Debate For Young Manga Readers

[Storm_Rival]

Discussion Of Manga For Research Project

Okay, because I am doing a variety of different discussion topics for primary research for a college project, I would like to know which manga's are read most among young people. So, if you are between the age of 13-23, I would be happy to have you state which manga books you like to read. You can state between two to five different publications, but these should be the ones that you consider your favorites. If there is an anime based on the manga, it would be ideal if you could state whether or not you have watched that as well, and if it did or didn't live up to expectations from what you had already seen in the manga. If there is anything else you would like to address, such as favorite characters or favorite scenes, then that would also be helpful but is not compulsory.
My thanks. :')

Right, so this is only for responses from young people between the ages of thirteen and twenty-three, since this is close to my target audience for the project. Here are the things I would like people to state in their responses;

[1] List of favored manga reads. (Minimum of two and maximum or five)

[2] If or not there is an anime based on the manga. Have you watched it? Did it live up to expectations? Which was preferred - the anime or manga?

[3] *Anything else. (Favorite characters, favorite scenes, interesting plot and/sub-plots, etc...)

*Optional

[The Queen of Purgatory]

(I've just turned 23, but I suppose I still qualify, right?)

-Favorite Manga - Full Metal Alchemist (I've also seen both anime series. Both are excellent IMO, but the 1st one doesn't follow the manga after a few episodes. I actually saw the first anime series before getting into the manga so...yeah...bit of a surprise when things take a different turn. Even though I had heard it would.)

-Fruits Basket (the anime is obviously low-budget, but it's packed with heart and emotion. Though the ending was...meh. But the manga goes on much further than the anime does.)

-Death Note (I really enjoyed the manga, but I haven't seen the anime)

[Mister Anonymoose]

Hey! I fall into the age range!
I'll mention manga series that are licensed in the United States for...copyright mojo reasons.
There are more series that I wish would be licensed by the United States so that I could support the manga-ka, but these are series that target an audience that American manga publishers see as a lower priority, perhaps.
Um, commence lengthy ramble about things. I hope I hit all of the aspects you wanted me to hit on.

1. Sayonara, Zetsubou-Sensei
I particularly like this series because of its content--it pokes fun at Japanese culture and stereotypes, giving more insight for a culturely-sheltered kid like me into what Japanese culture is like. It's also profound in how in spite of the protagonist is a chronically-depressed teacher, the messages that Itoshiki-sensei attempts to promote to his students can be seen in a positive light...with a heavy dash of cynicism.
I've only watched a few episodes of the anime in its first season; it makes me wish that this would be imported over to the United States, since its art style is quite pretty.
But I still like the manga.

2. Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon
After growing up with the American dubbed version of the anime, being able to read this in its entirety is nostalgic, with some added awe.
I'm not one for the shoujo genre, but there's just something about seeing pretty girls fighting baddies in seifuku that get me...perhaps it's the mahou shoujo thing. And I'm particularly happy that this English translation strives to preserve the gist of the original Japanese series, as opposed to the awkward attempts of the American dubbed version to Westernize the show (as well as censor Haruka and Michiru's relationship...particularly that).
...and yeah, I guess that now I'm a bit older and going to school for chemistry, it is pretty cool to know that the manga-ka originally had her background in chemistry...and I'd like to see more of it incorporated into this manga series.

Um, tl;dr: Original manga storyline >>>>> Westernized dub of anime (:

3. Hayate X Blade
So, Seven Seas Entertainment is a blessing to those interested in seeing more shoujo-ai/yuri content in a market where BL dominates. This series is particularly interesting in how it strips the "romancey" bits from shoujo-ai series and puts it into a battlefield--rather than having the sister/older mentor trope that has been seen in all-girl schools, there's an element of competition that drives the "comrades-in-arms/sister-in-arms" relationship. And it's because of this that it doesn't really fall into the "slice-of-life" genre that the former trope could be found in...
...it pretty much has the elements of a shonen manga.
With humour.
(Sadly, this series doesn't have an anime...yet? I hope there's enough interest that it'd be made into an anime one day.)

