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Beat the summer heat with a cool glass of water, A/C fans on blast, and a stack of new manga to enjoy. Here are my top three new manga picks for July!
Go For It, Nakamura!
Original Title: ガンバレ! 中村くん!!
Author: Syundei
US Publisher: Seven Seas Entertainment
Release Date: 7/3/2018
Purchase: Amazon
From the publisher: Nakamura is a shy boy who falls in love at first sight with another boy–his dreamy high school classmate Hirose. But there’s a problem: they haven’t met yet. And Nakamura is a total spaz who might bungle things before they even begin! In this endearing Boy’s Love comedy about the trials of high school, follow Nakamura’s hilarious attempts to cling to happiness.
Go For It, Nakamura! seems like it combines two of my favorite things: standalone stories and 1980s pop aesthetics. (I’m a sucker for anything playing off that vibe, so you know I’ll be buying this.) At just under 200 pages, this book is short enough to tackle in one sitting. From the reviews I’ve read, this manga doesn’t rely on the usual tropes of boys love, and for that, I’m excited. If you loved Nakamura, be on the lookout for Syundei’s Total Eclipse of the Eternal Heart, soon to be released by Seven Seas.
Grand Blue Dreaming, Vol. 1
Original Title: ぐらんぶる
Author: Kimitake Yoshioka (Author), Kenji Inoue (Creator)
US Publisher: Kodansha Comics
Release Date: 7/10/2018
Purchase: Amazon
From the publisher: After moving out on his own to a seaside town, Iori Kitahara makes a college debut he never anticipated. A new chapter of his life unfolds, full of diving with beautiful girls and shenanigans with a gaggle of lovable bastards! Idiot-expert Kenji Inoue and au naturel authority Kimitake Yoshioka bring you a glorious college tale filled with booze-fueled antics!
I’ve been meaning to catch the Grand Blue Dreaming anime, as I’ve heard it’s pretty funny. But now that I know there’s a manga version, I might just change my plans. As a former college student and a definitely real Adult, I look forward to seeing how Yoshioka and Inoue tackle the college experience (though I’m sure student life is definitely different in Japan compared to the US). You can read a free preview of Grand Blue Dreaming at Kodansha Comics.
Ibitsu
Original Title: イビツ
Author: Haruto Ryo
US Publisher: Yen Press
Release Date: 7/24/2018
Purchase: Amazon
From the publisher: There’s an urban legend that says late at night, sometimes a young girl dressed in gothic lolita clothing will appear by garbage dumps to ask a question. Any who answer will, without fail, die a twisted death. And tonight, another young boy will find himself enveloped by this horror…
I normally don’t associate horror with July, but Yen Press is here to change my mind with Ibitsu. Every review I’ve read about this manga raved about how it’s legitimately scary. Like Go For It, Nakamura!, this manga is a standalone work. Please note the explicit warning label — it’s safe to say this one isn’t for kids.
Hakutaku 
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