MangaHelpers Weekly Featured Manga Archive

[Kaiten]

Every week there will be a new recommended series. Check the home page of the website every week beneath 'latest translation' for a link to the series RTS page, or come straight here. For anyone who doesn't check the homepage, a temporary forum announcement will be made in the manga/anime forum when the series is updated.
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Flat (http://mangahelpers.com/m/flat):
Featured Manga: Week of January 20, 2011 - January 27, 2011

http://static.mangahelpers.com/gallery-previews/13790

Heisuke is a young man who was left in charge of taking care of his little cousin Aki for a day. Being an only child who usually stays at home alone, Aki is quiet, reserved, and will go out of his way not to make trouble for others. As they spend more time together, Aki begins to grow very attached to Heisuke, especially since Heisuke's hobby is to make sweets and desserts. The quiet Aki eventually opens up to Heisuke, and Heisuke in return teaches Aki that sometimes it's all right to be selfish and say what you really want to do. ~ from Bliss Scanlations

recommended by c_k
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-Hitogatana- (http://mangahelpers.com/forum/showthread.php?t=65973)
Featured Manga: Week of January 27 - February 3, 2011


http://img126.imagevenue.com/loc523/th_69726_000a_122_523lo.jpg (http://img126.imagevenue.com/img.php?image=69726_000a_122_523lo.jpg) http://img125.imagevenue.com/loc483/th_69492_008_009_122_483lo.jpg (http://img125.imagevenue.com/img.php?image=69492_008_009_122_483lo.jpg)

Crimes committed using manned combat-androids dubbed "Katana" run rampant. In an effort to maintain order, the government has organized the AKCD - "Anti Katana Crime Division." Togusa of the 8th squad of the AKCD, while holding existential doubts as a Human-Katana hybrid, continually casts himself into battle... [From Maigo Scans]

Already read Hitogatana? Looking for something else? You might also like:

Gamaran (http://mangahelpers.com/forum/showthread.php?t=49185): Out in the midst of the mountain is the dojo of the "Ogame Ryuu" (Giant Tortoise Style). There lives Kurogane Gama, the son of the legendary swordsman, Kurogane Jinsuke, who is believed to be able to kill 1000 martial artists in Unabara. There, one of the son of Washitzu Naosata, Washitzu Naoyoshi, comes in search of the legendary swordsman, only to find that he had gone missing several years ago. After seeing the battle style of Gama, he instead chooses to ask Gama to come with him. Wanting to become stronger, Gama agrees to his offer, and that marks the beginning of Gama's battle to become the strongest of all . . .
Kaitaishinsho ZERO: (http://mangahelpers.com/forum/showthread.php?t=58843) A Byouma is a medical weapon created by ancient sorcerers to kill the infected or those around the infected and make it look like an illness. Even centuries after the sorcerers have died, these weapons still wander the world, infecting and killing people. Narutaki Soutaro and Izumo Momo are Shadow Doctors, trained to combat these Byouma through unorthodox means. Using magically created anti-Byouma medical equipment, they perform “operations” on the medical weapons to separate them from their hosts and destroy them. Will their special weapons and brilliant teamwork be enough to get rid of all the Byouma in the world? [vyc]
Chrno Crusade (http://mangahelpers.com/forum/showthread.php?t=8829): America in the Roaring 20s. On the surface, it's a positive, peaceful time after the violence of the Great War. But lurking in the shadows is a dark element ready to snatch that peace away. Sister Rosette Christopher, an exorcist working as a part of the Magdala Order, has a duty to fight the demons which appear and cause destruction. But along with her companion Chrono, she usually ends up causing more destruction than the demons themselves! On one particular mission, they meet a young girl with a beautiful voice named Azmaria, who is being targeted by her own stepfather. As Rosette and Chrno work to save her, more is revealed about the relationship between them. There is more to these two than meets the eye.
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Ultra Heaven (http://mangahelpers.com/forum/showthread.php?t=60446)
Featured Manga: Week of February 3-10, 2011


http://thumbnails10.imagebam.com/11800/766765117990229.jpg (http://www.imagebam.com/image/766765117990229) http://thumbnails10.imagebam.com/11800/e81598117990233.jpg (http://www.imagebam.com/image/e81598117990233) http://thumbnails35.imagebam.com/11800/fd2be9117990236.jpg (http://www.imagebam.com/image/fd2be9117990236) http://thumbnails4.imagebam.com/11800/a7764d117990240.jpg (http://www.imagebam.com/image/a7764d117990240) http://thumbnails41.imagebam.com/11800/bc347a117990242.jpg (http://www.imagebam.com/image/bc347a117990242) http://thumbnails37.imagebam.com/11800/d87b8a117990246.jpg (http://www.imagebam.com/image/d87b8a117990246)

I rarely recommend manga with a release schedule as slow as Ultra Heaven. Apparently it can be as long as two years between volumes. But Ultra Heaven is one of the most unique manga I have ever read, as close as a comic can come to post-modern literature. Like the Naked Lunch, Ultra Heaven drops you into a world where drugs, consumerism, religion, self help, and mysticism break the line between fantasy, dream, and reality. It's a brilliant, messy, trip of a comic and one of my all time favorites. Well worth the wait for more to come.

The main character is Kabu, a small-time peddler and heavy addict. Used to any kind of hallucinogenic trip, he is able to feel the happiness through the ecstasy of the drug, while on the same time hypocritically hating who gave birth to that society which has forced him to the live this way.
After an overdose caused by mixing two incompatible drugs, he spends his days looking for stimulants until the encounter with an enigmatic man who offers him a new kind of illegal substance...Ultra Heaven
From that moment on his incredible journey begins - where dream and reality are fused in an undivided world - causing him both hysterical joy and unbearable pain.

But what is Ultra Heaven and who is behind its creation? And who is the guru promoting the 'medication' as a powerful way to influence the whole universe surrounding us by exploiting the quantum theory?

With the help of a special amplifier helmet, Kabu starts a trip deep into the his consciousness, diving into a nightmare he could never have imagined...

If you liked Ultra Heaven you Might also like:

Heaven's Door (http://www.mangaupdates.com/series.html?id=44990): A one shot collection by Koike Keiichi, mangaka of Ultra Heaven.
Homunculus: (http://www.mangaupdates.com/series.html?id=1525) Trepanation is the procedure of drilling a hole in the skull. It is said to increase the blood circulation and improve pressure inside the skull. It is also said to bring out a person's sixth sense, the ability to use ESP, see ghosts, move objects with one's mind. This is speculative fiction based on the concept of trepanation.
Nijigahara Holograph (http://www.mangaupdates.com/series.html?id=6515): Suzuki is a troubled boy. He's lived with uncaring foster parents for most of his life, alienated from the other kids at his school, owner of a cynical, unhappy mentality. Komatsuzaki is a violent, unpredictable bully whose head trauma causes him to act in mysterious, inexplicable ways. Arakawa is a no-nonsense, normal girl who pines after Komatsuzaki but can never have him. A teacher with just one working eye. A mother who committed suicide. A daughter in an endless coma. Attempted rapes, murders, extortion, sexual deviance, and a freakish explosion in the butterfly population. All of these elements are whirled together in a story spanning 10 years, a tale of blackness, pain, and apocalypse. And maybe just a bit of hope and redemption.
Mukashi no Hanashi (http://www.mangaupdates.com/series.html?id=17818): A collection of dark, short stories. Individual summaries included in the link.

[igotthegoods]

Miyori no Mori (http://mangahelpers.com/forum/showthread.php?t=66334)
Featured Manga: Week of February 10-17


http://static.mangahelpers.com/gallery-thumbnails/13325 (http://mangahelpers.com/gallery/15/13325)http://img197.imagevenue.com/loc574/th_40380_Miyoris_Forest_001_122_574lo.jpg (http://img197.imagevenue.com/img.php?image=40380_Miyoris_Forest_001_122_574lo.jpg)

A young girl escapes to the forest where she encounters the various spirits of the forest in a journey of the heart.

Don't let the young protagonist and shoujo demographic fool you, this is a rich and beautiful story that has a much more mature feel than I was expecting. Fans of fantasy manga will love this story.

If you liked Miyori no Mori, you might also like:

Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (http://www.mangaupdates.com/series.html?id=4565): Humanity, in its hubris, has precipitated a devastating environmental disaster. Flourishing industrial civilizations have been swallowed up by the Sea of Corruption, an enormous forest of fungi releases a miasma of poisonous spores into the air. Nausicaa, a compassionate young princess, and her allies battle to heal a wounded world and its inhabitants...
Coo's World (http://www.mangaupdates.com/series.html?id=602): Seventh grader Hayashi Renei is troubled by a strange dream: Her dead brother-- killed in an automobile accident--comes back to life as Coo. The dream comes again the following night and then every night thereafter. Coo's world is a cruel one--crueler than the real world, even--with its own share of pain, suffering, and sadness. Renei is searching for her house with her brother and others whom she meets in Coo's world so that she can return to reality and the land of the living...

Witches (http://www.mangaupdates.com/series.html?id=2211): A wildly imaginitive trek into the deepest realms of human beliefs and the mysteries of the universe. Daisuke Igarashi's amazing pen can recreate anything he can imagine on paper, resulting in beautifully chaotic, maddeningly detailed scrawls of pure wonder. A true celebration of the human imagination. When deep emotions come to the head, the witch that dwells in the heart awakens - the gorgeous and literary illusory tales begin.
Natsume Yuujinchou (http://www.mangaupdates.com/series.html?id=6781): Natsume's just an ordinary kid, except he can see spirits, just like his grandma Reiko could. Reiko, though, used to bully the spirits, and bound them to her will in the "Book of Friends". Now that Natsume has inherited this book, a never-ending stream of spirits is coming after him. With the help of a spirit "cat" (who really just wants Natsume to die so he can have the book), Natsume spends his days dissolving the contracts that bind the spirits and trying not to get killed.

[Kaiten]

Tomehane! (http://mangahelpers.com/forum/showthread.php?t=67586)
Featured Manga: Week of February 17-24


http://static.mangahelpers.com/gallery-thumbnails/12504 (http://mangahelpers.com/gallery/tomehane/12504) http://static.mangahelpers.com/gallery-thumbnails/12507 (http://mangahelpers.com/gallery/tomehane/12507) http://static.mangahelpers.com/gallery-thumbnails/12505 (http://mangahelpers.com/gallery/tomehane/12505)

You really don't need to care about Japanese calligraphy to love Tomehane. Tomehane is a light, funny slice of life manga full of memorable characters and sharp writing. Fans of school life/slice of life will love it. It's turning into one of my favorite series.

Tales of a high school calligraphy club.

A story about a high school calligraphy club on the verge of breaking up that enters in a major competition while overcoming problems. Yuki, a promising female judoist, and Yukari, a quiet Canadian-raised boy who just returned to Japan, end up joining the club for the sake of maintaining the membership required to keep the club. Together with the old club members with unique characters, they gradually discover the fun of calligraphy and work together to win in the competition. -- NHK

If You Like Tomehane You Might Also Like:

Kuragehime (http://www.mangaupdates.com/series.html?id=38146): Kurashita Tsukimi is an 18 year old 'kurage otaku' (jelly fish fanatic). She lives in Tokyo in an all-woman apartment full of various types of otaku. They fear and despise beautiful, fashionable people while existing happily in their no-man, no make-up world.
That all changes when a 'Stylish' saves the life of a jelly fish and intrudes upon Tsukimi's isolated existence. Things are made even more complicated when it turns out that the beautiful 'Stylish' is a man in drag.
Genshiken (http://www.mangaupdates.com/series.html?id=2402): College freshman and ACG lover Kanji Sasahara settled down his extracurricular activity in Genshiken (The Society for the Study of Modern Visual Culture) in order to become a true and thorough otaku. Meanwhile, Saki Kasukabe, the girlfriend of another freshman Genshiken member (also a bishounen) Makoto Kohsaka, was dragged into Genshiken's otaku-ish activities reluctantly, yet her resentful attitude towards otakus is changing without her noticing.
Lovely Complex (http://www.mangaupdates.com/series.html?id=230): Risa Koizumi is the tallest girl in class, and the last thing she wants is the humiliation of standing next to Atsushi Otani, the shortest guy. Fate and the whole school have other ideas, and the two find themselves cast as the unwilling stars of a bizarre romantic comedy duo.
Sket Dance (http://www.mangaupdates.com/series.html?id=10426): The hilarious misadventures of the "Sket Dan"; a couple of high-schoolers who help out people as part of their club activity. Himeko, the hot-headed ex-delinquent with a soft spot for cute things and a taste for strange food. Switch, the brainy otaku who only talks via a computerized speech-application. And Bossun, the atypical leader of this looney bunch, with the amazing power to... concentrate very hard!
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Dogs: Bullets and Carnage (http://mangahelpers.com/forum/showthread.php?t=16778)
Featured Manga: Week of February 24 - March 3, 2011

http://img166.imagevenue.com/loc4/th_98338_01_122_4lo.jpg (http://img166.imagevenue.com/img.php?image=98338_01_122_4lo.jpg)http://img270.imagevenue.com/loc153/th_98339_013_122_153lo.jpg (http://img270.imagevenue.com/img.php?image=98339_013_122_153lo.jpg)http://img289.imagevenue.com/loc101/th_98339_16_122_101lo.jpg (http://img289.imagevenue.com/img.php?image=98339_16_122_101lo.jpg)http://img239.imagevenue.com/loc221/th_98339_DogsBC_59_08_eng_122_221lo.jpg (http://img239.imagevenue.com/img.php?image=98339_DogsBC_59_08_eng_122_221lo.jpg)

Want hard edged fantasy free action manga? You'll love Dogs. A straight ahead, no frills action series with a dystopian sci-fi back drop, Dogs is full of memorable characters and innovative art. A good read for anyone looking for a fast pace and lots of action.

It is sometime in the future, where a certain European city extends far underground, even secret, dark levels that have the key to the past. Ex-assassin Mihai has returned. Sword-wielding Naota, Haine a mysterious product of genetic engineering and his sometime partner Badou, not to mention the scary but cute twins Luki and Noki, hang around plying their dangerous, and often deadly trades.

Start with the one volume prologue Dogs: Stray Dogs Howling in the Dark (http://www.mangaupdates.com/series.html?id=5195) before reading Bullets and Carnage.

If you liked Dogs, you might also like:

Black Lagoon (http://www.mangaupdates.com/series.html?id=1447): Lock n' load with the baddest soldiers of fortune ever to hit the high seas of Southeast Asia! Aboard their World War II era torpedo boat, the Black Lagoon, Dutch the Boss, Benny the Mechanic, Revy Two Hand, and Rock, the salaryman from Japan, deliver anything, anywhere. In the dangerous underworld of the Russian Mafia, Chinese Triads, Colombian drug cartels, crazed assassins, and ruthless mercenaries, it's hard to know whom to trust. But if you've got a delivery to make, and you don't mind a little property damage along the way, you can count on the crew of the Black Lagoon.
Jormungand (http://www.mangaupdates.com/series.html?id=8969): This manga revolves around an underground weapon seller and her accomplices. The story starts when they add a new member to her team, a quite young and strange boy. He hates weapons. An intense action-packed series with bullets, knives, words, and blood flying everywhere!
Until Death Do Us Part (http://www.mangaupdates.com/series.html?id=4111): The future is a great unknown. Throughout history, those who have been graced with the power to read it have been sought by many. In this day and age, the term "prophet" is outdated. "Precog," as in precognition, is the modern term.

Yet when the powers of precognition is graced upon a young girl named Tohyama Haruka, she is sought after by a powerful organization. Utilizing her powers, Haruka makes contact with Hijikata Mamoru, a blind swordsman. When cornered by her captors, Haruka proposes an outrageous condition to Mamoru. Haruka wants Mamoru to protect her until death do they part.

[Kaiten]

Ao Haru Ride (http://mangahelpers.com/forum/showthread.php?t=69849)
Featured Manga: Week of May 5-May 12

http://thumbnails13.imagebam.com/13104/be3a56131033209.jpg (http://www.imagebam.com/image/be3a56131033209) http://thumbnails28.imagebam.com/13104/867b32131033213.jpg (http://www.imagebam.com/image/867b32131033213) http://thumbnails41.imagebam.com/13104/6e56b5131033218.jpg (http://www.imagebam.com/image/6e56b5131033218)

Looking for a good school life/romance manga? Give Ao Haru Ride a try. It's by the mangaka of Strobe Edge but has a more grounded, less fluffy feel.

Yoshioka Futaba has a few reasons why she wants to "reset" her image and life as a new high-school student. Because she's cute, she was ostracized by her female friends in junior high, and because of a misunderstanding, she couldn't get her feeling across to the one boy she has always liked, Tanaka-kun.

