Camera Ready 🎥 and Purr-Fect Manga Reads for This Month - Walt’s Comic Shop

Office Cats, Quiet Stories and New Manga to Discover.

Hey manga friends,

I could use this newsletter to talk about the Football World Cup.

But here’s the truth: football is probably one of the very few sports I just can’t get into. Which is slightly ironic, because I somehow won a betting game last year. To this day, I have absolutely no idea how that happened. My strategy mostly consisted of guessing and pretending I knew what I was doing. Apparently, that’s a winning formula.

I could also spend the next few paragraphs telling you why Aoashi is one of my favourite sports manga. And yes, I’ll happily admit that I enjoyed its opening even more than Slam Dunk. I know, the Takehiko Inoue fans are already sharpening their pitchforks. But before anyone gets too upset, I’m also a huge Slam Dunk fan... So please lower the pitchforks.

Or I could tell you that we’re finally getting an English release of Ace of the Diamond. Trust me, we’ll come back to that one another time.

But while I was sitting at my desk planning this newsletter, I kept thinking about two completely different manga. Two series that stayed in my head long after I finished them. Both happen to be created by female mangaka and, even better, both are currently part of our Firsties Collection. That means you can grab the first volume with 25% off.

So grab your favourite drink, get comfortable, and let’s jump in.

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Cat-Life Balance

Cat-Life Balance follows two office workers who couldn’t appear more different.

Mamoru is the office prince. He’s kind, dependable, handsome, and says yes to absolutely everything. As you can probably imagine, that isn’t exactly healthy. The more people rely on him, the less able he is to set boundaries, until he slowly exhausts himself by helping others.

Then there’s Kurone. Quiet. Reserved. Almost invisible at work. But after office hours, she transforms into someone completely different while caring for a colony of stray cats in a nearby park. That’s where Mamoru accidentally discovers the person hidden behind her professional mask.

What I really loved about this first volume is that it never rushes anything. It isn’t trying to become the next big office romance or manufacture a dramatic misunderstanding every ten pages. Instead, it quietly explores loneliness, people-pleasing, social anxiety, and the comfort we sometimes find in unexpected places.

The cats aren’t just there because they’re cute, either. Although they are doing an excellent job in that department. The manga also introduces readers to the idea of community cats, giving the story another layer without ever feeling preachy.

So, if you’re looking for a gentle slice-of-life manga with adult characters and a warm atmosphere, this one is absolutely worth your time.

Trust me, I’ve already convinced two friends to read it, and they don’t even read manga. I’m counting that as a personal achievement.

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That’s Not Love

This one, on the other hand, is a very different and much more difficult recommendation. That’s Not Love isn’t an easy read.

The story follows Akane, a woman in her forties whose life is suddenly shaken when she recognizes something painfully familiar at an art exhibition. What follows is a slow and heartbreaking realization: what she once believed to be a complicated relationship between a teacher and a student was actually grooming and abuse.

What impressed me most is how quietly Peko Watanabe tells this story. There are no dramatic twists every other chapter and no attempt to turn the subject into spectacle. Instead, the horror comes from watching memories slowly rearrange themselves until both the protagonist and the reader finally understand what really happened.

It’s a manga about memory, trauma, consent, guilt, and the stories society sometimes chooses to romanticize instead of questioning.

This definitely isn’t a feel-good recommendation. Please pay attention to the content warnings before picking it up. But if you’re looking for a mature drama that treats difficult subjects with care and respect, this is one that will stay with you for a long time.

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New Arrivals

The shelves have been getting a little crowded again thanks to a fresh batch of new arrivals. That’s great news for you and slightly less great news for your wallet.

First up is Billy Bat Volume 1. If you enjoy conspiracy thrillers packed with mysteries, strange connections, and plenty of twists, this is an easy recommendation from me. I’ve already read the entire series in German, and it’s honestly one of my favourite works by Naoki Urasawa.

Another series I really, really love and absolutely want you to check out is Spacewalking With You. It’s one of the most wholesome and heartfelt slice-of-life series currently running. Seriously, what a gem. Volume 3 has just arrived, which is excellent news for everyone who has already fallen in love with its characters.

Looking to try another new series? Then take a look at The Credits Roll Into the Sea. It follows Umiko, a 65-year-old woman grieving the recent loss of her husband, who visits a cinema for the first time in decades. There, she meets Kai, a film student, and slowly discovers an unexpected interest in filmmaking. It’s a quiet and unusual premise that sounds incredibly charming. I’m always happy to see manga featuring older protagonists whose lives don’t stop being interesting after the age of 25.

And if you’re a fan of 4-koma manga, Workin’ the Night Shift at Akumart is also worth a look.

Of course, that’s only a tiny selection. There are plenty more new arrivals waiting to be discovered, so feel free to browse the full list and see what catches your eye.

You never know when you’ll stumble across your next favourite series or accidentally add six volumes to your basket when you only meant to have a quick look.

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