There are some evenings when you want to immerse yourself in a story but don't want to allocate a lot of time to that. Maybe you're tired from the ongoings and need something fresh to feed your brain, maybe you just want something, but don't want to get too invested.
For that, we have a little list of 8 short manga series, just a few volumes maximum, that you can go through in one night and sate your curiosity. It's just a little snack, but still very satisfying.
Kuro (22 chapters)
This one has a magical cat in it! It's a mystery story, one that is artfully constructed and interestingly paced, and it allows for the mystery to unfold in an extremely satisfying, albeit gut-punching way. In a short series about a girl living in a mansion with her cat, the author explores themes of acceptance, loneliness, fear of death, and abandonment, and the captivating art style helps to make the story more immersive and more palpable.
Ninja Shinobu-san no Junjou (30 chapters)
Shinobu states that she's not a ninja, but Hitoyoshi Kageyama, her classmate and class representative, spotted her numerous times scaling walls and throwing blades, so he doesn't trust her. The problem is that Shinobu, although skilled in combat, is not really good at socializing with people. And Hitoyoshi is one of those she wants to socialize with, but not only she's bad at it — he's also quite dense. The most interesting part of this short manga is that all characters, even those who are supposed to be side characters, are very well fleshed and have a lot of moments to shine, making the story more vivid and adding a lot of details to what seems like a regular romance.
Sakurasaku Syndrome (19 chapters)
Those of you who like the trope "childhood friends to lovers" — this is for you. The main characters haven't seen each other for ten years and now they're studying together. Or, rather, Wakatake, who pays a lot of attention to his studies, helps Kagetora, a very impulsive and brash girl, to pass the entrance test to a very prestigious school. It's a simple but sweet story, with gorgeous art and nice characters. The ending is a bit abrupt but still conclusive.
Two lonely hearts meet in a school where everyone already has a pair. Because of that everyone nags at them, thinking that they just should get together, but it's not that easy. Especially when all you want to do is bicker and spew insults at each other. From this summary, it's easy to predict how the story will end, but the way that the characters reach this conclusion is what makes it special. The protagonists are very believable and down-to-earth, and that makes their relationship development feel very organic and natural.
Baron: The Cat Returns (3 chapters)
One day Haru helped a cat, and this cat thanked her. He stands on his feet and thanks her properly, and then a huge delegation with a Cat King visits her at her house, thanking her for saving the Cat Prince. One of the gifts she receives from this party is a marriage — to the aforementioned cat prince. The manga has a lot of comedy in it, but also deals with themes of loss and focuses quite heavily on the magical realism aspect. It's beautiful and fun, despite being the shortest on the list.
Paperbag-kun Is In Love (17 chapters)
Paperbag-kun is shy, but he is in love and is determined to do everything he can so that Umi Asagi, the object of his affection, would notice him. His actions may be labeled as borderline stalkerish, at least by some characters, but somehow it doesn't affect the general wholesomeness of the whole manga. It's cute, diabetes-inducing, even, and the main pair doesn't have anyone who'd make you groan and want to punch the screen. They're not dense, they're just shy and a bit confused, but it's gonna work out, despite some minor drama.
Tsun-Sweet Boyfriend (64 chapters)
This is a bit longer than the previous works in this list, but it's worth it. It's a fluffy and light-hearted romantic story that still has a lot of relationship development. The main couple is already in a relationship, and the story follows their everyday life. One that is tooth-rottingly fluffy, because one of the main characters is a tsundere, a seemingly cold-hearted person, but in reality, he has a heart of gold and he's always ready to shower his beloved woman with affection. Not all his actions, however, work as he intended, but that adds a little bit of comedy to the overall cute story. Then again, the ridiculous amount of cuteness is comical by itself.
Voynich Hotel (68 chapters)
The longest series on this list but still fitting our criteria, this one features a mysterious hotel on a desolate island. Its workers and inhabitants are all quite unique, and they engage in a comedic slice-of-life-ish type of story that has a little violently crazy spin, provided that the majority of the characters are somehow tied to the crime. Characters open up to the reader in small bits, you have to sort through a little puzzle, combining pieces of information by yourself, but the whole vibe of the place that treats crazy stuff as something mundane lets you get immersed into it and enjoy it.
