Forum - View topicThe Best and Most Memorable Manga of 2015
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Punch Drunk Marc
Posts: 1742 |
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I had problems with the Tartaros Arc, but all in all it served its purpose and proved to be enjoyable. I thought Fairy Tail was starting to hit a stride again, but the most recent chapters are starting to wear on me again. spoiler[ You could skip almost the entire Avatar Arc and little to nothing would change.]
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zawa113
 Posts: 7357 |
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Good year for manga, imo, some great things coming out and continuing for sure! Some of my picks:
Silent Voice-now this is the kind of drama I want! Everything feels so tense, because the main guy feels tense, but I just read vol 4 earlier this morning, he's slowly getting less tense and you can really feel it! So Cute, It Hurts!!-wins my diabetes award, since My Love Story launched last year. Though MLS still gives me diabetes too. I wasn't expecting to enjoy So Cute It Hurts so much, but I really am, it's puzzling to me too. Love Stage!-for more awkward romance and exclamation points on the end of things, I'm quite enjoying Love Stage. I'm not usually into yaoi by any means, but I have read other things by the authors and quite enjoyed it. My Hero Academia-definitely hit me out of left field, one of my more unexpected titles this year. Everything about it should make it so average, but it's proof that combining your shonen tropes in the right way with some sharp and unique art is all it takes sometimes. Yamada-kun and the Seven Witches-of course another one I wasn't expecting to get so into, but waiting for volume 5 is simply killing me! I'm also having tons of fun with The Devil is a Part-Timer! manga. And SevenSeas in general gets an award for not just publishing ecchi and boobs that I couldn't be seen in public reading. Claylord: Master of Golem, The Ancient Magus' Bride, and Lucifer and the Biscuit Hammer are all excellent shonen series. Very out of place with their best sellers, yes, but good stuff. And, of course, I shall simply mention Kaze Hikaru, Real, and Ooku in the "dammit, we only get one volume a year now!" category. Real and Ooku just come out in Japan like molasses, but Kaze Hikaru is over ten volumes behind, I almost wish they'd just drop it rather than make us suffer all the time. Itazura na Kiss also gets mention for the "are vols 11 and 12 ever coming out?" thing And to call some attention to an American comic, I'd easily declare Wayward to be the best non-Japanese manga. It's a lot like a manga in many ways and it should easily appeal to manga fans, I highly recommend it! My most anticipated for next year though? Definitely Rose of Versailles and Yona of the Dawn. Pretty much my most major players on my wish list (except all of Tezuka, but they're working on that). Oh and Legend of the Galactic Heroes novel (and anime) license, I don't do books much, but I shall indeed by purchasing these! Also, my two "massive disappointment" awards go to: Karneval, so much potential squandered in confusing story telling, and Twin Star Exorcists, which totally doubles as "worst manga debut of the year" for me. Twin Star Exorcists had the most aggressive use of terrible tropes I've seen in ages, I'm embarrassed it bothered coming out in print, the paper it's been printed on is ashamed to exist now. And I haven't read First Love Monster, but dear lord is the idea just creepy and squicky, no thank you. |
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R. Kasahara
 Posts: 654 |
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Oh man, manga in 2015. This has been such a good year. I mainly stick to physical releases, and the amount of great manga that's been coming out lately has been putting a strain on my bookshelf space. However, I don't like digital as much...
First off, in regards to the article: Lucifer and the Biscuit Hammer: The more I read about this, the more I'm tempted to pick it up. The title reminds me of a mid-90s OVA, but (and I know this might sound silly) I've also been worried that it will be of mid-90s OVA quality as well. Maybe it's finally about time I give it a try. Nisekoi: The core plot has been shoved aside now for sure, and I'm not too fond of the fact that spoiler[Haru is gradually joining the crushing-on-Raku crowd], but most of the self-contained stories are quite enjoyable (especially those involving Kosaki or Tsugumi). I'm sticking with it for the time being. Yamada-kun: Looking at how many volumes this series has now, after vol. 5, I'm almost afraid that this is moving too fast and that it will soon settle into something resembling Nisekoi's current state. Hope not... Sakamoto: A strange one to be sure, but I'm glad I gave it a chance. Some other stuff that stood out for me this year: Assassination Classroom: Wow, this series is good. I was never all that big on Jump series in the past, but some of the more recent ones have helped get me back into shounen manga, and this is my current favorite out of those. This year's volumes (pretty much 2-7) have been outstanding, and I'm definitely looking forward to more fun times with Koro-sensei and Class E in 2016. My Love Story!!: The last part of vol. 5 was SO CUTE-- probably my favorite story arc in any manga this year, though certain storylines in Assassination Classroom and What Did You Eat Yesterday? are strong contenders as well. Ooku: I would nominate spoiler[Harusada] for Villain of the Year. She was bad before, but her acts in this year's volume really take the cake spoiler[(no pun intended)]. The wait for vol. 12 will be a long one. Vinland Saga: And this would be my nominee for Best Comeback! I hope it sells well enough that Kodansha continues publishing it in English. Last edited by R. Kasahara on Fri Dec 11, 2015 2:17 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Aura Ichadora
 Posts: 2284 Location: In front of my computer |
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I definitely need to pick up A Silent Voice at some point. As someone that has been bullied and abused, I can relate so much to the series. Although that might not be a good thing at the same point.
