A Harta-ful of Manga: Let's Read a Magazine Together ❣

[MaraVos]

ハルタ９３

Yall, I just spent SUCH A LONG TIME trying to get my e-reader to display this cover as my screensaver! It wouldn’t accept it until I took a screenshot of my screenshot opened in image editing mode. Maybe it was random, but it really seems like something was preventing it for some reason? Anyway, I love this cover.

Also, I really like this issue’s ポテ!

目次

スタート

ことり文書

Cute! Loved the resolution.

クプルムの花嫁

Super cozy chapter.

クラスのアイドルは今日も推せない

I read クプルムの花嫁 right before bed cause I knew it was going to be cozy, and then when I saw that the idol one was next I kept reading for the same reason. I really like the character that this chapter focused on and her dilemmas haha.

ホテルメッツァペウラへようこそ

Um, アードルフ, , what the heck

Wait, is he seriously saying Jun has only been there a month?? With everything that happened it seemed like it should have been 6 months, if not a year!

Just liked the way they illustrated the trees covered in snow.

ハクメイとミコチ

Very short (8 page) chapter in which we get to see Mikochi with a ton of different hairstyles!

Aww, young short-haired Mikochi is so cute! … Wait, but why didn’t they illustrate Mikochi with a mohawk! 見たい！

Cool angle into the room and I wonder what this clothing item is that looks like it has an owl on it … A shirt with suspenders hanging off it?

Cute! Also, today I learned 散髪 and was like … OMG there are so many words in Japanese.

先生、今月どうですか

… Did he need to have old man veins on his hands?

Ah, tortured youth flashback!

1. Fun shirt. 2. Okay, yeah, I am actually pretty curious why he’s suddenly acting so different.

魔法少年マモル始まらない！

This one is so strange! It does have some good moments. (Including one full page one which I didn’t screenshot because it really requires context.)

恋の絶望行進曲

I really enjoy the art style and the creativity of the ...panels? variety of panel shapes?

Hard relate

Not so much with regards to the specific activities, but just the massive list of things that I really want to do for myself that suddenly spills out of my mouth when my partner wants to spend more time with me …

かっこいい

I can’t really get invested in the characters (not yet at least), but the silliness is appreciated.

いやはや熱海くん ₊ ⋱ 新連載 ⋰₊

question 1

So, these are descriptions of all the boys that he liked and then got separated from (by class change or because he 告白ed), right?

question 2

What’s happening in the last panel? I’m confused both by Adachi’s thoughts and by his mom and sister’s comments.

I like Adachi haha

last page spoiler

Lol. My suspicions, confirmed. Honestly, Adachi is the best.

Great first impression … Looking forward to seeing how it develops!

キラキラとギラギラ

her reaction

Lol at this method of covering her eyes.

I just adore the way ルル is drawn

Aww, this was such a good chapter! I kept thinking about it all day after reading it.

八百万黒猫速報

this new character is just so cool

I love the way she’s drawn.

His little forelock!

Okay, this was … not quite what I was expecting? I really thought the blackmailing reporter guy was going to play a bigger role …

And then things got really confusing towards the end. He didn’t kill her … for unknown reasons? But then she either hurt or killed his friends and said that if she hadn’t then he would have killed her? And then tells him to think about whether or not humans are really worth it and saunters off and he gets really depressed? I dunno, I just really didn’t follow it.

ウスズミの果て

A quiet chapter about the monthly mass funeral that the robots hold for victims of the crystalizing sickness.

The art for this series is just so wild …

⭐︎ 逢魔が時より by 古月 よしこ ✧ — ✧読切✧— ✧

This one was really sweet! The 怪奇譚 on the title page made me nervous, because the dictionary said it meant Grotesque. (It was not actually grotesque.) I liked the unpolished art style.

あかねさす柘榴の都

Sweet chapter about reenacting traditions in foreign countries.

ショートショート イツキちゃんの思いつき！

Cute shortshort from a Yatagarasuhai winner. Not much to comment on really. I don’t particularly remember this artist’s Yatagarasu entry, although I like their art style.

⭐️ 竜の住処 by 吉田はく ✧ — ✧読切✧— ✧

This one was simultaneously really weird and also really sweet. xD Kind of amazing how it pulled off the juxtaposition of body horror and wholesome coming-of-age and friendship story.

猫のまにまに

This chapter made me lol. Short and silly.

FOOLPROOF

There was a short (couple pages) story about the giraffe and the whale at the beginning, which I enjoyed. ^^ Then the story went back to the humans and I skipped that part.