Now in high school, she is determined to be as unladylike as possible so that her friends won't be jealous of her. While living her life this way contentedly, she meets Tanaka-kun again, but he now goes under the name of Mabuchi Kou. He tells her that he felt the same way as she did when they were younger, but now things can never be the same again. Will Futaba be able to continue her love that never even started from three years ago? ~From Mangaupdates

If you liked Ao Haru Ride, you might also like:
Strobe Edge (http://www.mangaupdates.com/series.html?id=13341): Having no experience in romance, the vibrant Ninako curiously explores the meaning of what "love" really is, and is surprised to feel a colorful range of emotions as she grows closer to the school heartthrob, the quiet yet gentle Ren, who also happens to be involved in a longtime relationship. With every intention of keeping her head held high, Ninako prepares to face the mental pain of this one-sided love that she had allowed to take root, facing a series of trials that would either contribute to her growth as a headstrong woman, or break her as it did with other girls. By the same mangaka as Ao Haru Ride
Kimi ni Todoke: (http://www.mangaupdates.com/series.html?id=3058) Sawako Kuronuma is the perfect heroine... for a horror movie. With her jet-black hair, sinister smile and silent demeanor, she's often mistaken for the haunting movie character Sadako. But behind her scary facade is a very misunderstood teenager. Too shy to fit in, all she wants to do is make some friends. But when a popular boy in class befriends her, she's sure to make more than just that--she's about to make some enemies too! An all time manga classic.
Boku no Hatsukoi o Kimi ni Sasagu: (http://www.mangaupdates.com/series.html?id=2967) Takuma and Mayu's story began when they were only 8 years old. During his childhood, Takuma was constantly hospitalised due to his heart condition. He soon became friends with Mayu, the daughter of the doctor in charge of his case. Day by day they grew closer and closer. However, the summer when Takuma was 8, he made a promise to Mayu that he couldn't keep... Their story unfolds as they grow older and their bond gets stronger...
High School Debut: (http://www.mangaupdates.com/series.html?id=542) When Haruna Nagashima was in junior high her life consisted of playing softball and reading comics. But now that she's going to high school, Haruna decides to put all of her energy towards getting a boyfriend and having the high school romance of a lifetime. To help in her quest, she enlists cute upperclassman Yoh Komiyama to coach her as she eschews her jock tendencies and turns herself into the kind of girl who can catch a guy. Yoh agrees, with one catch: Haruna had better not fall for him!
Lovely Complex: (http://www.mangaupdates.com/series.html?id=230) Risa Koizumi is the tallest girl in class, and the last thing she wants is the humiliation of standing next to Atsushi Otani, the shortest guy. Fate and the whole school have other ideas, and the two find themselves cast as the unwilling stars of a bizarre romantic comedy duo. LoveCom is my favorite shoujo ever.
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Noramimi (http://mangahelpers.com/forum/showthread.php?t=70018)
Featured Manga: Week of May 12-18

http://thumbnails22.imagebam.com/13196/5dd676131953657.jpg (http://www.imagebam.com/image/5dd676131953657) http://thumbnails34.imagebam.com/13196/63b0b1131953662.jpg (http://www.imagebam.com/image/63b0b1131953662) http://thumbnails27.imagebam.com/13196/3923fa131953659.jpg (http://www.imagebam.com/image/3923fa131953659) http://thumbnails28.imagebam.com/13196/34c381131953667.jpg (http://www.imagebam.com/image/34c381131953667) http://thumbnails35.imagebam.com/13196/a8fff0131953671.jpg (http://www.imagebam.com/image/a8fff0131953671)

Noramimi is a witty, wonderful, funny paean to childhood, memories, growing up, moving on, but never forgetting the what you cherished. One of my favorite manga ever, Noramimi is a near perfect comedy manga.

In the Noramimi universe, most families own a 'mascot'. These strange and amusing creatures live at home and act as companions for younger children.

Noramimi is one such mascot. Unfortunately for him, he is an ogre type and thus not popular with
children, who prefer 'cuter' alternatives. Unwillingly, he decides to 'home stay' at "Hello Kids" - an agency that organizes matters between mascots and humans.

But, like all mascots, his heartfelt wish is to one day be adopted by a family...

If you liked Noramimi you may also like:
Azumanga Daioh (http://www.mangaupdates.com/series.html?id=1923): It's not manga, it's Azumanga! − smart, fun, and totally addictive. Created by the iconoclastic Kiyohiko Azuma, Azumanga Daioh is strongly character driven, taking the reader through the daily tribulations of Miss Kurosawa, Miss Yukari, the wild Tomo, hair-triggered Yomi, ditzy Osaka, brash Kagura, cute Chiyo-chan, and athletic (but girly) Sakaki.
Hanaotoko (http://www.mangaupdates.com/series.html?id=606): Shigeo is a high strung elementary school student living with his mother. His only concern is getting ahead in life by doing well in school. He despises his father Hanao (who is separated from them), who's an idealistic free spirit and a kid at heart, infatuated with the sport of baseball. Shigeo's mother forces Shigeo to take time to visit his father, and so begins Shigeo's lessons that there's more to life than excelling academically (courtesy of his very childish father).
Minami-ke (http://www.mangaupdates.com/series.html?id=406): Minami-ke is a manga following three sisters, Haruka, Kana, and Chiaki in their lives at home and school. It's a funny manga that depicts how these characters interact with each other and their classmates. It's a manga about ordinary girls and their ordinary adventures told in an extraordinary manner.
Pani Poni (http://www.mangaupdates.com/series.html?id=1810): A new teacher is assigned to Momotsuki Academy. Her name is Rebecca Miyamoto, or Becky. She is short, but she is pretty smart. This is a school comedy performed by Becky and strange students... and animals!?
Sayonara Zetsubo Sensei (http://www.mangaupdates.com/series.html?id=5433): This series that’s currently running in Shounen magazine is a dark comedy about a depressed teacher whose attempts to commit suicide are constantly foiled and his 32 troubled students.
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Witches (http://www.mangaupdates.com/series.html?id=2211)
Featured Manga: Week of May 19-25

http://thumbnails35.imagebam.com/13304/63d32b133031068.jpg (http://www.imagebam.com/image/63d32b133031068) http://thumbnails26.imagebam.com/13304/4af4d8133031071.jpg (http://www.imagebam.com/image/4af4d8133031071) http://thumbnails37.imagebam.com/13304/066b03133031072.jpg (http://www.imagebam.com/image/066b03133031072) http://thumbnails30.imagebam.com/13304/f2cfbd133031074.jpg (http://www.imagebam.com/image/f2cfbd133031074)

Igarashi Daisuke's rough, jagged, bold, detailed art style is the perfect compliment to his folk tales of natures beauty, kindness, mystery, malice, and ability to destroy. Scanlations of Children of the Sea stalled at volume two, though all four collected volumes are available for sale in the United States. Witches, his mediation on religion and mysticism, remains the only one of his manga fully translated online.

A wildly imaginitive trek into the deepest realms of human beliefs and the mysteries of the universe. Daisuke Igarashi's amazing pen can recreate anything he can imagine on paper, resulting in beautifully chaotic, maddeningly detailed scrawls of pure wonder. A true celebration of the human imagination.

When deep emotions come to the head, the witch that dwells in the heart awakens - the gorgeous and literary illusory tales begin.

If You Liked Witches You Might Also Like:

Mushishi: (http://www.mangaupdates.com/series.html?id=452) They exist in the most unexpected places -- be it within your eyes and ears, under the floor and roof of your house, or the trees and flowers in your garden. They are everywhere and yet nowhere at the same time. Are they alive or not? Perhaps it is more apt to say they are beings who transcend the concept of life and death itself...

They are mushi.
Please Save My Earth: (http://www.mangaupdates.com/series.html?id=1245) Are the woes of the present meant to be endured for the promise of a better future or to atone for past wrongs? In a captivating epic of love, fate, and faith, seven young people must struggle with this spiritual puzzle as their alien past lives threaten the future.
Natsume Yuujinchou: (http://www.mangaupdates.com/series.html?id=6781) Natsume's just an ordinary kid, except he can see spirits, just like his grandma Reiko could. Reiko, though, used to bully the spirits, and bound them to her will in the "Book of Friends". Now that Natsume has inherited this book, a never-ending stream of spirits is coming after him. With the help of a spirit "cat" (who really just wants Natsume to die so he can have the book), Natsume spends his days dissolving the contracts that bind the spirits and trying not to get killed.
Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou: (http://www.mangaupdates.com/series.html?id=586) This is the story of Alpha Hasseno, an Alpha 7 M2 series robot. Left by her owner, she appears and acts fully human while running a small coffee shop named Cafe Alpha. It is a light-hearted story about the people Alpha comes into contact with behind the backdrop of a futuristic country-side in Japan. As we meet Alpha, she makes a shopping trip to Yokohama.

[igotthegoods]

Piano no Mori (http://mangahelpers.com/forum/showthread.php?t=20348)
Featured Manga: Week of May 26 - June 1


http://static.mangahelpers.com/gallery-thumbnails/10993 (http://mangahelpers.com/gallery/piano-no-mori/10993) http://static.mangahelpers.com/gallery-thumbnails/11009 (http://mangahelpers.com/gallery/piano-no-mori/11009) http://static.mangahelpers.com/gallery-thumbnails/11008 (http://mangahelpers.com/gallery/piano-no-mori/11008)

A tranquil tale about two boys from very different upbringings. On one hand you have Kai, born as the son of a prostitute, who's been playing the abandoned piano in the forest near his home ever since he was young. And on the other you have Syuhei, practically breast-fed by the piano as the son of a family of prestigious pianists. Yet it is their common bond with the piano that eventually intertwines their paths in life.

Piano no Mori won a Grand Prize from 2008 [12th] Japan Media Arts Festival.

If you liked Piano no Mori, you might also like:

Nodame Cantibile (http://www.mangaupdates.com/series.html?id=791): The son of a famous pianist, music student Shinichi Chiaki dreams of studying abroad and becoming a conductor like his mentor. Unfortunately, his fear of flying grounds his lofty plans! As he watches other classmates achieve what he has always wanted, Shinichi wonders if he should quit music altogether.
Then one day he meets fellow student Megumi Noda, also known as Nodame. This oddball girl cannot cook, clean, or even read a music score, but she can play the piano in incomparable Cantabile style. And she teaches Chiaki something that he has forgotten: to enjoy his music, no matter where he is.
Chihayafuru (http://www.mangaupdates.com/series.html?id=28805): All her life, Chihaya's dream was to see her model sister become Japan's best... That is, until a quiet, unassuming transfer student named Arata tells her otherwise. A dream, he explains to her, is something she needs to work at herself.

Arata plays a competitive version of a traditional Japanese card game--known as Hyakunin Isshu--in a way Chihaya has never seen before. After taking Arata's place in a game, Chihaya discovers she has a passion for it. Now Chihaya wants to become number one in the world, the Queen of Karuta.

Chihayafuru won the 2nd Manga Taisho Award. Winner of the 35th annual Kodansha Manga Award for Best Shoujo.
Mushishi (http://www.mangaupdates.com/series.html?id=452): They exist in the most unexpected places -- be it within your eyes and ears, under the floor and roof of your house, or the trees and flowers in your garden. They are everywhere and yet nowhere at the same time. Are they alive or not? Perhaps it is more apt to say they are beings who transcend the concept of life and death itself...

They are mushi.

Some wreak havoc in the lives of humans; while others bring them deliverance from suffering. Mushi are neither good, nor evil; for just like any other creature, they are merely striving to survive in this harsh, competitive world.

Ginko - a lone wanderer with a reclusive personality, offers help and guidance to those plagued by mushi. This is the tale of his travels and exploits in a wondrous world populated by these mysterious entities.

Mushishi won an Excellence Prize at the 2003 Japanese Media Arts Festival and the 2006 Kodansha Manga Award.

[Kaiten]

Reimei no Arcana (http://mangahelpers.com/forum/showthread.php/70603-FEATURED-Shoujo-Reimei-no-Arcana-by-TOMA-Rei)
Featured Manga: June 2-June 9

http://thumbnails37.imagebam.com/13495/b9498e134943364.jpg (http://www.imagebam.com/image/b9498e134943364) http://thumbnails21.imagebam.com/13495/004ce5134943368.jpg (http://www.imagebam.com/image/004ce5134943368) http://thumbnails15.imagebam.com/13495/c2442c134943375.jpg (http://www.imagebam.com/image/c2442c134943375) http://thumbnails34.imagebam.com/13495/062f24134943380.jpg (http://www.imagebam.com/image/062f24134943380)

Looking for shoujo but not interested in a high school setting? Try Reimei no Arcana! A sweeping historical fantasy featuring romance, drama, politics and intrigue, Reimei is perfect for shoujo fans looking for something a little new and different. Not a shoujo fan? Reimei no Arcana is a great place to start!

"On that day, I became the enemy's possesion," Nakaba thought as she stood there, knowing her destiny was to be married for convenience to keep the peace between her country Senan and Prince Caesar's country, Belquat; two neighbor countries on an island.

Between the two countries, there has been a constant war for 200 years and Nakaba has become a sacrificial goat for her country despite the discrimination of her red hair and of the sub-person (half-human, half-animal) Loki, who is her only friend and attendant at Caesar's estranged palace.

But what will Nakaba do when she foresees an event pertaining to Prince Caesar's demise? Will she save him? Or let him die in return to all the hate directed towards her by the people of Belquat?

If You Liked Reimei no Arcana You Might Also Like:
Zettai Heiwa Daisakusen (http://www.mangaupdates.com/series.html?id=24433): The long-lasting war between the Northern and the Southern Kingdoms is unbearable. So the northern Prince Johane and the southern Princess Euda decide to tell everyone they are in love, because their marriage can stop the war. But the truth is they don’t get along at all!
Otomegatari (http://www.mangaupdates.com/series.html?id=37308): Set along the Silk Road that connected Asia with the Mediterranean world, including North Africa and Europe in the 19th century. The story of Amira, a woman skilled in archery and horsemanship, sent to marry Karluk, a boy from another village who is 8 years younger than her. But all is not well, as her village decides to take her back...
Akagami no Shirayukihime (http://www.mangaupdates.com/series.html?id=16482): Shirayuki was a young girl born with unique apple-red hair. She meets a famous but foolish Prince Raji, who falls in love with her at first sight and orders her to become his concubine. With nowhere else to go, Shirayuki cuts her hair and escapes to a neighboring country. While traversing through the forests, she meets a young boy, Zen, who helps her after she boldly cures his wounds but then gets poisoned by an apple given to Shirayuki. Meanwhile, Prince Raji sends out henchmen to search for her. What will happen to Shirayuki? What is Zen’s true character? A refreshing fantasy story between an optimistic heroine and a prince who constantly stays on her watch.
Saiunkoku Monogatari (http://www.mangaupdates.com/series.html?id=3116): Shurei Hong, destitute but of noble birth, has always dreamed of working as a civil servant in the imperial court of Saiunkoku, but women are barred from holding office. The emperor Ryuki, however, refuses to take command, leaving everything to his advisors. Shurei is asked to become a consort to the emperor to persuade the ne’er-do-well ruler to govern.

Shurei enters the palace as Ryuki’s consort, but he has yet to seek her out. It is rumored that men, not women, share the emperor’s bedchamber. Shurei must think of a way to stop the emperor from shirking his responsibilities, but she has to find him first!

---------- Post added June 10, 2011 at 08:34 PM ---------- Previous post was June 02, 2011 at 01:53 PM ----------

Magic Peddler Roma (http://mangahelpers.com/forum/showthread.php/62347-Featured-Magic-Peddler-Roma-by-KURAZONO-Norihiko)
Featured Manga: June 10-June 17

http://thumbnails42.imagebam.com/13610/f5da5b136095077.jpg (http://www.imagebam.com/image/f5da5b136095077) http://thumbnails13.imagebam.com/13610/ff186b136095424.jpg (http://www.imagebam.com/image/ff186b136095424) http://thumbnails44.imagebam.com/13610/319edd136095425.jpg (http://www.imagebam.com/image/319edd136095425) http://thumbnails27.imagebam.com/13611/be1805136109935.jpg (http://www.imagebam.com/image/be1805136109935)

Darker than it would appear, Magic Peddler Roma peers into the selfish, greedy id of adolescence. With each chapter, character after character is overcome by their unchecked desired. Roma looks on, part antagonist, part judge. Imagine a sinister Kobato, that is Magic Peddler Roma.

Roma is a mysterious girl that is on a mission to collect “human greed” through the use of various magical objects that have unique powers. When humans use these magical items to satisfy their own personal emotions, such as love, their greed level increases and Roma is able to steal their excess greed.

The people that use Roma’s objects seem to always let their greed destroy themselves, putting themselves in a worse situation than before.

If You Liked Magic Peddler Roma You Might Also Like:
xxxholic (http://www.mangaupdates.com/series.html?id=341): Watanuki Kimihiro is haunted by visions of ghosts and spirits. Seemingly by chance, he encounters a mysterious witch named Yûko, who claims she can help. In desperation, he accepts, but realizes that he's just been tricked into working for Yûko in order to pay off the cost of her services. Soon he's employed in her little shop- a job which turns out to be nothing like his previous work experience!
Mirai Nikki (http://www.mangaupdates.com/series.html?id=6765): High school 2nd year, Amano Yukiteru, is a boy who has problem making friends. He thinks of himself as a bystander and will always write down everything he sees in a cell phone diary.

Tormented by solitude, Yukiteru began to imagine things like a friend called Deus Ex Machina who is apparently the Lord of Time & Space. Seeing Yukiteru's miserable state, Deus gives him a new ability. His diary will now record events that will happen in the near future. Yukiteru is then forced to participate in a game which the winner will become Deus's successor
Majin Tantei Nougami Neuro (http://www.mangaupdates.com/series.html?id=824): The Demon Neuro has a raging hunger for ‘mysteries.’ Being dissatisfied with his current regime in hell, he’s come into the mortal realm in order to satiate his ever-growing appetite. The murder case of a young girl’s father seems to be sufficiently enticing for the Demon’s needs.. But what else might happen between these two? Find out in this disturbingly good murder-mystery series.

---------- Post added June 22, 2011 at 08:44 PM ---------- Previous post was June 10, 2011 at 08:34 PM ----------

Blame! (http://mangahelpers.com/forum/showthread.php/21789-Blame!-by-Nihei-Tsutomu-%28v10%29?highlight=blame)
Featured Manga: June 22-June 19

http://thumbnails52.imagebam.com/13767/f2343e137666886.jpg (http://www.imagebam.com/image/f2343e137666886) http://thumbnails25.imagebam.com/13767/026662137666895.jpg (http://www.imagebam.com/image/026662137666895) http://thumbnails39.imagebam.com/13767/643956137666890.jpg (http://www.imagebam.com/image/643956137666890) http://thumbnails48.imagebam.com/13767/091911137666878.jpg (http://www.imagebam.com/image/091911137666878)

Nihei Tsutomu's cyberpunk classic is a dizzying, dystopian world of endless, empty corridors, murderous silicon creatures, and malfunctioning safeguards. A former architect, Nihei designed a megastructure of unimaginable scale. One of my favorite manga, by one of my favorite mangaka and one of the few I have read every series by, Blame is an essential modern manga classic!

Killy is a man of few words. He wanders, seemingly endlessly, through a lonely, gargantuan labyrinth of concrete and steel, fighting off cyborgs and other futuristic nightmares, searching only for something called Net Terminal Genes. And he has a very powerful gun, which he uses without hesitation whenever anything resembling danger rears its ugly head.

