What Manga Are You Reading?

[Gail Simone]

It's odd, but I've nearly stopped reading manga entirely, even the stuff I get for free. Battle Royale was holding my interest with its amazing storytelling and brilliant Keith Giffen translation, but Crayon Shinchan and GON, my favorites, went on hiatus and I've really gotten bored with Iron Wok Jan.

Plus, I haven't seen anything new from the Uzumaki and Tomie artist/writer for a while, Junji Ito I think his name is.

What are you reading?


Gail

[shanejayell]

Battle Vixens. :) It's as bad as it sounds, but a riot to read. That, and Keith Giffen is also translating it.

[Jack Zodiac]

I've kinda' stopped reading manga altogether. I used to keep updated on One Piece and Naruto but those they drag on for a while, and they just stopped holding my interest. Whenever I do get around to reading them, though, it's usually been a while and I read a nice, big chunk of them at once. That seems to hold my attention better, so I'm gonna' stick with it.

[Night Swordsman]

I too have recently stopped. BUT,i did purchase the first 23 volumes of InuYasha,mainly because i love the anime. My only complaint about the series is that in the beginning,Rumiko Takahashi seemed to take CHANCES,introduce new characters and concepts..but after awhile,when most of the ongoing characters are introduce,it became one ongoing tease,the never ending "Lets find Naraku and kill him" story,interupted of course by Naraku or someone sent by him or by InuYashas brother. The innovation of the early stories went away in place of lets play it safe and keep the merry band together. Sigh.

I still will want the volumes i am missing thou...:rolleyes:

[Jack Zodiac]

Yeah, that's why I couldn't watch the show very long, and have in fact not finished it yet. It's like an animated Lord of the Rings style epic quest that will never fucking end, and it got pretty annoying when the obvious filler-arcs were more entertaining than the main story itself.

[Starba]

Aw, that's unfortunate that it starts to drag after awhile. I've been reading Inuyasha and have been loving it, but I'm only up to book 10. Then again, I always thought the tease was half the fun, so I may keep on enjoying it. That, and I love Takahashi's wit. ^_^

[Paploo the Ewok]

What are you reading?

Gail

Basara [currently on vol.6]- One day in a post-apocalyptic future, where humanity has reverted to a medieval existence for several centuries, the land of Japan is controlled by a corrupt emperor. When twins are born in a small village, a blind prophet declares that a Child of Destiny called Tatara will rise to save mankind.
Of course, everyone thinks it's the boy, so they call him Tatara, and the girl Sarasa. Ignored, and overshadowed by her legendary twin brother, Sarasa's childhood is a tough one. But when Tatara is killed in his first battle, it's now up to Sarasa to take his place as the Boy of Destiny! Can she save Japan from the evils of the Emperors? And just what is the connection between her first love, Shuri, and the Red King, the youngest of the emperor's sons?

Witch Class [2 volumes out currently, Infinity Studios]- http://www.tokyopop.com/Andre/blog/34061.html Read my review here. A bit more fluff then much of what I read, but still pretty endearing, and a tad sinister :) Also, there's a link to a preview!

To Terra- Haven't actually started reading it yet, but I'm greatly looking forward to it. It's a classic late 1970's manga by acclaimed Shojo mangaka Keiko Takemiya [though it's actually a shonen title, just to confuse you]. A sprawling space opera about a race of psyhics seeking freedom in earth's future, it's packaged in three GIGANTIC volumes by Vertical Inc, with book design done by CHIP KIDD.
This and Gunsmith Cats Burst [a sequel to the manga about two cute Chicago girls who run a Gun shop, and work as bounty hunters part time- what more do you need to know?] are my most anticipated titles of 2007

Saver [published by TokyoPop]- Lena Ha was the most beautiful girl in school, loved by many, but she could care less. She's the captain of the tendo team, when she's not trying to fight off the growing, complicated affections of her best friend Hee-Soo. A sullen figure, she is haunted by the shadow of the father who left her sickly mother for another woman.
When a new boy comes to her school, and joins her tendo team, he is shocked to find out the captain is a girl, and that he's got a crush on her. One thing leads to another, and the two become involved. But then she finds out he's her half-brother when she confronts her father about his abandoning her family! And then everythign goes to hell, and Lena finds herself with revenge on her mind, and in a magical world that expects her to be their Saver. 2 volumes out so far!
http://www.rightstuf.com/cgi-bin/catalogmgr/TCD7bTBr6VSjtOsbfD/browse/item/69694/4/0/0
ps-- Lena's perhaps the most fierce shojo manga heroine I've encountered in a fair bit, with a personality more akin to Wolverine or Batman then Sailor Moon. She kicks ass, and takes names, even with blue hair.

