My Top 10 Manga

Welcome back to the 4-year anniversary fellow Otaku & Metalheads!

Like I said in my last post, it’s time to take a look at my top 10 favorite manga. Kinda like when I talked about my favorite books of all time, this was something of a tough list. Again, it wasn’t about what was going to be on here, but more on how to show them off. This time around, I got quotes from the comics themselves, and the front cover to give them a little more identity this time around. Some series on here you won’t be surprised by, but a few others you might. With that out of the way, here are my top 10 favorite manga of all time. Enjoy!

10) Elf-San Wa Yaserarenai (Link)

“Naoe Tomoatsu is a massage therapist at the Smiley Boar clinic. Things are pretty normal for him there until one night when he gets a new client who happens to be an elf. This elf, named Erufuda, came to our world from another dimension and wants to go back. However, before she can go she has to lose the weight she gained during her stay, which is very difficult due to her newly gained addiction to french fries, so she wants Naoe's help slimming down. As he tries to help Erufuda keep her weight under control, Naoe meets other non-human women in a similar situation who also need his assistance”

I start off this list with a really weird & unknown series. Discovering it in a suggestions section on a site I frequent, it’s one of the oddest comics I’ve read.....and yet it’s one of the smartest series I’ve laid eyes on. Take various fantasy races, put them in the modern world, give them access to foods & other things that would otherwise not be where they’re from, and see someone help them get back in shape using real-world techniques. The end result is surprisingly educational, full of wacky & fun characters, and manages to get your attention in strange ways. Though it’s only up to 20 chapters at the moment, it’s a neat little ride that’ll keep you paying attention.

9) Bleach

“Ichigo Kurosaki has always been able to see ghosts, but this ability doesn't change his life nearly as much as his close encounter with Rukia Kuchiki, a Soul Reaper and member of the mysterious Soul Society. While fighting a Hollow, an evil spirit that preys on humans who display psychic energy, Rukia attempts to lend Ichigo some of her powers so that he can save his family; but much to her surprise, Ichigo absorbs every last drop of her energy. Now a full-fledged Soul Reaper himself, Ichigo quickly learns that the world he inhabits is one full of dangerous spirits and, along with Rukia--who is slowly regaining her powers--it's Ichigo's job to protect the innocent from Hollows and help the spirits themselves find peace.”

If there’s one thing I hate doing, it’s getting into things a little too late. Type-O Negative comes to mind for me in terms of discovering bands later than I should have, and in one example of finding a manga later than I should have, it would be Bleach. Ironically, I watched the anime for years, and enjoyed it immensely. The Manga? I’ve only been reading it for the past 1 to 2 years. Upon acquiring the first compilation of the comic, I immediately became hooked. It reminded me of watching the first few episodes back in 2006 all over again, and after getting a few more of the compilations in recent times, I’ve come to the conclusion that I’ll keep buying & reading them.

8) With The Light: Raising An Autistic Child & A Silent Voice

“Born during the sunrise - an auspicious beginning - the Azumas' newborn son is named Hikaru, which means "light". But during one play date, his mother notices that her son is slightly different from the other children. In the alternately heartwarming and bittersweet tale, a young mother tries to cope with both the overwhelming discovery of her child's autism and the trials of raising him while keeping her family together. This is a story that resonates not only for those whose families have been affected by autism, but also for all past, present, and future parents.”

“The story revolves around Nishimiya Shoko, a grade school student who has impaired hearing. She transfers into a new school, where she is bullied by her classmates, especially Ishida Shouya. It gets to the point where she transfers to another school and as a result, Shouya is ostracized and bullied himself, with no friends to speak of and no plans for the future. Years later, he sets himself on a path to redemption.”