I think the series that really interested me - although the first volume was released at the end of 2014 - was Kiss of the Rose Princess. There's something about this series that I just fell in love with; I've been making sure to get every volume as they come out whenever I can, which is something I haven't been doing with anything outside of xxxHolic Rei. I actually can't wait for the final two volumes to come out next year so I can see how the story concludes. |
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Tanteikingdomkey
 Posts: 2346 |
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I wasn't actually post anything about you thinking umineko turned into a train wreck in the chiru "breakdown" section until you said this
" Had this stuck to actually following Knox's Commandments instead of making then fanservice, it might have been a worthwhile read for mystery buffs. But the farther Umineko strays from its genre roots" Say what you will about not liking delanor (I think your reasoning is poor at best when she is far and away not the worst, like Winchester rifles as bunny girls) But to say that Knox is reduced to fan service or that the authors "trolling" is getting ridiculous in episode 5 comes across as idiotic and that you didn't like the author trying to make you actually think about what was actually going on for a second. I can understand some people just want to be spoonfeed a mystery and feel smart for understanding someone elses logic. But if that is the case then STOP READING UMINEKO NOW! I am sorry if that comes across as harsh but you know what I feel you have failed at a very base level of reading and understanding mystery fiction. If you can not be bothered to try and figure out what is going on in a mystery book and actually challenge the author to see if you can understand what is going on before the characters do then you are going to be very disappointed with umineko. and you know what I am sorry you can't enjoy umineko for what it is unlike so many of us that love and cherish it so much and actually put the time into understanding what it is doing and saying. I am not at all saying that umineko is perfect or that it something that everyone must read. But if you claim to love mysteries then you should love umineko for the way that it is self aware of it's "faults" and if you makes you grow and appreciate mystery writing in a new way Technically all of that should probably be in a spoiler tag probably but you know what I am tried of playing the fool or just laughing about how people don't get and hoping they get it some day. |
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albanian
 Posts: 133 Location: UK |
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My favourite manga of 2015 is one which does seem to have slipped under the radar somewhat (though all the reviews I've seen have been uniformly positive). The Ancient Magus' Bride is technically classed as shounen, but displays very few such characteristics. The lead character is female: complex, demure, and seriously lacking in self-confidence and self belief. The principal male is a centuries old mage who appears to be honourable and trustworthy, but has enough ambiguity within him to maybe turn out to be the villain. It has more than enough familiars, feys, fairies, grims and ghouls to shake a magic wand at - but it also has charm and wit, and some genuinely engaging and interesting characters to help build a real sense of commitment to the ongoing story.
The only problem is: How on earth do you classify it? |
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relyat08
 Posts: 4125 Location: Northern Virginia |
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Yamada-kun and the Seven Witches is so wonderful. I really just love the way that Yoshikawa writes relationships and humor. I also find gender bender stories a lot of fun, in general. I have pretty high expectations of the rest of the series. It is the only unfinished manga that I've ever started physically collecting.
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Ashen Phoenix
 Posts: 2909 |
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Glad to see a lot of these titles on the list.
I've got some new recommendations to check out, and it's validating to know a handful of titles I passed on haven't really rung true with other readers either (no offense intended to those who do enjoy them). |
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Princess_Irene
ANN Reviewer
 Posts: 2606 Location: The castle beyond the Goblin City |
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Okay, time to calm down about Umineko. I knew it would be a bit of a button for series fans, but wow! I'm frustrated with it, yes, particularly as a fan of Golden Age mysteries, but I also suspect that if I had played the game or was reading the books closer together, I might have a different reaction. I do plan to finish reading it and am really hoping this arc is my issue.
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Chipp12
Posts: 303 |
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Would be great to see another list with less shoujo/shounen-ai/yaoi and more shounen/seinen manga though.
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Anton Chigurh
 Posts: 257 Location: Guam |
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Ah, Nisekoi, my former friend. I used to read it with my weekly edition of the English Shonen Jump - reading all series to get the most bang for my buck and all that - until I realized the critical flaw at its core. An sizable part of the plot hinges around the main character's locket and the keys that several of the girls already own, so an important part of the plot hinges around said character being such a dirtbag that he would only get together with one of the girls because she owns the right key and not because he, you know, actually wants to date her. Yet by chapter 50 or 60 - I lost count years ago - he has proven he wouldn't do such a thing to any of them, on account of his actually being a decent human being. I give kudos to the author for undermining such a weak plot while taking them away for having used said plot in the first place. Add to that sticking my favorite character Tsugumi in gimmicky, dollar-store sci-fi plots (love potion candy, let's leave it at that) and trampling on the amusing, mentally ill Marika Tachibana by giving her an arranged marriage plot too stupid for an Univisión novela to use and I have enough to call Nisekoi the worst thing WSJ has ever run, and keeps running - Bleach and E-Robot very much included in that category. But people seem to dig it, so mazel tov.