4. Ultimo/Karakuri Dôji Ultimo
My interest was piqued when I heard that Stan Lee (of Marvel) was collaborating with Hiroyuki Takei (of Shaman King). The concept itself is interesting, fusing the idea of reincarnation and second chances with how "good" doesn't necessarily always triumph over "evil" and the various grey spots in between "good" and "evil." But its execution seems a bit long-winded and almost repetitive (unless that was probably done intentionally). Nonetheless, I still read it to see how the two creators would answer the questions posed in this work--"Which is stronger--good, or evil? And how would it triumph over the other? And why?"
...there's no anime for this series, either.

5. Bakuman
I liked how this was a manga about writing manga, and the challenges that manga-ka face as they are due for serialization in a popular manga magazine. It made me appreciate all manga pieces I've encountered, even if I don't particularly like it.
Alas, I've yet to watch the anime.


Best of luck on your project!

[daydreaming67]

Cardcaptor Sakura
Ouran Highschool Host Club
Fruits Basket
Naruto
The Dreaming
Zodiac P.I.
Hollow Fields

sorry did I put down to many?
I have trouble putting down just one or two!
(I narowed it down to the above)


heart GOOD LUCK heart

[daydreaming67]

daydreaming67

Cardcaptor Sakura
Ouran Highschool Host Club
Fruits Basket
Naruto
The Dreaming
Zodiac P.I.
Hollow Fields

sorry did I put down to many?
I have trouble putting down just one or two!
(I narowed it down to the above)


heart GOOD LUCK heart

I forgot to say that the first 4 were made in to shows i saw host club Fruits basket and naruto but not Cardcaptor Sakura. I was a bit disappointed with the Fruits basket one But I loved the other two! (the manga is better though)

[ChocoboxDreamer]

My age is 14 years old.

Densha Otoko - Net Hatsu, Kakueki Teisha no Love Story
Wild Rock
Kon no Ki Konoha
Watashitachi no Shiawase na Jikan

...Densha Otoko - Net Hatsu Kakueki Teisha no Love Story...
When I first started reading this manga, I wasn't expecting much. The plot seemed interesting but I wasn't really sure. However, as I read, I found myself becoming absorbed into the plotline and characters. The art was rather simplistic, which I liked, and the story was straightforward but told in a pleasant way. I liked how the mangaka did not push into the lines of cliche, but instead strayed onto a completely different path. And of course, the ending really made me smile.

From my knowledge, there isn't an anime but there is a movie, television series, novel and other media that is based off the story, which is believed to be inspired by actual events.

...Wild Rock...
If one were to ask me if I am a yaoi fan, I would say 'Yes I am.' On that note, I readily enjoyed the manga Wild Rock. For the yaoi fans out there, you have probably seen countless Boys' Love anime and manga that have the same generic plot and unrealistic uke, seme, plot and everything else. But there are some real gems out there that you never tire of reading... Wild Rock is that for me.

The plot is original, but at the same time it isn't. And I like that about it. The love between the two characters feels genuine and the romance is subtle. Plus it isn't chock full of sex, but has one simple scene that is portrayed beautifully. I genuinely wish that Wild Rock had its own anime because with the right company producing it, it could go very far.

...Kon no Ki Konoha...
Ever read one of those manga oneshots that you wish continued on further than it does? Well that's Kon no Ki Konoha for me. Only 41 pages and I was crying like a baby. A complicated plot told in such a simple way with gorgeous art to match it... I loved it. I truly wish that the mangaka would pick up this work again and make a little something more of it.

...Watashitachi no Shiawase na Jikan...
While previously stated manga is extraordinary in my eyes, I don't believe that any manga can rival Watashitachi no Shiaawase na Jikan for me. This manga is simply...astounding. Not only did it incite a powerful emotional response from me (especially with the ending), it also taught me that you can find comfort in the most unexpected of people. People that you thought you could never relate to can turn out to be the shoulder you cry on and the one you find yourself becoming emotionally attached to...and just for a little while, they can make you forget the pain and remind you that someway, somehow it is going to be alright.

[ambercrystal]

I am 22 years old, and I have been reading manga since I was 18.

List of favored manga reads. Yotsuba&!, xxxHolic, Lucky Star, Sgt. Frog, K-ON!

If or not there is an anime based on the manga. Have you watched it? Did it live up to expectations? Which was preferred - the anime or manga? There is an anime adaption for all but Yotsuba&! I enjoyed the xxxHolic adaption, but preferred the manga (though, it was a really good adaption). I prefer the Lucky Star adaption, because at least for the first few volumes, the translations for Lucky Star (Bandai Entertainment) were a little awkward and much to literal. Also, the characters were more lively in the anime. I have not watched the Sgt. Frog anime as it is unavailable in Australia, and I refuse to watch or read illegally online. I love the K-ON! adaption. I would prefer it over the manga because it is a musical series, so actually having a soundtrack, the anime is very enjoyable.

