[Mentavious]

^^^^^looks like Luffy is gonna break out gear 4

And of course a 2 week break

[Guriko]

Didn't think that I would see a manga thread on this board. Thought I was one of the truly few who reads them as a pastime. Am very glad that I've read the whole thread because I've found some very good mangas that I not have heard about before. Thank you towards all members for their suggestions.

I have been reading mangas for about 5 years now I believe. Though their reputation may be bad among the general population sometimes (especially due to genres like harem, ecchi, boy on boy and etc.) I believe there are some truly brilliant diamonds among the rough. Mangas have helped me through a difficult period of my life. The characters have given me strength to not give up, to persevere, to hope and to fight for a better tomorrow. For that I am thankful.

1. Hajime no Ippo



The manga that inspired me to put on boxing gloves. I've been training martial arts for 3 years now. I would not have started had it not been for the story of this shy boy hoping to become Japans and the World champion. Despite the pain, the bruises, the exhaustion I do not regret for a minute to have started boxing. The friends, the memories, the feelings I've made there were worth every penny, sweat, blood and tears. It is truly my belief that martial arts are one of the few last bastions of manhood that have no been penetrated with political correctness and emasculation. Besides the impact it had on my life the manga contains good art, a story that was almost flawless for a good part of 600 chapters (we are at 1095 now and the story has started to drag, sadly), scenes that have made me cry or laugh and above all... motivation to be the best. The videos made with music and anime scenes also kick ass.

2. Silver Spoon



Made by the talented Arakawa Hiromu of Full Metal Alchemist fame this manga is truly something many did not expect. It focuses on the adventures of Hachiken Yugo who enrolls into an agricultural school because he fled from home due to not getting good enough grades. Quite educational about the average hard life of a working farmer it is also brim with messages on how you have to work hard and not give up if you wish to succeed in life. Good art, interesting story despite the rather tame topic and VERY funny.

3. Bambino



Story of Ban Shogo who aspires to become a top Italian cuisine chef. Made me try my hand at Italian cooking. Good chalk art. The energy of the main character helped me pull through a difficult year in med school.

4. Bartender



Story about a bartender named Ryu Sasakura who aspires to create the 'Glass of Gods', a drink that would heal the patron’s soul. Despite the typical almost unachievable manga goal about creating something mythic it still contains a lot of good information about different types of alcohol that made me read books about them. The music from the anime adaptation is top notch.

Many times I've come home on Friday evening I've put this playlist aloud on my speakers, poured myself some ice-chilled Jaegermeister on the rocks and just sat in the living room enjoying the bitter taste and sweet music. Truly a pleasure.

5. Team Medical Dragon



A manga created by an authentic physician who used it as a platform to criticize the state of Japanese medicine and its system. Sadly the author died due to cancer but the message still lives on in this wonderful manga. Helped me fortify my decision to become a doctor. Think about this manga like a Japanese version of House. Contains ethical dilemmas, good information about procedures and a wonderfully story brim with drama, love, intrigue, political machinations, hope, willpower and above all... the love towards life itself. It has been adapted into a drama with good music.

These would be my top recommendations. Hope someone gives them a shot. I hope (I believe) they will not be disappointed.

[Swooper]

Just watched all of the Berserk anime today, both the 25 episode series and the 3 movie remakes of the series. Jeez, this show hits you damn hard. The original series has this amazing song called 'Gatsu' that just touched my soul.
Meanwhile the story and style/presentation is just unbelievable. By far blows almost every anime I have ever seen clear out of the water. The psychology of the characters is something especially well done imo. This is not an anime for the faint-hearted. Before this, the 'darkest' anime I had enjoyed was Attack on Titan. This made that look like a story about rainbows, ponies and flowers.

[Honorable Man]

The Berserk movies are incredible and do a great job of communicating the major points of the story, even if some of the cooler details from the manga are skipped. I just hope they continue the series, although I'm not too optimistic.

Do yourself a favor and watch Hunter x Hunter next, you can find most of it on Netflix.

[Avon Barksdale]

I dunno whats going on with Berserk. I read some articles a while ago saying Kentaro Miura was having health issues.

