Forum - View topicShoujo and Josei Recommendations
|
Goto page 1, 2, 3 Next |
| Author | Message | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
HellKorn
Posts: 1669 Location: Columbus, OH |
|
|||||
|
I find myself pretty much good to go as far as shonen (at least what little I'm interested in) and seinen manga available in North America. Yet there is a distinct lack of shoujo and josei manga that I have, or at least there is so much more out there that I've yet to look into. So, even though I won't look into them immediately, I'd like to hear some recommendations from others.
My Manga list should provide a good idea of what I like. Material like Nana, Nodame Cantabile, Mars, and works by Moto Hagio, Kiriko Nananan, and Keiki Nishi are some of my favorites out of these two genre. I'm not too particular on my tastes, just simply stuff that is well written with very solid (melo)drama and characterization. I'd prefer not to have to slog through something typical, so if you're an adamant lover of shoujo and suspect that I might not take to it, then take that into consideration. So, if anyone could give their opinions on series listed in my to read category, as well as anything else that they'd like to throw out there which would include some shoujo series put out by CMX and some manga-ka like Erica Sakurazawa and Moyoco Anno, then I'd be grateful. |
||||||
|
||||||
|
kyonichi
Posts: 16 |
|
|||||
|
You should check out Hana Kimi, if you haven't yet. It quickly became one of my favorite mangas... It has a good blend of comedy and emotion, and a few atypical elements.
|
||||||
|
||||||
|
_NightShade_
Posts: 21 |
|
|||||
|
From CMX I would recommend Emma. Everything else I was going to recommend you already have.
Right now I can't think of anything else. Edit, my apologies, I didn't look at your manga list first time around. |
||||||
|
||||||
Kagemusha
 Posts: 2783 Location: Boston |
|
|||||
|
Anything by Kyoko Okazaki, who is easily my favorite josei creator. Despite her status as a pioneer she isn't very popular is the scanslation community because of her rough art style and the very bleak, disturbing worldview her scanslated works have, which is a shame because she really is a master storyteller. Helter Skelter is a personal favorite. It's basically Taxi Driver for women, with tons of great satire and one of the best portrayals of a person's decent into insanity I've seen in the medium. River's Edge is also an amazingly ugly look at modern youth, filled with complex characters and exellent plotting. MS also scanned a six-page short from her, which is both hilarious and creepy for any guy reading it. Definitally a rare talent, and one whose work is universally accesable to both sexes.
As for people published in English, Moyoko Anno (who was Okazaki's apprentice) and Erika Sakurazawa are both good picks. Anno's style is somewhat of an aquired taste, but I'd give Flowers and Bees a shot even if it is technically seinen. Her shojo series from Del Rey is supposed to be great as well. There are a couple of Sakurazawa books from Tokyopop out, and Between the Sheets is a good pick. Love Vibes is my personal favorite, which was scanslated by the big yuri group recently. As for shojo, the only thing I can think of right now is the insanely addictive Koukou Debut, which also happens ot be a genre favorite of mine. In many was its a self-consious work that handles the high-school romance genre conventions in a tongue-in-cheek fashion, which is very refreshing compared to the usual melodramatic approach taken by most manga. And even if you put aside the fun parody/tribute elements its better a written romantic comedy than the vast majority of the shojo I've read, with exellent female and male (who, unlike 90% of shojo crushes, isn't a complete dickhead or emasculate) leads. Beautiful artwork too. Looking at your "Want to Read" list, I'd go and look into Kare Kano and Ultra Maniac. I won't bother to go further since there are tons of great titles on that list (Tengu Party is ridiculously awesome, and Misaki de basu or YKK should both be required reading). Last edited by Kagemusha on Wed Mar 28, 2007 12:31 am; edited 1 time in total |
||||||
|
||||||
kolibri
 Posts: 712 Location: Vancouver |
|
|||||
|
Looks like you've got good taste
For josei not on your list, I would recommend Paradise Kiss (also by Ai Yazawa) - I like this one for despite the fact that the backdrop is fashion world, it's very realistic... Yukari and George's relationship is one of those painfully familiar, beautiful yet sad kind of affairs. I love the manga and anime both. Another one is Fumi Yoshinaga's Antique Bakery, one of my favourite josei/shoujo manga from my favourite mangaka. Although Yoshinaga-sensei does lots of BL and this one has a gay character in it, it's not BL, it's good-hearted, warm slice of life comedy. Another really nice non-BL manga from her is Flower of Life - this one is pure shoujo, a story about schoolboys' friendship: very real, funny and absolutely charming. |
||||||
|
||||||
marie-antoinette
 Posts: 4136 Location: Ottawa, Canada |
|
|||||
|
Ha, I have beat LydiaDianne to the Yuu Watase recommendation! It's always a race to see which one of us gets to mention her first (at least I think so
 )
Anyway, Yuu Watase is my favourite shoujo mangaka, I recommend all of her series. I'd suggest just reading the blurbs about her series and picking up one that strikes your fancy. While I love Fushigi Yuugi, I might suggest avoiding it as your first one, because it's a bit drawn-out. |
||||||
|
||||||
Ayokillyou
 Posts: 29 Location: Brooklyn, New York City |
|
|||||
|
For knockout shojo art, I've got to recommend Oyayubihime Infinity by Toru Fujieda. It' just gorgeous. I saw the cover to volume 2 and I wanted to know every little thing about it (so naturally, I bought volume one)
Another shojo person who I quite like is Nari Kusakawa. in 2007-8, she's got something like three series coming to the US through CMX. The one that's out now is Recepie for Gertrude, which is ok. The Palette of 12 Secret Colors doesn't come out until October but it looks like fun. Ironically, it's about color, yet it is a black and white comic. Oh, you silly mangaka! Mitsuba Takanashi's Crimson Hero is pretty cool, if you ask me. Sports manga. The art is kind of cheesy--real fashion magazine style, but the storyline is engrossing enough. |
||||||
|
||||||
LydiaDianne
 Posts: 5634 Location: Southern California |
|
|||||
Meanie! 