Anything else. (Favorite characters, favorite scenes, interesting plot and/sub-plots, etc...) I would have to say that a lot of my favourite series are set in Japan, and revolve around everyday life in Japan, Japanese folklore and so on. This is because I am majoring in Japanese at university. So, seeing everyday life portrayed in a medium that is aimed at the Japanese themselves, and is considered by most to be an entertaining medium, is fascinating to me.
Also, I am studying manga and anime at university, as well as writing papers on the side, so if you need any help with this, feel free to PM me. I realise that you aren't studying specifically about manga and anime, but that is what this projects seems to be based around.

[Sakura Latte]

22 years old, read manga since I was 12.

[1] List of favored manga reads: Cardcaptor Sakura, Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magica, Hiyokoi

[2] If or not there is an anime based on the manga. Have you watched it? Did it live up to expectations? Which was preferred - the anime or manga

Yes, and in the case of MSMM, the anime came first. For CCS, I liked both, but I liked the anime more since there were more cards added to the manga's original 19 deck. Some of my favourite cards, such as The Arrow, weren't even in the manga at all. And as for Hiyokoi, it only got a one episode OVA that I wish they'd continue.

[3] *Anything else.

[norakun91]

I'm 21 years old.

[1] List of favored manga reads. (Minimum of two and maximum or five)

Freezing, Okane ga Nai, Seikon No qwaser, Highschool Of The Dead, Petshop of horrors


[2] If or not there is an anime based on the manga. Have you watched it? Did it live up to expectations? Which was preferred - the anime or manga?

Freezing - I have not seen the anime yet.

Okane ga nai - I liked the ovas it had. They were good and it lived up to my expectation. I liked the manga more.

Seikon No qwaser - There is an anime. I have not seen it.

Highschool of the dead - The anime was great. I loved it. I wish there was more episodes of it. I liked the anime more than the manga because of how the characters looked in the anime compared to the manga and how the scenes flowed.

Petshop Of Horrors - I have not seen the ovas for this. I did not like the coloring for the anime or the characters voices. I preferred the manga.


[3] *Anything else. (Favorite characters, favorite scenes, interesting plot and/sub-plots, etc...)

I'll talk about freezing in this case since I read it more recently.

My favorite scenes in Freezing were any of the battle scenes and the entire Alaska arc. My favorite characters were all of them. All of the characters were likeable and I loved each of them as I met them in the series.

I love how Satellizer is so cold towards people but she is actually adorable and shy. I love how Kazuya comes across as the main character and how he and Satellizer's relationship grows and how Rana is a love rival for Kazuya but there is never a moment you think he would go for her. Chiffon is another favorite and she is an awesome pandora. She is powerful strong and funny. She is a wonderful character.

[kurokawa-sumire]

I'm 18, and I am attending college as well.

Well, my first manga was Fruits Basket. I read all the volumes available to me from my middle school library. I didn't look up the anime.

After that it was Fullmetal Alchemist. I read the manga before watching the anime, which then progressed for the game for the nintendo DS. I enjoyed the manga, and the anime didn't live up to my expectations.

I have to say I started watching Naruto, looked for the manga online, and caught up on the episodes.I have to say Naruto's anime did live up to my expectations. After that it was Vampire Knight, which I read before watching the anime on youtube. For Vampire knight, I enjoyed the manga better. The anime was really....weird.

Godchild was after that. I didn't bother looking up an anime because I enjoyed the manga.

Hope I helped. smile

[Sunny Sanity]

Hoc cor mei metum atrum lacrimat...

I'm 18.
In no particular order (with the age at which I read it on the left):

17) Oyasumi Punpun
15) Onani Master Kurosawa
15) Watashitachi no Shiawase na Jikan
17) My Heart is Beating (Korean webcomic)
16) Trace (Manwha/Korean webcomic)

It was quite tough deciding on my favorites, so honorable mentions go to:
17) Vinland Saga
18.) 3gatsu no Lion

None of these manga have anime adaptions.

