*NOTE: I don't know why people keep using the "judging a book by it's cover" line. I explicitly state that constant viewers of this channel that know my likes and dislikes gave me feedback on One Piece and said they didn't believe it was something I'd enjoy. I really don't see why everyone is so upset about it when I was completely respectful to the IP. But, as always, I never say never and I do admire the passion. Thanks for watching!* *NOTE 2: I didn't realize that I had used a One Piece panel in the thumbnail, so I have updated that. a 100% honest mistake. Remember, I am very new to manga and these things will happen. My apologies for being misleading.* Hey guys! Just a quick note: I do know that Parasite is not a Japanese movie. What I meant to say was that movie led to a discussion that derailed into the same friend and I discussing how Japan is whipping the pants off the States in horror. My apologies for not being more clear about that. But I doubt anyone will read this and continue to WELL ACTUALLY me in the comments instead. Thanks for watching!
Mike you really need to watch AKIRA too. Forget the fact it's an animation, the film transcends the Anime genre as it's influenced western cinema so much. From the Matrix to Tarantino movies, and several action and horror movies from the 90s to present day. AKIRA is a must for any connoisseur of cinema.
I definitely don’t think there is anything wrong with reading more “popular” manga, I think it’s a definitely a good starting point. Then you’ll be able to find other stuff based on taste. Also no harm in not being interested in one piece 👍 - a big one piece fan. Also I’m in the middle of rereading Death Note and the writing always impresses me!
I've read all of these, I don't see any possibility of you disliking them. Good to hear you're finally changing your stance on not reading manga. They're brilliant medium of storytelling! 😄
There are a couple I could see myself wavering on, but for the most part what I learned about each they sounded like a good variety of stories I'd like. I didn't want just 10 epic fantasy/historical fantasy manga (that's why I chose Vagabond over Claymore), so I tried to mix it up some.
@@mikesbookreviews Vagabond is actually based on a book; Musashi by Eiji Yoshikawa (one of my favourite books) read that book along with the Manga, very interesting experience I should say.
i feel like he may not like the comedy of the FMA. other than that, i doubt he will dislike any. once he starts, he won't be able to stop himself before ending them. ( i think)
Attack on Titan is one of the few series where the anime improves on the source material to me. The animation, sound track and voice acting are phenomenal.
Ive heard a lot of negatives about things in the manga which are things that make the anime great like action sequences. None the less you can not take away from the genius writing of Isayama.
@@arcanethink Same with Death Note. Death Note has great visuals, voice acting, OST...everything. It's an example of a perfect adaptation. AoT's art got better as time went on but the first volumes were.......not pleasing to the eyes ngl
A man of culture, I see! I'd suggest something more "conventional" for a beginner, though - like _Vagabond_ , which has incredible art and the added advantage of being a good introduction to Japanese culture. Or any series by Naoki Urasawa... Perhaps _Monster_ or _Pluto_ .
@Shin Shaman I like the author's vision and art style, but as I said it was too ambitious for him. His other work from the same period is very interesting, IMO (I remember a short story that was pure genius). His later work fixed most flaws and is more modest, you might want to check it out ( _All-Rounder Meguru_ , a manga on MMA)
Regarding American comic books you have to find some independent publishers to read because Marvel and DC are just rehashing the same characters with not much change.
@@mikesbookreviews It is pretty good. Not very PC. I believe Kouta Hirano began as a hentai artist then transitioned to mainstream manga. It is a bit rough in the beginning but art improves a lot as the story goes, results in a very unique artstyle. Anime is also great, i am mainly talking about Hellsing Ultimate OVA - one of the best (dare i say ultimate) anime adaptations
You mean you actually encountered One Piece fans who can understand you wouldn't like it and are okay with that? Man you're lucky. Seems that whenever it slips that I have no interest in it (and I hated what I read), the fanboys come out of the woodwork and start aggressively pushing it on me, saying that I HAVE to read it and that I WILL like it because it supposed SO GOOD, acting like they know what appeals to me more than I do (and sometimes being assholish about it). It's like they refuse to acknowledge that it's NOT everyone's cup of tea.
