Wandering Cat’s Cage Review

 

Wandering Cat’s Cage Review

Writer & Artist: Akane Torikai

Translator: Jocelyne Allen

Publisher: Fantagraphics

Book Description: 344 Pages, Black-and-White

Hardcover Price: $34.99 US

ISBN-13: 9798875002397

Release Date: October 27, 2026

 

When Sanada needs a little time for herself, she heads to the batting cage. After hitting balls around the room for a while, Sanada treats herself to some candy from Granny, who sells the refreshments. But today is different. As Reijo sits on a bench facing the chicken wire barrier, he offers her a job.

 

Sanada is taking a break from her needles. Still, she can't say no. She and Reijo have a long history together and are more alike than different. What will Reijo ask Sanada to do for him? And how will it change their lives? Let's take a boat to the shanty town, leap into Wandering Cat's Cage, and see!

 

Story

When Reijo mentions a rat sneaking around his place, he doesn't mean a rodent. So, as Sanada walks the narrow streets, she looks for likely suspects. When the acupuncturist warns a pickpocket that she could kill her by pressing a mechanical pencil into her neck, the teen gives her the day's haul. But when Reijo says the girl isn't the rat he's looking for, Sanada asks her to find the woman who's been scoping out Reijo's home. After giving Sanada all her money, Ejima needs to earn more. Without money, she and the strays she protects will go hungry.

 

In Wandering Cat’s Cage, abandonment is a familiar concept to everyone in the shanty town. Life may seem better in the modern town across the water. Yet many, like the twins Ejima found, end up on the streets. Still, perhaps that's better than how Reijo lives. Even though he brings joy to many others, the only man in the shanty town relies on marijuana to get through each day. 

 

After introducing Sanada and Reijo and showing how a skulking rat binds them as the leaders of a growing family, Akane Torikai transports readers across the river. While Dr Otsuka cares for the Minister of Health’s daughter, her own daughter struggles in school. Like the girls who breathe unexpected vitality into Sanada and Reijo’s lives, Mirai questions the system. Yet like Sanada, Mirai also wonders what life is supposed to be about.

 

As Akane Torikai slowly peels back the layers of this society to reveal the dilemmas facing its leaders, the story also tackles how governments respond to change. When science offers leaders a means of population control, they redefine the truth. Their world grows more organized and easier to control. Yet, it also becomes a lonelier place, where people care less about others and forget the joy of living, in Wandering Cat’s Cage.

 

Art

While steel roofs top boxy homes, a few buildings have flat roofs. Only one resident has transformed the roof into a comfortable outdoor room. Yet outdoor living hasn’t brought Reijo happiness. As he sits in his waterfront home, perched above the sunken coastline, Reijo rolls his marijuana joints, sprawls in a robe on his upholstered sofa, and regards everyone with a disconsolate expression.

 

Sanada's long hair tumbles down the back of her T-shirt. Yet in a world ruled by women, Reijo wears a blouse, printed silk slacks, and jewelry. Like Sanada, he doesn’t cover or restrict his short hair. Unlike Reijo and Sanada, most people bind their hair with clips, braid it, bundle it, bind it into buns, or cover it with hats, hoods, or scarves. In the town, Mirai and her friend Ino also wear their hair loose and uncovered. But then, the two girls buck the system that intends to shackle them in Wandering Cat’s Cage.

 

As Akane Torikai draws buildings and backgrounds with exacting detail, gray and black fall lightly upon the art. The gentle shading on buildings and surroundings evokes brushwork. Hatching on necks and near eyes also enhances the characters' features. Generously sized uppercase letters fill balloons with minimal arrows. Or, like the zygotes prized by the leaders, no tail may extrude from the dialogue balloons. Thanks to Fantagraphics for providing a physical review copy.

 

Final Thoughts

The drapes that shield his canopy bed cannot hide how Reijo spends his evenings. Nor do the fluttering paper lanterns on his covered porch rouse a smile. Giving pleasure to others may allow Reijo to live free and well. But that's only as long as none of his visitors tell the authorities that a fertile man lives in unsupervised comfort in Wandering Cat’s Cage.

 

Rating 9.8/10

 

To look inside see Wandering Cat's Cage Preview. 

Wandering Cat’s Cage Preview

 

When Sanada needs a little time for herself, she heads to the batting cage. After hitting balls around the empty room for awhile, she treats herself to some candy from Granny, who sells the refreshments. But today is different. As Reijo sits on a bench facing the chicken wire barrier, he offers her a job. Even though she’s taking a break from her needles, Sanada can’t say no. She and Reijo go back a long way, and the one thing that links them is their desire for freedom. What will Reijo ask Sanada to do for him? And how will it change their lives?  

