Recommended Manga! (Retro)
Manga store in Japan, © Doc Sleeve from Wikipedia
(Retro!) Manga Recommendation
We used to read manga, back when shounen is booming (or shoujo!). But the bandwagon definitely
fall a few years back and many casual readers had ran into the new field, like
manhwa. Fast forwarding in 2010-now, web novel and light novel grabbed
audiences more or less, though manga and manhwa adaptation from them are also
famous.
For purely nostalgia sake, here the list of our
favorite manga for reminiscence of our glorious days and also a recommendation
for new reader.
Sports manga:
Eyeshield 21
Full score for introducing American Football to
readers, great humors, great characters and great character developments, so
many favourite moments and characters. Eyeshield 21 is a great story of an
underdog amefuto team. They have classic moments in sport manga such as loses
in tournament and matches and then fighting to become best of the best.
Favourite moment (s) : Many. This series is
adapted to anime, however they hadn’t adapted the Christmas Bowl and all of the
journeys, make sure to read volume 25 of manga onwards. Also the world
championship is pricelessly funny.
The Prince of Tennis
Underdog protagonist in underdog team with
talent, a little bit genius and enough hardwork to reach championship, the
sacrifice and training with blood,
sweat, and tears make it all worth. Its’s quite common formula for many
of sport manga.
From the title you could guess that this one is
not that kind of story. The main character is a prodigy in tennis, have plenty
of talent and hardwork. His team isn’t slouch either. So, how Konomi Takeshi
wrote an anti-underdog story in sport manga years before OP characters become
so popular, is a mistery. The main character’s journey is so epic that I
swallowed all 42 volumes in eight days (that’s because I rent it, and you can
only rent max 5 manga/books in one day). I still remembered many of my
favourite matches and quotes to this day.
If you are bored with underdog stories, this
manga is for you. They have the best
monikers for the players next to Kuroko no Basuke in my opinion. Obviously a
nod for the title, the Prince himself for Echizen, the nickname common for
genius or tensai for Fuji, King (or Monkey King)for Atobe, then there are
Golden arm, the Devil and the crop de la crop is Child of God.
This series also had a very successful musical
runs!
Warning! The sequel is much more supernatural and unreal.
Favourite moments : Too many epic moments. Fews : Echizen vs Sanada
(both matches), Echizen vs Akaya (non-official match that they didn’t even
bother to animate, what a waste), Echizen vs Atobe (you just need to read it!),
Fuji match (the true tensai match!), Echizen vs Yukimura.
Understandable that it was an old anime, I want it reanimated to make it
smoother to watch!
Non-sport manga:
Hikaru no Go
The manga responsible for introducing us to Go, it’s delightful to read
with a touch of supernatural story. A soccer maniac, the main protagonist, a
twelve years old boy touched a Goban with blood spilled in its surface and soon
its haunted Go obsessed ghost haunted him too. Watching his journey from not
understanding the game and its significant for other players and then learning
it from the Ghost, tasting the sweet victory and bitter defeat, it has its
dramatic moment that makes readers to shed tears as well.
The anime is also popular, they even got a Chinese Live Action
adaptation that’s worthy to watch. Even though we still doesn’t understand much
about Go, it’s pretty much guaranteed a permanent place in re-read piles among
others.
Favourite moments : Hikaru vs Akira (First match), Hikaru’s journey in
class, Hikaru’s professional exams, Sai vs Touya Kouyo (with Hikaru’s
commentary), Hikaru vs Isumi (vol. 17), Hokuto’s Cup Selection and also Hokuto
Cup itself.
Shoujo:
Glass Mask
An epic tale that hasn’t finished yet. It’s a spellbound story of a
prodigious actress with poor circumstances, a story of acting, studying acting,
theaters and dramas, love and dreams. We root for Maya yet also cheering for
Ayumi, we also root for the epic final showdown of Crimson Goddess!
Favourite moments : The studying arc for Crimson Goddess with water,
air, earth and fire actings! Maya’s journey as wolf girl, puck, doll. The Two Princesses
auditions and actings. Ayumi acting as vampire. And of course, the Miracle
Worker and Tsukikage-sensei’s Crimson Goddess in Plum Blossoms Hils can’t be
forgotten.
If I have one complaint for the anime, it’s the fashion! Ayumi’s style
in the manga with big hair, big bows and ribbon in her dresses and clothes are
glorious things that should be up there! I know it is quite old-fashioned but
it has character and suits Ayumi so much as an ojou-sama in the manga!
Quite a few of retro (we refused to call them old!) and famous titles n this list. For the next weeks we hope to write many more recommendation of other books, so stay tuned!
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