F-list manga/manhwa recs?
Jul. 11th, 2010 04:16 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
walkwithheroesI don't talk about it much here, but I'm a big manga reader. I read my first manga in the 10th grade or so. My parents, sisters, and I were at the bookstore and my younger sister found a manga she wanted. My mom agreed to buy the manga and asked me if I wanted a "comic" too. I agreed. Looking through the shelves I spotted volume one of Chobits and thought the cover was pretty. After that, well. . .I was hooked. Over the years I've read several mangas by many authors and I've gone so far as to collect a few series.
I've been following a few series for the last couple of years and now I've found that all but two of my series are ending soon. I'm in a manga mood and I know a few of my f-listers read manga/manhwa regularly, so I thought I'd ask for recs. To make things easy, I'm including a list of mangas I own or read and some brief thoughts on them.
Chobits: My first manga. It's from CLAMP and is still one of my favorites. I know it gets a bit perv-y at times, but I really like the idea of finding yourself and the person that's 'just for you' in a huge world. I give this one a solid 8.5/10.
Mars: Still a classic. It is a much more mature shōjo manga that I still love today. It gets a bit dark at times, but I was thankful for the drama. I found the characters and situations in this to be very real, and I enjoyed that. For a long time I thought all mangas were the same - this proved me wrong. 9/10.
Kare Kano: I picked this up because of the 'strong female lead', or at least I was told she was strong. I actually watched the anime first and really enjoyed it. I thought it was a solid look at real high school students with problems and interesting relationships. Sadly, things started to go down hill in the middle of the series. The tone of the series turned dramatically and became very angsty and dark. Characters disappeared and too much time was spent of the dark past of our Hero. And that last volume. . .what was that? 6/10.
Wish: A very short series from CLAMP. It's very fluffy and cute - angel falls to Earth and is taken in by a doctor. All I can really say about this one is that it's, well, sweet. The plot is straight-forward and simple and the artwork is pretty. It's a quick read at four volumes and is a nice easy little manga. 7.5/10.
X/1999: My younger sister bought this manga and she told me to read it, so I did. It's from CLAMP and has an amazingly complex characters with a long and twisty plot. I really loved it, and am beyond sad that the manga is on hold due to social/political issues in Japan. A solid 9/10.
Hana Yori Dango: I have to be honest - I never finished this one. Before the series aired, my younger sister bought the first twelve volumes or so, but she lost interest. I read the first five or six volumes, but stopped for a reason I can't remember. I remember liking what I read. But, now I don't think I can finish - I've seen the anime and the series/film, so. . .yeah. (No rating as I never finished).
Hana Kimi: Again, I never finished this. My friend was reading this when we were in high school and she let me read the series after her. Sadly, high school ended before I finished and, well, she went to university out of town and took her manga with her. I read one or two volumes and while I liked it, I have no desire to finish it. (No rating as I never finished).
Her Majesty's Dog: I think this could be a bit of a guilty pleasure manga. It really has no plot until after way through the story; most of the early chapters are about Kamori and Hyoue dealing with a ghost or demon at the school. Later, their is a storyline involving their past and Kamori's place in her family. It's a rather simple story at the end of the day, but I really love the relationship between Kamori and Hyoue; his devotion to her really spoke to some of my manga kinks. 8/10.
Love Com: Also known as Lovely Complex. I picked this one up after watching the adorable film that was adapted from it. I thought this manga was a really great twist on the manga world - Heroine is super tall, Hero is super short; they both have a complex about their heights. They are both average people with some dorkiness in them. I like that they start off as friends and it slowly builds from their. Nothing ever got too complicated, and everything felt really real. 8.5/10.
High School Debut: I have to admit it - I stopped this at, about, volume six. I liked it, but felt it wasn't for me. So, I sold it for 40 dollars. (No rating.)
Marmalade Boy: Cute. It really is a cute little manga. Some of the drama was a bit cliche, but this was written in the 1990s - the decade where a lot of shojo cliches were born. The main characters could be annoying at times, but the story was unique and enjoyable. 7.5/10.