@@mikesbookreviews LOL, I can see that. I've never seen a more aggressive fanbase for anything in my life. You'd think One Piece was a religion or something.
Have you read The Walking Dead or Invincible? They’re pretty popular American Comic series so I’m sure you have but both offer an amazing lengthy story
If you liked Berserk and are into that sort of things, like coming of age and such, I really recommend you check out Kingdom from Yasuhisa Hara, it's basically a better GOT mixed with Berserk, just the Golden Age, and extended. Don't be scared by the number of chapters, people do read hundreds in a single sitting. I bet you'll love it.
Time to get Mike watching anime as his next step. One of us. One of us. (The Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood anime is 10/10 and it's on your Manga list)
I also say that you shouldn't read One Piece at this point. It is an absolutely amazing and fantastic series, but it will need a huge commitment from you. Maybe check it out down the road.
Yeah, I am pretty sure that he will give it a try in the future, if you enter to this world of anime/manga One Piece IS A MUST, for me it would be like a sin not to read it haha
@@mikesbookreviews I understand. You aren't obligated to read or watch anything. I love One Piece, but the last thing I want is to shove it down someone's throat. If you get to read, then that's great, if you don't, it's not like you are gonna lose a limb or something. Good luck Mike.
Hey Mike! I know I am late to the party but I wanted to clear up some things. 1. Vagabond is not finished and it likely will never be. However, there are some factors that make this not as big of a deal as it would sound like. First, this is based on a real historical figure, so we know how the story goes. Second, it is actually a manga adaptation of an actual novel called Musashi that was translated in English. Third, he actually did sort of finish the series in the sense that he drew an ending for an art show in Japan and there are photos online from it. You can read the novel Musashi and then read Vagabond for a different type of experience, but you will still experience the whole story in some form. 2. Akira's anime film and manga are nearly completely different stories both written/directed by the original author. The manga is more grand scale Mad Max post apocalypse while the movie is much more self contained and cyberpunk focused. The movie is considered by many non-anime fans to be one of the greatest sci-fi films of all time, if not one of the greatest films ever made period. I know you said you aren't interested in anime, but it is so influential in Western media and so far removed from many anime tropes that I think you can appreciate it as its own thing. 3. Don't expect 20th Century Boys to go full fantasy/horror like IT. It's not a literal monster they chase, more of a metaphorical political monster. If you want some more akin to a gonzo fantasy/horror like Stephen King by Naoki Urasawa, I would recommend BILLY BAT over it. Although it was never officially localized (for many reasons that become apparent if you read it), so you will have to find English fan scans online. It has elements of IT, 11/22/63, The Shining, and The Dead Zone!
For someone who likes Berserk, vagabond should be right up ur alley. But the best manga is probably still One Piece. There is a reason its been at the top for so long. Probably should try Kingdom, it is so underrated outside of Japan
not a huge fan of anime or adaptations vs manga but the AKIRA movie is one of the best films ever made and historically really pushed the limits in terms of animation, just if ur into film at all. An adaptation above all others lol
This comment section is pure laughs, one piece fans really don't understand everything isn't for everyone. Hell I use to read fucking one piece and I dropped it because I got sick of the story being predictable, especially the flashbacks everytime a fucking character died and the same gags being over used. I would reccomend Getter Robo, but you literally cannot buy it as it only exists as fan translations for the time being. It is the hidden gem of mecha manga. However this video explains the history of Getter Robo and how what started as a 70's mecha villain of the week series transforms into a psychological and cosmic horror. Also despite its origins the Mangaka was always known for Violence and it even shows in the original manga with lots of over the top deaths. Later on in the series it goes full on body horror with undead cyborgs and alien insects infecting humans. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-B8OKlITEXRQ.html
It's kind of obnoxious since I basically said that I took feedback from people who watch my content constantly and told me OP wouldn't be something I'd enjoy. But they seem to only hear what they want to hear and that is that I "judged a book by its cover."
