The winter anime season is kicking off strong with new entries like Isekai Office Worker, The Ossan Newbie Adventurer, A Gentle Noble's Vacation Recommendation and returning greats My Hero Academia Vigilantes, Jujutsu Kaisen and Frieren: Beyond Journey's End.
While you're waiting for new episodes to drop each week, here are a collection of anime and manga to consume to keep yourself sated during your downtime.
Young Thorfinn dreams of leaving behind the cold climate of Iceland and venturing into the great unknown. But when Viking sails appear on the horizon, the young boy is conscripted into a life of violence and brutality at the hands of merciless Viking Askalaad. With nothing left to him save revenge, Thorfinn swears vengeance against the man who slew his family, plunging headlong into a sprawling, blood-soaked, coming-of-age epic that marches to the drums of war. -From catalog description
The definition of peak. Vinland Saga has action, revenge, character growth and epic stakes wrapped around a deeply human story.
Upon release, every season tops every best anime list. (Receipts: one, two, three, four) This show has broken everyone in the best way possible and at the same time appealed to the human connection in a way rarely recognized.
In the summer of 1966 high school freshman Kaoru struggles to adjust to the latest move. It’s not easy fitting in, but this time is different. This time he makes friends and discovers a passion that rocks his soul. It’s called jazz, and with bad boy Sentaro and music store girl Ritsuko, they follow their muse wherever their music takes them! Travel to a time when dreams and musical instruments changed the world! Be blown away by a tale of life, love and all that jazz in The Kids on the Slope! -From catalog description
Vintage 2012 is calling and its got a smooth jazzy soundtrack and character moments which will take you back to high school the way it never was. The music tracks have never left my regular playlist, and moments from this show will stick with me for the rest of my life. There's an incredible scene of reconciliation between friends in this show that is just too perfect and everyone should witness it.
Also on Kanopy
A sweet workplace romance with a touch of magic! Misono is an office drone with his own ups and downs at work, but thankfully he has an ally-his senpai Shizuka, who happens to be a witch. Shizuka is always ready to lend a hand to those in need, but Misono thinks she should take better care of herself, since zipping around on a broomstick to run errands can be quite stressful. Is Misono's overprotective concern for Shizuka driven by mere respect for this flustered witch, or could it be more? Let this magical romantic comedy cast its spell on you! -From catalog description
Daily Reports About My Witch Senpai is really cute and surprisingly adult in not only how a relationship develops, but how it portrays work and personal relationships. Truly one of the best surprises in manga I've read in the last few months.
Reminiscent of Studio Ghibli, this lushly-drawn story has captured the hearts of fantasy fans worldwide. In a world where everyone takes wonders like magic spells and dragons for granted, Coco is a girl with a simple dream- She wants to be a witch. But everybody knows magicians are born, not made, and Coco was not born with a gift for magic. Resigned to her un-magical life, Coco is about to give up on her dream to become a witch...until the day she meets Qifrey, a mysterious, traveling magician. After secretly seeing Qifrey perform magic in a way she's never seen before, -From catalog description
This one is close to the heart because it never fails to impress upon me how much I love kindness and a fully lived in world. There are several videos and essays written about how beautiful the manga is and how fantastic the author Kamome Shirahama does in portraying ableism and representation in a world brimming with magic.
There's an anime adaptation dropping later this year and it has the biggest shoes to fill because the manga is beloved. The stakes are so incredibly high to the point it will make some people upset no matter how close they get. Those high stakes alone are the best advertisement for how incredible the manga truly is.
Seventeen years ago, Takafumi's uncle fell into a coma, but now he's back like a man risen from his grave. Soon, Takafumi discovers two bizarre things: His uncle treasures video games above all else, and, while comatose, he was actually transported to another world as some heroic guardian! Now, not only does Takafumi have to room with an uncle who is literally magical, he also has to catch the guy up on two decades of history--smartphones, high-speed internet, modern anime tropes...and the traumatic outcome of the '90s console war! -From catalog description
There is a great anime adaptation of this series, but you can check out the manga right now! This story focuses on a character who returns from an isekai story (transported to another world) and find out he was in a coma. He comes back with all of his powers he gained in the other world, but...he just uses those powers to create a YouTube channel and have a simple but cool life with his nephew. The real draw is the humor we see in his flashbacks to his isekai story and what is happening in the present.
While Main is closed, I'll be hosting Anime Unleashed in other branches like Edgehill Comic's Club on January 21st 4-5pm
Be sure to also check out these other NPL programs:
EH Comics Club at Edgehill Branch on every other Wednesday from 4-5pm
Coffee and Comics Club at Hadley Park once a month on Fridays (check their schedule for more details)
Panel Discussion! A Comics Book Club for Adults (online, first Wednesdays)
Find more information about these programs on our event's page keyword: comics