Love Attack: I picked this up because it promised a strong female lead. I've read all six of the volumes that Tokyopop put out and did like them. There really wasn't too much going on plot-wise, but it was a fun read. (No rating as Tokyopop never finished putting it out. Bastards.)
Monkey High: This one. . .I don't even remember why I picked this one up. I just did. It's a fast read at 8 volumes and is unique in the shojo genera - the girl is aloof and mature while the boy is a hyper and sweet dork. It's all about two high school students who meet and form a romance. For a hectic school manga, it had some really lovely emotional scenes. The one bad thing - it's somewhat forgettable once it's over. 7.5/10.
We Were There: I'm currently reading this and am at volume eleven. All I can say is - this manga is all about angst. It's quiet at times, very emotional, and just full of a sadness that makes me uncomfortable at times. I'm reading it, but I am worried things will start to drag - it's at volume thirteen in Japan and shows no signs of stopping. (No rating as I'm still reading.)
Special A: Ah, I picked this up after watching the anime. This manga is full of cliches, but I liked that. Sometimes you just want a manga that you can fangirl over. It has a large cast and some people are underdeveloped, but this is my -'brain off, fangirl on' manga. It's ending next month at volume 17, and I'm happy about that, because I've grown a bit bored lately. (No rating as I'm still reading.)
Ouran High School Host Club: Like Special A, I picked this up after watching the anime. I like the idea of an indifferent and strong Heroine. Haruhi is intelligent, resourceful, kind, and rather happy being "poor". She's got no time for romance and she looks at Tamaki as an annoying friend - even if he wants her to be the Heroine of his 'shojo manga-like life'. The characters - and there are many characters - are all fun and they serve their purposes well. The manga is at volume 15, and I am hoping it wraps up soon, because characters are starting to be forgotten. Plus, Haruhi has fallen for Tamaki, whose maturing. Their story is nearly over. (No rating, as I'm still reading.)
Alice in the Land of Hearts: I picked this up after watching the Alice in Wonderland film that came out in theaters a few months ago. Right now only three volumes are out, but already it seems like standard shojo manga fare - a pretty girl with low self-esteem is surrounded by beautiful men. She may be in a crazy Wonderland, but she still has a large cast of men to interact with. Apparently it's based on a video game, which makes me a bit wary. It's addicting while you read, but once you finish the volume, you don't remember much. It's a bit like a summer blockbuster, actually. (No rating, as I'm still reading.)
Charming Junkie: Also called Nosatsu Junkie. It's a sixteen volume manga about a fourteen year old girl who wishes to be a model; sadly she doesn't photograph well. Lucky, she gets an agent and ends up finding out that a famous model is actually a boy - whose her classmate. It sounds odd, but the story is just. . .I loved the six volumes that Tokyopop put out between 2007-2008. The manga isn't for everyone, but I loved the story and characters. I was heaert broken when Tokyopop canceled it;thankfully an online group is translating the rest of the series. (I just wish I had it in book form instead of on my hard drive. :( )9/10.
Honey and Clover: This manga isn't for everyone. I have to get that out of the way. The
humor can be a bit much at times. At ten volumes it may seem short, but really things tend to drag. Still, I adore this manga for the characters and the 'slice of life' feeling it gets off. Maybe it's because I'm a student and I also have fears of an uncertain future, but I thought this manga was true to live. Solid 9/10.
Kimi ni Todoke: I'm currently reading this and am up to volume four. I picked this up after watching the anime adaption. What I liked about it was the slow burn of the romance (of course it's now at volume 11 in Japan and the romance is getting too slow burning), and the innocence of it all. Heroine is shy and sweet - she longs to be like Hero, whose popular and well loved by classmates. Sadly, Heroine has a "scary" look that is off putting to classmates. It's a sweet story with likable characters. (No rating, as I'm currently reading.)
I think I ended up giving reviews of the mangas toward the end, so I'm sorry about that.
I was at Borders the other day and knowing that after August I'd only have three or four mangas to read - two of which as slowly being put out for different reasons - I decided to pick up something new. Plus, the Borders I was at has manhwa and I've wanted to try one for a long while. I picked up volumes one and two of The Bride of the Water God, due to the awesome reviews it's gotten. I also picked up volume one of Dengeki Daisy, because. . .well. . .the cover was pretty. (Yes, I am shallow)
I do believe now is a good time to get into a new series or two because all the companies are starting new mangas and manhwas this summer. There are a lot of volume ones on the shelves at the bookstores. My only question is: what should I try?
