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ガイコツ書店員 本田さん [Gaikotsu Shotenin Honda-san] #4
Skull-face Bookseller Honda-san, Vol. 4
Honda-san is It's hard to keep drawing about your bookstore job after you've quit! But being a full-time manga artist opens new doors-stories from the publishers' perspectives, to the nitty-gritty of e-books, and even to Taiwan's book industry. It's the final volume of Skull-face Bookseller Honda-san , but the joys and agonies of bookselling last forever!
164 pages, Paperback
First published March 28, 2019
8 people are currently reading
184 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews
July 25, 2020
I made it through half the book before I decided that Honda-san wandering around looking for something to write was not nearly as interesting as her bookstore stories. I had to give up.
September 20, 2025
And so the series comes to a close. Now making a living exclusively from her manga, Honda-san interviews an ebook retailer and travels abroad to investigate the bookstores of Taiwan. The volume is rounded out with tons of bonus material–formerly web exclusive content and sketches done for in-store exclusive items bundled with the original manga.
I mentioned in my review of volume 3 that the series seemed to be running out of steam. Indeed, it was originally planned to be the final volume, but a development proposal for an anime series prompted a continuation. It all worked out as this volume is actually stronger, I think, than volume 3. It just feels like a more satisfying conclusion to the series.
Being largely autobiographical, so much of Skull-face Bookseller Honda-san is tied to its creator's personality and experiences. While I'm eager to see what she does next, I have a hard time imagining what such a project might look like. The quirks that make Bookseller stand out may not be transferable to another project without it seeming like a lesser imitation.
And, of course, I might be wrong. Only time will tell. But I am definitely interested to know what's next.
I mentioned in my review of volume 3 that the series seemed to be running out of steam. Indeed, it was originally planned to be the final volume, but a development proposal for an anime series prompted a continuation. It all worked out as this volume is actually stronger, I think, than volume 3. It just feels like a more satisfying conclusion to the series.
Being largely autobiographical, so much of Skull-face Bookseller Honda-san is tied to its creator's personality and experiences. While I'm eager to see what she does next, I have a hard time imagining what such a project might look like. The quirks that make Bookseller stand out may not be transferable to another project without it seeming like a lesser imitation.
And, of course, I might be wrong. Only time will tell. But I am definitely interested to know what's next.
August 27, 2020
I have loved this series but, as others have stated, this is certainly the least successful of the volumes. It would have been better advertised as bonus content for fans of Honda-san rather than as a true volume. It was still fun, but I'd only recommend it to people who are big fans of the series.
May 11, 2020
Further slightly whacky adventures from Honda-san, this time outside of a bookstore, but still in the book world. As it was with the stores, it's also interesting to see how some publishers, wholesalers, etc. work in other countries. I love Honda's sense of humor, even if there are times where, culturally, I don't always "get it." It appears, based on the word "final" on the cover that this is the last Skull-Faced Bookseller comic we see. That's a shame! I'm really hoping Honda continues her skeleton adventures in some form, or at the very least starts another manga!
December 14, 2023
Hay algo que no termina de cerrar pero compensa con el sentir de empatizar no solo cok el trabajo si no con el factor humano.
Repito que por ratos es caótico pero eso también tiene una razón de ser
Tkm Honda
Repito que por ratos es caótico pero eso también tiene una razón de ser
Tkm Honda
April 21, 2021
Dernier tome de cette série !
C'est cool de voir que le marché du livre au Japon est assez proche du fonctionnement français.
De plus, avec ce tome 4 on apprend quelques trucs sur le marché Taïwanais, comparé au Japon etc.
Ce qui fait peut-être un peu la longueur de ce tome c'est le rassemblement de tous les bonus qui ont été mis par rapport aux tomes japonais.
J'ai été ravie de voir un manga sur les libraires en tout cas. C'est un bon moyen de parler des librairies spé en France aussi ! (L'autrice était libraire spé BD !)
C'est cool de voir que le marché du livre au Japon est assez proche du fonctionnement français.
De plus, avec ce tome 4 on apprend quelques trucs sur le marché Taïwanais, comparé au Japon etc.
Ce qui fait peut-être un peu la longueur de ce tome c'est le rassemblement de tous les bonus qui ont été mis par rapport aux tomes japonais.