Laya Witch of Red Pooh- in a series of 4 page stories, Laya attempts to go about her buisness as a practicing village witch, and young girl settling into adulthood. But she keeps getting interrupted by former schoolmates like Nicky who like do crash at her house, unwanted apprentices, cute, slightly dense crow boys, Brain Candy creatures from her failed experiements, and her good for nothing, drinking, boot-wearing, chain smoking cat Puss. A nice change of pace from most manga, this manwha series is pretty fun, with distinctive art that's has more of an indy bent. 2 volumes! [which are shorter in length then some manga, but make up for it by being packed with story :)]
http://www.rightstuf.com/cgi-bin/catalogmgr/TCD7bTBr6VSjtOsbfD/browse/item/70041/4/0/0

I'm also reading-
XXXholic- fun CLAMP series tinged with aspects of horror, like a twilight zone with a continuing plot. Yuuko runs a special shop, but she specializes in a certain kind of service- Yuuko grants wishes, to people who seek to get rid of their deepest darkest secrets and fears. But every wish brings a price. Sometimes it's a paltry one, that ends up being in the favor of the customer. Sometimes a wish is worth more then you could imagine. A young man who becomes employed at her shop to pay back his wish witnesses these events.
http://www.rightstuf.com/cgi-bin/catalogmgr/TCD7bTBr6VSjtOsbfD/browse/item/61880/4/0/0

And a lot of other manga, though these series stand out a little bit more.

But if you want some REALLY good manga reviews, for the most insane, and awesome series ever, no one does you better then Shaenon Garrity's Overlooked Manga Festival

http://shaenon.livejournal.com/tag/overlooked+manga+festival
http://shaenon.livejournal.com/?skip=20&tag=overlooked+manga+festival
Each week is a surprise! Shaenon covers everything from shojo to shonen to seinen to obscure artsy manga to Tezuka to ladycomi [adult comics for women]

The first series reviewed- Basara, which I recommend above-
http://shaenon.livejournal.com/12938.html#cutid1
I also really liked her reviews of the Warren Buffet biography manga http://shaenon.livejournal.com/29388.html#cutid1 and CMX's Swan http://shaenon.livejournal.com/28663.html#cutid1 Which is about ballet, and INSANE, MIND BENDING DRAMA! With Guts!

Also, any Shonen Jump manga is a decent time waster, and fairly good reading, although I'm more partial to the absurdist Dr.Slump.

EDIT-- More-
Also reading-
Emma- CMX, 2 volumes out, 7 in all- heartbreaking Victorian romance from Koaru Mori. It's mostly historically accurate, as a young maid from a poor background ever so slowly falls into like with her old mistress's nephew. Will their love grow in a strict, class oriented society of England? And there's also those cool dancing Indian Girls :)

KingdomHearts- TokyoPop, one 4 vol series, one 2 vol series, and a sequel coming soon- It's based on the video game which means.... fantasy adventures crossing over with every disney character imaginable! Yay!

Read or Die/Read or Dream- VIZ, 4 volumes each- the basis for the hit TV show in RODream's case [it preceded the TV show, and the artist designed the Paper sisters], and with Read or Die,a prequel to incredibly addictive OVA series. Both are great reads about reading obsessed heroines :) [though in RoDie, Yomiko's sometimes too obsessed 0_o]

DramaCon and The Dreaming- two of the best of the "OEL" series of original graphic novels TP has published. Both have 2 volumes out so far, and are great. DramaCon is by Svetlana Chmakova, and each volume is set over the course of one convention, as young Christine learns the perils of the comics industry and broken hearts, ditches crappy her boyfriend/artist, and fumbles about with her new crush Matt. Add in a fantastic look at amateur cartoonists choices with Bethany in vol.2, and it's a great series.

The Dreaming is by Queenie Chan, and is set in the Austalian outback, at a creepy boarding girl where girls have been known to disappear into the forest. Can Amber and Jeannie discover the secrets of the school before it's too late? Creepy victorian dresses and endless meticulously drawn hallways and background work FOR ALL!

RG Veda- CLAMP's first big hit, this is fairly standard fantasy fair for novels, but not something you see in comics all that often. Epic battles, heroic warriors, and lots of nice character moments, as the characters venture towards their eventual destiny and/or doom, to take on the God King.

Plus Lady Kendappa and Sohma are cute ^_^

Fruits Basket- the best selling shojo manga in the US. If I described it to you, it'd probably sound really wierd. But it's emotional crack, so be warned! Once you start a volume, you'll seek out more, as it delves further and further into the entire cast's past, inner pain, and desperate hopes. Plus, the Zodiac family Sohma's change into their respective animals when hugged by the opposite sex! [see, I told you it'd sound wierd].
Plus, Shigure reminds me of Gail ^_^

Hibiki's Magic- not sure if this would be everyone's cup of tea, but it's a nice, laid back allages series about a young apprentice magician named Hibiki who ends up in a teaching position at a prestigious magic school after her and her master's home is burned down, and his soul is transferred into the body of a squirrel.

Gundam Ecole du Ciel- It's Haruhiko Mikimoto Gundam! With female lead characers! In Canada!
Yay!

On the Horizon---- alongside GSCBurst and To Terra, Time Guardian is an award winning shojo series written by a male scifi novelist and a noted female shojo artist, about a girl who works part time at a shop that sells Time itself.