Not all anime are based of manga, some are originals. Usually when a manga becomes very popular it gets an anime. For example, this past season Vivy Flouride Eye’s Song is an original anime about a cyborg that has to stop a machine apocalypse from happening. Hope this helps.
@@mikesbookreviews just a tip, usually there are top animation studios that put out quality anime like Studio UFOTable, Madhouse, Mappa, Kyoto Animation, A-1 Pictures are a few of the high quality ones. Highly recommend Violet Evergarden.
Btw in case people don’t know, the movie Edge of Tomorrow is based on a manga/book called All you need is kill. The movie is amazing and highly underrated so I recommend watching it and the fact that it’s based on a manga shows that it’s possible to adapt one and make it good.
Although I agree the movie is good it is NOT faithful to the manga which is way, waaaaay better than the movie and it deserves to be adapted as faithful as possible the manga, did it right, so is not impossible to adapt into visual narrative.
There is definitely a wide spectrum of anime, some that are quite adult with none of the aspects that you described disliking, so I'm sure there are a few classics that you'd appreciate. The Monster anime comes to mind as being a top pick.
@@mikesbookreviews Definitely a great place to start! (the first half at least). If you do ever get the chance I'd be curious to hear your thoughts on Monster
In defense of Attack on Titan (no spoilers, ofc!) while I agree the ending wasn't good (to be fair I more so took issue with the sloppy execution of it rather than the ending itself) and that it was very frustrating coming from a writer who has provided quality content time and time again, but I do not in any way regret reading it as opposed to other stories with bad endings that invalidate everything the series did to get there *cough* GoT S8 *cough.* I think it's a series that will be remembered for the journey rather than the destination but boy, what a journey it was and was it worth embarking on it. It still has plenty to give even with a rushed/clumsy ending.
Without spoilers, do you think this is something that can or will be fixed in the anime adaptation because I haven’t read the manga, but love the anime. Also, by ending do you mean the final chapter only or the build up to it also. I just don’t want another GoT S8 so I don’t like hearing that a lot of people weren’t happy with the ending.
@@user-element115 depends on who you ask. some people say just the final chapter, some say the last 10 chapters. personally I fall in the former camp, but honestly it wasn't _that_ bad, and most certainly not even close to as bad as the ending of GoT. Isayama has already released a rewrite of the final chapter (or maybe an additional chapter after the last one?) which fixes some things. so based on that I think the anime ending will definitely be the "final cut".
@@user-element115 More or less what @Lloyd Irving said. I've seen all sorts of opinions. Personally- though I think the later chapters became increasingly rushed- it only ever became a problem to my enjoyment and the drop in quality was jarring in the last few, mostly really just the very final one. As I said though, I think the ending itself + the endgames of the characters were more often than not what the story needed for us to gain closure. Based on my personal complaints, let me set the bar for the finale as presented in the manga (without getting into spoilers): it. is. RUSHED. There are important scenes that need to happen in very little time because that's just how far Isayama is willing to write. So you get these huge info dumps making the final plotwist make sense while characters hardly get the time to react to the information. You get them reacting with shock and horror to certain revelations, then joke around and have comedic lines no further than a page later like it's nothing. And because of this, the tone is all over the place and perhaps even worse is the dialogue. The lines are clumsy, messy and easily allow plenty of room for bad faith criticism- though SOME are worse than others (anyone who has read the final chapter should know EXACTLY which one I'm referring to). And because it's so short on time it doesn't have the luxury of planting things before coming into play and have them pay off later so much of the lore/developments don't feel as earned as they did before. That's not to say it was all bad though. But it's true there was so much uncharacteristically wrong with the final chapter especially that some of its sloppiness is bound to carry over to the anime as well. However, Isayama has fully owned that it was a rushed, badly executed ending and is- at least to my knowledge- wiling to make re-writes for the anime so it should at the very least be better than what we got in the manga, considering Isayama has proved himself to be a talented writer when he isn't speedrunning things. Many "fans" seem to have forgotten just because they were given a rushed ending, but literally every piece of good writing that has lead up to those final chapters wasn't a fluke and could not have been written by just anyone. The moment I read it I was feeling kinda concerned and left wondering in what kind of state Isayama must have been when writing it, as opposed to acting like this man just ruined my life and wishing death upon him (and btw no, that is not hyperbole. I've seen people wishing he had died instead of Miura, it's actually sickening). It really goes to show these people do not view creators as people but content-making machines. Would you like to like, take into account the unlivable working culture in Japan? Isayama has been open about how mentally and physically draining writing AoT is for years and he's about to enter a new chapter in his life. Surely his health is worth more than our entertainment? No? Okay peeps. tl;dr Ending fine, execution bad. Anime should at least be better though. Also people suck.
