Pokémon Adventures, Vol. 1


Hidenori Kusaka - 1997
    Bulbasaur and Poliwhirl seem game. But independent Pikachu won't be so easy to win over! And watch out for Team Rocket, Red... They only want to be your enemy!Reads R to L (Japanese Style).

Hunter x Hunter, Vol. 01


Yoshihiro Togashi - 1998
    But such pursuits require a license, and less than one in a hundred thousand can pass the grueling qualification exam. Those who do pass gain access to restricted areas, amazing stores of information, and the right to call themselves Hunters.THE DAY OF DEPARTUREGon might be a country boy, but he has high aspirations. Despite his Aunt Mito's protests, Gon decides to follow in his father's footsteps and become a legendary Hunter. The Hunter hopefuls begin their journey by storm-tossed ship, where Gon meets Leorio and Kurapika, the only other applicants who aren't devastated by bouts of seasickness.Having survived the terrors of the high seas, Gon and his companions now have to prove their worth in a variety of tests in order to find the elusive Exam Hall. And once they get there, will they ever leave alive...?

Cardcaptor Sakura, Book 1


CLAMP - 1997
    But when Sakura opens it up, there is nothing left inside but Kero-chan, the book's cute little guardian beast . . . who informs Sakura that since the Clow cards seem to have escaped while he was asleep, it's now her job to capture them!

The Faraway Paladin: Volume 1: The Boy in the City of the Dead


Kanata Yanagino - 2016
    His name is Will, and he's being raised by three undead: the hearty skeletal warrior, Blood; the graceful mummified priestess, Mary; and the crotchety spectral sorcerer, Gus. The three pour love into the boy, and teach him all they know. But one day, Will starts to wonder: "Who am I?" Will must unravel the mysteries of this faraway dead man's land, and unearth the secret pasts of the undead. He must learn the love and mercy of the good gods, and the bigotry and madness of the bad. And when he knows it all, the boy will take his first step on the path to becoming a Paladin. "I promised you. It's gonna take a while, but I'll tell you everything. This is the story of the deaths of many heroes. It's the story of how we died, and it's the reason you grew up here." Review from Animenewsnetwork: "Fans of fantasy by not necessarily light novels should give this a chance, as it is good simply as a fantasy book and has the most potential to reach beyond the otaku niche of any LN thus far published in English. By turns exciting, heartwarming, and heartbreaking, The Faraway Paladin is a book that is worth your time."

Vampire Hunter D


Hideyuki Kikuchi - 1983
    It is a dark time for the world. Humanity is just crawling out from under three hundred years of domination by the race of vampires known as the Nobility. The war against the vampires has taken its toll; cities lie in ruin, the countryside is fragmented into small villages and fiefdoms that still struggle against nightly raids by the fallen vampires-and the remnants of their genetically manufactured demons and werewolves.Every village wants a Hunter-one of the warriors who have pledged their laser guns and their swords to the eradication of the Nobility. But some Hunters are better than others, and some bring their own kind of danger with them...From creator Hideyuki Kikuchi, one of Japan's leading horror authors with illustrations by renowned Japanese artist, Yoshitaka Amano, best known for his illustrations in Neil Gaiman's Sandman: The Dream Hunters and the Final Fantasy games.

Natsume's Book of Friends, Volume 1


Yuki Midorikawa - 2003
    R to L (Japanese Style). Takashi Natsume can see the spirits and demons that hide from the rest of humanity. He has always been set apart from other people because of his gift, drifting from relative to relative, never fitting in. Now he is a troubled high school student who has come to live in the small town where his grandmother grew up. And there he discovers that he has inherited more than just the Sight from the mysterious Reiko.

Claymore, Vol. 1: Silver-eyed Slayer


Norihiro Yagi - 2002
    Claymores are half-humans, half-demons who willingly transformed themselves by mixing their blood with monster's blood. Claire, nicknamed silver-eyed killer, is such a powerful Claymore, she can slay a Yoma using only one hand. But she must constantly struggle to keep from becoming a monster herself.

Gosick


Kazuki Sakuraba - 2003
    Kazuya Kujo has been studying abroad at the prestigious Saint Marguerite Academy, where urban legends and horror stories are all the rage. Most Kazuya ignores--but the story of the Queen Berry, a mysterious ghost ship, really gets to him. Of course, his brainy friend Victorique is much more intrigued by true stories, and she uses her unrivaled logic to solve mysteries even the town's famous detective can't. Ironically, it's Victorique's inquisitive nature that leads the duo to board a ship that matches the Queen Berry's description to a tee, a ship that might just hold the key to solving a sinister mystery... Kazuki Sakuraba's modern twist on Holmes and Watson--pairing Victorique, a wizened young girl with doll-like looks and her eager-to-please sidekick Kazuya--make this international bestseller a must-read murder mystery.

Food Wars!: Shokugeki no Soma, Vol. 1


Yuto Tsukuda - 2013
     Aiming to one day surpass his father's culinary prowess, Soma hones his skills day in and day out until one day, out of the blue, his father decides to enroll Soma in a classy culinary school!  Can Soma really cut it in a school that prides itself on a 10 percent graduation rate? And can he convince the beautiful, domineering heiress of the school that he belongs there at all?!

Campfire Cooking in Another World with My Absurd Skill: Volume 1


Ren Eguchi - 2016
    Too bad the kingdom that summoned him only got him by mistake! Not only was he not one of the three summoned heroes, but his stats were laughable compared to theirs. On top of that, there's something really sketchy about this kingdom... "Ah, these people are the kind to try and use the Hero," he realized, and immediately left to make his own way in this other world.The only thing Mukouda can rely on is his unique skill: the "Online Supermarket," a skill that allows him to buy modern goods in a fantasy world. It's useless for combat, but if he plays his cards right, he could lead a comfortable life, maybe? At least, that's what Mukouda thinks, but it turns out modern food bought with this skill has some absurd effects! What happens when Mukouda introduces ridiculously tasty modern cooking to a fantasy world like this? He gets some ridiculous repeat customers begging for more...!

Vinland Saga Omnibus, Vol. 1


Makoto Yukimura - 2013
    But standing in their way is Thorkell, one of the Viking world's most daring warriors. The defeat of a living legend will be a formidable test of Askeladd's cunning and Thorfinn's ruthlessness, and of their ability to set aside personal grudges and fell a common enemy!

L-DK, Vol. 01


Ayu Watanabe - 2009
    Although she initially hates him for this, when Shuusei moves in next door to Aoi, who lives alone, she starts thinking that he might not be such a bad guy after all...

Ghostly Things, Vol. 1


Ushio Shirotori - 2018
    To learn her family’s secrets, can she brave all that lurks in the dark of night?

The Rising of the Shield Hero, Volume 1: The Manga Companion


Aneko Yusagi - 2014
    As the Shield Hero, the weakest of the heroes, all is not as it seems. Naofumi is soon alone, penniless, and betrayed. With no one to turn to, and nowhere to run, he is left with only his shield. Now, Naofumi must rise to become the legendary Shield Hero and save the world!

Suppose a Kid from the Last Dungeon Boonies Moved to a Starter Town, Vol. 1


Toshio Satou - 2017
    The story starts with him departing from his hometown, which just so happens to be located right next to...one of the most dangerous dungeons in the world?! Lloyd may think of himself as powerless, but when he goes to the city that serves as the starter town for adventurers, the difference between him and everyone else couldn't be starker!