Also----

Shojo Beat- a mnonthly magazine with assorted shojo series. Some are pretty normal shojo, though I'm enjoying Vampire Knight.
Plus, pink and blue ink makes for a distinct reading experience.
And there's also the highly addictive Nana, about two girls named Nana who are roommates, and face moving on from their childhoods, and facing the reality of adulthood, as one Nana attends art school and tries to attain independence, and one seeks fame as a rock star, with problems of her own.

Shonen Jump- again, fun, easy to get into stories. Often includes samples of new series too, which SB does as well.

More later!

[Magneto_X]

Shonen Jump (Naruto/ One Piece/ Yu-Gi-Oh: Millenium World/Yu Yu Hakusho/ Hikaru No Go/ Shaman King)

Galaxy Angel

Negima

Battle Angel Alita

Read or Die

Sorcerer Hunters

Ranma 1/2

Inu-Yasha

No Need For Tenchi

[Alex L]

I've started on xxxHolic, and so far it seems to be fun.

Even though I've already read all of it and watched all the episodes of the anime (before Viz licensed it and started distro'ing it here in the US) I'm buying the collected editions of Hikaru no Go.

I've heard really good things about Gantz and Death Note, so I'll likely start on those pretty soon.

[OzBat!]

My son has been showing flagging interest in comics recently, which was a bit worrying... were my geek genes just not strong enough? But, we were saved! Borders opened their first store in Canberra, so we wandered on down, and found shelves and shelves of manga! And lo and behold, the little animation fanatic went and found himself the original Dragonball manga, and he's hooked.

At 10, I'm worried that this new fascination might have more to do with all the panties and penis jokes, than anything to do with reading. We'll keep an eye on that as we go along. It could be worse... it could be Ranma 1/2...

[Magneto_X]

Borders is a great place for manga.

I get the majority of my manga trades from them.

Wished they had it in Melbourne when I lived there. :(

[Buzz Dixon]

STRAWBERRY MARSHMALLOW, which on the surface is a sweet series about uber-cute grade school girls but once you dig into it is a flippin' hilarious series about uber-cute grade school girls. Vol. One is good but Vols. Two and Three provoke several genuine laff-out-loud moments for me.

GENSHIKEN, the otaku comedy which between gales of laughter also promotes "Hey, I know those guys!" recognition.

[Paploo the Ewok]

More since I exceed post length on my last post-

Ray- a story that started out as a homage to BlackJack [another awesome series from Osamu Tezuka], but eventually became an official spinoff. Saved by a mysterious surgeon with a scared, two toned face as a child from an organ farm after almost losing her sight, young Ray is an outlaw doctor working at a medical clinic that specializes in assorted insane medical problems. Her X-Ray vision makes her a great surgeon, and her detective skills help solve her patients issues. Meanwhile, she's also seeking out those who wronged her, and working to put an end tgo the organ farm that had raised her so they could steal all her organs. 3 volumes out from ADV Manga

Yotsuba&- 3 volumes from ADV- Cuteness unbriddled, young Yotsuba moves to a new neighborhood with her father. Every story is titled "Yotsuba And..." as Yotsuba tackles such serious issues as Global Warming, Strangers, and Moving in the way only a 4 year old can.

Secret Chaser- a 2 volume series from TP, created by ex-CLAMP member [though they still collaborate on occasion] Tamayo Akiyama [who is the basis for Angelic Layer's Tamayo-Chan :)], about a Priest and his young assistant [who's also a popular idol] and her friend who solve mysteries together. This, like Hibiki's Magic and Gundam Ecole du Ciel merit my "something I liked, mabye not for everyone" sticker, as it doesn't really make much sense. But still, the art is really slick, similar to CLAMP's for obvious reasons, but not, with a bolder linework, more complicated greytones, and insane layout choices [which make it confusing but pretty]. I also recommend her single volume Zyword..... it's not a complete story, but it's fairly thick, over 220 pages, and a fun trip for those of us who like more traditional fantasy/scifi-oriented manga, something that's not as common nowadays.

The Comics Journal Shojo Issue- not something I'm currently reading, but something people should seek out. Great articles on all things shojo, and an extensive interview with Moto Hagio.... the book's contents concerning make up about 1/3 of the whole issue! There's an article, an interview, a full translation of her short story Hanshin [which is quite haunting], and an extensive collection of her colour artwork.

More later!

[Cam63]

I had some cereal not long ago that was said to have mango in it.

That's as close as I got.

[The Xenos]

Geez.. what ain't I reading? I'm just about picking up a title or two a week on top of comics. Actually, even then I'm missing out on a number of titles because there is just so much manga flooding the market.

Actually, my first reccomendations are, to me, must reads for Gail. Death Note and Ghost in the Shell.

Death Note - An awesome suspense manga. It follows a young guy named Light who discovers a notebook of a Shinegami (death god). The reason I suggest if for Gail is because of the Oracle-esue loveable hacker detective L. Plus it's a really awesome game of cat and mouse played by these two characters and all those around them. I keep saying it's like Hitchcock meets Rod Serling.

Ghost in the Shell - Quintessential cyberpunk manga. (I type as Halcyon from the Hackers soundtrack randomly plays from my large playlist.) Shirow created a very interesting cyberpunk comic. Up there with Gibson, I'd say. Though I do need to read more of his brilliant stuff. Certainly the recent BoP with Oracle turning all cyber diety reminded me of GitS. Of coure, the two movies and the TV show are loosely based on the comic. They're good in their own right. There's also a sequel manga that I have yet to read.

