well im looking for some manga with "obscure' plot devices, like things that aren't really popular or mainstream, e.g. beauticians, calligraphy, go, shogi etc. some examples would be:

Beauty Pop - beauticians
Tomehane! - calligraphy
Hikaru no Go - go
Himedol!! - beauticians
Nanamaru Sanbatsu - quiz competitions

Wants:
Male Lead - this is preferred but not absolutely necessary
Romance - doesnt need to be fast. can be slow or even sub-plot
Light Comedy - not gag manga, but also not super serious
PLOT!!! - a story of any type is never really good if there is no plot
complete/actively scanlated - no point reading something if you can't finish it

Dont want:
Ecchi - some ecchi is fine aslong as its not over the top, sick of manga with panty shots and boob shots in every pannel
Gag
Oneshots - absolutely hate oneshots, especially the ones that leave you wanting more
Dark/Depressing
Psychological/Mind F_ck
Yaoi
Yuri
Josei - i don't mind romance but Josei is a little to much for my tastes
Shounen Ai
Shoujo Ai
Rape
Hentai/Borderline H - this is okay if its like Kyoushi to Seito to(well most of FUUGA's work
Doujin
Smut
Gender Bender - this is ok ONLY if its girl dressed as guy
Gore - a little is fine but i don't want it to be like Gantz where its all detailed out, blood spurts and decapitation i can handle, but i don't need to see the details of brain matter splattering the floor

sorry if its badly explained but i suck at explaining stuff

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Maybe 15: Meisetsu Kougyou Koukou Rugby Bu About rugby, not sure if it's "obscure" enough for you but it definitely is in Japan. It's complete but felt a little short.

thanks, but i'll pass on that since it has a "BL Subtext" category tag, which is too close to Shounen Ai for me

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Barakamon -a very good one about Calligraphy

Cloth Road -have not read it(on my wish list) but this one is about making clothes

Te to Kuchi -not as original as much as the other two, but its basically about how good he is at talking, how bad she is at talking, and how they make the perfect pair. has some action.

Mushishi -slice of life about a mushishi(basically a sort of doctor, you will get it if you read it) traveling all around japan to help people. it has a very relaxing feeling to it, but i would watch the anime if your interested, makes an amazing story more amazing with beautiful music.

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Like educational manga? take a look at Ed U. Manga's list of manga here

Maybe Chihayafuru? It's about Karuta, a japanese card game, it has a female lead and is ongoing but I think it's really good and it fits the other Points you mentioned.

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sorry for the bad english...^^;

Chichikogusa - male lead is a medicine seller with a son. Historic piece. Doesn't have a serious plot in the first volume mostly because the mangaka didn't realize the publisher was going to sign her up for more volumes. So the second volume has a bit more plot and fleshes out some of the other characters.

Of course there's Kuragehime - clothing female/male lead more or less.

Sorry I haven't really read too many obscure jobs. XD

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Owner of Antisense Scanslation.

Thanks, i'll give them a look



thanks, but its Josie and i really don't like Josie



thanks, i'll look at the first 1, but the second i wont, since its Josie AND Gender Bender

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stupid photobucket, wanting $400/yr just to display your images

Hmm maybe...

St&rs About aliens but he actually goes through astronaut training
Bowling King well, it's about bowling... I don't think there are many others. It's really funny, it might be considered gag but not so much that it's completely non serious.
God of Bath About being a taemari or someone who scrubs you in korean public baths houses.

Don't know if it's an "obscure job" but Saijou no Meii it's about a pediatric surgeon. Hope it helps.

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Kono Oto Tomare! its about playing the koto... pretty interesting so far (i think romance is creeping in)

thanks, ive already read st&rs it really was good, i'll have a look at Bowling King though i have a feeling i wont like it, and i'll look at [m]Gof of Bath[/m]



thanks this looks interesting, so im gunna give it a go



thanks, but i'm already reading this (up to just after they but their finger things)

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stupid photobucket, wanting $400/yr just to display your images

Ashita no Ou-sama maybe? -Theater, directors and screenwriters

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"In a world where most people would be crazy, then it would be normal to be crazy and crazy to be normal... but then again, if you were normal, then you would be crazy... isn't it crazy what a paradox a little craziness can create?"

You'll find out pretty quickly whether Bowling King is your cup of tea. And God of Bath is really short. In total there's only 30 chapters.

Nononono - about a female ski jumper hiding her gender in order to work her way to the Olympics. Although there is ecchi in it I don't think it was a ridiculous amount compared to all the fan service I'm seeing in the newer manga.

No Side - About Rugby and the male mc who dies and takes over a dieing girls body just to keep playing rugby. I honestly don't remember how bad the ecchi in this one is.

Sayonara Football - About a girl who refuses to give up soccer even when she isn't allowed to play on the team.

Kaze no Sylphid - it has been awhile since I've read this one but I think it matches what you are looking for. Although I don't think there is any romance in it. I never went back to finish it so there might be slight romance but if there is it is not listed. It's about horse racing.

Tetsuwan Girl - Working on starting to read this one. It's about a female baseball team.

Hand's - It's about a handball team. It seems interesting but does have a rushed ending from being axed so I don't know how good the overall story is. It's on my wish list at the moment.

Genkaku Picasso - it is not fully scanlated but it is completely licensed in english so if u really liked it enough you could buy it, borrow the volumes from a library, try and find it online, etc. It's about a boy who can heal people through his artwork by finding the problem and solving it.

Smash! - About a guy who has always played badminton for fun but starts playing seriously after meeting a mute girl. Haven't gotten to this one on my list yet so I can't give much more on the description.

Eien no With - About a girl who decides to raise a guide dog for a year.

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Remembrance, a forsaken thing that revokes ignorance and leaves people in doubt, is my only redemption and solace deep within the cascade of white.
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The evergreen trees speak of days long past when music mingled with the wind and sweet murmurs brushed our cheeks.

thanks, but again, i don't want josie



thanks, i'm already reading Smash! and i dropped Nononono a while ago, i think i read up to arround ch. 20
as for the others i'll give them a look

@Sapphiresky - you were right, didn't take me long at all to decide i didn't like it, but i managed to survive the whole first chapter also, i normally like most webcomics, but God of Bath just made me feel like i just left the dentist and the numbing stuff hasn't worn off yet

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