Manga?

[Garple]

For those thumbs who read manga, which ones are worth my time. Please keep in mind that completing a series usually seems to cost over $100.

Manga I've enjoyed include:

FLCL

Death Note

One Piece

Battle Angel Alita

Full Metal Alchemist

But I haven't read a lot of manga.

In my younger days, I found that the concepts behind most manga were fascinating in their craziness, but I didn't like most manga. I think now I'm more open-minded and don't expect manga to be "good" in the conventional sense, just entertaining in its Japanese-ness.

I'm interested in "Reborn!" "Fruits Basket" and "Bleach" can anyone tell me how those are?

Also I just read Ikigami: The Ultimate Limit vol. 1...it was mildly interesting, does anyone know if this series is worth continuing?

[Action Shakespeare]

I dunno if you've ever checked out Love Hina, but I highly enjoyed that series. On the surface it looks shallow and fanservice-y, but it does turn into a fairly sweet and funny story. Also by the same guy is Mahou Sensei Negima which starts out overtly fanservice-y but ends up being an interesting action series...

That's all I have immediately for Manga in my case...though I know a couple series worth checking out in animated format...

[Patters]

Akira.

[Action Shakespeare]

As soon as I finished typing my post Akira came to mind. I second that one, as it's amazing and probably wont dent the wallet too much...

[Lu]

Akira and Berserk; both are among my absolute favourites and I have read all you named above. I wouldn't bother with Bleach. I read it for a while, but it turns rather bland. If you're into the whole shonen thing, then I guess Naruto would be great too.

[syntheticgerbil]

I would seek out anything by Taiyo Matsumoto if you can.

[Sombre]

Tezukas Black Jack is probably one of the greatest selection of manga you can ever read. It's a wry, cynical medical manga. Can't reccomend it enough.

[Psych]

Monster is an excellent and suspenseful crime thriller about a doctor who must hunt down a murderer who's life he saved. I can't recommend the first ten volumes highly enough, unfortunately like a lot of manga (as in every one I've read that wasn't a one off or Akira), it is far too long for it's own good.

[Lu]

Oooh, yes, I second Monster. Another one of my favourites. It starts a bit slow, but it gets really good.

[Garple]

Also...how do you guys feel about anime vs. manga? I like manga a lot better, I guess because I can use my imagination to exercise more control over the tone. In my head, without english voiceovers and such, it's much less cheesy. That being said, are there any anime I should watch?

[Brannigan]

Blade of the Immortal. I've long fallen behind on it but the art is fantastic and story from what I remember was pretty good.

[Patters]

Also...how do you guys feel about anime vs. manga? I like manga a lot better, I guess because I can use my imagination to exercise more control over the tone. In my head, without english voiceovers and such, it's much less cheesy. That being said, are there any anime I should watch?

Akira.There are 2 English Dubs, I would recommend the subbed version though.

Also I really enjoyed Howl's moving castle and Spirited Away.

[Xeneth]

I tend to enjoy Manga with a bit more depth than the anime that tends to be based on it, but your mileage may vary... I think the sense of time and timing works so much better on the page, where the ambiguity of "panel space" works so much better in the stories the Japanese media industry likes to tell. Best example I can think of would be the way a LOT of introspection can take place in a split second of "panel space", as opposed to the internal monologues taking a few minutes on the screen lending to a sense of "Are they really just standing there talking to themselves in between blows"?

I'd actually be very interested to hear about more anime projects that AREN'T based directly on a manga actually. The only thing that springs to mind is Evangelion (Manga offerings are based on anime, inverse relationship).

Any debate on this score can be compared to the novels vs. Hollywood movie debate, the parity is fairly high. Smart partakers probably find ways to enjoy both interpretations of a story for their own strengths.

That said, the manga that I am consistently mocked for enjoying was Chobits...

CLAMP's stuff is blindingly girl and romance-centric, but I feel like Chobits really stood out with it's male protagonist that wasn't hyper effeminate and technology/sci-fi themes. Usually CLAMP stuff is very fantasy and their male characters are all Bishonen. I wish they'd do more in the vein, because their linework and toning is really quite nice.

[Lu]

I tend to enjoy Manga with a bit more depth than the anime that tends to be based on it, but your mileage may vary... I think the sense of time and timing works so much better on the page, where the ambiguity of "panel space" works so much better in the stories the Japanese media industry likes to tell. Best example I can think of would be the way a LOT of introspection can take place in a split second of "panel space", as opposed to the internal monologues taking a few minutes on the screen lending to a sense of "Are they really just standing there talking to themselves in between blows"?

Yes, it's the same for me. A good example for me are the comedy bits in the Full Metal Alchemist manga. Those can often make me grin or laugh, but in the new anime they get on my nerves. Some things just work better in comic form.

That reminds me. I also read Gantz; although the story gets really silly and the writing seems to degrade later on, the first bunch of volumes were a great read. Very tense.

[Action Shakespeare]

Ah, how could I forget: Read or Die is an amazing manga AND anime (and novel but who needs that). This is a case where I recommend seeing it in all mediums just because the stories are varied throughout them. If you're ony going to choose one, though, I actually would advise the anime. It's in a 3 OVA format (so essentially 1 film) and actually has a good english dub cast. I also recommend the sequel TV series for the same reason.

On another case of anime being better than (and different from) the manga is The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya. Describing the plot would probably ruin the experience, but you can look if you want to...

[Xeneth]

I've been surprised lately that I'm enjoying the (Subbed) anime Soul Eater...

It seems to be following a very Naruto-like formula as of season one, but for some reason the characters feel a little more fresh than that, and the people as weapons mechanic is interesting. I also like that it doesn't take itself seriously very often.

Anyway, it's definitely a kids series so your mileage may vary. Has anyone seen the Manga that Soul Eater is derived from? Is it even better? High hopes.