Aot final arc was awesome except the finale. Yeah last 10-12 chapter could have slowed down a lil bit, felt like Isayama was in a hurry to end the story but it's only the last chapter that needs real fixing. So it shouldn't be that difficult to fix, that is if the anime intend to do so. Btw most of the people who whines about the last 10-12 chapters are the fanboys who wanted all the main cast (Armin,Mikasa,Levi etc) to throw their characters and either just sit back and enjoy the shitshow even while knowing that world was pretty much ending or join Eren's global genocide like in a dream fanfiction. They want Mikasa,Jean ,Levi etc all to be exactly like Floch .When that didn't happen they got pissed lol.
@@mikesbookreviews True. But if you're ever interested, you should watch The Appeal of One Piece by Supereyepatch Wolf on RU-vid. He makes great points for people who are not sure about starting it. What makes manga great is that there are many different art styles. Also, Merpahy Napier and Daniel Greene recently got into it and are enjoying it they don't read manga or watch anime either. It's also the best selling manga series of all time and it might look light hearted at first glance but it can also get dark and deep as its very philosophical as well. What makes manga great is that there are many different art styles. Manga can go from looking realistic to cartoony. There are also many genres and subgenres and some of those genres don't exist much outside of manga/anime. Mecha, magical girl, slice of life are just a few.
You can't go wrong with Vinland Saga and Monster. great picks! My vote goes to Golden Kamuy. That's one of the most underrated mangas I've ever read and it's awesome. The story of a former soldier and a Ainu girl (A tribe that live in the mountains of hokkaido) that hunt convicts with a code tattoed in their bodies that lead to a treasure. Historical, lots of action and bizarre comedy
I actually disagree with you. In my experience, most people rate it quite well, as it deserves. The problem is it’s kinda under the radar compared to other ones, you know what I mean?
Manga that will be worth your while: Battle Angel Alita Drifting Classroom (And anything else by Kazuo Umezu, since he was Junji Ito's sensei they have a similar vibe) Memories of Emanon Goodnight Punpun Devilman Bibliomania Basilisk Ajin Parasyte Battle Royale Blue Exorcist The Walking Man Anime movies: Belladonna's Sadness Angel's Egg
It’s amazing you’re getting into manga, it’s such an amazing medium for storytelling, and every mangaka (manga writers/artist) is just an absolute beast that you have to respect. Both writing and drawing 20-40 pages every week or month for years while constantly keeping up the quality is a crazy amount of work. And related to what you said at the beginning (although Parasite is Korean, I believe), the Japanese just have so high standards when it comes to pretty much everything, so any pick on this list, and the majority of manga outside of it, are at least enjoyable, and the best are some of the best fiction I have read. But well, whichever one you choose, hopefully you enjoy the journey
@@mikesbookreviews Yeah, I feel that with a lot of things that are made over here, not just comics. It’s refreshing to see not only other perspectives from different cultures, but to see people care to deliver a great story above all else, which is something that we’re losing more and more in the American continent and parts of Europe, where things like profit and politics are becoming the focus
Regarding One Piece, for a long time I didn't watch it because the art style didn't look cool like Naruto or Bleach. The concept also sounded strange and unappealing. But once I started to watch it, it just sucked me in through fantastic world building, writing and superb characters that have more depth in them than most fantasy novel characters. I'm sure you'd have given it a lot of thought before coming to your decision, but based on my own experience (and the fact that your reasons to not read echoed mine) reading a volume or two might not be such a bad idea
One Piece is so dark and so action packed and the artwork is next level I love it. I'm reading it now, and I just started the Davy Back Fight and I love every second of this
Akira is awesome. Read it first with some dope music and then later watch the movie. The movie would also be fun to watch first but you would definitely want to watch it again after reading it I guarantee
Hello, Mike. I just want to say that I appreciate the fact that you are branching out into other mediums. I also want to say that I really enjoy your channel. You essentially radiate "cool dad energy" in your videos and I find that enjoyable. Keep up the good work.
