Extended Mag: Getting into Reading Manga Magazines! 🗞

[rodan]

Hmmm… good question! It depends on what you’re interested in, I suppose.
It’s a little awkward in general since a main draw around the period discounted is definitely Dungeon Meshi drawing to conclusion, which isn’t going to do much for anyone at this point since if you haven’t read Dungeon Meshi you won’t care and if you have you’d read the final volumes that just came out… but I’m sure any issue would still absolutely provide the fun of flipping through and discovering what series stand out to you!

If you’re curious about the magazine and think there could be a chance you’d wind up reading it regularly, they’re all probably about the same quality for that, and a newer one with perhaps a 新連載 you’re interested in could be the way to go.
My favorite series (along with the veterinarian one) starts in 94. But I don’t know if that series would be to anyone else’s taste…
The favored 新連載 of mine that’s closest to the bleeding edge of the promotion would probably be 犬火の兄弟 in 102.

If you have low or no interest in the potential of following the magazine, maybe instead of 新連載 shooting for 読切 would be the way to go?
Harta Alta is a special all one-shots issue of the magazine which might be perfect for a one-off experience of the kinds of things the magazine might offer! Its gimmick is it’s all by authors with series in the magazine, asked to do stories in a different genre or whatever than their series. (I haven’t read it yet but I keep meaning to get around to it…)
I remember especially liking 89 partly due to a 読切 by Asa Tanuma, my favorite discovery from Harta (since collected in her short story collection).

Finally, if you just want to pick a milestone to start from, issue 100 was a big 10-year celebration so it would definitely be the one to pick if you want the one with the MOST Harta or just want a round number.
… And for what it’s worth my first issue was 80 and I got hooked. I think I might have honestly just picked a cover that looked nice - I probably tried to figure out which issue had the first then-unpublished Dungeon Meshi chapter but it’s always so hard to tell… The covers have nothing to do with the actual contents, but when it comes to spending a dollar on something you aren’t sure if you’ll like or even really read, it does certainly help if it looks cool! So really despite all of those possible strategies, judging a book by the cover might be the best way to go after all.