I think Berserk will never get finished

[Fortis]

You guys like hellsing? It gets outlandish at times, but Alucard is a fucking pimp. I mean, look at that fucking red hat, jacket and yellow shades. 11/10

[Honorable Man]

(05-04-2015 09:41 PM)Avon Barksdale Wrote:  

I dunno whats going on with Berserk. I read some articles a while ago saying Kentaro Miura was having health issues.

I think Berserk will never get finished

Oh, he's just making that up so he can play THE iDOLM@ASTER all day without having to work. Same thing with Togashi and his "back problems" keeping him from continuing Hunter x Hunter. It isn't even a matter of payment. Hell, Hunter x Hunter was even being published in Shonen Jump with this newest arc and he still got out of it somehow.

Seriously, there's this incredible manga called Bakuman (by the two geniuses behind Death Note) which is about becoming a manga artist and it has a character named Kazuya Hiramaru who is based off of Togashi. These guys want to enjoy their lives and not meet deadlines every week and this is looked down upon in the industry, especially when God Oda has taken like two breaks from One Piece in his life (despite having a hot wife).

So, yeah. Am I officially the biggest manga nerd on RVF?

[Avon Barksdale]

(05-04-2015 09:58 PM)Fortis Wrote:  

You guys like hellsing? It gets outlandish at times, but Alucard is a fucking pimp. I mean, look at that fucking red hat, jacket and yellow shades. 11/10

Hellsing was pretty dope, I watched the Ultimate series not to long ago.

Only thing that bothered me was that a certain character who is thought to be good throughout the entire series, turns out to be evil.The plot point is not really explained that well.

Have you seen the abridged series? Its pretty funny.

(05-04-2015 11:06 PM)Honorable Man Wrote:  

(05-04-2015 09:41 PM)Avon Barksdale Wrote:  

I dunno whats going on with Berserk. I read some articles a while ago saying Kentaro Miura was having health issues.

I think Berserk will never get finished

Oh, he's just making that up so he can play THE iDOLM@ASTER all day without having to work. Same thing with Togashi and his "back problems" keeping him from continuing Hunter x Hunter. It isn't even a matter of payment. Hell, Hunter x Hunter was even being published in Shonen Jump with this newest arc and he still got out of it somehow.

Seriously, there's this incredible manga called Bakuman (by the two geniuses behind Death Note) which is about becoming a manga artist and it has a character named Kazuya Hiramaru who is based off of Togashi. These guys want to enjoy their lives and not meet deadlines every week and this is looked down upon in the industry, especially when God Oda has taken like two breaks from One Piece in his life (despite having a hot wife).

So, yeah. Am I officially the biggest manga nerd on RVF?

I just hope berserk gets finished regardless, its constantly on hiatus. Besides Miura is getting up there in age.

[Mentavious]

Man..that last battle between Luffy and Mingo was pretty good. Learned more in the last few chapters than the last 40 or so.

[The Beast1]

I got introduced to Full Metal Alchemist by the TV show adaptation of the manga. But I took a look at some of them and absolutely loved it.

Manga is the much more mature form of comic books with actual dynamic characters instead of super strong man wheenie who never gets the girl of his dreams. I can't really stand American comic books.

[rocksteady]

I'm a huge fan of competitive/fighting spirit manga/anime.

My all time favourite manga would have to be Hikaru no Go. It's aimed at kids, but well written, drawn, and somewhat informative to the game of go as well. You'll probably want to play after reading it.

A lot of classics have been mentioned, so I'll just add a few that I enjoy

Girl Got Game: a chick gets enrolled in high school as a boy to play on the basketball team by get father, who is a basketball nut. One of the funniest things I've ever read.

The Breaker New Waves (Korean manwha): fighting manga, similar vibe to yu yu hakushu. The original breaker manwha is really good too.


Anime:

Psycho Pass: dystopian future where thoughts are monitored, future crime, little free will. Think Minority Report well done. Hulu has both seasons

Samurai X: the anime prequel to rurouni kenshin. Covers his origin story and violent exploits as an assassin. I never enjoyed rurouni kenshin, but this is one of the animes that turned me into a lifelong fan of the medium.

Steins Gate: Time travel and butterfly effect.

Eden of the East: complex story, beautifully executed. You will not regret watching.

[cascadecombo]

*Manga that makes you think*

ikigami - people have been implanted with bombs at birth, they are scheduled to die at random times so that people who live learn to value life. The manga is the story of a man who delivers the notice of death and shows you how people live out their last hours.