A very good liste to read. If i can add juste one more tite it willl be DevillMan i'm sure you also heard of it with it very welll adaptation devilman crybaby on netfilx (even if you don't see it). To be complet it's a bit old made in the 80's (so it's not as beautifull as the manga in your liste but if you can go despite it's graphics it worth) and for hoke you it was one of the bigest inspiration from berserek with Star Wars (the falcon or hawks with bad transolation comme from the flacon millenium) and hokuto no Ken. i'm French so excuse me for my bad english at writing.
Almost all of this manga are seinen, there are only two that are half shonen half seinen, but the others are 100% seinen. I am pretty sure you are not saying otherwise, but it sounds a bit confusing.
anime itself could be adaptation of many thing sometime it is original but most of the time it is an adaptation of manga, light novel or game the biggest point of anime are mostly to advertise for the original thing that it adapt from with few exception for anime i recommend Fate Zero which is originally a light novel, it start very slow but it is worth it, for plot it is the prequel of a visual novel game from 2004 call Fate Stay Night, it happen 10 years before that series and the main story is about mages in modern time gather up to fight in a war call the Holy Grail War to grant their wishes and to fight their enemy they use Servant which are spirit of famous hero and historical figure both real and fake from the past i want you to watch the prequel since Stay Night itself have poor adaptation when it come to character and some part of the story and luckily Fate Zero is already great by itself another anime i recommend is actually a movie trilogy call Kara No Kyoukai or also known as Garden of Sinner it is a very dark and great trilogy that start from 2007-2012 if you ever watch it just watch in release date
Man someone's gotta recommend this man Kingdom. Anyway, nothing wrong with reading popular manga, and I appreciate your mentality on that. This seems like a really solid list with some I still need to read myself.
Finally, found the comment I was looking for! When he mention likening the epic battles in Beserk's Golden Age arc I wondered what he'd think of Kingdom. Super disappointed it didn't at least get an honorable mention in his list and now I'm wondering if he even got recommended it by anyone.
All of the recommendations on this video are great (that I’ve seen or read) however I think you should also look into hunter x Hunter while it may have some anime tropes you dislike it has some of the deepest themes/ characters in the genre, and the best magic system in fiction
The AKIRA manga is so good, it’s probably my favorite completed manga. P.S. just to be clear vagabond is finished… in a way. The author is a real sensitive guy and writing vagabond was just too hard on him, so he has officially dropped it, but he did put out an epilogue chapter a while ago.
@@ClasherofWorlds I mean it’s pretty obvious. It’s been on indefinite hiatus since 2015, and last year Inoue said he doesn’t plan on revisiting it anytime soon.
Even without an ending, vagabond its easier a top tier manga, and the place were it has being left works as a closer anyway, and we know the historical ending and there was an exhibition back in 2008 (yea, like 7 years before the hiatus) were inoue made a kinda open ending for the manga, so its not so "unfinished" and really is a worth to read
Junji Ito's works are really good. I recomend such work like Remina, Uzumaki, and, Gyo. Amazing art work, interesting story but not necesarilly horor. His work is more bizare tale than straight scary horror. But please, never watch the anime version. Ito's works are optimized to be enjoyed in manga form where you need to turn the page and BAMM!!!! Some messed up thing happen on the next page.
