Forum - View topicOlder manga you've enjoyed
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stuckinfresno
 Posts: 223 Location: Fresno, CA |
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What older manga have you enjoyed?
Please include the title and author (if you can) and a brief explainantion of why you liked it. You can include a synopsis if you want. For me I just finished MW by Tezuka. Briefly: the book is about poisen MW gas. It is wonderfully dark and, despite having political underpinnings, feels more focused on criminal personalities. The ending is absolutely perfect. So, far it is my favorite of the Tezuka works. I also have read Buddha (only vol. 1 & 2) by Tezuka as well. The odd more cartoony characters are fun and it certainly has it's funny moments. However, I imagine it gets more serious later on. spoiler[ Plus the use of animal life as being just as valuable as human life is interesting and surprisingly effective. I can't believe that I've been equally upset when an animal or human dies. Moreover, his ability to make the reader love both types of characters equally is amazing. And yes, I am aware that this is in Buddhist teachings.] (I'm not sure if that is a spoiler, but I've playing on the safe side.) I've ordered more vols of the work and can't wait to get those. The other older manga I'm currently reading is Cyborg 009 by Ishinomori. Again the older art is fun and feels a bit refreshing from more modern manga. I've only read vol 1, but the "superhero" teamwork feel to it makes me remember things like the Justice League. (Although they are nothing alike.) I have Ode to Kihrito by Tezuka as well but haven't read it. I also have read and loved Maison Ikkoku by Takahashi but I don't know if I want to classify it as older manga. Granted it is older but the art style is somewhere between the modern and clearly older manga style. Maybe someone else knows a clearer guideline. (I have been collecting manga for some time now, but I'm not very knowledgeable about dividing lines for age.) Well I'd love to hear from you. |
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marie-antoinette
 Posts: 4136 Location: Ottawa, Canada |
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I quite enjoyed RG Veda, CLAMP's first manga which was recently released by TokyoPop. While it definitely shows that they were still new to the mangaka game, the story is interesting and the characters are well developed. They especially are quite good at creating minor characters and then spoiler[killing them in was that makes the reader care].
I did find the last volume to be very rushed, however (and spoiler[the deaths of some of the major characters were a bit flat]), but I still enjoyed the series quite a bit. Not my favourite by CLAMP, since they have improved quite a bit, but still a good series. |
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Monumension
 Posts: 268 Location: Norway |
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I don't read many older series. It's got nothing to do with personal feelings for older works because there are surely some past classics out there. It's more that I'm mostly occupied with contemporary media.
That being said, I'm not totally unfamiliar with old manga. Keiji Nakazawa's Barefoot Gen is among the best series I've ever read, old or new. Aside form being a great manga it also has big nostalgic value to me as it was one of the first comics I ever read (although it was a long time before I became a regular reader of manga). Lots of people compare it to Spiegelman's Maus and I guess it's an obvious comparison. The first thing that struck me was how such a harrowing story could be told trough such "easygoing" visuals and with so much humor and optimism (something paralleled in Maus). It impressed me that the creator could maintain the positive moods in the protagonists while handling themes of war and suffering. Excellent read. This past year I've been reading Umezu's Drifting Classroom. Although I have some problems with the art (something I haven't got in Barefoot Gen) it's still enthralling, even though I think it's more of a psychedelic trip than scary. |
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Dranxis
 Posts: 591 Location: Ohtori Academy |
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Some of my favorite older series also include Tezuka's works, Cyborg 009, and Maison Ikkoku.
 Phoenix is probably my favorite of Tezuka's, though I'm also super-excited about Black Jack coming out next year. Cyborg 009 is very fun, with great artwork and some interesting characters. I like Rumiko Takahashi's stuff in general, but Maison Ikkoku is my favorite. It's a perfect mix of random slapstick and melodrama, and the only romantic comedy I've ever really gotten into.
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Murasakisuishou
 Posts: 1469 Location: NE Ohio |
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One of my favorite manga ever, Masamune Shirow's Appleseed, is from the early 80's. The story is fascinating (albeit a little obtuse at times), and the characters are vibrant and fun to watch interact. I especially love how Deunan and Briareos are so well matched and compliment each other perfectly; they're an awesome team in more serious situations, but during lighter moments they act like an old married couple
 Also, the amount of detail that goes into Shirow-san's backgrounds and characters is amazing.
Another older manga I'm fond of is Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind by Hayao Miyazaki. While Nausicaa is just a touch too Mary-Sue for my tastes, she's still a decent heroine, and she meets up with some very cool people on her travels throughout the Torumekian Empire. I also think that the Ohmu are adorable. |
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Highway Star
 Posts: 227 Location: Ireland |
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Like two above me, I liked Cyborg 009 (I have 5 volumes so far) and have read a few Tezuka works, Ode To Kirihito, Apollo's Song, Metropolis and a bit of Adolf.
Yoshihiro Tatsumi's two collections, Push Man and Other Stories and Abandon the Old In Tokyo were stunning too. I hope to get a copy of The Four Immigrants Manga, which I think is the oldest manga to date. Also have two of Katsuhiro Otomo's oldest manga, Short Peace and Highway Star which both date back to 79'. |
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fighterholic
Posts: 9193 |
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Black Jack by Osamu Tezuka has always been a favorite of mine, it was one few manga titles available at my Japanese middle school's library. It was interesting to read and at the same time reading it helped me to understand what issue was being stressed.
