Forum - View topicWhat are you reading right now? Why?
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Arkard
 Posts: 677 Location: Poland |
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As for Matsumoto, I sorta liked Uncivilized Planet the most. The concept for Freesia was way better, I just didn't like where the manga went in the latter volumes. Still an amazing read, but UP had this "people doing inhuman things during military occupation" style, which I simply love.
Right now, following Kagemusha`s indirect rec, I am readind KouKouDebut. It is quite funny, I also noticed the new use of cliches to actually make the manga better. And in this manga, I can actually believe that the heroine is only of typical beauty, unlike so many other titles where they look like beauty queens but are considered plain by the other characters. |
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darkhunter
 Posts: 2992 Location: Los Angelas |
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All good recommendation so far. Keep'em coming.
Genshiken Vol. 4. Finally this is where the anime left off and it's really a new beginning for the Genshiken. spoiler[Kanji is now president. They get 1 new girl member and 1 returning member. The returning member is a real goofball and totally weird but he is a welcome additional to the group. Tanaka & Ohno are going out--"otaku" syle. And the overall story have a better future outlook as the Genshiken are planning to actually do some activities with a booth at comic-fest] I know Saki is a critical character to the story but she appear in almost all the chapters. Maybe they should tone her down a bit and focus on the other group member as they are more interesting. Her abrasive behavior is getting annoying as the group continue to grow. Genshiken is still pretty good after 4 volumes and it show more protential. Some of the comedy is okay but it's the subtle detail and reaction is what I usually am looking forward to. It'll be interesting to see where volume 5 will head to. Pushman & Other Stories One thing I notice about this book is the production is top-notch. A beautiful hardcover and the pages are sewing right onto it. I prefer this as one of my other book Doing Time seem like it's falling apart because of the cheap glue. Pushman is a collection of short story by Yoshihiro Tatsumi. Sexual desire is probably the central theme of most of the story and it read like a study of human behavior, especially those of blue collar worker that suffer through the mundane of life, society and family. Dealing with everything from prostitution to being sexual deprived to abortion, you will find a dark social commentary of urban Japan in the late 60's. The story themselves seems to be sloppy, self-destructive and nihilistic...yet at the same time they are thoroughly insightful. It's probably important to keep an open mind when reading Pushman and other stories. Looking forward to volume 2. What's next: Monster vol. 2, Death Note Vol. 4 & Wanted (Mark Millar) |
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Arkard
Posts: 677 Location: Poland |
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The Hour of the Mice by Kei TÔME
It has a good idea. An isolated school with students placed there since they were 3 years old, allegebly participating in a goverment sponsored programm for prodigies, shut down from the out-side world without permission to ever venture into the real world. And as always in these type of manga, all is not what it seems to be. Like I said, the idea is god, but somewhere along the process it just gets mediocore. It seems running away from this school is incredibly easy. Wouldnt such place have something better than a few guards, video cameras and a padlock on a gate? The author also decides to put in some real sf stuff there for his own convinience, like magical amnesia drugs. I am all for good "fantasy" but this time it just felt so fake. You cant feel any real motivation in some characters and certain policies of this school make no sense, keeping in mind that they are a SECRET ORGANISATION. On the other hand, the art is quite nice, but again, not ground breaking. All in all this manga feels like a waisted opportunity so after the first volume you wish it would`ve been more. Or less, because the story seems rushed. What a shame. Deep Love - The Story of Ayu by Yû Yoshii Another candidate for the title of Miss Waisted Potential. Ayu is a somewhat of a lost girl. Not finding meaning in life she frequently sells her body, living as a empty human shell, not knowing where she is going. Alright. That kind of synopsis is promising. You could build a really great storyline arround it. A story about girl devoived of joy, happiness, but