がっこうぐらし! [Gakkō Gurashi!] #12

Four schoolgirls tumble together in a loose, carefree pile on this volume's cover — school uniforms, a pink-haired girl at the center, notebooks and a shovel scattered among them — projecting a deceptively cheerful warmth that longtime readers of School-Live! will recognize as the series' signature tonal trick. The bright, pastel artwork makes for an inviting image, balancing the everyday comfort of school life against those small, telling details lurking at the edges. Volume 12 from Houbunsha brings this beloved survival manga to another chapter in its run.