Who is this quiet, violent, determined man and what are these Genes he seeks? The small communities he finds tucked into the crevices of this towering, dystopic ruin hardly give him leads on his treasure, driving him to find larger enclaves of civilization where people can reveal more about the world he lives in and the quarry he seeks.

If You Liked Blame! You May Also Like:
Battle Angel Alita (http://www.mangaupdates.com/series.html?id=2157): Alita is a powerful cyborg with a soft heart and a mysterious past. Her second lease on life isn't easy: her heart is broken, she gains and loses friends to the cruel world of the Scrapyard far below the Utopian city of Tiphares, and she serves many masters in her quest to protect the innocent and create a new life for herself.
Ghost in the Shell (http://www.mangaupdates.com/series.html?id=2474): In a near future, technology has firmly taken root into society at large. Cybernetic implants are nothing uncommon and robots roam as plentiful as humans, all connected through their "ghosts" to the electronic datastreams of the net. Major Motoko Kusanagi and the Public Security Section 9 find themselves in a constant battle with the newly created wave of technological terrorists and cyber-hackers. But things take a turn once Motoko gets involved in a certain case involving an extremely dangerous "ghost" hacker nicknamed the Puppeteer, as she dives deeper and deeper into the limitless reality of the net, to reach her own startling conclusions.
Eden: It's An Endless World (http://www.mangaupdates.com/series.html?id=930): In the panic surrounding a worldwide pandemic which kills 15 percent of the population and cripples many more, a secret organization, the Propater, topples the UN and seizes control of much of the world. A boy and a girl, raised in an abandoned virology research center, immune to the virus, are attacked by the Propater and escape.
SaiKano (http://www.mangaupdates.com/series.html?id=1816): Shy Chise and nervous Shuji are high school seniors in a small town and have just started dating. But everything changes when Shuji discovers that Chise has been engineered by the Japanese Self Defense Force to transform into the Ultimate Weapon! Soon Chise is torn between realizing her potential as a devastating fighting force and her desire to share a bowl of ramen with her new boyfriend!
Mardock Scramble (http://www.mangaupdates.com/series.html?id=46713): Why me? It was to be the last thought a young prostitute, Rune Balot, would ever have…as a human anyway. Taken in by a devious gambler named Shell, she became a slave to his cruel desires and would have been killed by his hand if not for a private investigator and his self-aware Universal Tool, Œufcoque. Now a cyborg, Balot has not only physical powers, but the ability to disrupt social environments. She chases after Shell, his partner-in-crime Boiled, and faces down a variety of insane villains in this pulse-pounding cyberpunk noir adventure.

---------- Post added July 01, 2011 at 03:37 PM ---------- Previous post was June 22, 2011 at 08:44 PM ----------

Blade of the Immortal (http://mangahelpers.com/forum/showthread.php/888-Blade-of-the-Immortal-%28Mugen-no-Juunin%29-by-Samura-Hiroaki)
Featured Manga: July 1 - July 8

http://thumbnails34.imagebam.com/13880/0d381b138797298.jpg (http://www.imagebam.com/image/0d381b138797298) http://thumbnails42.imagebam.com/13880/80f736138797301.jpg (http://www.imagebam.com/image/80f736138797301) http://thumbnails53.imagebam.com/13880/512b8c138797302.jpg (http://www.imagebam.com/image/512b8c138797302) http://thumbnails39.imagebam.com/13880/cccad3138797304.jpg (http://www.imagebam.com/image/cccad3138797304)

Blade of the Immortal is a blood drenched parable of guilt, mortality, courage, redemption, and living a rich, fulfilling life. The specter of death is never far away, as the characters grapple with the implications of being professional killers. Like Berserk, Blade of the Immortal (known in Japan as Mugen no Juunin) is a violent action series on it's surface, but with complex story telling, rich in symbolism and metaphor, more akin to a novel than manga. Begun in 1993, the art is still ahead of it's time. This is not a manga for everyone, it is extremely violent and rarely uplifting. But fans of Berserk, Vagabond, and Vinland Saga will love Blade of the Immortal.

"To end his eternal suffering, he must slay one thousand enemies!" Manji, a ronin warrior of feudal Japan, has been cursed with immortality. To rid himself of this curse and end his life of misery, he must slay one thousand evil men! His quest begins when a young girl seeks his help in taking revenge on her parents' killers... and his quest won't end until the blood of a thousand has spilled!

If You Like Blade of the Immortal You May Also Like:
Shingeki no Kyojin (http://www.mangaupdates.com/series.html?id=47446): Several hundred years ago, humans were nearly exterminated by giants. Giants are typically several stories tall, seem to have no intelligence, devour human beings and, worst of all, seem to do it for the pleasure rather than as a food source. A small percentage of humanity survived by walling themselves in a city protected by extremely high walls, even taller than the biggest of giants.

Flash forward to the present and the city has not seen a giant in over 100 years. Teenage boy Eren and his foster sister Mikasa witness something horrific as the city walls are destroyed by a super giant that appears out of thin air. As the smaller giants flood the city, the two kids watch in horror as their mother is eaten alive. Eren vows that he will murder every single giant and take revenge for all of mankind.
Kurozuka (http://www.mangaupdates.com/series.html?id=82): Escaping from a brother who had just ascended the throne, Yoshitsune, along with his servant, comes across a house in the middle of a desolate mountain. Oddly enough, only a young woman lives there, who seems to possess a very dark and ominous past.

This long journey of more than a thousand years focuses on our main protagonist Kurou. It can be somewhat confusing at the beginning, but once you understand the plot this story can be quite entertaining.
Shin Angyo Onshi (http://www.mangaupdates.com/series.html?id=164):Based on historical setting of Korea during the Josun Age. Long ago, in Jushin, secret royal inspectors named "Angyo Onshi" wandered the country and restored the order. But now that Jushin is destroyed, only one is still wandering...
Sidooh (http://www.mangaupdates.com/series.html?id=1439): During the political upheavals and social strife at the end of the Tokugawa Shogunate in Japan (1855), two parent-less brothers Yukimura Shoutarou and Yukimura Gentarou struggle to survive in these turbulent times. With their only possession being their deceased father's sword and clinging onto the wisdom of their mother's final words, the brothers seek to embark on the Path of the Warrior: Sidooh.

[igotthegoods]

Chihayafuru (http://mangahelpers.com/forum/showthread.php/56755-FEATURED-Josei-Chihayafuru-by-SUETSUGU-Yuki)
Featured Manga: Week of July 9-16


http://i55.tinypic.com/o8dm48.jpghttp://i56.tinypic.com/2yoaale.jpg

Summary:

From J-SiS:

All her life, Chihaya's dream was to see her model sister become Japan's best... That is, until a quiet, unassuming transfer student named Arata tells her otherwise. A dream, he explains to her, is something she needs to work at herself.

Arata plays a competitive version of a traditional Japanese card game--known as Hyakunin Isshu--in a way Chihaya has never seen before. After taking Arata's place in a game, Chihaya discovers she has a passion for it. Now Chihaya wants to become number one in the world, the Queen of Karuta.

Chihayafuru won the 2nd Manga Taisho Award. Winner of the 35th annual Kodansha Manga Award for Best Shoujo.

If you liked Chihayafuru, you might also like:

Honey And Clover (http://www.mangaupdates.com/series.html?id=581): Takemoto lives in a run-down student apartment, where his greatest worry is when he'll next be able to afford to eat meat and whether he'll get to class on time. Although he's away from home and living on his own, Takemoto is far from finished growing up. Along with his crazy cast of friends, Morita, Mayama, Yamada, and Hagumi, Takemoto sets out to discover life and his true self.

3-Gatsu no Lion (http://www.mangaupdates.com/series.html?id=13885): Kiriyama Rei is a 17 year old professional shogi player and very good at it, but in real life, he has nothing. Quiet and not very social, Rei has no family, no friends, and he doesn't go to school. He is acquainted with a neighboring woman named Akari who is single-handedly raising her two younger sisters, Momo and Hinata.
This is a slice-of-life-ish seinen manga, with strong monologues and reflections by Rei.

Nominated for the 2nd Manga Taisho Award (2009) and the 4nd Manga Taisho Award (2011). Winner of the 35th Kodansha Manga Awards for Best General Manga with Uchuu Kyoudai(2011)

Hikaru no Go (http://www.mangaupdates.com/series.html?id=1083): A regular school boy, Hikaru Shindo stumbles upon an old GO board while looking through his grandpa's old storage room for something worth money. From inside the board came an old spirit named Sai who once dedicated his life to GO. Together, Sai continues to search for the move people call "The god's hand" while Hikaru slowly began interest in this ancient game and walks down the road of GO.

Hikaru no GO received the Shogakukan Manga Award in 2000 and creators received Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize in 2003 for the series.

[Kaiten]

Lovely Complex (http://mangahelpers.com/forum/showthread.php/19971-Shoujo-Lovely-Complex-by-Nakahara-Aya)
Featured Manga: Week of July 16-23

http://thumbnails38.imagebam.com/14088/42910e140875544.jpg (http://www.imagebam.com/image/42910e140875544) http://thumbnails30.imagebam.com/14088/51bc8a140875548.jpg (http://www.imagebam.com/image/51bc8a140875548) http://thumbnails50.imagebam.com/14088/74ba21140875555.jpg (http://www.imagebam.com/image/74ba21140875555) http://thumbnails24.imagebam.com/14088/e14dcd140875558.jpg (http://www.imagebam.com/image/e14dcd140875558)

Looking for the defining shoujo manga of the last ten years? It's Lovely Complex. Taking a less flowery, saccharine approach to romance, Lovely Complex dispensed with many of the tropes associated with shoujo. Instead, mangaka Nakahara Aya placed the focus on the chemistry between the two lead characters. Funny, sweet, and written with plenty of wit, Lovely Complex will be an instant hit with fans of more recent romantic comedy such as Kimi ni Todoke.

Risa Koizumi is the tallest girl in class, and the last thing she wants is the humiliation of standing next to Atsushi Otani, the shortest guy. Fate and the whole school have other ideas, and the two find themselves cast as the unwilling stars of a bizarre romantic comedy duo.

If You Liked Lovely Complex You Might Also Like:

Hana Kimi: (http://www.mangaupdates.com/series.html?id=2) Japanese-American Mizuki has gotten herself into a high school in Japan... but not just any school! To be close to her idol, high jumper Izumi Sano, she's going to an all-guys' high school... and disguising herself as a boy! But as fate would have it, they're more than classmates... they're roommates! Now, Mizuki must keep her secret in the classroom, the locker room, and her own bedroom. And her classmates--and the school doctor--must cope with a new transfer student who may make them question their own orientation...
Kaichou wa Maid-Sama: (http://www.mangaupdates.com/series.html?id=5762) Ayuzawa Misaki is the student council president of the former all-boy school, Seika High School. In order to protect the girls, she battles the boys everyday. On the other hand, she secretly works at a "Maid Cafe". But a popular boy from school, Usui Takumi, found out! Living in between the double identity of a Maid and a student council president~
Suki-tte Ii na yo: (http://www.mangaupdates.com/series.html?id=25832) Mei Tachibana has spent her 16 years without making either boyfriend or friends. One day, she drop-kicks a popular boy in school, Yamato Kurosawa, because of a misunderstanding but for some reason it seems that he takes a liking to her and one-sidedly claims that they’re friends. Furthermore, he not only protects Mei from a stalker, he does it with a kiss…?!!
Dengeki Daisy: (http://www.mangaupdates.com/series.html?id=13582) After orphan Teru Kurebayashi loses her beloved older brother, she finds solace in the messages she exchanges with DAISY, an enigmatic figure who can only be reached through the cell phone her brother left her. Meanwhile, Teru meets and forms a strange friendship with mysterious Tasuku Kurosaki, her school's janitor. For some reason, Kurosaki always seems to be around whenever Teru needs help which leads Teru to wonder: Could DAISY be a lot closer than she thinks?

---------- Post added July 24, 2011 at 06:57 PM ---------- Previous post was July 16, 2011 at 06:58 PM ----------

Shuna no Tabi (http://mangahelpers.com/forum/showthread.php/71680-Classic-Shuna-no-Tabi-by-MIYAZAKI-Hayao)
Weekly Featured Manga: 7/24-7/31

http://thumbnails43.imagebam.com/14202/ce92bc142015266.jpg (http://www.imagebam.com/image/ce92bc142015266) http://thumbnails21.imagebam.com/14202/963b59142015271.jpg (http://www.imagebam.com/image/963b59142015271) http://thumbnails39.imagebam.com/14202/a0116c142015275.jpg (http://www.imagebam.com/image/a0116c142015275) http://thumbnails56.imagebam.com/14202/6dda8e142015279.jpg (http://www.imagebam.com/image/6dda8e142015279)

Beautifully written and illustrated in full color, Shuna no Tabi is a single volume manga by anime and manga pioneer Miyazaki Hayao. Like his better known Nausicaa, Shuna no Tabi is a fairy tale about the often hostile, often symboitic relationship between humanity and nature. As with all of his manga and anime, Shuna no Tabi is a timeless, moving story sure to appeal to everyone.

Shuna is a prince of a very poor country. His people have very little that they can grow on their poor land, and are starving. Shuna hears of the Land of the Gods and of the Golden Wheat growing there, and so he journeys there to bring the seeds back to his people. After a very long and hard journey, he finally reaches the Land of the Gods, and steals some seeds. But he is severely punished for his crime. However he is nursed back to health by a girl whom he once rescued from slavery, and who now lives in a mountain village. She also plants Shuna's seeds and protects them from the elements. Eventually, the crop season comes, and she now has to choose a husband...
If You Enjoyed Shuna no Tabi You May Also Like:
Sabaku no Tami (http://www.mangaupdates.com/series.html?id=41320): Is a manga which Miyazaki wrote for a newspaper targeted for children. It is more of a graphic novel than a manga, since most of the text are written outside of the frames and there are very few dialogue bubbles (though towards the end of the story, it moved closer to the traditional manga style).

The surprisingly dark story deals with the devastation of war, betrayal, and the ugliness of the human nature under desperate situations, including deaths of several characters. One can see the influence of TEZUKA Osamu in the art style of this manga (as in most of the manga written in this time), but you can also clearly see the style and motives you find in Miyazaki's later works such as "Nausicaä". In a sense, this is a prototype of "Nausicaä".
Aqua (http://www.mangaupdates.com/series.html?id=299): After 150 years of terraforming, Aqua, the planet formerly known as Mars, now has over 90% of its surface covered by water. A young girl named Akari Mizunashi arrives at the city of Neo-Venezia, an exact replica of the old Italian city of Venice, hoping to become an Undine, the most coveted job on Aqua. Follow Akari's adventures as she discovers the wonders of Aria in this prequel to the popular Aria anime and manga series.
Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou (http://www.mangaupdates.com/series.html?id=586): This is the story of Alpha Hasseno, an Alpha 7 M2 series robot. Left by her owner, she appears and acts fully human while running a small coffee shop named Cafe Alpha. It is a light-hearted story about the people Alpha comes into contact with behind the backdrop of a futuristic country-side in Japan. As we meet Alpha, she makes a shopping trip to Yokohama.
Hoshi no Koe (http://www.mangaupdates.com/series.html?id=4008): To what distance would you go for your one true love?
In the midst of a war with an alien race, Mikako joins the resistance, leaving behind the one young man she loves. As she goes deeper into space, Mikako's only connection with her boyfriend is through cell-phone text messages. The war rages on and years pass, but Mikako barely ages in the timelessness of space while Noboru grows old. How can the love of two people, torn apart by war, survive?

---------- Post added July 31, 2011 at 08:34 PM ---------- Previous post was July 24, 2011 at 06:57 PM ----------

Zero (http://mangahelpers.com/forum/showthread.php/65254-Featured-Zero-by-Matsumoto-Taiyo)
Featured Manga: Week of July 31 - August 6

http://thumbnails24.imagebam.com/14300/5e766a142998839.jpg (http://www.imagebam.com/image/5e766a142998839) http://thumbnails48.imagebam.com/14300/17b11e142998843.jpg (http://www.imagebam.com/image/17b11e142998843) http://thumbnails43.imagebam.com/14300/c2f8e3142998845.jpg (http://www.imagebam.com/image/c2f8e3142998845) http://thumbnails52.imagebam.com/14300/cc2cf5142998849.jpg (http://www.imagebam.com/image/cc2cf5142998849)

Zero is one of Matsumoto Taiyou's earliest manga, and unjustly overlooked. Not as famous as subsequent manga such as Tekkon Kinkreet and Ping Pong, Zero shares the same sharp story telling, and crisp, flowing art as it's successors. New comers to Matsumoto sensei's art style may be put off by the seemingly childish qualities of his art, just look a little harder to discover the intense detail, an the schematic brilliance of his composition. Matsumoto Taiyou is one of the greatest mangaka of the last twenty-five years and Zero is a great introduction to his work. There is much more to the story than boxing, being a sports fan is not necessary.

Goshima is a boxer who has held the world championship title for years and never once lost a match - thus earning himself the nickname 'Zero'. His coach, Araki, describes him as 'a flower that blooms only within the ring'. But with his 30th birthday approaching, everyone begins to question Goshima's worth. Thus he decides to look for the ultimate opponent to give him his final match.

If You Like Zero You May Also Like:
The Walking Man (http://www.mangaupdates.com/series.html?id=5470): Who takes the time these days to climb a tree in bare feet to rescue a child’s toy? To stop and observe the birds? To play in the puddles after a storm? To go down to the sea to put a shell back? The Walking Man does as he strolls at random through urban Japan – often silent, often alone – with his vivid dreams that let time stand still.
Kinderbook (http://www.mangaupdates.com/series.html?id=3544): An anthology of ten short stories, all done in the Nouvelle Manga style. Each story stands alone, the only things linking them all being the low-key slice-of-life settings and the fact that they all have a female protagonist including a young child facing the break-up of her family and seperation from her friends; a lonely divorcee managing a bar; an elderly art dealer in the process of retiring; a mistress and her lover rehearsing their mutual suicide; an adulterous wife; a teenage girl on the day of her graduation from high school and the author herself (appearing in a couple of autobiographical pieces).
Nasu (http://www.mangaupdates.com/series.html?id=1668): Short stories all related through a common medium: Eggplant.
The Yellow Book (http://www.mangaupdates.com/series.html?id=671): Published by Kodansha in 2002 and awarded the prestigious Tezuka Cultural Prize, Fumiko Takano’s The Yellow Book is one of those rare works which you enjoy reading in order to feel the tender familiarity that arises between the protagonists and yourself. This collected volume was named after the longest of the four stories that it contains: a drama about an adolescent girl who falls in love with Roger Martin du Gard’s saga, Les Thibault. The remaining stories capture various fragments of everyday life with tenderness and humor. Through the kaleidoscope of its feminine views, The Yellow Book touches the readers heart by attending to what, in sum, makes up life—the little things of our every day.


