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Just read the following:

Kurosagi Corpse Delivery Service Vols.1-3 (omnibus version)-
I actually read the first volume when it first came out back in the mid 2000s, remembered liking it but for some reason, I never continued with the series. Now that Dark Horse is putting out an omnibus edition I decided to jump back in and I'm glad I did. I like mystery stories/manga in general but what really makes Kurosagi stand out for me are the cultural context of all the crimes, great character chemistry, and witty writing. Alan45 mentioned it awhile back, but I really enjoyed how all the crimes are rooted in some larger cultural context of Japanese society and there's a surprising amount of social commentary as well.

The characters are also pretty funny. They're basically a group of "hipster"/slacker college students who tease each other a lot. The writing and humor is very dark and witty. The characters joke around a lot and many of the exchanges are very funny. In fact, the characters say some of the funniest lines in the most morbid situations. Carl Horn did really a great job with localization. I think the art is pretty good although it does look a little plain at times but it works in the context of the story.

Dorohedoro Vols. 1-5- A very creative, surreal, quirky, and violent story so far. What drew me in was the really creative world. It's tricky to describe, I'd call the setting "urban fantasy". The story mainly takes place in this chaotic, modern-day city called the Hole but there exist sorcerers that can use bizarre magic to turn people into insects or reattach limbs. There's lots of weird, creative stuff. For example, the main character has a lizard head with a human body and wears a gas mask, another character can turn things into mushrooms with his breath, and there's flying carpet taxis. The artwork is fantastic, it's very sketchy/messy and gritty looking, but also incredibly detailed, especially on the faces and clothing. It's pretty violent as well. There's a good amount of action and the fight scenes can get pretty graphic with limbs getting cut off and gushing blood. However, it's also funny and quirky. For such a gritty setting the characters are surprisingly funny and even touching at times. The two main characters have great chemistry and are basically a couple despite what the main character thinks.

The gritty urban setting and quirky characters really gives Dorohedoro a punk feel to it. This series was originally serialized in IKKI, which is known for publishing underground and alternative manga, and now I see why. My only complaints are that the story so far is taking too many detours from the main plot and that's there little explanation of the world. I'm enjoying all the sidetracking but I hope there's more of an overarching story. I also hope we get more explanation or backstory to the setting of the story or how magic works, it doesn't seem to be explained much so far.

And for some "old" stuff, I'm currently rereading Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind. I read it for the first time two years ago and was blown away. I consider the Nausicca manga to be a masterpiece. I felt I missed out on some of the subtleties of themes and the characters the first time I read it so I'm expecting to enjoy it just as much the second time.

I searched around and kept searching and have succeeded in reading just about every major Mitsuru Adachi work that has been fan translated, so here's a quick run down of my thoughts of what I didn't mention before (the early works are all missing from the ANN Encyclopedia)

PRE- NINE
Hirahira-kun Youthful Duty and sequels (story by Mamoru Sasaki)
A couple months back I read a comp of the "Our Gang" (AKA The Little Rascals) comics that Walt Kelly wrote in the 40's. The Hirahira comics reminded me of those a little. A rascally kid taking on the bully and his gang in funny little stories. With a japan twist though. Set in middle school, the bullys are mostly interested in peeping on, groping, and threatening to do worse to the girls. Then, when Hirahira needs to think of a plan to take on the bullies he "frees his mind and lightens his body" by pissing off the top of a hill, accompanied in early chapters by his squatting girlfriend. It is some funny stuff, very cartoony. It changes in style over the five years they sporadically came out. He changes from the old characticature of the kid with the open ragged jacket, hat off to the side, wooden sandaled feet, stick in his mouth to a cleaner verasion of the same style and as the years go on the peeing gag lessens until the final series barely uses it at all. It's an early project and doesn't really feel much like an Adachi manga, but its kinda funny in its way.

"Freeloader" series
Another gag series. A ne'er do-well guy visits the bathhouse business of a former female classmate run by four sisters. Mistaken as a panty-thief he gains the ire of the girls. particularly the huffy and proud 2nd-oldest. That is of course the girl who eventually falls in love with him. Short, but notable for the developing humor and style. IIRC (I read too many and they ran together) I think he even does an early cameo of himself in the series.