⭐︎ 沙羅の箱庭 by 東もな ✧ — ✧読切✧— ✧

I didn’t make special effort to understand most of this story, but I think I understood … 70%? The stuff I didn’t get was mostly sciency stuff. And then I was a little adrift on the emotional reasoning towards the end.

From what I did get, this was a weird one … I gave it a small star I think largely for the art. Although I think something about the story did appeal to me, though I’m not sure what/how to put it into words.

story, ending, and last page spoilers

So, like, she’s accidentally killed a bunch of people, and her brother covered that up. And when he died she was ready to also die. But then the guy who her brother left everything to turns up and tries to help her keep living. And wants to amputate her arm to protect her and I guess also other people, who she might inadvertently murder when the spore sickness makes her lose herself. She doesn’t want to do that … because … I guess she sees it as a little bit magical? At one point she says that the spore threads are shining, right?

But anyway, then what happens is the guy who’s taking care of her comes home and discovers that she/the spores have attacked a would-be thief who broke in. He frees the guy, goes to Sara and throws away his gun, and then administers medicine that subdues the spores … After that I guess he gets the thief to not talk about the dangerous infected person in exchange for not reporting his crime. And he reveals to Sara that he’s already figured out that the garden is full of dead people.

And then Sara decides to let him amputate her arm.

I dunno, maybe because she likes the guy and doesn’t want to accidentally hurt him? I didn’t quite follow why the change of heart.

Cute final page, though.

new digital Harta promo illustration (I'm a sucker for these)

spine image

[soggyboy]

Mara so speedy!

[soggyboy]

Decided to skip a few chapters I wasn’t feeling like reading, so I’m done with issue #77!

Edit: One question for the next issue: is the mermaid series nsfw? Gotta check before I blast it all over my computer screen in the middle of the library

[rodan]

@soggyboy

Edit: One question for the next issue: is the mermaid series nsfw? Gotta check before I blast it all over my computer screen in the middle of the library

It’s definitely not nsfw in the way that say, 紅椿 is… But there’s definitely a lot of flimsy tops in a way where I can’t quite remember if it crossed the line per se (even flipping through the first volume to try to refresh my memory). I think it stays ギリギリ throughout, and I guess it’s up to you and your workplace whether that means ギリギリセーフ or uh, ギリギリヤバい! The cover of the first volume is probably a good indication of about the maximum level to expect…

[soggyboy]

@rodan

The cover of the first volume is probably a good indication of about the maximum level to expect…

Good to know! Definitely do not want to waltz into another 紅椿 but maybe I’ll still read this one outside the workplace haha.

[rodan]

if/when you encounter a “boy detective” around issue 84, feel free to skip that one and thank me later, otherwise 紅椿 is safely in a class of it’s own I think!

[soggyboy]

@rodan

if/when you encounter a “boy detective” around issue 84, feel free to skip that one and thank me later, otherwise 紅椿 is safely in a class of it’s own I think!

Thank you for the warning, I genuinely appreciate it

@MaraVos

Yall, I just spent SUCH A LONG TIME trying to get my e-reader to display this cover as my screensaver!

Wait this is such a good idea, idk why I didn’t think of using manga covers as a lock screen/screensaver! Brb going to change the lockscreen on my ipad mini

[mitrac]

@soggyboy

@MaraVos

Yall, I just spent SUCH A LONG TIME trying to get my e-reader to display this cover as my screensaver!

Wait this is such a good idea, idk why I didn’t think of using manga covers as a lock screen/screensaver! Brb going to change the lockscreen on my ipad mini

stamps feet … amazing idea!

[soggyboy]

Harta #78

catch-up corner for manga I’m reading outside the issue format

This issue’s cover is now decorating my iPad mini lock screen

series debuts:

アビスアジュールの罪人

This was a nice atmospheric opening, the drawings of the whales were really nice and it was cute how she played with them! I’m not wowed by it yet but we’ll see what happens next! (Also, I think this will mostly be ギリギリセーフ but I read it on my lunch break anyways just in case )

ホテル・メッツァペウラへようこそ

I think I tried reading this series a while back but I found it too hard because of the kanji. Fortunately now I’m a kanji master and I can read whatever I want! Mwahahahaha! Anyways, this one seemed like a chill series to follow. I’m not really interested in male focused stories and hunky older shirtless dudes do nothing for me, so it’s not something I would get obsessed with, but I can see how some might really get into this! I also found it funny how they found this dude and then 1 day later were like how about you work at the hotel! with absolutely no questions about his past or what he’s doing there. It’s fine, he wasn’t holding a gun, so we can hire him! Christmas tree decorating time!

one-shots:

後ろのギャルにナプキンとられた

Whew, that was a tough story but I really appreciated it. I’m very interested in stories like this about women, taboos, sexuality, etc, even if the topics are dark or uncomfortable. I’m glad I read this one and I feel like I’ll be thinking about it for a while, the ending scene where she sees her friend again and she has a bruise again hit the emotional mark really well. I had the same thought as yukitanuki that it was similar to the vibes of Sayaka Murata novels.