Uzumaki and Tomie Read half of the new Dark Horse edition of Tomie. They also have a third one with various stories. I belive they also published some of his new series Gyo. In Japan, I heard, he has another new series, but it's not out in the US yet. Haven't even seen fan translations, only a raw Japanese copy online. I loved Uzumaki and Tomie was pretty good (and creepy) too.

Let's see, I read a ton more.

One Piece - A crazy pirate saga. I love the artwork. To me, it's more like stuff by Kyle Baker than typical manga. The author has a crazy cartoony style. Plus the character designs and quirky characters themselves are a sight to behold. It's a long running series, but it's one of the few I'm really interested in investing in.

Trigun - If you've seen the anime, you ain't seen nothin' yet. The manga has many more battles and characters in it. It's more epic and is quite amazing. I just got vol 11 of the second series tonight (with two oversized volumes making up the first series). Trigun is a very cool future western tale with some amazing designs. It's also interesting to see an amazing artist that seems to be influenced by 90s US artists like Jim Lee and Mike Mignola as he is manga.

Hellsing - Another book that is much more than the anime they made from it. Half of the anime deviates from the manga, which ended up going into some very interesting stuff. Quite violent, but when you're dealing with ultra powerful vampires, that's expected. It's quite a bit pulpy and over the top, but I love it.

Blame! - A personal favorite, but I admit it's not for everyone. It's far future cyberpunk. It makes Matrix look like a kids show. It's set in a stange and vast far future which isn't bluntly explained. It's populated with strange cybernetic creatures and warring factions. The artist was originally into archetecture and it shows in the amazing settings he makes. The main character Killy is quite awesome and has one of the most powerful guns I've ever seen. (Heh. I'd say up there with that secret 'third' gun in Trigun.)

JoJo's Bizarre Adventure - An older manga. Pretty much one of the closest things to tradional American superheros. Actually, I heard a rumor it was based on an old issue of X-Men. A bunch of guys going around the world with super powered 'stands', ghosts that are linked to them with various powers. Each one has their own unique power and there are some really interesting ones. JoJo, his father, and friends are out to stop a vampire and his legion of evil stand users who plagues the family. The series out now in the US is actually the middle (and most popular) part of the longer running series.

Berserk - Another favorite. If you can stomach the ultraviolence and mature content, there's some great story and characters to be seen. This is medevil warfare and intrigue with fantastic detailed art. Later on it gets into more Hellraiser-esque demonds ineracting with the world, but it starts off fairly realy and slowly gains more supernatual elements. Actually, it starts off in a post apocalypitic world then flahses back to tell you how it got there. The main character is Guts and he carries around a giant sword to kill monsters with. This is his story and the story of those he has loved and lost. Guts is one of the toughests guys around. He might even be able to kick Batman's ass.

Nodame Cantible Something comepletely different. A romance manga set in a conservatory of music in Japan. It features a perfectionist pianist who wants to be a composer and the messy girl he sees so much potential with. It's an adorable story from what I've read. Recently in Japan, they made a 13 ep live action series and they just started an anime.

Love Roma Really neat romantic comedy manga. Kinda reminds me of Blue Monday or Scott Pilgrim. It's really neat and simple clean art style first caught my eye.

Genshiken - A manga (and anime) about a club of mang and anime nerds. A bit more serious than something like Eltingville/Dork!. Though there are some hilarious bits about Japanese nerd culture. Madarame's speech about cartoon porn alone is hilarious. Then there's the time they go to the giant con Comeket. I just love the characters in this book. It also has a bit of a romance as a girl falls for an old friend she hasn't seen in a while, only to discover that he is.. dun dun dun.. an anime / manga / video game otaku and has joined the Genshiken club.

[Michael P]

Rurouni Kenshin and Ranma 1/2 both finished this past year, so I actually haven't been reading much manga. I started getting into Neon Genesis Evangelion, but haven't had the money lately to purchase further volumes.

[Alex Scott]

Let's see, where to start:

Yotsuba - This is the manga I recommend to everybody. I've already gotten four coworkers into it. Just be warned: after reading this, you will loathe ADV for not releasing a new volume since Autumn 2005 (meanwhile, the series is up to vol. 6 in Japan).

Death Note - What others said, plus there's a wee bit of enjoyment just from watching Light Yagami's thinly veiled psychopathy. It's the best comic about a supervillain I've ever read.

Buddha - Osamu Tezuka's epic, humorous, shocking, and moving biography of Siddartha. What's great about Tezuka is how he was never afraid to be really silly or really serious. You get each in its own time.

Naoki Urasawa's Monster - A gripping drama about a kind-hearted surgeon who has been framed for crimes committed by a boy he'd saved in the operating room years before, and now must hunt the boy down.