Also, One-Punch Man made the AV Club's best-of list for comics but not ANN's list for manga? I didn't think I'd see it happen, but there it is. |
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Tanteikingdomkey
Posts: 2346 |
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yes it does help to read them close to together I am sorry for my overly passionate response. That said umineko requires much more from it's reader then pretty much an other anime series. So your millage will vary a lot based upon how much you are putting into it. The reason for this goes back to it's source material being a game despite the fact that you only click to advance text. To be fair I am still reading through the second manga volume of episode 5 but at this point all the hints have been given out pretty much in episodes 1-4, so you need to be able to interpret various scenes on your own now pretty much. The mystery in umineko is solved by battler in episode 5, and then in episode 6 he proves that he has solved the mystery. And at that point umineko "proper" ends. Yes their are still two episodes but those are basically tie up lose ends and to be more obvious about the ending in episode 6 and the intent of the series. |
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Darkmagick
 SubscriberPosts: 463 |
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I think you may be making some incorrect genre assumptions here. This is the spread I counted based on what magazines these series run in: Shoujo - 6 Shounen - 6 Seinen - 5 Yaoi - 1 So while shoujo is tied with shounen for the top of the list, the combined amount of shounen and seinen exceeds that of the combined amount of shoujo and yaoi - and there is no shounen ai here. (Note that I'm counting Jojo as shounen here. It currently runs in a seinen magazine, but Phantom Blood, which is specifically being talked about, ran in Weekly Shounen Jump.) |
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rheiders
 Posts: 1137 Location: Colorful Colorado :) |
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This has been a really good year for manga for me, although with so many exciting licenses in the past couple months it looks like next year will be even better! In particular, I can't wait for Yona of the Dawn, The Rose of Versailles (eeee!!), Otherworld Barbara, and Princess Jellyfish. Also can't wait for the new Natsuki Takaya licenses, but I can't remember off the top of my head if those are next year or 2017.
Anyway, some of my favorites were: Jojo's Bizarre Adventure: The anime got me completely addicted to the ridiculousness so I was really excited to collect the manga. Part 2 that's coming out right now is the one I really wanted, apart from 6 and 7 (yeah...not even gonna hope they get that far). It's a nice bonus that they come in such lovely hardcover editions. I love seeing more collector's editions like these. Tokyo Ghoul: Another one I got hooked on from the anime. Not only am I interested in reading the source, but I knew I needed that gorgeous color art on my shelf! I hope they get to :re. A Silent Voice: The rare manga that I pretty much insist everyone read. This is the kind of stuff that should be taught in schools. Really special. Maria the Virgin Witch: The manga doesn't reach the excellent depths of the anime, but it's still a fun, quirky, and well-researched title in its own right. Monthly Girls' Nozaki-kun: This is another one I got into through the anime (most of these...oops, lol), and it's just as excellent as its adaptation. I like how it not only plays around mercilessly with shoujo tropes, but subtly (and hilariously) breaks down gender norms at the same time. And my comfort food has to be a volume I just picked up the other day, Horimiya. It's just a really sweet shoujo romance and I like how it flips the usual situation by having a romance between the fashionable, popular heroine and the dweeby (but sweet and secretly attractive) guy in the back of class. I also like how it plays with the theme of how first impressions aren't always accurate, not just with the main characters but, for example, how the two romantic rivals end up hardcore bromancing instead of hating each other. |
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Merxamers
 Posts: 720 |
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Nicely done article! You mentioned several of my favorites; most of my opinions are informed by reading the series week-to-week from Crunchyroll and the digital Shonen Jump:
Silent Voice: everything in the above article is spot on. One of the best, yet at times most difficult to read, manga i've read in recent memory. My Hero Academia: This is probably going to be the next big shonen hit. I love it; great art, action, characters. UQ Holder: This is my favorite ongoing manga, and i almost can't believe it. Imagine if someone wrote a sequel to Negima!, keeping out 90% of the squicky fanservice and fluff, and that's exactly what you have here. Akamatsu is a great writer, and the way the protagonist feels like a classic shonen hero feels, in and of itself, original. I love this series (on Crunchyroll) Dorohedoro: My favorite seinen series. Grim, gruesome, gory, and harsh, yet with lovable characters and a distinctive art style. Assassination Classroom: An amazingly consistently great series. I can't recall a bad or weak story arc; very much worth reading. Lucifer and the Biscuit Hammer: I read this scanlated (GASP!) and loved it, am now picking up the official volumes. A great series that gets better as it goes on. Claymore: My favorite series of all time ended! It was great! I'm drowning in tears :'( Does anyone have recs for ongoing, good shojo titles (besides Kimi ni Todoke)? I like shojo, but am out of touch with the current series. |
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