longer manga series I've read all of.
A follow up to this post and this one. These are the series I've read all of(as in, the entire thing has been released here and I've read it all).
A few notes:
Those less than 10 volumes aren't here because they were covered, even briefly, before.
Saiyuki Is not included for the same reason it wasn't in the "short manga" post: there's not much more than the title to distinguish it as a second series, as opposed to a continuation of the same story. Even though there's currently a sequel series in Japan, W Juliet is because it completed it's story, and the sequel is a new story.
Ceres: Celestial Legend(14) A dark modern romantic fantasy based on the fable of the fairy (or celestial maiden, here) and the woodcutter (or, for those more familiar with european mythology, the selkie and the fisherman) about the twin descendants of the fairy tale couple, who learn the hard way that their ancestors weren't the happiest couple ever...in fact, the celestial maiden wants to wipe them all out, especially her husband's reincarnation. Between them is a boy named Yuhi who's sister-in-law is also descended from a celestial maiden(apparently not as vengeful a maiden, though) and an amnesiac young man named Toya who appears to have ties to both the maiden and the modern family. While Fushigi Yugi is the more popular of Yu Watase's "big" fantasy series, I've always preferred Ceres, both anime and manga.
Death Note(12) About a young man who, literally, gain the power of death and uses it to create his ideal, crimeless world, and the detectives (there are 3 main ones) who try to outsmart him and learn his identity. It's very good a psychological and analytical perspective, but needed to end a good 2 to 3 volumes before it did, when two of the detectives somewhat join forces. After that, it started focusing on new and, frankly, boring characters that caused the climax to be a bit too dragged out. Still a very interesting series, though.
Descendants of Darkness(11) The bureacracy of death. I forget what they're called now, but it's about the agents of a bureau that investigates why there are more deaths occurring than should in an area, why a soul didn't cross over when it should, etc. It's an alternately dark and comedic series with a delightful cast, but it also committed the unforgivable crime of ending mid storyline.
From Far Away(14) One of the many series spawned by Fushigi Yugi, (or at least, brough over because of FY's popularity) a romantic fantasy about a girl who is transported to another world and finds herself under the care of the young man who is supposed to be the demon that destroys his world, and learns that she's supposed to be the key that awakens his inner demon. It's not the most memorable series, but it's good and rather endearing.
Fushigi Yuugi(18) One of the most popular shojo titles to make it to the US, about a girl who finds herself transported into the world of a book, where she learns she's a priestess supposed to save the world.
dangermousieactually posted a good synopsis this morning (very nice and convenient or her, too.)
NOTE: Anime and manga both, when you reach the conclusion of part one(the end of the regular series in the anime, I think vol 13 ofthe manga...you can't miss it) DO NOT READ OR WATCH ANY FURTHER! NOTHING AFTER THAT EXISTS! It destroys what came before on several levels, but notably turns a character into the attempted rapist of a girl healways viewed as a sister, and no one seems bothered by it except himself, because he was "influenced."
Here is Greenwood(11) A wacky comedy about a boys dorm where the sanest person there is a boy so high strung, he gives himself hernias(I think that's what it was...) from stress. A very fun and funny series. And often sweet and touching.
Love Hina(14) One ofthe better relationship and coming of age series, and romantic comedy about a hapless and hopelessly clumsy young man who finds himself the manager of a girl's boarding house, only to find the residents are less than pleased about that. One of the best, really, despite the fanservice.
NOTE: The anime largely glosses over the romantic relationship and makes Keitaro seem less faithful to Naru than he is in the manga(where he's very faithful, despite the attempts of many to make him be otherwise) and is basically highlights. While fun, it's not really representative of the manga (though there was a character original to the nime who I rather liked.)
MARS(15 + 1 side volume) A romance about two hopelessly damaged people who mange to heal themselves. I'm going to take the easy road and point to
dangermousie's LJ again, as she has so many posts on Mars that she may need a second tag for it(granted, most are for the drama, but...)
Pet Shop of Horrors(10) About an odd man with a petshop of "exotic pets" that are actually mythic beasts, and a police officer who's convinced he's up to criminal deeds. A good series that's often funny and sometimes creepy, though I remember there was something odd about the ending (it's been a while.)
Rurouni Kenshin(28) A series set in 19th century Japan about a former assassin who has sworn never to kill again, and his search for a home, which leads him to a young woman named Kaoru, and a host of characters changed by the same war that changed him. A rather light and sometimes OTT series on the surface, it's actually rather deep, and is probably somewhere in my top 10 manga (were I to make such a list.)
NOTE: If you've seen the anime, nothing after the Kyoto arc is from the manga. However, the best arc of the entire thing takes place after the Kyoto arc, where Kenshin's past is dealt with and almost everyone is given a satisfying ending, without making it seem saccharine or contrived. In fact, while the ending as a whole is happy, many parts of it, and of the series itself, are rather bittersweet.
NOTE THE SECOND: For some reason, people like to compare Rurouni Kenshin and Samurai Deeper Kyo. I adore both series, but that is very silly. Aside from a guy with a sword and a large supporting cast(like virtually every shonen action manga out there...) they aren't very similar. You can draw some parallels between Kaoru and Yuya, and they are both set in historical Japan, but they're set in diferent time periods and the bulk of the characters, especially Kyo and Kenshin themselves, couldn't be more different. They do have common themes of friendship and loyalty, butthat's about it.
W-Juliet(14) A romantic comedy about a girl who almost looks like a boy and a boy who has to graduate from highschool or a girl if he doesn't want to take over his family's dojo. It starts kinda slow, but would also likely be in my top 10 manga if I made such a list, and is one of the wackiest, most endearing romantic mangas I've read, and it's just as obsessed as Fruits Basket is with making sure everyone is paired with someone, and they all work just as well.
