Manga

A

Admirion Black

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Any Manga fans here.?

I am reading the Hellsing series at the moment by Kohta Hirano which is really good.Its about a group of Vampire hunters based in England who, along with their Vampire henchman Alucard,(Dracula backwards fact fans:upstare:)try to rid the world of the evil fiend.s.!Its got a great story and artwork which makes a change from all the Robots and Mech type stuff.

Other favs include Appleseed and Bleach.
 
You know what the greatest manga most people'll never read is? Tokyo Akazukin (Tokyo Red Hood) by Benkyo Tamaoki. You might know the author's other work "Blood: the Last Vampire." (Manga, movie, Blood+ TV series, video game) Tokyo Red Hood'll never get picked up outside of Japan, though. It's too graphic.

The story's about an 11-year-old girl calling herself "Little Red Riding Hood" who works as an organ harvester for a butcher--she's a hitman, but collecting the bodies so they can be turned into meat.

The main plot of the story is Red's desire to be eaten by "Mr. Wolf." She literally has no greater dream than to be torn limb from limb and devoured. Because of this, not only is she a very sexual character (she moonlighted as a prostitute in the first chapter), but combined with her job description and run-ins with the law and other opposition, she gets shot to pieces. But you see, Red's no ordinary little girl: she's a demon. She cannot die, not until she's eaten by Mr. Wolf. In fact she relishes pain; she is beyond a masochist. She gets shot up, torn apart, has all her insides ripped out, all sorts of things over the course of the series. And the book starts looking into why this is, and how she's able to do these things. Red has no memory of who she truly is or why she wants so desperately to be eaten, and that's the mystery. So the series is a gory, sexually-charged, supernatural tale with lots of unfolding events and revelations about Red, her purpose, and an intriguing cast of characters with their own stories (though none so prominent as hers).

It's one of my top favorite manga series. For some strange reason these reimaginings of classic fairy tales tend to be incredible, moving works.
 
All I read is some ero-guro (gurochan anyone?) and Yotsuba&!

Also, I need to get my hands on the comic "New Engineering" by Yuichi Yokoyama. I read this excerpt from the summary of it and have since wanted it badly.

"Translated from the Japanese original, this book combines two of Yokoyama’s central themes: fighting and building. One set of stories, entitled Public Works, details massive structures being erected across a landscape. Plot is pushed aside in favor of sheer formal verve as we watch buildings about which we know nothing, come into being. The other set of stories, Combats, is one sequence after another of elegantly choreographed battles. Yokoyama builds things up and tears them down. Comics have never seen a talent that combines this level of formal ambition with exquisitely drawn depictions of fashion, art and architecture."
 
Check out the 5 volume series, Basilisk: The Kouga Ninja Scrolls. It's based loosely on the Kouga Ninpouchou novels by Yamada Fuutarou, which the anime Ninja Scroll also drew a lot of influence from, so expect lots of ninja with supernatural/superhuman abilities, cutting eachother up and flashing their boobs.

In essence, it's a 10 vs. 10 ninja clan feud with the (predictable) twist that two members of the rival clans are in love. IMO it's the quintessential ninja manga story, and pisses from a height upon Berserk or the pretentiousness of Vagabond. I reviewed the second volume for Amazon.

I also read Homunculus, which is some weirdshit psychedelic, psychological story about a guy who gets trepanned (a hole drilled in his skull) and subsequently starts to see visions which grant him insights into the personalities of people he meets.

The only other manga I read, but the one I enjoy most, is Bobobo-bo Bo-bobo, which has now become Shinsetsu: Bobobo-bo Bo-bobo. For those who don't know, it's about a guy with an afro who fights bad guys with his nose hair. I'm vaguely conscious of the fact that this got aired on Cartoon Network at some point, but what I've seen of the english language version just mortified me. If you've heard of it or seen it, don't even think of the Japanese manga and the english language anime as the same thing - from what I gather, they took a surreal comedy for teens-upward and dubbed/rescripted it into some drugged-up show for 5 year olds. In the original Japanese, though, the manga is consistently hilarious (or at least the first 20 volumes were), so if you can understand it then chekkirao.
Yotsuba&!
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I know this is cutesy as hell, but is it any good? I had it recommended by a Japanese friend but never got round to buying any.
 
Laivasse said:
I know this is cutesy as hell, but is it any good? I had it recommended by a Japanese friend but never got round to buying any.
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It's very cute and sweet all while being humorous (not anti-humorous), making it pretty rereadable. If you want help in considering it then go to http://4chan.biz/ for scanlations. I like it a whole lot and I can almost guarantee that it will brighten up any bad day.

Darkside55 said:
You'd love Akazukin.
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I'm quite picky when it comes to guro and dislike most of it. In fact, I mostly just read Kago.
 
I currently own:

Azumanga Daioh vol.1 to 4 (complete)
Yotsuba vol.1 to 5
Lovely Complex vol.1 to 4
Fall in Love Like a Comic vol.1 to 2 (complete)
He is My Master vol.1 to 2

He is My Master is very funny with mostly adult humor, and ecchi stuff.

