From the title, it should be clear to see that I'm not looking for anything in particular, merely something good. Before we go further, however, I should make myself clear. No ecchi. No harem. Nothing too disturbing. And no run-of-the-mill Shoujo or Shounen either. I want something intelligent, please.

Have you ever read something and thought, "Wow, this masterpiece should be compulsory reading for everyone!" or something along those lines? Naturally, everyone has different tastes, but sometimes appreciation goes beyond reason. Please share those titles with me.

Specifically, I'm looking for something long enough to grow attached to the characters. So no one-shots - say, three volumes minimum. I'm after something on the more serious side and with at least decent art capable of genuinely expressing emotions.

Of titles I have enjoyed immensely, the genres are as diverse as they are entertaining. And briefly why, here are a few:

Shoukoku no Altair
In appearance, the art is flamboyant. It captures the atmosphere incredibly and it's almost an injustice for it to belong to the shounen genre. The intrigue builds slowly, and it only really follows one character, but I found it immersive.
Natsume Yuujinchou
Heartwarming. What more can I say? The rather tragic protagonist slowly grows through each creatively written adventure. One of my first encounters with slice-of-life and the work that made me love the genre.
Bokura no Kiseki
Definitely has the largest cast I've encountered. Every character is important, and the plot can get so thick it's hard to navigate - but at the same time, everyone is 3-dimensional. And once you've grasped the strands, one can see the web it spins is phenomenal.
Chang Ge Xing
A historical, political adventure with one of the best badass characters. Not in the typical way. She's smart, tough, cunning and can be ruthless. The art is awesome on top.
Otoyomegatari
Absolutely gorgeous. This takes art to a whole other level. It's educational and entertaining in a way that makes you feel like you're looking through a window into the past.
Vinland Saga
Probably one of the more brutal I've read. Not the most, but it's still absorbing with the action and blood, especially near the start. It's fascinating to see how the tone of the story fluctuates with the protagonist's heart. And the art is awesome.
Sangatsu no Lion
The anime adaptation is the best I have seen - it got me into manga for more. I love the characters, story and mood completely. It's beautiful, the emotional journey is something personally relatable, but far enough into fiction to appreciate entirely. Rei is an awesome character and I just. Love it. This is probably my top favourite.

So yeah. I believe I'm pretty omnivorous. I place a lot of value in art and interesting characters. Those titles up there are only a few examples, and I don't mean by you must go off them. Dark things, fluffy things, things that examine the psych of a character, especially things that deal with loneliness, political intrigue, adventure, slice of life. It doesn't matter. Please rec me stories, preferably manga you yourself have enjoyed and believe others might as well.

Thanks a lot in advance. I have a lot of spare time haha, so I'm always looking for anything. I can't give you my reading list unfortunately, because my account is pretty new.


Last edited by -troublesomeone- at 1:48 am, May 3 2018

No Game No Life (Novel)
I've only seen the anime, but plan on reading the light novel at some point.

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Mushishi, definitely.

Pet Shop of Horrors, and in the same vein Yumekui Kenbun and xxxHoLic. Though if you read xxxHolic you'll have to read Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicles as well, since the two cross over very closely. But TRC's also wonderful so it has my recommendation.

Anything by Urasawa Naoki, especially 20 Seiki Shounen + sequel, Monster, Pluto and Billy Bat. Master Keaton's more on the fun side, and while it hasn't been scanlated, it does have a pretty nice anime adaptation.

Matsumoto Taiyou's works, particularly Ping Pong, Takemitsu-Zamurai, Tekkon Kinkreet and Hanaotoko.

Since you liked Shoukoku no Altair and Vinland Saga, perhaps Innocent (SAKAMOTO Shinichi) + sequel, Gunka no Baltzar and Historie.

Last edited by calstine at 12:01 pm, May 3 2018

These are pretty unpopular, but definitely masterpieces: Spirit Circle , Sengoku Youkou(same author)

Definitely reccominding Yumekui Merry.

The story is, as the time passes, more interesting and the characters, specially the main character Merry are very likeable.

Sadly your lists aren't public...

Kono Oto Tomare!
Mahou Tsukai no Yome
Taiyou no Ie
Hoshi no Samidare Spirit Circle Sengoku Youko
Tetsugaku Letra

Anybody who is into romance and doesn't read Bonnouji I consider a criminal. but it's not that serious.

Also. this one might be short but read it. Will take you just 15-20 min, but just do it.
Kami-sama ga Uso o Tsuku.

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in need of romance?
uncommon, sad, sweet

I think one of the mangas everyone should have read is Koe no Katachi. It´s a story about a bullied deaf girl and a boy, who wants to repent. The Characters are rich in my eyes - thought, it´s not easygoing, but definitly worth reading! Its also tagged with the Categorie "Award-Winning Work".