Manga and manhwa recs poll

[rachelmanija]

[Poll #1208297]

Comments

[rilina.livejournal.com]

Peace Maker has bishounen shinsengumi, slashiness, and a character who I nominated in the emo awards for his crazy emo. (The craziness is not immediately evident, though.) On the down side, the central character is a bit annoying, especially early on, and I'm not particularly happy with the characterization of the women. Overall, I find that the pros are enough to balance the cons for me, and I've enjoyed reading it.

(The anime adaptation has the advantage of animated swordfights, but it adds a very boring subplot that takes up much of the middle episodes. It also takes some events from the continuation series, Peace Maker Kurogane, and incorporates them in the first part of the story.)

[larryhammer]

Pearl Pink doesn't quite nail the dismount the way Omukae Desu does, but despite its flaws, the first two volumes were enough to solidify Meka Tanaka's place on my autobuy everything list. And by not nailing the dismount, I mean some of the narrative obsticles don't arc smoothly; the growth of the heroine into a strong young woman and actor works Really Well, and continues past the point where many shoujo series stop.

King of Thorn is not as good as some of the author's other series -- such as Chikyuu Misaki -- but it's a fun action romp. For extra fun, read it paired with 7 Seeds (in scans for that, as it's unlicensed) for shounen and shoujo takes on very similar premises.

---L.

[octopedingenue]

You neglected to mention the #1 Reasons to Love Pearl Pink, which are of course
- the eensy tiny fluffy monkey!
- the continuing adventures of Idol Momoko, Private Eye, VS Thief Handsome!
- flying heroine ninja attack!

And, y'know, the cuteness that blinds me to any narrative weaknesses because I am busy flailing with love. Meca Tanaka, please accept my ovaries and any future babies you many need. (Just write a Ten Years Later sequel series someday, MMMMKAY?)

[meganbmoore.livejournal.com]

Personally, I want a little one volume "spinoff" about Idol Momoko and Thief Handsome. It would cause me joy beyond words.

[octopedingenue]

I KNOW RIGHT?

Idol Momoko and Thief Handsome must join forces to battle...evil baby seal clubbers! Idol Momoko must fight her own jealousy when Thief Handsome steals...another woman! Thief Handsome gets amnesia and Idol Momoko must help him regain his memories and return to his dastardly ways...but does she want to?

[meganbmoore.livejournal.com]

You forgot the part where IDOL MOMOKO GOES AFTER ANOTHER THIEF, AND THIEF HANDSOME IS OVERWHELMED WITH JEALOUSY!!!

Ah, so much potential with Thief Handsome and Idol Momoko...

[larryhammer]

That would be a good storyline -- Thief Handsome needs a weakness.

---L.

[meganbmoore.livejournal.com]

Well, we already know he's all about Idol Momoko. He just needs a bit of challenge to whip him into shape!

[cerusee.livejournal.com]

I love you more than coffee ice cream with chocolate-covered toffee bits in.

[octopedingenue]

I am, after all, out to steal YOUR HEART. ♥

[larryhammer]

Yes, and you left out a heroine's mother who crawls through ceilings like a ninja (and runs 2km courses in high heels). And a grandmother with a naginata -- and knows how to use it.

Much to love here.

---L.

[octopedingenue]

I firmly believe that grandmother gave Tamako weapons training in between deportment and kimono lessons and that baby!Tamako and mommy played tag in the treetops.

With Kanji's domestic skills, the uber-competence of any future Tamako/Kanji daughters IS TO BE (deliciously) FEARED.

[larryhammer]

Tag in the treetops would explain a few ... things.

---L.

[coffeeandink.livejournal.com]

You should read Silver Diamond and Peacemaker because I like them and Fallen Moon because I want to know if it's any good.

Silver Diamond spoilers?

[estara.livejournal.com]

Silver Diamond has Yaoi subtext in implication so far (I think I've read up to volume 5 in scanlation), but I adore it for its science fiction plot and worldbuilding and for the character group around the hero and their interaction, mainly.
The hero is a nice, milde-mannered orphan who loves flowers. The main (possible) love-interest with glasses who doesn't know emotions is a half-human, half-plant last survivor of his clan, hell bent on revenge (whenever he almost gets killed his wounds turn to bandages and he's fine again - although it still hurts). He can regrow his rifle out of seeds and he has incredible sharp vision.

[szzzt.livejournal.com]

A vote for Silver Diamond here! Sugiura Shiho is one of my favorite mangaka, and in Silver Diamond she's totally applying everything that was awesome about her last long serialized story, Koori no Mamono no Monogatari, without the several-volume wait for the plot to actually figure out where it's going. Plus,

Sweet science-fantasy worldbuilding (a world where metal ore never existed, now mysteriously dying).

A protagonist with nothing wrong with him. That is to say, no self-esteem issues...no need to be shounen-heroic...no princess to rescue or father to confront. Really, a well-balanced person who never needed this story to happen to him, although it will turn out to be very good for all involved that it did.

And because the balanced protagonist can handle it, the secondary main character is about as messed up as it is possible for a still-walking, still-talking person to be. What I loved about Koori was the epic character development and I suspect that the changes in this character will be pretty stunning over the course of the story.