I tend to not be able to detect what people have called bad manga or anime... If it has subjects that I like, I'll like it no matter what. I'm incapable of disliking a manga or anime that I get.
 
Manga?

Not quite the same, but I am trying to read Suzumiya Haruhi No Yuutsu, or possibly The Melancholy of Suzumiya Haruhi (The LIGHT NOVELS) in Japanese. It's ****ing impossible. I might just end up reading the translations, it's taking too long.

Manga-wise, I recently picked up both Densha Otoko and Genshiken. I want to pick up Yotsuba sometime. It occurs to me that most of my favourite series right now (Lucky Star, Suzumiya Haruhi no Yuutsu, Genshiken, Densha Otoko) are all extremely meta series, which is something I enjoy.

I need to go out and get Ghost in the Shell (Manga) and Love Hina (Manga)... maybe Neon Genesis Evangelion and NGE:Angelic Days, cos they're awesome too and everybody loves mech combat.

/EDIT Oh yeah, I also need to pick up Azumanga Diaoh. I've read it all, but I don't actually own them.
 
I reccomend Fullmetal Alchemist, really fun.
Also Saikano (She the Final Weapon), but note that there are a few graphic scenes in there, what with people getting shot and having their heads blown off by tank rounds and whatnot.

However, I rarely read manga, as I see most to be unartful.

Not quite the same, but I am trying to read Suzumiya Haruhi No Yuutsu, or possibly The Melancholy of Suzumiya Haruhi (The LIGHT NOVELS) in Japanese. It's ****ing impossible. I might just end up reading the translations, it's taking too long.
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Impossible. Seriously impossible, unless you know quite a few ganji or whatever they call it with knowledge of some sub-cultural jokes. That's why I borrowed them from a friend.
 
lol, it "feels" like it is. Manga is japanese comics or graphic novels. The comic book form of anime. Anime is video.

If you watched something, you did not "see" a manga.
 
He could have been watching the manga to check it didn't go anywhere.
 
Admirion Black said:
Any Manga fans here.?

I am reading the Hellsing series at the moment by Kohta Hirano which is really good.Its about a group of Vampire hunters based in England who, along with their Vampire henchman Alucard,(Dracula backwards fact fans:upstare:)try to rid the world of the evil fiend.s.!Its got a great story and artwork which makes a change from all the Robots and Mech type stuff.
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I hear ya. Enormous Hellsing fan, me. I've got mangas 1-3, I'm getting 4-8 this weekend. Also, if you haven't already, you should check out Hellsing Ultimate, the anime. It's completely true to the manga, not like the original TV show which basically made up it's own story 90% of the time. Other than that, I don't read much manga.
 
15357 said:
Also Saikano (She the Final Weapon), but note that there are a few graphic scenes in there, what with people getting shot and having their heads blown off by tank rounds and whatnot.
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I've got a friend who really enjoys Saikano. Haven't read it myself. Same friend also turned me on to Fruits Basket, which Kupo mentioned; that one's excellent. I recommend everybody give that one a look. it's humorous and heartwarming, but there's an underlying drama so it's not completely lighthearted.
 
Darkside55 said:
I've got a friend who really enjoys Saikano. Haven't read it myself. Same friend also turned me on to Fruits Basket, which Kupo mentioned; that one's excellent. I recommend everybody give that one a look. it's humorous and heartwarming, but there's an underlying drama so it's not completely lighthearted.
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You should try it, if you don't mind some nudity and sexual themes.

Here's an example:

http://img85.imageshack.us/img85/6277/minyoung053ri5.jpg

"Oh... not Americans...."

http://img212.imageshack.us/my.php?image=minyoung054fb6.jpg

Frenchies say something along the lines of "It can't be a girl, not here!"

http://img206.imageshack.us/img206/3853/minyoung055lx8.jpg

"Sorry, but you're all going to die."

http://img529.imageshack.us/img529/66/minyoung056le2.jpg

"Shit."



I'm gonna have to look out for fruits basket then . :)
 
I'll definately look into it. And I'm definately the last person who'd mind nudity and sexuality; if you ever get a chance to read Akazukin, it's overflowing with sex.
 
Hmm, yeah, I'm gonna try to find it, but don't know where I could...


I'll ask around then. Good Manga is so hard to find.
 
I have read more mangas in my life than I care to remember and a lot of them for the most part have been enjoyable. However, the mangas that will always stick out more than any other for me are indeed Fruits Basket as well as Saikano. I like to read all mangas so that I can give an opinion on certain ones if anyone ever asks me about it but when it comes to Saikano and Fruits Basket I could tell anyone the entire story word for word if they asked me to do so. And there are many of them that I enjoy just as much but those two would have to be my all time favorites.
 
Oh yeah, I've also read Chobits.


It's good, but not awesome. It poses some philosophical questions, but sometimes it just seems like another apeal-to-male audiences type of manga.

EDIT:

You know how much I love the internet?

I asked my all-knowing otaku friend, and he said that Tokyo Akazukin was indeed, as I feared, banned.

I was disappointed, but then he sent me the entire 4 volumes, translated. I recieved them in 45 seconds, and now have the entire manga on my hard drive.