街に鏤め、宙に描く

3-part oneshot about a parkour club, had some nice dynamic art, not many other comments besides that!

ねえさん、起きて

シスコン？ For some reason this one didn’t really strike me. I guess it was a portrayal of excessive attachment but the emotions weren’t hitting this time.

continuing series:

先生、今月どうですか

Yea, this series is still a little suggestive with the age gap and slight sexualization but it keeps passing in front of my eyes anyways. I kind of wonder about the ethics of knowing the future with someone- wouldn’t that be informing all of your actions, but they have no idea? Would it make the adult in the situation uncomfortable to know that a highschooler knew they would be married in the future, even if they got married as adults? I doubt the manga is going to go into this, I just keep wondering haha.

帝都影物語

I tried reading this, I really did, but the difficulty of the language combined with the characters and situation not really sparking my interest finally made me quit. I feel a bit bad quitting a new series on only chapter two, I like to give stuff a chance for a while, but oh well

生き残った６人によると

I loved this chapter, I was laughing so much. The opening joke on page one was great:

“we’re not employees so ”

Then it was so funny how Riri thought she was safe from all the romance when she got paired with a girl, but then…

Ok, I was not expecting bisexual vibes from this comic but I was laughing the whole time! Let’s hold hands, because, you know, what if we need to pull each other away from the zombies I would ship them but I really think Riri would rather be left alone entirely I was summarizing the chapter to my partner and sending screenshots and they said that Riri is in the zombie apocalypse Walking Dead type genre and everyone else is in a dating sim

クプラムの花嫁

It was nice in this chapter that we got to see Shiina being good at something (talking to the customers) and she was able to relate to them by also being an outsider to coppersmithing. I wonder if she will take a more active role in the business as time goes on?

ライカの星

Beautiful as always, I found Laika arriving at the statue of her to be very moving. Especially with the recent Artemis launch putting space travel in the news again I feel like this is a timely series to read.

乙嫁語り

This is really quite a well-drawn series. The action sequences are very clear and dynamic, while the author is also able to draw quiet, serene moments, and detailed and loving historical features like clothes, houses, etc. I thought this page depicting a calm moment was quite evocative:

東京城址女子高生

Cute again! Here’s a nice panel I screenshotted.

夕凪に舞え、僕のリボン

Little dude is all grown up Ok whew, this series is finally over and something else can take its place, I hope it’s good

---

final thoughts:

In this issue, I found the one-shot 後ろのギャルにナプキンとられた to be the most impactful, so I’d say my personal standouts were that, 生き残った6人, and probably Laika’s Star.

TOC/what I read

In total I read ~554 pages out of ~1092. Once some of these ending-soon series leave, I wonder if the percentage of series read will go up as new series are introduced. But then again there are some new series that I might just give up on too like the Imperial Shadow one.

[rodan]

Oh ho, a much anticipated edit (by me anyway)!

いやはや熱海くん debut chapter question answers, issue 93

@MaraVos

So, these are descriptions of all the boys that he liked and then got separated from (by class change or because he 告白ed), right?

Yes, but I wouldn’t precisely characterize it that way (sort of like the most difficult kind of answer option on a multiple choice reading comprehension test). I would describe this more as a list of all of his past crushes, showing particularly his distinctive habit of easily developing a crush on a boy because of some relatively insignificant detail that impresses him, and then not really acting on that in any way.
He definitely didn’t confess to any of these people except the last one (who based on the partially cutoff text is the boy in the immediately following flashback scene whom Atami impulsively decided to confess to at graduation), and while getting separated by different classes is mentioned as part of a reason for losing contact/interest in some of them, I would say that part is more just an inevitable aspect of these people drifting out of his life than the catalyst per se. This is a very passive and internal “hey… that guy…?” level of crush we’re talking about.
Also, the handwritten additions widen the net even further to include people he never had any actual contact with at all, as they’re just people he saw on a poster, in mass media, or working at a drug store. So it’s not like he got separated from those ones, they’re just passing crushes he had for a time.
The addition of 「主な」into the title of the list also suggests that even these are more meaningful or lasting than his more minor and not worth mentioning crushes…

@MaraVos

What’s happening in the last panel? I’m confused both by Adachi’s thoughts and by his mom and sister’s comments.