*Fighting manga*

holyland - some kid who was picked on stayed in his room for a summer or year or so just shadowboxing daily. when bullies try to get at him he kicks their ass and then people start hunting him. so he has to get better or get beaten to a pulp

gantz - people get murdered and brought back to life to fight aliens (NSFW)

RRR - 30 year old rocker failure who seems to have a natural talent at boxing gets picked up by an old pro for a TV series and is trained in boxing to go pro himself

ajin - people are discovered to be demihumans, basically they can't die. when killed they are brought back. some can control physical manifestations that can destroy shit. the creativity of how they take advantage of being able to die when the govt is trying to capture them is pretty crazy. (NSFW i think)

Wolf Guy - Ookami no Monshou - story about a werewolf, people naturally hate him because he is a werewolf but they don't know it yet. a lot of fucked up shit happens in this manga (NSFW)

Sun-Ken Rock - A Japanese dude goes to Korea, somehow becomes the head of a small mafia unit. Proceeds to expand it into a large powerful gang while trying to live an average life in a sharehouse. (NSFW)

One punch man was mentioned, but I wanna say too that this one is rather fun to read.

I've read a lot more, but these were some of the ones that really stick out.

[Honorable Man]

Goddamn what an intense last page in One Piece this week.

[mikado]

(08-03-2015 11:26 PM)Honorable Man Wrote:  

Goddamn what an intense last page in One Piece this week.

Do you read scans? They are out on Thursdays.

Happy that the Dressrosa arc is pretty much over. What do you guys think is gonna happen, with THAT PERSON and THAT group of people we saw at the end of the last chapter(I want to avoid spoilers)? He/she is quite strong, that's for sure.

[Mentavious]

I would like to believe that those three captains are smart enough to not fuck with that yonko. I get the feeling that he doesn't know that Mingo was defeated but will find out from one of them. He will probably rage on them because Luffy is part of the worst generation just like them.

I'm guessing that yonko is descendent from Giants just as Oars was but ate a mythical ancient DF. I'm thinking Susannoo (Japanese God). I'm willing to be my girl that he's also obtained awakening powers

I'm just as interested as seeing his powers as I am seeing his top crewmates abilities. Remember Marco (Phoenix fruit) and fire first ace?

I don't think Oda will let me down

[kbell]

I started watching a ton anime on Netflix since I have been sick. Deathnote is amazing, for the first half. The last half you probably could avoid. I like how the villain is the protagonist and he isn't totally unlikable. The notebook the main character the character possesses can kill anybody he sees and knows the name of. Animation had a pastel filter over everything which was a interesting look.

Seven Deadly Sins was fun reminds me of attack of the Titans for some reason. The holy knights are the villains in this story. The main character is almost invincible though. The talking pig was annoying, there always seems to be a cutesy character in shows, and high pitched voice love interest.

Attack of Titan is a good show, but it looks like the next season won't be out for a long time.

Freezing was mediocre, but fun to watch. Lots of titties which they went out of there way to show during every fight, not sure why. The second season they decided to censor them with a blinding white light. There seemed to be no supervision in this genetics schools where the students seemed bent on killing each other. The fight scene were fun, but the show would make more sense if the guys where the fighters, and the women were the supporting casters. Well done animation though.

[RogueLion]

I recently got into Jojo's Bizarre Adventure, first watching the anime remake, then reading the manga.

Unlike a lot of manga and anime, the male leads aren't limp wristed pussies.

Parts 1 and 2 deal with vampires with part 1 being inspired by Dracula. I really liked part 4 the best as it feels more like a super hero story, although the globe-trotting adventure of parts 2 and 3 were a lot more fun. The only problem with the series is that as it went on the artist started drawing the men more and more flamboyantly. Now they all look like runway models.

Dragon Ball Super is OK as well, and I can't get enough of One Piece.

