Underrated Manga Picks!

To celebrate Asian Pacific Islander Month I wanted to highlight some manga series that I enjoy reading and find underrated. I hope that if you’re a manga reader this list can help provide some new options for you.

Solo Leveling by Dubu
If you, like me, enjoy your fair share of video games and manga this is a series you should check out! This manga series is all about a teen who is born a hunter. Sun Jinwoo is the provider for himself and his little sister so even though he may not be the strongest hunter he continues to fight in each dungeon so that he can make a living. Everything is happening as usual until Sun Jinwoo’s whole party decides to continue through a dungeon in an area that wasn’t previously cleared by the government. What they find inside that area changes their lives forever.

A Silent Voice by Yoshitoki Oima
This is a great redemption and love story wrapped up into bite sized manga volumes. In this series, we follow two teens that had a very confrontational relationship at the beginning but as they grow older they change for the better. In middle school Shouko was bullied by all the other kids in her class because she was deaf but Shoya was the biggest bully of them all. The situation that happened between Shouko and Shoya changed both of their lives and we follow them after they meet again and realize that they may be more important to each other than they thought. 

The Promised Neverland by Kaiu Shirai 
This series makes you question everything and realize that nothing is what it seems. In The Promised Neverland we follow orphaned kids that all live in an orphanage with their “mother." As the kids grow older they get adopted and leave the orphanage. But, when the kids realize that none of their "siblings" who left have written like they thought they would, they begin to question everything. Norman, Ray, and Emma are the smartest kids in this orphanage and when one of their little sisters gets adopted they uncover some things that they never thought possible. (Volume 1 and volume 2 also available in library ebook format.)

Mama Akuma by Kuzushiro 
Seere is only summoned to grant wishes for those who are willing to pay the cost. Sakura Masuda summons them and asks for them to be their mama. This is a wish that Seere has never needed to grant and doesn’t really know how to do. But, once Seere realizes that they can’t convince Sakura to change her mind, Seere dedicates themselves to being the best mama possible. 

I Hear the Sunspot by Yuki Fumino
Meeting friends that last for life in college can be difficult but for Kohei it can be even more difficult because he is deaf. Kohei was not looking to find a friend, all he needed was someone who was willing to write notes for his classes so that he could study. Taichi is a high energy student that needs a job so that he can pay his bills. When Taichi sees the ad for Kohei he doesn’t think he can do it but he wants to try. What they don’t realize is that they are meant to be not only friends but so much more. (This manga presents male male romance between the two main characters.)