also sorrow or therefore pain. You could even make it into an analogy, joined with your concern about the modern youth of Japan. I wouldn`t mind that, as long as it would remain subtle. Your work should do the talking for you. The reader should get some freedom in reading your work. But Deep Love has none of that (at the end the "moral" is pushed down your throat with a shovel, with big bold letters). Its a cliche story. As though the author asked herself "how do these types of stories acutally go?" and then drew it. You wont find any heart in here, no soul, only familiar "heart touching" (yeah, right) moments that are nothing more than cheap tricks to bring tears to your eyes, on the same level as those lame Harlequine "novels". The manga has a sort of "jumpy" pace, tends to piss on character development and just concentrate on the sad and shocking moments. Alot of the time, the characters motivations dont even make sense. Plus the art, which is average at best, doesn`t save this Waisted Opportunity. And it really could`ve been great. Love my Life by Ebine YAMAJI Now here is a manga I did enjoy. This is the story of Ichiko, a lesbian girl. And that is all there is for you to know. The manga is nothing more than a bit exaggerated slice of life story concerning such topics as lesbian love, male or female, acceptance (but in a really tasteful way, no sappy morality whatsoever) and choosing your own way of life (which, get this, has nothing to do with orientation  I am talking career wise here). If I had to chose one word to describe this manga I would say "light". It just feels "light", like a feather. It doesn`t have any drama in it, no cliffhangers or plot twists. You could say it is a family story, with alot of homosexuality going on there. Various topics are explored, and your focus stays on the story, because the art is so very simple. Its almost sketchy-like, but you cant help but feel that it is right for this manga. Now looka here. I`ve been talking about Love my Life but I didn't actually say anything about it. It`s hard to chose a main theme here because there aint none. The manga is enjoyable. Simple as that. Also, crazy as it may sound, the author did an incredible job of turning your focus from cliched themes as "finding meaning and happiness in life when you are gay" into something a bit more universal: the hardships of relationships (romantic or parental, hetero or homo). In a way, you feel atached to the main heroine, even if you are not gay and you get to symphatize with her. Really nice job on this one.
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yusuke1022
 Posts: 141 |
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I'm reading DeathNote right now its so frickin awesome. im on volume 3. People explained what its about already but im not gonna bother. im just gonna say when i start reading it i get into it so much and that never really happens in anything i do accept a couple of good video games. it takes a really long time to read too because theres a lot of dialogue. thats a really good thing and the story is so cool. if anyone bothers you while your reading it youll probly yell at them. definate reccomendation
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13th
 Posts: 26 |
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Absolute Boyfriend- Yû Watase
Let me say first off, Yû Watase is probably my favourite Manga-ka. Absolute Boyfriend I bought simply because she wrote it but it's hilarious and somewhat different from her other works. Where as the girls quickly fall in love, it's taking Riiko, the main character, a little while longer as she forms a relationship. I think this makes the bond much stronger. And, as always there's humor to lighten any mood in it! Angel Sanctuary- Kaori Yuki The first time I read this it confused me and I almost thought about giving it away. However, it's been so popular here I decided to hold on to it a bit longer and see if I like it later. Boy am I glad I did! The second time around I couldn't put it down! It has such a fantastic storyline and the character and plot developement, though they require insight and attentiveness, grip you by the throat. Bleach- Tite Kubo First, I saw the anime and decided to buy the manga just because I liked it so much. The manga and anime are very, very closely related, at least as far as I've read. Great plot and characters. It's hard to explain so I'll just say I simply love it! Deathnote- Tsugumi Ooba In my opinion, the best manga out there! The action, mystery, and intensity grips you and won't let go. The artwork is great, the story fantastic and gripping, and the characters almost life-like. A must read for anyone! Descendants of Darkness- Yoko Matsushita This has