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stuckinfresno
Posts: 223 Location: Fresno, CA |
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I just realized that it's you again! (From the MW thread) Tatsumi's works have been suggested to me by Amazon I was planning on buying those as well. I just have no money right now. I have to ask about Metropolis. What's it about? Any since this is a more appropriate place to ask - could I get an idea about Adolf as well? Then, if I haven't pushed you far enough, what about Otomo's works? Many thanks! You're suggestions have been wonderful. |
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Highway Star
Posts: 227 Location: Ireland |
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Yup, thassme. Tatsumi's works are definetely worth the buy. Very challenging, if depressing sometimes, short stories of society's bottom rung folk, but be ready with a strong stomach. Tezuka was influenced by Tatsumi, and shows in Kirihito, and Tezuka influenced him too. Nice hardcover bounded tomes, and brill translation. Metropolis is one of Tezuka's earliest works, the second installment of his sci-fi trilogy (the rest made up by Lost World and Next World). Its a bit rough, to say the least, and dodgily put together (by Tezuka himself, he kept cutting out pages and rearranging). If you've already seen the film adaption, then check it out, if not for a retro thrill. But nothing too amazing. I'm not as informed about Adolf, but from what I know, its a 4-volumes series based on three men all named Adolf (including Hitler) who've never met in life before, but all eventually get tied up somehow. The art in it is even more mature than his other darker manga. Not sure how it's doing print-wise, but I'm definetely gonna' check it out. Otomo, well... if you haven't already read them, read his two major works Akira (a sci-fi 6-volume epic, often regarded as the greatest comic work ever) and Domu : A Child's Dream (a powerful supernatural horror set in a block of Tokyo apartments), but read the latter first as you might find it a let-down after Akira. Those two are the only easily-found translated manga of his, the other include the sci-fi/military drama The Legend of Mother Sarah (though featured Takumi Nagayasu's art) which Dark Horse released three series of (and collected only the first one in volume format); his twisted Batman short, The Third Mask in Black & White volume 1, and the rightly rare Memories, his only English-translated anthology, among other odd one-shots. Asides from the above listed, he's done a good few other untrsnalted (yet...) short story collections (two of which I've listed in my previous post), and two other longer-running stories. But if you're new to him, definetely give Akira and Domu a go. He's a hard guy to get into for most, his art can be quite detailed and very Western, but he has a very cinematic style all the same. |
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SeinenAi
Posts: 79 |
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Black Jack is my favorite older one. I love the recent anime series too, because of the fact that they tried to make it more like the old art (unlike the older anime, which was way too different). |
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Not a Jellyfish
 Posts: 539 Location: Boston, MA |
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It's actually 5 volumes, but it's damn near impossible to find, even online. You won't find it in any book store, and most volumes are out of print. I think the last 2 or 3 may be available for special orders at bigger stores. But it's finding the first volume that will be the hardest. I've been trying to find this series for a while now, and when I have found it, the volumes are about $20 a piece. You may run into it at a con somewhere, and if you do, pick it up. It's considered by many to be the greatest work of Tezuka's career. I'm also a big fan of Tezuka. I'm currently reading Phoenix and just finished Ode to Kirihito. Both are absolutely wonderful series. Phoenix is gorgeous in it's social commentary as well as it's innovation in style. I'm also working on Buddha, but haven't gotten as far. I also highly recommend To Terra and Andromeda Stories, both by Keiko Takemiya. To Terra is really classic shojo at it's best. You can see some of the influence of Tezuka in it, but you can also see her own unique perspectives, as well as wonderfully developed characters. |
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CloverKuroba
 Posts: 506 |
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Fo'sho. I love Maison Ikkoku too.
I also like Akira Toriyama's Dragonball and Dr. Slump. They're goofy and a lot of fun, especially Dr. Slump. |
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Buster Blader 126
 Posts: 1207 Location: Mississauga, Ontario, Canada |
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I also have to say The Drifting Classroom. My curiosity got the best of me, so I bought the first two volumes blind, and what I found was a very creepy, yet intriguing story. I collect the volumes whenever I go to conventions.
And out of the first 2-3 volumes, I've really enjoyed Dr. Slump. It's really quirky and amusing, thanks to Arale's antics. Too bad it isn't selling very well here. (Hence the increased time in-between releases.) |
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Ensof
 Posts: 70 Location: Meifumadō |
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I recommend Lone Wolf and Cub, by Kazuo Koike and Goseki Kojima. Running in at 28 volumes, and having spawned six live-action films, it's the ultimate samurai epic. Even today it still outshines the likes of Blade of the Immortal and Vagabond. My only gripe is that Dark Horse published it in a pocketbook format, which kept the price down but sacrificed the effect of Kojima's landscapes.
LW&C led to a spin-off called Samurai Executioner, which is also excellent. However, it lacks an overall plot and is essentially 10 volumes of short stories featuring the same character (Asaemon), and even he gets sidelined towards the end. And then there's Path of the Assassin, Koike and Gojima's 15 volume epic featuring Hattori Hanzo, the ninja who protected Tokugawa Ieyasu. I can't recommend this one as strongly as the previous two. It's based on actual historical characters and events, which seems to straitjacket the story somewhat. Koike goes a bit overboard in showing off his research, so at times it seems ponderous and even confusing. Dark Horse has published the first seven volumes. I've read up to vol. 6 and I'm debating with myself whether to continue with it or not. |
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Althalus
 Posts: 47 Location: NRW / Germany |
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+1 for Cyborg 009, Maison Ikkoku, Appleseed, Nausicaä and Dr. Slump.
I can't believe nobody mentioned From Eroica with Love yet. It's one of the best comedy manga out there ATM. I've also read and enjoyed quite a few Tezuka series, but only in French. I like his comedic series better than his serious works. Another favorite from the 80's is City Hunter (sadly unfinished in English and German, but once again readily available in French). Hojo is my favorite author for slapstick/screwball/situational comedy (though his current "Angel Heart" shows he's got a fair hand for melo-/drama too). Urusei Yatsura is very weird, but also fun. What's the word on Lady Snowblood? Haven't gotten around to reading it yet. ~Althalus |
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