I head to Waterstones on my lunch break to find something for my daughter’s birthday (she is turning 12). I never seem to get it quite right when choosing books for her, so I ask the bookseller (in her 20s) for a recommendation, and she directs me to the manga shelves. It’s cool, you read it from right to left, she’ll love it, I’m told. Komi Can’t Communicate, about a socially anxious high school student, could work. Or how about dark fantasy Tokyo Ghoul: slightly age-inappropriate, but that’s what preteens love. As we search the shelves, however – four whole bays, devoted to manga! – volume one in every potential series appears to be missing. Waterstones just can’t keep them in stock, the bookseller explains, because they are so ridiculously popular.
