Manga Like Last Quarter

Susumu Nakoshi is a middle-aged man who divides his time between a luxury hotel and a park frequented by the homeless. One day, a strange young man approaches Nakoshi, seeking volunteers for trepanation—the act of drilling a hole in the skull. This mysterious individual claims Nakoshi is the ideal candidate for the experiment. Nakoshi initially refuses, but after his car is towed, he changes his mind. He agrees to let 22-year-old medical student Manabu Ito drill a hole in his skull in exchange for 700,000 yen. At first, the procedure yields no visible results, and Nakoshi exhibits no unusual symptoms. However, this normalcy is shattered when Nakoshi starts perceiving a homunculus in every person he encounters. With his vision now warped, how will Nakoshi confront these homunculi?

Kazuki Hoshino treasures his mundane routine above anything else. He spends his school days carefree with his friends, until that uneventful bliss is shattered when the aloof beauty Aya Otonashi transfers into his class and immediately delivers a cold, dramatic statement to him: "I've come to break you. This is my 13,118th transfer. After so many times, it's starting to grate on me, so this time I'm spicing things up with a proper declaration of war." With those puzzling words, the ordinary days Kazuki loved so much become a cycle of turmoil and fear—Aya's sudden appearance signals the unraveling of unseen mysteries surrounding his seemingly normal friends, including the discovery of strange devices known as "boxes."

After his parents died, high school student Kimihiro Watanuki lives by himself and possesses the ability to see supernatural creatures that are drawn to him. These spirits constantly harass him, and he desperately wants to be free from this burden. One day, while being pursued by a swarm of these entities, he stumbles into a strange shop seeking refuge. There he encounters Yuuko Ichihara, the store's owner, who claims she can fulfill any wish. She offers to grant Kimihiro's desire, provided he pays a suitable price. Consequently, Kimihiro starts working at her shop to earn the compensation needed for his wish. Under Yuuko's guidance, he must immerse himself deeper into the world of spirits and the occult before he can eventually leave it behind. How will he cope with the mysterious encounters that lie ahead?

Japanese-American Kevin Yamagata creates the popular detective comic "Billy Bat" after fighting for the Allied Forces in World War II. When the series becomes a tremendous success, Kevin learns that his character Billy Bat had already appeared in a Japanese comic. Fearing he may have unconsciously copied something he saw while stationed in Japan, Kevin travels there to track down the original artist and ask permission to keep using the character. As he investigates the origins of Billy Bat, he uncovers a dark and disturbing chain of murders that are somehow connected to the character he believed he invented.

Koyomi Araragi is well acquainted with the unnatural. Over spring break of his third year in high school, he becomes a vampire after a fateful run-in with the vampire Kiss-Shot Acerola-Orion Heart-Under-Blade. Plunged into a world of aberrations, Araragi one day catches classmate Hitomi Senjougahara as she tumbles down the school stairs—but something feels off. When Senjougahara confronts him, he discovers her weight was taken by a mythical crab. Despite her blunt threats, Araragi persuades her to let him assist. Seeking a remedy for this abnormal issue, the pair visit the enigmatic Meme Oshino, the wanderer who once freed Araragi from his own vampirism. Bakemonogatari is a story about the monsters lurking inside everyone, but just how deep do they hide within the people Araragi encounters?

High school student Yuugi Mutou spends his days being picked on by bullies between classes and his nights playing board games and solving puzzles in his bedroom. His love for games comes from his grandfather, who runs a game shop that also serves as their home. One night, Yuugi finally solves the Millennium Puzzle, an almost impossible challenge that releases his inner darkness and gives rise to a second personality: Yami Yuugi. When under extreme stress, Yuugi involuntarily transforms into this more daring and dangerous alter ego, and he begins operating as a vengeful vigilante, challenging bullies and wrongdoers to high-stakes games where losing leads to fates worse than death. Yuugi and his dark side befriend some of the very students who once tormented him, forming unbreakable bonds with them. However, the group must face off against foes far more dangerous than schoolyard thugs—enemies who use games for evil purposes and threaten the lives of Yuugi and his friends.

Most people are said to be born with a special ability called an "Iris," which manifests as visual cues—ranging from detecting lies to predicting danger. High school student Tooru Mizushima, however, is one of the rare individuals without an Iris. Labeled an "Iris Zero," he faces constant bullying and thus tries to keep a low profile. But when the popular schoolgirl Koyuki Sasamori bursts into his life, his policy of minimal exposure is completely upended. Koyuki's Iris allows her to see the most suitable person for any given task—and she identifies Tooru as the best candidate to help her find the next student council president. Tooru wants nothing to do with such a public endeavor, yet Koyuki's cheerful persistence eventually wins him over. As he becomes involved with more people and applies his exceptional deductive reasoning to solve various mysteries, Tooru's lonely existence as an Iris Zero slowly begins to change.