---------- Post added August 07, 2011 at 01:11 PM ---------- Previous post was July 31, 2011 at 08:34 PM ----------

Mardock Scramble (http://mangahelpers.com/forum/showthread.php/71072-Mardock-Scramble-by-UBUKATA-Tow-and-Ooima-Yoshitoki)
Featured Manga: Week of August 7-14

http://thumbnails34.imagebam.com/14393/eeb79c143929850.jpg (http://www.imagebam.com/image/eeb79c143929850) http://thumbnails38.imagebam.com/14393/d047fe143929864.jpg (http://www.imagebam.com/image/d047fe143929864) http://thumbnails42.imagebam.com/14393/066e91143929840.jpg (http://www.imagebam.com/image/066e91143929840) http://thumbnails43.imagebam.com/14393/dea593143929843.jpg (http://www.imagebam.com/image/dea593143929843)

Based on a series of acclaimed science fiction novels, Mardock Scramble mixes drama, revenge thriller, science fiction, and cyber punk. Action shounen fans looking for something more intense, more adult, and more sophisticated than the usual fantasy fare should give Mardock Scramble a try.

Why me? It was to be the last thought a young prostitute, Rune Balot, would ever have…as a human anyway. Taken in by a devious gambler named Shell, she became a slave to his cruel desires and would have been killed by his hand if not for a private investigator and his self-aware Universal Tool, Œufcoque. Now a cyborg, Balot has not only physical powers, but the ability to disrupt social environments. She chases after Shell, his partner-in-crime Boiled, and faces down a variety of insane villains in this pulse-pounding cyberpunk noir adventure.
If You Like Mardock Scramble You May Also Like:
Bokurano (http://www.mangaupdates.com/series.html?id=227): In a summer vacation, a group of 15 children discovered a mysterious man living in a seashore cave, along with his high-tech gadgets. The man claimed to be a game developer creating a video game with a giant robot defending Earth from 15 alien invaders, and asked those children to test the game for him. The kids agreed happily at first, but soon they began to find the game horrifying, not only because of its realism but also because the first fatality among them happened right after their first victory. Worse yet, they had no idea how to stop or leave the "game."
Elfen Lied (http://www.mangaupdates.com/series.html?id=413): The story involves human mutations called "dicloniuses," who grow horns on their heads and possess telekinetic powers, in the form of invisible "arms" called vectors. The tendency for violence among dicloniuses varies among characters. Certain scientists contain them in a Facility in cells, where they are subject to inhumane experiments to test their abilities or where they await execution for being too dangerous.
Uncivilized Planet (http://www.mangaupdates.com/series.html?id=1188): A story of three childhood friends - Colo, Cookie, and Naomi - who grew up in a sleepy backwater town on an uncivilized planet. They struggle to get by while holding on to their dreams of leaving town and finding a better life... but can their friendship endure the tests of time? Can it withstand invading armies, broken dreams, conflicting ambitions, divided loyalties, jealousy, and even betrayal?

Note: This manga contains adult content. For mature audience only.
Hoshi no Koe (http://www.mangaupdates.com/series.html?id=4008): To what distance would you go for your one true love?
In the midst of a war with an alien race, Mikako joins the resistance, leaving behind the one young man she loves. As she goes deeper into space, Mikako's only connection with her boyfriend is through cell-phone text messages. The war rages on and years pass, but Mikako barely ages in the timelessness of space while Noboru grows old. How can the love of two people, torn apart by war, survive?

---------- Post added August 17, 2011 at 06:36 PM ---------- Previous post was August 07, 2011 at 01:11 PM ----------

Ahiru no Sora (http://mangahelpers.com/forum/showthread.php/72058-Featured-Ahiru-no-Sora-by-Hinata-Takeshi)
Weekly Featured Manga 8/17-8/24

http://thumbnails53.imagebam.com/14544/e01925145435095.jpg (http://www.imagebam.com/image/e01925145435095) http://thumbnails21.imagebam.com/14544/d58f34145435090.jpg (http://www.imagebam.com/image/d58f34145435090) http://thumbnails57.imagebam.com/14555/65e630145544982.jpg (http://www.imagebam.com/image/65e630145544982) http://thumbnails21.imagebam.com/14555/bff0db145544977.jpg (http://www.imagebam.com/image/bff0db145544977)

One of the staples of Kodansha's Weekly Shounen Magazine, Ahiru no Sora blends two venerable manga genre's: sports and delinquents. Hinata Takeshi's story of underdogs, hell bent on being the best no matter the odds is timeless, drawing on sixty years of manga traditions. But the art is pure 21st century: rough, unorthodox, not always pretty, yet always dynamic. Shounen Magazine is well known for producing great sports manga. Along with Ace of Diamond, Ahiru no Sora is the current standard bearer. Ahiru no Sora is gritty, fast paced manga well worth trying even for those who do not think they will enjoy sports manga.

He’s short, weak, and has just transfered to a new school. Kurumatani Sora is the main character in this story who loves basketball. He has been shooting hoops ever since he was little and has been trying to grow tall just like his mother, who “used” to be a basketball player. What happened to her and what Sora will do at the new school is all up to you to find out!
If You Liked Ahiru no Sora You Might Also Like:
Rookies (http://www.mangaupdates.com/series.html?id=405): Koichi Kawato is the new Japanese teacher at the ill-famed Futakotamagawa high school, whose baseball club is composed of thugs and bullies who have been suspended for a year from all school competitions, for causing a brawl during an official match. The newly appointed teacher finds that the club members left are only interested in women, smoking and doing nothing until, under Kawato's guidance, they discover a new dream called the Koshien. However, the road to the Koshien is far from easy as many obstacles await them.
Ace of Diamond (http://www.mangaupdates.com/series.html?id=10294): It is a manga of high-school baseball. The main character, who is a pitcher from a country high school, accidentally gets teamed up with a catcher from a school with an elite baseball team. He decides to quit his school to attend the school that this catcher plays...
Ashita no Joe (http://www.mangaupdates.com/series.html?id=835): Joe Yabuki is a young man living in the slums of Tokyo. But, one day he meets Danpei Tange, a former boxer, who discovers his potential in boxing and tries to make him into a champion. Due to petty crimes, Joe is sent to a juvenile prison. There Joe mets Toru Rikiishi, a promising boxer, who knocked him out with one blow when he attempted to escape prison. Slowly but surely, Joe realizes his own potential. Joe begins his boxing life, step by step, with only one goal in mind... To Defeat Toru Rikiishi !!
Subaru (http://www.mangaupdates.com/series.html?id=3081): A small five-year-old girl named Subaru no longer has time for friends and play. Why is this? Her twin brother Kazuma is dying... and gradually forgetting everything. Even Subaru. And so the girl visits him every day, talking with him and dancing for him, trying to make him remember her. And he always does by the end of the day. Encouraged by a friend to join ballet classes, the girl does so and falls in love with the dance.

---------- Post added August 29, 2011 at 11:29 PM ---------- Previous post was August 17, 2011 at 06:36 PM ----------

Ranman (http://www.mangaupdates.com/series.html?id=7256)
Weekly Featured Manga: August 29-September 5, 2011

http://thumbnails49.imagebam.com/14727/c52f87147264067.jpg (http://www.imagebam.com/image/c52f87147264067) http://thumbnails49.imagebam.com/14727/0b2ccf147264069.jpg (http://www.imagebam.com/image/0b2ccf147264069) http://thumbnails30.imagebam.com/14727/54798f147264073.jpg (http://www.imagebam.com/image/54798f147264073) http://thumbnails36.imagebam.com/14727/01db7b147264078.jpg (http://www.imagebam.com/image/01db7b147264078)

A funky mix of manga, bande dessinée, and Saturday morning cartoons, the micro stories of Ranman are the perfect introduction to the weird world of Katou Shinkichi. One of alternative manga's warmest, most inviting artists, Katou's works riff on life, love, dignity and literary puns. Ranman is a collection of short, often eight pages or less, stories. Some are jokes, some out of context references to classic literature, while others are philosophical vignettes. All are sharp, witty, and completely original. Katou is one of my favorite artists and Ranman is my favorite of his translated works. Give it a try, it's one of the truly original manga experiences!

If You Liked Ranman You Might Also Like:
Mysterious Girlfriend X (http://www.mangaupdates.com/series.html?id=4771): One day, a strange transfer student appears before Tsubaki. Urabe Mikoto is an antisocial girl, whose hobby is just sleeping during class-breaks. One day, Tsubaki goes to wake her up and accidentally tastes her drool... And gets hooked on that!

After that, he starts going out with her and gets to know her better. Her second hobby, as it turns out, is carrying around scissors in her panties and cutting paper into flowers...
Palepoli (http://www.mangaupdates.com/series.html?id=6173): Palepoli goes beyond the framework of standard four-panel manga and views its structure in new ways. Actually, Furuya knew nothing of conventional manga styles and methods when he started Palepoli. As a result, he created something that bore little similarity to other manga. Furuya notes that he selects his subject matter and methods with clear and precise intentions. I find it extremely rare for a manga artist to be this deliberate.
Human Clock (http://www.mangaupdates.com/series.html?id=22468): "When I talk about ‘warped manga from a warped mind’, I always think of this incoherent story.

The Human Clock is a lot simpler to summarize than to understand. The hero is Yubi Chizuo again; he’s a student like before, but this time round he’s also a dropout. He stays in his house, which is a family shop selling watches and clocks. He gazes and gazes at them, and little by little, turns into one himself. That is the entire story. It reminds me of Franz Kafka’s Metamorphosis."
Tokyo Zombie (http://www.mangaupdates.com/series.html?id=29710): A horror-comedy manga about two blue-collar factory workers and jiu-jitsu experts who deal with a zombie uprising in Tokyo. When the story begins, Fujio and Mitsuo dream of training in martial arts overseas and becoming famous. When they accidentally kill their overbearing boss, they bury him at a man-made garbage mountain known as Dark Fuji, where tons of rotting garbage have been contaminated with industrial waste which, naturally, transforms the bodies of the dead into ravenous, flesh-eating zombies.

[Kaiten]

Looking for something new to read? Come here every week for a new manga recommendation. Don't forget to browse the Otaku Finder forum for additional, member generated recommendations. Anyone is welcome to start a thread of their own to promote their favorite manga, manhwa, anime, and more!
[hr]
Shinobi no Kuni (http://mangahelpers.com/forum/showthread.php/68459-Shinobi-no-Kuni-by-WADA-Ryou-and-BANNO-Mutsumi)
Featured Manga: Week of September 5, 2011

http://thumbnails53.imagebam.com/14822/9fcd57148211828.jpg (http://www.imagebam.com/image/9fcd57148211828) http://thumbnails43.imagebam.com/13624/438a8b136235803.jpg (http://www.imagebam.com/image/438a8b136235803) http://thumbnails46.imagebam.com/13624/1c2a1d136235812.jpg (http://www.imagebam.com/image/1c2a1d136235812) http://thumbnails39.imagebam.com/13624/9833b6136235818.jpg (http://www.imagebam.com/image/9833b6136235818) http://thumbnails10.imagebam.com/13624/91c5ac136235820.jpg (http://www.imagebam.com/image/91c5ac136235820)

Strange as this may sound, Shinobi no Kuni is a shounen about ninja who have no magical powers. No eye jutsu, shadow clones, and definitely no tailed beasts. More akin to Vinland Saga than that other shounen about ninja, Shinobi no Kuni is as focused on the politics of warfare as the combat. The story centers on the motivations, shifting alliances, and the power politics of the famed ninja of Iga province. The fighting is fast and violent, centered around the confrontation between Iga Shinobi and the forces of Oda Nobunagu. A great unheralded series, fans of historical action will love Shinobi no Kuni.

Based on a novel by Wada Ryou, Shinobi no Kuni brings a story that blends history and fiction as it shows the struggles happening during the 16th century in Iga, a region famous by the Iga Shinobi, the ninjas from Iga.

If You Like Shinobi Kuni You May Also Like:

Historie (http://www.mangaupdates.com/series.html?id=3548): Historie takes place in ancient Greece and follows the life of Eumenes and his childhood, who would later in his life grow up to be the secretary and general to Alexander the Great.
Rurouni Kenshin (http://www.mangaupdates.com/series.html?id=89): 140 years ago in Kyoto, with the coming of the American "Black Ships," there arose a warrior who, felling men with his bloodstained blade, gained the name Hitokiri, man slayer! His killer blade helped close the turbulent Bakumatsu era and slashed open the progressive age known as Meiji . Then he vanished, and with the flow of years, became legend.

Ten years later, a young woman's life is saved when she happens upon a strange wandering swordsman named Kenshin. The young woman accepts the wanderer into her dojo, despite his secretive past, and the two become fast friends. As their relationship grows, they meet and make more friends (as well as enemies), and they grow accustomed to their life together.
Honorable Baek Dong Soo (http://www.mangaupdates.com/series.html?id=65805): Some corrupted high ranked officers within the palace are accusing the crown prince Sado of high treason and ask for his death! What will the Emperor do to save his son?

[Kaiten]

Shingeki no Kyojin (http://mangahelpers.com/forum/showthread.php/66900-Shingeki-no-Kyojin-by-ISAYAMA-Hajime)
Mangahelpers Weekly Featured Manga: September 15, 2011

http://thumbnails34.imagebam.com/14951/791d1d149502972.jpg (http://www.imagebam.com/image/791d1d149502972) http://thumbnails55.imagebam.com/14951/b2522f149502975.jpg (http://www.imagebam.com/image/b2522f149502975) http://thumbnails46.imagebam.com/14951/8129e7149502976.jpg (http://www.imagebam.com/image/8129e7149502976) http://thumbnails40.imagebam.com/14951/2485f8149502978.jpg (http://www.imagebam.com/image/2485f8149502978)

Several hundred years ago, humans were nearly exterminated by giants. Giants are typically several stories tall, seem to have no intelligence, devour human beings and, worst of all, seem to do it for the pleasure rather than as a food source. A small percentage of humanity survived by walling themselves in a city protected by extremely high walls, even taller than the biggest of giants.

Flash forward to the present and the city has not seen a giant in over 100 years. Teenage boy Eren and his foster sister Mikasa witness something horrific as the city walls are destroyed by a super giant that appears out of thin air. As the smaller giants flood the city, the two kids watch in horror as their mother is eaten alive. Eren vows that he will murder every single giant and take revenge for all of mankind.

Nominated for the 4th Manga Taisho Awards (2011) and winner of the 35th annual Kodansha Manga award for Best Shounen.

Shingeki no Kyojin may already be to hyped, to well known to feature. I expect many, many manga fans have heard of it already, since it ascended to smash hit status in Japan earlier this year. But Shingeki is one of my favorite series, along with One Piece and Berserk it may be my favorite ongoing series. Starting with the ending of chapter one, Shingeki gets more and more intense, never letting up on the reader. It is rare to find an action manga that makes the reader fear for the characters, to put aside their own disbelief and really worry a character could meet a gruesome end. Rather than the usual plucky action hero the characters in Shingeki are aware they are in mortal danger, that hard work and a can do attitude are not enough. The story is even more harrowing for allowing the characters to contemplate their own deaths. The action is fast and rarely stops, those looking for a fast paced read with a deep story need to try Shingeki no Kyojin.

Past Featured Manga are Available Here. (http://mangahelpers.com/forum/showthread.php/67166-Mangahelpers-Weekly-Featured-Manga-Shinobi-no-Kuni)

[Kaiten]

Boku wa Beatles (http://mangahelpers.com/forum/showthread.php/71756-Featured-Boku-wa-Beatles-by-KAWAGUCHI-Kaiji-and-FUJII-Tetsuo)
Featured Manga of the Week: September 22 - September 29, 2011

http://thumbnails50.imagebam.com/15061/44f220150600765.jpg (http://www.imagebam.com/image/44f220150600765) http://thumbnails56.imagebam.com/15061/1058aa150600766.jpg (http://www.imagebam.com/image/1058aa150600766) http://thumbnails28.imagebam.com/15061/333dc0150600769.jpg (http://www.imagebam.com/image/333dc0150600769)

Where does inspiration end and imitation begin? Where is the line between hero worship and enmity drawn? Is there a difference between influence and competition? Drawn by manga legend Kaiji Kawaguchi (Zipang, Battery, Seizon - Life), Boku wa Beatles poses the question: what happens when an artist is given the opportunity to be their idles? Boku wa Beatles is a manga about artistic inspiration, the line between influence and imitation. While less than a volume has been translated Boku wa Beatles is such a well written, intelligent drama well worth reading.

This is the tale of two members of a Beatles cover band who find themselves transported back in time to 1961 – to a time before anyone had ever heard of the Beatles – and decide to take the mantle of the world’s greatest rock band for themselves!

[Kaiten]

Choujin Gakuen (http://mangahelpers.com/forum/showthread.php/70111-Featured-Choujin-Gakuen-by-KOKUZAWA-Yousuke)
Mangahelpers Weekly Featured Manga: October 2 - October 9, 2011

http://thumbnails48.imagebam.com/15215/537c13152147368.jpg (http://www.imagebam.com/image/537c13152147368) http://thumbnails49.imagebam.com/15215/1b7b19152147371.jpg (http://www.imagebam.com/image/1b7b19152147371) http://thumbnails52.imagebam.com/15215/7aa21c152147373.jpg (http://www.imagebam.com/image/7aa21c152147373) http://thumbnails39.imagebam.com/15215/92655a152147375.jpg (http://www.imagebam.com/image/92655a152147375)

Imagine an alternate reality where Tezuka Osamu came back from the dead and his zombie and Soul Eater mangaka Ohkubo Atsushi joined forces to collaberate on the ultimate action/fantasy/school life/comedy shounen. The result would be Choujin Gakuen, one of the most off beat supernatural shounen manga I have come across in a long time. For a manga this strange and funky, minor details like character development and plot take a back seat to eye popping fun. Fortunately Choujin Gakuen is full of interesting characters and has an interesting, original plot to go with it's Tezuka meets Soul Eater art. Any one looking for a fun, fast paced, entertaining, supernatural action should give Choujin Gakuen a try!

