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Fumiyo Kōno Launches New Manga

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Fumiyo Kōno’s Imeru Fūri Debuts in Manga Goraku — A Tohoku Fantasy of Rebirth Famed mangaka Fumiyo Kōno has returned with a brand-new original fantasy, Imeru Fūri, which began serialization in Nihonbungeisha’s Manga Goraku magazine. Debuting with two chapters and featured on the issue’s front cover, the story is set in Japan’s Tohoku region and centers on the mysterious rebirth of a giant bird. For long-time readers of Kōno’s work, this marks another emotionally resonant addition to a career defined by carefully observed human drama and historical sensitivity. Image via Manga Goraku website © Nihonbungeisha What Is Imeru Fūri About? Imeru Fūri is described as an original fantasy tale rooted in Tohoku, the northeastern region of Japan known for its deep natural landscapes and layered folklore. The narrative premise—the rebirth of a giant bird—immediately places the story at the intersection of nature, myth, and human community. From the first two chapters, Kōno establ...
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Iruma-kun S4E11 Review — Welcome to Demon School

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Welcome to Demon School, Iruma-kun Season 4, Episode 11 continues to mine the show's warm, character-driven comedy while leaning into a surprisingly thoughtful exploration of friendship as a cultural concept. This episode splits into two distinct halves: one that interrogates what “friend” even means for demons raised in a society built on villainy, and another that uses Lead’s jealousy to create comedic courtroom-style chaos. Both halves reinforce the central throughline of the season — Iruma’s steady humanizing influence on the Misfit Class — while tightening the tension around his secret as Kiriwo looms in the background. © Osamu Nishi (Akita Publishing)／NHK・NEP Friendship as a Cultural Divide One of the most compelling ideas this episode teases out is that demons, raised in a culture that prizes wickedness and cruelty, might not have a well-developed concept of “friendship” — at least not in the way humans understand it. The show plays this for both come...
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'She Loves to Cook, and She Loves to Eat' Manga Returns After 2-Year Hiatus

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Good news for fans of cozy, food-centered romance: Sakaomi Yuzaki’s She Loves to Cook, and She Loves to Eat has returned to serialization after a long hiatus. The series picked up with a new chapter and recent physical releases have given readers more ways to catch up on Nomoto and Kasuga’s slow-burn domestic life. Below we break down what’s new, why the series resonates with readers, where to find it, and what to expect next. Image via Amazon Japan © Sakaomi Yuzaki What’s New: Serialization Resumes After a multi-year pause, the manga resumed serialization with a fresh chapter (chapter 53). The comeback continues the intimate, food-focused slice-of-life that made the series a quiet breakout among readers who enjoy slow romance, culinary detail, and gentle character work. For longtime followers, the new installment picks up the everyday rhythms of Nomoto and Kasuga’s shared dinners and small revelations; for newcomers, it’s a signal that the story is movi...
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Agents of the Four Seasons Ep. 10–12 Review — Dance of Spring

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Agents of the Four Seasons: Dance of Spring aimed for high drama and emotional payoff in episodes 10–12, staging a rescue mission that should have delivered catharsis for its scarred protagonists. Instead, the season's climax feels more like an exercise in trauma exposition than a satisfying resolution. Below I break down why the show’s thematic ambitions frequently collapse under the weight of sloppy storytelling, thinly sketched villains, and an almost fetishistic insistence on suffering as spectacle. ©Kana Akatsuki, Suoh/Straight Edge Aristotle, Catharsis, and What the Series Promised At the heart of any successful tragedy is catharsis: the cleansing emotional release that comes from witnessing characters endure and then transcend suffering. Agents of the Four Seasons explicitly positions its late-season arc as an attempt at that very thing. Hinagiku, Sakura, Itecho, and the rest finally converge to save Nadeshiko and confront the Insurgents w...
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Roll Over and Die Episode 9 Review

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Roll Over and Die’s episode 9 continues to juggle tender character beats with grotesque fantasy setpieces, but the balance tilts toward introspection this week — for better and worse. The episode expands the series’ found-family theme and gives viewers meaningful interactions between the cast, yet the plot’s momentum sputters as a result. Below I break down what works, what doesn’t, and why this installment feels like a transition episode rather than a turning point. ©kiki, kinta, kodamazon/MICRO MAGAZINE/Omagoto Project Narrative Momentum: Slowing Down the Dark Fantasy Episode 9 trades the more urgent tempo of earlier installments for a slower, character-focused pace. That choice yields richer emotional beats in places — particularly in scenes where Flum and those around her reflect on trauma and belonging — but it also leaves the central conspiracy thread feeling stalled. A powerful organization (the Church) with opaque labs and secret agendas should prompt in...
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Kagurabachi Manga Hiatus Until August

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Kagurabachi, the acclaimed sword‑centric shonen manga by Takeru Hokazono, is taking a temporary break. The series — which has quickly become a fan favorite for its brutal action, emotional stakes, and striking artwork — will pause publication beginning with the 31st issue of Weekly Shonen Jump on June 29. Editors and the manga’s staff confirmed that Hokazono intends to continue the story, but will step back to rest and stabilize his production schedule. The break is planned to last through July, with a return slated for August. Image via Amazon © Takeru Hokazono, Shueisha Kagurabachi hiatus explained: why Hokazono is stepping back The official Kagurabachi X (formerly Twitter) account announced the hiatus and explained that while Hokazono remains committed to creating the manga, both he and the editorial team agreed he should take time off to ensure a stable working rhythm going forward. This follows a series of recent production interruptions: a one‑issu...
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One Piece Episode 1166 Review

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Episode 1166 of One Piece continues the current Elbaph stretch with more downtime than forward momentum. If you’ve been following the arc in the anime, you’ll know that long-form world-building and slower episodes are part of the rhythm — but this installment leans heavily on atmosphere and small character beats while offering very little new information about the giants, their culture, or the island’s mysteries. For longtime viewers this can feel like indulgent breathing room; for others it may read as filler between the meaningful revelations that the manga promises. ©Eiichiro Oda/Shueisha, Toei Animation Episode Overview: Slow Burn, Small Wins This episode plays like a short character vignette more than a plot-driven installment. The narrative spends time establishing tone rather than delivering exposition. If you expected hard facts about Elbaph’s history, its people, or any immediate triggers to the larger plot, you’ll likely be disappointed. Wh...
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