Interest Stacks

I'm not fond of Tanaka Akio's Shamo so I went reading this one for the cover, to be frank. And what a good idea that was, because if Shamo's frontal and brutal treatment was not at all in my taste, this is a complete 180° and completely my thing. Not only the visuals and character designs are great, but I loved these short stories around this cafe, subtly portraying in light strokes great characters and touching pasts. Not shy of introducing light fantastic aspects, they never become the central part, just adding a bit of magic in this round-up of marginal and maverick characters. The tone is never fully dramatic, oscillating between light absurd comedy, realistic and melancholic drama. It's deliciously inventive, unexpected, touching, and to me extremely funny. A pure masterpiece for me which seems not very well known and that's quite a shame.

What a great manga. Enjoy everything indeed, I loved every single page of it, with all these wonderful characters and the perfect way the author sets up each page. Of course, you need to appreciate the slice of life genre but if you do, I think there's only Non Non Biyori to compete (I'd love to see an anime of Yotsuba directed by Shinya Kawatsura, NNB director). Yotsuba is funny, poetic, endearing, nostalgic. At a time when it seems intelligent to face audiences with frontal suffering and horror, it's so refreshing to be able to read something that makes you want to change your point of view and appreciate all the little joyful things life brings to us. Isn't it a more intelligent way of spending free time instead of more gloom and doom? I believe so.

My favorite manga from Jiro Taniguchi and one of my overall favorites. It's a great way to discover many aspects of the japanese society and surprisingly, I get hungry every time I read just two or three chapters of it. It touches a profoundly human thing I guess. A delicacy, obviously.

Watched the first two episodes of the anime, and immediately went to read the manga. Great post-apocalyptic story entwining two storylines you're never sure they're simultaneous until very late. Great characters, particularly Maru, Kiruko and Mimihime. I liked the road-movie part more than the other story-line, but some readers feel the opposite so I guess everybody can find what he or she looks for. There's some violence, including sexual in it, but it's not too graphic, the author does not insist too much on it, which I find pretty good, almost to the point that you could criticize the little amount of actual trauma that the characters experience despite some of the horrors and difficult situations they have to endure. Personally, I like it very much that way, I dislike overly somber and violent stories, but I can understand that some may not find it realistic enough or satisfying. But if you're like me, go for it, it's a very enjoyable ride.

Really a great manga, taking place in a rather unknown part of the world (Central Asia) in the 19th century. It presents several couples with their peculiarities, how they met and how they're getting together, in societies where arranged marriages are the norm, including when very young.
When viewed in the Western standards, it is full of rather distasteful topics but when a story takes place in a very different culture and time, you can't just apply your moral positions as is. Just as many relationships in Western countries fail to work properly even though they were agreed by both parties, it's safe to assume that a fair amount of arranged relationships did (even do) indeed work out rather well.
My take is that this story focus on some of these and even though it does describe terrible results (some of Amir's sisters died from being beaten by their husband after all), the goal of this series is not to talk about it. It's an acceptable decision from the author and I don't think she can be blamed of trying to promote the outdated practices and customs, she's just telling a story of women for whom it works well, without being shy of saying that it did not for others or of showing that women had very little to say about this.
That's the whole point of fictions. We can talk about topics without endorsing them. We can also show that they are a greyer area than many people want to admit.
In the end, this manga is full of likable characters and in fact healthy, respectful relationships. It's beautifully drawn and gives a lot of cultural and historical information. A great read.

I'm not much into yakuza / gangsters stuff because they usually take themselves very seriously, are ultra-violent borderline violence porn, and in extenso only talk about horror and suffering.
What makes this one stand out is that it perfectly walks a very thin line between violence, absurd humour and weird robin hood story, which gives it a very unique atmosphere. Though it's not shy to display violence and terrible situations (particularly over women), it's usually short enough to make a point without spending whole chapters showing suffering.
There's a bitter-sweet feeling which makes this manga particularly enjoyable all along, without any downtime. The second serie seems to keep on the good work so looking forward to it.

What a great story. I still want to wait for the end to label it one of my all time favorite but for now, it's almost flawless : the art, the characters, the story, all is superb. The doubts, the sadness, the joy, all is perfectly balanced and delivers a bitter sweet story with an emotional prowess I rarely read in manga. How this work can be so little known and underrated is beyond me. It's one of the best love stories in manga.

I started this manga thanks to the anime and the fact is that it only gets better and better. Not only the whole arc until the temple climax was great, but the author manages after that to keep standing on a knife edge between horror and comedy. The current arc with Michuru is absolutely hilarious (the drawing lesson for instance), with this later character being a wonderful addition to the story, moving back and forth between being completely creepy and very touching. Fan service is long gone, while the creativity around spirits is constantly renewed. All good reasons to read this manga.