to be one of my favourtie mangas. I just adore the characters and the stories are so intriguing! Sprinkled with humor, shonen-ai, mystery, and death this is a fantastic series! Even if you're not one for shonen-ai you should still check this out. I had some guy friends very weary of reading this but once they did they were hooked. The sexual harrasment the evil doctor does to the main characters are hilarious! Fruits Basket- Natsuki Takaya From what I've seen, I think this series is one of the most popular in the United States. It's funny, romantic, sad, dramatic, and at times slightly scary and mysterious. The characters grow close to the heart and just the plot in general is great. People who turn into animals of the zodiac everytime someone of the opposite sex hugs them? Gotta love it. Fushigi Yûgi- Yû Watase This series is almost like a roller coaster. At points I'm so glued to it I will almost steal the keys to the car just to go out and buy the next one and at other times I can wait for a week or two until I get the next one. It's one of Watase's older works from my understanding and you can definitely tell by the artwork. Those it's not bad in anyway, it could take some getting used to if you're used to her other stuff. However, the comedy and romance mixed together in this manga are wonderful! Godchild- Kaori Yuki I, at first, bought this because I just liked the artwork. Kaori Yuki's style is unique and instantly recognizable and once I read the first volume I realized that not only was the artwork great, but so was the story! Earl cain, the main character is just so friggin' cool! I can't describe it in any other way. It also is a lot easier to digest than Angel Sanctuary but is still great! Gorgeous Carat- You Higuri I've had a lot of great reviews about this manga and I bought the first one last week. It's a little different than your average manga, set in 19th century France. It's still very intriguing and the characters seem to be really cool, but we'll just have to wait and see how the story plays out 
Loveless- Yun Kouga I saw this anime first and craved more so once the manga was released, I bought it ASAP. Yun Kouga's artwork is so beautiful and the storyline, plot, characters, and ideas are just as beautiful aas the drawings. What can I say? I love it!! Peacemaker Kurogane- Nanae Chrono Again, I saw the anime first and then bought the manga, and I think in this case you almost have to watch the anime first. It would be very confusing if you don't. The manga acts as almost a sequal to the anime. the artwork is great and the characters are very near and dear to me. In the most recent that I've read, the waterworks even started to act up! Tsubasa- CLAMP My friends kept going on and on about how much I needed to buy this, and eventually I did. My only regret is I didn't do so sooner! This is definitely one of CLAMP's finer works and if you like their stuff, you may see a little bit of it in this. This story has many cross-overs with their previous works and on-going works such as XXXHOLiC, Chobits, X/1999, Cardcaptor Sakura, etc. XXXHOLiC- CLAMP I read this before I read Tsubasa and though I was a little confused on why there were characters from another manga in here, it didn't stop me. This manga presents so many ideas about life, magic, the supernatural, our world, and other worlds that it makes you wonder. Plus the two main characters are absolutely wonderful! |
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Kagemusha
 Posts: 2783 Location: Boston |
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Arkard: Reading up at Kotonoha, eh? I'll definitally agree with you on The Story of Ayu, but I found The Hour of Mice at least somewhat entertaining. I mean it not a great story by any means, but this kind of thing really doesn't have to be realistic in my mind to be somewhat good. Even though every character is ho-hum, it has enough twists to make it an entertaining, if shallow read. I'd say it's about average, with potential to improve.
Speaking of Love my Life, their newest yuri series is quite good. It's the kind of thing that I'd dismiss as needlessly cute and doujinji-ish (as opposed to Yamaji's more realistic take on the genre) if I judged on the art. Under the cuteness are good characters who represent alot of the fears and uncertanties associated with sexuality in high school. Interestingly enough it runs in Manga Erotics F, the same mag as Jiro Matsumoto's shorts and I beleive some stuff my Naoki Yamamoto and Hiroaki Samura, so I'm halfway expecting it to go hardcore in a couple chapters
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improviduto
 Posts: 7 Location: Erie, PA |
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GetBackers!
