Forum - View topicBuying some manga... need some advice...
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barkera
 Posts: 27 |
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Well, i'm ordering some manga online (it's so much cheaper!) and apart from the usual series I read, I'm looking to start a new one. I'm after a good Shoujo / Romance / Drama series. I've already got my action and adventure covered, but i'm after a new romantic series.
One's I've read and enjoyed so far include Hana-Kimi, Aishiteruze Baby, Ouran High School Host Club and Hot Gimmick. I've heard good things about Sand Chronicle and High School Debut, so are they any good and what other good ones are out there? Thanks 
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stuckinfresno
 Posts: 223 Location: Fresno, CA |
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I'm going to be picky but could you tell us/me/anyone reading this what kinds of stories you like? I say this because there are so many series to pick from. From off the top of my head: For highschool romances: Gatcha Gacha (my favorite HS romance) Here is Greenwood (may be hard to find) Cynical Orange (another good highschool romance - often overlooked) Fall In Love Like a Comic (cute and short in length) Imadoki! (another cute work involving flowers) Short Sunzen! (good and bad - weird storyline) Absolute Boyfriend (heard good and bad you decide - I thought it was funny) The Gentleman's Alliance (good and bad - kinda confusing with the amount of characters that exist in it) Beauty Pop (again good and bad - premise kinda dumb but an unusual main character makes this somewhat entertaining) Stories with a supernatural flair: Vampire Knight (this one gets bashed a lot, but I like it) Full Moon (the ultimate shojo of shojos - dying girl, long lost love, impossible dream as a singer, and cute animal sidekicks) Kamikaze Kaiou Jeanne (kinda strange but interesting) I.O.N. (one-shot short and sweet) Angel Sanctuary (a long series that is not completely romance but the central plot is that the main male character is trying to save his sister/lover - yes you heard me right) No real category Punch! (centers on boxing but super cute) Wallflower (four hot guys try to turn a dark, hermit-like girl into a lady - the story kinda swings back and forth between funny and great to kinda blah) Y Square (Was a one-shot until Y Square Plus gets released soon - typical shy guy that can't get a girl story) |
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barkera
Posts: 27 |
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Yay! A long list!
Thanks for that, I'll go have a look through them all.
As for what kind of stories I like, the only way I can probably give you a good idea is from telling you what i've read in the past. So my favourite manga is Tsubasa Chronicle and my favourite anime is either Code Geass or Shakugan no Shana. But if I was after a more romantic story, something with drama like Rumbling Hearts is good. Or a more comedic one like Ouran High School Host Club. |
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stuckinfresno
Posts: 223 Location: Fresno, CA |
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Ok the drama note helped out a lot. Here's more to add:
10, 20, and 30 (on my want list about three women in the different stages of life 10, 20 and 30 years old) Alchino (more supernatural and less romance plus the series is on hiatus) Bizenghast (heard many good things about it - it personally is not my taste) Boogiepop (odd series, again heard good things - I've never bought it myself because I think the character Boogiepop looks too weird) Can't Lose You (I'd check this one out) Cantarella (heard it was ok - but don't know myself) Crossroad (another good series) Doubt! (I've been toying with this series for a long time but it is defintily in the area you are look at) Dramacon (OEL, if you like this one wait until 10/14/08 for the omnibus - money saver!) Fairy Cube (mostly listed for the drama, has supernatural elements, I just bought the first two vols and I haven't read them yet) Fever (just discovered this one as I was trying to jog my memory - added it my wants list) Fruits Basket (something very few people haven't liked) I.N.V.U. (I love this series I can't believe that I forgot it) Kare Kano (Another on my thinking about list) Life (it was on a list I saw - never looked into it myself) Love or Money (I like this one - cute and not too long) Paradise Kiss (lots of people seem to like this one - I never liked it due to the art) Steady Beat (another OEL) Tenshi Nai Ja! (if you liked Hana Kimi then this is a must) W Juliet (another popular title) Wish (fluffy and cute - I'm not a big CLAMP fan but this was good) Ok I'm tapped. Hopefully you will find something in this. Another good idea is that if you find a title you like look it up in amazon and see what lists/guides come up as well. Sometimes those can be a great resource. Justmanga.com and mangaupdates.com also have a search feature by genre. Also, there are a ton of one-shot works that are good too. I'll plug myself (since I don't know of anyone else's list to suggest) by saying that on Amazon my name is J.Gebhard I have three lists on one-shot works alone. If the link works this will send you to the lists http://www.amazon.com/gp/richpub/listmania/byauthor/A2AY2PBOPNH1SM/ref=cm_pdp_content_listmania |
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Dark Elf Warrior
 Posts: 228 |
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People often fail to mention the most popular, and probably well written shoujo manga: Fushigi Yugi. This manga has romance, action, and humor. I recommend reading this manga, its better than others.
