Forum - View topicMost underrated Manga
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TheSparLynx
 Posts: 25 Location: Vancouver, Canada |
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Wanted to know everyone's top underrated Manga list.
From reading someones post X-Day. It has one of the most original plots dealing with personal issues and is extremely realistic and deals a lot about common everyday problems people might have. Paradise Kiss Ah why doesn't anyone talk about PK anymore? >.< it's a truly touching Shojo series that has excellent artwork, decent plot, and isn't too mushy. It isn't just a simple love story, it's complicated and makes you intrigued by the outcome of this series. A yaoi series that I enjoyed that no one seems to talk about Black Knight. It has a really in depth story that I'm in love with and really like the idea behind the Manga not to mention the 2 main characters. A series I bought a long time ago that I never see in stores anymore Girl Got Game. It sucks that it's being discontinued and eventually will be hard to come across someone liking the series. The characters are lovable and the Manga is overly funny and an easy read. |
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littlegreenwolf
 Posts: 4796 Location: Seattle, WA |
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I wouldn't say Paradise Kiss is underrated at all. It's seems a given that it's a fantastic shoujo manga (have you seen the ratings it has been given in the encyclopedia?), it's just kind of hard to suggest it to a newbie when it's out of print and still high in demand.
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TheSparLynx
Posts: 25 Location: Vancouver, Canada |
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I was just a tad bit surprised that a lot of fans here in Vancouver have no idea what Paradise Kiss is.. |
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dormcat
Encyclopedia Editor
 Posts: 9903 Location: New Taipei City, Taiwan, ROC |
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Dare I say the majority of Western anime/manga fans know very few manga titles. |
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Ralifar
 Posts: 205 Location: League City, TX |
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Now when you say fans TheSparLynx do you mean fans of the genre it belongs to or just fans of manga in general? Because if it's just manga fans in general I can really understand why it wouldn't be that popular. It's not going to cry out to someone that mainly reads a lot of action shonen style mangas.
I found the story of Paradise Kiss to be entertaining, but I didn't like the artwork. It's not exactly bad, I just don't like that particular style. Especially the people. |
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littlegreenwolf
Posts: 4796 Location: Seattle, WA |
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Exactly, Ai Yazawa does slice of life shoujo, and what she does best is realistically portray the various hurdles a woman has to go through to "grow up" and survive in the world. It's chick stuff all the way through, and though I often hear about guys enjoying her series the target audience are women and I honestly would be surprised if she actually had any bit of a male audience in mind while writing it. There's just so much in her work a girl can connect to. One minute you're laughing, the next crying, it's a whirlwind of emotion and learning experiences that makes you feel like you're growing with the characters. Her manga is like sitting down with a bunch of your girlfriends and asking how their week went. Totally not something that would attract the typical male reader. Art though... she's fantastic, but everyone has their own art preferences. |
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TheSparLynx
Posts: 25 Location: Vancouver, Canada |
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Just Manga in general. I just don't think PK gets as much credit it deserves. |
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Ralifar
Posts: 205 Location: League City, TX |
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I have a sensitive side too. 
As long as it has a good story I enjoy just about anything. Or if it makes me laugh which brings me to my addition to the underrated manga. It can't be said that it has a story that makes much sense, but it is so ridiculous that it's funny. Ultimate! Hentai Kamen- Despite the title it's not really perverted in a raunchy way. It is a bit old. It originally came out in the early '90s I believe. I don't think it ever saw a stateside release either. That makes me sad. No one that I've ever spoken with in person has ever even heard of it. If I ever take the time to get ripped and get a tan then I think it would be funny cosplay him. I wouldn't want to offend everyone's sensibilities with my pale nearly naked body though. 
Well, I think littlegreenwolf and I have already answered that. It just isn't geared to reach a wider manga audience. |
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Clodus
 Posts: 497 Location: Kansas |
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I don't know if this is underrated but I feel that Franken Fran should be more popular. Its currently ranked 31 on ANN but with only 6 user ratings. I also don't ever see anyone mention it.
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zawa113
 Posts: 7394 |
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I'm sure that about 70% of you here know exactly what I'm going to say next (I'll even put it in spoilers so that you can guess): spoiler[Banana Fish].
