We started the month with some manga, so now let’s celebrate the last day with end of September 2025 Manga Minis! The return of the (manga) Merc with a Mouth, a webcomic anthology, and the debut of Paru Itagaki’s next serial in the west lead the way for an easy breezy manga minis!
Deadpool: Samurai Volume 3 (VIZ Media)
I’ve had a middling opinion of Deadpool: Samurai. I don’t think it does anything spectacularly well, but it pulls off its story competently. That said, this new volume of chapters improves the formula of Deadpool in Japan as he tackles a new set of foes with a new set of familiar allies in the meantime!
Chapter 16 of Deadpool: Samurai wasn’t a chapter of the series! Originally a one-shot called Secret Steward, it followed a generically cute romance where a man was a steward to the romantic lead. Of course, Deadpool randomly butts in and makes a mess of the whole thing and pulled off the parody quite well. It was a shocking yet hilarious way to break the series’ first hiatus.
The rest of the volume does something else shocking: It kills off Sakura Spider. You know, the deuteragonist of this series. Deadpool is trying to avenge her death as he gets ambushed by a horde of superpowered Yakuza. Can he save the day and find out what the heck’s going on?
This volume feels a bit disjointed, but in a way it makes the experience so much better. The inclusion of Loki and plot points from Deadpool and Wolverine (which was in theaters around this time) make this narratively more engaging than the previous two volumes. Deadpool’s meta-humor also extends to a lot of the parody tropes (spoiler: Sakura Spider is alive and well, but there needed to be some unnecessary drama!) An unlikely appearance from another Marvel manga hero (Spider-Man Fake Red) also ties everything together. It works very well, and the action is tight and fits the visceral nature of Deadpool perfectly.
Thus, it’s a shame this ends on a major cliffhanger that will probably not be resolved anytime soon. The manga went on hiatus last October, with no hints or teasers on a continuation. It does make for a sour ending since I know there hasn’t been any progress on newer chapters, but I can appreciate it for what it is.
All in all, this third volume of Deadpool: Samurai is the strongest entry, and I hope to see more of it eventually!
Rating: 4 out of 5 UwUs
Mechanical Buddy Universe (Square Enix Manga)
It’s wonderful that social media can help smaller artists reach a bigger market of readers due to ease of use and accessibility. Such is the case with Mechanical Buddy Universe, with its debut volume compiling its humble origins as an original webcomic on Twitter…erm, X. This collected volume is a fun ride as it sets up a larger narrative with some great art and characters.
Mechanical Buddy Universe contains the tales of four pairs of humans and robots: An android solider rescuing a baby boy (who grows up to be a solider himself), a young girl who befriends a retired robot (who loves and protects her from afar), an older mercenary growing crops with her trusted robot, and a devoted maid who protects her master (in a twist, the robot here is the master, an identical clone created after the original died due to illness). These stories are shown through vignettes of their everyday lives, which are in a post-apocalyptic world where war ravages the land.
Overall, it’s got a futuristic sci-fi vibe that works well but is more focused on slice-of-life and character-driven elements of the setting rather than pure action. This makes Mechanical Buddy Universe a treat to read, as it juxtaposes its serious setting with human interactions (especially between the human/robot pairings).
That said, its inspirations as a webcomic show throughout the work, with mostly positive results. If anything, it makes the story a bit uneven when it comes to pacing and consistent art style. Chapters within the individual stories can last a regular weekly manga length to ending in one or two pages. It makes Mechanical Buddy Universe feel like an anthology, which makes its shorter tales more justifiable.
However, the story really shines when it ties all the characters near the end of the volume, setting up the actual serial story (which will come to the west in 2026).
The introductory volume of Mechanical Buddy Universe is a nice look at a dystopian world, with a great art style and some awesome dialogue and character interactions. I can’t wait for more of the full release in the coming months!
Rating: 4 out of 5 UwUs
Cat Mask Boy (Nakama Press) – End of September 2025 Manga Minis Advance Review!