J'ai été ravie de voir un manga sur les libraires en tout cas. C'est un bon moyen de parler des librairies spé en France aussi ! (L'autrice était libraire spé BD !)
July 1, 2021
Really just a volume of bonus material. Pick it up from the library if you're curious.
September 10, 2021
This series ended up just being average to me, which makes me a little sad.
August 14, 2024
definitely the weakest volume by far. probably should have ended it at three lol
September 19, 2021
With Volume 4 of Skull-face Bookseller Honda-san in hand, we’re now at the end of the series. When we left Honda-san at the end of Volume 3, the author was in a pinch, having left their job at the bookstore and therefore lacking in materials for further chapters! Let’s find out how Honda got around that issue.
As we rejoin our favourite skull-faced bookseller, Honda’s editor has come to the rescue with some fresh ideas for the series. If you can’t tell stories from the perspective of the bookstore, perhaps you can instead focus on the publishers’ side of the story.
The first tale with this change in direction sees Honda-san visit a former senpai who now works with e-books. Although e-books are a huge part of the publishing market, they’re not something Honda-san had to deal with while working in the bookshop, so this opens up an opportunity to talk about how they differ from publishing and advertising a paperback release.
This focus on e-books eventually leads Honda-san to interview staff at Rakuten Kobo, one of the big e-book platforms in Japan. Here Honda-san learns how much effort goes into creating eye-catching banner adverts on the Rakuten Kobo website to get readers interested in reading certain titles.
After this Honda-san is sent overseas to learn how the Taiwan book industry works, which is a fascinating story. Taiwan has a large appreciation for Japanese media, so the market isn’t all that different to Japan but a lot of thought still has to be put into the books that are brought over and translated.
However, as interesting as these chapters are it’s clear to see that Skull-face Bookseller Honda-san would have been better placed ending with Volume 3. Because there is a lack of material to work with, Volume 4 has been filled out with ‘bonus’ content. These include sketches of the series’ cast, short comics posted on Twitter and some chapters from the author’s Pixiv account.
While I appreciated all of the extra content, I think it would be disappointing for readers who aren’t quite as invested in the series as I am. Perhaps the better thing to do would be to consider the series complete with Volume 3 and only seek out Volume 4 if you are interested in the extra materials.
Now the series is over I can safely say I’ve enjoyed everything the manga offered. It may have had its ups and downs, but I don’t think it was ever bad. Honda’s quirky cast of characters and a unique way of storytelling managed to see it through the more difficult periods. Anyone even vaguely interested in bookshops and the publishing industry will learn a lot reading this series and they’ll have fun with it.
Volume 4 of Skull-face Bookseller Honda-san feels like more of a fan book than it does a conclusion to the overall series. Some readers will be disappointed by there being fewer chapters for their money, but if you’re heavily invested in the series then there is still a lot of fun to be found here.
As we rejoin our favourite skull-faced bookseller, Honda’s editor has come to the rescue with some fresh ideas for the series. If you can’t tell stories from the perspective of the bookstore, perhaps you can instead focus on the publishers’ side of the story.
The first tale with this change in direction sees Honda-san visit a former senpai who now works with e-books. Although e-books are a huge part of the publishing market, they’re not something Honda-san had to deal with while working in the bookshop, so this opens up an opportunity to talk about how they differ from publishing and advertising a paperback release.
This focus on e-books eventually leads Honda-san to interview staff at Rakuten Kobo, one of the big e-book platforms in Japan. Here Honda-san learns how much effort goes into creating eye-catching banner adverts on the Rakuten Kobo website to get readers interested in reading certain titles.
After this Honda-san is sent overseas to learn how the Taiwan book industry works, which is a fascinating story. Taiwan has a large appreciation for Japanese media, so the market isn’t all that different to Japan but a lot of thought still has to be put into the books that are brought over and translated.
However, as interesting as these chapters are it’s clear to see that Skull-face Bookseller Honda-san would have been better placed ending with Volume 3. Because there is a lack of material to work with, Volume 4 has been filled out with ‘bonus’ content. These include sketches of the series’ cast, short comics posted on Twitter and some chapters from the author’s Pixiv account.