Each year, the Ushiromiya family gathers on Rokkenjima at the call of their eccentric patriarch, Kinzou. With his health declining, most relatives believe he doesn't have much longer to live. Outside, a typhoon rages; inside, a storm of greed and resentment brews as they quarrel over the inheritance and who will be named Kinzou's true successor. Battler, Kinzou's grandson, returns after six years away, expecting a calm reunion. But his grandfather has other ideas: he initiates a strange game, challenging everyone to find his hidden gold. Whoever discovers it also earns the most desired prize—control of the family. However, the game spirals into violence and murder when the participants are offered as "sacrifices" to resurrect the Millennial Witch of Rokkenjima, Beatrice. A firm skeptic, Battler rejects belief in the occult. Yet as bodies pile up around him, he is forced to consider whether the deaths are caused by genuine magic or by a human hand among the group.

A tale about the outcomes of decisions, where confessions lead to either affection or refusal, and choices force sacrifice and sorrow. Koyomi Araragi's choice to rescue a blond vampire and involve himself with the supernatural caused his own death as a human and rebirth as a monstrosity. Yet this was merely one among countless tragedies and decisions he would later confront, and he comes to realize that his seemingly unbreakable, hard-won connections are not permanent. As bizarre oddities continue to emerge around him, he must face impossible dilemmas—whether to cut ties with those he cares for, or forever remain part of the realm of monsters and phantoms and let the world collapse because of it. Whether to accept or reject a confession, and give up everything for others. However, both possibilities could end in tragedy and goodbyes. A tale about Koyomi Araragi finally understanding the weight of his decisions. This entry covers the second season of the Monogatari Series.

A teenager who dropped out of a prestigious Houston program for gifted youths visits a secluded private island. The island's owner, who is essentially stranded there, keeps company with geniuses—mostly young women—until one of them is found decapitated one morning.

It's once again time for the annual family gathering on Rokkenjima! Ange Ushiromiya is recovering from a cold, but that won't stop her excitement at reuniting with her cousins! Granddad couldn't be happier to see his beloved grandchildren and organizes a special Halloween party where everyone receives plenty of treats! By lunchtime on the first day, the aunts and uncles are chatting lively, and the cousins are eagerly planning their afternoon activities. It's the perfect image of a happy family—one that bears no resemblance to the squabbling, resentful Ushiromiya clan! What is happening?!

Mashiro Ichijou is a popular and attractive high school student who has always lived as a boy. But beneath the surface, no one knows that he resents the fact that his body is half female. He has hidden his femininity from everyone around him, all while struggling with his own insecurity about who he truly is. One day, a nurse he has never seen before asks Mashiro to follow her to the school infirmary located in the basement—a room that never existed before that moment. What he does not realize is that the instant he steps into that mysterious office, he will never be able to return to the person he once was. As Mashiro searches for his true identity, he must confront the turmoil inside his own heart while shielding himself from the watchful eyes of his classmates. Gradually, the ugly truth of the world is revealed: a world filled with lies and deception, engulfed in nightmares that unfold in broad daylight.

On Rokkenjima, Shannon works as a maid for the eccentric Ushiromiya family patriarch, Kinzou. She harbors deep feelings for his grandson, George, yet knows such a relationship would be forbidden. Despite her efforts to suppress them, her emotions intensify daily. One night, the island's Millennial Witch, Beatrice, offers her sympathy: by breaking a ritual mirror that weakens Beatrice's magic, Shannon can receive the witch's help in making George reciprocate her love. Shannon eventually gives in, and to her astonishment, her bond with George begins to flourish. Kanon, a fellow servant, suspects the witch is deceiving Shannon. As "furniture," he believes they have no right to consider themselves human, let alone experience emotions like love. But he soon learns that Jessica, Kinzou's granddaughter, has affection for him, and he gradually begins to explore his own feelings toward her. However, both Kanon and Shannon's romantic prospects face a trial when the rest of the Ushiromiya family arrives for their annual conference, and Beatrice initiates a contest to find Kinzou's hidden gold. Whoever claims the precious ingots will become the new family head, and everyone competes for the prize. What begins as a bizarre game quickly turns into pure horror, with lives hanging in the balance. Can the two servants protect the ones they hold dear?

The adults at the aquarium, including Ruka's dad, have only a faint awareness of what the children are going through as they become drawn into the enigma of fish vanishing from seas around the world.

After their decisive confrontation, Battler Ushiromiya reflects on the sudden resignation of the Golden Witch Beatrice, who now exists as a mere shadow of her former self. The extreme shift away from her previously defiant intentions compels Battler to reexamine every detail of the prior four games. Although he wishes to remain at her side, Battler resolves to take back control of the current situation, where Lambdadelta and Frederica Bernkastel have temporarily assumed their roles to conduct the fifth game board. Following Kinzou Ushiromiya's death, Krauss Ushiromiya inherits the family leadership amidst severe monetary difficulties. Because of poor investment choices, the family estate is set to fall into the hands of Krauss's creditors, making it easy for his siblings to pursue legal action against him. To support her husband, Natsuhi Ushiromiya seeks Beatrice's aid in resurrecting the previous head—intending to hide the truth until the debts are cleared. Then arrives Erika Furudo: a self-proclaimed detective who drifts ashore on Rokkenjima Island just as the family's annual gathering begins. Received as a distinguished visitor, Erika soon becomes curious about the ongoing debate surrounding the epitaph's riddle. However, this arrogant young woman's relentless investigation into finding the hidden gold sparks a chain of events that threatens to collapse the order of the Ushiromiya family.