First Love Kōshien (Hatsukoi Kōshien)
Crybaby Kōshien (Nakimushi Kōshien)
(stories by Jūzō Yamasaki)
Corny baseball themed shojo stories. Full of hot-blooded boys playing on 9-player teams, trying to get their way to Koshien, and dewy eyed girls that love the ace pitcher. Although the main writing credit goes to the other guy (and the plots suffer big time for it) these are definitely proto-Adachi, especially the second one. Sick, suffering, or dying family members, boys rough types that the girl initially doesn't like.

Rise, Setting Sun!! (Sekiyō yo Nobore!!)
(also a story by Jūzō Yamasaki)
SUPER Corny shojo romance about a dewy-eyed girl falling in love with a handsome transfer student/Kendo master who is dying of an unnamed disease. The type of disease that allows him to function completely normally, except for the occasional drowsy spell. He tries to push her away, she refuses to stop loving him. They skinny dip at night and apparently have sex on a rock, he dies on the beach... she takes his place on the kendo team in the match the next day ??
Yeah, it's weaksauce, but it's notable for the brother of the boy. He completely recycles the sibling rivalry of the pair for Touch. (Yes, I know, that's supposed to be a semi-biographical relationship between Mitsuru and his brother, but he did it here first.

Oira Hōkago Wakadaishō
Technically started after and at the same time as Nine but I'll include it here because of what it is, a very polished rewrite of Hirahira-kun without the co-credit. Funny, but not hilarious, without any of the peeing. Still just a series of adventures- no plot.

read a bunch of other teen-focused short works, mainly more shojo, half co-writes. Look 'em up, all decent looks into his development. Gamushara, Ace of Hearts, Pair of Aces, Wind in the Green Leaves, Ken, The Youthful Path, Teens

NINE and after

Nine
Adaichi's first major hit series after ten years of mostly co-writing gag series and shojou stories. Understandably, as his first major solo work it starts off rough. Characters don't gel very well and some situations just feel awkward and a little unpleasant. But by the start of the team's "second year" it all starts coming together much better. The romantic triangles are probably the saving grace. The way the characters all react in the face of romantic competition brings out the best of them. The series is also refreshingly different from Adaichi's other works in the more conventional resolution of the story. I love Adaichi's later more poetic endings but it's also so refreshing to see the story continue a bit after the confessions and giving satisfying conclusions to just about every major supporting character as well. ...also unique to his work, only one dead relative! and it's the relative of a relatively minor character... WOW! NO one collapses from an appendicitis either!

Hiatari Ryōkō! (Sunlight All Around!)
This one, a shojo title, starts really well and progresses nicely. Interesting characters, the girl has reason to disdain the main boy and to come to like him. The Supporting cast develops nicely and adds to the story. A good romantic obstacle is set and the boy and girl start to see that it must be overcome... and then...
It stops. Adachi loves his "unanswered question" endings but this was a horrible one. The girl is still conflicted, the boy has only had a few really meaningful experiences with the girl but then... Did the series lose readership? did Adachi just give up on it? I don't know, but the boy is forced to declare his love and the manga ends without the girl answering. Sure, the implication is that she will accept his feelings, but it is SO sudden and clumnsy. The anime is 48 episodes (plus a movie) and the first 24 episodes almost completely cover the entire manga, so I guess they continue on with original stories that do what the manga failed to do. Unfortunately, those aren't fansubbed yet.

Slow Step
It's a little refreshing to have a shojo heroine that can find her self worth outside of her romantic interests but this is still supposed to be a romantic comedy, and while the comedy is often top-notch, the romance is practically non-existent. The girl shows no real interest in any of the guys. All of her interactions and dates with her prospective beaus are done out of obligation.

