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Your Favourite Manga of 2007


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marie-antoinette



Joined: 18 Sep 2005
Posts: 4136
Location: Ottawa, Canada
PostPosted: Fri Dec 21, 2007 6:57 am Reply with quote
Okay, like I did last year, here is a post for people to look back at the year and pick a manga title or two that they liked the best.

For me, this year my choice is xxxHolic. I've been a CLAMP fan for a few years and this so far is my favourite series by them. Even though it is often fairly episodic, something I tend to not like, it had wonderful characters and character development, as long with overarching plots such as the mystery of Himawari (though spoiler[volume 10 has cleared that up somewhat at least]). I absolutely love this series, the only thing I really dislike is when it gets too crossover-y with Tsubasa, which I don't read at the moment because I wasn't really that entertained by the first three volumes (and please don't sidetrack this thread with reasons why I should read this, I'm just not interested).

A strong runner-up would be Dramacon, which just came to an end with volume 3. People probably recognize it as the usual exception to "OEL manga sucks," but it's more than that. It completely holds its own among the best comedy manga; indeed, of all the comedy manga I've read it is my favourite. I'm actually very sad to know that it's over, even if I did think the ending was very well done and I do like short series.

A few other runner ups would be my pick for last year, NANA, that I still love (though I've done less manga reading for that series since it was taken out of Shojo Beat and I haven't bought more GNs since I've seen the anime and thus know the story and so I spend my money on other series and isn't this a lovely run-on sentence). I also still love Ouran Host Club, which has been gaining love since I reached the volumes that go past what the anime covered. I also am completely in love with Nodame Cantabile, which is a brilliant series (and was turned into a wonderful live action dorama and an okay anime, IMO).

Wow, that's a lot of runner ups. 2007 has been an awesome year for manga!
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undeadben



Joined: 06 May 2006
Posts: 1212
Location: West Texas
PostPosted: Fri Dec 21, 2007 9:00 am Reply with quote
I'm going to just list favorites among what I have read this year since I don't really think some of these are very new at all. And you listed more than one so I can too, right? Very Happy

My favorite read this year has been the continuation(finally) of Gunslinger Girl. I've been really anxious to read past volume 3 and was ecstatic when ADV finally started to release it again. It is probably my favorite page turner of all manga. Each new story arc is just so intriguing to me, I keep reading forward without looking back. And there are some incredibly well done tear jerking moments that really get through to me too. Like the scene at the end of volume 5 *MAJOR SPOILER READ AT YOUR OWN RISK* Trielaspoiler[ (Heavily injured and in tears): "I won! I killed Pinocchio! I'm sure of it! It's thanks to the training. Mr. Hillshire? Won't you congratulate me? I followed my orders. I beat the enemy. Won't you even-" [Mr.Hillshire actually hugs her]. ] I mean, wow! For all fans of the series, you know how much this means. I'm expecting my volume 6 any day now and will get through it easily within and hour of first touching it.

My second favorite has easily been xxxHolic. I also love the wonderful character development in this series. Not just showing the characters but showing how they change and grow. It's pretty brilliant. And I haven't read too many other Clamp series, but from the little I have read I think this is probably easily their best work. The series is so good in the character work that it has made me like characters I really disliked early on and made me want to know more about even minor characters. I'm going to watch Tsubasa the anime series and if I don't get enough from that I won't really mind. I was really looking forward to starting the Tsubasa manga after reading as much of xxxHolic as I have(it is the only licensed series that I actually look ahead in through scanslations, however even looking ahead I still get excited about the official books coming out), but since then, I've heard and read too many negative things about TRC for it to interest me anymore either.

After that would be one I've read very recently, Midori Days. This is just some really good storytelling with some wonderful character interactions. I mean, to have me really excited about a story involving a guy having his right hand transform into a girl, there has to be something special. Too bad the author's current series, Ai Kora, (found some scanslations) is an extremely weak harem story because it is a waste of his ability as a storyteller.

The finale of Ai Yori Aoshi is probably my next favorite. Well the entire series qualifies. A harem story that is a little bit different from the others has left me with some nice memories and a really sweet ending. I've actually read through the entire series twice now which is a rarity for me and manga.

After that is Hajime no Ippo, a series I'm following entirely in scanslations, and the cause of my head hurting so much from reading on my computer for so many days almost continuously. I love the anime and I like the manga nearly as much. I mean the anime almost looks like they used the first 20-some volumes of manga as an exact story board. However the one downfall of this series and the reason it isn't higher on my list is that it is sooooo looooooooong. I'm up to chapter seven-hundred-and-ninety-friggin-seven! Yeah, I would imagine it's hard to keep something at such a high level when it is so long, and this series doesn't always accomplish it. And not only that, but there are some story angles that have made almost zero progress in all of those chapters. After a while you just start to think, "when the hell is anything gonna happen here?" when those angles are brought up. But otherwise it still does keep me really interested so I'll keep reading.