I've been following a few series for the last couple of years and now I've found that all but two of my series are ending soon. I'm in a manga mood and I know a few of my f-listers read manga/manhwa regularly, so I thought I'd ask for recs. To make things easy, I'm including a list of mangas I own or read and some brief thoughts on them.
Chobits: My first manga. It's from CLAMP and is still one of my favorites. I know it gets a bit perv-y at times, but I really like the idea of finding yourself and the person that's 'just for you' in a huge world. I give this one a solid 8.5/10.
Mars: Still a classic. It is a much more mature shōjo manga that I still love today. It gets a bit dark at times, but I was thankful for the drama. I found the characters and situations in this to be very real, and I enjoyed that. For a long time I thought all mangas were the same - this proved me wrong. 9/10.
Kare Kano: I picked this up because of the 'strong female lead', or at least I was told she was strong. I actually watched the anime first and really enjoyed it. I thought it was a solid look at real high school students with problems and interesting relationships. Sadly, things started to go down hill in the middle of the series. The tone of the series turned dramatically and became very angsty and dark. Characters disappeared and too much time was spent of the dark past of our Hero. And that last volume. . .what was that? 6/10.
Wish: A very short series from CLAMP. It's very fluffy and cute - angel falls to Earth and is taken in by a doctor. All I can really say about this one is that it's, well, sweet. The plot is straight-forward and simple and the artwork is pretty. It's a quick read at four volumes and is a nice easy little manga. 7.5/10.
X/1999: My younger sister bought this manga and she told me to read it, so I did. It's from CLAMP and has an amazingly complex characters with a long and twisty plot. I really loved it, and am beyond sad that the manga is on hold due to social/political issues in Japan. A solid 9/10.
Hana Yori Dango: I have to be honest - I never finished this one. Before the series aired, my younger sister bought the first twelve volumes or so, but she lost interest. I read the first five or six volumes, but stopped for a reason I can't remember. I remember liking what I read. But, now I don't think I can finish - I've seen the anime and the series/film, so. . .yeah. (No rating as I never finished).
Hana Kimi: Again, I never finished this. My friend was reading this when we were in high school and she let me read the series after her. Sadly, high school ended before I finished and, well, she went to university out of town and took her manga with her. I read one or two volumes and while I liked it, I have no desire to finish it. (No rating as I never finished).
Her Majesty's Dog: I think this could be a bit of a guilty pleasure manga. It really has no plot until after way through the story; most of the early chapters are about Kamori and Hyoue dealing with a ghost or demon at the school. Later, their is a storyline involving their past and Kamori's place in her family. It's a rather simple story at the end of the day, but I really love the relationship between Kamori and Hyoue; his devotion to her really spoke to some of my manga kinks. 8/10.
Love Com: Also known as Lovely Complex. I picked this one up after watching the adorable film that was adapted from it. I thought this manga was a really great twist on the manga world - Heroine is super tall, Hero is super short; they both have a complex about their heights. They are both average people with some dorkiness in them. I like that they start off as friends and it slowly builds from their. Nothing ever got too complicated, and everything felt really real. 8.5/10.
High School Debut: I have to admit it - I stopped this at, about, volume six. I liked it, but felt it wasn't for me. So, I sold it for 40 dollars. (No rating.)
Marmalade Boy: Cute. It really is a cute little manga. Some of the drama was a bit cliche, but this was written in the 1990s - the decade where a lot of shojo cliches were born. The main characters could be annoying at times, but the story was unique and enjoyable. 7.5/10.
Love Attack: I picked this up because it promised a strong female lead. I've read all six of the volumes that Tokyopop put out and did like them. There really wasn't too much going on plot-wise, but it was a fun read. (No rating as Tokyopop never finished putting it out. Bastards.)
