Manga-ficent monsoon: Four rainy day reads for the cosy, drenched weekends
With monsoon extending its cosy embrace on our windowpanes, and the moody grey skies casting a surreal spell on our minds, it is time to indulge in some slice-of-life stories or imaginative escapades which take you through the pages into faraway lands. Monsoon’s cosy ambience calls for visual as well as imaginative storytelling, for which manga volumes are the best treat to grab. Here are four manga reads to pick up this monsoon, recommended by t2ONLINE.
Another dreamy romance set against the backdrop of rain, The Moon on a Rainy Night follows Saki, a bubbly high school student who crosses paths with Kanon, her charming classmate who has lost her sense of hearing after an accident, which also crushed her dreams of having a musical career. After the sudden encounter on a rainy evening, the two find that they actually sit close to each other in class. While Kanon isolates herself owing to her partial deafness, Saki’s cheerful spirit breaks the ice as the two girls develop an emotional bond.
If you are in for some sci-fi thrill while you enjoy your cosy, rainy days at home, this one’s just for you. Set in 24th century terraformed Mars, which is now referred to as Aqua, the story is about Akari, a girl who leaves the Earth to become an “Undine”, a guide-like figure who helps visitors explore Neo-Venezia, which is a 24th century site modelled after the likeness of Venice on Earth. Akari’s mentorship takes place at the Aria company under her trainor Alicia, where she also befriends fellow trainees and confronts mystical encounters.
Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha, but make it a manga! When a talented calligrapher named Seishu shoves a punch at the curator of an exhibition who claimed his work is not original, he is exiled by his father to the remote, serene Goto Islands to calm his mind and develop his individual artistic style. However, instead of the peace and quiet he exptected would allow him to find his true calling with concentration, he encounters a group of too-friendly neighbours who simply will not allow him privacy! But that is what makes the true difference, as through community values and shared friendly moments with the locals, the artist recovers from his creative block and develops a profound perspective on life.
If you have been adding all the fresh Asian Boys’ Love dramas to your watchlist, why not try reading one too? Monsoon prepares the perfect ground for spending time with friends over hot, delicious meals cooked at home on the rain-drenched afternoons, and this story is all about the love and warmth created through cooking! The story follows Yutaka, a passionate home cook who has struggled to share a table with others during meals, having faced harsh comments from his adoptive family every time he sat for meals in his childhood.
However, after he meets a cheerful four-year old boy Tane and his brother Minoru, who love his rice cakes, and invite him to their place to teach the recipe, all of it starts to shift. As Yutaka starts visiting their house more frequently, the three boys bond over shared meals as Yutaka finally overcomes his anxiety around eating together with others. A romance also starts blossoming between him and Minoru, which becomes the emotional core of the story.
