Halcyon Lunch

Halcyon Lunch is a strange, spiraling comedy manga which disguises deeper themes, though not entirely effectively. Our story follows a recently unhoused man that finds an alien in the form of a teenage girl who has the ability to eat (and regurgitate) anything. Antics ensue as the man tries to turn a profit off her and the larger alien plot is put in motion. For something only 11 chapters long, it covers a lot of ground. There are mini arcs involving communes, rebellions, the yakuza, and more. All of this continuously extends a surprisingly extensive cast of characters, each of whom is given their timein the spotlight. Is this manga funny? I’d say it’s funny enough. There are some good gag characters and scenarios. If you’ve found other manga funny before, this probably won’t be anything new in terms of structure. The art style is sketchy and detailed and services the comedy well. Some panels really shine though (and would be home in a horror manga). What I found strange about Halcyon Lunch was the effort to make the story more emotional for its main character, forcing him to undergo reflection and growth. I have no problem with messages in art or comedy, but the execution here left me slightly baffled. The resolution between the man and someone in his family was a bit odd and marred the experience a little. If you’re in the mood for a short sci-fi comedy series which hits a lot of tropes while exploring a bit of human nature, you may like this.