I would say what happens is:
in the second to last panel, Adachi expresses doubt that Atami would visit again because of having been rejected.
Then in the last panel, this train of thought leads Adachi to think about the earlier conversation, which he has not really had a chance to process yet, and he wonders internally what about himself would have made Atami interested in him.
Since Adachi vaguely implied something went wrong with Atami, and then is acting visibly (for him) worried/thoughtful about something, his mom notices this and remarks on it to his sister - roughly localized “what’s with him? Think he wants to talk about it?” with me interpreting アレ as referring to Adachi’s behavior in the moment, and the sense of 「構ってほしいんかな」 as like… “Does he want us to engage with that?” or “Is he fishing for sympathy/attention?” - for a sort of interesting related phrase found while googling around (since it seems maybe a slangy enough sense of the verb to not have great dictionary support), かまってちゃん seems to be a phrase meaning someone who makes lots of attention/sympathy-demanding posts online that’s well known enough for a wikipedia page.
Adachi’s sister bluntly shoots down the idea in a sibling-y (and knowing Adachi, presumably accurate) kind of way. “Nah”/“Yeah right” he would not want his family butting in to whatever it is that’s bothering him.

[mitrac]

edit: all fixed now

FYI some of the new issues up until Harta Oct 2025 got added on Natively, but something went haywire and there are now duplicate entries for issues #2-16, 18 (Natively number) / July 2020 - Dec 2021 and Mar 2021 - but on a different series page. So if you have finished one of the duplicates, you might get a bunch of requests for grading (please ignore) since the system thinks it’s a different series. I’m working on a solution with Brandon and will let you know when it’s resolved! (as a reminder this series requires manual edits on Natively because Natively syncs with Amazon series pages, and Harta is not listed as a complete series on Amazon)

[rodan]

八百万黒猫速報 issue 93

@MaraVos

And then things got really confusing towards the end. He didn’t kill her … for unknown reasons? But then she either hurt or killed his friends and said that if she hadn’t then he would have killed her? And then tells him to think about whether or not humans are really worth it and saunters off and he gets really depressed? I dunno, I just really didn’t follow it.

It’s not the clearest in the world, but I think probably the “said that if she hadn’t then he would have killed her” part should probably be “said that if he let go of his human comrades he would have been able to kill her.” Like it’s a human sense of justice that she doesn’t respect that prevented him from doing that. And the conflict set up is her positing that that’s exactly what he should/will lose.

[MaraVos]

Thanks for the answers on いやはや熱海くん debut chapter and 八百万黒猫速報 @rodan! Atami-kun answers really clarified things for me! The other one also helped but maybe there’s just a weird thing going on within the story itself because it seems like the humans are super PRO killing youma, so it’s a bit odd that his “human” sense of justice prevents him from killing her, but in any case I think I understand more or less what they’re going for … probably …

[rodan]

No problem! Always happy to read comments in general but especially questions! Especially about いやはや熱海くん…

@MaraVos

The other one also helped but maybe there’s just a weird thing going on within the story itself because it seems like the humans are super PRO killing youma, so it’s a bit odd that his “human” sense of justice prevents him from killing her, but in any case I think I understand more or less what they’re going for … probably …

I didn’t refresh my memory past just that one chapter too, to be fair, so my interpretation might well be a bit mischaracterized.
I remember that series as one with a lot of different pieces of strong potential that didn’t feel like they quite coalesced into something specifically stand-out and memorable by the time ended, so I wouldn’t necessarily be shocked if it wasn’t the most clear and strongly constructed dynamic in the entire world though either.

[MaraVos]

Yes, I kind of had the same thought as well. I like the art style, the setting, and the concept so much but it’s not one of the better known series, so I figured it probably had a weak point somewhere in the greater story arc. Then when one of the most important characters was completely missing from the second chapter, that felt like a bit of a confirmation. I’m still looking forward to it though.

[rodan]

I got around to putting together my notes on March’s Harta!
ハルタ １３２号

[MaraVos]

Done with issue 93!

