Kara Dennison
April 20, 2025 
We’re fortunate to have a broad spectrum of manga readily available for reading. From simulpubs to beautifully bound special editions, you can find just about anything you want. Today, we’re looking specifically to Kodansha, with three new and recent titles ready to read. High school action, coming-of-age drama, and workplace romance are all in the cards. Or, rather, between the covers. Join us for a run-down of these three titles, and pick your favorites to start reading!
Honeko Akabane’s Bodyguards Vol. 1
This action-packed manga got a live-action adaptation this year, and now Kodansha is releasing the original manga! Honeko Akabane’s Bodyguards spins a tangled web of action and intrigue. At its center is the aforementioned Honeko, the secret daughter of a yakuza boss. Delinquent kid Arakuni Ibuki is Honeko’s childhood friend. He’s also in charge of protecting her from assassins; but so is the rest of their class! A total of 22 highly-trained bodyguards protects the unwitting girl. And none of them much likes Ibuki.
So why is he there? That’s just it: one of those 22 bodyguards is a spy. Otherwise there would be no one targeting Honeko. So, as Ibuki protects her and battles his own feelings for her, he also has to keep an eye on his peers. And as Volume 1 comes to a close, a new threat looms in the form of Honeko’s half-sibling. This action-packed series hits hard from the first page and never lets up. If you’re a fan of series like Kill Blue and Shinobi Undercover, you’ll want to grab this one.
Honeko Akabane’s Bodyguards Vol. 1 is available now.
The Dashing Zaddy and His Icy Protégé Vol. 1
This month, Kodansha kicked off their publication of a unique BL series. And in this one, neither guy is as he seems! Young go-getter Hiwatari is physically hot, but ice-cold personality-wise. His overseer, 40-year-old Takanashi, is the whole package in terms of looks, personality, and achievement. But the frigid Hiwatari is actually a sweetheart, and the dashing Takanashi suffers from ED. Or, well, he did. When Hiwatari gets close, it’s all systems go. But why? Takanashi can’t figure it out, but the reader almost certainly can.
This series is packed with cute and charming art, with a healthy dose of humor. The localization stays as lighthearted as the unsubtle visuals. If you prefer your BL humorous and upbeat, pick this one up at once.
The Dashing Zaddy and His Icy Protégé Vol. 1 is available now.
Spacewalking with You Vol. 1
This upcoming title from Kodansha is quite likely to become a modern classic. Ostensibly about a pair of odd-couple high school friends, Spacewalking with You is actually an earnest and eye-opening conversation about life on all parts of the spectrum. Delinquent boy Kobayashi is bad at work and bad at his studies, and he just assumes that’s how things are. But then he meets Uno, written off by his classmates as “weird.” When Kobayashi finds Uno’s notebook full of tips to keep him tethered during difficult times, he realizes he might benefit from one as well. Together, the two learn about each other’s unique needs, as well as how to “spacewalk” through modern society together.
Anyone who’s ever been diagnosed with autism, ADHD, or something similar later in life will feel very seen and understood by Spacewalking with You. The art depicts life through Uno’s eyes vividly in two-page spreads. But it also explores a life without diagnosis: when one flies just enough under the radar to be considered “lazy.” More than anything, though, this manga is a hopeful story. While the world around these two may lack understanding at first, bit by bit they find ways to help each other and themselves.