[Valentine]

Love manga & anime, a few reviews:

- Naruto - Brilliant long-running manga on ninjas with superpowers. Must watch.
- Fairy Tail - Funny and light but fight sequences are predictable. There's no tactical strategy, just power-ups. Superpower-based fights, similar to Naruto. Lots of fan service.
- Attack on Titan - Brutal, smart and cool as hell. Giants attack the human race and humanity is forced within a 50ft walled city. Great anime.
- Death Note - Brilliant. Short and succinct but intense thriller about a man who gains a book which allows him to kill anyone who's name he writes in it.
- Code Geass - Similar characters to Death Note but completely different plot. Much longer than DN and has good mech battle sequences which make me prefer this anime.
- Ajin - Some people who die turn out to be immortal and the world hunts these immortals down. The mystery of these immortals and the main arc comes into play quite a bit later. Another great manga that is smart with it's suspense.

[Comte De St. Germain]

All of Jojo's Bizarre Adventure: Manly as hell enough said. Everyone is 6'3", jacked, over the top fighting, and kickass. This scene pretty much describes it better than I can.

Beserk: Think plenty of guys already brought it up.

Great Teacher Onizuka and its prequels Shounana Junai Gumi/Bad Company about the MC's youth: GTO almost made me want to become a teacher. Fantastic story and a motivational one. The prequel are about chasing ass and fighting. It's all the better after you find out what Onizuka ends up being and the hilarious irony.

http://www.mangahere.co/manga/great_teacher_onizuka/

http://www.mangahere.co/manga/bad_company/

http://www.mangahere.co/manga/shounan_junai_gumi/

Baccano: Anime staple one of the greatest in the genre.

Clover(Tetsuhiro Hirakawa): Fighting manga with a bit of comedy. It gets repetitive but I like it because of that a bit. The characters grow even though the arcs are similar in structure.

http://www.mangahere.co/manga/clover_tet..._hirakawa/

Sun-Ken Rock: Mafia story based in Korea lots of brotherhood and badassery.

http://www.mangahere.co/manga/sun_ken_rock/

Rainbow: Gritty story about post WWII Japan and a bunch of kids who find themselves in jail even though they did the wrong things for the right reasons. It's about their time in jail and after they get out. It's a story ala Shawshank Redemption. If you liked that you'll like this.
http://www.mangahere.co/manga/rainbow/

Code Geass: as stated earlier one of the best animes I've ever watched

Hellsing Ultimate: Probably the only dub I've ever liked to date. Simply amazing with most well written characters ever. Philosophical to an amazing degree. Not to mention a great score.

Death Note: First season was gold the second was pathetic.

Elfin Lied: Read the manga. If you're a fan of tragic love stories this stands at the top.
http://www.mangahere.co/manga/elfen_lied/

Angel Beats: I cried. I'll admit it. I cried like a bitch. Still the only anime I've downloaded the entirety of on my laptop. It still gives me the same emotions as my first watch through. Light-hearted comedy that makes you like the characters then pulls a 180 turning dark and gritty.

Sundome: If you want the redpill put into comic form this is it. Alpha fucks beta bucks. Though this being a bit too twisted even then.
http://www.mangahere.co/manga/sundome/

Tokyo Ghoul: Dark and gritty and partly a coming of age story. Manga>Anime
http://www.mangahere.co/manga/toukyou_kushu/

Prison School: Over the top vulgar humor, but that's why I can appreciate it. It's seriously weird and not for the faint of heart mainly because you will regret what I got you into reading and interested in.

http://www.mangahere.co/manga/kangoku_gakuen/

[Comte De St. Germain]

(12-02-2014 06:54 PM)TravelerKai Wrote:  

Monster
Karate Shoukoushi Kohinata Minoru
Samurai Champloo
Claymore

Are legendary ones no one has mentioned yet. All of these are seinen and 3 of which have anime series.

I forgot about all of those. Claymore was one hell of a trip. All of these are great as well.

[Mentavious]

I've been waiting for attack on Titan to come out with season 2 for 18 months....

One piece is def my go to right now. Supposedly it's 2/3 of the way done right now.

[Comte De St. Germain]

(03-29-2016 08:32 PM)Mentavious Wrote:  

I've been waiting for attack on Titan to come out with season 2 for 18 months....

One piece is def my go to right now. Supposedly it's 2/3 of the way done right now.

Read the manga. It's quicker and more efficient than watching most of the time. Well season 2 is going to be about the government conspiracy stuff so have fun.

[Huey]

Not sure if any of these have been mentioned already but my top 5 are:

1. Kingdom: Set in the warring states period of China. The main character is a young kid in the Qin army who aspires to be a general. If you like samurais and historical-type manga then you'll probably like this.