Beauty Pop - A really quirky shoujo manga about a girl with a special gift for hairstyling. She uses it to work "magic" on the sensitive people who need it, and ends up running afoul of the "Scissors Project," a trio of boys at her school who give the cute girls public makeovers. What makes this one so interesting isn't just the offbeat subject matter--it's that the main character is the total opposite of the typically bubbly shoujo heroine. She's blunt, sarcastic, introverted, unemotional, and usually sleepy. She's a hoot to watch while everyone else is overreacting about everything.

Plus: Nodame Cantabile, Genshiken, Sgt. Frog, Hikaru no Go, Fullmetal Alchemist, Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicle, Neon Genesis Evangelion (also slow to come out, but that's the artist's fault), Emma, Ultra Maniac, and a whole crapload of others I've got on my shelf.

Oh, and I can always recommend Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind.

[Kyuubi]

Trigun Maximum Deep Space Planet Future Gun Action



Most people just call it Trigun.

[AaronJ]

Trigun Maximum Deep Space Planet Future Gun Action



Most people just call it Trigun.

Come on ... you just made that up, right?

[Kyuubi]

Come on ... you just made that up, right?



http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v333/overt/Trigun_max_01.jpg

[AaronJ]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v333/overt/Trigun_max_01.jpg

:)

That's an awesome name.

[Buzz Dixon]

I didn't include YOTSUBA&! because there hasn't been a new volume printed in the U.S. in...well..years but I recommend it heartily. If I had to liken it to anything, it would be a female Dennis the Menace only with a Japanese cultural bent. She's not mean, she's not even mischievous, it's just that things kinda go awry when she's around.

It's done by the same guy who gave us AZUMANGA DAIOH, which is another "must read" series (in fact, Yotsuba looks like an alternate take on one of the school girl characters from AD).

[David Bedlam]

Right now, the main manga I'm reading is Fullmetal Alchemist by Hiromu Arakawa, who is such a brilliant writer/artist. In fact, a lot of the reamatic touches in FMA remind me of Gail's writing style. Only read from right to left.

Read it!

[Paploo the Ewok]

Let's see, where to start:

Buddha - Osamu Tezuka's epic, humorous, shocking, and moving biography of Siddartha. What's great about Tezuka is how he was never afraid to be really silly or really serious. You get each in its own time.

Oh, and I can always recommend Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind.


Nausicaa's indeed quite good, the longest of Hayao Miyazaki's mangaworks, and one of VIZ's earlier series [so early, Studio Proteus did the translation before they were with Dark Horse :)]. My trades are a mixture of the old editions, viz's new editions and the french ones.

Also, if you like Buddha, you'll probably like Tezuka's Phoenix
http://shaenon.livejournal.com/20483.html#cutid1

It has mass robot suicide!

[Reverend Smooth]

Saiyuki, having dug up some of the manga while rummaging through shelves. The mangaka has a penchant for blasting religious hypocrisy (in this case, buddhists who don't practice what they preach) and making morally-ambiguous, psychopathic protagonists.

It is neither shonen nor shoujo, being one of those series which crosses genres with impunity. There are both het and bl elements, too.

(Avoid the anime, it's too watered-down and full of filler, and PG where the manga is definitely R.)

I just wish that Tezuka had done a manga of Hidamari no Ki, because I've just managed to find a few raw episodes of the anime.

[Michael P]

who gave us AZUMANGA DAIOH, which is another "must read" series (in fact, Yotsuba looks like an alternate take on one of the school girl characters from AD).

Since you apparently read it...

What the heck is Azumanga Daioh about?

[Kevinroc]

Since you apparently read it...

What the heck is Azumanga Daioh about?

It's a comedy series about Japanese girls in high school. It's very cute. Some of the jokes were hit or miss with me but on the whole, I did enjoy it.

The cast includes a rather strange home-room teacher and her old friend/ rival, the PE teacher. An energetic girl (Tomo). A slow-witted girl (a girl nicknamed Osaka). A quiet girl that loves cute things but nobody else seems to know (Sakaki). A child-prodigy (Chiyo). And a few other characters.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Azumanga_Daioh

[Michael P]

It's a comedy series about Japanese girls in high school. It's very cute. Some of the jokes were hit or miss with me but on the whole, I did enjoy it.

So, there's no ongoing plot, just episodic goofiness?

[Kevinroc]

So, there's no ongoing plot, just episodic goofiness?

Pretty much, yeah. The "ongoing plot" is mostly that time passes. The series covers the 3 years of high school that Japanese students attend. But there is no real "ongoing plot" to the series.

[Buzz Dixon]

Since you apparently read it...

What the heck is Azumanga Daioh about?It's like SEINFELD only with Japanese school girls: i.e., it's about nothing and yet it's about everything.

For the most part it is told in four panel comic strips (arranged vertically; this is manga, after all) that almost read like a compiled newspaper strip, only it was originally published in a monthly magazine. It starts out rather as a rather unfocused high school story -- it appears the teacher is going to be the central character at first -- but soon veers off into a very quirky yet delightful character comedy involving a core group of six girls (there are a handful of other classmates who drift in and out of the series over the four volumes, but the primary focus remains on this six). The teacher and the girl's gym coach are the only two adults who interact regularly in the story line (there's a pervy male teacher who pops up now and then, though mainly for comedic shock value).

