"Manga artists focus on universal themes like friendship, love, and the struggle to fit in they appeal to values held by their readers. Highlighting the interests and concerns of young people can lead to good outcomes for the teenage characters, and help young readers at the same time. And the stories often highlight ideas that can break down barriers between genders, generations, and cultures. In this way manga builds bridges that connect readers...

Winter has come to the old capital of Eiteriach. Customers have been few and far between ever since baseless rumors started spreading about Nobu being a den of witches, and now, rumormonger Damien and Archbishop Rodrigo have come to finish off our favorite establishment! Damien thinks he'll finally have his revenge on Nobu, but Ingrid is prepared to face him in a war of words!! Get ready for clam sakamushi, atsukan, nikujaga stew... because even when...

In the seventh volume of the Flowers of Evil readers are sent to a completely new time and locale. Takao and Sawa have been forcibly separated. Takao is now living in suburbs of the big city. His parents have new lives in a small apartment and their past for the most part has been forgotten. Now and then little cracks appear in that facade but for the most part they are playing their roles to become a normal happy family. Takao is in a new school;...

Spirits are still high after the Maiho Music Competition when Kaori receives a letter in the mail: There's going to be a gala concert to celebrate the winners, and even though Kaori and Kosei didn't advance, they're invited to perform! Confident they can leave a lasting impression, Kaori seizes the chance to order Kosei back onto the stage with her. The ultimate duo that moved an entire audience's hearts will perform once more, and people are buzzing...

MEWSHIDO In medieval Japan, it's a hard life for a stray cat. Every day is filled with struggles and prejudice, from oppression by fellow cats working for cruel masters to extortion by catnip druglords. But being a stray also means incredible pride and independence. The wandering samurai Norachiyo has no master, though he still wears the telltale bell of a cat who has a "person." This rogue warrior travels across Japan, protecting the weak and cutting...

Someone is after Ellie's Etherion. In order to save the merpeople, the gang infiltrates the Demon King's lair and walks right into a cowardly trap! Ellie is kidnapped right before their eyes!

Now that her mother has recovered from her injury, Mikuri is finally able to return home, and this has Hiramasa jumping for joy...on the inside. He just can't bring himself to show Mikuri how he feels. Will he manage to break out of his shell before their twice-monthly "hug day" is over, or is Mikuri going to have to be the one to initiate yet again?

Takao Kasuga is a bookworm. And his favorite book right now is Baudelaire's Flowers of Evil. While the young man may often be seen lost in thought as he rabidly consumes page after page, Takao is not much of a student. Actually when we are first introduced to the middle school teen, we find him sneaking some reading as he receives and F on a recent language exam. Nakagawa is known as the class bully. When she is not receiving zeros she is usually...

When Keitaro Urashima fails his entrance exams to get into Tokyo University for the second time, he's officially an unemployed and uneducated slacker. To make things worse, his parents have kicked him out of his house. Fortunately, his grandmother owns the fabulous Hinata Lodge and has agreed to take Keitaro in as caretaker. What he doesn't know is that the lodge is actually a girl's dorm and he's the only guy around! Most guys would kill to live...

Let's go save Elie! While hitching a ride on Doryu's battleship, we're attacked by the Pumpkin dude's monstrous minions - hold it! This isn't the time to go playing in a haunted house! We're coming for you, Doryu! As soon as we beat these ghouls, your pumpkin butt is ours.