Rough
Shonen Sunday series, but it has one of the best romantic couples of any of his works. The plot is basically a tame version of Romeo and Juliet (son and daughter of feuding Japanese confectionery businesses) and the passions never get too hot, but they become an awesome pair. You see their good points and how and why they come to love each other. And while there is a strong romantic rival Adachi really has to heap a load of pitiable circumstances on him to keep the girl from dumping him early in the story. So maybe that's a fault of the story. The couple is decided pretty early, but it's dragged out a bit longer than necessary to combine the sports showdown with the romantic one.

Jinbē
It's a short and sweet seinen romance. It's a little creepy though. The unconsummated romance is between a man and his step-daughter. The situation leaves barely enough wiggle room so you don't get completely turned off by it and the resolution is one where you can see how it can work out for them... but still, they ARE living as Father and daughter through most of the story.

Itsumo Misora
I think maybe Adachi was getting tired of his heavier works so he did this lighter series for a change of pace. A bunch of supernatural silliness with a middle school aged cast. A bunch of kids given super powers that help them with small victories in the first half and then they have to use their powers to defeat another kid that also has powers and aims to help his charismatic older megalomaniac brother "take over the world" or some such. It just kind of peters out in the end as it goes from light to over serious. fun shorter series but not a career highlight.

Katsu
I didn't think I'd like a boxing manga this much but this was a good one with both stirring boxing and family drama and a really strong couple that can't be denied. It does have a problem with shedding and adding on supporting cast. Characters are developed well but don't fit the next sequence of events, so they're just dropped. There's the girl who is determined to steal the main guy but leaves early during a swimming date she forced him to go on... never seen again. then there's the first round friendly antagonist who is both a boxing rival and childhood friend romantic interest of the girl. A better boxer shows up and he too likes the girl, so... that guy's gone. So, very good series but unable to maintain a cast.

Short Program
grab bag of most of Adachi's one-shots. Some stronger than others. I would love to pick up the Viz releases of the first two at some point.

Bōken Shōnen (Adventure Boys)
Great collection of similarly themed short stories published in a seinen magazine over 8 years. Touching stories of grown men looking back at important times from their youth.

Rating...

Masterpiece
1. Cross Game

Excellent
2. Katsu!
3. H2
4. Bōken Shōnen (Adventure Boys)
(Early impressions have Mix in this category too)

Very Good
5. Touch
6. Jinbe
7. Rough
8. Nine
9. Short Program

Good
10. Itsumo Misora
11. Slow Step
12. Niji-iro Tōgarashi
13. Miyuki
14. Hiatari Ryoukou!
15. Q and A

(edited in rated list)

This weekend I've read 07-Ghost 1-17. I read the beginning of this right when Go-Comi published the first few volumes years ago, then they went under. I then attempted to follow it via scans, but the long wait between chapters meant that each time a new chapter came out, I'd forgotten what was going on. I watched the anime, but that only covered the beginning of the story. I decide to wait until it's all scanned, then read it.

Anyway, fast forward to a couple of years ago, and Viz announce they've rescued it, so I decided to buy it instead. This weekend, I finally had the time to sit down and read it, and I definitely enjoyed it a lot more having it all there to read in one go. For a first series by the authors as well, it's very impressive. The art is a bit difficult to follow at times, but not too much, and the characters are distinct enough to tell apart. The story is a little formulaic in places, but the world is well thought out and quite distinctive. It's a solid fantasy adventure. 7/10

@st_owly

I hope this is as good for me as for you. I took your recommendation and ordered the whole thing. I had a one day only TRSI promo code to use which helped.

Oh my. I hope it doesn't disappoint.

I'll try to remember to let you know. I've bought more on less information. My problem now is where to put it. I'm running out of space.

You could always give away more goodies to make space Wink

I'm trying to put together another box of kittens. Hard to get up the energy at this time of year though. I still haven't found a way to ship manga to your side of the pond economically.

Alan45 wrote:

I'm trying to put together another box of kittens.

Hey now buddy, don't encroach onto my territory. I run the shipping a kitten in a box racket around these parts. You just go find yourself another gimmick sir! Wink

As for me I just got Citrus vol 3, Whispered Words omnibus vol 3, and Oh My Goddess vol 48 in the mail recently. I'm really liking Citrus, though I do admit it shares a lot of similarities with Girlfriends. To be expected though.