And that's pretty much it: The girls go to school, participate in sports and class projects, take winter and summer breaks, then graduate and go off for one last trip together to an amusement park.

The genius is in the wonderful depth and complexity of their characterizations, with layer after layer being peeled back like an onion until by the end one is almost heartbroken at the thought the six of them will be drifting off on their separate ways. And it's not just the main six girls: All of the supporting cast, the two female teachers, and even the pervy comic relief all demonstrate subtlety and nuance that makes them some of the most fully realized characters ever depicted in manga, comics, or literature.

I can't recommend this series highly enough.

[Night Swordsman]

Nausicaa's indeed quite good, the longest of Hayao Miyazaki's mangaworks, and one of VIZ's earlier series [so early, Studio Proteus did the translation before they were with Dark Horse :)]. My trades are a mixture of the old editions, viz's new editions and the french ones.

Also, if you like Buddha, you'll probably like Tezuka's Phoenix
http://shaenon.livejournal.com/20483.html#cutid1

It has mass robot suicide!

Nausicaa is a dream book. I recommend the movie and the book any intelligent human being who likes literature AND art,period. Easily my favorite animated movie of all time.

[Reverend Smooth]

Nausicaa is a dream book. I recommend the movie and the book any intelligent human being who likes literature AND art,period. Easily my favorite animated movie of all time.But note that the manga differs wildly from the movie, though Miyazaki did adapt the movie himself, so both versions are equally valid and both are very good.

(It's my favorite Miyazaki movie, too.)

[Alex L]

I can't recommend this series [Azumanga Daioh] highly enough.

Seconded.

I had seen this on fansub, and was a little worried about how well the cultural jokes (and there happens to be a lot of them) would transfer to an American audience, but it appears everyone took to the series instantly.

[DanGrendell]

Well, this topic was enough to drag me out of my standard lurkish state.

I am into a number of series previously mentioned- Azumanga Daioh, Yotsuba&, Uzumaki, Gyo, Battle Royale, Buddha, Phoenix, Nausicaa, Saiyuki, Monster- and I was into others until their stories began repeating or jokes wore thin, like Iron Wok Jan, Cromartie High School, and Death Note.

Some ones not mentioned yet that I dig now:

Kindaichi Case Files- The adventures of a teenage detective and his (sort-of) girlfriend as they solve crimes. Each volume is a new case, where they get involved in the crime naturally and you get a chance to figure the crime out alongside Kindaichi, then the wrap-up reveals all. Some of the most entertaining mystery I've read in years.

Kurosagi Corpse Delivery Service- Rebels at a Buddhist college decide to use their skills to make a little money. A hacker, a corpse dowser, a medium, an enbalmer, and a guy who channels a space alien through a puppet hunt down unhappy spirits trapped in their corpses and help them move on to their next incarnation. Sometimes, the dead give back. It's a living.

Mail- Done entirely by the artist of Kurosagi. A private detective with a gun that fires spirit bullets hunts down ghosts, uses his bullets to capture them, and lays them to rest at a temple. Very cool, creepy visuals. Both Kurosagi and Mail are great new horror series.

Oldboy- A man is imprisoned between the floors of a building for ten years by people he doesn't know for reasons he doesn't know and then set free. As he tries to figure out who did this to him and why, revenge fills his thoughts- revenge and anger at being part of a game someone is playing... Was made into a very cool movie too.

Satsuma Gishiden- Excellent samurai series about the samurai of Satsuma, keeping order in feudal Japan, and changes in the samurai during peacetime.

Lone Wolf and Cub, Samurai Executioner, Path of the Assassin- I list all of these together because they are all by Kazuo Koike and Goseki Kojima, and those two working together produced magic. Lone Wolf and Cub and Samurai Executioner are both fully released, and Path of the Assassin is still coming out. All three are set in feudal Japan. Lone Wolf and Cub deals with vengeance, honor, and family. Samurai Executioner is an exploration of man's virtues and flaws. Path of the Assassin is a look at loyalty and maturation, as Hattori Hanzo serves Tokugawa Ieyasu from his teenage years onward. Because of the setting (I love feudal Japanese history) and the many emotional resonances they hit, these are my favorite manga.

Crying Freeman- Another older manga being rereleased, this deals with a trained assassin who cries when he kills and his rise to power among the underworld. Written by Kazuo Koike, but with art by Ryuichi Ikegami, who does an incredible job.

Eagle- A Japanese reporter covers the campaign of a Japanese-American candidate for US President from the inside. Great character work and an unstinting look at politics, racism, family, and corruption as they are.