 

Here's all the info from Fantagraphics:

 

 

Wandering Cat’s Cage Preview

Writer & Artist: Akane Torikai

Translator: Jocelyne Allen

Publisher: Fantagraphics

Book Description: 344 Pages, Black-and-White

Hardcover Price: $34.99 US

ISBN-13: 9798875002397

Release Date: October 27, 2026

 

 

Fantagraphics and MSX Team Up to Publish 

An Elegiac Manga about Gender, Community, Family, Control, Class, Love, 

and What Makes Life Worth Living At The End Of The World.

 

 

This week, Takumigraphics – Fantagraphics’ imprint specializing in the art and craft of East Asian comics – will publish Akane Torikai’s highly anticipated dystopian manga Wandering Cat’s Cage. Published in partnership between Takumigraphics and MSX: Mangasplaining Extra, this beautifully drawn work of science fiction, told through a gender-bent looking glass, is an unflinching examination of sexuality, gender dynamics, love, trauma, freedom, and control.

 

Master manga-ka Akane Torikai’s Wandering Cat’s Cage takes place in a near-future, where only a few women are still able to menstruate, and even fewer men will be born to them.Reproduction is limited to medical intervention controlled from on high, and the structures and lives of the past are only hinted at through scraps of a world that no longer exists. Life can be good, though, if you fall in line. The women of The City live bright, happy, tightly controlled lives. But complete obedience isn’t for everyone. For the women across the river, who live in a rundown shantytown, life is different. It is humble, and often dangerous, but it is free.

 

Sanada, a young acupuncturist, lives across the river with the mysterious Reiho, the only male she’s ever met who sells himself to the rich women who sneak across the river for something they’ve never experienced. The two form a small “family,” taking in other young women ousted from the city. But when Reiho is kidnapped at gunpoint and taken to the breeding program in The City, Sanada must join the other outcasts to rescue him and learn the difficult truths of love, self-actualization, society, safety, and humanity’s future.

 

“Akane Torikai's Wandering Cat's Cage is a perfect addition to the Takumigraphics line,” explains Fantagraphics’ Vice President and Associate Publisher Eric Reynolds. “Building on traditions of shojo manga and dystopian fiction pioneered by artists like Moto Hagio and Katsuhiro Otomo, Torikai advances both genres with her gorgeous artwork in the service of an urgent and fierce voice for our current time.”

 

Launched in 2026 with the release of Yudori’s Lovers of the Empire, Takumigraphics imprint encompasses comics from across East Asia, including Japan, Korea, China, Singapore, and Taiwan. Takumi comes from the Japanese kanji meaning “excellence,” skillfulness,” “ingeniousness,” as applied to a craftsperson. This character exemplifies the aesthetic caliber of the books that will comprise this imprint — works of mastery and vision. Our logo is inspired by the seals used by Japanese and Chinese craftspeople to mark their work.

 

Wandering Cat’s Cage is the latest manga to be published by Fantagaphics in partnership with MSX: Mangasplaining Extra, a publishing initiative run by Deb Aoki and Christopher and Andrew Woodrow-Butcher that spins out of the popular podcast Mangasplaining, which recommends great manga to folks who haven't read much manga before. Fantagraphics and MSX have previously published Susumu Higa's widely acclaimed  Okinawa, which was nominated for the 2024 Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in NonFiction by the American Library Association, and Search & Destroy, Atsushi Kaneko’s 3-volume cyberpunk reimagining of Osamu Tezuka’s Dororo.

 

“All of us at Mangasplaining are thrilled to help bring Akane Torikai’s Wandering Cat’s Cage to English readers, both through digital serialization via our Mangasplaining Extra newsletter and in a gorgeous 2-in-1 hardcover with our publishing partners at Fantagraphics.” says Deb Aoki. “Originally published in Da Vinci, a Japanese literary magazine, Wandering Cat’s Cage asks tough questions about how current events, cultural, economic, and political decisions might lead us to the world of haves and have-nots, the powerful and the powerless depicted in this story. Told from a feminine and Asian perspective, Wandering Cat’s Cage is a thought-provoking read that feels only a few steps away from the world we live in today. The contrast between Torikai’s elegant linework and the intense drama that unfolds in this story is just one reason why we think she’s an author who deserves to be seen and read by all kinds of readers.”

