By Ayush Kalra

5 Very Short Manga That Will Fuck You Up for Very Long

Manga is a medium of opposites where black and white is colourful, and less is more. The shortest manga tend to stick with me the longest, their lack of specific details and explanations make the FEELING left behind that much stronger. I rarely have much to say about this kind of manga. If it’s only 5 or so chapters just read it for God’s sake, and get that FEELING. Reading a synopsis for a short manga basically gives half of it away, so instead I’m gonna go through each of these and try to convey what specific FEELING they make you FEEL.

#5: The Gods Lie

5 Chapters / 1 Volume Paperback MangaDex MyAnimeList 

When I was eleven I skipped school in the middle of the winter and went to the store instead. I bought a sleeve of oreos and sat on a park bench, just eating them there alone. No reason for it that I can remember. That’s the feeling that “The Gods Lie” will leave you with. Oh yeah, if you were hoping these feelings were gonna be like “catharsis” or “bittersweet melancholy” I’m sorry to disappoint. When I said specific feelings I meant specific.

#4: Downfall

8 Chapters / 1 Volume Paperback MangaDex MyAnimeList

Think of your wildest dream. The thing that will most likely never come true, but if it did you would be the happiest person in the world. Thought of it? Okay now imagine that it sucks and is terrible… stupid even. Downfall or “Reiraku” is actually just Asano Inio’s life after finishing Oyasumi Punpun. It’s about how much he hates being a Mangaka, and I relate to it heavily because I really hate writing this blog. Downfall is like the feeling of when you get something you really wanted but then turns out you’re still you, the same prisoner in the same old flesh. Eventually you will find a new goal to delude yourself with but that transition SUCKS boy.

#3: My Broken Mariko

4 Chapters / 1 Volume Hard Copy MangaDex MyAnimeList

It is rare to find a true example of sigma male literature, it is even more rare to find sigma female literature. While I’m not gay and/or a woman, “My Broken Mariko” really left an impression on me; I imagine it’s an even stronger impression for a sigma female reader. Some people say this manga romantisicizes suicide, but it didn’t make me want to kill myself at all. This manga will make you want to go out on your balcony on a cold night and smoke a whole pack of cigarettes in one go, not in a gross old man way, but like a cool doomer girlboss way.

#2: The Man Without Talent

6 Chapters / 1 Volume MangaDex MyAnimeList

If only I could find rocks like these… Yeah. What feeling is this? I don’t actually know. Dude I don’t think I want to know. What the hell. It’s like when you drop a glass in the kitchen and just watch it shatter to pieces as it hits the floor. Then just staring at it for a while before taking a deep breath and lethargically cleaning it up. Why didn’t you catch it? Why didn’t you at least try to catch it? Man if only I could find rocks like these…

#1: I Sold My Life For Ten Thousand Yen Per Year

18 Chapters / 3 Volumes Novel MangaDex MyAnimeList

If you ever feel like maybe you’re enjoying life a little too much, you can always turn to “I Sold My Life For Ten Thousand Yen Per Year” aka “Three Days of Happiness” aka “Stare at the Ceiling and Wonder Where It All Went Wrong Tutorial”. I can guarantee after reading this nothing will be funny for like 3 days at least. Peak fiction.

Misc readings pt. 9

Interpretation of dreams, paromita vohra, mumbai mirror

The original goths: why women write gothic horror, the book habit

My grandfather's cult, nathaniel g. moore, toronto life

Our lives happen in restaurants, new york times

Love’s contradictions: catullus on the agony of infatuation, armand d'angour, psyche

The skeletons at the lake, douglas preston, the new yorker

YouTube's lo-fi music streams are all about the euphoria of less, jason parham, wired

On memorizing poetry, connie pan, bookriot

How the clouds got their names and how goethe popularised them with his science- inspired poems, maria popova, brain pickings

Crush, larissa pham, believer

Century old marathi-hindi kirtans get revived in mumbai, mohua das, the times of india

The crow whisperer, lauren markham, harper's magazine

Mugger much love from a one-armed priest, excerpt from wild and wilful: tales of 15 iconic indian species by neha sinha

stopping the void: ottilie mulzet on how her adoptive heritage lead her to a life of and in translation, the paris review

How facebook got addicted to spreading misinformation, karen hao, technology review

The new gwen stefani is a lot like the old one, anne helen peterson, buzzfeed

How a secret european language ‘made a rabbit’ and survived, martin puchner, psyche

The trouble with charlotte perkins gilman, halle butler, the paris review

The limits of the lunchbox moment, jaya saxena, the eater

How the new yorker fell into the “weird japan” trap, ryu spaeth, the new republic

Camping the canon: matthew lewis, milton & the monk, colin broadmoor, blood knife

Why contemporary women artists are obsessed with the grotesque, tess thackara, artsy (article has graphic images)

Haphephobia, olly nze, the audacity

The anxiety of influencers, barett swanson, harper's magazine

My octopus girlfriend, sophie lewis, n+1 mag

Nigella lawson wants everyone to experience the (thoroughly guilt-free) pleasure of food, nigella lawson, lithub

Jshshhdjjahs I was watching my love enlighten me and in the last ep when he whispers in her ear asking her to marry him ik it's supposed to be a sweet moment but I'm like I'm reminded of the SpongeBob whisper meme hdhdusjkwial

カーテン(2021)

I'm tired of living upto expectations. I want to run away to somewhere where I can truly be myself and I'm not forced into a mold.

night blooming jasmine (nyctanthes arbor-tristis) 🌟🌛

the work is inspired by a folktale about the parijata tree. there was once a princess called Parijat, she fell in love with the sun god Surya. Surya didn’t return her love, and in despair Parijat became the night blooming jasmine tree. the flowers bloom in the night, and in the day when the sunlight touches them, they fall to the ground.