[igotthegoods]

3 AM Dangerous Zone (http://mangahelpers.com/forum/showthread.php/70272-FEATURED-Josei-3-AM-Dangerous-Zone-by-NEMU-Youko)
Mangahelpers Weekly Featured Manga: October 12 - October 19, 2011

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Momoko, who dreams of becoming an illustrator, finds employment in an ultra fast-paced office that specializes in designing pachinko parlors!! With the office running a yazuka-like business and employing a designer, who has a habit of suddenly stripping in the middle of the night, Momoko believes that the company employees are a bit... no, definitely eccentric!! She continues pulling all-nighters, unable even to return home... And in the midst of cigarette-filled fumes, where women's authority takes a step back, she asks herself, "Why am I here?"

[Josef K.]

Bakune Young (http://mangahelpers.com/forum/showthread.php/73068-FEATURED-Bakune-Young-by-Matsunaga-Toyokazu)
Mangahelpers Weekly Featured Manga: October 21 - October 28, 2011

http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSmS0D7WAr6ljddkFjCjrnQ-DEbjbg3y5VsH5irZ-eXAvemF5h96g (http://26.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lrdhu24gON1qh3546o1_500.png)http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcStarpHkqJGaFc5EAYzuv4IjEMx72jnS0P0DNUh6X-hZZ92PqaATg (http://2.p.s.mhcdn.net/store/manga/2982/03-001.1/compressed/bakune_young_v03_055.jpg)http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQ86-KuD8gFsIy_b2gnZk6gdLUwtknBtXB9mOfzEivSO798xH4HTg (http://i251.photobucket.com/albums/gg303/eclecticjapan/bakune7.jpg)

As a great fan of Matsunaga I truly recommend this series as one of his greatest. It is an older work by him, but certainly follows themes that would be explored in his latter work. It's a wonderful mix of action, violence and oddness. Brilliant story telling and at times surreal moments follow the plot nicely. Supporting themes and art that is rare and unconventional. Nice flow and comedy on top of everything.


It started with a brutal beating at a pachinko parlor, and now Bakune Young-maniac, moron or mastermind -- has taken Japan's biggest crime boss as a hostage as Step One of his plan to rule the world! Soon, yakuza, police, hapless detectives and Bakune's former gym teacher collide as Bakune holes up with his hostage in Osaka Castle, and the manly men of the Japanese mob vow to do anything to rescue their boss! Can Russian-roulette-playing police chief Sorigami salvage the situation with his highly trained army of human robots? Will Johnson Membodeath, the ninja, stop the madness by killing everyone in sight? Savage satire of the action-violence manga genre!

[Kaiten]

Aozora Yell (http://mangahelpers.com/forum/showthread.php/73535-Aozora-Yell-by-Kawahara-Kazune)
Mangahelpers Weekly Featured Manga: 11/4 - 11/11/2011

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The latest series by High School of Debut manga Kawahara Kazune, Aozora Yell nearly matches her previous hits joyous energy. Following in the grand tradition of Margaret Comics leading ladies from Aihara Kotoko to Sawako Kuronuma, leading lady Ono Tsubasa is adorable, shy, and earnest. She's as easy to like as any character in manga. Ultimately Aozora Yell is as much about believing in yourself, over coming insecurity, and trying your hardest even if the results are not the best as it is about falling in love. Fans of slice of life manga, school life, and comedy will love Aozora Yell!

Aozora Yell centers on Tsubasa, a girl who saw an inspirational brass band performance at the finals of the Japanese high school baseball championships one summer. Tsubasa vows to join the band when she enters high school, and she happens to meet a certain boy there.

[Kaiten]

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Shamo
By: Tanaka Akio, Hashimoto Izou (before volume 26)
Genre: Martial Arts, Psychological, Tragedy
Serialized In: Manga Action (Volume 1 - 19), Evening (Volume 20 - )
Publisher: Futabasha, Kodansha
Publication Status: Ongoing, 26 volumes
Discuss (http://mangahelpers.com/forum/showthread.php/24758-Shamo-by-Tanaka-Akio)

At the age of sixteen Ryo Narushima was a genius and looked to have no trouble of getting into Tokyo University and joining the elite of society. However, that summer something cracked inside Ryo's head. With a small knife he brutally murdered both of his parents only leaving his sister alive and cowering in a corner. It is at this grotesque incident that our story begins.


Shamo Contains Graphic Content and Mature Themes. Some Readers May Find Some Content Offensive

All Images Copyright © 1998 Tanaka Akio


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GTO
By: Fujisawa Tohru
Genre: Comedy, Delinquent, School Life, Classic
Serialized In: Weekly Shounen Magazine
Publisher: Kodansha
Publication Status: Complete, 25 Volumes
Discuss (http://mangahelpers.com/forum/showthread.php/8514-GTO-and-GTO-Shonan-14-Days-by-Fujisawa-Tohru)

Meet Eikichi Onizuka, a 22-year-old ex-biker. He's crude, foul-mouthed, and has a split-second temper. His unlikely goal: to be the Greatest High School Teacher in the World! Of course, the only reason he wants to be a teacher is so he can try to score with the hot students...
Before he can become a full instructor, he's got to work as a student teacher to earn his credentials. Onizuka may think he's the toughest guy on campus, but when he meets his class full of bullies, blackmailers, and scheming sadists, he'll have to prove it.


GTO is the stand alone third part to a four part series including the prequels Shounan Junaigumi! (http://www.mangaupdates.com/series.html?id=421) and Bad Company (http://www.mangaupdates.com/series.html?id=1343) as well as the recently completed sequel GTO: Shounan 14 Days (http://www.mangaupdates.com/series.html?id=44731)

All Images Copyright © 1997 Fujisawa Tohru


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Kiss & Never Cry
By: Ogawa Yayoi
Genre: Sports, Ice Skating, Drama, Romance
Serialized In: Kiss
Publisher: Kodansha
Publication Status: Complete, 10 Volumes
Discuss (http://mangahelpers.com/forum/showthread.php/73901-Josei-Kiss-and-Never-Cry-by-Ogawa-Yayoi)

Michiru is a happy child who loves to skate. During her childhoood, she meets Leon, a cute innocent boy. They begin to ice dance together. But as she has a conflict with her mom, she plans to run away with Leon. Leon, considering the danger, declines Michiru. Hurt by this, Michiru runs away by herself. Finding out that Michiru has run away, Leon and others search for her, finding her in the skating rink. But the Michiru they find standing in the rink no longer has the smile that the old Michiru had!?


By the Mangaka of Kimi wa Pet (Tramps Like Us)

All Images Copyright © 2006 Ogawa Yayoi


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Pinocchio
By: Maru
Publisher: Daum
Publication Status: Ongoing, 26 Chapters
Original Webtoon (http://cartoon.media.daum.net/webtoon/view/pinocchio)
Discuss (http://mangahelpers.com/forum/showthread.php/73902-Pinocchio-by-Maru)

Pinocchio is about an average high school girl, Choi Ha Ram, who suddenly meets a ghost while is the only one able to see him! Little do we know about this ghost besides his name Yu Ga On and the fact that he is thought to be dead… The encounter with the ghost seems to be a huge turnover in her average life and to top it off a new neighbour comes along to add more excitement in her life.

All Images Copyright © 2010 Maru


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Sunny
By: Matsumoto Taiyou
Genre: La Nouvelle
Serialized In: IKKI
Publisher: Shogakukan
Publication Status: Ongoing, 1 volume
Disuss (http://mangahelpers.com/forum/showthread.php/72345-Sunny-by-Matsumoto-Taiyou)

The story of an orphanage, the children who live in it, and the beat-up old Nissan Sunny 1200 which provides them with a means of escape from their boring everyday lives.


By the Mangaka of Tekkon Kinkreet and Ping Pong

All Images Copyright © 2010 Matsumoto Taiyou

[k-dom]

Soo what decided you to put GTO in the feetured manga NOW :-)
Also Pinocchio is the first web comic I see in your recommendation, do you read others one ?

[Kaiten]

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Memories of Emanon
By: Tsuruta Kenji
Adapted From the Novel By: Kajio Shinji
Genre: Drama, Fantasy
Serialized In: Comic Ryu
Published By: Tokuma Shoten
Publication Status: Complete, 1 Volume
Discuss (http://mangahelpers.com/forum/showthread.php/56464-Omoide-Emanon-by-KAJIO-Shinji-and-TSURUTA-Kenji)

Based on the award-winning novel by Shinji Kajio, Memories of Emanon tells the story of a mysterious girl who holds a 3-billion-year old memory, dating back to the moment life first appeared on Earth.

All Images Copyright © 2008 Kajio Shinji and Tsuruta Kenji


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Level E
By: Togashi Yoshihiro
Genre: Sci-fi, Action, Comedy
Serialized In: Weekly Shounen Jump
Published By: Shueisha
Publication Status: Complete, 3 Volumes
Discuss the Manga (http://mangahelpers.com/forum/showthread.php/66958-Level-E-by-Togashi-Yoshihiro) // Discuss the Anime (http://mangahelpers.com/forum/showthread.php/66919-Level-E)

Tsutsui Yukitaka was a freshman who had just entered a high school, and he was hoping to be a good baseball player. When he moved to a new apartment, there was a man in the room. He said he was an alien and lost his memory. Actually, he was the first prince of Planet Dogra, and he was the man who had the best brain and the worst nature.


By the Mangaka of Hunter x Hunter and YuYu Hakusho

All Images Copyright © 1995 Togashi Yoshihiro


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Hatsukoi Limited
By: Kawashita Mizuki
Genre: Romantic Comedy, School Life, Ecchi
Serialized In: Weekly Shounen Jump
Published By: Shueisha
Publication Status: Complete, 4 Volumes
Discuss the Manga (http://mangahelpers.com/forum/showthread.php/18548-Hatsukoi-Limited-by-Kawashita-Mizuki) // Discuss the Anime (http://mangahelpers.com/forum/showthread.php/74114-Hatsukoi-Limited)

Being an adolescent girl is just one problem after another. Middle-schooler Arihara Ayumi receives a note from a high-schooler, a very large and intimidating boy, Zaitsu Misao, asking her out. Frightened and intrigued, she doesn't know what to do!


By the Mangaka of Ichigo 100% and Ane Doki

All Images Copyright © 2007 Kawashita Mizuki


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Billy Bat
Written By: Urasawa Naoki and Nagasaki Takashi
Art By: Urasawa Naoki
Genre: Mystery, Supsense
Serialized In: Morning
Published By: Kodansha
Publication Status: Ongoing, 7 Volumes

Billy Bat is a comic-in-a-comic and the real protagonist is a Japanese-American artist named Kevin Yamagata who draws Billy Bat for "Marble Comics". Shortly after they transition to the artist in his studio with his assistant, two actual detectives, who look like Laurel and Hardy in Dick Tracy era suits and trench coats, knock on the door and appropriate Kevin's room for the purpose of conducting surveillance on a room in an adjacent building. One of the detectives, the skinny “Laurel”, sees Kevin's work and it turns out he's a Billy Bat fan. The other chubby "Hardy" detective picks up a page and says that the characters look familiar and accuses Kevin of translating an old "Jap" comic. As Hardy remembers the comic he thinks Kevin is ripping off, we make another Urasawaesque time jump to 1949 Tokyo...


By the Mangaka of Monster and 20th Century Boys

All Images Copyright © 2008 Urasawa Naoki and Nagasaki Takashi

[Kaiten]

GTO was actually recommended by Ustegius, as surprising as it may seem I still have not read GTO. Thornofcarrion recommended the Pinnocchio, I can not claim to be much of a manhwa fan. The only webtoon I have read to near the end was Kisswood, a pretty good story. We will have more manhwa and manhua recommendations coming, hopefully a title or two a month at least.

[Kaiten]

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The Music of Marie
By: Furuya Usamaru
Genre: Fantasy
Serialized In: Comic Birz
Publisher: Gentosha
Publication Status: Complete, 2 Volumes
Discuss (http://mangahelpers.com/forum/showthread.php/73509-The-Music-of-Marie-by-FURUYA-Usamaru)

A fantasy epic of truly magnificent scale with gorgeous illustrations. In just two volumes, the author manages to create an incredibly rich and fascinating world that is full of wonders and enchanting beauties. A world in which men are watched over by the mechanical goddess Marie who at times appears on the sky. Marie's music brings people happiness and harmony. Their life is free from advanced technology and the longing for progress. The main story centers around Kai, a young man who develops a deep affection for Marie. His quest for enlightenment leads him inside Marie's mechanical body where he learns the unbelievable truth about her and his own world.


By the Mangaka of Genkaku Picasso

All Images Copyright © 2001 Furuya Usamaru


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SWWEEET
By: Aoyama Kei
Genre: Romance, Tragedy
Serialized In: IKKI
Publisher: Shogakukan
Publication Status: Complete, 2 Volumes
Discuss (http://mangahelpers.com/forum/showthread.php/7491-SWWEEET-by-Aoyama-Kei)

The twin brothers Susumu and Tsutomu have been friends with the girl Sakura since they were kids. But when Tsutomu mysteriously disappears at the age of ten, Susumu and Sakura begin to drift apart. What Sakura doesn’t know: Tsutomu has returned, not as a person, but as the mirror image of Susumu. That is, whenever Susumu looks in a mirror, he sees his brother who talks to him. Thus begins a bizarre love triangle between Sakura, who torments the poor Susumu as much as she is being tormented by her peers, Susumu, who keeps thinking he has to save Sakura because he likes her, and Tsutomu, who despite being stuck in a mirror pulls everyone’s strings.


Contains Adult Content and Explicit Material, Not For All Audiences

All Images Copyright © 2005 Aoyama Kei


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Bokura wa Itsumo
By: Fujimiya Ayu
Genre: Romance
Serialized In: Margaret
Publisher: Shueisha
Publication Status: Ongoing, 8 Volumes
Discuss (http://mangahelpers.com/forum/showthread.php/55878-Shoujo-Bokura-wa-Itsumo-by-Fujimiya-Ayu)

Nori Sakurada meets a childhood friend at the train station the day he moves back to town after eight years away. He has grown up but he doesn't look happy. Follow the lives of Nori and her friends Kyou, Saeka, and Haruna in a series that mixes romance, comedy, and drama.

All Images Copyright © 2008 Fujimiya Ayu


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City of Darkness
Written By: Yu Er
Art By: Andy Seto, Chenjing Group, Situ Jian Qiao, Yuyongliang
Genre: Action
Publisher: Chenjing Group/Yuyongliang
Publication Status: Ongoing, 32 Chapters
Discuss (http://mangahelpers.com/forum/showthread.php/72661-City-of-Darkness-by-Yu-Er)

Everyone in his Yakuza gang looked up to him. He was the boss's favorite pupil, but then in a single night, after he had won so many territorial fights for his gang, he lost everything! Why?

All Images Copyright © Yu Er, Andy Seto, Chenjing Group, Situ Jian Qiao, Yuyongliang

[Kaiten]

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Uchuu Kyoudai
By: Koyama Chuuya
Genre: Comedy, Sci-Fi, Slice of Life
Serialized In: Morning
Publisher: Kodansha
Publication Status: Ongoing, 15 Volumes
Discuss (http://mangahelpers.com/forum/showthread.php/71988-Uchuu-Kyoudai-by-KOYAMA-Chuuya)

One night in 2006, when they were young, the two brothers Mutta (born 1993) and Hibito (born 1996) saw what appeared to be a UFO heading for the moon. They decided that night to both become astronauts and travel out into space.

In 2025, Hibito has become an astronaut, and he's going to go to the moon. Mutta ended up following a more traditional career path with an auto development company. However, Mutta just ruined his career through a violent altercation with his boss. Now, not only has he lost his job, he appears to be blacklisted in the entire industry. Maybe this is a rare opportunity for Mutta to once again chase his childhood dream and become an astronaut like his little brother!

All Images Copyright © 2008 Koyama Chuuya


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Blood Alone
By: Takano Masayuki
Genre: Drama, Supernatural, Romance
Serialized In: Dengeki Daioh (2005 - 2010), Evening (2010 - Present)
Publisher: Media Works (2005 - 2010), Kodansha (2010 - Present)
Publication Status: Ongoing, 7 Volumes
Discuss (http://mangahelpers.com/forum/showthread.php/8586-Blood-Alone-by-Takano-Masayuki)

Enter Misaki, perhaps the most innocent and most sincere young lady there ever was. It’s almost inconceivable that she could be a vampire. And with her powers as a vampire, she could easily entice any human to do her bidding... but she chooses not to. Especially when it comes to Kuroe, a young author who has a deep running past with vampires. This wonderful story of pure innocent love charmingly bonds Misaki to the readers. She’ll absolutely delight you with her earnest love for a human and her resolve to protect a willing mutual relationship versus turning Kuroe.

All Images Copyright © 2005 Takano Masayuki


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Tobaku Mokushiroku Kaiji
By: Fukumoto Nobuyuki
Genre: Suspense, Psychological, Gambling
Serialized In: Weekly Young Magazine
Publisher: Kodansha
Publication Status: Complete, 13 Volumes

Japan, 1995. After graduating from high school, Ito Kaiji moves to Tokyo to get a job, but he fails to find steady employment because the country is mired in its first recession since World War II. Depressed, he festers in his apartment, biding the time with cheap pranks, gambles, liquor and cigarettes. Kaiji is always thinking about money and his perpetual poverty frequently brings him to tears.