One of the best mangas I've read. Endearing, well developed characters, no stupid tropes, a nice pace and a real talent to compose the pages. I appreciate that all characters get some love. Isaki is such a wonderful character, but I also like Ukegawa, Anamizu and Shiromaru. And Ganta of course.
There's always this lingering feeling that everything could stop at any moment, that we're witnessing an urgent need to be happy and enjoy life while we can. And this joy translates marvelously from the manga to the reader.
Like most readers, I just hope the author will not end this series in a tragic way, there's enough misery in the world like this.

I read the first adaptation of the light novel in manga. There's a controversy about how it changed several things compared to the light novel, particularly the size of the main character, but after looking at the new release, I decided that I liked the visuals of the first adaptation better and that the changes didn't bother me since I did not read the LN.
And I must say I enjoy this story quite a lot. It's basically a mystery series taking place in some fictional chinese empire capital, around a character of a young lady who's very knowledgeable in medicines and herbs. It's pretty lively, the lady is endearing and very mature, and, although it's not exactly believable that so many people trust her the way they do, it's quite entertaining to follow her in her investigations. The side characters are in general quite lively and the story is not afraid to tackle quite adult topics, so read it before giving it to children.

I wonder how you can tell a single story over almost 15 years and for now 40 volumes and still manage to keep the proper line. To me, even more than Berserk which may be more powerful, but going too much in all directions, this series is an impressive achievement. I just discovered it and read the whole 240 chapters in a go (and I'm grateful for that as I would have hated waiting for years for some of the developments).
Although there are a bit of a repetitive pattern on most of the arcs (somehow Yona is captured and must be saved by her team), the overall development of the relationship of between Yona and Hak is masterful, both bittersweet and touching. The way Hak, the typical unbeatable alpha male, is overwhelmed in his own words by Yona's building strength and courage is very well written. In return, the acknowledgment and respect that Yona sees dawning in Hak allows her feelings to move from friendship to love, here again in a perfectly written way. It is particularly striking to see that, although both are seen by the rest of the world as gifted with unbreakable will, they find in each other the person with whom they can be fragile and weak. Their moments together are by far the best ones in the series, but they are even more precious because they are scarce and short. It makes their romance an incredibly slow built-up even more touching that it seems it could be crushed at any time.
Yona's character is the one of course which shows the most development, but what makes it work is that it's far from being an easy ride. It's really after a hundred of chapters that she's actually able to defend herself after being shown to be trained all along and with this physical training comes a stronger will that particularly shines when she comes back to the capital.
Until now, we don't know very well why Soo Won choose the path he did, but it's definitely a very complex and interesting character. He's also the tragedy figure, the one who'll sacrifice everything to the cause. The whole story around the three characters is also great and so well summarized in the 120-121 chapters, where we have a glimpse of what could have been.
Secondary characters are not forgotten: Jae-Ha and Zeno, in particular, are particularly good as they provide some external ear to the main characters with their very specific point of view. I also appreciate that even if there are fantasy parts in this series, it's kept to a minimum.
Really a great saga and I can't wait for it to finish.

A light fantasy manga as I love it: great art, complex story, good world building, low on magic and fantastic, great characters. There are very interesting plots going on and a good reflection on social and political issues, consistent with the world the story takes place in but wich also resonate with our own. It's cleverly written and not shy to address difficult topics. It's pretty much slice of life with very few battles, and that's quite good as it is. Somehow, it reminds we a bit of A Bride's Tale, even though the context is quite different. The only drawback I see in this work is that we're sometimes a bit lost between all the characters there are. But that's very minor and for the rest, the manga is really great. I just hope it won't get off its current path and go in a more generic battle mode, since the story is heading toward more confrontations as of volume 7. It kept bloodshed and misery to the minimum required so I hope it'll stay that way.

I came to this manga because I liked the anime a lot and no regret here. I like the art of the manga very much, as it is sometimes borderline expressionist. The characters are still great, Hikari definitely being my favorite thanks to the wonderful volume 9. Some newcomers make a great addition to the storyline, particularly Kaoru, Yoko and Zashiko. And of course, there are some great moments with the characters from the anime, so nobody loses here, it's still a joy to follow the daily life of these small "demis".
A very enjoyable ride, very recommended when sad or depressed (or any other time for that matter).

Another great Ojiro Makoto work, more like a slice of life in the countryside with an underneath layer of romance. The characters are quite lively and well written, their interactions are working well and although not much happens (the amount of drama is kept in check), it's time well spend if you like the slice of life genre (pace is definitely slow). Art is very good, the framing and page setting were obviously done with a lot of care. It's also quite enjoyable to reread.