 

Now, let's take a look inside:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The 334-page hardcover Wandering Cat’s Cage is due out on October 27, 2026. The Takumigraphics imprint will continue to release groundbreaking East Asian comics in the winter with Kago’s The Ultra Power Mongol Invasion due out in November and more breathtaking comics on the way. For updates, fans can follow Fantagraphics on X, Instagram, Facebook, Blue Sky, and YouTube.

 

Thanks to Fantagraphics and Superfan Promotions for sharing this preview with us. 

 

 

Aoashi (3-In-1 Edition) Vol. 2 (Vol. 4, 5, 6) Preview

 

They're supposed to work together. Yet like politicians, when they get the chance to shine, it's every player for himself. And to secure a spot on the A-Team, they'll have to blaze like the sun.

Can the new members of Tokyo City Esperion Youth Team shine individually without sabotaging their teamwork? And after moving to Tokyo from Ehime, will Ashito Aoi miss his hometown?

Here's all the info from Titan Manga:

 

Aoashi (3-In-1 Edition) Vol. 2 (Vol. 4, 5, 6) Preview

Author/artist: Kobayashi Yuugo

Publisher: Titan Manga

Paperback Description: 624pp, B&W

Price: $24.99

ISBN: 9781787748651

Release Date: October 6, 2026

 

 

 

The hit Crunchyroll anime series, 

Finally adapted into English!

 

 

 

Follow the journey of Ashito Aoi as he sets his sights on turning pro in the cutthroat world of youth soccer.

 

To the world stage! Glory and ambition lie ahead of young Ashito Aoi as he takes the first steps to becoming a pro soccer player. But after being catapulted into a new harsh environment, can he hold onto his spider’s thread and climb his way to the top?

 

No time to slow down, break through into the A team! After passing the try-outs, Ashito and the other B team players play an intrasquad match to fight for their spot in the A team. But with only one chance on the line, who will emerge victorious and move one step closer to going pro?

 

But being mixed in with soccer elites means a ton of setbacks for Ashito. He realizes the gap between him and the other players is too big. Putting his pride aside, Ashito makes the bold decision to ask Coach Date to teach him soccer from scratch. It’s time to use your head, Ashito. You’ve only just reached the start line!

 

With a mix of competitive high school soccer and a true-to-life representation of soccer and youth academies, Aoashi Omnibus Volume 2 continues the journey of the award-winning manga series.

 

Volume 2 of the Aoashi Omnibus from Titan Comics collects and translates Volumes 4-6 of the original award-winning Japanese manga series.

 

 

Now, let's take a look inside:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pre-order now from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books A Million, and Forbidden Planet for the UK & Europe.

 

ABOUT TITAN MANGA

Titan Manga is the dedicated manga imprint of Titan Comics, delivering a curated selection of critically acclaimed and fan-favourite titles. From bestselling series to bold new international releases, Titan Manga brings dynamic storytelling, unforgettable art, and the vibrant world of manga to readers worldwide.

 

For more information, visit https://titan-comics.com/manga/.

 

For further information, follow Titan Manga on Facebook, X, Instagram, and BlueSky.

 

 

Thanks to Titan Manga for sharing this preview with us. 

Colori Colore Creare Vol 1 Review

 

Colori Colore Creare Vol 1 Review

Writer & Artist: Kozue Amano

Translator: Andria McKnight

Letterer: Skylar Rutan

Editor: Louis Yamani

Designer: Dan Bura

Publisher: Titan Manga

Price: $12.99 US

Release Date: August 25, 2026

 

Aka likes going on adventures in Onobori Town. But the town perches atop a cliff, and danger is always nearby. So when she goes out to play, Gino makes Aka promise to always stay within sight of the Windmill Cafe.

 

Still, an Onigiri Campaign is demanding. Sometimes you forget the rules. What will Aka discover while she searches for cherry blossoms? And who will the girl meet? Let’s grab our sack lunches, leap into Colori Colore Creare Vol 1, and see!

 

Story

Although Aka lives with her grandfather, Gino doesn’t have time to watch her all day. So as he serves his guests, Aka goes on adventures. When she sees cherry blossoms float on the wind, she decides to track them to their source. Yet Aka hates it when her tummy rumbles. So, she asks her grandfather for a sack of Onigiri before she leaves.

 

While searching for cherry blossoms, the girl abruptly realizes she has ventured out of sight of her home. Still, she senses she is close to her destination, so she presses on. Then, Aka sees trees filled with cherry blossoms. When she notices a cat lurking among the branches, Aka offers it some of her food. The cat accepts her act of kindness. And when the little girl wobbles along the elevated walkways, the cat repays Aka's generosity in Colori Colore Creare Vol 1.