No science-fantasy is complete without the protagonist's (older) evil twin. Why do his prophecies come true? Is he really evil? (Actually, is "he" even sentient? What would it take for him to become close enough?)

And Kou the talking snake (who turns into a snakeskin katana), not to mention the giant wolf or the cases of seed or the bell-trees or the ghosts... Ah, I love me the Silver Diamond.

[meganbmoore.livejournal.com]

Rure I wish for you to read so you can tell me if it's any good.

Pearl pink is OMG BADASS HYPER MONKEY LOVE AND HE'S FASHION OBSESSED AND SHE'S THE BADASS AND HER MOM CRAWLS IN ATTICS LIKE A NINJA AND IT MAKES MY MIND GO WRONG PLACES AND...plot? Uhm...there's a plot. And character development. IT'S JUST LESS IMPORTANT THAN THE BADASS MONKEYLOVE!!!

Peacemaker I've seen the anime of and read the first manga(I have vol 2-3 waiting.) Pretty good and fairly dark Shinsengumi retelling. The main character is annoying, but far less annoying in the manga than in the anime. It has borderline canon slash and a couple badass female characters(at least in the anime...the 2 female characters I'm thinking of were barely in the first manga.) And crossdressing. And Hijikata is hot.

I haven't heard of most of the others, though I think a couple friends were disappointed by +Anima and King of Thorns.

[octopedingenue]

Pearl Pink is

• the darling of my heart


• fluffy pink feminist shoujo romcom


• sweet oddball het Sanzo/Goku complete with snark, head-thwapping, "I'll get stronger so you won't have to take care of me and I can take care of you once in a while!!" devotion, and monkey acrobatics


• the most cute, least badwrong Massive Age Difference and/or My Only Dream Is To Marry You!! romance evah


• an excellent portrayal of the strained but fierce love between an long-absent single mother, her daughter, and their family/friends


• an equally excellent portrayal of a badass girl who decides what she wants and goes for it and the stand-up solid boy who respects and believes in her and who looks really hot in glasses


• did I mention the darling of my heart?

Meca Tanaka is on my Automatic Buy list* and has yet to squash my heart. AAAAAAHHHH PEARL PINK. ♥♥♥♥♥ Now I'm going to spend the rest of the night re-reading it!


*I totally imported her newest unscanslated series from Japan so I can translate it word by word from the dictionary. YAY FANNISH OBSESSION!

[telophase.livejournal.com]

I like +Anima a lot. Don't love it, but like it. :) There's a character in there I think you'll like a lot. Doesn't wear glasses, but is stoic and cool-looking but in reality a total dork. With an angsty past (well, they all have that).

He might even be old enough not to be complete jailbait. XD

[mscongeniality.livejournal.com]

If you decide to read +Anima, I will happily send you a free copy of Volume 3. It's been sitting on my shelf for well over a year now and I just need to make it go away.

[seajules]

A friend passed on the first three volumes of Silver Diamond to me in ahem format. I want moar.

[oyceter]

My vote for Silver Diamond is completely random, as I have not read it, and based purely on wanting to know what you think of it before I read the scans.

[oyceter]

And after reading comments, I am putting in a vote for Pearl Pink as well!

[rayechu.livejournal.com]

I liked +anima well enough. There seems to be a bit of a wait between volumes, but that is not so bad. I also voted for MCL as I really enjoy the story. However due to all of the recent stuff at TP you must be aware that the 3rd volume being printed is probably very unlikely.

[auragirl.livejournal.com]

Peacemaker is good, just ignore the main character, he's everything that's bad about Edward Elric from Fullmetal Alchemist and Yahiko from Kenshin with NONE OF THE REDEEMING QUALITIES. He's worse in the anime.

Everyone else is hot and awesome in it, though.

My Cat Loki is weird, terrifying, and kind of bad. There are some cute art moments but the story is......ummn. I don't even KNOW. Just weird. Manga artist is co-dependant clingy for his dead pet cat? Is this a metaphor for something else? IDK. But it's weird, and not in a good way.

My Cat Loki

[rachelmanija.livejournal.com]

Just posted on it. Yeah, I'd agree with your assessment.

[cerusee.livejournal.com]

Pearl Pink because I totally agree with Kawy. And the world needs more shoujo with fluffy actress moms who crawl through ceilings like ninjas. It crawls up under your heart and makes you go, "Oh...!"

And indeed, King of Thorn isn't quite as badass as Chikuu Misaki, but I remember when I read it, I was thoroughly engaged in a matter of five or six pages, and that is a wonderful feeling to have when you're reading a book. It helps that it hits my sweet spot for "everyday settings, particularly buildings, transformed into weird and dangerous landscapes by a natural disaster, bizarre alteration in size, or a protagonist's unnatural journey through time via cryo-sleep or time travel."

[larryhammer]

That is a good description of King of Thorn.

---L.

[rushthatspeaks.livejournal.com]

We have Ecole du Ciel in the house but I haven't read it yet and neither has Thrud because she was reading Battlefield of Pacifists (which is apparently Bad). So I'll get back to you on that.

+ Anima is a cute, sweet, inconsequential little series which I have not bothered to buy but do read in bookstores. If your library has it, it would be good beach reading.