Princess Jellyfish by Akiko Higashimura

This fun manga follows a group of amars/okuta (women who don’t need men/adult fangirls) as they try to save their building from being sold to greedy developers by creating their own fashion line.

Tsukimi is the star of it, and as you can guess from the title, her specific obssession is jellyfish thanks to an enduring sweet memory from her childhood with Mom. Jellyfish bring beauty to ‘s life and her staunch support for jellyfish as when she buys one from a local pet store is what leads her to meet .

Kuranosuke is the cross-dressing son of a prominant politician. He’s so convincing he manages to safely enter the sancutary of the which men are forbidden. His great sense of style and secret crush on is a vital part to the mission as he helps set up to start making the Princess Jellyfish fashion line, runway show and pop up store.

There’s also Shū, Kuranosuke’s half brother, a promising politician himself and a 30 year old virgin (it’s a plot point I swear) who falls for Tsukimi’s glamorous makeover and she for him.

I know love triangle. . drama! But don’t worry it doesn’t take up too much tedious time as other love triangles do. Rather the manga is focused on the characters as readers learn the stories of each okuta, finding passion and beauty in what you love, standing for what you believe in and found family. Also the minor characters are just funny.

It’s a hilarious twisting premise that is sure to delight fellow okutas.

Dreamin Sun by Ichigo Takano

I looked at this on a whim because it’s one of the few manga series that my library has all the volumes. And it sounded cute with Shimana leaving her indifferent family to join a couple of classmates in an apartment with no rent. The only thing her landlord asks of her is to fall in love and follow her dream. Sounds like it can be a sweet and comical slice of life manga right?
Well the first two volumes were as tries to catch the eye of the msot handsome boy in class, gets a makeover so on and so forth.

But then she falls in love with her landlord and it follows through on the back and forth for the next seven volumes while completely ignoring the adorable boy, Zen, obssessed with pandas and who has a crush on her.

Shimana is 15 and the landlord, Taiga is like in his 20s. He refuses her at first because she’s a child and he thinks she’s too imature which is expected. He almost finds love with his former flame, Shimana’s English teacher. But nooo, then he actually falls for her too?

The manga talks a lot about becoming mature and growing up and considering on giving up her love with Taiga to be with Zen who is her age!

But no their love succeeds and it is totally unearned in my opinion. Shimana never matures. She spends seven volumes crying and insecure about ‘s feelings for her. Taiga is supposed to be sympathetic because of his cruel father and never living his dream and how he admires for her sweetness and he’s all protective. So? I still find it creepy as Shimana never matures. She calls him Mister Landlord right up till their wedding day.

In fact on their wedding night, she realizes that they’ll have to sleep with each other now and freaks out. He’s pretty cool about it and suggests twin beds but still, it indicates how unready and immature Shimana is for this relationship much less freaking marriage!

Also because the romance takes up so much space, it pushes Zen aside (the cute totally viable boy with manga dreams that should have ended up with) as well as many other supporting characters.

The art is the only thing I could recommend for it is the art, otherwise it is a disappointment.

Amazing Agent Luna by Nunzio DeFliippis

My library only has the first three omnibuses but the bits I did read were very exciting. Luna is a genetically bred superspy facing one of her biggest challenges yet. Infiltrating high school. A high school full of rich diplomat kids and the son of her archnemesis, Count Heinrich Von Brucken (Think Dr. Doofenshmirtz). It’s a cute story filled with some predictable tropes like starcrossed lovers and the high school meangirl but volume 2 really changes the game on who Luna can trust.

I’ll admit I was most interested in Luna’s handlers, Agent Jennifer who is the Head Control and by the book superspy who’s unmaternal as it gets. Unfortunate as she is posing as Luna’s mom. Her “Dad” is Andy, a counselor who’s there to make sure that Luna is able to experience normal teenage things and to see she is mentally fit. While melting Jen’s heart. . . yes, I ship it.

