Jenna from our Middlefield Branch is back with another round of Manga Spotlights!
Behind the Scenes by Bisco Hatori
Ranmaru comes from a family of fishermen, so when he finds his talents and interests lie more in the arts fields, he feels a bit out of place. When he enters college, he hopes to find a place to belong—but two months in, he’s just found it hard to interact with anyone. At least up until he stumbles into the middle of one of the campus cinema groups filming a zombie movie. Next thing Ranmaru knows, he’s 
knee-deep in helping the Art Squad, the group of individuals who do all the behind the scenes work. For the first time, his skills are useful and Ranmaru hopes that he’s finally found his place to belong. With a cast of eccentric characters and a protagonist happily surprised by the positives in his new life, Behind the Scenes is a humorous look at the work that goes into making films and the skills and passions of people whose work often goes overlooked.
Similar series: Otomen by Aya Kanno
Golden Kamuy by Satoru Noda
Saichi Sugimoto is freshly returned from war and desperate to gain money—fast. With little opportunity in his home town, he heads north to Hokkaido, following rumors of gold. Saichi’s get-rich-quick plan runs into a detour when he comes across the story of a map to stolen Ainu gold. The catch? The map is tattooed on a group of escaped convicts and many parties are desperate to get the gold first… by any means necessary.
Set in the early 20th century after the Russo-Japanese war, Golden Kamuy unfolds into a harsh and thrilling battle to stay alive and get the gold before the competition does it first. With the help of a Hokkaido Native Ainu girl, Asirpa, Saichi might just get out of this bloody struggle alive and significantly richer.
Similar series: Vinland Saga by Makoto Yukimura