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October is here, and so is the season of tea, oversized sweaters, and pretending to be productive while staring out the window at falling leaves. The light hits different now. Everything slows down a little, feels a bit more thoughtful.
It’s also the perfect time to curl up with a manga that feels like autumn. Not necessarily set in fall, but full of quiet moments and gentle pacing. The kind of stories that linger, that you close and just sit with for a while.
This month, I picked three manga that capture that feeling in their own ways. Through silence, structure, or softness. Each one reminds me why manga is so special. Not just for its action or plot twists, but for its atmosphere, detail, and the quiet spaces in between.
Neighborhood Craftsmen: Stories from Kanda’s Gokura-chou
Let me tell you about one of the most unexpected reading experiences I’ve had lately.
Neighborhood Craftsmen: Stories from Kanda’s Gokura-chou takes us back to the Edo period, not to samurai or court intrigue, but to the everyday lives of artisans. Smiths, dyers, weavers, tailors. People whose quiet, steady work shaped what we now know as Tokyo.
There’s hardly any dialogue. And honestly? That’s what makes it so powerful. You’re invited to slow down, to watch textures unfold: tatami mats, blades being shaped, indigo dye soaking through fabric. Some panels feel like Ukiyo-e prints. And the way the artist draws hands, wrinkled, scarred, full of life, really got me.
And in between all that beauty, it quietly asks: Is a swordsmith responsible for how his blade is used? Should a dyer stick to tradition or follow the spirit of the time? Is talent something you’re born with or does it come from years of repetition?
It’s not a fast read. Not flashy or dramatic. But if you want something thoughtful and textured, something that stays with you, this one is worth it. Also it's a pretty nice little Hardcover-Book.
Neighborhood Craftsmen Stories Kandas Gokura-Chou GN Vol 01
€21,62
APR252005 (W) Akihito Sakaue It's not about the money. It's about heart. Here in this masterpiece historical anthology, that heart will be laid bare to you: the spirit of craftsmanship, flowing from fingertip to final product, be it a barrel,… read more
Witch Hat Atelier
Let’s talk about paneling. Sounds a bit boring? Not when Kamome Shirahama is involved. Witch Hat Atelier isn’t just beautifully drawn. It’s one of the most creatively structured manga out there.
Shirahama doesn’t treat panels as rectangles. She turns them into storybook frames, surrounded by textures and movement. Sometimes characters step right out of them.
In one scene, a spell wraps around the page. In another, a panel tilts or trembles with emotion. Sometimes the borders vanish completely, and you’re just inside the world. It feels less like reading a manga and more like walking through a living fairytale.
Next time you pick it up, watch how the story moves across the page. The paneling doesn’t just hold the magic. It is the magic.
If you want to dive deeper into Witch Hat Atelier, check out Daniel’s blog post - it’s a great read. And don’t forget to preorder the artbook while you’re at it. You’ll want it on your shelf, trust me.
The Art Of Witch Hat Atelier *PRE-ORDER*
€24,99
€29,99
Soar into the world of Witch Hat Atelier with this beautiful, large-sized hardcover packed with full-color artwork by creator Kamome Shirahama. The 184 pages of this archival-quality, gold-stamped keepsake are packed with illustrations that have never been published in English… read more
Mushishi
Mushishi is about silence. About everything that exists just outside what we can see.
At first glance, it looks like a simple episodic manga. A new place, a new person, a new strange phenomenon called a mushi. But that simplicity is the point. Each story stands alone, like a whispered folktale, and together they form something deeper. A quiet kind of map, not of geography but of understanding.
Ginko, the wandering mushi expert, isn’t really a hero. He listens more than he speaks. His job isn’t to fight or fix things, but to understand them. That’s the rhythm of Mushishi: observation, empathy, reflection.
Yuki Urushibara’s art looks simple, but it’s full of air and light. Misty forests, quiet villages, eerie lakes, all drawn with a soft touch. There’s no spectacle here, no loud emotion. The silence between panels becomes the drama.
It doesn’t shout. It lingers. Like a dream you half remember but can’t shake off.
Mushishi isn’t for everyone, and that’s okay (though I’ll admit, I might be a little upset if you tell me you don’t like it). But if you’re craving something gentle, earthy, and a little ghostly this autumn, it might settle into your bones.
The new hardcover edition is coming this November, which makes it the perfect time to revisit or finally dive into this quiet masterpiece.
Mushishi Collector's Edition 1 HC
€24,99
€29,99
The beloved fantasy manga returns in a hardcover omnibus edition featuring a completely original translation and new cover designs.Before life as we know it, there existed entities that don't obey the laws of our reality—primordial beings known as mushi. In… read more
New Arrivals I’m Hyped About
There’s no way to keep up with every new manga release each month, so I peeked at the Top Selling Manga and Light Novels from the last 30 days to see what you’ve been into lately.
Good to know that so many of you love Makoto Yukimura as much as I do. No surprise either that Climber is among the bestsellers. But my biggest surprise was My Gorilla Family by Iijima Ichiro. Seeing it on the toplist made me stop and think, should I buy it? Should I check it out? Probably yes.
One series I personally want to highlight, and that fits perfectly with this month’s cozy and thoughtful theme, is Love in the Palm of His Hand. It’s a beautifully realistic BL manga, and the way the artist depicts sign language is stunning. Honestly one of the best visual representations of that theme I’ve ever seen in manga.
And finally, I’m really hyped for the final volume of Otonari Complex. A friend told me she loved it.
That’s it from me for now!
Thanks for reading along with me this month. I hope your October is full of good stories, good snacks, and the kind of quiet that feels like comfort.
Kerstin
