Painful Love

Collection of 23 stories about love in the everyday life of the Japanese. 1. His Scent 2. Heavy and Pop (♂) 3. Painfully from the Heart 4. Holiday 5. Heavy and Pop (♀) 6. A Place One Likes to Return To 7-8. The Silent Radiance 9. Small and Lovely 10. At the Park 11-12. The Truth Behind Things 13. Almost a Weding Proposal 14. The End of a Friendship 15. My Life: First Example - Chikada 16. Kyoko 17. That Afternoon 18. My Life: Second Example - Sawa 19. My Life: Third Example - She 20. Holiday Part 2 21. Sweet 22. Painful Love III 23. The First Time

You’ve never seen manga like this before! No annoying speed lines or sappy, neotenic eyeballs here — just pure Japanese counterculture. This anthology of contemporary underground comics from Japan features a wide variety of styles and topics ranging from the humorous to the profound. There’s a whole world of comics out there, and it’s not all Godzilla and schoolgirls! A great introduction to the other Japanese comics featuring Asia’s answers to Robert Crumb, Dan Clowes, and Chester Brown! List of included Oneshots: "Horse Horse Tiger Tiger" by Imiri Sakabashira "A Hooker's Room" by Naoto Yamakawa "Kisses" by Kiriko Nananan "Kitty Court Drama" by Nekojiru "What a Mixed Up World!" by Yasuji Tanioka "Million Dollars" by Yoshiharu Mitsumoto "The Abalone Cat" by Naoki and Shunichi Karasawa. *Source: Fantagraphics*

An anthology of all-new underground comics from Japan produced in the '80s and '90s by the latest generation of taboo-breaking manga artists! Selected by the former editor of Garo, Japan's standard-bearer of underground comics since 1964, this collection introduces new artists who have not been discussed in the previous literature on the field (such as Manga! Manga!, Dreamland Japan, and Comix Underground Japan). From the surreally beautiful to the graphically gruesome, this book will be of interest to all fans of cutting-edge art and comics. * The Life of Momongo, Story by Norimiza Ameya, Art by Junko Mizuno * Gedatsu Man, By Hironori Kikuchi * Swing Shell, By Yuko Tsuno * Jr., By Yoshitomo Yoshimoto * Heartless Bitch and Painful Love, By Kiriko Nananan * Punctures, By Shintaro Kago * Mutant Hanako, By Makoto Aida * Editor Woman, By Benkyo Tamaoki * Palepoli, By Usamaru Furuya

Kayako Kirishima is almost ready to go off to college but is lonely and unsure of her future. Masami Endo is a girl who has been ostracized and made a social outcast for having an abortion. The two girls meet each other in class one day and become good friends. Gradually Kirishima falls in love with Endo and the relationship becomes more personal.

Mangaupdates: - Colour Story about two girls who question if it's right to be together. - Heartless Bitch Two girls are talking about one of them playing with a younger man. - Ikazu Onna (Cool Lady) A man sets out to search the identity of a kinky dream woman from a drawing he drew of her. - Kisses Story about a young woman who leaves her boyfriend and moves to her best friend apartment not knowing that her friend loves her. - Painful Love A girl, who has just broken up with her boyfriend, is thinking about him. Painful Love and Heartless Bitch are featured in Secret Comic Japan.

Miho and Sei are living together. She works at a boutique while he tries to make it as a musician. Even though Miho still can’t forget about Hagio, her ex-lover, she is happy in her relationship with Sei. However, all is not well for the young couple. Struggling to make ends meet, Miho decides to take a second job as bar hostess. As she becomes increasingly desperate for money, Miho eventually gives in to one of her client’s sexual advances. When Sei finds out about this he begins to distance himself from her. Things are getting even more complicated for Miho when Hagio suddenly reappears in her life.