[The Xenos]

Lone Wolf and Cub, Samurai Executioner, Path of the Assassin- ... Crying Freeman-

Wait. Those are manga? But they don't look a thing like this authentic how to draw manga book?

http://img249.imageshack.us/img249/8973/043931745202lzzzzzzz5ig.jpg

Heh. Whenever I hear some idiot talking about manga style and how they love to draw it, I feel like telling them to go find Lone Wolf and Cub or go find Crying Freeman or Offered or Strain or Sanctuary or any other Ryuichi Ikegami manga. Maybe if they studied nice art like that that they would have a 'manga style' I would give two ----s about.

http://img372.imageshack.us/img372/9620/150pxsanctuarycover1cg.jpg http://img372.imageshack.us/img372/6652/225pxstrainfrcover011rc.jpg http://img262.imageshack.us/img262/7778/250pxcryingfreeman1ge.jpg

[Reverend Smooth]

Wait. Those are manga? But they don't look a thing like this authentic how to draw manga book?

http://img249.imageshack.us/img249/8973/043931745202lzzzzzzz5ig.jpg
[/IMG]
...That's an actual book? You're shitting me. With that art?

[Cam63]

...That's an actual book? You're shitting me. With that art?

They never said it was good art.

[Michael P]

They never said it was good art.

Yeah, it's not like the title of the book is "How To Draw Manga Well."

[Cam63]

Chapter 6: How To Draw Nervous Perspiration As A Giant Teardrop On the Side of the Head of Some Useless Two Dimensional Character In Bangs and a Miniskirt.

[Reverend Smooth]

Chapter 6: How To Draw Nervous Perspiration As A Giant Teardrop On the Side of the Head of Some Useless Two Dimensional Character In Bangs and a Miniskirt.
Now I know who to blame every time I see some lousy <3 SUGOI WAAAI KAWAII INUYASHA <3 drawing.

[stealthwise]

I haven't read any manga, except for some Lone Wolf and Cub, which I found to be decent, but not really that interesting, and Akira, which made no bloody sense by the time I got to the third volume.

Either I'm a bloody racist, or I just don't get it, as those two are supposed to be the huge masterpieces of the genre. I also don't get the reading "backwards" thing either, but maybe I'm just too lazy to learn how.

[Lunar Daydreamer]

Beck: Mongolian Chop Squad.

The biggest addiction I’ve had in comics for a long, long time. It’s the story of a young boy who discovers a passion for music for the first time, becoming addicted to a band called ‘The Dying Breed’, of how this pushes him to learn guitar and even within the sidetracks of life, a forbidden after school job and bullies at school he pushes himself further and further, eventually showing that he has an amazing voice and joining a band.

I really can’t begin to express how that just doesn’t come near the beautiful characterisation, the gorgeous art which comes across as like a slightly more manga Daniel Clowes, or how the book exudes the sheer joy and passion of music.

There are moments (which I won’t spoil) which still exist absolutely within my memories and comes to mind all the time. Those amazing moments for which we read in the first place. The hackles on arms raised moments.

Love it. Wonderful series. V6 arrived at the weekend and was devoured. Eagerly waiting V7.

[Lunar Daydreamer]

Wait. Those are manga? But they don't look a thing like this authentic how to draw manga book?

http://img249.imageshack.us/img249/8973/043931745202lzzzzzzz5ig.jpg


Katy Coope actually hails from here Derby and she was a schoolgirl when she wrote that book. She loved comics and manga in particular and that book was to appeal to kids starting out to help them get to know form, backgrounds etc. It’s a cracking book for it’s age group and does exactly what it should, being informative and appealing to it’s exact market, without overwhelming them.

It’s sales meant Scholastic asked Katy to do another book, taking things on a step further and for the next age group. She was in 6th form at this point, her style had evolved further and it’s a cracking little book. Not only that but it’s sales helped pay for university.

I met her in the comics store once. Very shy lass, very self defacing but a genuinely lovely person.

If anyone is looking to help develop a younger one’s art skills, these really are fab books.

[DanGrendell]

Yeah, Beck is a great series too. You get a super-muscular bald Japanese guy in a speedo shoutiing "Peckerwood!" at a kid, how can you go wrong?

[Lunar Daydreamer]

Just read Beck V6 and genuinely haven’t been this bouncy addicted to a series since Waid on Flash back in’t’ day.

[Reverend Smooth]

I met her in the comics store once. Very shy lass, very self defacing but a genuinely lovely person.On one hand, she sounds cool.

On the other, I see way too much lousy art in that style.

[OzBat!]

On the other other hand, kids just starting to draw and interested in that style get quite a bit of satisfaction at being able to produce something by themselves in the first couple of attempts by using material like this. My daughter is 13, and a case in point.

If they keep it up, in 10 years time, if they continue to learn and practice and develop new skills, they could be drawing with a great deal more skill and making something worth while.

I'm not gonna complain if that turns out to be the case. These books might look like much to adults, and the art might not be manga/anime standard, but the encouragement they engender is Huuuuuuge.

[Reverend Smooth]

On the other other hand, kids just starting to draw and interested in that style get quite a bit of satisfaction at being able to produce something by themselves in the first couple of attempts by using material like this.
I figure it's a your mileage may vary thing. I learned how to draw as a little kid by reading adult-level books and whatnot, but that's the kind of stuff my parents and grandparents expected from me (very old-fashioned). My grandmother was an artist, and ripped apart my early attempts and showed me how to do better. Brutal, but at least I got a head start.

That might not work for some kids, though. I was pretty phlegmatic, but a sensitive kid might get turned off.

