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jessenigma · 9 months

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My Favorite New Manga Reads of 2023

For the past few years on twitter, I've made threads of some of my favorite manga and light novel reads from the past year. This year, I decided I would move it over to two tumblr posts.

After the cut are some of my favorite titles that I picked up for the first time in 2023.

Talk to My Back, Yamada Murasaki

I like to pick up something a little more unusual at least once a year and so at the beginning of this year, I picked up this 1980s alt-manga title about the life of a Tokyo housewife played out in short vignettes. It's a frustrating read because of how real it feels and how much it feels like things haven't changed as much in the last 40 years as I'd like, but it's all the more fascinating for it. The essay at the end discussing Yamada Murasaki's work and placing it in context was a nice bonus too.

When a Cat Faces West, Yuki Urushibara

I love Yuki Urushibara's Mushishi (slow though I have been to actually finish it), so when Kodansha announced a license for Urushibara's much shorter series, I was there for it. It has a cool concept - there are areas of "flow" that will pop up out of nowhere and shift people and places out of time and space and one guy has tasked himself with helping people fix issues caused by it - but mostly it feels like Mushishi but set in the present day. I love a series that's just vibes all the way down.

Skip and Loafer, Misaki Takamatsu

I was absolutely smitten with the Skip and Loafer anime, so when it ended with what felt like a pretty definitive "we are not making a second season of this" final episode, I started the manga. A high school slice of life series lives by its characters and Mitsumi is the more adorable dork ever. The other characters are equally delightful, even when I don't necessarily like them, and I'm so eager to dive deeper into their lives.

Associate Professor Akira Takatsuki's Conjecture (light novel), Mikage Sawamura

This series feels a bit like what you'd get if you crossed The Case Files of Jeweler Richard and The Night Beyond the Tricornered Window: a college student with a supernatural ability to hear lies that alienates him from everyone meets a folklore professor with a mysterious past fascinated by mysteries, and together they investigate possibly-supernatural events. It's a bit silly, but the relationship between the leads is interesting and there's a lot of fun urban legends in the mix. There's also a manga adaptation that I haven't yet picked up, but maybe one day...

March Comes in Like a Lion, Chica Umino

I was curious about this one from the second Denpa announced the license just because of how much I'd heard about the series for years now, and it did not disappoint. I love a good story about a depressed and lonely teenage boy sublimating his feelings into an obsession with a uniquely Japanese pastime, especially when there's so many people around him wanting to help him stop being alone. Now I just wish that the release wasn't quite as slow as it has been, even if I know the many reasons why...though at least I still have the anime to rewatch while I wait.

Don't Call It Mystery, Yumi Tamura

After reading Basara and Wild Com, I was eager to get my hands on a newer series by Yumi Tamura, and the fact that it's a modern-day non-fantasy series made it all the more interesting. Totonou's incessant observations about the things going on around him are delightful, especially when they lead him straight into all kinds of dangers or even just leave everyone around him wishing he'd stop talking for about five seconds. I just want to pat him on the head and ask him to make me some curry.

After the Rain, Jun Mayuzuki

I got a card for the Japan Foundation's ebook library not too long ago, which has been great for picking up a lot of books that aren't available in my local library's collection, including this series. I had heard about it but was a bit hesitant because it's about a teenage girl who gets a crush on her much older boss...but hey, why not give it a try from the library? I'm glad I did because there was such a sweet relationship between them that ultimately helped them both out of the ruts they were in with their personal lives and dreams.

River's Edge, Kyoko Okazaki

I still can't decide if I actually enjoy Kyoko Okazaki's work or not, but I got a little closer to it with River's Edge. It's a harsh story about disaffected teenagers who find a dead body, but somehow it feels less depressing than the other works of hers I've read because they're teenagers and there's still the possibility that they can escape the lives that are dragging them down. I will say this - Okazaki's stories are never boring, whether I enjoy them or not.

Her, Tomoko Yamashita

I got a little overambitious this year and ordered the Italian release of a Tomoko Yamashita title I've been wanting to read for years. Can I read Italian? No. Did I think maybe I could figure it out kinda okay because I've studied French and Spanish? Yes. Did I end up reading everything through a translation app? Also yes. But this collection of interconnected stories about women and relationships was excellent despite the language barrier. I was thrilled to finally see the context for the kiss between a younger woman and an elderly woman that I so admired in Yamashita's 15th anniversary artbook, and its story was a touching exploration of what "normal" means. I would love to see this in English, but unfortunately I can't see it getting picked up.