It's so nice to see fantasy book reviewers like you and Daniel Greene branch out into manga. You have a really great list. I'd also recommend Chainsaw Man and Oyasumi Punpun.
Attack on Titan has a very controversial ending. By no means are opinions of it unanimous unless you dwell on specific online communities, very much the definition of hit or miss. Without a doubt still a masterpiece.
I know you might be overwhelmed by all the recommendations but I would also like to add "Claymore" manga. Basically it's a blend of Berserk and Witcher. I think you might enjoy it. And if you like Kentaro Miuras artwork and storytelling you might want to check out his two short mangas: Gigantomachia and Duranki. Really short and enjoyable reads. When it comes to Vinland saga, Fullmetal Alchemist and Hellsing you can literally watch the anime series because they adapt the story almost perfectly.
Another gem that many overlook is the source material for the Studio Ghibli film, Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind. The movie covers the first 2 books of the total 7. Hayao Miyazaki wrote and drew the whole thing himself. It's beautiful. (Also, One Piece.haha But seriously: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-2ZqnC-eVwrE.html)
Wanted to say, stop comparing yourself to other book tubers. I have tried most of them, and despised their videos. Either they act like they are the Supreme voice of all readers or they force their politics down our throats. I wanna book tuber who can think for themselves and who has great taste. Not someone who won't read a writer for something said a hundred years ago. Also, you just got really great taste Will keep watching you, and only you, brother. Keep those reviews coming.
Definitely try watching Cowboy Bebop (English dub), it is an artistic masterpiece that I think it would be right up your alley (it is definitely not hahahahaha goofy).
ookaaay? i'm sitll at chapter 93 in 20th century boys and now i discovered that people say it's basically "IT" of Stephen King. I, really don't know how to feel about that. i only watched the movie but not the book. so, was that a spoiler at some point??? the part i'm reading is around the church meeting and Kanna almost getting shot.
glad to see Monster on this list, even as a huge fan and avid manga reader in the community not enough people know about it and it is an amazing well told story.
I highly highly recommend reading these 5 manga series if you enjoy mature serious stories similar to Berserk. (Some where already on your list.) 1. Vinland Saga 2. Lone Wolf & Cub 3. Monster 4. Freesia 5. Battle Angel Alita (and it's sequel Last Order)
Every media has their own stereotypes and tropes, even books, but we mostly ignore them and focus on the good parts. Manga and anime are the same. So glad you're expanding your horizons :) Remember you said never say never! I recommend Zankyou No Terror as your first anime! Thank me in a few years lol and I heard a lot about chainsaw man. It could definitely fit into this list
Yeeees! He said Attack on Titan!!! I don't get the criticism, I was able to get things and have crackpot theories and everything. Also Fullmetal alchemist is so good! I enjoyed it very much.
I was kinda sad since you didnt mention jojo's bizarre adventure but seeing what your taste is(im pretty new to your channel) it doesn't seem like it's your cup of tea,but that's okay i think every manga on this list is at least pretty good
I strongly recommend Drifters (by the same author of Hellsing) and Parasyte. Also glad to see you put one of my all time favorite, 20th Century Boys, on your list.
Miura was heavily inspired by "Devilman" and "Violence Jack" two manga from the 70s by Go Nagai who is considered one of the most revolutionary mangaka.
Great list! I hope you continue to enjoy reading manga! Gonna add a few suggestions if you want to check something else after finishing your list. Oyasumi Punpun - A heart wrenching, dark, realistic coming of age story with amazing art. Not for the faint of heart but it will be a rewarding and life changing read. Claymore - Group of female knights on a quest to eradicate their kingdom with demons. If you want some badass female manga characters you can find them here. BLAME! - A stylistic sci fi manga full of environmental story telling. If you want a manga that respects the reader’s intelligence and will jump you straight to the world without any explanation or hand holding, you will enjoy this one.