I also agree with Fruits Basket. Its not as good as Fushigi Yugi, but still very good, it has romance and humor. Since you like Tsubasa Chronicle, you will probably enjoy Magic Knight Rayearth and Cardcaptor Sakura, they are by CLAMP, creators of Tsubasa Chronicle. These are probably the best manga out there, and well worth the money. You may find that they are better than some of the manga you have read. But again, this is for you to decide. Good luck manga shopping, and find what suits you. |
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ShadrachAnki
 Posts: 180 Location: New England |
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Re: Sand Chronicle and High School Debut
What I've read of Sand Chronicle (not much, I'm afraid) has been very interesting, and I do want to find out more about the series. It seems to fit your criteria for romance nicely, but it also has serious tones and plenty of friendship involved as well. As for High School Debut...I really enjoy it. I can't say that it's super amazing awesome or anything like that, but it's a fun and enjoyable story in a high school setting. I second the recommendation for W Juliet; it's a fun series with romance, high school drama (literally, as the two main characters are in the drama club), and plenty of hijinx. There are also some supernatural elements to some of the stories, similar in nature to what you might find in Hana-Kimi. Other recommendations.... Lately I've really been enjoying the works of Banri Hidaka and Sakura Tsukuba, and I think that both mangaka tell stories that you would enjoy. Titles include I Hate You More Than Anyone (Banri Hidaka, published by CMX, five volumes currently available), VB Rose (Banri Hidaka, published by Tokyopop, three volumes available), Penguin Revolution (Sakura Tsukuba, published by CMX, five volumes currently available), and Land of the Blindfolded (Sakura Tsukuba, CMX, nine volumes: complete series). Sugar Princess by Hisaya Nakajo (creator of Hana-Kimi) just started coming out, and I'm really enjoying it. There's less of a romance angle in this one and more of a sports angle, specifically figure skating. IIRC, there are a total of two volumes, and the second one will be published in November. Finally, a fantasy recommendation that does include some romance...From Far Away by Kyoko Hikawa. This is one of the best "girl to another world" stories I've read, and I have to admit that it's one of my favorite manga series. ~Shadrach Anki |
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Tamaria
 Posts: 1512 Location: De Achterhoek |
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Please Save My Earth hasn't been mentioned yet? It's a bit slow in the beginning and Alice is as meek as shoujo heroines get, but the story will won't let you go after you've read a few volumes.
Basara isn't your typical shoujo story, but it's a great read. It has everything. Epic battles at sea, girl pretending to be her brother falls in love with the man who also happens to be the person she wants to kill, pet owls, legendary swords etc. |
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Patachu
Past ANN Contributor
 Posts: 1325 Location: San Diego |
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Please, please, PLEASE read Sand Chronicles. You say you're looking for romance and drama, that is pretty much the pinnacle of it. I'm a boy, and even I think it's freakin' good. Made me cry a couple of times already. 
As far as comedies go, if you like the humor of Ouran, try My Heavenly Hockey Club. It's kind of an Ouran ripoff but I find the sense of humor to be more lively. And yeah, there's just enough romantic hints to keep things interesting. |
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shoujogirl
Posts: 42 |
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hmm... please excuse me while I go scan my collection.
Well, for starters, anything by Arina Tanemura. Her work combines drama and comedy and is amost always a fabulous read. Another would be La Corda D'oro, which starts slow and which some people may find boring, but don't listen to them. If you like host club, then I would suggest Special A, which after looking at vol. 1, might make you have doubts, but don't worry, it gets better, and lastly Kitchen Princess, which is way better than it sounds and worth reading and maybe building a shrine to honor it. Good luck! 
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