Glitch, Shima Shinya

I was thrilled that Yen Press decided to pick up another title from Shima Shinya after Lost Lad London, and Glitch has been well worth my time. While it is a fantasy story about a town full of glitches in reality that I'm excited to see play out fully, what really caught my eye is the sheer amount of diversity in the characters - one of the leads is nonbinary, there are mixed race characters, there's a lesbian couple, etc. It's all part of the story but not in a didactic way, which I appreciate immensely. Shinya's art also makes me so happy, and I hope Yen continues to get more of their work.

Lilies and Voices Born Upon the Wind, Renmei

Speaking of diversity in characters, I enjoyed this series not only because it was a nice yuri with a motorcycle lesbian (always a bonus in my book, the motorcycle) but because it had some really thoughtful discussion of asexuality in multiple forms. I wish I could've gotten one of the printed copies that were available for purchase at one con, but alas.

Witch Hat Atelier Kitchen, Hiromi Sato & Kamome Shirahama

Did we really need a cooking series spinoff of Witch Hat Atelier? Probably not. Am I glad we got it in English anyway? Absolutely. This is basically an Olruggio/Qifrey slowburn domestic au fanfic and I adore it. And I love that they keep up the conceit about magical ingredients in each chapter's recipe, even though they are legit recipes you can actually make with the real ingredients recommended as substitutions. What Did You Eat Yesterday? but with witches, clearly an ideal combination.

Scribbles, Kaoru Mori

I am not actually a diehard fan of Kaoru Mori's work - I drifted away from A Bride's Story when I ran out of volumes at the library - but I do unabashedly adore her art. Scribbles is just perfect for me with its pages from her sketchbooks and her commentary about things like the ideal skirt tightness. I bought this in hardcover and all and will continue to get the other volumes in hardcover even though I almost always get Yen Press titles digitally because it's so much cheaper that way, that's how much I like it.

Innocent, Shin'ichi Sakamoto

I've had my eye on Shin'ichi Sakamoto's work for a while because I saw a bunch of panels from Innocent on here and fell in love with the art. What I did not expect was that the violently erotic story about a French executioner would actually get an English license. It's gorgeous and violent and weird and I am so here for it. Now, if I could just be sure that Dark Horse actually plans on releasing the whole thing...

Barbarities, Tsuta Suzuki

Much like with Innocent, I saw panels from Barbarities on here ages ago and wished I could read it without much hope, given the lack of other licenses for Tsuta Suzuki's bl since SuBLime's relicense of A Strange & Mystifying Story ages ago. But thankfully I am getting to read this nebulously historical drama with all of its social machinations and pretty men getting flustered by other flirtatious pretty men. And such nice clothes!

A Home Far Away, Teki Yatsuda

Kuma really gets some stellar licenses and A Home Far Away was especially good. Set in 1990s America, it reminded me of nothing so much as My Own Private Idaho crossed with Banana Fish and made me weep absolute buckets in the end. I don't think it's for everyone, but if you were ever an aficionado of depressing 90s queer cinema like I once was, this might be one for you.

À vos cotés [Tonari ni], Basso

I was shocked when the announcement for the French release of this title crossed my twitter timeline earlier this year - France has even less by Natsume Ono than the US does, but one of their publishers managed to get one of her actual bl titles published under her bl penname? So naturally, I had to get it. It's super sweet, about a young man who likes to take photos of horses at a racetrack who meets a much older man, and I swear reading it was just like reading her non-bl work only this time the two characters actually got to say their feelings out loud. This would be a perfect addition to several mainstream US publishers' bl lineup, and I would be the first in line to buy it if they did license it in English.

Dear, My God, Nemui Asada

More by Nemui Asada in English! I love Asada's work for its unique storylines and this one didn't disappoint, with a story about a priest having sex with a cult member to help save him and another story about a guy who ends up with a talking plant. It's a bit disappointing that it's only available on futekiya - when will we get some of these titles in print already?

Ikigami & Donor, Hiko Yamanaka

Hiko Yamanaka is another one whose work is always a bit outside the mold, and Ikigami & Donor is an interesting sci-fi bl about powerful "living gods" who have tremendous abilities but can't heal from injuries without blood, bodily fluids, or tissues from one specific donor. It's a fascinating concept and the way the relationship between one ikigami and his donor played out made for an interesting story. I hope to see more from Yamanaka one day.

