Manga Recommendations.

Non-Eva Anime and Manga discussion

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Postby caragnafog dog » Sat Jan 25, 2014 9:41 pm

Agriculture is fucking elite, I can't wait.
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Postby Sleigh Lain Fish » Sun Feb 02, 2014 7:31 pm

Do you think Cardcaptor Sakura is an okay book for a girl learning to read? I haven't actually read the manga, despite having a set of Clow cards from my youth still lol, and I wanna introduce manga to my niece since she is reading now and there's tons of pictures. I just, I know how Sailor Moon changed from the English dub on Cartoon Netwrok back when lol, soo...
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Postby Paranoid » Sun Feb 02, 2014 7:56 pm

I haven't read the manga (although it's sitting on my shelf waiting to be read), but I just recently watched the entire anime and to my understanding there is no significant difference (except the anime having a little more content overall).
Assuming the above is true, then it should be okay. There is nothing too sexual or violent there, even for a child. There are some 'serious' bits, but they never really turn dark. Even for a child at the age of 4-5 I think it should be fine.
I'm somewhat hesitant to say this, but the only problem I could see someone having with CCS is, I suppose, with its treatment of same-sex relationships. Many of the school-age crushes and implied romances in the series (which again are totally fine in terms of content for little children) are same-sex. If you've got a problem with that, you might want to give it a pass.
Conversely, if you want her to grow up believing that people are free to love whomever they want and that they should feel okay with themselves no matter what, I'd highly recommend the series.

CCS is one of the better anime series I've ever seen, and I do plan on reading through the manga myself when I have the time. I say let her go for it.
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Postby Sleigh Lain Fish » Sun Feb 02, 2014 8:38 pm

Excellent, detailed response lol, thanks.
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Postby Gorbatschow » Sat Feb 08, 2014 6:04 am

Freesia [Meta-Data]
Image

I started reading this manga, excepting nothing more than a dull "shooting and banging"-manga, considering, that the first few chapters feature rape as well as rather hard violence. This view changed drastically until the end. I know, it's not really productive to talk about the sub-text or the end in a review, but I just have to hat least talk a bit about it, since there're probably the most important parts of this manga.

Plot

SPOILER: Show
Freesia and it's plot are really nothing for kids. It takes place in a dystopia Japan (currently at war) A law has passed, allowing the relatives of murder-victims to take revenge, either through "proxies" or by their own hands. The story starts with our main character talking to an imaginary woman. During the dialogue he pulls out an offer for a job as a proxy. During the interview he meets a woman , his new boss, that looks exactly like his imaginary friend. Here starts his career as a vengeance proxy, involving insanity, social issues and voilence

Artstyle
SPOILER: Show
Matsumoto Jiro chose a rather dirty and sketchy art style for his 4th manga. Although It could take some time to get used to it, you'll pretty quick see why he chose to use this kind of drawings. Freesia has a generally really dirty and "uncomfortable" atmosphere, setting and plot and is generally struggling with gaining sympathy in terms of likability of the characters and Japan it self. This results from the nearly complete lack of moral and "goodness", which is needed not only to portrait a critique on certain issues, but also to set up an appropriate ambiance for the development characters and the plot.

Some examples:

Image


Characters

SPOILER: Show
Matsumoto seems to try making every character as disposible as possible, which is in this case actually a good thing. Every character is unique and has his own struggles with reality (which is a really big topic near the end)

Kano Hiroshi

Image

He's the main character and the story evolves about him and Higuchi. He's a downright sociopaths, has multiple personalities and starts creating hallucinations around him as the manga progresses. Through the whole story he struggles with other psychological issues, mainly a telephone ringing. the vengeance acts he performs aren't really affecting him in any way, as well as the war or other big issues of the world he lives in. The only thing he cares about are his mother, his (ex-)fiance and Higuchi's secret.

Higuchi Mariko

Image

The woman who starts everything by stepping into Kano's live for unknown reasons and involving him i with the business. Her motives and past is kept in the shadows until the actual end.

Mizoguchi Masaki

Image

A Social Darwinist, believing he's a predator while nearly everyone around him is merely prey. As Kano gets involved as a vengeance proxy, he starts smelling trouble concerning Kano, since he's one of the few people realizing Kano's abnormality.

Yamada Ichiro

Image

Probably the most likable character, yet the most boring of the main characters.


The Ending / The big conclusion

SPOILER: Show
What made Freesia a really incredible manga is the ending and the conclution that goes along with it. Through the whole story Matsumoto is implying the conclusion using certain imagery and creates mysteries sourrunding Kano until he reveals what is actually behind everything.

