tegan Posted June 27, 2014 So who else likes them Japanese comics? I thought this would be better than clogging up the comics thread where manga posts can get overlooked. I normally stick to vintage manga, mostly work published prior to 1980, but lately I'm in the mood for something modern. I could re-read what's available of Wandering Son, maybe? How's Knights of Sidonia? I hear that's good. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
namman siggins Posted June 27, 2014 Sup! Currently enjoying Picturebox and Ryan Holmberg's Alt and Ten Cent mangas. After that going to re-read some of the works of Inio Asano, Daisuke Igarashi and going to check out Shūzō Oshimi's newish work. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tegan Posted June 27, 2014 It's a real shame that Picturebox isn't publishing anymore, because the Ten Cent Manga line was a fantastic idea. I have The Mysterious Underground Men and want to get The Last of the Mohicans before it becomes impossible to find. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tegan Posted June 29, 2014 I started Paradise Kiss (found the first colume for two bucks at a local comic shop) and remembered why I generally don't like a lot of shoujo. It's kind of a tonal mess with bad panel layouts so far, which had been my experience with a lot of work in that area. At least I haven't run into any of those pages with nothing but completely empty vertical panels and poorly-placed word balloons that Fruits Basket was so fond of. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Trip Hazard Posted July 19, 2014 A friend lent me Battle Royale, 'cos I love the film, but the manga is all panty shots. I'm only vaguely familiar with the parlance of manga, but isn't that called fan-service? I'm not a fan or fan-service. I started reading Berserk yesterday. I've seen the anime series many times and really love it, and so far, the manga is reasonably similar, and just as good. Can foresee myself getting really into it. I love the grim, medieval setting and the gruesome incubi. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ucantalas Posted July 20, 2014 The only manga I read nowadays are my futile attempts to catch up with One Piece...I used to have the first volume of Full Metal Alchemist and I started reading Shaman King (and greatly enjoying it, but in the end I just watched the show... the 4kids du(m)b...) Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tegan Posted July 20, 2014 I posted this in the comics thread instead of this one because I'm an idiot. Oh man, I guess Digital Manga Publishing is getting the entire library of Osamu Tezuka digitally published in English. On the one hand, that's incredible and I'll be buying an e-reader as soon as they start becoming available. On the other, that's an enormous job and DMP is a pretty small team. I'll admit I'm kind of skeptical. If they actually pull it off, this is huuuuge. Tezuka wrote a lot of material. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
coaxmetal Posted July 20, 2014 I love manga. Been closely following Tsutomu Nihei's (Author of Blame! and Biomega, among other things) Knights of Sidonia (Sidonia No Kishi). Volume 9 came out in english recently. I been getting them all as they come out because unfortunately english manga tend not to stay in print very long. I also read a lot of unofficial translations, ofc. Recently been reading Ryuushika Ryuushika, which sort of feels like a japanese Calvin and Hobbes, in that it's about a child with an incredible imagination and has some philosophy thrown in. Also its funny and adorable. Been reading the translation on Batoto (http://www.batoto.net/comic/_/comics/ryuushika-ryuushika-r291) Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
namman siggins Posted July 20, 2014 I posted this in the comics thread instead of this one because I'm an idiot. If they actually pull it off, this is huuuuge. Tezuka wrote a lot of material. A good amount of it being trashy or oddly sexist or sexually weird--more than usual I mean. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tegan Posted July 20, 2014 Normally I'm pretty critical of that sort of thing, but I tend to cut Tezuka some slack (probably more than he'd earned) because he took some of the first bumbling steps into things like comics for girls and comics that explored sexuality. Fuck MW though. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
namman siggins Posted July 20, 2014 I'm not going to cut him slack but it's a part of him and his work. Also, for me, I can accept that and enjoy reading his stuff. Add Babara to that "fuck list." What a weird psychosexual manga. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
N1njaSquirrel Posted July 22, 2014 So is anyone still reading Naruto? I'm reading every chapter when it comes out, but I'm so disengaged with the franchise, I've just stopped caring. All the supposed 'twists' that happen are just so uninteresting. I don't know if it's a real twist for those who actually give a damn, but for me it's just like 'oh yeah? That chick huh? great. When's this over?'. Ugh. I'm kinda sick of it. Right now they're stuck in a Genjutsu, which I'm pretty sure was explained at the beginning that to get out of a genjutsu you just have to reverse your chakara. Which they have never done. So much lore is brought up and just abandoned on the roadside when the author realises that his rules mean he can't do other cool shit he wants to do, so he just conveniently forgets it. The only reason I'm reading it is because I've come this far already god damnit and I want to see this shit train arrive at it's final destination. One Piece however is still a fantastic read and is a joy to read. Every chapter is fast, fun, and engaging. The best shonen manga ever. I was going to write a lot of stuff about what I'm reading, but I'll save that for later. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TheLastBaron Posted July 22, 2014 A month or two ago one of my friends read all of Naruto from #1 up to what was then current over the course of a couple days. At first it made me want to pick it up again, but he said that it just got worse and worse so I didn't. I haven't read any shonen in probably 5+ years and don't see myself picking up a new series again. It's impressive that Naruto is still going though, I was reading it in elementary school and am now done with college. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