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hikariale · 9 months

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lin kuei on wheels

Hi! Motorcycles and motorcycle culture are one of my biggest passions, so I was really excited to see some people floating the idea of characters being bikers! I'd like to throw my own ring in the hat, so below are some of my headcanons and motorcycle assignments. I may do another post like this for the rest of the (formerly) Lin Kuei, Frost, Cyrax, and Sektor because... I really love motorcycles and I jump at the chance to talk about them. Everything below is just my personal indulgence, hehe!

cw: mentions of motorcycle crashes, ask to tag

characters: bi-han, kuai liang, tomáš vrbada

The implementation of motorcycles was Sektor's suggestion for quick transport through Earthrealm without depending on Liu Kang's powers to airdrop them to the approximate location of their objectives.

Sektor installed intercoms into their helmets, but the brothers rarely use or need them to communicate.

Though Kuai Liang has the fastest bike, Bi-han is the one who usually drives up front if they are travelling together. Kuai Liang doesn't tend to go full throttle unless they are all in a hurry, and Tomáš typically brings up the rear as the one with the slowest bike and the one who likes to mess around the most.

Bi-han and Kuai Liang have to take off their gloves to use their powers most effectively. When caught in a bad situation while in the saddle, Tomáš will usually jump into action to cover them.

Each brother knows the basics of maintenance, but Tomáš has worked on his motorcycle personally much more than the others.

Their gear and motorcycles are distinct, so they keep interactions with others to a minimum to avoid identity leaks. This includes law enforcement trying to pull them over for reckless driving.

The IDs they carry with them are fake for this reason as well, so technically none of them have a real permit. Their visors have all been modified to be tinted to further hide their identities while passing through.

From most to least crashes between the brothers: Kuai Liang (1000+cc supersport bikes are hardly beginner friendly), Tomáš (likes to do stunts), and Bi-han (aggressive driver to share the road with, but he's very sensible when not experiencing road rage)

Sektor repairs their bikes most often as THE Lin Kuei technomechanophile, but sometimes Tomáš will do repairs if he has nothing else (that he wants) to do. Kuai Liang prefers Tomáš' repairs because it always feels like Sektor adds modifications that he never asked for.

Suzuki 2022 Katana Arai Quantum X helmet Reax Castor Perforated Leather gloves The Jacket Maker Darren Black Leather jacket Knox Urbane Pro trousers Aether Moto Boot

This man's brake-check game is truly DEMENTED. He will brake-check a van! He does not give a fuck! His brothers yell at him about it because you have a zero percent chance of winning a quarrel with a car if you are on anything less than a car.

He is the most prone to road rage, but outside of his tendency to aggressively and pointedly pass people or brake-check them, he's mostly responsible with it. He especially dislikes other vehicles getting in his wide personal bubble when riding. In spite of all of that, he doesn't use his horn very often.

Tries to signal for any sharp turns or strange road conditions fairy early while in the front so that his brothers don't get taken by surprise. He feels most comfortable leading because it makes him most likely to hit an obstacle before his brothers.

Bi-han often checks on his brothers through his mirrors, but if he loses sight of them, he will slow down and shoulder check every couple of seconds until they either leave his blind spot or he's verified that they're keeping up alright.

Bi-han's crash contingency plan is to take his gloves off and ice-slide to avoid road burn, but he has only had low-speed crashes while learning how to ride, so the feasibility of this plan is extremely questionable. He wears more gear than he would normally bother with out of a sense of responsibility. Similarly to Tomáš, he prefers motorcycle gear that feels and looks as close to civilian clothes as possible.

Surprisingly serious about learning and improving because he wants to lead by example, especially if they ever do a full-organisation implementation of motorcycles, Bi-han can sometimes be caught practising things like braking and figure eight turn repetitions.

He's used to sliding on his own ice, so he never understood the problem with "bad road conditions" until he was drove over black ice. Kuai Liang threw him a lifeline (his kusarigama), but the bike ate the entire highside.

Bi-han does not return any waves***. Ever.

Suzuki GSX1300 R Hayabusa Scorpion EXO-R420 Engage helmet ON BOARD PRX-1 gloves KLIM Outlander GTX boots T.ur Zero jacket and pants 2 piece suit

Kuai Liang is is the most rigorous with his gear because his motorcycle is the fastest (312 kmh) and he doesn't think he can teleport away unharmed at high speeds.

It's not that he's specifically afraid of the it, but Kuai Liang has never actually hit top speed on his motorcycle because he feels it to be excessive and hard to handle. Though he is trying to unlearn it, he has a dangerous habit of overcorrection.

This guy miraculously stops the death wobble by holding on to the handlebars and trying to stabilise them, which... Is the exact opposite thing that anybody should try to do, but he pulls it off every time. And he needs to get maintenance done because it happens way too often to be dismissed.