*My guesses before watching* For sure: - Vinland Saga - Kingdom - Attack on Titan - Vagabond - Death Note And then maybe: - Monster - 20th Century boys - Made in Abyss - Gantz ? - Chainsawman ?? It looks like a search of "Seinen" in google, tbh. hahaha.
Yeah, so it was the Seinen all stars as I thought. The only ones I haven't read are Vagabond and Hellsing. Kingdom is not that known now that I think about it. But I always think of Vinland saga and Kingdom at the same time for some reason. Surprised about FMA, that's a shonen but it fits with the his taste so we will see. I will definetly keep an eye on his impressions, what lands for him and what doesn't
@@hipiticlivi7400 kingdom doesnt have an official translation, so i doubt he will read it. If Viz or any other company translates it and starts selling it, i guarantee it will be top selling.
If you binge attack on titan you will like it my friend who read it week to week didn't like it, but I binged it and it was awesome. Have to mention though I'm sad that you don't have one piece on your radar.
Attack on Titan is one of those cases where because its so popular, you're going to have a lot of people jumping on the bandwagon of having opinions on it without even having probably read/watched it. It's really good up until the ending, which isn't bad but it is controversial, and different from what a lot of people expected.
Looking forward to content on all of these! Also, even the manga crowd on reddit basically only reads the most popular manga don't think to bad about it, r/mangacollections is literally just everyone showing off their shelves of the same 15-20 manga daily for ten years
I mean, no I did not. If you listen to what I said, many have told me about it and even stated they did not think it would be something I am into. So, try again.
@@mikesbookreviews judging a book literally means forming an opinion about something by its outward appearance alone. Edit - calling yourself a 'book review' channel and rejecting to read something because someone told you something about it is kinda hypocrite (possibly even bad for business). I've read Attack on Titan and Uzumaki and I've enjoyed them for the most part. FMA and Berserk are in my list. If you had read OP and said that you didn't like it then I would have understood but you're outright rejecting it.
@@pratikahire806 jeez, the man reads and reviews because it's a fun hobby, talking about "bad for business," the heck. Positively sure his channel ain't his moneymaker, lol. Investing oneself into a series requires time and financial commitment, especially with a beast of a series like One Piece. If he'd rather invest his free time into other series he's more interested in that appeal to his sensibilities and the kinds of stories he enjoys, then that's his perogative. 🤷🏽♀️
I strongly recommend Hunter x Hunter. I would argue it has the best magic system in all of manga. It has some of my favorite characters (especially antagonists), and the writing and plotting gets deliciously rich the further you get into it.
the thing that seems like it might be the most up Mike's alley is that it is an interesting version of a coming of age story, what with the way Gon and Killua develop.
@@mikesbookreviews the thing with HxH is, if you're familiar with battle manga let's say like dragonball, it takes some of the Tropes/conventions established on that work then somehow he plays with them to kinda give them a new look and execution, still depends on what you like about manga anyway, but definitely a high reccomend at least from me
I love HxH, but to get the most out of it I feel you need to have awareness of shonen trends and tropes. Togashi excels at subverting typical shonen plots and themes
I think in general you will like seinen (for men) manga and may not like shounen (for teenaged boys) manga - even if I think you'd really appreciate the genius world building of something like One Piece if you got far enough into it. To help you out with the Japanese pronunciation - could be useful reading the manga, besides just saying the names: a -> ah (rhymes with spa) i -> ee (rhymes with see) u -> oo (rhymes with boo) e -> eh (rhymes with yeah) o -> (rhymes with go) Any vowels with a bar over them, or the same vowel twice, or ei or ou are elongated vowels - and the only tricky one of them is a long e, which is more like eh - ee said rapidly, which comes out sounding like ay, as in sensei. Anything with a y is a contraction, the two connected sounds said rapidly, e.g. ki + yo = kyo. That's pretty much it. Japanese phonetics are dead simple.