Okay, go with Yuu Watase. She's always fun and a good writer/artist. marie-antoinette didn't name any specific series so I have to say try Alice 19th. It's only seven volumes but it deals with how words can really hurt you. Excellent series. A second thumbs up for Hana-Kimi. Might I also suggest Angel Sanctuary, Ai Yori Aoshi, Fruits Basket, Ouran High School Host Club and MeruPuri Except for OHSHC, the others are complete or nearly so. And while some of them have very serious moments and themes, they are also lots of fun. |
||||||
|
||||||
Not a Jellyfish
 Posts: 539 Location: Boston, MA |
|
|||||
|
As far as Josei that is available stateside, there are very few choices. You already mentioned Nodame Cantabile and Nana, which are both excellent. And Erica Sakurazawa's stories are great for one-shots. But my personal favorite is definitely Tramps Like Us, or Kimi wa Pet. I'm hoping Ogawa Yayoi's other works get translated here soon. Her artwork is wonderful and the story of Pet is absolutely unforgettable. It revolves around a mid to late 20s high-class female, Sumire, who is a hard worker and thus, has a boyfriend with an inferiority complex. After he breaks up with her for his mistress, Sumire finds a teenage boy in a cardboard box outside her apartment. So, she decides she's going to keep him as a pet. The story focuses on the relationship between pet and master with humor, irony, and love. It's truly a unique and memorable series with wonderful characters and a unique, honest story.
|
||||||
|
||||||
Torhu_San
 Posts: 133 Location: Upstate Ny |
|
|||||
|
People have already suggested some really good titles, such as Hana Kimi, Ouran High Host Club, and Kare Kano. I would agree with those titles 100%
I would also suggest Sugar Sugar Rune because it is a magical girl shoujo that rises above the mundane. Great art and a good story. Along those lines, I also recommend Magical x Miracle Hmmm, an old classic that wasn't mentioned is Peach Girl. Great, great story! The art is also very pretty, and you get sucked into the story so you forget that it's 18 volumes long. Personally, I am enjoying The Wallflower. People say that the art is lazy and that the story is slow and repetitive, but I don't agree. I think the author makes you focus on the important parts and eventhough the story is slow moving, it's still a good read. If you are looking for a more serious tone, then I suggest Hot Gimmick, Full Moon wo Sagashite or Othello. If you are looking for short light stories that are fun and a little serious, then I suggest Imadoki, Doubt, and Happy Hustle High |
||||||
|
||||||
jgreen
 Posts: 1325 Location: St. Louis, MO |
|
|||||
If you're going to try out Yuu Watase, I'd recommend giving Imadoki! a try as your first Watase series. At only 5 volumes, it's not a huge investment, but it's very indicative of what her other series are like so you'll know just from that if you want to try out more. Also, of all the series of hers I've read, Imadoki's art is far and away the best.
I second that nomination! I've only read the first 2 volumes so far, but I absolutely loved them. The story and art are very nontraditional on this series....it's definitely not "just like everything else." HellKorn, of the series you have on your list, the only ones I've read are Kare Kano and a single preview chapter of Ultramaniac. The former is a pretty solid series from what I read of it, although I definitely preferred the anime (which I saw AFTER I read the manga, so that's not just "which one I saw first" bias), and the latter didn't really wow me but it was only one chapter. I do like that in Ultramaniac even though it's technically a magical girl series, it's the magical girl's normal friend that's the series' real star. I notice a lot of people recommending Hana Kimi, but I bought the first volume of that series and it did nothing for me. I found the layouts really sloppy and hard to follow, and after a volume I didn't really care about the characters. That may just be me, though.
I agree! Be sure to check out the thread we just started about this great series. 
|
||||||
|
||||||
|
kolibri
Posts: 712 Location: Vancouver |
|
|||||
|
Aaargh, stop, stop! I'll have you known that I'll blame you guys for putting so many tempting titles on put on to my to-buy list
I'm gonna go and check out if my local comic book shop has Tramps like us or Imadoki! while I'm doing my weekly manga shopping tonight.
|
||||||
|
||||||
|
jgreen
Posts: 1325 Location: St. Louis, MO |
|
|||||
You "blame" us now, but you'll thank us later!
|
||||||
|
||||||
|
LydiaDianne
Posts: 5634 Location: Southern California |
|
|||||
Gee and I was beginning to wonder what I would buy at Anime Expo this year. 
|
||||||
|
||||||
|
kolibri
Posts: 712 Location: Vancouver |
|
|||||
|
Pfft. Here you go. All your fault, I tell you. I was only planning to buy Solfege, too.
|
||||||
|
||||||
 |
All times are GMT - 5 Hours |
|
|
|
Powered by phpBB © 2001, 2005 phpBB Group