Personally-followed manga, under-the-radar for everyone else

Would be fun to see that rival Lady again, true.

Funny thing about Kushuku Gakkou no Alice was that I first stumbled across it while looking at one-shots. The shock and glee I felt when Chapter 1 appeared out of the blue a couple months later was something else, and it was just as excited to announce its own serialization on the splash page. Kind of like a certain romantic comedy that ironically became famous for its faffing about...

Speaking of one-shots and the aforementioned faffer, I just found Toki Doki. Naoshi, you...

...you motherfucker.

edited 19th Jan '17 6:23:12 PM by ChefFailure

…Naoshi, just… stick to one-shots from now on. TT.TT Seriously, the end of Nisekoi might be the best thing that happened to him.

The story might try a bit too hard to pull at your heartstrings, but the twist at the end is pretty nice (though depressing).

He retains his penchant for weird fictional illnesses from his Double Arts days. Kinda want him to try something action-oriented again, but character interactions are his strong suit, so...

Continuing the theme of big shots doing one-shots, Saeki Shun (the artist for Shokugeki no Soma) debuted into the official manga world a couple years back with Kimi to Watashi no Renai Soudan. Considering that it retained the older art-style used for his doujinshi, I was kind of expecting (and somewhat shamelessly, hoping) the next few pages would turn into a sexy fuckfest. Still a cute story nonetheless.

Found this new manga called The Mermaid Princess' Guilty Meal.

Basically, a mermaid who found the joy and deliciousness of seafood cuisine. And yeah, the fish are sentient and she can talk to them. It's both morbid and light-hearted.

…You mean… she literally talks to her food?

That is so messed up. This is why "talking to animals" is one of my least favorite powers.

Her original goal was to mourn her fishy friend's death, but after some provocation she ends up trying some. And she's basically thinking "Why is my friend's corpse so delicious?" the entire time.

That's what makes it fun

Oh, I love it alright. I love messed up. And I just read it and it is indeed fun. How long before she starts her life as an underwater serial killer?

Now I'm thinking of a crab singing "Under the Serial"

That reminds me of ''Castle Town Dandelion" where one of the characters has power to talk not only to animals but also plants and even inanimate objects. During the beach episode they play the watermelon splinting game, and the watermelon gives her directions to hit it!

I kinda get why Western culture-raised people would be squicked by such a situation, but speaking as a Muslim, it's not really that disturbing. Some stories of our Prophet's times do include occasions where either the Prophet speaks with an animal or plant (and only he would understand what the animal is saying; anyone else nearby would just see the animal doing animal sounds) or narrates an ancient tale about people speaking with animals and/or plants (the Prophet Solomon being the most famous), and the general gist is that animals and plants are universally at peace with their lot in existence, their only gripe is with those humans who act cruelly towards them for no reason (it's one thing to kill a wolf in self-defense or in retaliation for attacking your sheep; it's another to hunt one down and either kill it for sport, or torture it to a grisly death just to get your jollies off).

In other words, the squick factor depends on whether or not you believe animals and plants are content with the status quo between them and humanity.

That watermelon was happy to get eaten in the end though. The more apt comparison would be Sausage Party (minus all the raunchiness I guess).

edited 23rd Jan '17 8:54:59 AM by fillerdude

Sorry Marq, but having my food talk to me would squick me out, even if it was okay with being eaten. In fact that might be worse.

The whole topic reminds me of two things:

The Restaurant at the End of the Universe, which features cattle designed to not only want to be eaten, but are happy to go out and take your orders for what parts of them you want to eat before going out back and shooting themselves (they make it quick)

A recent scene of One Piece where, due to a characters power to bring inanimate objects to life, features food simultaneously screaming in pain while asking sincerely if they taste good.

On a side note, I recently recoded a video for my Youtube channel where I plan to talk about the kinds of obscure and/or oddball manga discuss. I'm not saying this for shameless self promotion reasons but more because the video premise was inspired by this thread. Currently even calling it "Under the Radar". I'm curious to see how it goes.

Not at all, maestro. I'd love to see these stories getting more acknowledgement, little by little. Youtube videos would help immensely.

They're nothing fancy, mostly just me talking about whatever for the length of the vid. I did it with a friend but he had to drop out due to real life. I keep it up because I have fun with it, mostly. First one I'm doing is going to be a one shot called Prison Princess. Mostly because I want an excuse to show off the (SFW) pic that prompted me into looking at it in the first place.

Well, I'm sold.

One romantic comedy that I'd sitting on for a while was Ookami Shounen Wa Kyou Mo Uso O Kasaneru (holy shit, somebody actually made a page beforehand, however half-finished), the story of a high school boy who's in love with a bookworm. Known for scaring most people off with his perpetual death glare, he nevertheless tries his luck with a confession, only to suffer a violent and severe rejection that not just breaks his heart, but sends him running to his sister's boutique for a lending ear. He wishes that he can change himself, and passes out... Surprise, his sister uses this golden opportunity to put makeup on him and dress him up as a girl.

Initially shocked and horrified by this turn of events, he discovers that Attractive Bent-Gender is in full play here, with people actually being able to approach him. But he really changes his tune when he meets the bookworm who rejected him earlier. Turns out, she's just horribly androphobic, and is genuinely determined to reverse her situation and find love. She chooses to consult "her" because she can still detect the masculinity in "her" (coughs). The boy's guilt is slowly piling higher and higher, for how long must he keep this charade up?

It's actually really good and cute stuff. It helps that the MC is painfully aware of his own ulterior motives, and tries his best to help her. And because tritagonist. Needs an update, super badly.

edited 23rd Jan '17 7:10:50 PM by ChefFailure

Oh! I've read some of that, it's interesting, kinda cute.

Mm. Damn thing's already at raw ch.22, and the most recent one (ch. 18) is only a gag translation. Boo.

Speaking of bookworms, I'm pretty sure this one's considered "in the radar" after it got an anime release a few years back, but is anyone familiar with Bokura Wa Minna Kawaisou?

edited 23rd Jan '17 7:20:38 PM by ChefFailure

Yeah. That one helped fill the hole The Pet Girl Of Sakurasou left when it finished airing. Kawai is pretty cute, being a bookworm that's a tad too affected by her reading material, and in the anime she's voiced by Kana Hana which is always a plus in my book.

edited 23rd Jan '17 7:35:07 PM by fillerdude

I love Kawaisou, it's hilarious. I've been reading the manga, caught up with it not too long ago. It got real interesting in the most recent chapter.

I actually really enjoy the main romance, even if it's been a frustrating ride. (but I have seen much worse)

I had no idea that the mangaka of it also does Love Lab.

edited 23rd Jan '17 7:40:13 PM by diyedas

Hmm. I've actually neglected to follow up on the manga; what's happening in the latest chapters?

edited 23rd Jan '17 7:40:39 PM by fillerdude

Ah, but hey. That confession? 10/10.

He finally did it, the madman. The manga still has a lot of gas left in the tank though, so it would be interesting to see where it goes from there.

...I should probably recommend less manga that are romances.

edited 23rd Jan '17 7:49:36 PM by ChefFailure

And it was one of the best confession scenes I've ever seen, just like you'd expect from the manga. Even if he asked her out at the worst place. Okay, technically two worst places.