Book picks similar to
CITY, Vol. 1 by Keiichi Arawi
manga
comics
humor
slice-of-life
Haganai: I Don't Have Many Friends Vol.1
Itachi - 2009
When he comes across the brash loner Mikazuki Yozora, who typically chats with her imaginary friend, the two outsiders become the unlikeliest of allies. Realizing that they have no hope of a normal social life, the two outcasts decide to form a group called "The Neighbor’s Club" in order to make friends and maybe even learn a thing or two about social skills. A wild and offbeat comedy about social outcasts who are obsessed with fandom.
The Girl with the Sanpaku Eyes, Volume 1
Shunsuke Sorato - 2020
Shikimori's Not Just a Cutie, Vol. 1
Keigo Maki - 2019
but she has a cool dark side that comes out under the right circumstances. And her boyfriend Izumi loves to be around when that happens! A fun and funny high school romance with a sassy twist perfect for fans of Nagatoro-san and Komi Can't Communicate!Shikimori and Izumi are high school sweethearts. They hold hands walking home from school, they flirt in the halls, they tease each other. But Shikimori knows what she wants, and how to get it, and she can turn from cutie to cool in an instant.
Those Not-So-Sweet Boys, Vol. 1
Yoko Nogiri - 2019
She wants to thank him, but he’s part of a tight-knit trio and none of them are ever in class! Rumor has it that they all got expelled for acting up, and studious Midori’s actually at risk of expulsion, too… In order to help support her family, she has a part-time job, which is against the school rules. When the chairman of the school board catches her leaving work, he says he’ll let it go—but only if she’s up to the task of bringing the three boys back to school. Well, why not? It’ll be a piece of cake…right?
Red Colored Elegy
Seiichi Hayashi - 1970
With a combination of sparse line work and visual codes borrowed from animation and film, the quiet, melancholy lives of a young couple struggling to make ends meet are beautifully captured in this poetic masterpiece. Uninvolved with the political movements of the time, Ichiro and Sachiko hope for something better, but they’re no revolutionaries; their spare time is spent drinking, smoking, daydreaming, and sleeping—together and at times with others. While Ichiro attempts to make a living from his comics, Sachiko’s parents are eager to arrange a marriage for her, but Ichiro doesn’t seem interested. Both in their relationship and at work, Ichiro and Sachiko are unable to say the things they need to say, and like any couple, at times say things to each other that they do not mean, ultimately communicating as much with their body language and what remains unsaid as with words. Red Colored Elegy is informed as much by underground Japanese comics of the time as it is by the French nouvelle vague, and its cultural referents range from James Dean to Ken Takakura. Its influence in Japan was so great that Morio Agata, a prominent Japanese folk musician and singer/songwriter, debuted with a love song written and named after it.
Cat Diary: Yon & Muu; 猫日記よん&むー; Neko Nikki Yon to Mū
Junji Ito - 2009
J-kun, a dog person, was coerced into adopting two cats by his fiancee A-ko: Muu, a Norwegian cat, and Yon who has an accursed face. Much to the chagrin of J, the cats do not immediately love him. The difference between fear and comedy is paper thin. Here's a cat comedy from a horror manga author.
Boys Over Flowers: Hana Yori Dango, Vol. 1
Yōko Kamio - 1992
Enraged, Tsukasa puts the dreaded red tag in Tsukushi's locker — a sign that she is now a target for the abuse of the F4 gang and the entire school. But when Tsukushi fights the gang with their own weapon, Tsukasa finds himself falling for her!
The Garden of Words
Midori Motohashi - 2013
Insults and rumors can derail a career; a bit of encouragement can give someone the strength to pursue their dreams. When a high school boy skipping class to sketch shoe designs and a taciturn woman drinking a morning beer meet in a Tokyo park, they say little, but the woman bids farewell with an ancient tanka poem. Will the boy figure out the poem's meaning-and its corresponding response-before it's too late?
My Dress-Up Darling, Vol. 1
Shinichi Fukuda - 2018
To Wakana, people like beautiful Marin Kitagawa, a trendy girl who's always surrounded by a throng of friends, is practically an alien from another world. But when cheerful Marin--never one to be shy--spots Wakana sewing away one day after school, she barges in with the aim of roping her quiet classmante into her secret hobby: cosplay! Will Wakana's wounded heart be able to handle the invasion from this sexy alien?!
Forgetting Tabitha
Julie Dewey - 2013
When tragedy strikes the family, Tabitha and her mother are forced to move to the notorious Five Points District in New York City, known for its brothels, gangs, gambling halls, corrupt politicians and thieves. As they struggle to survive in their new living conditions, tragedy strikes again. Young Tabitha resorts to life alone on the streets of New York, dreaming of a happier future. The Sisters of Charity are taking orphans off the streets with promises of a new life. Children are to forget their pasts, their religious beliefs, families and names. They offer Tabitha a choice: stay in Five Points or board the orphan train and go West in search of a new life. The harrowing journey and the decision to leave everything behind launches Tabitha on a path from which she can never return.
Lucky Star 1
Kagami Yoshimizu - 2005
Kuroi's class. Meet Konata, an athletic and intelligent girl too dedicated to her favorite primetime animes to excel in anything but otaku culture; Miyuki, the cute, bespectacled living example of Moe with an encyclopedic knowledge of all subjects; Kagami, the bitter-sweet, tough but shy sister; Tsukasa, a kind but air-headed klutz. Witness this study in the human condition as our heroines explore the unexplored in questioning the ordinary!
How Heavy Are the Dumbbells You Lift? Vol. 1
Yabako Sandrovich - 2016
The gym is full of buff dudes... and Akemi, the student council president?! When Akemi tries to convince Sakura to take up weight training, Sakura resists -- until she meets pretty-boy trainer Machio. Now, Sakura is willing to do whatever it takes to bulk up!
Girl Got Game, Vol. 1
Shizuru Seino - 2004
See what happens when a girl is disguised as a boy so she can play on a famous boys' basketball team. Kyo may want to date a boy instead of becoming one, but she's not entirely unhappy when she also becomes roommates with her rival on the courts!