DRAFT - may show spoilers

It occurred to me that if I were reading physically ポテ would be one of the first things I read, so I flipped to the back of the e-book and read that first. :nod: This is the way.

目次

スタート

ホテルメッツァペウラへようこそ

Ooh! Unexpected mending story! I’m very into mending, although I always feel like I’m behind and I always have a giant pile of mending with some of the items having been in the pile for years. Lately I’ve been trying to work up the nerve to do some sashiko on the knees of a pair of comfy jeans.

Aww, that “clothes I chose for myself” feeling.

先生、今月はどうですか

aside

okay, as a card-carrying dog person I can confidently say … THAT IS NOT A DOG.

'being a writer' themes (spoilers!)

Okay, this is actually becoming so interesting! As a person who has used creative writing as a way to deal with difficult things in life, which is something I think sensei does as well, I totally understand the need to take a break from writing, and how it can become like a sort of rumination if you try to force yourself keep doing it. That’s what it feels like is happening here, anyway.

This chapter also made me think about how clinging to a way of life that puts you under economic duress is unsustainable, and the pressure that economic duress puts on your creativity. Of course he would want to separate himself from that, at least for a while. It feels so freeing to go from an unstable and insufficient income to a stable and sufficient one.

But Murasaki kind of just sees him as her romantic hero, she kind of just wants him to write another book. So, will this push her to see him more as a person?

Confession: I felt a bit of joyous schadenfreude at Murasaki’s unhappiness over the choices sensei makes for himself, his life, his happiness. Cause actually, I kind of want that doofus to be happy.

夜の名前を呼んで

Look how cool the design on the inside of Rei’s bag is!!!

ことり文書

Ack, no!! I waited too long after finishing this chapter before updating here and now I don’t remember what I was going to say. Oh well. Have some screenshots!

⭐️ かわいいすぎる人よ！

This story is just literally exactly what it says on the cover. This one is becoming such a highlight for me!

Her face when she sees that shirt.

I originally had a question about the following screenshot, but I think over the course of the story I figured it out. Basically, at the beginning of the story Uncle sees a girl begging for more than one set of clothes and thinks basically ‘you do you, but me and Meikko are gonna be more reasonable’. But then by the end of the story Uncle is the one who can’t help but buy multiple sets for Meikko. Right?

GAH! She is just too cute in her lil overalls.

Ehehehe

Her cheeks! So f-- cute.

クプルムの花嫁

Just some super cute little vignettes this time.

⭐️ 今似て蕾 ✧ — ✧読切✧— ✧

I took so many screenshots just because the art was amazing! I think this type of grayscale / almost watercolor texture is really rare in manga? And the art style fit the story so well.

Aww, cute haha

I didn’t understand the bottom right panel here very well. Why does what Nagi says get such a strong reaction from … um, the other girl?

And same here … I guess I wasn’t able to follow 想像しちゃうだけある

Really incredible art. The skill to be able to make that bottom panel read the way it does … Wow. (I really recommend not viewing this image if you haven’t read the story yet!)

I wonder if this mangaka will get a regular series at some point …

[soggyboy]

Done with Harta 78!

[soggyboy]

I forgot to add what my favorites from the issue were. I found the one-shot 後ろのギャルにナプキンとられた to be the most impactful, so I’d say my personal standouts in the issue were that, 生き残った6人, and probably Laika’s Star.

[soggyboy]

work in progress

Harta #79

catch-up corner for manga I’m reading outside the issue format

series debuts:

ことり文書

Seems to be a heartwarming slice of life type story about a girl and the servant who’s fond of her. I was worried it would be a baseball story at first, because I don’t know anything about baseball, but, whew, that was only like one page

one-shots:

ナッちゃんはいつだって本気なのです。

Fishies! I liked this one!

continuing series:

乙嫁語り

I’m sad this one is transferring soon, it’s really growing on me! Although, I will say, the only thing I don’t like about the art is that the eyes are a bit big on the characters and I feel like they don’t really fit in with the detailed historical vibes. Especially this guy:

I feel like the stylization of the faces is a bit better done in Isabella Bird in Wonderland. But that’s just me being picky about art styles

Ahh, I say that, and then I keep reading and the manga pulls me back in with a gorgeous panel like this:

I love how sparse the linework is but still so evocative Rendering a scene in a few lines can sometimes be much harder than a very detailed style.

Anyways, I’ll definitely keep this one in the back of my mind to read from the beginning later, even though it transfers next issue.

ライカの星 (final chapter)

This chapter had beautiful art! So freaking sad though.