Spoiler!
  SPOILER: Show
Higuchi's motives

- She's a sociopath unable to interact with people
- She tried interacting by being the "guinea pig" in the expriment, which lead to her being raped
- She realised, that she had to be a onbserver in order to understand people
- It's implied that she tried experimenting with some people before she contacted Kano
- She chose Kano for her experiment and started to put him into extreme situations

Kano's revelation

- Kano realized, that he's not real, as well as the phantom. That's what's caused the camouflage, the supernatural abilities and the telephone.
- You, the reader, are the nameless friend he was always followed by. At the end he talks to you, explaining why he is real now.


Freesia was basically one of the best mangas I read in the last 2 years, especially because of the ending in combination with the characters and the plot, creating a really gritty, intensice experience.

9/10
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Postby Squigsquasher » Mon Mar 31, 2014 6:42 am

One that I started was Lone Wolf and Cub. It's a classic 70s samurai manga about a travelling ronin and his baby son, seeking revenge for his murdered wife. It's a superb story, with the Lone Wolf taking advantage of the samurai code of honor (which he has no love for) to outwit his opponents. The art is great too, very un-manga-like, but then it was the 70s, when there was a lot more variety in art styles.

Unfortunately I only have the first (flopped) volume, which is long out-of print, and I don't know where you could reliably find the series, nor if the rest of it is any good (although if the first volume is anything to go by, the answer is "very"). However, from what I've seen of it I'd recommend it to anyone, especially fans of grittier samurai stories and classic manga buffs.
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Postby ChaddyManPrime » Fri May 30, 2014 11:27 pm

Has anyone read OnePunch-Man? Would you recommend it for someone who likes Western Superhero comics?
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Postby Tankred » Sat May 31, 2014 6:58 am

View Original PostChaddyManPrime wrote:Has anyone read OnePunch-Man? Would you recommend it for someone who likes Western Superhero comics?


Go for it, it's great from what I hear. There's the original version by the creator himself and then there's the remake.

There's even AMVs of the manga on Youtube.

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Postby ChaddyManPrime » Sat May 31, 2014 1:34 pm

^
Thank you Kind Sir ^_^
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Postby movieartman » Wed Jun 04, 2014 3:31 am

Anyone read ORION by masamune shirow? Your thoughts? Would you reccomend?

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Postby Mr. Tines » Wed Jun 04, 2014 4:03 am

When it came out in English translation about 20 years ago. Mostly harmless. If you like his other pre-Kobe stuff, then it's a passable read.
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Postby EvaBrothers » Tue Jul 08, 2014 8:34 am

Was Patlabor mentioned already? :D
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Postby Blue Monday » Tue Jul 08, 2014 5:54 pm

View Original PostSquigsquasher wrote:Unfortunately I only have the first (flopped) volume, which is long out-of print, and I don't know where you could reliably find the series, nor if the rest of it is any good (although if the first volume is anything to go by, the answer is "very"). However, from what I've seen of it I'd recommend it to anyone, especially fans of grittier samurai stories and classic manga buffs.

Huh. Only saw this now. Not looking hard enough, Squig - Dark Horse started putting out omnibuses last year: http://www.bookdepository.com/Lone-Wolf ... 1616551346

:wink:

I'll get 'round to reading it someday, and I don't want to hold off for too long, as DH don't tend to reprint their tanks once they go OOP, i.e. Berserk, Blade of the Immortal, et cetera.
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Postby Meerkat » Thu Sep 11, 2014 1:38 pm

Nijigahara Holograph
It's a one volume manga by Asano Inio (made Solanin and Oyasumi Punpun, which I also recommend). Even though it's only one volume you could easily read it three times (I enjoyed it more when I reread it). It's very strange, but it's fascinating and beautiful (and disturbing). Utterly unique and it has many layers. I've had a lot of fun trying to analyze it.

Though if you're easily bothered by "pretentiousness" then I suggest you stay away. (Also, if so, why are you on an Evangelion forum?)

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Postby Shamsiel-kun » Fri Oct 10, 2014 8:11 am

View Original PostEvaBrothers wrote:Was Patlabor mentioned already? :D


TV, OVA, movie, or manga continuity?

Not that it really matters, they're all quite good.

I haven't see the TV series. The first OVA series is rather comical, and if you've seen the movies or read the manga first it takes some getting used to.

Manga: The manga is a mix between the slapstick of the OVA/TV series and more serious themes (child trafficking, genetic manipulation, pollution/boundless expansion of cities, import of illegal military technology, etc.). Several stories are similar to those from the OVA/TV series. The Labors get most action of all three continuities. Only a few volumes released in English, 18 in French (until the publisher went bankrupt :sniffle: ).