2. Battle Royale: This is definitely the darkest, goriest manga I've read. A class of 40 ninth graders are held hostage on an island and they have to kill one another until there's only one left.

3. Me and the Devil Blues: Based on the life of blues singer Robert Johnson. He sold his soul to the devil, killing his wife and their unborn baby in the process, in exchange to be a great blues musician. Great storyline. I didn't even know who Robert Johnson was prior to reading this, and I'm black.

4. Vinland Saga: Set in the Vikings Age. The story is an exaggeration of Thorfinn Karselfni's life. Super philosophical with lots of action. Definitely recommend.

5. Sun-Ken Rock: If you haven't read this what are you doing with your life?

Honorary Mention
Vagabond: Based on the life of famous Japanese samurai Miyamoto Musashi. Deep storyline and character development.

[Comte De St. Germain]

Scratch out Sundome actually. It's just twisted the red pill part was simply implied though not necessarily true by the time you get to the end where it's a misunderstanding(binged it to the end today and it was good but not meriting a recommendation). Still a beta, twisted love story of sorts.

[Huey]

(03-29-2016 07:49 PM)Comte De St. Germain Wrote:  

All of Jojo's Bizarre Adventure: Manly as hell enough said. Everyone is 6'3", jacked, over the top fighting, and kickass. This scene pretty much describes it better than I can.

Beserk: Think plenty of guys already brought it up.

Great Teacher Onizuka and its prequels Shounana Junai Gumi/Bad Company about the MC's youth: GTO almost made me want to become a teacher. Fantastic story and a motivational one. The prequel are about chasing ass and fighting. It's all the better after you find out what Onizuka ends up being and the hilarious irony.

http://www.mangahere.co/manga/great_teacher_onizuka/

http://www.mangahere.co/manga/bad_company/

http://www.mangahere.co/manga/shounan_junai_gumi/

Baccano: Anime staple one of the greatest in the genre.

Clover(Tetsuhiro Hirakawa): Fighting manga with a bit of comedy. It gets repetitive but I like it because of that a bit. The characters grow even though the arcs are similar in structure.

http://www.mangahere.co/manga/clover_tet..._hirakawa/

Sun-Ken Rock: Mafia story based in Korea lots of brotherhood and badassery.

http://www.mangahere.co/manga/sun_ken_rock/

Rainbow: Gritty story about post WWII Japan and a bunch of kids who find themselves in jail even though they did the wrong things for the right reasons. It's about their time in jail and after they get out. It's a story ala Shawshank Redemption. If you liked that you'll like this.
http://www.mangahere.co/manga/rainbow/

Code Geass: as stated earlier one of the best animes I've ever watched

Hellsing Ultimate: Probably the only dub I've ever liked to date. Simply amazing with most well written characters ever. Philosophical to an amazing degree. Not to mention a great score.

Death Note: First season was gold the second was pathetic.

Elfin Lied: Read the manga. If you're a fan of tragic love stories this stands at the top.
http://www.mangahere.co/manga/elfen_lied/

Angel Beats: I cried. I'll admit it. I cried like a bitch. Still the only anime I've downloaded the entirety of on my laptop. It still gives me the same emotions as my first watch through. Light-hearted comedy that makes you like the characters then pulls a 180 turning dark and gritty.

Sundome: If you want the redpill put into comic form this is it. Alpha fucks beta bucks. Though this being a bit too twisted even then.
http://www.mangahere.co/manga/sundome/

Tokyo Ghoul: Dark and gritty and partly a coming of age story. Manga>Anime
http://www.mangahere.co/manga/toukyou_kushu/

Prison School: Over the top vulgar humor, but that's why I can appreciate it. It's seriously weird and not for the faint of heart mainly because you will regret what I got you into reading and interested in.

http://www.mangahere.co/manga/kangoku_gakuen/

Prison School is fucking hilarious. I haven't read the manga yet but I watched the anime and I was literally in tears from laughing.

Berserk is my shit. And I especially like the soundtracks from the anime. I sometimes listen to Guts' theme song when I'm studying because it's calm and soothing. No

Tokyo Ghoul was alright. I hated the way it ended. Is the manga's ending different?

I'll check out the rest.