When the Showa Era began, Mizuki himself was just a few years old, so his earliest memories coincide with the earliest events of the Era. With his trusty narrator Rat Man, Mizuki brings history into the realm of the personal, making it palatable, and indeed compelling, for young audiences as well as more mature readers. As he describes the militarization that leads up to World War II, Mizuki’s stance toward war is thoughtful and often downright critical – his portrayal of the Nanjing Massacre clearly paints the incident (a disputed topic within Japan) as an atrocity. Mizuki’s Showa is a beautifully told history that tracks how technological developments and the country’s shifting economic stability had a role in shaping Japan’s foreign policy in the early twentieth century. (Source: Drawn & Quarterly)

**THE MANY PATHS OF LOVE** School may be out, but for Kusakabe and Sajo, their lives together are just beginning! Will the two manage to make things work? Meanwhile, many of their friends, such as their former teacher Hara, are dealing with their own relationship drama. *Source: Seven Seas Entertainment, Vol. 5*

Makoto Misumi was an average, everyday high schooler, who found himself shipped off to another world at his parents’ whims. Upon arrival, however, he’s insulted by the Goddess for being too ugly and thrown into a desolate wasteland. He frantically searches for human warmth and connection, but can find nothing but monsters and inhuman settlers. When he finally meets companions he can trust, they turn out to be a pair of powerful perverts in a former dragon and a former giant spider! His high-octane, incredibly misfortunate trek through this foreign world has only just begun! *Source: Hanashi Media, Vol. 1*

Left devastated after the tragic death of his parents and sister, Yuuichi Tachibana adopts his seven-year-old nephew, Ayumu. Seeking a new beginning, he chooses to move them to a new house with a view of the ocean, hoping for a peaceful setting where they can concentrate on their healing. There they meet Ryou Kurebayashi, who owns a neighborhood deli, and become regular customers. As Ryou and Yuuichi grow closer, learning about each other's unfortunately similarly tragic pasts, they begin to support one another ― and Ayumu ― day by day, building a little family of their own by the sea. (Source: TOKYOPOP)

In the deepest level of the dungeon known as the Gate of the Otherworld, Shin was locked in battle. His opponent: the final boss of THE NEW GATE, a VRMMO that had transformed into a deadly death game. After a fierce and grueling fight, Shin emerged victorious, freeing the trapped players from their digital prison. But just as relief washed over him, a mysterious door at the heart of the dungeon suddenly opened—and in the next moment, Shin lost consciousness. When he came to, what lay before him was the world of THE NEW GATE—not the game, but the real thing. *Source: Hanashi Media, Vol. 1*

Kagome is a modern Japanese high school girl. Never the type to believe in myths and legends, her world view dramatically changes when, one day, she's pulled out of her own time and into another! There, in Japan's ancient past, Kagome discovers more than a few of those dusty old legends are true, and that her destiny is linked to one legendary creature in particular--the dog-like half-demon called Inuyasha! That same trick of fate also ties them both to the Shikon Jewel, or "Jewel of Four Souls." But demons beware...the smallest shard of the Shikon Jewel can give the user unimaginable power. (Source: VIZ Media)

What would you do if a tiger skin bikini-clad alien followed you to school every day? Poor Ataru's life has never returned to normal since volatile extraterrestrial princess Lum fell for him. Now an excruciatingly wealthy and genteel rival, Mendo, adds to Ataru's torment. Not to mention an unending stream of extraordinary classroom visitors and educational materials including incompetent cherry blossom spirits, a legendary nightmare-eating tapir, and a fourth-dimensional camera that breeches alternate realities. (Source: VIZ Media)

In a world where people with supernatural powers, called Blazers, manifest their souls as weapons, Kurogane Ikki dreams of becoming a Mage-Knight. It’s too bad he has no natural talent for it. The whole school ridicules him as the worst Blazer, so color everyone surprised when he suddenly defeats Stella Vermillion, a Rank A Blazer, in a duel. And so begins his fight to the top! *Source: J-Novel Club, Vol. 1*

For as long as he can remember, Woonhwi So has been the black sheep of his family and clan. Because his spirit core has been destroyed, he has no choice but to serve as a third-rate spy for the Blood Cult. One day, during his mission to find the legendary Blade Scroll, he is killed and sent 10 years into the past. When Woonhwi regains consciousness, he realizes that he has been sent back to the day he was kidnapped by the Blood Cult, and that he has gained a mysterious ability to hear the voice of a dagger. (Source: WEBTOON)

Merleawe has left her hometown and moved to the capital city of Viegald to attend wizarding school. On her way to her first day of school, she bumps into a man who kidnaps her and takes her to the castle, where she is charged with an awesome task—impersonating the kingdom’s master wizard! Fearing war would break out if it was known the master wizard, Slythfarn, was missing, Slythfarn’s inner circle has decided someone must pretend to be him. Merleawe tells them that she will take the job! But not only does she lack the ability to cast more than simple magic, she also has no idea who the master wizard was! Unraveling the twisted threads of Sylthfarn’s disappearance and keeping up the appearances of both master wizard and first year wizarding student makes Merleawe’s every day challenging, magical and amazing! (Source: TOKYOPOP)

Hotaru is a 16-year-old high school first-year who has always been ambivalent about love, preferring instead to have a lively life with her family and friends. So when she sees her schoolmate, Hananoi-kun, sitting in the snow after a messy, public breakup, she thinks nothing of offering to share her umbrella. But when he asks her out in the middle of her classroom the next day, she can’t help but feel that her life is about to change in a big way... (Source: Kodansha USA) *Note: Chapter count includes one epilogue bonus chapter.*

**In this charming tale, a woman gets transported to a fantasy world and pursues her own quest: opening a book café!** Tsukina is a single, thirty-something office worker whose favorite thing is curling up with a good book. When a god tells her that she must go to another world to become its magical savior, Tsukina isn’t interested. She has zero desire to go on some grand hero’s journey. So when she arrives in this strange new land, she decides to use her magical powers to create a cozy little book café instead. Her first customer is a handsome soldier who loves reading almost as much as she does. But when a fellow “savior” starts causing trouble, Tsukina might have to play the hero after all! *Source: Seven Seas Entertainment, Vol. 1*