Kaiji's unrelenting misery continues for two years until he is paid an unexpected visit from a man named Endo, who wants to collect an outstanding debt owed to him in Kaiji's name. Endo gives Kaiji two options - either spend ten years to repay this outstanding debt, or board the gambling ship Espoir ("hope" in French) for one night to clear the debt. Using a con, Endo pressures Kaiji into accepting the deal, believing he will never come back from the voyage.

The Kaiji franchise is split into four parts: Tobaku Mokushiroku Kaiji is part one, Tobaku Hakairoku Kaiji (http://www.mangaupdates.com/series.html?id=63121) is part two, Tobaku Datenroku Kaiji (http://www.mangaupdates.com/series.html?id=54729) is part three, Tobaku Mokushiroku Kaiji: Kazuyahen (http://www.mangaupdates.com/series.html?id=44862) is the fourth part and currently serialized in Weekly Young Magazine.


Winner of the 1998 Kodansha Manga Award
All Images Copyright © 1996 Fukumoto Nobuyuki


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Needless
By: Imai Kami
Genre: Action, Sci-Fi, Supernatural
Serialized In: Ultra Jump
Publisher: Shueisha
Publication Status: Ongoing, 13 Volumes
Discuss (http://mangahelpers.com/forum/showthread.php/54821-Needless-by-imai-kami)

after the third world war, large contaminated areas known as "Blackspots" formed all over Japan. Large Walls were used to quarantine off these "Blackspots". In time, signs of inhabitance appeared within these wastelands. Among the survivors who had been abandoned inside the Blackspots, labeled as "those who were unneeded", came forth possessors of uncanny abilities -- Fire, wind, brute strength... they were defined by their supernatural abilities. Others, fearful of their powers, expelled them and named them - - - Needless!

All Images Copyright © 2004 Imai Kami

[Kaiten]

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Suiiki
By: Urushibara Yuki
Genre: Fairy Tail, Supernatural
Serialized In: Afternoon
Publisher: Kodansha
Publication Status: Complete, 2 Volumes
Discuss (http://mangahelpers.com/forum/showthread.php/56306-Waters-by-Urushibara-Yuki)

In the midst of a blazing hot summer beset by water shortages, middle-school girl Chinami faints from heat exhaustion. Upon waking up, she finds herself in a mysterious town by a beautifully pristine river whose waters hide many secrets...


By the Mangaka of Mushishi

All Images Copyright © 2009 Urushibara Yuki


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Bitou Lollipop
By: Iketa Rikako
Genre: Romance, Slice of Life, Comedy
Serialized In: Cookie
Publisher: Shueisha
Publication Status: Complete, 7 Volumes

Madoka is surprised to discover that her parents have won a 100,000,000 yen (one million dollar) lottery. To make things worse, they inform her of their decision to pursue their lifelong dream of becoming doctors. What will happen to Madoka who, when deciding to stay behind, is left to fend for herself in a family acquaintance's (the Asagi's) guest house?

All Images Copyright © 2006 Iketa Rikako


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Devilman
By: Nagai Go
Genre: Action, Supernatural, Horror
Serialized In: Weekly Shounen Magazine
Publisher: Kodansha
Publication Status: Complete, 5 Volumes

Akira Fudo has become the Devilman, the only being who can fight demons; a being possessing the powers of a demon and the soul of a man.

A long time ago the Earth was ruled by demons. The demons constantly fought each other for survival. Soon found themselves fighting a new race: The first humans. The demons became imprisoned in ice after a great cataclysm. They would remain there until the ice melted, after which it was said Satan would rise and lead them to Armageddon. That time has come in Go Nagai's Devilman.

All Images Copyright © 1972 Nagai Go


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King of Hell
Written By: Ra In-Soo
Art By: Kim Jae-Hwan
Genre: Action, Supernatural
Serialized In: Comic Champ
Publisher: Daiwon C.I.
Publication Status: Ongoing, 40 Volumes

There's a rift between Hell and the mortal world, and lost souls have been escaping to torment the living. To deal with the problem, the King of Hell released Majeh, the greatest swordsman of the underworld, to stop the wayward souls.

All Images Copyright © 2001 Ra In-Soo and Kim Jae-Hwan

[k-dom]

By the mangaka of Mushishi : Well just that makes me interested, I will give it a look...

---------- Post added January 08, 2012 at 10:43 PM ---------- Previous post was January 06, 2012 at 10:27 PM ----------

Well I read volume and it is really brilliant so far. Thanks to whoever recommend it.

[Kaiten]

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Hotel
By: Boichi
Genre: Drama, Action, Psychological
Serialized In: Morning, Mandala
Publisher: Kodansha
Publication Status: Complete, 1 Volume
Discuss (http://mangahelpers.com/forum/showthread.php/9072-Hotel-by-Boichi)
One Shot Collection:
Hotel: It is the year 2272 A.D. A computer continues to live on in order to complete a mission in a world where all life, including Mankind, has gone extinct. This is a record of those 27 million years of its heroic struggle.
Present: Hanako suffers from a terrible disease. After awakening from a deep slumber, Hanako has only three days to live. During those three days, her husband, Takao, must endure a heart-breaking experience, knowing that the person Hanako really loves isn't him.
It Was All for the Tuna: Tuna have become extinct and Jun Shiozaki will do everything possible and imaginable to bring them back.
Stephanos: Set in modern-day Japan, our main character Noriko finds out that she is pregnant with her lover Matsumura’s baby. He, however, is an important doctor with a family and everything already. Noriko wants to have the baby, but Matsumura says that it’s actually a rapidly growing cancer and that they have to remove it immediately. It might also be neither of these things…
Diadem: A "Diadem" is a word for 'crown' that has its root in Greek. "Stephanos", which appeared in "Mandala" 01, was also a 'crown'. It seems that we could consider this the second work in a continuing series of shorts that should perhaps be called a "Crown series".


By the Mangaka of Sun Ken Rock

All Images Copyright © 2008 Boichi


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6000
By: Koike Nokuto
Genre: Horror
Serialized In: Comic Birz
Publisher: Gentosha
Publication Status: Ongoing, 2 Volumes
Discuss (http://mangahelpers.com/forum/showthread.php/74530-6000-by-Koike-Nokuto)

After a tragic accident at a large facility 6000 meters below water killed its workers, the facility was abandoned for three years. After the Japanese company owning it is taken over by a Chinese company, the facility will be opened again. Kadokura Kengo and his colleague Danzaki are sent along with the team reopening the underwater facility. However, right away, an 'accident' grievously injures Danzaki. Kengo is left alone with colleagues he doesn't trust in an eerie underwater environment that may have more to it than meets the eye...

All Images Copyright © 2010 Koike Nokuto


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Kuragehime
By: Higashimura Akiko
Genre: Comedy, Slice of Life, Gender Bender
Serialized In: Kiss
Publisher: Kodansha
Publication Status: Ongoing, 8 Volumes
Discuss (http://mangahelpers.com/forum/showthread.php/64845-Josei-Kuragehime-by-HIGASHIMURA-Akiko)

Kuragehime follows Tsukimi Kurashita, an 18-year-old who moved from Kagoshima to Tokyo to become an illustrator. Tsukimi is a jellyfish otaku who comes to live in a shared bath and toilet, women-only apartment, Amamizukan. Other tenants include fujoshi, NEETs and others who consider fashion their natural enemy, calling themselves "Amars". One day, Tsukimi meets a fashionable and beautiful girl, Kuranosuke Koibuchi, who saves a jellyfish that is about to die at a pet shop. She later discovers that Kuranosuke is merely cross-dressing in order to evade inheritance of his father's occupation as a politician.


2010 Kodansha Award Winner for Best Shoujo

All Images Copyright © 2008 Higashimura Akiko


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Go Go! Pudding Empire
By: Kubota Makoto
Genre: Gag
Serialized In: Young Gangan
Publisher: Square/Enix
Publication Status: Complete, 6 Volumes
Discuss (http://mangahelpers.com/forum/showthread.php/67833-Featured-Go-Go!-Pudding-Empire-by-KUBOTA-Makoto)

The pudding empire's home planet only has a lifespan left of one year. Thus, they aim to invade Earth and make it their own... but first they've got to wipe out those annoying humans who are currently inhabiting the planet. Planning an invasion turns out to be much easier said than done, especially when your human-killing monsters start having problems with morale, sickness, family issues, and so forth...

All Images Copyright © 1997 Kubota Makoto

[Kaiten]

Waters is incredible, almost as good as Mushishi :)

I am hoping Urishibara-sensei has a new manga out soon.

[sabret00the]

I'm actually really disappointed that Hotel never got made into a full manga.

[k-dom]

The history of a computer alone during billions of year would not be that interesting serialized. I think that the one shot was perfect format for such a story.

[sabret00the]

I wouldn't have been a big fan on elaborating on the events we've already seen. But there was a lot that could take place in the future with rebuilding the planet.

[Kaiten]

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Peony Pavilion
By: Xia Da
Genre: Historical, Drama, Romance
Publisher: Hunan Children's Publishing House
Publication Status: Complete, 1 Volume

A collection of full color short stories based on famous Chinese folktales.

All Images Copyright © 2008 Xia Da


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Kamisama no Iutoori
Written By: Kaneshiro Muneyuki
Art By: Fujimura Akeji
Genre: Horror
Serialized In: Bessatsu Shounen Magazine
Publisher: Kodansha
Publication Status: Ongoing, 2 Volumes
Discuss (http://mangahelpers.com/forum/showthread.php/73323-Kamisama-no-Iutoori-by-KANESHIRO-Muneyuki-and-FUJIMURA-Akeji)

Takahata Shun's day at high school begins just as normal and boring as ever, but it doesn't end that way. After his teacher's head explodes, he and his classmates find themselves forced to play children's games, such as Daruma ga Koronda (a game like Red Light/Green Light), with deadly stakes. With no idea who is behind this mysterious deadly game session, and no way of knowing when it will finally end, the only thing Shun and other students can do is keep trying to win...

All Images Copyright © 2011 Kaneshiro Muneyuki and Fujimura Akeji


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RRR
By: Watanabe Jun
Genre: Sports, Comedy
Serialized In: Young Magazine
Publisher: Kodansha
Publication Status: Complete, 10 Volumes
Discuss (http://mangahelpers.com/forum/showthread.php/69810-RRR-by-WATANABE-Jun)

Rikitaro is a musician whose dream is to become a rock star just like Jimi Hendrix or Jim Morrison, but at the age of 27 that dream is fading away rapidly. Ooishi is a 3 time world boxing champion who recently retired and is now in the entertainment world, shooting a boxing reality show. These two unlikeliest of people cross paths one day, but both of them think nothing of it until weeks later. Rikitaro is given one last shot by a record label to sign a deal but before that, they need him to get into better shape so that he is easier to sell. He stumbles upon a boxing gym which also happens to be the same gym Ooishi is filming his show. As fate’s wheels start to turn, neither man realizes that they will work together to train the best boxer ever, even better than Ooishi himself.

All Images Copyright © 2007 Watanabe Jun


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The Ravages of Time
By: Chen Mou
Genre: Historical, Action
Serialized In: New Youth
Publisher: Tong Li
Publication Status: Ongoing, 44 Volumes
Discuss (http://mangahelpers.com/forum/showthread.php/4173-The-Ravages-of-Time-by-Chen-Mou)

Nearly 2000 years ago, the prosperous Han dynasty of China collapsed. Heroes rose and fell, and three nations emerged--Wei, Shu, and Wu. Historians refer to this period as the Three Kingdoms period. The romance of the three kingdoms is an intriguing tale of heroic deeds, of alliance forged and broken, of loyalty and betrayal...


Based on The Romance of the Three Kingdoms

All Images Copyright © 2001 Chen Mou

[Kaiten]

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Hideout
By: Kakizaki Masasumi
Genre: Horror, Suspense
Serialized In: Big Comic Spirits
Publisher: Shogakukan
Publication Status: Complete, 1 Volume
Discuss (http://mangahelpers.com/forum/showthread.php/73793-Hideout-by-Kakizaki-Masasumi)

It is a very dark night. Under a heavy rain, a determined man sets out to track his terrified victim. The decision of Kirishima Seiichi is clear: Tonight, he will kill his wife.

A year ago, he was a happy man - a successful writer, a contented husband, and a father of a young boy... at that time, everything seemed going well for him. But such happiness had to end. The day his editor put an end to their collaboration, darkness seeped into his life faster than a bullet. A terrifying descent into hell commences, page by page of what it seems to be his last novel...


By the Artist of Rainbow: Nisha Rokubou no Shichinin

All Images Copyright © 2010 Kakizaki Masasumi


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Hachimitsu no Hana
By: Kiuchi Tatsuya
Genre: Romance, Comedy, Historical
Serialized In: Hana to Yume
Publisher: Hakusensha
Publication Status: Hiatus, 3 Volumes

The time is set in the Meiji era during the Industrialization of Japan. The main character Chitose works as a maid in Kuze, one of the most prestigious households of the time. One day, Lan, a nephew of the master came back from England to be his stepson. Eventually Lan and Chitose’s feelings begin to develop. What will happen with the secret affair between the honey-haired Lan and the maid Chitose?

All Images Copyright © 2005 Kiuchi Tatsuya


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Alive: The Final Evolution
Written By: Kawashima Tadashi
Art By: Adachi Toka
Genre: Action, Tragedy
Serialized In: Monthly Shounen Magazine
Publisher: Kodansha
Publication Status: Complete, 21 Volumes
Discuss (http://mangahelpers.com/forum/showthread.php/44794-Alive-The-Final-Evolution!-by-Kawashima-Tadashi-Adachitoka)

A strange virus is making its way around the globe, causing its victims to commit suicide. In less than a week, it's become a lethal pandemic. Now a group of Tokyo teens who have survived the outbreak are wondering why they are still alive.

All Images Copyright © 2003 Kawashima Tadashi and Adachi Toka


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Boys on the Run
By: Hanazawa Kengo
Genre: Comedy, Romance, Slice of Life
Serialized In: Big Comic Spirits
Publisher: Shogakukan
Publication Status: Complete, 10 Volumes
Discuss (http://mangahelpers.com/forum/showthread.php/73320-Boys-on-the-Run-by-HANAZAWA-Kengo)

Tanishi is a 27-year-old man stuck in a company that sells vending machine prizes, until the day he meets an old acquaintance who is now a boxer. Inspired to try boxing himself, Tanishi joins a gym that happens to have a female trainer named Hana.

All Images Copyright © 2005 Hanazawa Kengo

[Teubier]

Hideout was a great read, thanks again for the review Kaiten. :^_^

[Kaiten]

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GUNMM (Battle Angel Alita)
By: Kishiro Yukito
Genre: Cyberpunk
Serialized In: Business Jump
Publisher: Shueisha
Publication Status: Complete, 9 Volumes

Alita is a powerful cyborg with a soft heart and a mysterious past. Her second lease on life isn't easy: her heart is broken, she gains and loses friends to the cruel world of the Scrapyard far below the Utopian city of Tiphares, and she serves many masters in her quest to protect the innocent and create a new life for herself.

Also read the sequel: GUNNM: Last Order, currently serialized in Kodansha's Evening magazine.

All Images Copyright © 1990 Kishiro Yukito


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Ghost in the Shell
By: Shirow Masamune
Genre: Cyberpunk
Serialized In: Young Magazine
Publisher: Kodansha
Publication Status: Complete, 1 Volume

In a near future, technology has firmly taken root into society at large. Cybernetic implants are nothing uncommon and robots roam as plentiful as humans, all connected through their "ghosts" to the electronic datastreams of the net. Major Kusanagi Motoko and the Public Security Section 9 find themselves in a constant battle with the newly created wave of technological terrorists and cyber-hackers. But things take a turn once Motoko gets involved in a certain case involving an extremely dangerous "ghost" hacker nicknamed the Puppeteer, as she dives deeper and deeper into the limitless reality of the net, to reach her own startling conclusions.

All Images Copyright © 1989 Shirow Masamune


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SaiKano (Saishuu Heiki Kanojo)
By: Takahashi Shin
Genre: Sci-Fi, Tragedy
Serialized In: Big Comic Spirits
Publisher: Shogakukan
Publication Status: Complete, 7 Volumes

Shy Chise and nervous Shuji are high school seniors in a small town and have just started dating. But everything changes when Shuji discovers that Chise has been engineered by the Japanese Self Defense Force to transform into the Ultimate Weapon! Soon Chise is torn between realizing her potential as a devastating fighting force and her desire to share a bowl of ramen with her new boyfriend!

All Images Copyright © 2000 Takahashi Shin


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AI Ren
By: Tanaka Yutaka
Genre: Sci-Fi, Tragedy
Serialized In: Young Animal
Publisher: Hakusensha
Publication Status: Complete, 5 Volumes

Ikuru is a boy who doesn't have long to live. Growing up questioning the purpose of his life and the reason for his impending death, he's constantly confused and lonely. After learning that he doesn't have much time left, he requests that a special "girl" called a AGH-RMS (Artificial Genes Human Regenerated for Mental Support) be given to him. These people are genetically made so that they help heal and ease the mental burdens of the terminally ill.

All Images Copyright © 1999 Tanaka Yutaka

[Kaiten]

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Noramimi
By: Hara Kazuo
Genre: Comedy
Serialized In: IKKI
Publisher: Shogakukan
Publication Status: Complete, 8 Volumes
Discuss (http://mangahelpers.com/forum/showthread.php/70018-Noramimi-by-HARA-Kazuo)

In the Noramimi universe, most families own a 'mascot'. These strange and amusing creatures live at home and act as companions for younger children. Noramimi is one such mascot. Unfortunately for him, he is an ogre type and thus not popular with children, who prefer 'cuter' alternatives. Unwillingly, he decides to 'home stay' at "Hello Kids" - an agency that organizes matters between mascots and humans. But, like all mascots, his heartfelt wish is to one day be adopted by a family...