Monkey High: This one. . .I don't even remember why I picked this one up. I just did. It's a fast read at 8 volumes and is unique in the shojo genera - the girl is aloof and mature while the boy is a hyper and sweet dork. It's all about two high school students who meet and form a romance. For a hectic school manga, it had some really lovely emotional scenes. The one bad thing - it's somewhat forgettable once it's over. 7.5/10.
We Were There: I'm currently reading this and am at volume eleven. All I can say is - this manga is all about angst. It's quiet at times, very emotional, and just full of a sadness that makes me uncomfortable at times. I'm reading it, but I am worried things will start to drag - it's at volume thirteen in Japan and shows no signs of stopping. (No rating as I'm still reading.)
Special A: Ah, I picked this up after watching the anime. This manga is full of cliches, but I liked that. Sometimes you just want a manga that you can fangirl over. It has a large cast and some people are underdeveloped, but this is my -'brain off, fangirl on' manga. It's ending next month at volume 17, and I'm happy about that, because I've grown a bit bored lately. (No rating as I'm still reading.)
Ouran High School Host Club: Like Special A, I picked this up after watching the anime. I like the idea of an indifferent and strong Heroine. Haruhi is intelligent, resourceful, kind, and rather happy being "poor". She's got no time for romance and she looks at Tamaki as an annoying friend - even if he wants her to be the Heroine of his 'shojo manga-like life'. The characters - and there are many characters - are all fun and they serve their purposes well. The manga is at volume 15, and I am hoping it wraps up soon, because characters are starting to be forgotten. Plus, Haruhi has fallen for Tamaki, whose maturing. Their story is nearly over. (No rating, as I'm still reading.)
Alice in the Land of Hearts: I picked this up after watching the Alice in Wonderland film that came out in theaters a few months ago. Right now only three volumes are out, but already it seems like standard shojo manga fare - a pretty girl with low self-esteem is surrounded by beautiful men. She may be in a crazy Wonderland, but she still has a large cast of men to interact with. Apparently it's based on a video game, which makes me a bit wary. It's addicting while you read, but once you finish the volume, you don't remember much. It's a bit like a summer blockbuster, actually. (No rating, as I'm still reading.)
Charming Junkie: Also called Nosatsu Junkie. It's a sixteen volume manga about a fourteen year old girl who wishes to be a model; sadly she doesn't photograph well. Lucky, she gets an agent and ends up finding out that a famous model is actually a boy - whose her classmate. It sounds odd, but the story is just. . .I loved the six volumes that Tokyopop put out between 2007-2008. The manga isn't for everyone, but I loved the story and characters. I was heaert broken when Tokyopop canceled it;thankfully an online group is translating the rest of the series. (I just wish I had it in book form instead of on my hard drive. :( )9/10.
Honey and Clover: This manga isn't for everyone. I have to get that out of the way. The
humor can be a bit much at times. At ten volumes it may seem short, but really things tend to drag. Still, I adore this manga for the characters and the 'slice of life' feeling it gets off. Maybe it's because I'm a student and I also have fears of an uncertain future, but I thought this manga was true to live. Solid 9/10.
Kimi ni Todoke: I'm currently reading this and am up to volume four. I picked this up after watching the anime adaption. What I liked about it was the slow burn of the romance (of course it's now at volume 11 in Japan and the romance is getting too slow burning), and the innocence of it all. Heroine is shy and sweet - she longs to be like Hero, whose popular and well loved by classmates. Sadly, Heroine has a "scary" look that is off putting to classmates. It's a sweet story with likable characters. (No rating, as I'm currently reading.)
I think I ended up giving reviews of the mangas toward the end, so I'm sorry about that.
I was at Borders the other day and knowing that after August I'd only have three or four mangas to read - two of which as slowly being put out for different reasons - I decided to pick up something new. Plus, the Borders I was at has manhwa and I've wanted to try one for a long while. I picked up volumes one and two of The Bride of the Water God, due to the awesome reviews it's gotten. I also picked up volume one of Dengeki Daisy, because. . .well. . .the cover was pretty. (Yes, I am shallow)
I do believe now is a good time to get into a new series or two because all the companies are starting new mangas and manhwas this summer. There are a lot of volume ones on the shelves at the bookstores. My only question is: what should I try?
