I finished the October issue of ハルタ, No. 88. Technically, I think that means I’ve caught up with the main magazine! Since the new issue comes out today…
Getting into and caught up with Harta has definitely been one of my favorite things this year. I didn’t think I would take to the manga magazine format, but I absolutely have! It’s roughly 1000 pages of interesting manga a month, that’s a wonderful mix of eagerly awaited climaxes, chill installments, compelling one-shots, and fun debuts. As a kid I always assumed when I grew up I’d live near a comic book store and have a pull list of subscriptions, and this scratches that same itch, with the added benefit of not having to go out of my way to try new series (and a wider genre variety). I’m endeared to most of the series in the magazine even though I never would have thought to seek them out otherwise, so clearly the format does its job economically…
And although I certainly like some stories in it more than others, I realized I wouldn’t really call Harta a “mixed bag” - it’s more like… a good bag. Even the rare stories I actively don’t care for are at least interesting. Which seems like quite a feat.
Or I just like comics enough it doesn’t matter, one of the two I guess… I do still want to try more of other manga magazines to have a better platform for comparison.
There’s one new series debut, ようこそにんげん by しりもと. It’s a cute little yonkoma about a human transferring to a school where everyone is animals. It’s labeled 短期集中新連載 which I think means it’s planned to not run for a long time.
Two series came to an end:
ふくふく万福帳 by 伊藤有生
This is the first series I’ve seen through the full arc - from one-shot, to serial, to ending, which is kinda fun for me. It’s about a small sprite trying to figure out how best to grant blessings to a variety of deserving people. I didn’t see a collection announcement, and I don’t know how well it would hold up on its own since it’s very light and episodic. But it was a pleasant addition to the magazine, and I’ll be curious to see what the author does next.
and ふろラン by 石田裕揮
This one had the most straightforward premise: young women run together, young women take baths together. And that’s what it is - in a relaxing way, not a sleazy one. I liked the characters enough I wouldn’t have minded if it went on long enough to develop complexity beyond that, but I suppose it’s appropriate to end at a length that feels like a nice brisk jog. The second and last volume will be out in January.
I thought the standout one-shot this time was 約束に暮れる by 山田果苗, about the passing of a friend and promises made.
I also enjoyed 九十九奇譚 by 飴石
A short, very well drawn story about a ghost in an abandoned residence. Reminded me of the movie 藪の中の黒猫.
