a peek into my manga

Since I'm pretty bored this winter break (having no immediate work to do and all), I've been reading and re-reading a lot of manga. A list of a few of my favorites that I've read over the last year for anyone that cares, along with a one-line synopsis/spoiler and review.

"best overall"

1. Emma.
   
   synopsis: the manga follows a frowned-upon Victorian romance (set around the time of the industrial revolution) between a noble and a maid.
   
   this is one of the few series for which I'd recommend the anime as much as (or more than) the manga. The reason for this is that the anime forces the viewer to progress at its pace; calmly, slowly, but deliberately. It's a much quieter, refined romance novel than the chick-flick-esque shojo romances that litter most manga bookshelves today. not only that, the drawings of London's cities are fantastic, and a fair amount of attention is paid to the actual historical details of the culture and traditions of the time. Last but not least, the romance between the characters fits in as the last piece of the whole puzzle. an excellent read.
   
   
2. koukou debut.
   
   synposis: super-enthusiastic girl tries to find a boyfriend and discover what its like to have a relationship.
   
   this goes under the "i am embarrassed to read" category too. however, I liked it enough to put it as one of my favorites. it's a romance manga, and yes, its target audience is probably something like the teenage girl crowd. HOWEVER, the group of people that would enjoy this series goes far beyond adolescent females. it manages to pull off both laughs (and i kid you not, this has some very witty and perfectly-timed comedic scenes) and tears (and there's a fair share of touching moments here too) in a way that moves me even as I re-read it.
   
   this also makes this "best overall" list because one scene was good enough to inspire me to write and record a song off of it. read away =P it's not too many chapters in.
   
   
3. yokohama kaidashi kikou
   
   synopsis: this manga follows the day-to-day lives of Alpha, a female robot who runs a coffee shop in a futuristic world, and the friends that she makes as the story progresses.
   
   this is one of the few slice of life mangas that I really got into and didn't just read to pass time. in case you don't know, slice of life mangas present the ordinary lives of ordinary people. this one is interesting - the setting is post-apocalyptic, but the manga is incredibly uplifting in a quiet type of way. the atmosphere about the characters and setting is a quiet, serene optimism, like a futuristic countryside. unlike a lot of poorly-written mangas that make you feel sick after going through a few chapters, this one is a great, calming, and charming series that leaves the reader feeling like they haven't wasted the last few hours staring at a computer screen.
   
   
4. eyeshield 21
   
   synopsis: a high school boy whose sole outstanding skill is running away joins an american football team of misfits that goes from underdog to champion status.
   
   to me, this is the best sports manga out there. it falls into some sports manga cliches, but overall, the manga is not just about the lead character. it really builds and draws you into the whole team, and even the different teams of the whole country as the story unfolds. plus, it's about american football. how cool is that?
   
   
5. angel densetsu
   
   synopsis: a boy with a heart of gold has the scariest face ever, and ends up inadvertently (and unknowingly) becoming the head thug of his school.
   
   hilar. absolutely hilarious at times. do not let the crappy art in this manga scare you off. sure, it looks weird, but the scenery is actually incredible (and the guy who drew this later draws "Claymore"). this is one of the most amusing mangas I've ever read. sure, the entire series is based off of one gag, but in the early chapters, the novel of that gag is hilarious, while later, there is actually good character development and progression in the story.
   
   
   
   
6. yankee-kun to megane chan
   
   synopsis: ex-delinquent girl wants to become a model class representative, enlisting the help of a less-academically inclined boy delinquent. he is dragged along as she helps various people in the school.
   
   this one's interesting. I can't really categorize this into a genre comfortably, and its lead character is really unique in a lot of ways. It actually took me a while to get used to the fact that the main character girl, though she looks smart, is quite the idiot =P. a very funny series that's not too light, not too heavy.
   
   
   
7. hajime no ippo
   
   synopsis: kid learns to box and fights in lots of matches. pretty simple.
   
   if you think Naruto or Bleach or One Piece have gone on too long, look at this one and reconsider. at over 800 chapters, this is longest running manga ever, and for good reason. it's great! with Naruto/Bleach/One Piece, while characters may get stronger and learn new things, the fights and stories typically remain about the same (hero fights, gets beaten up, soul searches, finds new strength and wins). however, hajime no ippo's storyline - while it may seem the fights follow the same sort of progression - is much more developed and well-written than most sports or fighting mangas. a long but good series with very human yet very admirable characters.
   
   
   
   
   

"mangas I really like but am kind of embarrassed to have read"

1. midori days
   
   the guys girlfriend is literally his right hand. more specifically, on his right hand like a hand puppet, with her soul transplanted there from a comatose body by some cause that's never explained. though he's aggravated at first, she grows on him (haha pun intended). it's weird, but a fun and (at times) a fairly touching manga.
   
   
2. umi no misaki
   
   apart from some (very blatant) pages of fanservice in each chapter, there is actually a fairly nice story to this manga in the first few chapters (though it's beginning to seem too much like a harem manga now =\). a cute story involving an isolated island's tradition, religion, and the people that grew up in it.
   
   
3. one piece, fairy tail
   
   these have got to be the two most amusing and entertaining action mangas I've seen. I really like the art this guy does, and the stories are really moving to read, though I feel like a little kid after I'm done reading them.
   
   
4. bleach, naruto
   
   I feel like the equivalent of an indie snob with manga - if it's really popular with a lot of people, I start to lose interest. Or maybe it's just that I've followed these two mangas for so long without seeing much real development that I'm getting tired of them. I still can't give them up without finishing their story though. I'm sure you all know the stories behind these two already.