Sorry for the long list, I don't read too much manga so I suppose that is why I get so excited about the few I do read. Especially since there are so few other series(maybe 4) that I even read some or most of this past year. And I suppose Fruits Basket would have made my list too if I were still on volume 14 or 15. I have been so disappointed with the latest volumes. That's a series that now actually has me hesitating before picking up each new volume, where as before I used to eagerly count the days before each new release. It seems more and more to me like the author was looking for cheap ways of avoiding any actual substance in the climax. I cringe when I imagine how this probably ended. I'll keep reading just in case I'm wrong, but I doubt it.


Last edited by undeadben on Fri Dec 21, 2007 12:01 pm; edited 1 time in total
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Aylinn



Joined: 18 Nov 2006
Posts: 1684
PostPosted: Fri Dec 21, 2007 11:16 am Reply with quote
One of my favourite manga is NANA –because of interesting characters like Reira, Takumi. I liked that the relationship between the characters are more realistic than in most manga and even characters that I don’t like such as Hachi don’t seem to be artificial.

Bokurano – I like that it really looks to be well planned, every character have interesting and different back story. It doesn’t seem like author give the same back story for every second character like making them suffer because they have awful parents or something like that.

Tsubasa, RESERVoir CHRoNiCLE finally showed more about my favourite Fay/Yuui. Besides it started going at quicker pace. There was nice cliffhanger in Infinity arc and as a Fay fan I find Celes interesting too, even if it was angsty. But hey now it would be pretty interesting to see Fay spoiler[regain his eye]…… thinking how sexy Fay would look with one eye gold and one blue Anime hyper

My next favourite series is Nodame Cantabile Nodame is one of these rare female characters that do not wail around about how ugly or stupid they are, nor she is one of this stupid and naïve. I like her craziness and her relationship with Chiaki and how both their characters and relationship are developed in the manga.

Quote:
I'm going to watch Tsubasa the anime series and if I don't get enough from that I won't really mind. I was really looking forward to starting the Tsubasa manga after reading as much of xxxHolic as I have, but since then, I've heard and read too many negative things about TRC for it to interest me anymore either.


Unfortunately anime is worse than manga and manga started being better around volume 16, anime especially second season is full of fillers and it probably annoyed even CLAMP at least I don't know how explain differently the fact that Tokyo Revelations is made in the way like anime has never existed.
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undeadben



Joined: 06 May 2006
Posts: 1212
Location: West Texas
PostPosted: Fri Dec 21, 2007 12:10 pm Reply with quote
Aylinn wrote:
Unfortunately anime is worse than manga

I've actually read more opinions to the contrary on this. Regardless, I already bought the first season of TRC, I should have volume 6 within the next two weeks, and I am an anime-before-manga type anyway, so I'll give it a go. I've watched utterly craptacular shows, Ceres Celestial Legend and the Utena movie come to mind(IMO of course), beginning to end just motivated by the money I had spent on them, so I'm not too down on trying the anime. And I've heard good things about this one so it just may surprise me. If I don't like it I won't buy the second season and, if nothing else, I'm left with a very pretty artbox. Razz
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stuckinfresno



Joined: 21 Aug 2007
Posts: 223
Location: Fresno, CA
PostPosted: Fri Dec 21, 2007 12:42 pm Reply with quote
Hmm so many to choose from . . .

My favorite manga would have to be MW . It's only a one volume work but wow (plus it is around 500+ pages). The characterization was amazing. The art was fun because I was wanting something different in the art department - so I went retro. Yeah, a little politcal, but the criminal psychopathic mind was perfect. I suppose Death Note would have to be a runner up here despite the spoiler[ change in events from vol 7 and on ].

My other favorite for 2007 is Welcome to the N.H.K. Both the manga and novelization was good. It's a completely different look at otaku than what is presented in Genshiken. It's absolutely funny at times and creepy at others.