 

Although Aka doesn’t realize it, someone else follows her on her Onigiri Campaign. A newcomer to their city, Nodoka observes the girl, noting things her grandfather doesn’t know about her. While Aka makes discoveries about her world, Nodoka is embarking on her new career. She reports her findings to her superior as she weighs Aka's needs against the life her grandfather can offer her. 

 

Art

Aka wears a ruffly dress as she lugs around stuffed animals bigger than she is. She climbs up into a chair, and her grandfather sets her meals onto a small pedestal table. Gino wears a cap on his short hair, and a thin mustache accompanies the bowtie and apron with which he greets the world. Nodoka wears bows in her long, straight hair. The newcomer wears a long coat as she arrives on a hovercycle in Colori Colore Creare Vol 1. Nodoka regards the inhabitants and Onibori Town’s fluttering curtains through her glasses. And then there is the big cat who wears clothing, can walk upright, and accompanies Aka on her adventures.

 

Kozue Amano often shows objects of fascination as reflections in Aka’s eyes. The artist also favors the occasional overhead shot, as Aka or Gino gaze directly upward. This accentuates the vertical nature of the clifftop community. Aka and Gino live in a small windmill house built atop a rocky ledge. Sails generate wind power instead of wooden blades. Each morning, Aka awakens and gazes out the window above the restaurant. Then, her grandfather pulls a chain, and as the ladder swings down, Aka tosses her biggest stuffed animals down before descending.

 

Skylar Rutan places uppercase letters into dialogue balloons. Lowercase thoughts or lowered voices appear in panel backgrounds. Alternatively, they may inhabit small balloons, accompanied by a small icon of the speaker’s face. Plentiful sound effects enhance the personality of the adventurous characters and the vibrant community in Colori Colore Creare Vol 1. Thanks to Titan Comics for providing a review copy.

 

Final Thoughts

Aka is a young girl who struggles to pronounce her Rs. Yet as she spends each day having adventures with her stuffed animals, she insists that others call her Aka-San instead of the less formal Aka-Chan. And even though she is so young, Aka wishes she could remember her grandfather’s instructions more often.

 

Her grandfather’s business may preclude him from spending time with her. Still, Gino dotes on Aka and worries that she will get hurt while playing unobserved. But both their lives are about to change when a young woman comes to their clifftop town in Colori Colore Creare Vol 1.

 

Rating 9/10

 

To look inside see Colori Colore Creare Vol 1 Preview. 

Colori Colore Creare Vol 1 Preview

 

Aka likes going on adventures in Onobori Town. But the town is built on steep cliffs, and danger is always nearby. So when she goes out to play, Gino makes Aka promise to always stay within sight of the Windmill Cafe. 

Still, an Onigiri Campaign is demanding. Sometimes you forget the rules. What will Aka discover while she searches for cherry blossoms? And who will the girl meet?

Here's all the info from Titan Manga:

 

COLORI COLORE CREARE VOL. 1

Author & Artist: Kozue Amano

Publisher: Titan Manga

Softcover Description: 192 Pages, Black & White

Price: $12.99

Release Date: August 25, 2026

 

From the creator of Aria to Amanchu!, Kozue Amano’s works are beloved for their tranquil charm and breathtaking detail.

 

Colori Colore Creare continues her legacy—perfect for fans of cozy fantasy and the heartwarming magic of Studio Ghibli.

 

From Kozue Amano, the acclaimed creator of Aria and Amanchu!, comes Colori Colore Creare Vol. 1—a tender, atmospheric fantasy perfect for fans of Studio Ghibli and stories that find magic in the everyday.

 

The quiet island town of Onobori is hidden from the world by a noren—a traditional curtain that veils it from the ordinary. Here lives Aka, a gentle, innocent girl living in a windmill coffee shop with her grandfather. Life flows peacefully, until a chance encounter with a giant black cat draws her into a subtle, spellbinding journey. As moments of quiet beauty unfold around her, Aka begins to stitch together the vibrant threads of a future shaped by kindness, connection, and wonder.

 

With breathtaking artwork and storytelling as soothing as a warm breeze, Colori Colore Creare is a must-read for lovers of cozy fantasy, found family, and the kind of soulful stories that linger long after the last page. Let Amano’s world wash over you—and rediscover the beauty hidden in everyday life.

 

 

Now, let's take a look inside:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pre-order now from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books A Million, and Forbidden Planet for the UK & Europe.

