By: Peggy Sue Wood | @pswediting

Usually I would not review samplers, however I came to the realization that not everyone knows that big publishers now offer free samples of upcoming works online for people to read. Similar to webcomics, where you can read the first chapter (sometimes up to 3 or 5 chapters) for free, publishers and distributors, like Kodansha and VIZ media, now release samples ahead or after release for people to check out.

So, for those not ready to check out a handful of titles, I’ve written up this review to help give a sense of the works I’m going to be on the lookout for. Now, for those of you who are ready to take that journey alone, you can go to the Kodansha website, linked here: https://kodansha.us/series/discover-kodansha/, and start reading for yourself!

Located on that page, you can find the same samplers that I’m about to mention in this post. You can also use the search option to find them by going to “https://kodansha.us/search” and searching “Sampler.” Then, click on the one you want, click on read digital edition, and you will be redirected to a pdf page. Example: https://kodansha.us/reader/discover-kodansha/volume-volume-8-magic/

Of the five Kodansha samplers that I picked up at AX this year, the Magic Manga Sampler became my personal favorite. While it did have a bit of the high-selling titles inside, I feel that the Magic Manga Sampler did a good job of presenting a mix of those older titles with new ones. From it, I’m really looking forward to The Spellbook Library and Magus of the Library. Beyond the Clouds also looks pretty interesting, and I admit that I’m glad to see that Welcome to Demon School! Iruma-kun has remained within their recommendations for this sampler.

The Romance Manga Sampler was a bit disappointing for me this time as it mostly picked titles that take place in high school, and this was true for the BL, Yuri, & LGBTQ+ Manga Sampler as well. From the romances, I’m definitely checking out A Brief Moment of Ichika and In the Clear Moonlit Dusk. What drew me into In the Clear Moonlit Dusk was how it reminded me a bit of Ai Ore!. While the stories seem different, the central character is a girl who appears as a prince to her female classmates, which is a trope seen a few times before but one I still find interesting. For a high school story, it seemed pretty engaging as a romance and I’m interested in seeing where it goes.

As for A Brief Moment of Ichika, the short chapter was perhaps the most engaging read out of all the samples in each book. It really drew me in with how emotionally impactful I found the work to be at first glance, so I’m planning to read the first volume and will let everyone know now that I recommend checking this out for yourself (no spoilers from me on this one!).

From the BL, Yuri, & LGBTQ+ Manga Sampler I will probably read The Summer of You and Boys Run the Riot, not much to add here on why. Perhaps I feel like these two were the most engaging because I could see where a love story can form there and I’m a sucker for quick romances? I’m not really sure though and can really only say that they just seemed the most interesting to me out of the available titles in this particular sampler.

The Action Manga Sampler was good, though there was a reliance on well-established titles already, such as Blue Lock, FAIRY TAIL: 100 Year Quest, and That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime. Of the listed titles, the one I think would be good to check out is WIND BREAKER. It’s a new one for me and seemed pretty interesting. (Of course, I recommend That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime too!)

The All-Ages Manga Sampler was a nice collection of titles, though I think it was kind of true for the Magic Manga Sampler too, but did provide a good mix of new titles. The “All-Ages” was really tailored more at kids between the 9 – 12 age range. Like the Magic Manga Sampler, Witch Hat Atelier was also recommended, and I know that this title is getting popular right now. Especially since it has an anime coming out. However, I think that the series I’d recommend from this sampler is probably With a Dog and a Cat Every Day is Fun, which I’ve read before and feel still holds up in terms of comedy, relatability, and engagement.

That concludes my assessment of the titles for this round of samplers. If you found this helpful or interesting, please let me know! I’m wondering if I should transition to doing more reviews and this was a sort of practice round. Any tips you have for improvement are also welcome!

Thanks for reading!

Developmental edits by: Krow Smith | @coffeewithkrow