I know most of my manga diet consists of VIZ, Kodansha, and Square Enix titles, but I’ve really enjoyed the smaller publisher releases as of late. Cat Mask Boy is from recent manga publisher Nakama Press, and it’s a surprisingly refreshing slice-of-life tale aimed at younger kids. If you like the aesthetic of Goodnight Punpun with less depressing subject matter, this is a title you should pick up on your list.
Cat Mask Boy chronicles the life of Tiger, a second-grade student that wants to play rather than study, to the chagrin of his mother. During a report card signing, Tiger accidentally loses his own and needs to travel to the shady Kowloon Walled City to retrieve it. By making friends with the grade-school dropout Dragon, he has to explore a dangerous world to become the hero he’s always wanted to be.
I was impressed with how a simple tale like this charmed me during my readthrough. The main characters’ designs feel unnatural yet fit perfectly with the narrative, and the coloring style makes for a lighthearted read. It’s a playful and simple art style that doesn’t overwhelm with harsher tones and flows well on paper.
I appreciate that this is straight up a kids’ title (aside from some light swears) rather than a more mature take on childhood. It’s a straightforward story with the usual child delinquent beats, but it meshes perfectly with the art. I would have liked to see Tiger’s other friend Rocky during the journey to Kowloon Walled City, but other than that, I don’t see much else wrong with the story’s pacing.
Much like Nakama’s previous release Indigo, I’m not sure if there’s another volume planned (even if it has a “volume one” marking), but as a standalone title, it’s got some great footing. As an all-ages title, Cat Mask Boy is a fine one to recommend to preteen readers.
Rating: 4 out of 5 UwUs
Sanda Volume 1 (Titan Manga)
To wrap up the End of September 2025 Manga Minis column is my favorite of the bunch. You do not know how excited I was to read the western release of Sanda early. This volume is one of my most anticipated releases, and I couldn’t wait to see where Paru Itagaki’s next serial manga after Beastars was headed. Thankfully, the wait is over, and Christmas came early just for me! (And all you awesome readers, too!)
In a dystopian world where children are a dying breed, the kids run the show. The Daikoku Welfare Academy gives preferential treatment to young students as they aim to revitalize the aging nation. Unfortunately, youthful celebrations like Christmas have been lost to legend, which is why Kazushige Sanda finds it strange when he realizes he may be a descendant of Santa Claus!
Spurred on by the overpowering Shiori Fuyumura (who originally wants to kill him!), Sanda begins to learn about his holiday heritage. (Mainly, when he wears red he becomes the big man himself; eating Bratty Beans will revert him to normal.) Hitoshi Amaya is also in on the secret, and the three form a group to fulfill their goals: Fuyumura wants to find her friend Ono while Amaya wants to help save his parents’ cake shop.
Unfortunately for the trio, Principal Oshibu (a very elderly man with a strange obsession of making himself look younger) will stop at nothing to expose Sanda’s secret. The end of the volume hints at a greater mystery afoot as the three students try to make heads and tails out of the situation.
After reading Drip Drip, I was interested to see where Paru Itagaki’s human designs could be used. If anything, this feels like a spiritual successor to Beastars. The character designs match the archetypes of the main cast (with Sanda/Fuyumura/Amaya fitting the Haru/Legoshi/Louis designs perfectly).
I especially love how unique each of the cast looks, with even minor characters of the academy getting distinct physical characteristics. While the introduction feels uneven (the story begins suddenly with Fuyumura nearly killing Sanda’s unchanged form before escalating to even more dangerous stakes), everything else is engrossing and entertaining. The dark mystery surrounding the setting gets set up perfectly, and I’m excited to see what’s going on in the world around them.
Paru Itagaki is on the nice list with Sanda, and I’m overjoyed to see the Christmas spirit coming this early! Put this on your manga to read list NOW!
Rating: 5 out of 5 UwUs
And that’s a wrap for our End of September Manga Minis column! Stay tuned for more manga reviews here on Miso!