I love discovering such kind of work. Original context, peculiar ambiance, very good art, likable characters (although they need to be tamed a bit). It's a work like none other and extremely compelling and seducing. Just read two volumes for now but I really hope the mangaka will keep this pace and stay true to this concept, as it is really great. I may even raise my note if several volumes keep the same quality as the first one.

Most fantasy manga are either pale vanilla copies of western fantasies or violent samuraï stuff with a little dose of fantastic. There are very few mangas exploring something that looks like real japanese fantasy and do it in an interesting way. This is one of them and it really managed to capture through its inventive fantasy and interesting characters. A proper story is a plus and the manga delivers. It's sometimes a bit messy but is very pleasant to read.

There are several good post-apocalyptic mangas but many, like Desert Punk, start very strong but lose it along the way, dragging too long and lacking a proper focus.
This one's different. Nothing really original in here, almost everything has been done elsewhere, but all is pretty consistent, the art is pretty good and not lazy at all and the pace and the layouts are great. The main character is really well written and interesting, he really drives the whole story and it's difficult to resist the desire to see where he'll be going. Side characters are great and their interactions with the main characters are complex enough to be believable. It's really a great ride for those who are into this kind of context.

A manga with a quite simple device: a young woman and a middle-aged man have a smoke together at the end of their work days and discuss. Although there could be some romantic sub-text, I really hope it remains some kind of close friend relationship or even a strange father-daughter one, with affection but not love. The girl appreciate the old-fashion manners of the man, and he's impressed and a bit overwhelmed by her just as if she was some kind of idol to him. With such a simple base, the author manages to create intimate and touching moments between the two, and it makes this manga a much soothing read, at least for a middle-aged man like me.

Damn, it's so short. Only 20 chapters, far too little to have enough of Natsu, the ultimate adult female character. The story is only about Natsu and Nokoru becoming lovers after being neighbourgs. The way it happens is so straightforward, so natural, so open that it feels like a gentle zephyr in the romance genre. I would have like much more of it, and I know I'm not the only one.

I like many Taniguchi's work, but I have a particular fondness for the tenderness I find in this collection of stories written by Utsumi. It may not be his most brilliant work, but it's one of the emotionally strongest to me. The art is still strong on top of that. A great read when you need some comforting.

A very good manga dealing with trauma and guilt. It subtly avoid getting into horror and misery all the way, more focus on how the girl manages to get over it in time and how her environment helped. It's actually a rather positive manga and it leaves a sad but hopeful aftertaste, quite a good achievement on such a heavy topic. Really a good read.

I like it a lot until now: the visuals, the character design, the ambiance, and the story look quite good. Pretty dark but not depressing.
I always find interesting parts in Asano Inio's mangas, but there are always also parts the prevent me to be fully interested. Here, I was hooked at soon as the first chapter, probably because the author seems more invested in his characters, while I felt detached in his previous work. Hope it will keep the trend until the end.

I like Keigo Shinzou's style even if I don't like everything in his Hirayasumi manga, so I gave this one a try, even though the topic could be the promise of misery and horror all the way. But it's actually a nice surprise, as the author manages to keep a thin line between a positive and pleasant story, and still some realism. It makes the story believable while not being too hard to read. There's a lot of hope in it, and the characters are pretty likable, so a great read.

Now that is fantasy as I like it the most: little magic in fact,interesting worldbuilding with intricate social structures, complex characters with interesting interactions, quick fights and focus on character developments. The fact that the main character is an old fart with still a very positive view on the world and his own life is a pretty nice bonus to me. Will probably be considered too slow for younger audiences but good pace for me.The only drawback is that challenges are often resolved too quickly and easily but I guess that's one of the basics of this story.

A somber dystopic context with a bit of cyberpunk feeling, I guess this was likely to appeal to me. The good thing is that the characters are pretty likable and the art is pretty good. The fights are well framed and drawn. I've only read the ten first chapters, so it's a bit risky to add it here but liked it until now.

Quite a good start for this manga. The premise is interesting, it's a post-apocalyptic setting, but instead of a huge catastrophe that wipes out most of humanity, it's nature taking back her lost terrain to humanity, slowly but surey, condemning the later in the long run because of lack of space. Just about what we do with wild life right now. The art is great, the characters are endearing and the mix of fantasy and science-fiction works well. Could become one of my favourite if it keeps on the current track.
I'm gambling a bit by adding this one to this stack, as they are few chapters released and the previous author's work was axed, apparently because of health issues. Crossing fingers.

After watching the anime that I liked and as it was painfully obvious that there would not be a second season, I came to read the manga and it was a pretty good decision as there are many pretty good things after what the anime adapted. Urabe's character soften significantly and she shows a lot of touching sides. Tsubaki also shows qualities that give him more appeal and help to understand why Urabe fell for him. Tsubaki's sister get a real presence and other side characters also get depth, so it makes the whole series an enjoyable ride and a romance with real personality.