This is the only series I'm engaged in at the moment. It's funny, cool, witty, a bit absurd, and a bit perverted. The premise is very interesting: a couple of 18-year-old boys with special powers (Ban can hypnotize people and Ginji can amplify the electricity in his body) have a business that involves getting back whatever is lost. Business isn't very good, though. The two largely live on the street and run up a tab at a local restaurant to eat. Much of the money they make from jobs goes to pay parking tickets. Just when they think they've finally got some spending money, they're in the red again by some humorous mistake or misfortune. Every mission is pretty funny and dramatic. Hunger and lust are recurring themes. Its "cool" element is a bit reminiscent of Cowboy Bebop. Ban and Ginji—in literary terms—are rather dynamic characters. Ban is primarily cool and stubborn; Ginji is primarily boyish and charming. However, both express a number of emotions throughout the series. I started reading it based solely by chance of picking it up and reading the blurb at a book store a few weeks ago. All the stories I've read so far are very amusing, dramatic, and cleverly written. The series is captivating, and it gets better with every volume I read. Well worth the time and monetary investment. I'm curious if the anime version is as good as the manga. |
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masterg400
Posts: 2 |
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Air Gear is one of the new mangas I haven reading
The anime just came out, I think it could be as good as FMA, Bleach, or even Naruto It has potential |
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Arkard
Posts: 677 Location: Poland |
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You betcha 
I guess if you look at it from this point of view it could be quite enjoyable. Hell, I also found it a bit entertaining but from the whole "idea" I was actually expecting something serious and heavy. Oh well, I guess I only have myself to blame for that  Right now I am skimming through the One-shots at Kotonoha. And I already found some gems.
A room of clouds got me so depressed I couldn`t study for todays exam. Luckily I pulled myself together, but there`s no denying that this manga can have an impact on a reader. |
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shamelessfanboy
 Posts: 48 |
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So, would anybody recommend TOUGH? I took a look at the scanlations of what I hear is its sequel series, and they seemed pretty bad to me... yet it managed to land a spot on Viz's Editor's Choice? Looks like it's either a really bad sequel or a bad choice from the editor.
...or I just didn't appreciate it like I should have. |
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Kagemusha
Posts: 2783 Location: Boston |
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TRUST ME, don't go for Tough. Viz just put it under Editor's Choice because it got an "M" rating and I guess you can't have anything above "OT" under action. Tough is, like you suspected, TERRIBLE.
One of my favorite short stories from them, and one of Furuya's best. It suprised me to see him using such an alien art style, though I suppose he's good enough to basically attempt any style. I'd like for them to translate his fantasy short story, which is supposed to be amazing (if Music of Marie is any indication, it will be). There are a ton of great one shots from Kotonoha, like White Clouds, My Teacher and I and She Got off the Bus at the Penninsula, which is amoung the best manga shorts I've ever read. |
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Gauss
 Posts: 519 Location: Finland |
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Umm, let's make a distinction here between hentai and erotic seinen manga. People don't avoid stuff like Keep on Vibrating for the sex, but because it tries to be serious and so the mood is completely different from a hentai story. In short they feel it's artsy fartsy rather than, ah, stimulating. Shame, since KoV is actually pretty good. I'm also surprised that in what people have written about One Piece nobody mentions the battles. Man do they drag on! It takes volume after volume before the latest baddy is defeated. It's a good manga but I seriously wish the main story moved a bit faster. At this rate it will be volume 500 or so before they reach the end of Grand Line. Anyway, currently reading NANA partly because it's been so hyped lately. The other reason is because my first introduction to the manga-ka's works was Gokinjo Monogatari which I really enjoyed (or enjoy, since it's still being scanlated). So far NANA has been really good, though it wasn't quite as serious as I expected. It does have plenty of drama but entwined with a fair dose of fun. NANA is focused on the friendship between two women named Nana so the end-all and be-all is not to get a man (a refreshing change from most shoujo manga). Not quite masterpiece level in my opinion but well worth picking up, especially if the normal shoujo fair is starting to feel stale. That said I was impressed by a single volume shoujo manga I read today called Ai no Tameni (by Kawahara Kazune, who also does Koukou Debut). These single volume shoujo stories are at best mildly diverting and all too often generic crud. Well, I had picked this one because the art at least was really nice. The volume is basically divided into three short stories so I wasn't expecting any depth to the story. Well, imagine my surprise when the last scene of the first story gave me a happy lump in my throat. This is so rare when I read manga, and it has never been accomplished with so few pages. Usually it takes many volumes and time to familiarise myself with characters before I can start to feel for them. |