Another good one was Diabolo . Standard art, but the story was different.
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Kelly



Joined: 17 Nov 2003
Posts: 868
Location: New York City
PostPosted: Fri Dec 21, 2007 1:02 pm Reply with quote
My vote for best of the year would be the absolutely stunning xxxHOLIc Vol. 10, which answered a question from very early in the series and turned the dynamics of the relationships between the main cast completely on their head.
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Aylinn



Joined: 18 Nov 2006
Posts: 1684
PostPosted: Fri Dec 21, 2007 1:06 pm Reply with quote
undeadben wrote:
Aylinn wrote:
Unfortunately anime is worse than manga

I've actually read more opinions to the contrary on this.


Shocked Really I often read opinions how boring was anime with its snail's pace, I can't even remember meting an opinion that manga is worse than anime.
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kyokun703



Joined: 06 Jan 2005
Posts: 2505
Location: Orgrimmar
PostPosted: Fri Dec 21, 2007 3:38 pm Reply with quote
My two favorite manga this year would be Yotsubato (which made me laugh so hard I cried) and Love*Com, which I just think is so cute and funny, and I love the two leads. They have the best chemistry without becoming cloying.
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Truered



Joined: 11 Apr 2007
Posts: 515
Location: Uni
PostPosted: Fri Dec 21, 2007 5:45 pm Reply with quote
Living in England it's kind of hard to see if I'm up to date or not. But my favorite manga this year would have to be Yotsuba &/Yotsubato. Azumanga Daioh made me an Azuma fanboy and Yotsuba is just filled with humour and it's childlike innocence which actually brings a smile to my cynical face.


I've also enjoyed Claymore as well. Technically everything I've read has been for 2007, as I started reading manga in 2007 (what a great year!) Cool
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marie-antoinette



Joined: 18 Sep 2005
Posts: 4136
Location: Ottawa, Canada
PostPosted: Fri Dec 21, 2007 7:18 pm Reply with quote
I have a friend who just adores the Tsubasa manga (and was the main reason I picked it up and probably will give it at least another volume eventually) and she couldn't watch past episode 4 or something of the anime because she hated it so much. But a lot of people seem to like it, so I'd say it's worth giving it a shot to make up your own mind.

Glad to see xxxHolic is getting so much love (the awesomeness of vol 10 I'm sure has something to do with that, it really did do a lot for bringing new depth/life to the character relationships, as Kelly said).
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KrissTale



Joined: 17 Dec 2007
Posts: 11
Location: Earth^^
PostPosted: Fri Dec 21, 2007 11:45 pm Reply with quote
I don't really read manga.I had just read full moon wo sagashite.It's really kinda good though.
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chichiriNoDa



Joined: 13 Dec 2007
Posts: 532
PostPosted: Sat Dec 22, 2007 12:05 am Reply with quote
My Favorite Manga for 2006 are Fushigi Yugi Genbu Kaiden and Millenium Snow.

Genbu Kaiden because the story is very interesting. This prequel of the suzaku/seiryu arc are more mature when it comes to the main protagonist. It makes you want to learn more about what really happens to the warriors and the Priestess of Genbu. So this my first pick for 2006. I'm definitely going to continue reading it.....

Millenium Snow because I find it very light and entertaining. The personality of each characters are enjoyable. Last thing I really like the story that incorporates the snow.
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Sarasa*Tatara



Joined: 04 Jul 2007
Posts: 31
Location: Michigan
PostPosted: Sat Dec 22, 2007 12:45 pm Reply with quote
I think my favorites of 2007 would have to be Angel Sanctuary, Ouran High School Host Club, and the Cain Saga.

The last volume of Angel Sanctuary came out this year and it was exciting to see how it would end.
I finally started Ouran this year! It's such a hilarious series, especially the first time you read through it!
The Cain Saga also ended this year. Yuki Kaori is my favorite artist and the Cain Saga was so suspensful, so in it's own way it was more fun to read than Ouran!
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suna_suna



Joined: 06 Sep 2005
Posts: 550
Location: Ohio
PostPosted: Sat Dec 22, 2007 2:47 pm Reply with quote
as much as i am being a fan boy for this, Fruits Basket was my favorite. i rekindled my interest in it after my brother left the volumes he had and in the end, i bought the rest of them. as the story evolves, i want them in my hand more and more (and yes i know i've said the next part several time) stupid tokyopop
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Kelly



Joined: 17 Nov 2003
Posts: 868
Location: New York City
PostPosted: Sat Dec 22, 2007 5:36 pm Reply with quote
suna_suna wrote:
as much as i am being a fan boy for this, Fruits Basket was my favorite.


Fruits Basket Volume 18 would be my runner up. Next year's volumes will continue wrapping up the fates of the main cast, so it won't surprise me if it gets alot of votes this time next year.


Last edited by Kelly on Wed Jan 02, 2008 6:21 am; edited 1 time in total
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