It's been awhile since we had an honest-to-goodness Book Chat, but now seemed like the perfect opportunity! So today, as part of Graphic Novel Week, I thought we'd do a bit of a Chat /slash/ a "reverse" genre push, in which we talk about gaps in my own graphic novel collection (see the full thing
here), as well as what graphic novel/manga/comic you'd push into people's hands to convince them to give graphic novels a try.
Can't wait to hear your thoughts in the comments!
I love the Vampire Knight manga and I'm a huge fan of Chopsticks by Jessica Anthony and Rodrigo Corral. I just posted a review today! Soooo good!
ReplyDeleteI think we just might read Chopsticks next month for #WednesdayYA! =D
DeletePersonally, the one I would hand a person to get them into manga has to be *Sailor Moon*. If you don't have access to it via your local libraries, check out Miss Dream (http://missdream.org/sailor-moon-scanlations/) for scanslations of the series. This is probably because of my love of all things *Sailor Moon*, and I want others to love it, too.
ReplyDeleteRight now, I am reading *Revolutionary Girl Utena*, and enjoying it. It's interesting to see all the differences between the manga and the anime in this series. (I have watched around 1/3 of the anime, and read around 1/2 of the manga.) I'm not sure if you enjoy yuri/shoujo-ai aspects in your manga, so I want to warn you that it is present in both these series.
As for a series that I was recommended alot years ago, but never really gave a chance before I recently revisited it, I must recommend *Hana-Kimi*. When everyone recommended it to me years ago, I could not get into it at all. But, I am reading it now, and really enjoying it. It's a fun gender-bender series about a girl pretending to be a guy, so that she can attend the all-boys school that the star athlete she loves/idolizes attends. Lots of fun hijinks and awkward moments.
As far as mangakas go, I'd recommend: Naoko Takeuchi, Mayu Shinjo, Wataru Yoshizumi, Yuu Watase, and Kayono. Not sure if your tastes all shoujo, though. I do also like shounen, like *Bleach* and *Fairy Tail* as well. I would highly recommend those two as well, Also, since you mentioned you like "quick-read" GNs, try *Soul Eater*....it's action-packed and really enjoyable.
If you like lower-level GNs/mangas, besides just the *Pokemon* and *Digimon* series, I'd recommend the cute 5-volume series, *Fluffy Fluffy Cinnamoroll*. It is totally adorable. Also, *Lunch Lady*, *Babymouse*, and *Squish* are fun time-killers as well. If you like animals, Erin Hunter's *Warriors* and *Seekers* have been adapted into mangas/GNs as well, and those are absolutely wonderful reads.
I don't really read many webcomics, but I do realize that some of those have been released now as GN volumes. I read the first volume of *Aoi House* years ago, and loved it. (The webcomic can be read @ http://www.aoihouse.net/strips-aoi/chewed_out) I have seen omnibus volumes of both of their *Amazing Agent* series' as well, but have yet to read them. || I do read some webcomics on the Android app, Manga Box (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.dena.mj), including *Zero*, *Online*, *B-Ball Goddess*, *Fling Girls*, and *Holiday Love*....I haven't really checked out the others, yet. I also end up reading quite a bit of the *Sailor Moon*-related webcomic, *MoonSticks*, (http://moonsticks.org/), since it's one of those you see on Facebook alot.
Hope you find some that you enjoy.
Holy moly, a nice long LIST!
DeleteHolly... I love you long time. ;D
Have you tried Gunnerkrigg Court? It's one of those long overarching web comics, but he has also published several volumes of them if you prefer a physical format. I think you'd dig it, though it is really one of those you need to get a ways in to find its footing. As is Fables for that matter. I adore Fables, but the first one is certainly not the best representation of the series as a whole.
ReplyDeleteNo, haven't even heard of it! I'll have to look into it.
DeleteAnd everyone has told me Fables doesn't get good until the second, but because I have to request it from out of town, it just always seems like more effort that I want to go to for something I was meh on... lol!