I shouldn’t necessarily put both of these here. Technically, I’ve only ever bought & read one volume in the case of the 1st series, and 2 volumes in regards to the 2nd series, but that won’t stop me from talking about two of the most mature, educational, and heartwarming manga I’ve ever read. Both series are also incredibly realistic: the main characters are disabled in someway, you see how harsh the word treats them, but you also see them rise up alongside those that care for them & are friends. I’ll eventually complete both comics, but even without doing so, I love the both of them.

7) Nurse Hitomi’s Monster Infirmary

“"COME UP AND SEE ME SOMETIME"

Welcome to the nurse's office! School Nurse Hitomi is more than happy to help you with any health concerns you might have. Whether you're dealing with growing pains or shrinking spurts, body parts that won't stay attached, or a pesky invisibility problem, Nurse Hitomi can provide a fresh look at the problem with her giant, all-seeing eye. So come on in! The nurse is ready to see you!”

Weirdly enough, the middle part of this list was actually a bit tricky to think about. 10 to 8 was easy, and 3 to 1 was a piece of cake. From 7 to 4? That took a little bit, but it wasn’t impossible. Starting off this section of the list we have the quirky series, Nurse Hitomi’s Monster Infirmary. With art & story created by Shake-O (Yes, that’s the artist’s name), Nurse Hitomi takes the typical monster trope, and strangely turns it into something more grounded. The titular Nurse Hitomi is the guidance councilor of a high school she works at, and helps the various students through their issues. Whether it’s relationships, trying to control one’s invisibility power, or even something as simple as a stretchy tongue. Even Hitomi herself is unusual as well, as she’s actually a cyclops, and is more perceptive than she lets on. Though the “Monster” descriptor is a bit of a stretch, adding a quirky element to real life somehow makes it fascinating. If you want an alternative to more mainstream “Monster” series, then Nurse Hitomi’s Monster Infirmary might be what you seek.

6) 12 Beast

“HARPY GIRLS JUST WANNA HAVE FUN!

Three things you should know about Touga Eita, second-year high school student and heir to the Touga-style ninjutsu dojo: First, he really, really loves video games. Second, when given a choice between heroics and saving his own skin, he will always choose the latter. Third, he's never so much as kissed a girl.

All this changes when a voluptuous girl with wings and taloned feet named Aero appears and calls on Eita to help save her people-the harpies of Re-Verse-from the merciless onslaught of giant robot monsters known as Gigas. Eita will follow his newfound harpy friend into a whole new world, filled with monster girls and fantastical creatures beyond his wildest dreams.”

From the picture I used for this, I may have spoiled what was coming later on in the list, but that won’t stop me from talking about one of the most fun fantasy series I’ve ever read. Despite the presence of monster girls, the fan-serivce aspect is much more controlled, and isn’t non-stop. It’s basically one guy reluctantly taking on a quest, and he’s got a party he build up overtime. Along the way, they learn more about the world, and the enemy they fight. Though it’s only at 5 volumes right now (With a 6th one coming out soon), it’s really entertaining, and it’s something worth checking out.

5) Love Hina

“When Keitaro Urashima fails his entrance exams to get into Tokyo University for the second time, he's officially an unemployed and uneducated slacker. To make things worse, his parents have kicked him out of his house. Fortunately, his grandmother owns the fabulous Hinata Lodge and has agreed to take Keitaro in as caretaker. What he doesn't know is that the lodge is actually a girl's dorm and he's the only guy around! Most guys would kill to live with five sexy ladies, but if Keitaro's not careful, this job will kill him.”

This spot. Out of every single spot from seven to four, it was number five that proved the trickiest for me to figure something out. Cue this past Saturday, as I was scanning my manga collection for something to put here, and for whatever reason my eyes got fixated on this series. As much as I like the anime incarnation, I found the manga version strangely more mature. Make no mistake, it still knows how to be silly & fan-servicey on many occasions, but the comic knew when to pull the wacky back, and a mature scene or two come into the limelight & really flesh things out. Like the show, the Love Hina manga isn’t for everybody, but if you give it even a small try, you might find it to be quite enjoyable.

