Highlights from this Week's FOC
WHAT SHOULD YOU NOT MISS THIS WEEK?
Hello fellow Manga readers,
I hope your February went as smooth as possible and that you enjoyed all the new manga that already came out within this year!
The amazing thing about new releases, is that they seemingly never stop! In celebration of never-ending stories, let us see what this week’s FOC has to offer in terms of manga.
Spoiler: This one includes a random new manga series, but I am all here for it… 👀
Let’s check out what this week has to offer – shall we? :D
🔫 Oldboy Deluxe Edition: Book Two 🔫
Oldboy Deluxe Edition: Book Two HC *PRE-ORDER*
€65,99
€69,99
Author: Garon Tsuchiya Translated by: Kumar Sivasubramanian Illustrated by: Nobuaki Minegishi 9781506752877|Hardcover FOC: 12/22/2025|On Sale 03/24/2026 Catalog: November 2025 848 pages|12 per carton 20 Oz|Mature Dark Horse Comics | Dark Horse Manga Sales Rights: US/CAN (No Open Mkt) Pop Culture… read more
One of my favorite things about enjoying different media is comparing them and seeing what each type of adaptation may offer that the other wasn’t able to do.
So it was a no-brainer for me to include this classic manga series in this week’s FOC newsletter.
As you may have guessed from the title and my description: Yes, this is the manga that inspired the cult-classic movie Oldboy from 2003! 😲
Especially this one is a perfect example of how fun it can be to enjoy a similar story in two very different ways.
Not only is the art charming and nostalgic, but it is also such a unique and twisted story that will keep you on the edge of your reading chairs until the very last page!
If you are neither familiar with the movie nor the manga, I will give you a quick rundown of the plot…
Shinichi Goto is suddenly kidnapped and imprisoned for seemingly no reason. He is only given a TV and the same food for 10 (!) years…
After these 10 years, he is suddenly set free and shortly after meets and falls in love with a waitress at a restaurant where the food tastes exactly like his daily rations in captivity…
So… the hunt for the kidnappers begins and unveils intrigues and sins from the past.
Just a perfect setup for good action and a lot of plot twists - what else could you want? :P
This new Deluxe Edition is also perfect for getting into this story!
Not only is the second book the last book, which together with the first book gives you the whole story, but you also get a beautiful format to enjoy this classic ’90s look!
My recommendation: read both manga and then go right into the movie. Such a fun experience—you will thank me :D
🎮 Young Ladies Don't Play Fighting Games Vol. 9 🎮
Young Ladies Don't Play Fighting Games Vol. 9 *PRE-ORDER*
€11,89
€13,99
An over-the-top comedy manga about delicate young ladies indulging in hardcore gaming–inspired a live-action series and an anime!Kuromi Girls’ Academy is a refined, elegant school that expects the very best in deportment from its young ladies. Aya got into this… read more
This next one is a series that already has a solid fan base but could definitely use a few more readers… 👀
I first came across this rather new series during Pride Month of last year.
Back then, I hadn’t read a lot of Girls-Love manga, which made it a bit difficult for me to get into this genre.
So I did what I usually do when I want to try something new: I look for something that will build a bridge.
And there it was… Young Ladies Don’t Play Fighting Games - a manga about gaming! :O
This manga centers around Aya, who receives a scholarship to attend a pristine Girls Academy. She struggles to fit in with all the rich and noble girls, but she immediately has someone to look up to: her crush, Shirayuri.
Aya thinks she is lovely - very kind and generous to everyone… until Aya discovers her dark secret…
Shirayuri is a gamer!!! BAM BAM BAAAAAM!
She trash-talks, stomps enemies, and is just brutal to her gaming setup while playing intense fighting games - scandalous!!!!! :O
But lucky for Shirayuri… Aya also loves video games, which suddenly enables both girls to form a bond that no one is supposed to see…
To me, as a gamer from the day I could form the smallest thought, this one has been such an authentic and fun read to this day. The gaming segments feel natural and realistic, while the romance and characters develop perfectly.