Just a portion of wholesomeness.
There are some evenings when you want to immerse yourself in a story but don't want to allocate a lot of time to that. Maybe you're tired from the ongoings and need something fresh to feed your brain, maybe you just want something, but don't want to get too invested.
For that, we have a little list of 8 short manga series, just a few volumes maximum, that you can go through in one night and sate your curiosity. It's just a little snack, but still very satisfying.
Kuro (22 chapters)
This one has a magical cat in it! It's a mystery story, one that is artfully constructed and interestingly paced, and it allows for the mystery to unfold in an extremely satisfying, albeit gut-punching way. In a short series about a girl living in a mansion with her cat, the author explores themes of acceptance, loneliness, fear of death, and abandonment, and the captivating art style helps to make the story more immersive and more palpable.
Ninja Shinobu-san no Junjou (30 chapters)
Shinobu states that she's not a ninja, but Hitoyoshi Kageyama, her classmate and class representative, spotted her numerous times scaling walls and throwing blades, so he doesn't trust her. The problem is that Shinobu, although skilled in combat, is not really good at socializing with people. And Hitoyoshi is one of those she wants to socialize with, but not only she's bad at it — he's also quite dense. The most interesting part of this short manga is that all characters, even those who are supposed to be side characters, are very well fleshed and have a lot of moments to shine, making the story more vivid and adding a lot of details to what seems like a regular romance.
Sakurasaku Syndrome (19 chapters)
Those of you who like the trope "childhood friends to lovers" — this is for you. The main characters haven't seen each other for ten years and now they're studying together. Or, rather, Wakatake, who pays a lot of attention to his studies, helps Kagetora, a very impulsive and brash girl, to pass the entrance test to a very prestigious school. It's a simple but sweet story, with gorgeous art and nice characters. The ending is a bit abrupt but still conclusive.
Two lonely hearts meet in a school where everyone already has a pair. Because of that everyone nags at them, thinking that they just should get together, but it's not that easy. Especially when all you want to do is bicker and spew insults at each other. From this summary, it's easy to predict how the story will end, but the way that the characters reach this conclusion is what makes it special. The protagonists are very believable and down-to-earth, and that makes their relationship development feel very organic and natural.
Baron: The Cat Returns (3 chapters)
One day Haru helped a cat, and this cat thanked her. He stands on his feet and thanks her properly, and then a huge delegation with a Cat King visits her at her house, thanking her for saving the Cat Prince. One of the gifts she receives from this party is a marriage — to the aforementioned cat prince. The manga has a lot of comedy in it, but also deals with themes of loss and focuses quite heavily on the magical realism aspect. It's beautiful and fun, despite being the shortest on the list.
Paperbag-kun Is In Love (17 chapters)
Paperbag-kun is shy, but he is in love and is determined to do everything he can so that Umi Asagi, the object of his affection, would notice him. His actions may be labeled as borderline stalkerish, at least by some characters, but somehow it doesn't affect the general wholesomeness of the whole manga. It's cute, diabetes-inducing, even, and the main pair doesn't have anyone who'd make you groan and want to punch the screen. They're not dense, they're just shy and a bit confused, but it's gonna work out, despite some minor drama.
Tsun-Sweet Boyfriend (64 chapters)
This is a bit longer than the previous works in this list, but it's worth it. It's a fluffy and light-hearted romantic story that still has a lot of relationship development. The main couple is already in a relationship, and the story follows their everyday life. One that is tooth-rottingly fluffy, because one of the main characters is a tsundere, a seemingly cold-hearted person, but in reality, he has a heart of gold and he's always ready to shower his beloved woman with affection. Not all his actions, however, work as he intended, but that adds a little bit of comedy to the overall cute story. Then again, the ridiculous amount of cuteness is comical by itself.
Voynich Hotel (68 chapters)
The longest series on this list but still fitting our criteria, this one features a mysterious hotel on a desolate island. Its workers and inhabitants are all quite unique, and they engage in a comedic slice-of-life-ish type of story that has a little violently crazy spin, provided that the majority of the characters are somehow tied to the crime. Characters open up to the reader in small bits, you have to sort through a little puzzle, combining pieces of information by yourself, but the whole vibe of the place that treats crazy stuff as something mundane lets you get immersed into it and enjoy it.
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