coaxmetal Posted July 22, 2014 I've been following and rather enjoying Tokyo Ghoul (http://www.batoto.net/comic/_/comics/tokyo-ghoul-r3056) but weirdly there are now 3 different scanalation groups working on it, and they all keep scanalating the same chapters over and over. that seems like a waste tbqh. Some of the groups are better than others though. Twisted Hel scans is pretty legit. Also, I would (having finished the available chapters) like to again recommend Ryuushika Ryuushika, the japanese calvin and hobbes. it is funny and adborable (http://www.batoto.net/comic/_/comics/ryuushika-ryuushika-r291) Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
N1njaSquirrel Posted July 22, 2014 The anime for Tokyo Ghoul has just started. I assume that's why every scanlation and his dog is jumping on it. It's shaping up to be a pretty popular show, if not just a popular show this season. I'm certainly enjoying it. Although it's so stupidly heavily censored, it's annoying. Especially as it's aired at like 2 in the morning. Oh well. Ryuushika looks adorable. I'll have to check it out. If you haven't read it, Yotsuba! feels like it's in a similar vein and is equal parts cute, heart-warming and hilarious. One shonen manga that I'm loving right now is Assassination Classroom. It's about an alien who's destroyed the moon, and threatens to destroy the earth in a year, unless a class of students can assassinate him before the end of that year. On top of which, the alien is their teacher. It's a pretty high concept, but it works, and it's flippin' ace. It's slowly creeping in the emotional attachment the students have with the alien (who's called koro-sensei - koro means 'kill' in japanese I think.) and I look forward to the time they finally off him, and the emotional baggage that'll bring. It's also really really funny. The other manga I love is One Punch Man. About a guy who kills everything in one punch. It's again a nice mix of action and comedy. Also, as it's a web comic, it's got some insane chapters where it's just all art, showing off some awesome fight or something. And boy does the art look good. This gif is amazing - it's of a single chapter. The only thing the guy did was put them together sequentially. Oh man there's a couple more: Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
coaxmetal Posted July 22, 2014 Oh man those gifs are incredible. I've been meaning to read one punch man, that's great. I'll also read Yotsuba. I currently have a few volumes of manga ive been meaning to read. English manga goes out of print fast, so I try to buy it while its hot, if its one I want to own. I have all 3 english volumes of Drifters (by Kouta Hirano, who made Hellsing, which I also own) which I havent read yet (though I have read scanalations) and also the latest english volume (9) of Knights of Sidonia, which I love. I with Blame! wasn't out of print, I only have the first volume which I found at a used book store. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Twig Posted July 22, 2014 One Punch Man is really great. I'm also reading Assassination Classroom and One Piece and Knights of Sidonia and And Yet the Town Moves (Soredemo Machi wa Mawatteiru). The last one is definitely the best one. However, my Chrome extension which let me know when recent scanlations were put up for each of those (except the last which I read on Crunchyroll) broke and uninstalled itself? I haven't looked into fixing it. I guess I'll do that now. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Gormongous Posted July 22, 2014 One Punch Man is really great. I'm also reading Assassination Classroom and One Piece and Knights of Sidonia and And Yet the Town Moves (Soredemo Machi wa Mawatteiru). The last one is definitely the best one. You seen the anime of SoreMachi? It's probably the Shaft thing I like best after Sayonara, Zetsubou-Sensei. Very weird, very surreal, very Shinbou. The only manga I'm really reading, really ever reading, is Berserk, the release schedule of which is perfect for me, because I forget about it for months at a time, come back, and having almost an entire volume waiting for me. That said, I'm much more frightened of Muira dying than George R.R. Martin. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Twig Posted July 22, 2014 I didn't know there was an anime! I'll definitely have to check that out! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Codicier Posted July 26, 2014 I picked up Volume 1 of Akira today from my main local library's old stock sale for 50p! 50p! Now i know from my time working there the other volumes are kicking around the system somewhere, my main aim over the wkend shall probably trying to find out if I can snatch them too if they have decided to have one of their periodic purges of low issue stuff.. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Trip Hazard Posted July 26, 2014 I'm thoroughly enjoying Berserk so far, having torrented a bunch of it. I know, I'm a bad guy. Anyway, the first 3 volumes were great fun. Even though there is an abundance of action and gore and cool stuff, the story is still very much at the forefront, driving things along. I now can't wait to see how it is going to diverge from the anime. The funny bits with Puck are actually funny, too, and I usually don't care for jokes in manga/anime Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tegan Posted July 26, 2014 I'm re-reading Franken Fran, and it's still so good. I really wish someone had picked this up for official English release. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
coaxmetal Posted July 29, 2014 Twisted Hel scans (the good scanalator group that has been doing Tokyo Ghoul for a while) added some more chapters, which is great, but also another group (a 4th, I think?) decided to join the fray, only they just release chapters that are way too far ahead so there is nothing leading up to them. Very strange. Can we talk about webtoons or manhwa in this thread. Even though you don't read manhwa backwards? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
N1njaSquirrel Posted July 29, 2014 I have no problem with that. One Punch Man is a web comic series. Hetalia was also. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Twig Posted July 29, 2014 I caught back up to One Punch Man and One Piece and Assassination Classroom today after the All Mangas Reader extension broke over a month ago. Just Knights of Sidonia left and I'm BACK IN THE GAME. Well, except for those I'm reading through Crunchyroll. I have no idea how far behind I am on those because unlike for anime they don't have a good way of keeping track of shit for me. ): Share this post Link to post Share on other sites