My friend scares me sometimes.
 
Meh. Manga's easy to steal, but I don't enjoy it as much in digital format. The real awesome stuff I need to go and buy.

Actually, official translators for Manga tend to be really quite good, they seem to translate fairly accurately. I wonder if any of them are going to buy the SuzumiyaHaruhiNoYuutsu manga? They'd better... I hope it's Del-Ray, they seem to be the best translator imho.
 
Full Metal Alchemist and Berserk are both quite good. As is the D.gray-man manga. Berserk isn't exactly PG-13, though. Not even R.
 
Meh. Manga's easy to steal, but I don't enjoy it as much in digital format. The real awesome stuff I need to go and buy.

Actually, official translators for Manga tend to be really quite good, they seem to translate fairly accurately. I wonder if any of them are going to buy the SuzumiyaHaruhiNoYuutsu manga? They'd better... I hope it's Del-Ray, they seem to be the best translator imho.
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Yeah, but I don't have money, or the time to go to comic book stores. :(


I'm content with 'stolen' or borrowed comics. :p


Oh, and I've just read the entire Akazumin manga. I'm rather confused about the story. And the oh-so-many 'h-scenes' were.... disturbing. It was kinda like a loli+hentai+gore manga, but meh. Still not too bad.


I need to re-read it, I think. The story kinda went too fast, without much explanation. It would have been better if it was longer.
 
redruM said:
I hear ya. Enormous Hellsing fan, me. I've got mangas 1-3, I'm getting 4-8 this weekend. Also, if you haven't already, you should check out Hellsing Ultimate, the anime. It's completely true to the manga, not like the original TV show which basically made up it's own story 90% of the time. Other than that, I don't read much manga.
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I havent seen Hellsing Ultimate anime,just the Tv seires which,as you say,didnt follow the manga all that faithfully.I will certainly be checking it out though.

Tokyo Red Hood sounds really mad,even for anime and thats saying something!,abit of a shame its so difficult to get hold of.
 
Admirion Black said:
I havent seen Hellsing Ultimate anime,just the Tv seires which,as you say,didnt follow the manga all that faithfully.I will certainly be checking it out though.

Tokyo Red Hood sounds really mad,even for anime and thats saying something!,abit of a shame its so difficult to get hold of.
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Tokyo Red Hood isn't mad, it would be like saying Tsukihime (the game) is mad.


It's beyond mad. Kinda like Tsukihime, except with 500% more loli and with guns.


I shall now go search for a heartwarming and humorous manga.
 
Heartwarming, Humorous? Densha Otaka, Love Hina, maybe Genshiken...

I really do advise Densha Otaka though.
 
Lovely Complex is a good romantic comedy. Best I've seen, but I've not seen all too many.

It's got two seasons of anime and a live action movie.
 
Death Note. A great series, Less comedic, more serious, though. I'll be looking into some other mangas, though, I'll possibly go to borders or something tomorrow.
Also, is it pronounced Maingah or Mongah?
 
mahn-gah

ah as in "pot"

Syllables in Japanese are all pronounced the same. A is "ah" e is "eh" i is "ee" o is "oh" u is "oo" (just like in Spanish)
 
15357 said:
Oh, and I've just read the entire Akazumin manga. I'm rather confused about the story. And the oh-so-many 'h-scenes' were.... disturbing. It was kinda like a loli+hentai+gore manga, but meh. Still not too bad.

I need to re-read it, I think. The story kinda went too fast, without much explanation. It would have been better if it was longer.
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Yeah, there are a lot of points that you have to go back and re-read to understand. Some of the themes really could have been fleshed out more if the series was longer, as you said. The ending of it also "disappointed" me; it was a great ending, but I just felt so damned bad for

Theos. Astarte really broke his heart, man. "Why do you always reject me?! I truly did love you." ;(

As for heartwarming and humorous, I'll second Jin's suggestion of Love Hina.
 
Yeah, me too. But then I remembered something about kidnapping her child or something.

It still confuses me. At the end, is she finally dead?

It needed 4 or more volumes, really.
 
I recently started reading the Mixx version of Sailor Moon. Couldn't find any scanlations. I'm a big fan of the anime so I'm not sure why I didn't get around to it sooner.

There just aren't enough hours in the day...
 
15357 said:
Yeah, me too. But then I remembered something about kidnapping her child or something.

It still confuses me. At the end, is she finally dead?

It needed 4 or more volumes, really.
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Yes, she died. And also, Lupo (the wolf) is Theos' son too. So he didn't really kidnap him...he just wanted to use him so that he could be together with Astarte.
 
Oh.

I'm gonna reread again. I tend to skim manga somewhat.
 
Fool! Manga is such light reading that I can read one over and over and over again and still not really be satisfied!

Anyway I mainly buy them for help with making my own, anyway. : /

/EDIT

Uh, what I actually meant was, I have a tendancy to re-read manga over and over, to see what I've missed. Actually, that goes for pretty much all forms of entertainment. I haven't really read a Discworld novel until I've read it 3 times.
 
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