It’s time for Miso’s first Manga Minis of 2026! Originally this was going to be released in January, but… stuff happens, we hope you can forgive us! From a one-shot manga about endangered animals to continuations of Paru Itagaki’s works, let’s get some backlog reading cleared up before the big hits of 2026 come out!
Before You Go Extinct (Kodansha)
Sometimes the smallest stories hit the hardest. I wasn’t expecting much about Before You Go Extinct, but I came out of reading the standalone volume with a renewed sense of joy about living, even when thinking about death. It’s a fun exploration of what it means to be alive; a mature yet childlike work that managed to impress me with its short length.
Each story in this volume highlights an extinct species of animal, with a warming stone acting as a framing device bringing it all together. How do different animals tackle the philosophical quandary of living life as their kind is due to die off entirely? From a crow trying to come to terms with a religious funeral burial ceremony to a river otter that reluctantly juggles to honor his fallen friend, these chapters act as one-shots in a wonderful way.
I didn’t realize how emotional the stories were. Even the weakest chapter (which was the first) gets a fitting reprise as the last chapter continues the legacy of a penguin that kills other penguins as a way to show his love for them. Learning to love life while everyone of your kind gets picked off is a morbid subject, and the art style packs a punch with its cute contrast. (All of the animals within the manga are adorably endangered).
I won’t spoil much, but I can’t believe Before You Go Extinct may rank as one of my favorite manga in recent memory.
Rating: 5 out of 5 UwUs
Dragon and Chameleon Volume 6 (Square Enix Manga) – First Manga Minis of 2026 Advanced Review!
Garyo Hanagami (actually the body-swapped Shinobu Miyama) and Ikki Fugaku continue their contest for reader votes with their two manga series, Blue Sky Brigade and Vajra. Unfortunately for Miyama’s side, it seems that his seventh chapter isn’t good enough to beat the status quo in which he cornered himself.
His solution? To try and redo storyboards three days before the final draft! In a race against time, will Miyama be able to make it in time to submit his seventh chapter? And what will happen to the competition when something else outside their rivalry rears its ugly head?
Dragon and Chameleon always astounds me with how it’s able to create mundane situations into action-packed scenarios. It helps that the character interactions between the protagonist and his supporting cast are great, though this volume is a bit lacking in them. Miyama needs to isolate himself in order to track down what makes his craft a masterpiece, and most of this volume has everyone reacting on the sidelines. It’s not a bad thing since we’re starting to get more into what makes Miyama tick, but it feels like a necessary evil at this point. However, the start of a new arc means that the action will heat up soon, and I am waiting attentively for the next volume.
I did enjoy the competition between Miyama and Fugaku, even if it feels like it’ll be done after this arc is over. However, I would love to see more interactions with the other mangaka in Weekly Orochi, with the future hinting at a more collaborative effort between manga companies. The art is as beautiful as ever, and I was astounded by the amount of care put into each chapter.
Rating: 4 out of 5 UwUs
Beast Complex Volume 4 (VIZ Media)
I can’t believe it’s been three years since Beastars wrapped up its English publication. While I had mixed feelings about the ending, I was satisfied with the overall run as the series cemented itself as one of my all-time favorite manga. I’m glad that Paru Itagaki decided that her expanded spinoff, Beast Complex, will be continuing in the foreseeable future. This means a lot of themes and settings that weren’t shown in the main series proper will get some spotlight now.
As was the case with previous volumes, Beast Complex is an anthology of different stories set within the world of Beastars. No longer confined to the high school and college locales of the cast, Beast Complex features a series of great one-shot tales.
With the first five in the volume, we have different pairs of predator and prey as they interact with each other in mysterious ways. The reserved black panther Gil is shy around his hard-working sea otter coworker Po, mainly due to the fact that Gil wants to eat him. However, due to how sea creatures view death, this isn’t a taboo option for Po.
However, my favorite story was from a deadbeat iguana who finds a renewed sense of purpose when he must tend to a penguin so he can drink beer from his local convenience store. (It makes sense in context.) The presence of the land/sea contrast is something that was only touched upon in the main series with Sagwan in Beastars, so I liked how that aspect gets explored here. It’s this worldbuilding that I’ve come to love in Beast Complex, and the improved art from past volumes (and even earlier Beastars chapters) makes this a comfortable read.
The chapters in Beast Complex are so good sometimes I keep forgetting they’re attached to Beastars; so much so that when we get to the chapter with Legoshi and Haru I felt that it was weakest one. This story takes place after the events of the main series, where Haru feels like she is stuck in a rut dating Legoshi. She’s concerned that the pair hasn’t had sex at all, and wants to spice up her relationship in order to keep it going. The couple is cute, but I feel like this development is anything but that and makes Haru look a little immature. Legoshi being… Legoshi, his obliviousness makes this conflict amusing but honestly it just feels so out of place within the package at this point.
All in all, Beast Complex is one of the best spinoff manga in recent memory and is a must for fans of Beastars. I can’t wait to see where Paru Itagaki goes with her next chapters!
Rating: 4 out of 5 UwUs
Sanda Volume 2 (Titan Manga)
Speaking of Paru Itagaki series, I also was able to pick up the next volume of Sanda! I’ve been adoring the manga so far, and while it’s starting to get a bit strange, it’s still a fun experience.
The mystery of the missing student (and Fuyumura’s friend) Ono is solved! Except, it isn’t quite what it seems. She’s alive and well, but something’s up between her and Fuyumura. However, Sanda and the gang can’t breathe easily right now, because they’ve got a funeral to attend! Mainly, Ono’s. With Principal Oshibu gathering the St. Nick Pursuit Unit to capture the mysterious adult Santa Claus running around, Sanda needs to try and intervene with the funeral while not exposing his identity to the school.
Meanwhile, the chief of the unit, Saburo Yagiuda, has the luck to meet up with Sanda and Fuyumura as he tails the child to capture him. In the meantime, Sanda starts developing feelings for Fuyumura, which is a problem when he must break off the engagement to his arranged fiancé, Niko Kazao. Additionally, something is up with Ono, and who can tell what’s going on in this journey of youth to adulthood?
This volume changes my perspective on the series, much like how the second volume of Beastars caught me off guard. It’s now swerving from a mystery series to one with romantic themes, and they’re very complicated. At the same time, there’s some crass humor to chuckle at in the meantime (mainly, a naked adult Sanda trying to crash Ono’s funeral, much to his chagrin). The tone is all over the place, but if you can stomach it, it comes together by the end.
It’s a different tonal shift for sure, but for those who like Paru Itagaki’s work, Sanda is a great place to continue!
Rating: 4 out of 5 UwUs
And that’s our first Manga Minis for 2026! (We’ll hopefully have another this month!) Stay tuned for more manga minis here on Miso!