Oyasumi Punpun
This one is sort of odd when it comes to manga. The main character is drawn as a bird-like creature who, so far, hasn't used a single dialogue bubble. As for many of the other manga mentioned in this post, I like this manga primarily because of my ability to relate to the protagonist. There's not much action, but the story captures the daily life of the protagonist and the struggles that he faces in society. A friend of mine whom I recommended this manga to describes it perfectly as "so many feels" because of the numerous scenes that are so relatable and emotional.

Onani Master Kurosawa
What starts out as a parody of Death Note and Code Geass quickly turns into something more profound. This manga is like Catcher in the Rye, as a grown adult would view it as just an angry kid doing stupid s**t. But, as I am still (relatively) young, I'm still able to relate to this manga. This manga has many relatable and emotional scenes as well.

Watashitachi no Shiawase na Jikan
This is the typical romance drama story. Tragic events happened to the protagonists in the past and tragic events happen to the protagonists during the course of the story. It did stir up my emotions pretty well.

My Heart is Beating
This Korean webcomic is about a high school kid who cross-dresses and plays water polo on the girls water polo team. There is romance, but I feel that the main focus of the story is the relationship between the protagonist and his father. His father is the stereotypical strict Asian parent, who expects his smart son to stay at the top of his class. The protagonist feels very distanced with his father and is doing things that he knows that his father wouldn't approve of—like cross-dressing to play water polo on the girls water polo team while his grades are falling. The emotional part of the story is when the protagonist realizes how much of an idiot he's been and that his father actually cares for him (obviously).

Trace
This story is like Korean X-men, except with more romantic, family, and social related matters. The story is told through numerous protagonists, each with their own background. The protagonist have family and friends too, and we get to see the effect that their powers have on their relationships and how society ostracizes them. The story eventually pieces itself together, with the individual stories of the protagonists all crossing together into a larger picture. I was able to relate to each side of the conflict, as I already knew where each character was coming from and the significance of what each character was fighting for. I found myself unable to choose sides. I do, however, think that the story focuses mainly on Mr. Beggar, the who starts out as a normal man with a wife, daughter, and job.

...atqui animus meus insaniam sanguinat albam.

[...Aurora Dream...]

Hmm, how about when I was 22? (I remember that year well - it was the final year of my degree... I even remember which manga I read in bulk around which essays I had to write... I read Bleach for the first time over Christmas that year...)

[1] List of favored manga read. (Minimum of two and maximum of five)
When I was 22, my favourite manga were Fullmetal Alchemist, Naruto, D.Gray-man, Red River, and Trigun (including Trigun Maximum).

[2] If or not there is an anime based on the manga. Have you watched it? Did it live up to expectations? Which was preferred - the anime or manga?
I watched the anime first for Fullmetal Alchemist (at the time, only 1 anime existed), Naruto, and Trigun. I watched the anime after reading the manga for D.Gray-man. There is no anime for Red River.

As for expectations, well, I had no expectations when I watched the anime first, but looking back on it, I think all three of those series had better manga than anime, although Fullmetal Alchemist and Trigun were different enough from the manga to be good as an alternate version of the story (Trigun anime is more comedic than the manga, Fullmetal Alchemist anime is more angsty than the manga and it's a very different story overall so it's interesting, hard to really compare them). So in that sense, I enjoyed them (but I still prefer the manga if I had to choose). As for D.Gray-man, it fell so extraordinarily short of expectations for an anime adaptation there's practically nothing good I can say about it. I liked the Daisya Barry episode. That's about it.

[3] *Anything else. (Favorite characters, favorite scenes, interesting plot and/sub-plots, etc...)
I like epic stories. These stories are still among my favourites, though I've definitely got some other ones up there with them now.

Oh, here's a list of criteria my sister and I made up (maybe a year or two later, when I was 23-24), and we use this to determine if a story is "epic" or not. (maybe this will help you somehow?).
1. the story occurs over a long period of time (years)
2. a conflict from the past has resurfaced in the present (the story often spans a couple of generations or more)
3. the conflict affects a Massive amount of people (country/world scale)
4. a select group is involved in affecting the masses (this conflict really only has a few key players, but their actions will affect everyone)
5. the highest human/anthropomorphic power is involved in the story
6. there is a large cast (main, secondary, and tertiary characters)
7. the main character is renown
8. the main character travels/visits many places
9. the main character can never go back to the way they were at the beginning of the series
10. the story is 11+ volumes long