4) Astro Boy

“Built by a brilliant scientist to replace his lost son, but with powers beyond imagination, Astro Boy fights for the oppressed and helpless—human, alien, or robot. Created by Osamu Tezuka, “Japan’s Walt Disney,” Astro Boy is action-packed, classic fun for all ages, now featured in value-priced omnibus editions!”

If there was one thing that Osamu Tezuka knew how to do, and do well, was being deep. Not edgy deep like you see in a lot of tweeny stuff, but deep in the terms of thought provoking. A good chunk of his series dealt with some really heavy stuff. Kimba The White Lion, Blackjack, Princess Knight, and the series I’m talking about here, Astro Boy. To many older Americans, this was perhaps one of if not their first exposures to anime. You have the titular Astro Boy, a robot created to be the spitting image of the dead son of the scientist that made him, and when the scientist rejected him, he was eventually found by another scientist, becoming a new symbol of justice. All along his journey, he come across many moral quandaries, meet plenty of friends, lose some friends, and goes through evens that would break lesser individuals. Though he may no longer be with us, Mr. Tezuka has crafted a legacy that will last until the end of the world, and Astro Boy will always be there to do what’s right.

3) Tenchi Muyo

“The trouble and fun began when ordinary teenager Tenchi Masaki inadvertently released the legendary demon Ryoko from his grandfather's shrine. Turned out Ryoko was actually a marooned space pirate! Since then, she's become Tenchi's unwanted houseguest, attracting a host of other troublemaking alien women: Ayeka, a haughty alien pricess; Sasami, her mischievous little sister; and Washu, Ryoko's mad-scientist "mother." Add Ryo-oh-Ki, an adorable little carrot-eating spaceship, and you've got one full Shinto shrine!”

True story: a long time before becoming part of the anime fandom, I got into manga. Okay, that’s technically not true. In reality, while wandering inside a Waldenbooks in 2001 (Shout-out to anyone who remembers that chain), I came across the first volume of this now looooong out of print series. For whatever reason, the group of characters enchanted me somehow. My Mom bought it for me, and I loved it. On Christmas that year, I got volume 2, and loved that as well. From there....nothing. It would take 13 years before I would come back to the Tenchi series, and all the while picking up other series in the process. Then, in 2014, after getting some birthday money, I grabbed what’s left in the series...and by god I was punching myself in the face for not getting into this sooner!

Tenchi Muyo the manga carries all of the wit, charm, humor, heart, and even occasional dirtiness that the anime had, while at the same time creating it’s own mood & atmosphere. Seeing what happens to Tenchi & the gang after the events of the OVA, it’s really a lot of fun to read. It might be a bit expensive, but if you can find all of the volumes, buy them. If you do, you’ll have a piece of early 2000s manga history.

2) Rosario + Vampire

“All-around average teenager Tsukune can't get accepted to any high school save one...but on his first day he finds the rest of the student body doesn't appear average at all. Best of all, the cutest girl on campus can't wait to fling her arms around his neck! Wait a sec'--are those her teeth around his neck too...? Tsukune's going to have one heck of a hickey when he gets home from Monster High! But does he have a chance in H E double hockey sticks of raising his grades at a school where the turf war isn't between the jocks and the nerds but the vampires and the werewolves?”

There’s always a manga series that, when you finish collecting it, you feel the heartstrings tugged. Such is the case of Rosario + Vampire for me. I’ve already talked about it before in various articles I posted, so I won’t repeat much here. I will say once again that Rosario + Vampire the manga is more mature, clever, and deeper than it’s anime counterpart. Sure there’s some fan-service & romantic elements, but they’re not the focus. Regardless, this Shonen series is a cut above some of the others, and it’s one worth reading.

Now before we get to my no. 1, I wanted to talk about 2 honorable mentions in my favorite manga collection. To make things a little more interesting, I decided to go for two pretty obscure titles. One might be familiar to more old-school anime fans, while the other is virtually unknown, and hasn’t been printed in English. With that out of the way, here are my manga honorable mentions.