While I appreciated all of the extra content, I think it would be disappointing for readers who aren’t quite as invested in the series as I am. Perhaps the better thing to do would be to consider the series complete with Volume 3 and only seek out Volume 4 if you are interested in the extra materials.
Now the series is over I can safely say I’ve enjoyed everything the manga offered. It may have had its ups and downs, but I don’t think it was ever bad. Honda’s quirky cast of characters and a unique way of storytelling managed to see it through the more difficult periods. Anyone even vaguely interested in bookshops and the publishing industry will learn a lot reading this series and they’ll have fun with it.
Volume 4 of Skull-face Bookseller Honda-san feels like more of a fan book than it does a conclusion to the overall series. Some readers will be disappointed by there being fewer chapters for their money, but if you’re heavily invested in the series then there is still a lot of fun to be found here.
February 25, 2022
I know how manga is made (see Bakuman). I know how manga is bought (I do it too much a lot ). Teach me about the stuff that happens in between.
Some notable/funny tangents my brain did
A fun jumble of anecdotes from a bookseller. And as a librarian/nerd/book-buyer, I can relate to a large portion of this whole series. Even if the last volume felt like a patchwork of all the leftovers, I enjoyed it. This quote really sums up the attitude of anyone who works with books:
Some notable/funny tangents my brain did
A fun jumble of anecdotes from a bookseller. And as a librarian/nerd/book-buyer, I can relate to a large portion of this whole series. Even if the last volume felt like a patchwork of all the leftovers, I enjoyed it. This quote really sums up the attitude of anyone who works with books:
Even if our workplaces and job descriptions are different, we're all happy when the work we do can spark interest in the books themselves.This series has 4 volumes.
October 26, 2020
Honda-san has quit her job!
End of manga series.
Truthfully, SKULL-FACE BOOKSELLER HONDA-SAN #4 is a collection of omake comics that are tedious and broadly uninteresting insofar as the manga's general narrative is concerned. The book falls into the devilish trap of scraping the bottom of the barrel of creative sourcing: Whenever one runs out of ideas, one creates a story about creating a story in which one runs out of ideas about creating stories. This scenario has played out on numerous occasions in film, fiction writing, and comics the world over. As such, SKULL-FACE BOOKSELLER HONDA-SAN #4 is about Honda-san searching for source material in lieu of quitting her job as a bookseller.
The number of meaningful anecdotes in this volume shrinks significantly. Most pages are filled with Honda-san shuffling about Kadokawa offices locally or abroad, begging editors, designers, and marketing coordinators for content. For readers thirsting for minutiae concerning how a multinational publisher functions, there are a few nuggets of knowledge to be gleaned. For readers more interested in earning a more concrete grasp of the people (characters) behind these operations, SKULL-FACE BOOKSELLER HONDA-SAN #4 will be a disappointment. The manga's ever-widening lack of focus is increasingly immaterial, and the manga's observations on the problems associated with bookselling are often treated with a sidelong glance rather than dwelt on with modest, purposeful affection.
For a manga series that began with a peculiar and hilarious bend toward exposing the odds and ends of retail's perfunctory sense of being, this volume is a slow and doddering conclusion, capping a downhill exploit with little fanfare.
End of manga series.
Truthfully, SKULL-FACE BOOKSELLER HONDA-SAN #4 is a collection of omake comics that are tedious and broadly uninteresting insofar as the manga's general narrative is concerned. The book falls into the devilish trap of scraping the bottom of the barrel of creative sourcing: Whenever one runs out of ideas, one creates a story about creating a story in which one runs out of ideas about creating stories. This scenario has played out on numerous occasions in film, fiction writing, and comics the world over. As such, SKULL-FACE BOOKSELLER HONDA-SAN #4 is about Honda-san searching for source material in lieu of quitting her job as a bookseller.
The number of meaningful anecdotes in this volume shrinks significantly. Most pages are filled with Honda-san shuffling about Kadokawa offices locally or abroad, begging editors, designers, and marketing coordinators for content. For readers thirsting for minutiae concerning how a multinational publisher functions, there are a few nuggets of knowledge to be gleaned. For readers more interested in earning a more concrete grasp of the people (characters) behind these operations, SKULL-FACE BOOKSELLER HONDA-SAN #4 will be a disappointment. The manga's ever-widening lack of focus is increasingly immaterial, and the manga's observations on the problems associated with bookselling are often treated with a sidelong glance rather than dwelt on with modest, purposeful affection.