The period of logical arguments and magical deceptions has ended; the disclosure of the truth about Beatrice the Golden Witch is near. To aid this, game master Bernkastel recruits Will Wright the Mage-Hunter to step onto her board and solve one question: Who killed Beatrice? Alongside him comes Lion Ushiromiya, Krauss's firstborn child and heir, whose own purpose remains enigmatic. Will's series of inquiries gathers the loose ends from all prior games, braiding them into a strand of truth, revisiting Kinzou's first meeting with the young Beatrice and exploring the myths that have subsequently grown around her.

Asa's mother goes into labor once more, so Asa dashes off to find a doctor. But no one notices her absence—not even as a storm approaches Nagoya. Ignored yet again, Asa runs into a burglar and tries to stop him by herself, a choice that leads to an unexpected partnership.

At Mai Taniyama's school, there is an old, abandoned building that is supposedly cursed. Every time an attempt is made to demolish it, a string of mysterious deaths occurs, halting the project. Seeking to prove the building is haunted, Mai and her classmates try to summon a ghost by sharing spooky stories. No spirit appears, but they encounter Kazuya Shibuya, a 17-year-old transfer student. While her friends are taken by his good looks and polite demeanor, Mai remains suspicious of him. After an accident, Mai learns that Kazuya is actually the head of Shibuya Psychic Research, a group hired by the school principal to investigate the building's rumored paranormal activity. Because of her involvement, Mai must temporarily assist Kazuya to avoid paying for damages. Joined by other supernatural experts—former Buddhist monk Houshou Takigawa, self-proclaimed Shinto priestess Ayako Matsusaki, famous medium Masako Hara, and Catholic priest John Brown—Mai and Kazuya must solve the building's mystery before more innocent lives are lost.

Ginji Amano is a cool, pragmatic, and hip blonde who can generate electric currents with his body like an electric eel. Ban Mido is an equally hip brunette, bespectacled and rambunctious, who possesses the mystically enigmatic "Evil Eye," granting him the ability to create illusions in the minds of his opponents. Together, they form the GetBackers, the premier retrieval team in the world. They can recover anything taken from their clients, boasting a success rate of (almost) 100%! Yet first, they need to land some clients—and soon—or this lively detective pair will end up starving on the streets!

Battler takes charge of the sixth game, using his newfound golden truth to counter the logical attacks from the detective-and-witch, Erika Furudo. What started for Battler as a dispute over whether magic exists has turned into a struggle to bring back the passionate, lively Beatrice he faced in the earlier rounds on the game board. The game's tangled rules and logical puzzles were already difficult enough, but now that he is the game master, Battler has to rapidly master how to steer events toward his and Beatrice's final goals without being trapped in a closed room by Erika, the Witch of Truth!

Five students at a Buddhist university—three men and two women—struggle to apply their unusual talents in modern Tokyo, at least when it comes to the living. The abilities they studied, like channeling, dowsing, and ESP, were dismissed as useless for a career, but they prove invaluable for connecting with the dead—specifically, those whose spirits remain trapped in their own bodies, unable to move on to the next life. Together, they establish the Kurosagi Corpse Delivery Service. Whether the death is a suicide, murder, accident, or illness, they will transport the body to the location necessary for the soul to be set free.

Kimihiro Watanuki's connection with the Space Time Witch, Yuko, deepens in xxxHOLiC Rei. Inside her mysterious shop, where desires are granted for a price, will he uncover even more hidden truths? And what must he give up this time to obtain the answers he pursues?

This anthology of one-shots by Dowman Sayman includes narratives of serial killers discovering romance, historical figures returning from the dead, an original spin on the 9/11 tragedy, yaoi fan-girl ghosts offering suggestions to the men she observes, and a variety of other subjects.

There is a strange rumor about the Urashima Tunnel: it grants any wish to those who enter, but at the cost of their lifespan. Kaoru Touno never took this silly urban legend seriously—until he happened upon a dark tunnel one night. He initially thought nothing of going inside, but the prospect of bringing back his sister Karen, who died in an accident five years ago because of his own carelessness, proved too tempting. Once he steps into the tunnel, Kaoru finds that the reality does not match the rumor; the tunnel's rules remain unclear, yet that does not stop him from testing its limits. Unbeknownst to Kaoru, his aloof classmate Anzu Hanashiro follows him on one of his trips. Though he is reluctant, she becomes fascinated by the tunnel and wants to join forces with him. Despite his mistrust of her motives, Kaoru accepts Anzu's offer and spends the summer alongside her, hoping to revive his sister.