious parody of Harry Potter, but more clever than a Mashle for example, Nishi Osamu’s work is specifically designed to make us have a good time. Iruma is a naive young man, full of kindness, but abused by those close to him. While he works hard to satisfy his family, he is adopted by a powerful demon who dreamed of having a grandson. Iruma therefore begins a new life in the demonic world in the company of his adoptive grandfather who never ceases to shower him with attention. Quickly, the young boy will have to return to school while taking care not to reveal his true nature. Incredible situations, adventures galore, Iruma at the School of Demons is a slice-of-life shônen that is both touching, hilarious, but above all, devilishly entertaining. Note that there is also a more than faithful and perfectly produced anime adaptation, available on Crunchyroll.

• Available April 17, 2024
• Obtain Iruma at the School of Demons volume 22 in your nearest bookstore thanks to Booksellers Square.

Buy Iruma at the Demon School volume 22 for €7.20

What’s new to watch out for in April 2024

Honey Lemon Soda volumes 1 and 2: Sour Love

As for new features, readers will be able to count on a particularly anticipated romance in April with the release of Honey Lemon Soda, a series already very popular in Japan which tells the story of Uka Ishimori, a shy young girl who struggles to assert himself at school and ends up making his emotions completely disappear. However, her daily life changes after she enters high school, when she meets Kai Miura, a young man whose appearance reminds her of lemon and honey soda. Her new friend will then push her to assert herself more and will allow her to regain a taste for life. A necessarily touching romance, Honey Lemon Soda seems to share similarities with titles like The Boy Next Door or Sawako, to name a few. A youthful love that we can’t wait to discover, especially after its Japanese success when the manga has already sold more than 12 million copies.

• Available April 3, 2024
• Get Honey Lemon Soda at your nearest bookstore thanks to Booksellers Square.

Buy Honey Lemon Soda volume 1 for €7.20

Kotaro solo volume 1: The little handkerchiefs

It’s a small event that Panini Manga is preparing in April with the arrival of the first volume of Kotaro in Solo, a work that some French-speaking viewers should already know since it was adapted into an anime by Netflix. And what can I say, except that Mami Tsumura’s work is more than successful. Kotaro solo tells us the story of the little boy of the same name. Only four years old, Kotaro moved alone into a small residence. Intrigued by the life of this little man who already has everything he needs to be a grown-up, the other residents of the residence will little by little get to know him and get closer to him. Without going into too much detail, you should know that Kotaro in Solo is a much more mature work than it seems, tackling different themes, such as abandonment, family violence or depression. An effective and moving early coming of age that knows how to perfectly juggle between overwhelming drama and comforting moments of life.

• Available April 3, 2024
• Get Kotaro solo volume 1 in your nearest bookstore thanks to Booksellers Square.

Buy Kotaro solo volume 1 for €8.29