I learned how to draw anime-style stuff by freezing the vcr over still shots I found interesting, and copying what I saw. Did it enough to reproduce it without help after a while. XD (We got a lot of french-dubbed anime on french channels.)

[OzBat!]

Definitely depends on the temperament of the child in question, and how they respond to stimuli.

[Drink]

Up until a few weeks ago, I used to turn my nose down at the concept of Manga for the most part. But lately I've been cutting down on Superhero stories and looking into different stuff.

Yesterday I got the first Volume of Death Note, my first Manga ever. I remember someone on another forum brining it up a few months back, and the concept was interesting. I actually liked it, and the Manga format too. Sure, it was a bit weird to read (By our standards) backwards, but it wasn't impossible, apart from a few lapses. And the story wasn't as weird abstract as Japanese comics are known, even stereotyped for. The art was very cool too, and the price was right for the fairly good size it was.

So hopefully, it's the first of many more to come.

[jesshickman]

Blade of the Immortal. (http://www.amazon.com/Blood-Thousand-Blade-Immortal-Book/dp/1569712395/sr=8-3/qid=1169822702/ref=pd_bbs_sr_3/102-2887591-6188910?ie=UTF8&s=books)

[Paploo the Ewok]

Ah, another day, another round of mild manga bashing. I think Katy Coope's art is pretty impressive, and having a younger artist making a book for kids does work quite well. I think she's one to watch.

Anyhoo, not sure if you know Gail, but the creator of Spiral/Uzumaki and Gyo has had some new works optioned by Dark Horse-

http://www.darkhorse.com/reviews/previews.php?theid=13-517
http://www.darkhorse.com/reviews/previews.php?theid=13-518
http://www.darkhorse.com/reviews/previews.php?theid=13-519
Museum of Terror

Today at the comic shop I bought-
http://www.rightstuf.com/cgi-bin/catalogmgr/--Zr5PZ5xnH2Whvn9A/browse/item/71659/4/0/0 Read or Dream Vol.2. A spinoff of the Read or Die OVA series, and the direct prequel to the Read or Die TV series, having been created while it was in development. A nice series that harkens to Little Women, and is all about loving books. And awesome super powered paper master fights ^_^
Also got http://www.rightstuf.com/cgi-bin/catalogmgr/--Zr5PZ5xnH2Whvn9A/browse/item/71912/4/0/0 Vampire Doll Vol.2. I really enjoyed the first volume http://www.rightstuf.com/cgi-bin/catalogmgr/--Zr5PZ5xnH2Whvn9A/browse/item/70060/4/0/0 I hope to read 2 soonish... it's an incredibly stupid, entertaining manga about an ancient vampire lord who is revived from years of imprisonment by his capter's descendant.....by putting his soul into the body of an adorable girl! With his dark lord powers replaced with Cake, Stuffed toy and Sweet making magic powers, Guilt Na Zan has to deal with a creepy new master, frequent humiliation, and his master's equally stupid "evil" twin brother. Though he/she can transform to his former self by sucking the blood of his captor's younger sister. It's hard to describe, but it's very mocking of stereotypical manga plots, and of current anime trends. Trashy, but so good!

Plus of volume of the older series Planet Ladder, which I hope to read soonish

[Paploo the Ewok]

Up until a few weeks ago, I used to turn my nose down at the concept of Manga for the most part. But lately I've been cutting down on Superhero stories and looking into different stuff.

Yesterday I got the first Volume of Death Note, my first Manga ever. I remember someone on another forum brining it up a few months back, and the concept was interesting.
So hopefully, it's the first of many more to come.


If you like Death Note, check out Hikaru no Go- it's from the same artist, working with a different writer. VERY, very different from Death Note in terms of plotting, but it has nice, clean artwork and easy to follow layouts, and it's a sports manga about a BOARD GAME! Albeit one with a ghost haunting the lead character. Still, quite fun. Plus, you can learn how to play Go :)

[Scott Iskow]

It's (Azumanga Daioh) like SEINFELD only with Japanese school girls: i.e., it's about nothing and yet it's about everything.

(snip)



I haven't heard this manga explained this well before. (Tonally, however, they couldn't be more different.) This one is a favorite and I plan on reading it again sometime soon. (I'm in the middle of the anime right now.)

Recently, I finished reading Buddha. I tend to be a sucker for anything by Osamu Tezuka.

There's a ton of books I would like to read, but here are the ones I am reading currently:

Crying Freeman
Fruits Basket
Hikaru no Go
Kare Kano
Phoenix
Tsubasa
xxxHOLiC

Eventually I'd like to get back into Naruto, Yu Yu Hakusho, and Astro Boy to start.

[Drink]

If you like Death Note, check out Hikaru no Go- it's from the same artist, working with a different writer. VERY, very different from Death Note in terms of plotting, but it has nice, clean artwork and easy to follow layouts, and it's a sports manga about a BOARD GAME! Albeit one with a ghost haunting the lead character. Still, quite fun. Plus, you can learn how to play Go :)

I'll have to look into it.

By the way Andre, this is William from the LIT class:D

[Paploo the Ewok]

Look people, someone I know in real life!

SpppooooOOOOkkkkkKKKKKY! ^_^