Man its really a shame when people get scared away from One Piece just because of the artstyle(beside that the manga art quality itself is way better than for example Attack on titan. the anime of AOT is WAY better than the manga. but still a great story in the manga too). One Piece has one of the best stories ever written in ANY media. and the manga is, together with Berserk, my fav manga of all time. Its world/worldbuilding and characters even make stories like lord of the ring dwarf in compare. but beside that, its a solid list. cant go wrong with any of them. Death Note is also a very good "beginner manga" to pull people into the medium.
I am pretty late, but I recommend Houseki No Kuni, BLAME! and Jigokuraku for some manga that I find interesting. Houseki seems chill at first, but gets pretty dark later on and BLAME! is a banger cyberpunk and Jigokuraku a cool dark fantasy survival series.
@@mikesbookreviews If you want a shorter read Chainsaw Man is pretty big atm... the author is a comic book fan and it is over the top like Deadpool but with Demons.
Uzumaki was originally three volumes. Have fun with the lovecraftion spirals. Maybe avoid the liveaction film.... I know you said you wont watch anime but if you like Akira it might be worth checking out the movie. Despite being over 30 years old it still has some if the best animation either western or eastern.
Pluto is a remake of an old Osamu Tezuka Astroboy story, and as such it has the distinction of being the greatest remake in history. Attack on Titan has twists in it that would make M. Night Shyamalan's head spin. It doesn't shit the bed until the very last chapter. Akira is a classic for a reason, Otomo's insanely influential in the industry. Vagabond probably has the best artwork outside of Berserk. The 12 Vizbig editions (3-in-1 volumes) all have images on the spines that connect they look mighty fine on a shelf. The hiatus isn't because Inoue doesn't know how to end it (the very last chapter was already shown in art exhibit in Japan) but because he burned himself out working on two manga at once. Hellsing sucks, I hope reading it won't turn you off of manga forever. Monster is an excellent psychological thriller. Fullmetal Alchemist is a nice and tight story about conspiracies and such, but if you refuse to read One Piece I can't see why you'd read this. 20th Century Boys is like IT but also it's Urasawa interrogating the nostalgia of his own generation, people who are totally ignorant of all that Japanese stuff might no appreciate all of it (it introduced me to Ashita no Joe). Uzumaki is wonderful. I'm not a big horror fan but Junji Ito has some real bangers, and that is one of them. Death Note is probably the first manga I'd recommend to someone looking to get into the medium. Vinland Saga is an excellent series. A lot of people got upset when the story stopped being about mindless violence and turned to character development, but those people are silly.
I liked the original Hellsing anime when I was younger (I'd have to rewatch it to know if I still like it), but I think Mike won't like it that much. He's also reading the manga, so I don't know if it's any different.
@@KalleVilenius I can see why he would like FMA. It has really deep themes and feels more like a senien while One piece is a light hearted shonen, not a bad thing
I strongly recommend you: BLAME! by Tsutomu Nihei BLADE OF THE IMMORTAL by Hiroaki Samura SHIGURUI by Takayuki Yamaguchi #DRCL Midnight Children by Shin'ichi Sakamoto GANTZ by Hiroya Oku OYASUMI PUNPUN by Inio Asano
I really recommend Dorohedoro if you are interested in some horror manga with great weirdness and a unique style. It’s dirty, grimy, violent, and psychotic, but with some of my favourite characters in all of fiction. It’s not too long either (23 volumes, 190 ish chapters), so it’s not that huge of an undertaking. I must also mention that this manga balances comedy with horror in such an amazing way. I could literally be in tears laughing on one page and then be afraid of going to sleep on the next page
@@mikesbookreviews i found it through the anime adaptation and just had to know what happened next after finishing season one, so I picked the manga up. The art style is really love it or hate it, but I love it. I suggest looking at the first couple of panels for the general “vibe” and what kind of insanity you’re in for. I haven’t finished it yet (got like 60 chapters left) so I don’t know if it’s sticks the landing, but his far it has only gotten better and more captivating.
The Vinland Saga anime is what got me into reading manga in the first place, the anime was so beautiful that I needed to see more, the manga did not disappoint at all and I'm currently waiting for the next chapter. You will love Vinland, that I promise.
