Manga recs
I've been reading manga again. I read quite a bit of manga at the start of the year but then I read books for a while and didn't read manga. (I'll have to decide on what book to read from my list next.) As I've been searching for manga to read I've also learned what type of mangas I like. Sure it depends on my mood but I keep coming back to some themes.
I'm totally sick of High School mangas, but I read them once in a while because there's just so many of them and there are some good ones among them. I'll recommend a couple of the good mangas that I've read in the past year. And BTW, some of these mangas have sex scenes in them, but I can't be bothered to remember which ones, so bevare (they may not be worksafe and so forth). The links are all worksafe though.
Shoujo (girl's manga) are often too sugary and fluffy for me, so I like josei (women's manga) better. Some of the first josei mangas that I read were Kindan no Koi wo Shiyou (and it's sequels) and Midnight Secretary, both by the same author. The first one has a man-wolf and the second a vampire. Since then I've read Shuukatsu!! - Kimi ni Naitei and It's Not Like That, Darling. I especially like the second one. It has a great plot that really hooks you. Shiikatsu!! - Kini ni Naitei is the only one of these about normal people leading fairly normal lives (at University in this case). :p
History is interesting but I especially enjoy mangas that have old Japanese mythology and folklore in them, because it's so different from any that I've read about before now. I've read a couple of good mangas where the main characters deals with the spirit world. For example Hyakki Yakoushou is excellent. The mood is great and I like the artwork. Kamisama Hajimemashita isn't as dark and has more humour, but the premise of the manga is interesting. (It also has tsundere character in it, but I'll get back to that.)
For some weird reason I like post-apocalyptic stories, especially if they're also about surviving in that new world. There's just something that tickles my imagination in that. I haven't found all that many good mangas that take place in a post-apocalyptic world, but one is 7 seeds. I wish that there was more of this manga. It has some weak points (like the dinosaurs -_-), but the drama, mystery and plot kept me hooked. It's also refreshing to read a manga where people actually die when they encounter dangerous situations. They don't just miraculously always defeat the odds.
I've also been reading yaoi (male x male) mangas. At the start of this year I decided to familiarize myself with some yaoi mangas because I haven't really read any yaoi mangas before now, unless you count doujinshis.
I never would've thought that I'd like a manga that sounds so stupid as Sex Pistols. I mean, animal-people and male pregnancy. But! It's a much better manga than it at first seems. The mangaka has developed the world so that it actually works and makes sense. I'd say that my favorite yaoi manga so far would be Koisuru Boukun. It may not be to everyone's taste, but I'm completely hooked to it. It has adult characters, unrequited love, one of the main characters is not gay (that's really rare in yaoi mangas that I've read so far) and it has a tsundere character. And the sex scenes actually moves the plot along! What more could you ask for. ^^
After I read Koisuru Boukun I realised that I like male tsundere characters in manga. At first they're cold and even violent, but gradually they warm up and show a kinder side (sometimes only occasionally). Tsundere characters create drama. They're interesting. Now that I think about it many of my favourite fanfic characters could also be described as tsundere. Hmm... I wonder if this has some significance for me. I can't really analyze why I like tsundere characters. I just do.
Doushitemo Furetakunai is one of the newer yaoi mangas that I've enjoyed. Many mangas are so cliche, but this one manages to have characters and interaction that feels fresh. Also, one of the characters isn't gay, but Japan's a bit different in this regard. You can have gay sex, yet not be gay. It's kinda hard for a Western person to understand. xp Having a not-gay character just makes the story more interesting. It's also more realistic that way. It's annoying how all the relevant characters in most male/male stories are conveniently gay, and the people around them are also conveniently okey with them being gay. ><
Then there's Seven Days. Nice and compact story. I guess that it also has the sort of artwork that's kinda in "fashion" right now. :p
That's it for now. This is in no way a complete manga recommendation post. These are just some of the good mangas that I've read in the past year.[EDIT]
Mitenkään aiheeseen liittymättä... ette usko minkälaisia taideteoksia ihmiset osaa tehdä sokerista ja suklaasta. Katoin tän dokkarin viime viikonloppuna ja olin ihan "ei oo totta... onko toi tehty sokerista?".
