New Normal (Japanese: ニューノーマル, Hepburn: Nyū Nōmaru) is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Akito Aihara. Published by Funguild, it began serialization on various webcomic platforms in December 2020. As of June 2026, the series' individual chapters have been collected into nine print volumes.
| New Normal | |
 Cover of the first volume | |
| ニューノーマル (Nyū Nōmaru) | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Romantic comedy[1] |
| Manga | |
| Written by | Akito Aihara |
| Published by | Funguild |
| English publisher | BookWalker |
| Imprint | Comic Owl |
| Magazine |
|
| Original run | December 4, 2020 – present |
| Volumes | 9 |
Plot
editIn New Normal, wearing a mask is commonplace and showing your mouth to someone of the opposite sex can be seen as an admission of love. After Natsuki's classmate, Hata, sees her without her mask on, the two begin a secret relationship where they show each other their faces in private.[2]
Publication
editWritten and illustrated by Akito Aihara, the series is published by Funguild under their Comic Owl imprint. It began serialization on various webcomic platforms, including Access Books, Comic CMoa, and Renta!, on December 4, 2020.[3] As of June 2026, the series' individual chapters have been collected into nine tankōbon volumes.[4]
BookWalker is publishing the series in English digitally.[5]
Volumes
edit| No. | Japanese release date | Japanese ISBN |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | July 19, 2021[5] | 978-4-91-061700-8 |
| 2 | November 17, 2021[6] | 978-4-91-061701-5 |
| 3 | July 19, 2022[7] | 978-4-91-061704-6 |
| 4 | March 17, 2023[8] | 978-4-91-061708-4 |
| 5 | February 19, 2024[9] | 978-4-91-061721-3 |
| 6 | June 17, 2024[10] | 978-4-91-061726-8 |
| 7 | December 17, 2024[11] | 978-4-91-061730-5 |
| 8 | October 17, 2025[12] | 978-4-91-061748-0 |
| 9 | June 17, 2026[4] | 978-4-91-061774-9 |
Reception
editA columnist for ITmedia liked the portrayal of adolescent romance, describing it as "realistic". They also liked the story's darker elements.[1]
References
edit- 1 2 Tomo (July 23, 2021). マスクが当たり前になった世界、好きな子の“くち”を見てしまいドキドキ……近未来の男女を描く漫画『ニューノーマル』. ITmedia (in Japanese). Retrieved February 10, 2025.
- ↑ Morrissy, Kim (July 21, 2021). "Romance Manga Depicts "New Normal" of Mask Wearing". Anime News Network. Retrieved February 10, 2025.
- ↑ 「ニューノーマル」マスク着用が普通になった近未来の男女関係を描く新連載. Comic Natalie (in Japanese). Natasha, Inc. December 4, 2020. Retrieved February 10, 2025.
- 1 2 【6月17日付】本日発売の単行本リスト. Comic Natalie (in Japanese). Natasha, Inc. June 17, 2026. Retrieved June 16, 2026.
- 1 2 Hodgkins, Crystalyn (September 7, 2021). "Akito Aihara's New Normal Manga Gets English Release on BookWalker". Anime News Network. Retrieved February 10, 2025.
- ↑ パンデミック後の男女を描く「ニューノーマル」2巻記念の特製マスクなど20人に. Comic Natalie (in Japanese). Natasha, Inc. November 9, 2021. Retrieved February 10, 2025.
- ↑ 【7月19日付】本日発売の単行本リスト. Comic Natalie (in Japanese). Natasha, Inc. July 19, 2022. Retrieved February 10, 2025.
- ↑ 【3月17日付】本日発売の単行本リスト. Comic Natalie (in Japanese). Natasha, Inc. March 17, 2023. Retrieved February 10, 2025.
- ↑ 【2月19日付】本日発売の単行本リスト. Comic Natalie (in Japanese). Natasha, Inc. February 19, 2024. Retrieved February 10, 2025.
- ↑ 【6月17日付】本日発売の単行本リスト. Comic Natalie (in Japanese). Natasha, Inc. June 17, 2024. Retrieved February 10, 2025.
- ↑ 【12月17日付】本日発売の単行本リスト. Comic Natalie (in Japanese). Natasha, Inc. December 17, 2024. Retrieved February 10, 2025.
- ↑ 【10月17日付】本日発売の単行本リスト. Comic Natalie (in Japanese). Natasha, Inc. October 17, 2025. Retrieved October 16, 2025.
External links
edit- Official manga website (in Japanese)
- New Normal (manga) at Anime News Network's encyclopedia