Cosmic Monkey Comics

We've been working on WREN'S MANGA CORNER all year, and it’s finally time for our third installment! Look for more suggestions every couple of weeks. But for now…

Hello everyone! Your resident fiend at Cosmic Monkey is here to tell you about some new and notable titles here at the shop! This week, I want to recommend a classic among Japanese fans that has its first English debut, MISS RUKI.

Miss Ruki is a charmingly dorky woman - she’s resourceful, frugal, and unfashionable, unlike her best friend Ecchan. In this delightful collection of short, two paged slice-of-life stories you’ll see all sorts of interactions between the contemporary Ecchan and the resourceful and enigmatic Ruki. From the simple pleasures of getting your work done early, a good sale, to the minor inconveniences of a cold or a guy who just won’t stop nagging you, Miss Ruki shows all the charm of early 90s modern Japanese woman living her life.

While not very well known in the states, Fumiko Takano is your favorite artist’s favorite artist, as stated in the informative essay in the back of the book, giving Miss Ruki and her creator some interesting cultural context. Takano is able to tell each story with such style and elegance, with clean, simplistic but surprisingly deft line work and sometimes anachronistic character designs. Miss Ruki feels out of time, inviting you to join in on her daily life. Please do!