With the end of December comes yearly reviews! In the coming days, I am going to try to talk about my top English manga reads, my top Japanese manga reads, and my top novel reads. As I read so much, I didn’t think it would be fair to my books to not separate them into smaller categories.
Note: Although Colette Decides to Die is my favourite series, and I do own it in English, I didn’t include it on this list. I need to give my other books their time to shine, right!?
Criteria: In order for me to include a series on this list, it needs to be in my collection! I’ve read quite a few good series through the library this year (Homunculus, Takahashi from the Bike Shop, etc.), but these will sadly not be included in this list.
So now that all that’s out of the way, let’s get to the manga!
MADK
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I was actually really stuck on whether to put this at the top spot, or the second. I ended up ultimately putting MADK at the top because of the beautiful sense of completion it has. Typically I find shorter series leave something to be desired—some characters just disappear, plot holes are left unexplained, etc. MADK was the first short series I read that left me completely satisfied with the ending! I found every page had a purpose, every character went through reasonable growth, and by the time I finished volume three, I was left with absolutely no questions.
Check out my review of volume one here!
Check out this series for yourself below
Witch Hat Atelier
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This is the other series I was really struggling with. I’ve been really enjoying Witch Hat Atelier, but I’m not fully caught up yet. This lead me to worry a little bit, as what if I grow to dislike it as I read on? I let go of my worries eventually, as I really have been enjoying it so far! It doesn’t make sense to lower its ranking for something that hasn’t even happened.
This is a darker fantasy series, a genre that I have really been enjoying lately. I love Coco as a protagonist, especially as we see the world through both her eyes, and the perspectives of her peers. As of right now I would have to say I’m most interested in Qifrey, as he seems to be hiding a lot of secrets! While he portrays himself as a kind, helpful teacher, it’s clear he has a much darker side. I’m excited to read on!
Check out this series for yourself below
Mushishi
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I cannot believe it took me this long to read this series. Mushishi follows Ginko, a man who helps those plighted by creatures called “mushi”. Each chapter follows Ginko helping, or sometimes just watching, different characters he meets during his travels. Sometimes he is able to help solve problems, and other times there aren’t really any problems to solve. This series really focuses on following Ginko during his travels. The storytelling really helps immerse you into the story, at least it did for me, as it feels just about as real as a fantasy series can feel. Perhaps because a lot of it is based on Japanese folklore, or perhaps it’s because Ginko isn’t portrayed as some all-powerful characters, this was such a comforting read for me.
Check out this series for yourself below
Maddies Manga 
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