A romance in a Lovecraftian setting. Few mangas are actually original but this one definitely is and in a good way. It's also short enough which in this case is pretty good. Art is also great, just don't read it if you're really bad with gore since there are some disturbing scenes. But it's not complacent with it, it's really required by the plot and for the manga to have the proper impact. Really a nice work if you like dark fantasy.

OK, I understand why people were pissed off by this one. You expect a light, slightly erotic romance and you get something else. And it hits hard. It does because in fact, it's well written. Because the characters are likable. And because for once, we see how to properly react to the rape of someone you love. We have to feel with Ponga all the anger and the frustration he's overwhelmed with. And that's exactly what we would need to endure at his place for the sake of her. This is no cheap feat to have managed to write this story from beginning to end. It is a great work but quite a heavy one.

Well, I like post-apocalyptic contexts and this one is quite nice until now. The art is also quite good and the melancholy of the main character's situation is sensitive. It's more contemplative than action-packed but that can be a good thing too.

A graphically impressive mystery manga, with interesting characters. The context is also unexpected coming from a Japanese author. The fantastic part is kept light, for the better. Good pace, it is a bit lacking emotion-wise but a pleasant read.

Quite a pleasant detective / mystery manga, well written and good for young audience as there is very little violence in it. The good part of it is that even if it involves a supernatural power (Urabe knows when someone lies), it's far from being the deus ex machina that solves all the problem (the issue I have with Un-go for instance). Most of the time, it's above all Uwai's wits which allows to find the culprit, Urabe's power allowing him to have confirmations or to select between two possibilities.
The very light romantic subplot is also a nice addition and made believable by the evolution of their relationship all along, it's not just dropped out of nowhere.

Shirosawa's work are weird in a good way. They take on the common romcoms tropes and pervert them in an unusual but not too quirky way. I find them intelligently written and quite funny, the author not being shy of using quite adult humour, and I rather like the expressionist art style. He doesn't hesitate here to add some weird eroticism and I rather like it since it obviously suits the characters. It might not be the greatest mangas around, but there's no question for me that they have an interesting personality.

Another weird Shorisawa school romcom. Less erotic that Mizuki-senpai but funnier to me. Same expressionist art and layout though, same inexpressive characters, same a bit sick obsessiveness of the main female character for the male one. If you liked Mizuki-senpai, you'll probably like Mitsuishi-shan for the same reasons.

I read this because it's a Ueshiba Riichi work and the fact is that there are a lot of similarities in its build with Nazo no Kanajo X: the general premise is borderline, almost cringe, the male character is in the first chapters a bit bland, even dense, you can understand pretty well where all this will be going from the start (I was pretty sure Minoru would end with Ninomae from the first chapter), and behind the bizarre setup, there is actually a nice romance being built-up.
And just like MGX, the story manages to capture, the characters and their relationship evolving slowly but surely, with a nice pace and relatable situations. Aya's almost the perfect mother all the boys would have dreamed to have but she also has her nice melancholy moments which reminds us that she went through rough times and deserves admiration for remaining so joyful. Ninomae is a real success of a female character, managing to be cute without trying. She's just a pretty straightforward, simple and positive character and that's quite endearing.
I particularly appreciated that, while Minoru's flashbacks could allow in the beginning to almost perfectly predict his interactions with Ninomae, the further you go into the chapters, the further the later differ from his visions, showing that they together are building their own collection of memories, independent from Minoru's father's.
In the end, it's a pretty nice romance with additional levels which makes it a very nice read.

Damn, I don't think I have ever laughed that much before, reading a manga. This is high school romance, but viewed from an adult point of view since most of the characters are actually adults watching the two main protagonists' ongoing romance. And the really good part is that these adults are pretty weird people and not very supportive of the relationship, they're very much an hindrance more than anything.
In particular, Mayumi is just insane a character: damaged, vulgar, frontal and brutal, she's able to casually deliver page after page in day to day conversations obscene jokes that even a frenchman like me would not dare to say loud, especially in mixed company. I was not expecting to get such a character from a japanese manga and it's pretty refreshing. She's actually voicing all the boredom, irritation even, I can have with random rom-com and their pathetically stupid characters. The way she puts Usa in place in volume 7 is spot on. I can't stop laughing thinking about her one-shoulder string for men in volume 8.
Shiro is also very good, the perfect example of how to make a random borderline idea into a great character.
In short, don't read this if you're wanting to read a wholesome generic rom-com manga. Read it if you're adult enough to want to make fun of this generic genre and want a great parody of it.