All Images Copyright © 2003 Hara Kazuo


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Houshin Engi
By: Fujisaki Ryu
Genre: Action, Supernatural
Serialized In: Weekly Shounen Jump
Publisher: Shueisha
Publication Status: Complete, 23 Volumes

Once, there were two worlds that existed on this earth. In the sky where the deities lived was the Senninkai. On the ground where, of course, the people lived was Ningenkai. In the novel adaptation by Ryu Fujisaki, Houshin Engi follows Taikoubou on his mission to rid the Ningenkai of the evil immortals that have resided there. This colorful historically set manga keeps the reader on their feet and loving every minute of the in-depth characters and exciting adventures


Shounen Classic by the Mangaka of Shiki

All Images Copyright © 1996 Fujisaki Ryu


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A Girl by the Sea
By: Asano Inio
Genre: Slice of Life, Psychological
Serialized In: Manga Erotics F
Publisher: Ohta Books
Publication Status: Ongoing, 1 Volume
Discuss (http://mangahelpers.com/forum/showthread.php/70311-A-Girl-by-the-Sea-by-Asano-Inio)

Koume Sato and Kosuke Isobe are two teenagers living in a sleepy seaside town. After getting used and dumped by her crush, the emotionally damaged Koume decides to start a sexual relationship with Kosuke, without any emotions involved. However, they both soon discover that sex with no strings attached do lead to unexpected complications, not just for themselves but also the people surrounding them.


By the Mangaka of Solanin and Oyasumi Punpun. Contains Sex, Nudity, and Scenes of Graphic Emotional Cruelty. For Mature Readers Only.

All Images Copyright © 2009 Asano Inio


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Watashitachi no Shiawase na Jikan
By: Sahara Mizu
Based on the Novel By: Goong Ji-young
Genre: Drama, Psychological, Romance
Serialized In: Comic Bunch
Publisher: Coamix
Publication Status: Complete, 1 Volume

A pianist who attempted suicide 3 times, Juri, is taken to help her aunt at a prison where murderers who killed indiscriminately are sentenced to death. There, she meets a man named Yuu who took the lives of 3 people. A mother's antagonism--a brother's death... Together they embrace the violent rebellion in their hearts caused by the large, deep scars they carry. However, before long, they both embrace an earnest hope in their hearts. "I want to live"...

All Images Copyright © Sahara Mizu

[Kaiten]

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Piano no Mori
By: Isshiki Makoto
Genre: Coming of Age
Serialized In: Uppers (1998 - 2002), Morning (2006 - Present)
Publisher: Kodansha
Publication Status: Ongoing, 21 Volumes
Discuss (http://mangahelpers.com/forum/showthread.php/20348-Piano-no-Mori-by-Isshiki-Makoto)

A tranquil tale about two boys from very different upbringings. On one hand you have Kai, born as the son of a prostitute, who's been playing the abandoned piano in the forest near his home ever since he was young. And on the other you have Syuhei, practically breast-fed by the piano as the son of a family of prestigious pianists. Yet it is their common bond with the piano that eventually intertwines their paths in life.

All Images Copyright © 1998 Isshiki Makoto


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Arcana
By:Lee So-Young
Genre: Fantasy, Romance
Serialized In: Issue
Publisher: Daiwon
Publication Status: Complete, 11 Volumes

Inez is a young orphan girl with a special gift that allows her to communicate with all creatures. A great destiny awaits her, the nature of which she is yet unaware.

As our story opens, Inez is traveling with an old wizard named Kaager and a faithful dog named Zode. Her country is about to plunge into its first winter in one hundred years and ominous signs abound concerning the return of a demon-race which threatens the country's fragile peace.

Can little Inez- via a magic amulet - bring back her country's ancient dragon protector in time?

All Images Copyright © 2003 Lee So-Young


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Obrigado!
By: Katou Shinkichi
Genre: Alternative Manga
Publisher: Ohta Books
Publication Status: Complete, 1 Volume
Discuss (http://mangahelpers.com/forum/showthread.php/61902-Obrigado!-by-KATOU-Shinkichi)

Collection of various oneshots, including Katou Shinkichi’s debut work, which was originally published on November 22, 1990 in Weekly Morning.

All Images Copyright © 2003 Katou Shinkichi


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Mirai Nikki
By: Esuno Sakae
Genre: Action, Mystery
Serialized In: Shounen Ace
Publisher: Kadokawa Shoten
Publication Status: Complete, 12 Volumes
Discuss (http://mangahelpers.com/forum/showthread.php/28344-Mirai-Nikki-by-Esuno-Sakae)

Yukiteru "Yuki" Amano is a loner who never really interacts with people and prefers writing a diary on his cell phone with his imaginary friends Deus Ex Machina, the God of Time and Space, and Muru Muru, Deus's servant. However, Yuki soon learns that Deus is real when he makes Yuki participate in a battle royal with eleven other people. Within this"Diary Game," the contestants are given specia diaries that can predict the future, with each diary having unique features that gives them both advantages and disadvantages. The rules of the game are simple: the contestants have 90 days to find and kill all the other contestants, and the last one standing will become the new God of Time and Space.

Also includes a one volume side story: Mirai Nikki: Mosaic (http://www.mangaupdates.com/series.html?id=11205) and a one volume alternate story: Mirai Nikki: Paradox (http://www.mangaupdates.com/series.html?id=39750).

All Images Copyright © 2006 Esuno Sakae

[Kaiten]

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Chihayafuru
By: Suetsugu Yuki
Genre: Coming of Age
Serialized In: Be Love
Publisher: Kodansha
Status: 15 Volumes, Ongoing
Discuss (http://mangahelpers.com/forum/showthread.php/56755-Josei-Chihayafuru-by-SUETSUGU-Yuki)

All her life, Chihaya's dream was to see her model sister become Japan's best... That is, until a quiet, unassuming transfer student named Arata tells her otherwise. A dream, he explains to her, is something she needs to work at herself.

Arata plays a competitive version of a traditional Japanese card game--known as Hyakunin Isshu--in a way Chihaya has never seen before. After taking Arata's place in a game, Chihaya discovers she has a passion for it. Now Chihaya wants to become number one in the world, the Queen of Karuta.


Winner of the 2009 Manga Taishou Award and 2011 Kodansha Award Winner in the Shoujo Category.

All Images Copyright © 2007 Suetsugu Yuki


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Garden
By: Furuya Usamaru
Genre: Alternative
Serialized In: Garo, Comic Cue, Manga Erotics F
Publisher: East Press
Status: 1 Volume, Ongoing

A collection of Furuya Usamaru (Teiichi no Kuni, Genkaku Picasso, Music of Marie) one shots originally published in the alternative manga magazines Garo, Comic Cue, and Manga Erotics F.


Contains Nudity and Mature Themes
All Images Copyright © 2000 Furuya Usamaru


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Feng Shen Ji
Art By: Tang Chi Fai
Written By: Zheng Jian He
Genre: Historical Action
Status: 38 Volumes, Complete
Discuss (http://mangahelpers.com/forum/showthread.php/75376-Feng-Shen-Ji-by-Zheng-Jian-He)

The Great Shang dynasty has been in power for many years but the Gods' find fault with the new emperor. Instead of submit to their will at the expense of his people, the Emperor resolves to throw off the Gods' yolk and free humanity. However, not only the Gods but a rival, the young Zhou who submits to the Gods' will for his own purposes will face him!

All Images Copyright © 2010 Tang Chi Fai and Zheng Jian He


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Dainana Joshikai Houkou
By: Tsubana
Genre: Comedy
Serialized In: Comic Ryu
Publisher: Tokuma Shoten
Status: 4 Volumes, Ongoing
Discuss (http://mangahelpers.com/forum/showthread.php/74820-The-Wandering-of-Girls-Group-No.-7-by-Tsubana)

Takagi and Kanemura are two normal high school students in a near-future Japan where many things are different but taken in stride. Technology has evolved to the point where items like face-blurring necklaces, sleep-control devices, and Willy Wonkaish meal-flavored gum are treated as fads. New services also dot the landscape, such as businesses that can help you reclaim memories and places that can upload dead people to the internet to continue living their lives in virtual reality. The two girls also treat encounters with androids, strange monsters, and aliens as somewhat normal occurences. Dainana Joshikai Houkou is a fantastical slice of futuristic life that proves that while society can change, people seem to stay the same.

All Images Copyright © 2008 Tsubana

[k-dom]

Hehe Chihayafuru is featured again, I wonder if the anime made new fans
I may have a look at the last one although there are not that many chapters release yet

[Kaiten]

The last time it was featured Chihayafuru releases had been stalled for ages. I am hoping to attract new fans now that chapters are being translated consistently. I thought it would be a nice time to give JinHea and Lazy Ass Scans some help with promotion, as thanks for reviving scanlations.

---------- Post added at 12:22 PM ---------- Previous post was at 12:21 PM ----------

Chihaya also happens to be one of my two or three favorite, ongoing manga at the moment :D

[Kaiten]

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Sakuran
Anno Moyoko
Genre:La Nouvelle, Historical
Serialized In: Evening
Publisher: Kodansha
Status: Complete, 1 Volume
Discuss (http://mangahelpers.com/forum/showthread.php/74098-Sakuran-by-ANNO-Moyoko)

A poor peasant girl was sold to a brothel in Edo. Her new life started from the day when she had her first full bowl of rice. After many struggles, she became a cultivated oiran. While her beauty never failed, her hope for freedom faded with the passing seasons. Yoshiwara of Edo was a man's heaven, but a woman's hell: all was sakuran.

All Images Copyright © 2001 Anno Moyoko


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Blue
By: Nananan Kiriko
Genre: La Nouvelle, Shoujo Ai
Serialized In: Comic Are!
Publisher: Magazine House (1996), Shodensha (2007, Reprint)
Status: Complete, 1 Volume
Discuss (http://mangahelpers.com/forum/showthread.php/67882-Josei-Blue-by-Nananan-Kiriko)

Kayako Kirishima is almost ready to go off to college but is lonely and unsure of her future. Masami Endo is a girl who has been ostracized and made a social outcast for having an abortion. The two girls meet each other in class one day and become good friends. Gradually Kirishima falls in love with Endo and the relationship becomes more personal.


By the Mangaka of Pumpkin and Mayonaisse

All Images Copyright © 1996 Nananan Kiriko


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Brothers of Japan
By: Matsumoto Taiyou
Genre: La Nouvelle
Serialized In: Comic Are!
Publisher: Magazine House
Status: Complete, 1 Volume

A collection of short stories by Matsumoto Taiyou, mangaka of Tekkon Kinkreet and Ping Pong.

All Images Copyright © 1995 Matsumoto Taiyou


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Coo's World
By: Oda Hideji
Genre: La Nouvelle, Fantasy
Serialized In: Afternoon
Publisher: Kodansha
Status: Complete, 2 Volumes

Seventh grader Hayashi Renei is troubled by a strange dream: Her dead brother-- killed in an automobile accident--comes back to life as Coo. The dream comes again the following night and then every night thereafter. Coo's world is a cruel one--crueler than the real world, even--with its own share of pain, suffering, and sadness. Renei is searching for her house with her brother and others whom she meets in Coo's world so that she can return to reality and the land of the living...


By the Mangaka of Miyori no Mori

All Images Copyright © 2000

[Kaiten]

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Gwi
Written By: Orebalgum
Art By: Kim Young Oh
Genre: Action, Historical
Serialized In: Haksan Cultural History
Publisher: Haksan
Status: 5 Volumes, Complete

Mu-Sang’s has a quest... He must find and kill every “Gwi” that has ever existed. He is determined and won’t let anything get in his way, not even the imperial army!
While traveling and searching for the remnants of Gwi, he meets a girl who also bears the same mark crossed out that he has. A fateful encounter? Were those two fated to meet? And why does he hold such a grudge against the “Gwi”? ...are all questions left to be answered!

All Images Copyright © 2001 Orebalgum and Kim Young Oh


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Yondemasu yo, Azazeru-san.
By: Yasuhisa Kubo
Genre: Comedy
Serialized In: Evening
Publisher: Kodansha
Status: 7 Volumes, Ongoing
discuss (http://mangahelpers.com/forum/showthread.php/71261-Yondemasu-yo-Azazeru-San-by-YASUHISA-Kubo)

Sakuma is a college student who works part time at the Akutabe detective agency. There she does regular office work for private investigator Akutabe. However, Sakuma soon learns that Akutabe is no ordinary detective, but in fact a demon detective. He is able to summon demons through the use of a grimoire and use each of their special abilities by providing an offering. He uses their magical powers to solve the case he is working on and he wants Sakuma to start learning demon summoning. As Sakuma begins her journey to be a demon detective, little does she know the repercussions of using demons.

All Images Copyright © 2007 Yasuhisa Kubo


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Doubt
By: Tonogai Yoshiki
Genre: Mystery, Suspense
Serialized In: Shounen GanGan
Publisher: Square Enix
Status: 4 Volumes,Complete

There's a game going around Japan called 'Rabbit Doubt'. The premise of the game is that all of the players are rabbits in a colony, and one amongst them is randomly chosen to be a wolf that infiltrated the group of rabbits. Every round, the wolf kills off a rabbit, and every round, the group tries to figure out which of the rabbits is actually a wolf in disguise. Sometimes the kids who play this game decide to meet up in person, and Yuu, Mitsuki, Rei, Hajime, Eiji, and Haruka have done just that. Unfortunately, one of them has decided to take on the mantle of the wolf and has already killed once. Who is the wolf, and can they be stopped before everyone meets a very unpleasant end?


Also read the follow up story, Judge (http://www.mangaupdates.com/series.html?id=50254).

All Images Copyright © 2007 Tonogai Yoshiki


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I am a Hero
By: Hanazawa Kengo
Genre: Psychological
Serialized In: Big Comic Spirits
Publisher: Shogakukan
Status: 8 Volumes, Ongoing
Discuss (http://mangahelpers.com/forum/showthread.php/64628-I-Am-a-Hero-by-HANAZAWA-Kengo)

Hideo Suzuki is a thirty-five year old mangaka assistant struggling to be the hero in his own life by breaking back into the lime light with a new serial all the while juggling his relationship with his girlfriend and his own delusions.

However, as hard as Hideo may try, the world seems to have a different set of plans for him; sinister and dark machinations that completely overturn his reality as he knows it.


Nominated for the 2010 and 2011 Manga Taisho Award

All Images Copyright © 2009 Hanazawa Kengo

[Kaiten]

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Shinya Shokudou
By: Abe Yarou
Genre: Cooking
Serialized In: Big Comic Original
Publisher: Shogakukan
Status: Ongoing, 8 Volumes
Discuss (http://mangahelpers.com/forum/showthread.php/73682-Shinya-Shokudou-by-ABE-Yarou)

A manga that revolves around an old-fashioned all-night food stall, the various dishes that the stall owner prepares to suit the tastes of different customers, and the joys, griefs, trials and tribulations of his faithful patrons.


Winner of the 2010 Shogakukan Award, General Category

All Images Copyright © 2007 Abe Yarou


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Mukashi no Hanashi
By: Fujiwata Kaoru
Genre: Drama, Supernatural
Publisher: Sony Magazines (2001), Ohta Books (2008, reprint)
Status: Complete, 1 Volume

A collection of seven dark, atmospheric short stories by Fujiwata Kaoru.

All Images Copyright © 2001 Fujiwata Kaoru


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Touch
By: Adachi Mitsuru
Genre: Coming of Age, Sports
Serialized In: Shounen Sunday
Publisher: Shogakukan
Status: Complete, 26 Volumes

Touch is the story of twin brothers, the girl next door, high school, and baseball. Touch is a beloved classic and still one of the most popular manga in Japanese history. Written by Adachi Mitsura, one of the greatest mangaka of all time, Touch is a slice of life story with a light touch, unforced humor, and emotional realism. An all time shounen classic.


Winner of the 1983 Shogakukan Award, Shounen Category

All Images Copyright © 1981 Adachi Mitsura


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XO Sisters
Written By: Park Seong-Su
Art By: Hwang Seong-Won
Genre: Action, Comedy, Harem, Martial Arts
Publisher: Haksan
Status: Ongoing, 2 Volumes

Our protagonist Jo Cheul-Hee is a delinquent who enjoys picking fights and aims to take control of his new school where he gets transferred, but what he doesn't know is that it's an all girls school.

All Images Copyright © 2011 Park Seong-Su and Hwang Seong-Won

[k-dom]

I have read what is scanlated of Shinya Shokudou a few days ago and, even if there are just a few chapters, I really recommend it. It gave me a much better impression that Bartender which plot is kinda similar. Maybe it's because it is about ordinary dishes and you relate much more to the characters.

---------- Post added March 28, 2012 at 02:14 PM ---------- Previous post was March 23, 2012 at 08:34 AM ----------

And this made me want to start Touch. I think I read the resume once but base ball theme didn't appeal me (I'm not that much into sport manga, even if I know some of them are great). But this one seems more slice of life and romance. Well the first chapters at least.
And I really like the 80's art. I miss it sometime.

[Kaiten]

I like Shinya a lot too. It is just as much about the people as it is about the food, focusing on how food brings people together.

You don't need to be a sports manga fan to enjoy Adachi. In Touch, H2, and Cross Game baseball is a metaphor for growing up with the story focusing on coming of age elements. The story telling and art is truly brilliant, Adachi characters can communicate with a glance what most manga need multiple panels to say.

[k-dom]

Yes I think that just the 4 first pages of chapter 1 catched my interest immediatly :-)

PS and I love the new Shinya banner...

[Kaiten]

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Tokyo Ghoul
By: Ishida Sui
Genre: Horror
Serialized In: Weekly Young Jump
Publisher: Shueisha
Status: 2 Volumes, Ongoing
Discuss (http://mangahelpers.com/forum/showthread.php/74561-Tokyo-Ghoul-by-Ishida-Sui)

Strange murders are happening in Tokyo. Due to liquid evidence at the scene, the police conclude the attacks are the results of 'eater' type ghouls. College buddies Kaneki and Hide come up with the idea that ghouls are imitating humans so that's why they haven't ever seen one. Little did they know that their theory may very well become reality.

All Images Copyright © 2011 Ishida Sui


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Sadness of the Heart
By: Nishioka BROSIS
Genre: Alternative
Serialized In: AX
Publisher: Seirin Kogeisha
Publication Status: 1 Volume, Complete

This is a collection of one-shots that explore the thoughts and feelings of ordinary people in an odd, surrealistic manner replete with atypical and symbolic illustrations.