The Israeli Vice-Mayor of Jerusalem, who was also a part of the “Death to Arabs” march that happened earlier this month, hasn’t only made fun of a Palestinian civilian limping after being shoot by an Israeli solider and telling him that it was a pity that he he didn’t get shot in the head (and he of course said that in public infront of multiple cameras, because he knows that there will be no repercussion when it comes to harming/humiliating Palestinians) but he has also tweeted a picture of a dead Palestinian teenager on the ground with the caption “that’s how I like to see them.”

I’m not going to post the tweet because it’s hard to look at, but it’s here if you want to see it. The tweet has been up for an entire day so far without being deleted, despite it violating most Twitter’s rules, meanwhile thousands of people across all social media are getting their accounts and posts deleted or hidden in just a few minutes after posting anything remotely related to the violence Palestinians are facing in Shiekh Jarrah right now.

THIS is their literal government.

This isn’t a conflict between two groups, this is a one-sided occupation, modern-colonialism and state-sponsored terrorism.

KDRAMA RECOMMENDATION

It’s been a long time since I made one of these. I was asked to make this recommendation a while back and as always, I have been slacking. Mian haeyo :(

In in the world of Korean dramas is there anything our male lead oppas can’t do?? They can jump from one building to another, they can be unrealistically rich CEOs, they can fight 25 people at once (and win), they can sing, they can dance, they can see future, they hear your thoughts, they can go back in time, they are crazzzy smart and the list goes on…but they are also big dum-dums when it comes to love.

This is the recommendation of Kdramas in which male leads don’t even realise that they are in love.

All of these dramas are really amazing in my very biased opinion and you should definitely watch them if you haven’t already.

Brace yourself for a fluff fest!

🌸  Touch your heart: Famous (really cute) actress ends up working as the secretary of a (serious) lawyer to gain experience for her next role.

Dong Wook’s character is probably the most adorable idiot in this list. He is crazy smart when it comes to law, and equally thick when it comes to sarcasm and women’s heart.

Watch this to add 10 years to your life.

🌸  Weightlifting fairy Kim Bok Joo: Story of a female weightlifter full of swag and a male swimmer who can’t pronounce swaaeeeg.

This is friends to lover trope at the most realistic form a Kdrama could be. This drama is the campus life fluff we all need.

🌸  She was pretty: They were childhood friends - she was a pretty girl and he was a fat kid who got bullied a lot. They meet again years later and now, he is her hot boss and she is not pretty anymore. So she lies about her identity and he doesn’t recognise her.

As controversial as this trope is. The story is surprisingly not. The drama has no bad characters and reminds me so much of Ugly Betty as it’s based in a magazine world. It has one of the best female friendship and a very serious second lead syndrome. The female mc is so refreshing played by Hwang Jung-eum.

Honestly, if this doesn’t convince you…watch it for Choi Siwon and Park Seo Joon.

🌸  What’s wrong with secretary Kim: Narcissistic boss can’t live without his secretary.

This is basically it. You don’t want to miss this one.

🌸 Clean with passion for now: Man who has a fear of germs and woman who doesn’t care about cleanliness.

The guy’s fear of germs is another level where he can’t even let anyone touch him let alone think about a relationship. This is a very adorable drama with very cute leads.

🌸 My love from the star: He is an alien who can’t wait to go back to his planet, she is a famous actress who lives next door.

This is a gem that people forgot about and I want everyone to talk about this more often. Kim Soo Hyun and Jeon Ji Hyeon are in it. The plot is good, the chemistry is amazing, their love story is what I love the most about kdramas.

Watch this even if you have seen it all those years ago cause it is still a classic.

🌸 Because this is my first life: He owns a home, she doesn’t.

Honestly, this drama is a masterpiece. It is very entertaining, very simple and very lovely. Watch this… It will water your crops, clear your skin and make you crave for more.

🌸  Oh my ghostess: A shy woman is possessed by a thirsty virgin ghost.

This is horror (very light), comedy, romance. Park Bo Young is just so cute. The entire plot is ridiculous but highly entertaining. It’s a kitchen romance so keep food ready before hitting the play button.

🌸  Suspicious Partner: A trainee prosecutor becomes a murder suspect.

This is a crime, law, romance drama. My love Ji Chang Wook is in it. His character is a strict guy who doesn’t want to fall in love and the female lead (Nam Ji Hyun) understandably falls for him…all this but with murder and other crimes.

🍿🍿🍿

Alright. That’s it, folks! I can probably add so much more here but that’s it for now. See you again next time. Hit me up if you need recommendations or talk about dramas in general. 

P.S. Check my blog for more kdrama recs, this hell-site won’t let me link them here. 

I wish I was remarkable