Azumanga Daioh by Kiyohiko Azuma

This was cute I guess. Admittedly I was mainly confused on how to read it as the it seems to be individual panal strips that are its own stories? Or the two panal strips were a story together like part one and part two but had different titles for some reason?

Anyway while I was a bit confused, it’s easy to catch on as it’s just about a bunch of schoolgirls and their teachers as they grow through the three years. There’s the child genius, Chiyo, the intimidating but annimal-loving, Sakaki, energetic, Tomo and new girl, Ayuma. It’s a slice of life without much drama though there is continuity. I just didn’t get into though, I need more plot stakes apparently.

Huda F. Are You? by Huda Fahmy

This was a cute memoir that tackled the author’s personal journey to find not only who she is among her many siblings but what kind of Muslim she is in a small town during the rise of 9/11 Islamphobia.

I found a fun quick read best suited for middle schoolers as it’s a typical coming of age story.

Giant Days by John Allison

This was a rollar coaster of a time encompassing the three years of university of three UK students, Susan, Esther and Daisy. They join death metal cults, fight head girls (I think it’s the UK equivalent to popular girls or elitist?) and protest gentrification.
Well mainly Esther does as she is the gothic English-major drama queen while her roommates bail out of trouble. Esther is my favorite because of how over the top and entertaining she can be coupled with her intense mood swings of vulnerability and aimlessness.

But Susan, a fiesty opionated Pre-med student and sweet small town Daisy have their own fun too like when Susan goes all Deep Throat to investigate suspicious dealings of the university’s dean and Daisy realizes her sexuality and deals with her first real relationship and break up.

It’s a journey about adulthood. For among the hijinks with some supernatural twists there are themes of maturity, dealing with grief, friendship, loss, responsbility, love and more.

While I was a bit confused at times because this was apparently a spin off of some other John Allison work and also there are other differences between UK-US uni slang, it is still enjoyable.

Emmie and Friends by Terri Libenson

This is such a cute series dealing with relatable themes of confidence, family religious tradition, finding your voice and drifting/toxic friendships, usually through dual narratives/

But what separates it from other series with the same topics is the special twist endings she has for each one from unreliable narrator to generation gaps that always makes it fun to read.

Plain Janes by Cecil Castellucci and Jim Rugg

This graphic novel/three story omnibus spreads a powerful message that Art can save your life.

Which is especially true for the protagonist Jane who survived a suicide bomb attack at a park. She even saved the life of a stranger by jumping ontop of the foreign man.
Now a year later, her family is moving to a safer district though they aren’t fully healed. Her mother won’t leave the house, Jane feels aimless and alone after the traumatic incident and her father just doesn’t know how to help, they all just go through the motions.

Jane does have the notebook from the man she saved, still in a coma. It’s mainly in Dutch but the one English phrase is “Art can save lives.”
As a longtime artist, that is true for Jane. So after befriending fellow misfits also named Jane, they hit town with pop up art spreading messages to stop and think, enjoy public art and live life.

Of course, town authorities think it’s teenage vandalism and goes as far to enact town curfew and security cameras in order to find the culprits.

The book goes on through junior and senior year focusing on the different aspects of art in community and how it uplifts and energizes people, how it can unite and spread divisive, powerful messages. Art is vital.

But there’s also the personal aspect as each Jane goes through the normal teenage stuff of finding collage, inner conflict, crushes and more. It’s just a really good book that will speak to many art lovers whether it is public works or poetry.

When the Stars are Scattered by Omar Mohammad and Victoria Jamieson

This is a moving graphic novel memoir that tells the story of Omar’s life in a Kenyan refuge camp as a result of the Somalian War. It’s a hard, drudging life and Omar spares no details while making it family friendly. Despite the lack of food, electricity and resources, Omar does his best to make life bearable for him, his foster mom and younger brother, Hassan. Part of that is trying to make a future by getting education, being prepared on the slim chance they get to be resettled. Yet it is still heartwarming as Omar emphasizes that despite the lack of medical care or decent conditions, there’s still hope and faith holding the refugee community together and that they have each other’s backs. Very worthwhile.