Brandon Smith is a multifaceted member of the Bookstr Editorial team, bringing a unique blend of humor, enthusiasm, and a deep-rooted love for all things nerdy. Not only does he excel in writing and editing, but Brandon also showcases his creative talents as a poet.
A self-proclaimed nerd, Brandon’s passions extend far beyond the realm of literature. He’s a dedicated gamer, a Star Wars aficionado, and an avid music enthusiast with an impressive collection of over 25 playlists and nearly 3,100 songs on just his Master List. For Brandon, music is the ultimate stress reliever, providing a soothing escape from life’s challenges.
Beyond his professional pursuits, Brandon is a proud cat dad, finding joy and companionship in his furry feline family. Despite their mischievous antics, Brandon’s love for his cats is unwavering. If his life were a book, he jokingly suggests the title Tribulation Woes and Jubilation Joys, capturing the ups and downs of his journey. Drawing inspiration from Franklin D. Roosevelt’s famous quote, “A smooth sea never made a skilled sailor,” Brandon believes that challenges and obstacles are essential for personal growth.
This week, Brandon is sharing his Team Tuesday recommendations, highlighting five captivating manga series that offer adventure, excitement, and a glimpse into the complexities of life. Let’s explore these must-read titles and discover why Brandon believes they should be on your TBR.
Goodnight Punpun by Inio Asano
This is a coming-of-age story with dark themes. The story follows Punpun from a young, traumatized child to a teenager, where he starts to lose sight of himself, ending in his mid-20s when he starts to figure things out. This story tugged at my heartstrings and made me think my life was normal by comparison.
My favorite thing about this story is how the illustrations are used. Punpun talks to “God” and, strangely enough, the image of “God” is a realistic human face when the story doesn’t use that type of art style anywhere else. Punpun and his family stand out from the rest of the characters as his family are depicted as crudely drawn birds. Punpun’s design changes with how he sees himself or how the world makes him feel which I can relate with.
The Fable by Katsuhisa Minami
I stumbled on this manga by chance, but it went into my top five overnight. The Fable follows a hitman aptly named The Fable on his toughest mission yet: living a normal life. His boss orders him to take a year off and lie low. He approaches it with the same stoic professionalism that he approaches his job, and the story tells the events of what happened during that time.
This manga made me laugh, raised my heartbeat, and made me sigh in relief when Fable finally showed up. My favorite parts of this manga are how these gangsters plan to defeat Fable, using dirty tricks or outside hires, but every plan fails because Fable is just that good. I thought it would be boring to have a protagonist who never struggles, but this manga has proven me wrong.
Berserk by Kentaro Miura
This story follows Guts on his epic journey for revenge, which he isn’t even sure he can accomplish. The manga opens darkly and grimly, introducing Guts as an antihero without any heroic qualities. He uses a child as bait for a monster, refuses to console a young girl after murdering her father, and pushes everyone away from him. His pitch-black armor and massive sword earned him the title The Black Swordsman, and it’s said that death follows where he goes.
As the edgy story unfolds, we see young Guts through a backstory arc called The Golden Age. This is my favorite part of the story because it explains how Guts ended up the way he did. He doesn’t push people away because he wants to. He pushes them away because he is cursed to fight evil spirits every night. He carries a massive sword because he has always used larger-than-average swords. Most importantly, it explains why he’s on a quest for revenge, which is hauntingly dark.
Uzumaki by Junji Ito
I am a huge fan of Junji Ito, and this was my introduction to his work. While I love the Tomie series and his short stories, I have to consider Uzumaki my favorite because, in my opinion, it is the pinnacle of his work. Set in a small town, two young and naive protagonists on a quest to discover the source of the curse.
The curse’s source is not a creature nor a person but a pattern, a swirl. How can a swirl haunt a town? Well, that’s what this series explains. And it is incredible. Junji Ito’s artwork is fantastic, and his ideas are out of this world. My favorite part of this story is watching the gradual change in the town in real time. It isn’t a slow process, but it isn’t a fast one either. It’s rewarding seeing the curse of the swirl twist and shape the citizens and the town itself.
Dorohedoro by Q Hayashida
A city so broken down it’s referred to as “The Hole” because sorcerers from another world take people off the streets to use as guinea pigs in their magical experiments. The main character, Caiman, a man with a reptile head, and his friend, who runs a Gyoza shop, run off to kill magic users to discover what happened to Caiman.
When I first read this, I liked it because the magic system was unique; users have a small tumor in their brain and a circulatory system connected to their tumor that allows smoke to shoot from the tips of their fingers. The second time I read it, I learned that the author was a badass. I had no idea that Q Hayashida was simply a pen name, and I had no idea that she wanted to remain anonymous. Through some interviews, I learned she is a fan of Death Metal and took inspiration from a popular band to use in this manga.
There you have it: five fun, adventurous, and beautiful manga recommendations from Brandon! Did he recommend one you love, too? Be sure to let us know on our socials!
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