As for Oh My Goddess......I'm honestly not happy to read vol 48. This is the LAST volume of Oh My Goddess. This titles was one of the main reasons I became a real FAN and not just a casual watcher/reader. The manga was what propelled me from simply enjoying anime & manga to being a collector, someone who goes to cons, and honestly by proxy how I wound up here at ANN. One could say this title by propelling me into the fandom is partly responsible for a lot of my friends, memories, and even current gf I live with. Perhaps I'd have still become the fan I am but who knows. Maybe not.

Regardless this title has been a constant companion and mainstay for me for almost 2 decades now. To have it actually be over......I honestly feel sad and part of me doesn't even want to read it.

@Psycho 101

Now we get to start all over again on the omnibus versions of Oh My Goddess! This is the best version that Dark Horse has put out. They are the trim size of the original TPB but are unflipped. They have all the color pages from the original Japanese publication and are on the best paper DH has used in a long time. The only thing missing are Carl Horn's notes at the end of each volume.

This is also one of my first manga. One of the first two VHS tapes that got me into this mess of collecting was the first Oh My Goddess! OVA tape subtitled. The first comic book manga version was the episode involving the motorcycle, the ghost girl and the lake. Good times.

I just picked up the first volume of Mushoku Tensei. It's one of my favorite LNs, so I was really looking forward to it. The manga seems like a lot of fun, a pretty good adaptation so far. I'll definitely grab more of the series as it comes out. I hope it does well enough to convince Yen or somebody to license the novels.

Finally got the last volume of Claymore. I reread the whole series and I still can't remember any of the new generation Claymore names Laughing

.

Anyway, spoiler[the reunion between Clare and Teresa was very sweet and actually tugged at my heart strings. I loved it when Teresa started talking to everyone, especially Raki, and everyone's initial reaction of 'Who the hell is this person?'. I was surprised when it was revealed that Priscilla had to resort to cannibalism. ]

I thought it was a great ending to a great series.

Going to reread the goddamn Getter Robo manga series again tonight. Of the two innovators of the Super Robot sub-genre (which I believe are Mazinger Z and Getter Robo), Getter Robo is my favorite of the two.

I love how this series was the first to innovate upon the idea of mech combination with several pilots at the helms. I also admire the old Go Nagai-like art as well as the revamped art in a way where it looks outdated but it remains somewhat charming . The story towards the "end", to me at least, feels a little messy but after reading the Getter Robo anthology, the implication of spoiler[what Getter truly is] makes the series infinitely more awesome than I thought.

Also, props to the late great mangaka, Ken Ishikawa, for not giving a fudge about civilian casualties because goddamn, so many people die in this entire series! Those casualties are never even given a "we-found-a-way-to-bring-everyone-back to-life" situation! They're dead! All of them! Even the children! LITERALLY!

P.S., should I read Claymore? Question

Herald Of JOJO wrote:

Quote:

should I read Claymore?

That depends, there isn't a mecha in sight. What you have is super powered women fighting monsters in a medieval setting. The highest tech shown is the two handed double bladed swords the series is supposed to be named for. Conspiracy and betrayal abound. If that sound interesting give it a try. It has a compelling story line and great art work. You do have to keep track of hairstyles to tell some of the characters apart though.

Alan45 wrote:

Herald Of JOJO wrote:

Quote:

should I read Claymore?

That depends, there isn't a mecha in sight. What you have is super powered women fighting monsters in a medieval setting. The highest tech shown is the two handed double bladed swords the series is supposed to be named for. Conspiracy and betrayal abound. If that sound interesting give it a try. It has a compelling story line and great art work. You do have to keep track of hairstyles to tell some of the characters apart though.

Good enough. I'm up for women, fighting and monsters. Smile

I'm just browsing for a selection of manga and if something catches my attention, then I hope I won't get burned out when I pick it up. There's a lot of manga that I've picked up, (occasionally) got burned out on and dropped in my history; One Punch Man, xxxholic, Tomie, etc.. Not for any good reason, just didn't feel like reading them one day and poof... gone from my mind's backlog.

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