Manga is such a diverse medium. I mean that in terms of both the subject matter it explores (tackling everything from period pain to classical music) as well as the range in tones it employs.
My idea of what makes a great manga is similar to my approach to cooking: You need to balance out the flavors. The sour sting of heartbreak is mellowed out by the sweet comfort of friendship; a peppery sprinkle of humor adds brightness to a heavy, serious broth. Every ingredient, every emotion, every experience, is valuable and adds variety to the feast of life.
I’ll stop making sappy food metaphors and get to the point: Here are some of my favorite manga that will make great additions to any Y.A. reading list. These titles will make you laugh, cry and, above all else, feel that it’s OK to be exactly where you are.
Children of the Sea, by Daisuke Igarashi
Reading “Children of the Sea” was, for me, a spiritual experience. The series is about a girl, Ruka, who has been ostracized by her classmates. One day, she meets two mysterious boys who have been raised by dugongs, and they usher her into the magic world of the sea. Through Ruka, Igarashi poses a question that every teen has asked: Do I belong here? The story then opens into a journey of magnitude and wonder. If you have ever felt that your world is too small, read this series.
Honey and Clover, by Chica Umino
“Honey and Clover” has been a constant source of comfort and inspiration since I first read it over 10 years ago, and I come back to it again and again. It follows a group of friends at an art school in Tokyo over the course of several years. With humor and empathy, Umino tenderly erects a shrine to all the bitter pain and sweetness of unrequited love. “Honey and Clover” dignifies the clumsy missteps of young adulthood in a way that teens will appreciate, because if rejection and failure have to be a part of life, might as well romanticize it, right?
Blank Canvas: My So-Called Artist’s Journey, by Akiko Higashimura
This manga memoir focuses on Higashimura’s relationship with her mentor throughout her journey to becoming a mangaka (creator of manga). Higashimura mercilessly and hilariously roasts her younger self for all of her youthful arrogance and entitlement as she tries to become an artist, and she portrays with an equal mixture of guilt and tenderness her mentor’s unwavering dedication to helping her improve her craft. Teens everywhere have to navigate the winding hellscape of finding their own path, and here that experience is reflected back with heaping servings of wit and heart. I snort-laughed and cried until I couldn’t breathe.
Satoko and Nada, by Yupechika
“Satoko and Nada” is a yonkoma manga (a comic where each gag/beat is contained within four panels) about a Japanese girl and a Saudi Arabian girl who become roommates by chance while studying abroad in the United States. What in another author’s hands could have been a clunky educational P.S.A. about Muslim culture instead becomes a light, funny and at times deeply moving look into the lives of two strangers who approach their differences with curiosity, and develop a friendship full of love. Through snapshots of daily life, Yupechika deftly captures that horizon-expanding feeling of early adulthood and the excitement of discovering that the world is so much bigger than you thought.
Yotsuba&!, by Kiyohiko Azuma
Every chapter in “Yotsuba&!” portrays a single day in the life of the titular character, Yotsuba, a 4-year-old girl who recently moved to Tokyo with her adoptive father from what she describes as an island “to the left” of Japan. Azuma, the manga’s creator, turns the most mundane happenings, such as ordering pizza or making pancakes, into entertaining adventures as seen through the eyes of the always energetic and unpredictable Yotsuba. Both my mom and my grandmother, who never read manga, enjoyed this one for its offbeat humor and charm.
Our Dreams at Dusk: Shimanami Tasogare, by Yuhki Kamatani
I only recently read this series, and I’m kicking myself for not having done so sooner. The story opens with a gay teenager, Tasuku, contemplating suicide after being outed by a classmate. His suicide attempt is interrupted when he sees someone jumping off a balcony nearby, and when he goes to investigate, he stumbles upon a lounge cafe run by a mysterious, nameless person. It turns out the cafe is a hub for a small community of L.G.B.T. regulars, each struggling with something, and they quickly accept Tasuku into their fold. Set in the lovingly depicted city of Onomichi, “Our Dreams at Dusk: Shimanami Tasogare” follows Tasuku as he struggles to come to terms with his sexuality, seamlessly weaving scenes of his daily life with fantastic images of his inner emotional landscape.
Fruits Basket, by Natsuki Takaya
I have to honor my high school self by including “Fruits Basket” on this list. The series follows Tohru, an orphaned teenager who somehow finds herself living with members of a family cursed to transform into animals of the Chinese zodiac when they’re hugged by someone of the opposite sex. The wacky premise quickly gives way to a story that delves deep into shame, trauma, bonds of obligation, and finding acceptance and healing. Teens will come for the romance and comedy, and stay for the endearing message that you don’t need to change to be loved.
Harmony Becker is an author and illustrator. Her solo graphic novel is “Himawari House.” She also illustrated George Takei’s graphic memoir, “They Called Us Enemy.”
