Winter 2022 Manga Book Shelf Spotlight

December has passed and we’re now in January. Still in the Winter months I wanted to share some gems and usual manga picks that caught me by surprise leading into the new year. From a sprawling, lengthy series that finally came to an end with plenty of characters all getting some time to shine to some indie picks ranging from Shojo to Seninen, I was busy reading, and this is a perfect time for a seasonal check in to spotlight a few gems on my physical and digital bookshelves for anyone looking for some new manga to read! Romance, memoir, alternative history–you name it! I got it!

Ôoku: The Inner Chambers Creator: Fumi Yoshinaga Publisher: Viz Genre: Josei Age Rating: 18+ Available Formats: Digital & Physical Ongoing or Completed: Completed. (19 Volumes) Localization Team: Akemi Wegmüller (Translation & Adaptation) Monalisa De Asis (Touch up Art & Lettering) First and foremost, I have to give Ōoku: The Inner Chamber and mangka Fumi Yoshinaga their due. Viz started publishing the English translated version back in 2009 and steadily over the years kept releasing volume after volume until its final volume back in 2022. I became acquainted with the series back in 2019 when a friend recommended it. I remember I was struggling with my final semester in college and sat down reading the first volume and was stunned. A few more volumes followed and then…came the pandemic and the virus that changed the world as we know it. I had half the series in print and then wanted …