Movies: Much more serious than the rest of the franchise.
Movie One is rather in-line with the manga, being themed around automation gone wrong. Quite a bit of action.
Movie Two is more or less a political/military thriller, although some people complain about Mamoru Oshii making Gotoh into his personal broadcaster (Gotoh is closer to his manga counterpart than his TV/OVA counterpart, IMHO), and is also the movie that ends the original continuity - you'll understand this after watching the movie (hint: the plot involves a coup d'etat against the Japanese government - guess who is perceived as the real threat to that event?). This movie also features the Mini-Pato specials.
Movie Three takes a little story from the manga about genetic manipulation for warfare purposes, fixes it up a little bit (and by "fixes" I mean it makes it even more serious than it was and also introduces some squick...), and makes it into Patlabor vs. Godzilla (more or less).

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Postby Gus Hanson » Thu Mar 26, 2015 11:09 pm

I am a total manga virgin, to be honest. I ordered up the first three volumes of the Evangelion manga in the omnibus edition. Is it an engaging read which promises a satisfying ending unlike the show or am I just reaching here?
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Postby Mr. Tines » Fri Mar 27, 2015 2:49 am

^
It's a different take on things, so totally a YMMV.
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Postby Maru » Tue Mar 31, 2015 11:40 pm

I would like to recommend Teppuu, an MMA-themed manga. Teppuu is fascinating from two completely different perspectives. First is the technical martial arts aspect; it is probably the best portrayal of real martial arts ever seen in manga or anime, or at least one of the best. MMA fans and people who do martial arts/combat sports will really enjoy this.

Just as interesting is the human element. The story is centered on the criss-crossing relationships of the cast, which are bound in hate, rivalry, and love. Many of these characters are not well-adjusted people. At least two and possibly more of the main characters are blood knights, most likely high-functioning sociopaths, and possibly straight-up psychopaths. The protagonist, Natsuo, and the antagonist, Yuzuko, are on an unstoppable collision course with each other for the simple reason that Natsuo hates everything about Yuzuko, and Yuzuko just really wants to fight Natsuo because "it would be fun." Then there's the old score between Natsuo and Sanae, her one-time friend and captain of the Karate club. There are a host of other characters as well, each of them interesting in their own way, though the story focuses most heavily on those three. Personally, I really hope that some of these side characters will make return appearances later on.

The series has a very unique artistic style. The art starts out quite good, and steadily improves. One of its strongest points is how unique the characters are. They all have very different eyes, lips, noses, facial structures, physiques. The sameface phenomenon is completely absent. The artist draws short stocky girls, short slender girls, tall slender girls, tall stocky girls, and everything in between. One or two of the female characters would be considered by most to be ugly and mannish looking, and another is as close to a cat-girl as you will ever see in a realistic manga. What is truly impressive is that all of the women in this story are drawn realistically. None of them have huge boobs or impossibly curvy figures, and they are all shapes and sizes (this being MMA though, none of them are fat). Not once are these women portrayed as sex objects, even though there were plenty of opportunities for that to happen.

Art aside, the story is really Teppuu's greatest point. If I do not describe the plot in detail, it is because I do not know how to do so without telling the entire story, and it is a story that deserves to be read. Some of the characters are messed up, some of them are downright shady Don King types, some of them are berserkers, and some of them are just ordinary people who for one reason or another got into MMA and get something out of it that they cannot find anywhere else. I recommend it highly, both for the excellent fight scenes, and the human drama that underlies them.
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Postby unz » Tue Sep 08, 2015 4:06 am

As far as artsy things and storytelling go, this is the stuff I feel it didn't waste my time:
https://mercurialblonde.wordpress.com/2 ... f-sidonia/

https://mercurialblonde.wordpress.com/2 ... -of-being/

https://mercurialblonde.wordpress.com/2 ... -realness/

https://mercurialblonde.wordpress.com/2 ... e-sublime/


I know I link sarah horrocks a lot but I don't care I'm lazy and I love her writing:D
I want to recommend one more manga, that is Dorohedoro, a tale of an amnesiac monster man who wants his past and human face back. Plot is king and cool stuff happens but what you really want to see are the techniques employed to get things claustrophobic, gory and muddy you can feel the tension and the slimey corpses when Q Hayashida wants to.

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Postby cyharding » Tue Sep 08, 2015 10:21 pm

Interesting. I have been thinking about picking up the Sidonia manga. Is it any good?
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