Topic: Manga

[Critter]

I know a lot of people who use this forum also read manga so I was wondering if I could get some suggesttions off you. I have occaisionally red manga online in the past but I have decided to start buying it. The other day I bought volume 1 of FullMetal Alchemist and also the first volume of a vampires series called Trinity Blood.

Now I loved FMA, great story, great characters, interesting chapters. So I tried to read Trinity Blood and it was awful, I couldn't tell which characters were male or female, I didn't know what was happening in the plot, and I often had trouble figuring out it one panel was related to the next. And before you ask, yes, I was reading it properly. I just had a case of if it did have a plot, I couldn't see it.

So I was wondering if any of you manga fans had some recommendations for me, I love if a manga has a complicated plot, that doesn't bother me, as long as I can actually see the plot within the story.

[snowcat]

Hmm

Fushigi Yugi is cool
Rurouni Kenshin
.Hack// (any of them)
Three Collars Kingdom
Black Jack
Ral Grad
uhh.... can't think of any more its too early ¬_¬


An american manga called My cat Loki is cool

[dfmorgan]

Manga like films and anime is very subjective.

Initially I would say try to find manga that created, or was created by, the anime that you like.
Secondly, if you like the manga, then find other works by these same authors.

Me, well my absolute favourite is Rumiko Takahashi. She has done loads mainly comedies - gentle comedy like Maison Ikkoku, frenetic comedy like Ranma ½ or Urusei Yatsura - but there is also horror from her with the Mermaid Saga.

I endorse Emma's Fushigi Yugi and Rurouni Kenshin  and will add Gunnm, known as Battle Angel Alita in the US, to go onto a slightly different tack.

I'm afraid I haven't kept up to date so many of my suggestions will be older titles but I will come back after giving some more thought on the matter.

Dave

[Tom]

I love the "Death Note" manga series. In my opinion a must-read.

Other manga I have read multiple times and can recommend:
Azumanga Daioh (my current avatar is from the anime series based on this manga)
Genshiken
Midori Days
Video Girl Ai
Yotsuba&!
Ai Yori Aoshi

For a full list of manga I own see my online collection.

[Critter]

Thanks guys.

I am trying to read manga series that I have not already seen the anime for. So that rules out a few of them, such as Death Note which I am currently in the middle of watching. I have certainly taken not of many of these recommendations though.

Tom - I'm interested in reading Azumanga Diaoh, I have seen one or two episodes of it but I have heard that the manga is hilarious for a 3 panel one.

[Taro]

We have quite a bit of a manga collection (I think some 250 by now) as every time we go to Japan we buy some at used bookstores. Some of the series I have enjoyed are:

Saint Seiya (聖闘士星矢 ) : a story about an orphan, Seiya, looking for his lost sister, Seika. He ends up at an orphanage where he is trained with other orphans like him to become saints, guardians of the Greek Godess Athena. From there unfolds a tale that takes a new spin on Greek mythology with some very good characterization (many of their ennemies aren't portrayed as evil per sé but more conflicted, tragic characters). It's a series, even 20 years after it's first release, that still has a faithful hardcore fanbase (including me)
Be also sure to check out the prequel series:
Saint Seiya the Lost Canvas Meiou Shinwa (聖闘士星矢 THE LOST CANVAS 冥王神話) : this details the previous Holy War, preceding the original series. Here we learn more of the mythos as well as the origin of certain items, characters and their connection. The series is also being released as an anime on Blu-ray, for Blu-ray anime fans  

Death Note: it was mentioned before I think and it's definitely a compelling series worth reading. I've read both the manga and watched the anime (both are good). Live action movies which I own on Blu-ray weren't too bad either. It's worth to note that the manga differs slightly from the anime.

Hokuto no Ken (北斗の拳) : a classic manga meanwhile, definitely aimed at adults. The violince is pretty graphic but what really drives the story is the characters, their inner demons and a sense of budding hope in a post apocalyptic world. Definitely worth checking out.

Those are just a few off the top of my head.

[snowcat]

¬_¬ bah I forgot about

Excel Saga, which also happens to be my favourite anime.
DN Angel is cool
and Wolfs Rain looks great... prefer the series though.

¬_¬ oh, and Lone Wolf and Cub.

I like samurai.