I'm totally sick of High School mangas, but I read them once in a while because there's just so many of them and there are some good ones among them. I'll recommend a couple of the good mangas that I've read in the past year. And BTW, some of these mangas have sex scenes in them, but I can't be bothered to remember which ones, so bevare (they may not be worksafe and so forth). The links are all worksafe though.
Shoujo (girl's manga) are often too sugary and fluffy for me, so I like josei (women's manga) better. Some of the first josei mangas that I read were Kindan no Koi wo Shiyou (and it's sequels) and Midnight Secretary, both by the same author. The first one has a man-wolf and the second a vampire. Since then I've read Shuukatsu!! - Kimi ni Naitei and It's Not Like That, Darling. I especially like the second one. It has a great plot that really hooks you. Shiikatsu!! - Kini ni Naitei is the only one of these about normal people leading fairly normal lives (at University in this case). :p
History is interesting but I especially enjoy mangas that have old Japanese mythology and folklore in them, because it's so different from any that I've read about before now. I've read a couple of good mangas where the main characters deals with the spirit world. For example Hyakki Yakoushou is excellent. The mood is great and I like the artwork. Kamisama Hajimemashita isn't as dark and has more humour, but the premise of the manga is interesting. (It also has tsundere character in it, but I'll get back to that.)
For some weird reason I like post-apocalyptic stories, especially if they're also about surviving in that new world. There's just something that tickles my imagination in that. I haven't found all that many good mangas that take place in a post-apocalyptic world, but one is 7 seeds. I wish that there was more of this manga. It has some weak points (like the dinosaurs -_-), but the drama, mystery and plot kept me hooked. It's also refreshing to read a manga where people actually die when they encounter dangerous situations. They don't just miraculously always defeat the odds.
I've also been reading yaoi (male x male) mangas. At the start of this year I decided to familiarize myself with some yaoi mangas because I haven't really read any yaoi mangas before now, unless you count doujinshis.
I never would've thought that I'd like a manga that sounds so stupid as Sex Pistols. I mean, animal-people and male pregnancy. But! It's a much better manga than it at first seems. The mangaka has developed the world so that it actually works and makes sense. I'd say that my favorite yaoi manga so far would be Koisuru Boukun. It may not be to everyone's taste, but I'm completely hooked to it. It has adult characters, unrequited love, one of the main characters is not gay (that's really rare in yaoi mangas that I've read so far) and it has a tsundere character. And the sex scenes actually moves the plot along! What more could you ask for. ^^
After I read Koisuru Boukun I realised that I like male tsundere characters in manga. At first they're cold and even violent, but gradually they warm up and show a kinder side (sometimes only occasionally). Tsundere characters create drama. They're interesting. Now that I think about it many of my favourite fanfic characters could also be described as tsundere. Hmm... I wonder if this has some significance for me. I can't really analyze why I like tsundere characters. I just do.
Doushitemo Furetakunai is one of the newer yaoi mangas that I've enjoyed. Many mangas are so cliche, but this one manages to have characters and interaction that feels fresh. Also, one of the characters isn't gay, but Japan's a bit different in this regard. You can have gay sex, yet not be gay. It's kinda hard for a Western person to understand. xp Having a not-gay character just makes the story more interesting. It's also more realistic that way. It's annoying how all the relevant characters in most male/male stories are conveniently gay, and the people around them are also conveniently okey with them being gay. ><
Then there's Seven Days. Nice and compact story. I guess that it also has the sort of artwork that's kinda in "fashion" right now. :p
That's it for now. This is in no way a complete manga recommendation post. These are just some of the good mangas that I've read in the past year.[EDIT]
Mitenkään aiheeseen liittymättä... ette usko minkälaisia taideteoksia ihmiset osaa tehdä sokerista ja suklaasta. Katoin tän dokkarin viime viikonloppuna ja olin ihan "ei oo totta... onko toi tehty sokerista?".