There's a tough distinction between under read and underrated here, it's possible for there to be under read junk and over-read good stuff, but finding the thin line between those can be hard. Of course, I think this series is both under-read (61 ratings) and under-rated (mean is just above 7, aka "good"), and I honestly think it deserves both a higher rating and more people who have actually read it. I was quite thrilled when RTO published my reader's choice on it, I kinda summed up some of my thoughts on it on there. And of all things, I also say Astro Boy is underrated. Now, let me just make a distinction here: no, it is no underrated by Japanese audiences where Astro is a staple, but it is in America, which is where I live and where most of this site's viewers are from (or from Europe, but either way, usually not from Japan). How does a series with this much impact on manga and anime as a whole only have 58 votes and a mean score of 6.6? Having also seen the 1980 and 2003 series, I think the manga is best out of those three hands down (even if the order is all out of whack) This is much more than just a children's series for me, this is an all ages affair here, we've got political commentary, environmentalism, value of life, and it's all integrated so well into the story you wouldn't even know it was there sometimes because Tezuka knew how to hide his messages very well (often through the show, don't tell rule). Just about every story is a shining example of how to write well for manga, there's a reason it's still so highly revered and influential in Japan: because it is very good. Citizen Kane still has a major effect over in the states and Tezuka still has a major effect in Japan. To quote Yahtzee of Zero Punctuation: "Sometimes popular things are popular for a reason, because they're good, or because Will Smith is in it". Heck, you might as well throw in the vast majority of the rest of Tezuka's library (at least over in the states). |
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Ktimene's Lover
 Posts: 2242 Location: Glendale, AZ (Proudly living in the desert) |
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I find the classic Cyborg 009 to be real underrated here. This is the manga that started fighting teams and also was one of the earliest manga to have the trademark manga/anime spiky hair (I mean the type that Goku from DBZ has).
Last edited by Ktimene's Lover on Mon Oct 12, 2009 10:28 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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heatgirlj
 Posts: 5 |
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Holy CARP (yes, the fish ), I loved GGG. It's been so long since I've thought about it, too. I'm a bit of a sucker for the whole 'crossdressing for a cause' trope in fiction. And I really liked Kyo/Chiharu, too.
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Prede
 Posts: 388 |
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Well I never read Paradise Kiss or Nana but am currently watching both anime series by Madhouse, and enjoying them both very much (although Nana is much, much better. But I don't dismiss Paradise Kiss). I look at them both as realistic dramas, and boy do I love a good drama. So I'm a dude and I enjoy those series. Not sure if I'd read either manga though, more then happy with their anime series. As for underated manga? It has to be Ikigami!! I mean most manga series have a following somewhere out there if you look hard enough, but I haven't found a single fan of this one yet. Only critics seem to be praising it. And it's worth every ounce of their praise. It's dark, gripping, suspenseful, and original. It's also very grounded, despite it's setting and society. Plus it asks some great moral questions, has some good social commentary, is very psychological, and very intellegent. Also each and every character is very human and realistic. The art is top notch, in a great style, and the character designs are great (although a few look a little too much like the main guy, but then again nothings perfect). So why is no one reading this? Why doesn't anyone talk about it? It's an amazing series, one worth owning easily. Other more underaited series I enjoy are Shadow Star Narutaru and Dance in the Vampire Bund. Although Kitoh does have a bit of a following here now, and Bund gets talked about at least. But they don't get the amount of attention they diserve of course. But where's Ikigami's fans? It needs some now. |
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KanjiiZ
 Posts: 661 Location: Central Coast |
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Underrated is one of those words that gets thrown around way to much in manga/anime fandom. I'll assume you mean they are relatively unknown, even amongst fans.
Golgo freakin' 13 and Sexy Voice and Robo. I don't know if it's because of how VIZ releases their Signature line or because no one cares, but I'm surprised to hear how many people are unaware Golgo 13 exists. Golgo-chan is one of the cutest most gorgeously drawn manga that I swore would have people swarming to it. |
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Agent355
 Posts: 5113 Location: Crackberry in hand, thumbs at the ready... |
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Golgo *chan*?! He'd probably shoot a guy for calling him that!
 (I'm aware of the series; never read it. Assasins aint my style.)
I loved +Anima. It's an adorable series with great art about a group of orphans who try to find out the origin their condition as part-animals. The story seems aimed at kids, but it it's deep enough for true all-ages appreciation. |
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