For a manga series that began with a peculiar and hilarious bend toward exposing the odds and ends of retail's perfunctory sense of being, this volume is a slow and doddering conclusion, capping a downhill exploit with little fanfare.
November 14, 2025
If you want to read a hysterically chaotic, quirky, and genuinely fun semi-biographical manga series packed with anecdotes, industry insights, and tons of references, I definitely recommend
Skull-face Bookseller Honda-san
by the former bookseller Honda themself.
I first discovered this story through the 11-episode anime of the same name, and I was immediately hooked. When I found out my local bookstore carried the physical volumes, I purchased all of them on the spot. I can’t say I know what it’s like to be a bookseller, but as someone who’s worked in customer service and deals with all kinds of customers every day, this series really resonates with me. The stories are hilarious, the pacing is energetic, and I absolutely love the dynamic between Honda-san and the rest of the bookstore staff. I also ended up learning a lot about how the manga industry in Japan works—the system, the publishers, the retailers, and everything in between.
Rating for Vol. 1–3: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5/5)
As for volume 4, it felt a bit underwhelming compared to the first three volumes—mostly because the story was originally supposed to end with volume 3. Even so, I still enjoyed it; it remains a fun, lighthearted read and continues the same charm that makes the series so entertaining.
Rating for Vol. 4: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4/5)
That said, this series might not be everyone’s cup of tea when it comes to slice-of-life or lighthearted manga. It’s very talky, very behind-the-scenes, and very “industry.” But if that’s something you’re into—or at least curious about—Skull-face Bookseller Honda-san is an enjoyable and memorable read so far.
I first discovered this story through the 11-episode anime of the same name, and I was immediately hooked. When I found out my local bookstore carried the physical volumes, I purchased all of them on the spot. I can’t say I know what it’s like to be a bookseller, but as someone who’s worked in customer service and deals with all kinds of customers every day, this series really resonates with me. The stories are hilarious, the pacing is energetic, and I absolutely love the dynamic between Honda-san and the rest of the bookstore staff. I also ended up learning a lot about how the manga industry in Japan works—the system, the publishers, the retailers, and everything in between.
Rating for Vol. 1–3: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5/5)
As for volume 4, it felt a bit underwhelming compared to the first three volumes—mostly because the story was originally supposed to end with volume 3. Even so, I still enjoyed it; it remains a fun, lighthearted read and continues the same charm that makes the series so entertaining.
Rating for Vol. 4: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4/5)
That said, this series might not be everyone’s cup of tea when it comes to slice-of-life or lighthearted manga. It’s very talky, very behind-the-scenes, and very “industry.” But if that’s something you’re into—or at least curious about—Skull-face Bookseller Honda-san is an enjoyable and memorable read so far.
June 28, 2020
This book is kinda like a bonus. Honda has left her job at the bookstore but because series turned out to be popular (there was very nice anime adaptation), so publisher people wanted one more volume. And it shows and Honda tells it straight, it was hard to come up with material. She gets to interview some book people and visit places though, which gives readers a little extra info on the book world and there is still humour wherever they are. Rest of the volume is padded with bonus illustrations etc.
The chapter on Honda's trip to Taiwan and bookstore and doujin event there was easily the best part of the book. It showed differences and similarities of book business between Japan and Taiwan. The short strip about a cover designer was wonderful too, I was as in awe of his dedication to his job as Honda was. Indeed a good person!
The bonus card pictures and other stuff was fun little extra but they were so clearly just put there to bulk the volume a bit, and that's even more true for the original pixiv versions of a couple of chapters in the first volume.
So, you're not losing much if you don't read this but there were a few nice things.
The chapter on Honda's trip to Taiwan and bookstore and doujin event there was easily the best part of the book. It showed differences and similarities of book business between Japan and Taiwan. The short strip about a cover designer was wonderful too, I was as in awe of his dedication to his job as Honda was. Indeed a good person!