It is definitely very over-the-top and may not hit everyone’s sense of humor, but I do like how the story pokes fun at sexist stereotypes and gives the audience something to think about.
I fell in love with this series - which is already at volume 9, geez - so much that I even wrote a Beyond-The-Panels-Blog post about it!
I would recommend checking out this elaborate piece I wrote to see why I loved it so much in more detail, and then checking out the manga itself (maybe also pre-order this volume to save some money while you can… 👀).
Trust me, as a gamer, manga reader and fan of over-the-top comedy like One Punch Man or Mashle, you will just looove it! :D
👁️ Killing Me / Killing You Vol. 1 👁️
Killing Me / Killing You Vol. 1 *PRE-ORDER*
€12,79
€14,99
Two immortals, one suicide pact. In a world changed by madness, two immortals will journey to find freedom from this never-ending life.When a meteorite struck the Earth, it shattered more than just the land—it broke reality. A wave of madness… read more
One of my New Year’s resolutions is to read more new stuff. So every time a new FOC goes online, I look out for titles that spark my interest and could become my new obsession.
This time, my heart was taken by storm by this interesting manga about two immortals trying to find a solution to their curse.
Set in a post-apocalyptic world where humans turned into monsters through a catastrophe, this one presents itself with amazing action, deep philosophy, and some incredible plot twists.
What immediately caught my eye was the amazing cover of volume 1, which led me to look up whether this beautiful art translates into the manga itself.
And yes… it thankfully does!
A thrilling plot with classic elements spun into something new, mixed with beautiful art, is a great way to catch my attention.
I am very excited to read this when it finally drops, especially because through FOC I can get it for a cheap price (always good if you want to try out something new and not risk too much money on it :P)!
📖 Manga Quest 📖
Manga Quest History: The Cold War And Beyond *PRE-ORDER*
€16,99
€19,99
A dynamic, full-color manga that brings the Cold War era and modern history to life! Dive into the global tensions, pivotal events, and influential figures that shaped the world during and after the Cold War, all through engaging storytelling and… read more
For this last one, I brought you a treat… 😂
Yes, you saw that right — three manga about mathematics, dinosaurs, and THE COLD WAR!!!
The new Big Three just entered the playing field, and you better get ready! 😎
Ok… jokes aside, when I first saw these manga in our FOC list, I started laughing.
Not because I am against educational manga - quite the opposite - but rather because the mixture is so random.
Like, yes, teaching younger readers about maths and dinosaurs sounds logical, but the Cold War was quite a random addition.
However, jokes on me: one of my biggest history obsessions IS the Cold War… I also find it quite thrilling to see, from the perspective of someone who worked as a history teacher, how well this series educates about dinosaurs and the Cold War.
And although I couldn’t stop myself from putting a few jokes in about this series, the more I talk about it, the more I can feel the idea behind this selection.
I mean, the Cold War is quite a complex topic compared to the others.
However, this also shows that this series is not only for young children or primary school students, but could also help a manga fan in 10th grade, for example.
So I will take back my jokes and say: Yes, this is perfect!
Some people do struggle to learn important things in conventional ways, but media like this is something that can truly make a difference.
So if you want to get some manga with high educational value for your kids, or even if you want to train your skills in these three subjects, you can definitely pick up something unique right now (both in soft- and hardcover, by the way :P).
And fingers crossed, that this series will continue to offer us great educational value! 🤓
That is it for now!
Man… sometimes the manga world releases some odd-balls that do take my heart by storm in some weird way.
I would have never guessed that my library would ever include a manga about mathematics – but in a few weeks this will be a reality I will have to face! 😂
However, if you cannot wait for these titles and need some new manga right now, you can either pick up the volumes before the ones I showed you, or you can always check out our Beyond The Panels-Blog, where I already talked about a lot of different manga that you can get right away! :D
But of course, you can also check out every FOC this week, right here. All of our pre-orders run until Saturday at 4pm.
If you have any doubts or questions, you can message us, and we will gladly help you out.
See you soon,
Daniel
