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Manga Minis March Madness Part 2: Kodansha’s Helpful Homebodies!

It’s time for another round, get ready for Manga Minis March Madness Part 2! Continuing from my previous column, here are two more manga mini reviews. This time, we head look at two of Kodansha’s recent releases which focus on… homebodies? These characters may be helpful at home, but they’re also ready to save the day outside!

Penguin & House Volume 3 (Kodansha)

The final volume of our favorite penguin butler comes with zanier tales this time around. There are a few more chapters which involve the relationship between Hawakaya and his penguin, which are heartwarming. From a contest to see who makes better pancakes to making delicious coffee, there’s more focus on the duo.

That said, there are some stories here that are more bizarre than normal. The strangest story comes with Pen encountering a time loop where he must protect a chick. There’s also a quick story with Hayakawa and his friends entering haunted hot springs. These stories still have a slice-of-life mood, but are surreal by series standards. It’s a shame that the ending doesn’t reach a climax, it just ends on a regular note.

In the end, Penguin & House doesn’t do anything to reinvent its formula. It’s consistently a serviceable comedy slice-of-life that does what it wants to do. It’s a cute series with a penguin that helps around the house, and the art style suffices.

Rating: 3 out of 5 UwUs

My Home Hero Volume 1 (Kodansha)

Wrapping up our Manga Minis March Madness Part 2 column is a series that hit me like a truck. I’m trying to get into seinen manga a bit more, though subject matter can get very mature. However, the storytelling is amazing when done right, and the right series can hook me from the first volume. My Home Hero is one of those titles, with gritty storytelling and an amazing family dynamic.

Tetsuo Tosu is a humble husband and salaryman as well as an aspiring mystery writer. He has a loving wife Kasen and daughter Reika, and works diligently. All in all, he has an uneventful yet fulfilling life.

And he’s also killed Reika’s boyfriend.

After his fatherly instinct kicks in, Tetsuo accidentally murders his daughter’s abusive significant other, Nobuto. What follows is an engrossing tale of what one man will do to protect his family. However, Nobuto’s death creates ripples in the crime world, attracting the ire of his associates. Tetsuo must find a way to dispose of the body while protecting Reika from the criminal opposition he unwittingly creates.

Going into this volume on an impulse buy, I did not know what to expect. The sheer amount of dread from figuring out how Tetsuo and his wife would hide a murder was amazing. The gritty art style contributes to the rough and excellent narrative. However, what really sells me on this series is how likeable the main cast is. Tetsuo and Kasen have a charming husband/wife dynamic and are willing to do everything for each other. Reika is an unwitting accomplice but holds no malice to her father. I’d imagine this will be tested in the future, but for now it’s perfect.

The mind games and deception both protagonists and antagonists commit remind me of the best chapters of Death Note. It’s a smartly written mystery thriller that uses its premise very well. In addition, while this is a mostly grim series, there are some moments of levity that perfectly complement the seriousness. It’s a “laughing in the face of death” gallows humor, but it’s a great mix, nonetheless.

With the anime coming this April, now’s a perfect time to experience the captivating tale of My Home Hero.

Rating: 5 out of 5 UwUs

Thanks for checking out Miso’s Manga Minis March Madness Part 2! Stay tuned next week for another awesome column!

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Katamaris

During the day, Elisha is an aspiring businessman, but at night, he's a wacky freelance writer. Born into the world with a fleeting knowledge of rhythm games, he loves shonen manga and still wants Pushing Daisies to have some closure. For any manga/anime/video game inquiries, please contact him at edeograc (at) gmail.com
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