Can you please recommend manga?

Question

I am very interested in reading manga. (I'm not very much into american comics.)

Answer 1

It depends on what genre you like, because manga carries works in a wide range of genres. Do you prefer sci-fi or fantasy? Do you lean more towards action or romance? And of course, there's also the question of art styles. Are you more inclined towards the elaborate and not-necessarily-anatomically-accurate end of the deal? Or do you much prefer an art style that is more realistic?

Still, I suppose that I could give you reading suggestions from a fairly wide range of choices, so that you can make up your own mind and decide which ones you will incline towards.

Bleach (Kubo Tite) - Although it was initially dismissed as being too much like YuYu Hakusho (Poltergeist Report in America), the critics have since been proven wrong. This series rates very high on my list of recommendations because of the well-rounded characters (especially the females), intriguing storyline, and excellent humor. Kubo Tite has created a whole army of characters for this series, but he fleshes all of them out really, really well.

Death Note (Story: Tsugumi Ohba; Art: Takeshi Obata) - This has got to be one of the smartest manga I have ever read. If you enjoy reading the Sherlock Holmes stories and detective fiction, then this will certainly tickle you to no end. The eternal cat-and-mouse game between Raito and L (the two main characters) with have you trying to use some of their methods of deduction in your own life when confronted with problems or decisions.

Full Metal Alchemist (Hiromu Arakawa) - A lot of different forms of media have tackled the brutalities and realities of war, but none of have done so quite like Full Metal Alchemist. Like Bleach, the humor of this story is top-rate, but it is also darker than Bleach, dealing with issues that, if you have read up on your history regarding World Wars I and II, you will easily recognize as you progress through the manga.

Emma (Kaoru Mori) - This is something that is far more lighthearted and more romantic in feel than the previous two. This has nothing to do with the novel of the same title by Jane Austen, but is set in Victorian Era London, and follows the trials and travails of a young maid named Emma, who falls in love with someone who is much higher in station than she. It's dramatic, romantic, and, if you are a history buff, you will be delighted to know that many of the details that went into the art for this manga are amazingly accurate.

Tsubasa: Resevoir Chronicles (CLAMP) - While some might suggest that you work through CLAMP's other works before picking this one up, I think that it would be all right even if you didn't know every single character that CLAMP ever created, because this story stands on its own. If you've ever seen or watched any of their works, though, you will probably recognize the many characters that appear in this series. The story is fairly lighthearted and romantic, though it does retain plenty of action and adventure elements to it. Also, if you prefer a more detailed art style, then CLAMP's works are sure to be the one for you - the amount of detail that goes into their works is astounding.

Hmm, I suppose that's enough to keep you occupied for the meantime. If you can manage to name a specific genre, I'm sure that people would be glad to add a few more recommendations to the list.

Answer 2

crayon shin chan!