All Images Copyright © 2002 Nishioka BROSIS


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Obaka-chan, Koigatariki
By: Sato Zakuri
Genre: Romance, Comedy
Serialized In: Margaret
Publisher: Shueisha
Status: 7 Volumes, Complete
Discuss (http://mangahelpers.com/forum/showthread.php/73115-Shoujo-Obaka-chan-Koigatariki-by-Sato-Kaguri)

Since childhood, Neiro has been known for being good at fighting, making people fear her and giving her the title of Kansai's strongest woman. Wanting to find romance, she decides to transfer to a high school in Kanto. Instead, what faced her was a specially assembled class of delinquents.

All Images Copyright © 2008 Sato Zakuri


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Kouko no Hito
Written By: Nabeda Yoshiro with Nitta Jiro
Art By: Sakamoto Shinichi
Genre: Sports, Mountain Climbing
Serialized In: Weekly Young Jump
Publisher: Shueisha
Status: 17 Volumes, Complete
Discuss (http://mangahelpers.com/forum/showthread.php/59487-Kokou-no-Hito-by-Nabeta-Yoshio-Sakamoto-Shinichi)

After transferring to a new high school, a loner named Mori Buntarou, is cajoled by a classmate into climbing the school building. Despite knowing that one misstep could send him spiraling to his death, he moves forward, and upon finally reaching the top, Mori experiences a sense of fulfillment. That feeling, which seems to be telling him, "You're alive!" gives birth to a love of rock-climbing.

All Images Copyright © 2007 Nabeda Yoshiro, Nitta Jiro, Sakamoto Shinichi

[Kaiten]

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Tobaku Haouden Zero
By: Fukumoto Nobuyuki
Genre: Psychological, Gambling
Serialized In: Weekly Shounen Magazine
Publisher: Kodansha
Status: 8 Volumes, Complete
Recommend By: Ustegius
Discuss (http://mangahelpers.com/forum/showthread.php/54972-Gambling-Emperor-Legend-Zero-by-FUKUMOTO-Nobuyuki)

Ukai Rei saves three troubled teens from a Suicide Website, and together they choose to work as modern-day 'Robin Hoods' of society. However, Rei's friends are caught by an underworld gang whose heist the group had foiled. In order to rescue them, Rei is forced to enter a gambling competition hosted by a rich, rotten old man who is looking for a talented gambler to be his rep player in an upcoming gambling tournament for millionaires from all over the world. The reward money? ONE TRILLION YEN.

The Story Continues in Tobaku Haouden Zero: Gyankihen (http://www.mangaupdates.com/series.html?id=68427), Currently Serialized in Weekly Shounen Magazine.

All Images Copyright © 2007 Fukumoto Nobuyuki


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Kon no Ki Konoha
By: Yumeka Sumomo
Genre: Romance, Supernatural, Tragedy
Publisher: Shodensha
Status: One Shot, Complete
Recommended By: naruto-niichan

Only in autumn when the dead leaves flutter about can Akino meet the mysterious boy who lives inside the deep blue tree.

By the Mangaka of Watashitachi no Shiawase na Jikan

All Images Copyright © 2007


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Sakamichi no Apollon
By: Kodama Yuki
Genre: Coming of Age
Serialized In: Flowers
Publisher: Shogakukan
Status: 8 Volumes, Ongoing
Recommended By: Kaiten
Discuss (http://mangahelpers.com/forum/showthread.php/73877-Josei-Sakamichi-no-Apollon-by-KODAMA-Yuki)

Nishimi Kaoru has moved from city to city and school to school because of his father’s job. So the first day at his new school was just routine for him. Being intellectual and the new transfer student, he has always been seen as an outcast and all Kaoru had to do was bear it until the next time he moved. But things were slightly different this time. First, he started to get close to the class president, Mukae Ritsuko, and, secondly, unlikely as it seemed, grew closer to Kawabuchi Sentaro. Sentaro was infamous for getting into fights, skipping class and was an overall bad boy. Strangely enough, the three of them find common ground in music, namely jazz, and Kaoru finds himself actually enjoying the new town.

Winner of the 2012 Shogakukan Manga Award, General Category. Soon to be Adapted to Anime, Airing as Part of the Noitamina Block Beginning April 12, 2012

All Images Copyright © 2007 Kodama Yuki


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Wake Up Deadman
By: Kim Yong-hwan
Genre: Action
Publisher: Daum
Status:: 29 Chapters, Ongoing
Recommended By: thornofcarrion
Original Web Comic (http://cartoon.media.daum.net/webtoon/view/deadman)

Saving the life of the girl he loves, Sahu incidentally turns into a zombie. And now he's trying to survive in a stone jungle, believing that one day he will sing for the world.

All Images Copyright © 2010


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Genshiken
By: Kio Shimoku
Genre: Comedy
Serialized In: Afternoon
Publisher: Kodansha
Status: 9 Volumes, Complete
Recommended By: Josef K.

College freshman and ACG lover Kanji Sasahara settled down his extracurricular activity in Genshiken (The Society for the Study of Modern Visual Culture) in order to become a true and thorough otaku. Meanwhile, Saki Kasukabe, the girlfriend of another freshman Genshiken member (also a bishounen) Makoto Kohsaka, was dragged into Genshiken's otaku-ish activities reluctantly, yet her resentful attitude towards otakus is changing without her notice.

Also Read the Sequel: Genshiken Nidaime (http://www.mangaupdates.com/series.html?id=58291)

All Images Copyright © 2002

[Kaiten]

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Boku to Issho
By: Furuya Minoru
Genre: Comedy
Serialized In: Young Magazine
Publisher: Kodansha
Status: 4 Volumes, Complete
Recommended By: k-dom

A story about two kids who go to Tokyo after their mother died and their stepfather kicked them out of the house. In Tokyo they meet up with a fellow orphan named Shigeru Ito. Thus begins their cynical tale of laughter and depression.

Contains Mature Content.


By the Mangaka of Ciguatera

All Images Copyright © 1997 Furuya Minoru


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Pokemon Special
Written By: Kusaka Hidenori
Art By: Mato (volume 1 - 9), Yamamoto Satoshi (volume 10 - )
Published By: Shogakukan
Status: 39 Volumes, Ongoing
Recommended By: Ustegius

Pokémon comics based on the original Game Boy games... not the TV series!

POKÉMON ADVENTURES includes all the Gym Leaders, places, and opponents from the game. There's plenty of action as trainers named Red and Blue explore forests, jungles, cities, and caves in search of Pokémon and excitement. But can they foil the schemes of Team Rocket, a mysterious group of villains who want to use Pokémon for evil?

All Images Copyright © 1997 Kusaka Hidenori, Mato, and Yamamoto Satoshi


http://thumbnails75.imagebam.com/18433/a2676e184322413.jpg (http://www.imagebam.com/image/a2676e184322413) http://thumbnails31.imagebam.com/18433/1ce125184322420.jpg (http://www.imagebam.com/image/1ce125184322420) http://thumbnails20.imagebam.com/18433/e5f15a184322423.jpg (http://www.imagebam.com/image/e5f15a184322423)

Aphorism
By: Kujo Karuna
Genre: Horror
Serialized In: Gangan Wing (2008 - 2009), Gangon Online (2009 - )
Publisher: Square Enix
Status: 8 Volumes, Ongoing
Recommended By: phio_chan
Discuss (http://mangahelpers.com/forum/showthread.php/58323-Aphorism-by-Kujo-Karuna)

Naraka High School, is a seemingly normal school. However, unknown to the public is the cruel truth of what really goes on in the school's halls. Rather than studying, students are forced to struggle for their very survival. And the strong bonds of friendship may be the only difference between life and death.

All Images Copyright © 2008 Kujo Karuna


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High School Debut
By: Kawahara Kazune
Genre: Romance
Serialized In: Betsuma
Publisher: Shueisha
Status: 14 Volumes, Complete
Recommended By: Kaiten

When Haruna Nagashima was in junior high her life consisted of playing softball and reading comics. But now that she's going to high school, Haruna decides to put all of her energy towards getting a boyfriend and having the high school romance of a lifetime. To help in her quest, she enlists cute upperclassman Yoh Komiyama to coach her as she eschews her jock tendencies and turns herself into the kind of girl who can catch a guy. Yoh agrees, with one catch: Haruna had better not fall for him!

All Images Copyright © 2003

[Adv2011]

Read Boku to Issho should be made to anime XD

[Josef K.]

Read Boku to Issho should be made to anime XD

It will really fit with all the energetic drawings of it. It will really be in a league of it's own. But no one really does old series into anime I think. It ran in the late 90s.

[Kaiten]

http://static.mangahelpers.com/gallery-public/16519.png
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Bokurano
By: Kitoh Mohiro
Genre: Mecha, Tragedy
Serialized In: IKKI
Publisher: Shogakukan
Status: 11 Volumes, Complete
Recommended By: Ustegius
Discuss (http://mangahelpers.com/forum/showthread.php/14326-Bokurano-by-Kitoh-Mohiro)

During summer vacation a group of fifteen children discover a mysterious man living in a cave by the. Surrounded by high tech gadgets, the man claims to be a game developer, creating a video game with a giant robot defending Earth from 15 alien invaders. He asked the children to test the game for him and they happily agreed. The fun soon turned to horror, soon after winning the first child to play died. Worse still they had no idea how to end the game.

All Images Copyright © 2003 Kitoh Mohiro


http://thumbnails46.imagebam.com/18577/92dc53185764482.jpg (http://www.imagebam.com/image/92dc53185764482) http://thumbnails18.imagebam.com/18577/b5caf9185764490.jpg (http://www.imagebam.com/image/b5caf9185764490) http://thumbnails47.imagebam.com/18577/b7c363185764502.jpg (http://www.imagebam.com/image/b7c363185764502)

Coffee Time
By: Toyoda Tetsuya
Genre: Slice of Life
Serialized In: Afternoon
Publisher: Kodansha
Status: 1 Volume, Complete
Recommended By: ‎igotthegoods

A series of intercorrelated short stories centered around coffee, coffee breaks, and the people who enjoy them.

All Images Copyright © 2008 Toyoda Tetsuya


http://thumbnails7.imagebam.com/18577/fb61eb185767675.jpg (http://www.imagebam.com/image/fb61eb185767675) http://thumbnails19.imagebam.com/18577/bac079185767682.jpg (http://www.imagebam.com/image/bac079185767682) http://thumbnails62.imagebam.com/18577/757247185767695.jpg (http://www.imagebam.com/image/757247185767695)

Again!!
By: Kubo Mitsurou
Genre: School Life, Coming of Age
Serialized In: Weekly Shounen Magazine
Publisher: Kodansha
Status: 4 Volumes, Ongoing
Recommended By: Kaiten
Discuss (http://mangahelpers.com/forum/showthread.php/75656-Featured-Again!!-by-Kubo-Mitsurou)

The main character is a student attending his high-school graduation. Due to his appearance and personality, he didn't make a single friend during his three years of high school. As he remembers his days in the school, he wonders what his life would have been like if he had made different choices. In particular he wonders about his life had he answered differently when girl from the cheering club asked him to join. Since the cheering club was disbanded, he feels he should take one last look at their club room before leaving the school forever. However, he is misunderstood by another girl that was waiting for her boyfriend and as he chases her (to clear up the misunderstanding), she falls down the stairs (possibly dying). He goes to check on her but ends up falling too. He wakes up to find he is back to his first day in school (three years ago). Thinking it's obviously a dream, he just tries to correct the mistakes he made during that day...until the girl shows up blaming him for pushing her down the stairs and what's worse bringing her three years into the past!

All Images Copyright © 2011 Kubo Mitsurou


http://thumbnails60.imagebam.com/18578/730bed185770354.jpg (http://www.imagebam.com/image/730bed185770354) http://thumbnails66.imagebam.com/18578/21cea0185770359.jpg (http://www.imagebam.com/image/21cea0185770359) http://thumbnails72.imagebam.com/18578/8f9c9f185770364.jpg (http://www.imagebam.com/image/8f9c9f185770364)

Paperakyu
By: Matsunaga Toyokazu
Genre: Surrealist
Serialized In: Webcomic
Publisher: Doujinishi
Status: 9 Chapters, Ongoing
Recommended By:‎ Josef K.
Original Web Comic (http://book.geocities.jp/monene39/2012diary.html)
Discuss (http://mangahelpers.com/forum/showthread.php/72515-Paperakyu-by-MATSUNAGA-Toyokazu)

A self published webcomic by the mangaka of Bakune Young and Ryuuguuden about a young boy with a rare, infectious disease known as "paperakyu".

All Images Copyright © 2011 Matsunaga Toyokazu

[k-dom]

I'm not sure it would be that interesting into animé but I sure laughed a hard time while reading it.

---------- Post added April 19, 2012 at 07:21 PM ---------- Previous post was April 12, 2012 at 01:41 PM ----------

Does someone has read some other work from Furuya Minoru that you would recommend ?

[rajin]

High School Debut in my list

[k-dom]

So this is where your new avatar is from ?
Again is promising I hope we will have some new chapters soon. And I have to check Paperakyu, Ryuuguuden from the same author was an interesting read

[Kaiten]

Indeed, it is from Coffee Time, a series I think you would really like. I'm looking forward to the next chapter of Again as well. I have found myself looking forward to new chapters. VIscans seems to have a new chapter out every two or three weeks, hopefully the next is soon.

[Kaiten]

http://static.mangahelpers.com/gallery-public/16519.png

http://thumbnails72.imagebam.com/18675/d299a8186747222.jpg (http://www.imagebam.com/image/d299a8186747222) http://thumbnails25.imagebam.com/18675/aae9fb186747225.jpg (http://www.imagebam.com/image/aae9fb186747225) http://thumbnails17.imagebam.com/18675/336baf186747228.jpg (http://www.imagebam.com/image/336baf186747228)

Gaku - Minna no Yama
By: Ishizuka Shinichi
Genre: Mountain Rescue
Serialized In: Big Comic Original
Publisher: Shogakukan
Status: 16 Volumes, Ongoing
Recommended By: Kaiten
Discuss (http://mangahelpers.com/forum/showthread.php/75329-Gaku-Minna-no-Yama-by-Ishizuka-Shinichi)

Shimazaki Sanpo loves mountains. He loves them so much he calls himself a mountain-man and lives in the alpines, lending his hand as a volunteer in a rescue team, finding people, dead or alive, in the Japanese alpines. The alpines can be a beautiful place, but it's also a dangerous, dangerous place.


Winner of the 2008 Manga Taisho Award and 2009 Shogakukan Manga Award

All Images Copyright © 2003 Ishizuka Shinichi


http://thumbnails23.imagebam.com/18676/13c29e186750566.jpg (http://www.imagebam.com/image/13c29e186750566) http://thumbnails47.imagebam.com/18676/4c1a20186750568.jpg (http://www.imagebam.com/image/4c1a20186750568) http://thumbnails61.imagebam.com/18676/c442db186750574.jpg (http://www.imagebam.com/image/c442db186750574)

Emma
By: Mori Kaoru
Genre: Historical, Romance
Serialized In: Comic Beam
Publisher: Enterbrain
Status: 10 Volumes, Complete
Recommended By: Josef K.

In Victorian-era England, a young girl is rescued from a life of destitution and raised to become a proper British maid. Emma meets William, the eldest son of a wealthy family, and immediately falls in love with him. William shares her feelings, but the strict rules of their society prevent their relationship from ever coming out in the open. Traditional class distinctions and rich, historical details provide the backdrop for this appealing romance.


By the Mangaka of Otoyomegatari

All Images Copyright © 2002 Mori Kaoru


http://thumbnails17.imagebam.com/18676/672fee186751224.jpg (http://www.imagebam.com/image/672fee186751224) http://thumbnails59.imagebam.com/18676/b52096186751228.jpg (http://www.imagebam.com/image/b52096186751228) http://thumbnails74.imagebam.com/18676/5fa5e7186751230.jpg (http://www.imagebam.com/image/5fa5e7186751230)

Until Death Do Us Part
Written By: Takashige Hiroshi
Art By: Double-S
Genre: Action
Serialized In: Young GanGan
Publisher: Square Enix
Status: 17 Volumes, Ongoing
Recommended By: naruto-niichan
Discuss (http://mangahelpers.com/forum/showthread.php/7664-Until-Death-Do-Us-Part-by-Takashige-Hiroshi-DOUBLE-S)

Haruka Tooyama is a twelve-year-old girl with incredible precognitive abilities. But her accuracy in predicting the future has made her a target for any number of greedy corporations that would use her power for their own profit. When she is kidnapped, Haruka uses her gift to seek out someone who can help her escape and fixes upon a blind man making his way through the busy streets of Tokyo. Though it may seem an odd choice, Haruka’s powers have not led her wrong. Despite his inability to see, her chosen protector’s fighting skills become apparent when he draws a sword from his walking stick and deftly takes out her captors. Knowing she will always be pursued for her gift, Haruka begs the mystery swordsman to keep her safe…“until death do us part.”


All Images Copyright © 2005 Takashige Hiroshi and Double-S


http://thumbnails41.imagebam.com/18676/bc4970186752727.jpg (http://www.imagebam.com/image/bc4970186752727) http://thumbnails39.imagebam.com/18676/e6e008186752736.jpg (http://www.imagebam.com/image/e6e008186752736) http://thumbnails46.imagebam.com/18676/64d254186752745.jpg (http://www.imagebam.com/image/64d254186752745)

Legend of Tyr
Written By: Ra In-Soo
Art By: Son Chang-ho
Genre: Action, Fantasy
Serialized In: Comic Champ
Publisher: Daiwon
Status: 11 Volumes, Complete
Discuss (http://mangahelpers.com/forum/showthread.php/63382-Legend-of-Tyr-by-SON-Chang-Ho)

Fantasy Action Legend that follows brother's diary!!
After his brother Loki's death, on Tyr's 17th birthday.... Loki's diary is delivered to Tyr. When following the diary step by step, Tyr realizes that everything that's happening around him is already recorded on the diary.

All Images Copyright © 2008 Ra In-Soo and Son Chang-ho

[k-dom]

It's a long time since we don't have any recommended manga here. I miss it a little...