 

 

Thanks to Titan Manga for sharing this preview with us. 

 

 

 

High Elf with a Long Life Vol 1 Review

 

High Elf with a Long Life Vol 1 Review

Original Story: Rarutori

Writer: Kou Narita

Illustrator: Ciavis

Letterer: Jezael Manahan

Editor: Louis Yamani

Designer: Matt Bookman

Translator: Jackie McClure

Publisher: Titan Manga

Price: $12.99 US

Release Date: August 11, 2026

 

Acer should be content in his forest home. Yet unlike his fellow High Elves, Acer remembers his past lives. He doesn't want to sit around for centuries communing with nature. And with hunting banned within the Great Pulha Woodlands, Acer doesn't want to limit himself to eating fruit. What will Acer discover when he pierces the magical barrier and abandons his forest home? And what friends or enemies will he meet amid his exploration of the outside world? Let’s grab our walking sticks, leap into High Elf with a Long Life Vol 1, and see!

 

Story

Abandoning his Edenic homeland means getting his hands dirty. Things hurt him. Beasts attack him. Yet through it all, Acer smiles. This is exactly what he was looking for. But when he reaches the gates of Vistcourt, Acer cannot pay the entry toll, let alone the taxes for remaining in the city as a visitor. Then, as a group of adventurers approaches, one of them realizes he is a High Elf. Airena calls him Lord and pays his entry fee. Then she insists on providing him with food and lodging.

 

While High Elf with a Long Life Vol 1 follows Acer's adaptation to civilization, he yearns to make his own way. While he battled a wolf on the way to Vistcourt, Acer doesn’t wish to become an adventurer like Airena and her friends. Instead, he wants to make things. Acer doesn’t mind devoting all his time to one task. Nor does he mind helping those in need. Despite how Airena and other people view him, Acer regards life as a Blacksmith's assistant as Heaven, while an existence of purposeless tranquility would be Hell.

 

In this adaptation of Rarutori’s novel, Kou Narita focuses on significant events from Acer's life. His triumph over a wolf convinces the best Blacksmith in town to consider Acer for an apprenticeship. But Acer's confidence and optimism also help him win others over. While his abilities as a High Elf give him status in some people’s eyes, Acer remains a practical soul. He wants to do good work. Acer wants to learn and become a better person by becoming more capable than he was.

 

When trouble arises in the land, Acer grounds himself in facts instead of embracing his contemporaries’ reliance on folklore. Despite everything he has gained, Acer willingly sacrifices to help the oppressed. And despite how people like Airena revere him, Acer remains grateful for every kindness he receives in High Elf with a Long Life Vol 1.

 

Art

As Acer reclines in a tree, he rests his bow in his lap. Even though he isn't allowed to hunt anything, a quiver of arrows hangs from his waist. A collage of events, architecture, inventions, and food reminds Acer of his past lives as he eats a piece of fruit. When he decides to leave his forest home, Acer cuts his long, straight hair with a stone knife. Birds fly up to him as he dons his travel cloak. Snapshots from his travels dramatize his exploration of the world outside. But when a walled city rises on the horizon, Acer charges across the valley toward it.

 

Ciavis adorns the city guard in a helmet, chainmail coif, and boiled leather armor. Airena wears more feminine armor built for protection and mobility. Like Acer, pointed ears sprout from her hair. But when he extends his hand to shake hers, Airena kneels and presses it against her forehead. As he enters the city, Acer smiles at the medieval-style architecture. Yet Airena’s eyes widen when he offers her a piece of fruit from his homeland in High Elf with a Long Life Vol 1.

 

As Acer relates his history and his decision, Jezael Manahan places his thoughts in narrative boxes. Acer's thoughts also fill cloudy balloons as he travels. Intense thoughts may fill radiant circles, while intense dialogue distorts balloon shapes. Word size varies, whether they inhabit shapes or hover near characters. Jackie McClure’s translated sound effects float near their original versions as an elf seeks to get along with others, work to resolve society’s ills, and find fulfillment. Thanks to Titan Manga for providing a review copy.

 

Final Thoughts

Acer’s long life allows him to see others grow and change around him. While he focuses on mastering his craft and helping others, Acer admires their achievements from afar. Living among people of different cultures, outlooks, and lifespans presents its challenges. Yet, Acer remains determined and positive as he seeks to resolve conflicts by working with others in High Elf with a Long Life Vol 1.

 

Rating: 9.2/10

 

To look inside see my preview of High Elf with a Long Life Vol 1.