A few notes:
Those less than 10 volumes aren't here because they were covered, even briefly, before.
Saiyuki Is not included for the same reason it wasn't in the "short manga" post: there's not much more than the title to distinguish it as a second series, as opposed to a continuation of the same story. Even though there's currently a sequel series in Japan, W Juliet is because it completed it's story, and the sequel is a new story.
Ceres: Celestial Legend(14) A dark modern romantic fantasy based on the fable of the fairy (or celestial maiden, here) and the woodcutter (or, for those more familiar with european mythology, the selkie and the fisherman) about the twin descendants of the fairy tale couple, who learn the hard way that their ancestors weren't the happiest couple ever...in fact, the celestial maiden wants to wipe them all out, especially her husband's reincarnation. Between them is a boy named Yuhi who's sister-in-law is also descended from a celestial maiden(apparently not as vengeful a maiden, though) and an amnesiac young man named Toya who appears to have ties to both the maiden and the modern family. While Fushigi Yugi is the more popular of Yu Watase's "big" fantasy series, I've always preferred Ceres, both anime and manga.
Death Note(12) About a young man who, literally, gain the power of death and uses it to create his ideal, crimeless world, and the detectives (there are 3 main ones) who try to outsmart him and learn his identity. It's very good a psychological and analytical perspective, but needed to end a good 2 to 3 volumes before it did, when two of the detectives somewhat join forces. After that, it started focusing on new and, frankly, boring characters that caused the climax to be a bit too dragged out. Still a very interesting series, though.
Descendants of Darkness(11) The bureacracy of death. I forget what they're called now, but it's about the agents of a bureau that investigates why there are more deaths occurring than should in an area, why a soul didn't cross over when it should, etc. It's an alternately dark and comedic series with a delightful cast, but it also committed the unforgivable crime of ending mid storyline.
From Far Away(14) One of the many series spawned by Fushigi Yugi, (or at least, brough over because of FY's popularity) a romantic fantasy about a girl who is transported to another world and finds herself under the care of the young man who is supposed to be the demon that destroys his world, and learns that she's supposed to be the key that awakens his inner demon. It's not the most memorable series, but it's good and rather endearing.
Fushigi Yuugi(18) One of the most popular shojo titles to make it to the US, about a girl who finds herself transported into the world of a book, where she learns she's a priestess supposed to save the world.
dangermousieactually posted a good synopsis this morning (very nice and convenient or her, too.)
NOTE: Anime and manga both, when you reach the conclusion of part one(the end of the regular series in the anime, I think vol 13 ofthe manga...you can't miss it) DO NOT READ OR WATCH ANY FURTHER! NOTHING AFTER THAT EXISTS! It destroys what came before on several levels, but notably turns a character into the attempted rapist of a girl healways viewed as a sister, and no one seems bothered by it except himself, because he was "influenced."
Here is Greenwood(11) A wacky comedy about a boys dorm where the sanest person there is a boy so high strung, he gives himself hernias(I think that's what it was...) from stress. A very fun and funny series. And often sweet and touching.
Love Hina(14) One ofthe better relationship and coming of age series, and romantic comedy about a hapless and hopelessly clumsy young man who finds himself the manager of a girl's boarding house, only to find the residents are less than pleased about that. One of the best, really, despite the fanservice.
NOTE: The anime largely glosses over the romantic relationship and makes Keitaro seem less faithful to Naru than he is in the manga(where he's very faithful, despite the attempts of many to make him be otherwise) and is basically highlights. While fun, it's not really representative of the manga (though there was a character original to the nime who I rather liked.)
MARS(15 + 1 side volume) A romance about two hopelessly damaged people who mange to heal themselves. I'm going to take the easy road and point to
dangermousie's LJ again, as she has so many posts on Mars that she may need a second tag for it(granted, most are for the drama, but...)
Pet Shop of Horrors(10) About an odd man with a petshop of "exotic pets" that are actually mythic beasts, and a police officer who's convinced he's up to criminal deeds. A good series that's often funny and sometimes creepy, though I remember there was something odd about the ending (it's been a while.)
Rurouni Kenshin(28) A series set in 19th century Japan about a former assassin who has sworn never to kill again, and his search for a home, which leads him to a young woman named Kaoru, and a host of characters changed by the same war that changed him. A rather light and sometimes OTT series on the surface, it's actually rather deep, and is probably somewhere in my top 10 manga (were I to make such a list.)
NOTE: If you've seen the anime, nothing after the Kyoto arc is from the manga. However, the best arc of the entire thing takes place after the Kyoto arc, where Kenshin's past is dealt with and almost everyone is given a satisfying ending, without making it seem saccharine or contrived. In fact, while the ending as a whole is happy, many parts of it, and of the series itself, are rather bittersweet.
NOTE THE SECOND: For some reason, people like to compare Rurouni Kenshin and Samurai Deeper Kyo. I adore both series, but that is very silly. Aside from a guy with a sword and a large supporting cast(like virtually every shonen action manga out there...) they aren't very similar. You can draw some parallels between Kaoru and Yuya, and they are both set in historical Japan, but they're set in diferent time periods and the bulk of the characters, especially Kyo and Kenshin themselves, couldn't be more different. They do have common themes of friendship and loyalty, butthat's about it.
W-Juliet(14) A romantic comedy about a girl who almost looks like a boy and a boy who has to graduate from highschool or a girl if he doesn't want to take over his family's dojo. It starts kinda slow, but would also likely be in my top 10 manga if I made such a list, and is one of the wackiest, most endearing romantic mangas I've read, and it's just as obsessed as Fruits Basket is with making sure everyone is paired with someone, and they all work just as well.