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Kagemusha
Posts: 2783 Location: Boston |
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No, I don't think most people avoid erotic manga because it's too "artsy." That isn't what I said either. I believe many people just won't read erotic manga becuase of a built-in steriotype that all porn has poor writing. I've never heard someone say "Hey, I don't want substance with my smut!" but if you have then I guess it applies to some idiots out there. Wild Adapter-I started reading this to see if it lived up to its high possition on the ANN manga chart, and I was sorely disapointed. It's an obvious attempt to create a mature, Banana Fish-style (it almost borrows the entire plot from this manga) crime saga with heavy yaoi overtones that fails mainly because of incompetent storytelling. The main character would be interesting if the author could develop his personality rather than drop vague hints of his personality and past. By the end of the first volume I didn't feel interesting in the slightest to discover the mysteries of the plot. Can't help but think the high position on the ANN chart was the work of Saiyuki fangirls. I'm being a bit harsh because of how highly this is rated, and I suppose it's decent distraction, but really nothing to seek out. Nana-I too feel it's a bit overhyped (especially by this website), but not by much. Really impressive storytelling, and despite some slightly cliched mannerisms and actions (Shoji's rant about the way men "really are" in particular is forced just to forward the plot), most characters come off totally realistic and likable. The only real reason I say it's hyped up is because it takes the attention off better josei titles (Nodame Cantable, Nananan Kiriko's work), but it really is a fantastic series. Shamo-Started reading this after milcor1 mentioned it. I'm about 25 chapters into it, and so far it's a solid, mature take on the whole "Fight to get stronger" genre. The psychological motivations behind the main character's quest to get stronger are what really makes it worth reading. Too bad they didn't go deeper into prison's effects on Ryo (at least yet) as that would have made it far more interesting and complex. On the other hand, action scenes are handled very well. I'm happy to see more realistic karate rather than the usual "guy does a spinning heel kick and breaks his opponent's neck." |
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godakame
 Posts: 112 Location: Disney World |
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Ryuguden - a very strange manga about 2 boys sporting bunny costumes and their adventures in a underwater whorehouse. Initially the artwork put me off from reading it, but I caught a glimpse of the spoiler[penis train], and had to read more; the style was reminiscient of the cartoon "King of the Hill" (very simpliestic and ugly), but I am growing more fond of the art as I read more.
Emerald- a oneshot done by Hioaki Samura about the wild west. Dirty Harry meets BOTI is how I'm going to sum this one up. It was okay, but then again you can't really do much with only 40-60 pages to tell a story. I just started to get into doujin stuff which I have been avoiding until now due to my preconceived idea that its a bunch of hentai. That and its so damn hard to find. I just bought BoleRO Scarlet Doujinshi by Shin JASON Nagasawa and I have to say I am very impressed with the artwork. Can't really comment on the content, considering the fact I can't read japanese. |
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Arkard
Posts: 677 Location: Poland |
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National Quiz
In a not-so-distant future, Japan has risen to the position of richest, most powerful country in the world, controling vast amounts of land, and owning almost all of the world in its debt. In this bleak future, where democracy is considered a thing of the past, not needed now, the Japanese have created a new form of governing. The National Quiz. Everyday, at 7 pm there is held a sort of Reality Show where 500 people go through dozens of trivia questions in order to win... anything they want. The National Quiz is the law. The winner can ask for anything he or she desires. War with the US? Be my guest. Murder of your neighbour? Why think so small? How `bout the Eifel Tower (an actual example)? The manga is extremely entertaining. You will definitely get a kick out of all the thigns people would want to achieve with the National Quiz. It shows you perfectly just what a low and bastardly creature a human being is when given the ultimate power. Unfortunetly the manga is not without its flaws. The biggest ones are the occasional political or social rants. The author seems to not know the word "subtlety". The characters like to go on and on about their political views, which of course are there to show us how Japan has fallen morally, and what a horrible place the future is. Fine, say it if you want to, but dont shove it down our throats. But those parts can be easily ommited. National Quiz is something you should most definitely check out. |
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