Sharp turns don't bother him very much. Sometimes his knee will touch the road briefly. Rather than having difficulty with sharp turns, he struggles to brake smoothly. Most often, his own speed takes him by surprise and he grabs a fistful of front brake in response. Bi-han will use his power to stop him before he can become a flying ninja, but he also tells Kuai Liang off for not having good braking technique.

Though he lacks a lot of technical knowledge and runs into the most issues, Kuai Liang's intuition is actually the best. The biggest issue he has is that he is more reactive than proactive, but he does know his range of movement and can utilise it without issues if he doesn't face unexpected circumstances. In that same vein, he's able to ride his brothers' motorcycles without any issues adjusting to the difference.

Unlike Bi-han, Kuai Liang makes an effort to braid his hair before a ride because he doesn't like the feeling of it whipping around. He also has the neatest hair after he takes his helmet off. He often teases Bi-han for keeping his hair down, but he does try to advise him to tie it up to avoid the struggle of fixing it nine hundred and ninety-nine tangles later.

Kuai Liang has a 50/50 chance of returning a wave***. He does try for the sake of etiquette, but he often misses his chance by the time he thinks to do it.

The Wal (BMW R 18 customised by Shinya Kimura) LS2 Street Fighter helmet Armure Kerr vented gloves Dainese Street Rocker D-WP boots Icon Mesh AF motorcycle jacket Saint Unbreakable Engineered Slim Fit Armoured jean

Tomáš is the most likely to go squid* of all the brothers because he is fully confident and comfortable on his motorcycle in a way that they aren't. He also has a lot of faith in his ability to react fast enough to use his powers before he can get hurt, but sometimes his brothers will nag him about it anyways.

Unlike his brothers' sport bikes, Tomáš chose to ride a cruiser. The speed is much slower, but the ergonomics and flexibility for customisation made him choose it. It also boasts the largest gas tank and most powerful engine (1802cc), so he is basically the backup plan if someone runs out of gas or their bike gets stuck.

While Bi-han was vaguely interested in the concept of advancement and Kuai Liang was generally ambivalent to the idea, Tomáš was excited about the new motorcycles. As the one most interested in pop culture, he was most knowledgeable on them.

After getting to actually ride one, he became even more charmed by them, so he's by far the most involved in motorcycle culture. There's an endearing dorkiness about how cool he thinks it all is, but he is genuinely knowledgeable in applicable ways that his brothers aren't. He'd like to own more motorcycles, but there is no precedent for it or storage, so he focuses on customising the one that he has.

The first time Tomáš popped a wheelie, Bi-han hard-braked thinking that he was about to crash, and then proceeded to tell him off for fooling around too much. After a while, Bi-han got used to it and begrudgingly considered it a skill asset.

Aside from the fact that most sport bikes are miserable rides for any passengers, Tomáš is the best one to turn to if you need a lift. He isn't as prone to overcorrection as Kuai Liang and adjusts the fastest to having and accommodating a passenger**.

Tomáš makes an active attempt to return waves*** because he knows that his brothers probably won't. As someone who regularly takes his hands off of the handlebars, and the one most often in the back, it isn't as much of a struggle for him.

*the term "squid" refers to riders who forego motorcycle gear. The opposite term would be ATGATT (All The Gear All The Time), where Kuai Liang is more aligned.

**having a passenger on a motorcycle drastically changes the ride because the driver and passenger need to work together in shifting their weight and balance. if a passenger cannot anticipate and go along with the driver, the execution of turns may be affected, so it is suggested that riders try to acclimate their passengers before doing any serious driving.

***motorcyclists wave at each other on the road. this is basically etiquette and a predominant, universal part of motorcycle culture. not returning a wave is considered rude by most motorcyclists. it could be described like someone coming to a party and then ignoring everybody that tries to talk to them.

#mk1 #mortal kombat #bi han #tomas vrbada #kuai liang #the links are just sources for pictures that weren't already provided by the manufacturers ^^#though i intended to give bi-han a kawasaki i ended up giving him a suzuki. and i think that works too in an unintentional way #i just KNOWWW johnny gassed tomáš UP when he saw the motorcycle and honestly deserved bc its sick ITS SICK #i really love looking at shinya kimura's work... i'd suggest looking into him if anybody reads these tags hehe ^^#a lot of this is just me rambling and none of this is meant to be acommercial endorsement of any products.#i had a lot more to say but i didn't want to get too technical and in-depth about gear and bike choices for them. i just love motorcycles <#but anybody who is curious can just ask and i'd be happy to answer ^^

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