HM1) Plastic Little: Captain’s Log

“From CPM: The curvaceous cutie Captain Tita pilots the far-future submersible Cha Cha Maru, hunting creatures for the exotic pet market. With only four years’ experience under her belt, can Tita capture an elusive cloud whale and fulfill a vow to her dead father, or is she literally out of her depth on this one?”

I think a lot of old-school otaku might recall Plastic Little: The Adventures Of Captain Tita. A short little OVA (47 minutes I believe), it was filled with fun sci-fi action, and had phenomenal artwork from the legendary Satoshi Urushihara. Originally released as a series of small comic releases (If I’m remembering correctly), they were eventually compiled into the collection known as Captain’s Log. Focusing more on stories of some of the crew members of the Cha Cha Maru, they almost come across like episodes for a mini-series that never got made. This manga collection has been out of print for a longtime, since it was released by CPM manga, and no-one has reclaimed the license for it. So if you can somehow find a physical copy, or find a site that hosts scans of it (Link here), give it a read.

HM2) Bra Girl (Link)

“She's quite a normal girl with a crush on a handsome boy but she has a hardon everytime she sees him. Welcome to the life of Haruka-chan, a girl with a penis. Although it's not that uncommon in this world, she is still embarrassed by the fact. There is also a group of dickgirls in the school, and they found out her secret, what will she do?”

Like I hinted at above, this short series has never been released in the United States, and I think anywhere else. However, that won’t let me talk about one of the most surprisingly progressive manga I’ve ever read. Like the description says about, it’s about a girl who has a crush on a boy....but has to worry about him discovering the fact that she has some extra between her legs. She finds a group of girls at her highschool who are in a similar predicament, they become friends, and by the end she gets the boy. Though the creator says that this wasn’t one of their best works, you can see the potential somewhere within. I put a link up above, and despite how fan-servicey it can be, there’s some genuine humor & heart in it. If you have a little time, give it a read & see what you think.

1) Monster Musume: Everyday Life With Monster Girls

“They're real, and they want to date us! Three years ago, the world learned that harpies, centaurs, catgirls, and all manners of fabulous creatures are not merely fiction; they are flesh and blood?not to mention scale, feather, horn, and fang. Thanks to the "Cultural Exchange Between Species Act," these once-mythical creatures have assimilated into society, or at least, they're trying. When a hapless human teenager named Kurusu Kimihito is inducted as a "volunteer" into the government exchange program, his world is turned upside down. A snake-like lamia named Miia comes to live with him, and it is Kurusu's job to take care of her and make sure she integrates into his everyday life. Unfortunately for Kurusu, Miia is undeniably sexy, and the law against interspecies breeding is very strict. Even worse, when a ravishing centaur girl and a flirtatious harpy move in, what's a full-blooded teenage human with raging hormones to do?”

Anyone who knows me, whether you’re a close personal friend or an acquaintance, should not be surprised by what’s at my number one spot. First hearing about it from a friend, I had the itch one day to just read everything that was scanned in at the time. I was immediately hooked: the setting & story was interesting, the characters were fun, and the fan-service was incredibly enjoyable. Since becoming a fan, I have obtained all of the physical volumes released in the states at this time, just about all of the music CDs (I got 1 left to buy), and even managed to acquire some Centorea card-slips (Which I’m currently using to make a Valduk EDH deck). I’ve had a lot of manga series I genuinely like, but Monster Musume is the first that I genuinely love. Whether you’re gay, straight, or anywhere in between, just binge read this series. You won’t regret it!

So these were my top 10 favorite manga of all time. This was a genuinely hard list to come up with, but I took it as a challenge. There are plenty of other series I enjoy, but these ten series are the ones I like the most. With this list done, It’s time for me to make up for the lack of reviews I did during the 2nd catchup month, so stay tuned throughout the rest of the month.