While we normally host our monthly manga mini columns (a little late for January, if I’m being honest), I wanted to try something different with a February double feature. We’ve got a new release from Kodama Press as well as an interesting novel release that aims to pack a portable punch with a recently released business-centered look on magical girls. Check out our reviews for Me and the Alien Mumu and A Magical Girl Retires below!
Me and the Alien Mumu Volume 1 (Kodama Press)
Back in the late 00s/early 10s, there was this educational line of manga from No Starch Press, “The Manga Guide to…”. While the overall art and writing was average, it was an unconventional way to learn about concepts like databases, physics, and other STEM subjects. (Personally, I picked up The Manga Guide to Calculus back in college and I did super well in my math course!) Likewise, picking up Kodama Press’ Me and the Alien Mumu gave me flashbacks to the world of the edutainment manga.
Me and the Alien Mumu pairs the titular creature with Sakurako Umeyashiki, an introverted university student trying to make friends. Unfortunately, her social anxiety mixed with her people-pleasing nature causes her to be a doormat, so when Mumu crashes into her apartment, she reluctantly agrees to help him return home. Within Mumu’s civilization, conflict as destroyed their best and brightest, leaving those that aren’t the sharpest tool in the shed to handle their future. Concerned about the implications, Mumu crash lands and immediately requires assistance with learning of the different machines all over earth.
Armed with the mechanical knowledge that a shy university student has (which isn’t much), it’s not going to look like Mumu will save his civilization. Thankfully, Sakurako joins the Human Regeneration Study Group (basically the electronics repair club led by upperclassman Wataru Tenkubashi). In exchange for helping repair different devices from other clubs, Sakurako gets to eat while Mumu learns about the world and how to save his. Will this unlikely duo be able to save an alien race from extinction? Also, did you know that Thomas Edison was a leech that stole the best ideas from Nikola Tesla?
While that last sentence might feel out of pocket, Me and the Alien Mumu integrates small appliance repair and real world science lessons into the narrative of the manga. The gimmick here is that each chapter delves into an appliance, their basic components, and some slight tutorials on how to fix common issues. From knowing the ins and outs of a microwave to demonstrating how automatic door sensors work, there’s enough here to be a fun school lesson without being too bogged down into technical terms.
That said, it sometimes feels like the manga is a vehicle for STEM facts rather than an interesting story. Some of the implementation is shoehorned in at the last minute, and much of the characters don’t feel too developed. That said, the art is amazing and makes the mundane very entertaining. The interactions between Mumu and Sakurako are genuine and thoughtful, and the lessons do have some real life connections.
If you want a fun way to learn about engineering and small appliance repairs, Me and the Alien Mumu is a great series to check out!
Rating: 4 out of 5 UwUs
A Magical Girl Retires – Nomad Edition (HarperCollins)
While this isn’t a traditional manga or graphic novel, we’ve done novel reviews here on Miso so this counts! A Magical Girl recounts the adventures of a protagonist as her suicide attempt gets thwarted by the Clairvoyant Magical Girl Ah Roa. Ah Roa excitedly tells the protagonist that she’s the Magical Girl of Time that is destined to save the world from the vilest threat known to humanity: Climate change.
What follows is a subversive look at the world of magical girls as the protagonist looks at the more mundane aspects of the industry, like trade fairs and union agreements. All the while, Ah Roa expects the protagonist to awaken her powers, but what happens if she disappoints her mentor (and consequently, the world)?
I thought A Magical Girl Retires worked as a serviceable critique on the genre, as it does highlight some of the more absurdist tropes (such as prolonged transformations and even travel between conflicts). There’s an interesting magic system and world to be revealed, but unfortunately it’s all wrapped up quickly. While the story does end on an unexpected note, I feel like works like Magilumiere Magical Girls Inc. pulls this off more proficiently. The length is a double-edged sword because once a plot point is explained, the story hurriedly goes to the next plot point with not much room to breathe. However, if the author would like to revisit this world in another novel, I would return for more.
Now, this novel originally released in English back in 2024, but there was a new release last November thanks to HarperCollins’ Nomad Editions. Inspired by Japanese pocketbook novels, the format aims to bring a variety of Asian stories in a new portable format. While the original novel (more of a novella, if we’re looking strictly at length here) is short, this edition squeezes the story into a cute and vastly portable size. I lugged this around in my coat pocket and read in between errands, and it was a great experience!
Personally, I loved reading this book as a Nomad Edition, and I immediately bought the other two releases as well (Won-Pyung Shon’s Almond and Tomihiko Morimi’s The Tatami Galaxy being the others). It’s a nice portable format that works well for shorter titles, and I’m interested in reading these bite-sized pieces of literature again!
Rating: 3 out of 5 UwUs
And that’s it for our February double feature! If you’d like to have us do quicker short review columns for one or two titles (or if you like our regular manga mini releases), let us know in the comments! Stay tuned for more manga and anime news here on Miso!
