Art from Cat + Gamer by Wataru Nadatani
I’ve been getting into graphic novels and manga/manhua/manhwa more in the past few years, where some of the years the visual form of storytelling has been my primary source of reading because they’re so quick to read and you can tell so much with a few words. For me personally, they don’t take as much energy from me as novels do and considering recent chaos, that’s a good thing. I’m still reading!
Some of these started out as webtoons on various platforms like TappyToon, Manta Comics, Webtoon, etc. with some of the most popular ones getting a physical version (which I’m happy for me). Some are completed, some are ongoing with more volumes coming out in 2025, and some are standalones. All of these range across various age groups, so there’s surely something for everyone.
Here’s to 2025 in visual storytelling of the paper variety that I’ve read and enjoyed (in no particular order except for maybe the first one — because cats)!
Cat + Gamer by Wataru Nadatani (Ongoing)
Cat + Gamer is the most wholesome slice of life manga I’ve read in 2025. This series could go on as long as One Piece (there are currently 8 volumes out), and I wouldn’t complain about it because it’s just that adorable and I’ve been seeking every opportunity to make my friends read it (and now you as well).
Cat + Gamer is an ongoing manga following an office worker named Riko who spends her free time playing video games and voluntarily takes in a stray cat after one is found on her company’s parking grounds after no one else wants to take them in. This series is mostly her navigating being a first-time cat owner where she tries to apply lessons from video games to cat care and features plenty of [cute] cat shenanigans.
Mashle: Magic and Muscles by Hajime Komoto (Completed)
If you’ve seen clips from the anime, Mashle: Magic and Muscles is very clearly a parody of a particular series with a huge dose of laughs – I’ve enjoyed every moment of reading this, and while I wish I’d taken my time with it more, I’m so glad this manga made its way into my life.
Mashle: Magic and Muscles follows Mash Burnedead, who’s hidden away in a forest living with his adoptive grandfather and just wants a quiet life – all he does is spend his days training his muscles and working out. Of course, the universe has a laugh at him and everyone one day wants to kill him. He somehow ends up enrolled at Easton Magic Academy and works his way up to becoming Divine Visionary using only his muscle strength throughout the course of 18 volumes.
Delicious in Dungeon by Ryoko Kui (Completed)
Delicious in Dungeon first popped into my radar when the anime released on Netflix (back when I had it) and the trailer immediately reminded me of Dungeons & Dragons. I also just love the unique culinary take of this series while also keeping it fun.
This 14-volume series follows Laios and his party after they’re taken out by a dragon deep within a dungeon – they not only lose all their items, but they lose a member as well. Laios is intent on returning to save his sister Falin before she’s fully digested by the dragon, and to survive, he suggests cooking the monsters they encounter (much to the dismay of everyone around him).
On Starlit Shores by Bex Glendining (Standalone)
On Starlit Shores caught my eye with its beautifully stunning cover on Netgalley and while I didn’t request a copy of it, I definitely hopped right onto the hold list at the library. Glendining’s debut features equally stunning visuals within the pages, tackling grief and acceptance as it follows Alex’s return to Indigo Harbor after her grandmother’s death.
My Happy Marriage by Akumi Agitogi (Ongoing)
A girl growing up in an abusive noble family (Miyo Saimori please stand behind me this world is too cruel to you) gets sent to be married off as soon as she reaches marriageable age to a commander who’s gotten a rep for being so cruel and cold his previous fiancées have all fled within days, only to find out he’s not the monster everyone makes him out to be.
Adapted from the light novel series of the same name and also an anime, My Happy Marriage is a slow-burn historical romance with paranormal elements inspired by Cinderella. The series currently has 5 manga volumes and 8 light novel volumes (with the 9th’s English translation set to release in 2026).
Spy x Family by Tatsuya Endo (Ongoing)
A spy, an assassin, and a telepath band together to create a fake family, none of them knowing who each other really are. Spy x Family is one of my favorite manga (and anime), and I especially like Anya – she has a perfect balance of knowing everything due to her powers but she’s also very much a child and acts like a child.
A Business Proposal by Haehwa (Completed)
Hari disguises herself as her friend to go on a blind date that her friend doesn’t want to go on in an attempt to scare him off only to find out the date is her new CEO, and he has his own proposal for her.
A Business Proposal has a K-drama adaptation that came out in 2022 and also has a webtoon version, too, which I’ve been wanting to read and watch, and I’m so happy it finally got published as ten completed volumes. It’s a little unhinged, but it’s the fun type of unhinged, and I think the art style and expressions made it all the more comical.
The Dog-Knight by Jeremy Whitley & Bre Indigo (Ongoing)
There is a very cute beagle with a bow-tie (and other very cute dogs). That is all.
Millie of the Manor by Karina Evans & Andrea Bell (Standalone)
Millie of the Manor was such a delightful and quick read. It focuses on social anxiety and how our protagonist Amy navigates it throughout the graphic novel, but it also has an element of a fun murder mystery birthday party. I loved Andrea Bell’s art style and how social anxiety is represented here, since it’s something I also struggle with.
Brooms by Jasmine Walls (Standalone)
Set in an alternative 1930s Mississippi, Brooms features magic broomracing and a diverse cast while also dealing with topics of racism. I loved the visual art and how there was a space for marginalized groups to gather together and simply be themselves despite the restrictions placed on them.
Other Manga/Manhwa/Manhua, Graphic Novels and Comics I’ve Enjoyed This Year: Snow White with the Red Hair by Sorata Akiduki (ongoing), A Cat from Our World and the Forgotten Witch by Hiro Kashiwaba (ongoing), Under the Oak Tree by Suji Kim (ongoing), Wisteria: Wand and Sword by Fujino Omori (ongoing), and The Apothecary Diaries by Natsu Hyuuga (ongoing) | Hannah Lin