The bonus card pictures and other stuff was fun little extra but they were so clearly just put there to bulk the volume a bit, and that's even more true for the original pixiv versions of a couple of chapters in the first volume.
So, you're not losing much if you don't read this but there were a few nice things.
April 2, 2021
Hum. So. This one had only 4 chapter and the rest was extra contents (which I don't really appreciate and went through fast so I'll cover the content of the chapters instead).
This volume follow Honda-san after she quit her bookstore job and is looking for content for her next manga. So instead of Skull-face BOOKSELLER it's really more Skull-face MANGAKA which I'm not interested as much in. It missed what made the charm of the earlier works : the funny situations with customers, the joyful group energy of the employees and mostly a very fun chaotic vibe.
I don't really get this volume. We follow Honda-san on her search for content, going to Taiwan in bookstores and conventions LOOKING for the content, but we never really get to present it. There's no proper ending. 🤔 I don't really understand why they published this one at all.
This volume follow Honda-san after she quit her bookstore job and is looking for content for her next manga. So instead of Skull-face BOOKSELLER it's really more Skull-face MANGAKA which I'm not interested as much in. It missed what made the charm of the earlier works : the funny situations with customers, the joyful group energy of the employees and mostly a very fun chaotic vibe.
I don't really get this volume. We follow Honda-san on her search for content, going to Taiwan in bookstores and conventions LOOKING for the content, but we never really get to present it. There's no proper ending. 🤔 I don't really understand why they published this one at all.
October 14, 2025
Well, this felt like a fanguide. I mean, I had fun, if my ADHD didn't drift off because it was quite a bit dense/too much text. I liked that we learn more about outside of the bookstore (like publishing, going to Taiwan even) but well, I came for bookstore tales, haha. And if you have to grapple to get material to fill a 4th volume because the author stopped working at the bookstore, maybe you should just have left at Volume 3.
October 18, 2020
This is more of a “art book” than another volume of the manga, and I honestly wish they had marketed it that way bc I felt like I wasted my money. Unless you’re such a huge fan of this series that you want to see the art for store bonuses in Japan or some of the pre-publication or SM art, I would give this a pass.
July 11, 2021
I loved the other volumes but I feel like most of this one was just filler to be able to say there was a fourth volume released. There weren’t proper chapters, just mostly 1-2 page stories, some of which were from previous volumes.
October 31, 2023
The life of a bookseller is much more than it sounds! I loved seeing this perspective and the funny gags throughout the series 🥰 Intrinsically booksellers have an important role in fostering a feeling of belonging for avid readers and opening doors to learning about new things to read about too!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 9, 2024
honestly, could've left the series at volume 3, because vol 4 was anything but bookselling!! 😭😭 i'll still always love this series thanks to the anime adaptation tho. i don't regret getting the physical copies, especially since there were only four volumes. love u honda-san!!!!
April 20, 2019
There was really not enough material for a fourth volume and this was super padded out. :-/
July 18, 2020
A few educational bits, a lot of just one off small bonuses. Fun, but not nearly as good as the other 3 volumes.
July 20, 2020
Fine and amusing but more just a collection of bonus material and not really a full force volume.
October 17, 2020
Actuel rating: 3.5
Not my favorite volume, but I guess it was a good '2nd' wrap up for this series. Now unto the anime!
Not my favorite volume, but I guess it was a good '2nd' wrap up for this series. Now unto the anime!
October 31, 2020
A great final edition. Funny, and an interesting look at ebooks and bookstores in other parts of Asia. This series is definitely a must read for fans of books and bookstores.
April 14, 2021
Too real, too real.
May 6, 2021
Not as good as the previous three volumes, but I enjoyed the series nonetheless!
November 14, 2021
看到KOBO和來台取材的部分覺得好開心
不知道時隔大概四年，若再向台角或日本書店的員工詢問對於台灣閱讀/購書的情形，現在可能會有什麼樣的想法XD
不知道時隔大概四年，若再向台角或日本書店的員工詢問對於台灣閱讀/購書的情形，現在可能會有什麼樣的想法XD
January 1, 2022
Writing about bookselling gets more difficult when you're no longer a bookseller!
January 23, 2022
This volume was, naturally, a little more unfocused that previous ones when she was still working at the bookstore. But it was still fun.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews