12 Single-Volume Manga for When You’re Short on Time and Money

One of the biggest titles during the manga boom of the early 2000s, Paradise Kiss fell into limbo for some time. But a couple years ago, Vertical rereleased it in this gorgeous, new package. Full of beautiful art and stunning fashion, the story explores discovering your life’s passion, shifting relationships, first loves and heartbreak, and the bittersweetness of growing up.

We’ve seen this romcom premise before, haven’t we? A young, professional woman is tired of her parents nagging her to get married. Enter the best friend, who agrees to a fake relationship to stave off the heroine’s family. But oh my god! The fake relationship reveals something real. That’s what you get here — except the best friend is another woman and the ensuing romance is queer.

The undisputed master of horror manga, Junji Ito has created some of the most seminal works in the genre. But while Ito is most well-known for his series like Uzumaki, his shorter works have just as much impact. “The Enigma of Amigara Fault,” anyone? Lovesickness features short works that fall along two connected storylines — one about a town with a localized urban legend and the other about a very strange family.

Continuing the short story collection theme, let’s move on to another creator of some modern classics. Naoki Urasawa has written many stellar examples of seinen manga, and the short stories in this collection feature many of the qualities that fans have grown to love. Eclectic and far-ranging, you’ll get a little bit of everything here.

Osamu Tezuka created so much manga during his lifetime, and his work laid the foundation for the format as we know it today. First published in 1967, Dororo tells the story of a Japanese feudal lord who sacrifices his infant son to 48 demons in exchange for promised prosperity and wealth across his territory. You’d think this would lead to the baby’s death, but you’d be wrong. A doctor saves the infant using prosthetics and alchemy. And when that baby grows up, he begins hunting down the demons to retrieve the stolen body parts he lost due to his father’s pact.

Don’t let the title fool you. This manga is not about an organ-eating monster. It is, however, about a high school student who discovers his classmate is dying of a pancreatic illness. Not the lightest read, but if you’re in the mood for something meditative and cathartic, I recommend checking this one out.

We return to the world of fashion with this descent into psychological horror. It’s hard to stay at the top, especially in such a competitive and youth-loving industry. Lilikoi doesn’t plan to relinquish her title of top model anytime soon. She’ll go to any length to keep her spot, even if it means cosmetic surgery — not just on her face but on the rest of her body.