Recommendations: Manga

Hey all, Dani here.

Welcome back to my blog series wherein I recommend things…typically books, but occasionally Tabletop Games and such. The past few of these have been genres and themes that I have recommended before, but not today. While I have had a Graphic Novel Recommendations post, I never wrote up a Manga one. This is probably because my manga intake has really gone up in the past couple of years. So for today I’m going to recommend a few Manga series I think you should check out (whether you’re new to Mango or if you’ve been around for a while).

These are in no particular order, so let’s get started.

Black Clover

Story and Art by: Yuki Tabata, Publisher: VIZ Media

This has quickly become one of my favorite series. The characters make this such a great story, and I really enjoy the anime as well. We are up to 16 volumes of the manga released in English, but I’m sure the Japanese editions are a few volumes ahead. I love this story of two boys from a small village head to the capitol to join the Magic Knights and grow and train in an attempt to become the next Wizard King. It just has so much action and heart, and I absolutely love it.

My Hero Academia

Story and Art by: Kohei Horikoshi, Publisher: VIZ Media

Superheroes-in-training. That’s what this series has in abundance. Plus, much like Black Clover, there is a main character with no Quirk ability but who wants to be a hero (much like Asta is without magic but wants to be the Wizard King). Midoriya is a nerd for sure, and he has studied up on the abilities, strengths, and weaknesses of every hero and villain. Also, he never gives up. So when he is granted the power of a superhero he greatly admires, he will do whatever he can to prove himself worthy. The students at this hero academy face a lot of villains and trials, and we get to see a lot of it, but there’s also some times where we just follow them in their classes and lessons.

Oh, and there’s 19 volumes of this out in English, with 5 volumes out of the Vigilantes spin-off and 2 volumes out of the light novel School Briefs.

Fullmetal Alchemist

Story and Art by: Hiromu Arakawa, Publisher: VIZ Media

This is a completed series, and it is a classic for a reason. For anime I would recommend Brotherhood over the original. Fullmetal Alchemist is a story about two brothers, both of whom are alchemists. Years and years ago they tried to bring about their dearest wish, and the consequences of their failing left Alphonse without an arm and a leg, and Edward a soul trapped in a body of living steel. Now they work for the military, doing whatever jobs they are tasked to, all while trying to figure out the secrets of alchemy so that they might restore each other’s bodies.

Fairy Tail

Story and Art by Hiro Mashima, Publisher: Kodansha Comics

This is another completed series, and if you like the never give up mentality of characters like Asta from Black Clover or Midoriya from My Hero Academia, then you’ll definitely connect with Natsu in this series. The anime for this one is wrapping up soon as well, and honestly I recommend both. There is a very large cast of characters in this one, but they are all portrayed so well that it actually isn’t all that difficult to remember who is who. This story follows the Fairy Tail wizard’s guild as they take a variety of jobs across the land, and often end up getting involved in huge world-changing situations. It’s pretty great.

Blue Exorcist

Story and Art by: Kazue Kato, Publisher: VIZ Media

I’ve only read a few volumes of this one, and watched a whole season of the anime, but I know that I have really enjoyed what I’ve consumed. Volume 22 of the manga will be out in English in September. It follows the twin sons of Satan, who are in training to be exorcists. Satan wishes to uses Rin’s demonic nature for nefarious reasons, but Rin wants to prove himself worthy of the love and care given to him by the man who raised them, and be a good guy. What’s going to happen? You’ll have to pick it up yourself to find out, because I don’t have the answers for you.

How to Treat Magical Beasts: Mine and Master’s Medical Journal

Story and Art by: Kaziya, Publisher: Seven Seas

There are only 3 volumes of this one out in English, with the fourth coming in October, so jumping into it now means you would catch up pretty quickly. The artwork is really cute and whimsical. This series is set in a time when technology is on the rise and the magic creatures and old ways are dying out. We follow an adorable little girl who is a sorceress and just wants to help magical creatures; she works with a veterinarian of mundane creatures, who proves to know quite a bit about magical ones as well. I am so utterly captivated by this series, and I definitely recommend it.

Akame Ga Kill!

Story by: Takahiro, Art by: Tetsuya Tashiro, Publisher: Yen Press

This is yet another completed series, with 15 volumes in the main series, and then there are 8 volumes in a prequel. Currently there are 2 volumes out in a spin-off sequel called Hinowa Ga Crush! I’ve watched the entire anime, and am only 3 volumes into the manga, but this is a bit more of an adult series. There is a bunch of violence and gore and sexuality going on. But I am rather intrigued by the series, and I heard that the anime ended quite differently from the manga, so I can’t wait to finish reading so I can compare them.

Fruits Basket

Story and Art by: Natsuki Takaya, Publisher: Yen Press

This is a completed series, with 12 volumes in the new Collector’s Editions, and I’m only 2 volumes in. So far it all seems more aimed at a female audience, and the magical aspects are not very obvious yet, but I am still enjoying this series. I’m a sucker for books with mythology-like themes, and several of the main characters in this series are members of the Chinese Zodiac is pretty great.

One-Punch Man

Story by: ONE, Art by: Yusuke Murata, Publisher: VIZ Media

Volume 17 of this series will be out in August. This was started as a sort of online parody to the all powerful character trope that can be seen in series such as DBZ, but it has become an awesome series in its own right. Saitama seems like an average ordinary guy, but he is so much more than that. He is actually super strong and defeats any monstrous bad guy with just one punch. All he wants is to find someone who will give him a good fight. It’s fascinating, and amusing, and I greatly enjoy it. Again, I’ve only read 4 volumes, but I’ve watched the first season of the anime.

The Girl from the Other Side: Siuil a Run

Story and Art by: Nagabe, Publisher: Seven Seas

My final recommendation is another fairly new series. There are only 6 volumes out right now, and it has a cute yet slightly creepy art design going on. You have the people on one side and monstrous beings on the other. Being touched by one of these creatures taints you and turns you into them, so people are wary. So having this story follow a little girl who doesn’t know where her family is but is being taken care of by a nice creature who is insistent that they don’t touch, is interesting. But though everything seems all cute and innocent at the beginning, I can tell that there are secrets and dark revelations to come, and it definitely makes this series more intriguing to me.

Whew, all right. There are ten different Manga series I have to recommend for you today. I’m sure in another year or so I’ll revisit this and give another list, because I’m always on the lookout for new Manga series to follow. That’s all from me for today but I’ll be back soon with more bookish content.