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Most Addictive Manga Epics

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5:40 am, Aug 25 2007
Posts: 94


What the term "epic" means in terms of genre is debatable, but what I'm talking about here is manga that's epic in terms of it's length -- say, at least 10 volumes. I don't know about you guys, but I'm the sort of person who only rarely reads one-shots or short series, because I prefer to immerse myself in a manga's universe and get totally absorbed in the characters. And by absorbed, I mean absorbed. For days, weeks, even months at a time. (Yeah, yeah. Typical otaku talk!) Usually, I only read shorter works by artists that have already produced epics that I've enjoyed. Basically, manga epics are my staple diet, and one-shots are occasionally inulged-in desserts. smile

How long does a manga have to be for you to call it "epic"? For me, 10 volumes is a reasonable measure, because it's enough for some really detailed world-building. Then again, I'm sure that there are those of you who would only call a twenty-volume manga an epic, or maybe something even longer than that! I'd really like to hear your thoughts about what you define as an epic length, and why that length is epic for you. (Cripes, this is starting to sound dirty... Sorry, sorry. My brain is that of a twelve-year-old's.)

Here's a list of my favorite manga epics, as an example.

Between 10 and 20 volumes:

Claymore
Crimson Hero
Death Note
Full Metal Alchemist
Gokusen
Goong
Ichi the Killer
Leviathan
Mars
Monster
MPD Psycho
Nana
Nodame Cantabile
Ouran High School Host Club
Perfect Girl Evolution
Pet Shop of Horrors
Sanctuary
Skip Beat
Tokyo Crazy Paradise
Tramps Like Us
XXXHolic

Between 20 and 30 volumes:

20th Century Boys
Basara
Bleach
Hikaru no Go
His and Her Circumstances
Lone Wolf and Cub
The Ravages of Time
Vagabond
Yawara
Zipang

Over 30 volumes, heavens help us all!

Berserk
From Eroica With Love
Prince of Tennis
Slam Dunk

Series that almost made it onto my favorites' list include Dangu, which I love, but sadly ended at 9 volumes; Naruto, which is certainly long enough at 40 volumes, but failed to hold my interest; Inuyasha, which also failed to keep me involved for 52 volumes; Ranma, which was charming, but ultimately ran out of steam long before its 38th volume; Homunuculus, which is my personal GOD of manga, but alas, is only up to its 8th volume; Rurouni Kenshin, which had everything going for it at 28 volumes, but mysteriously managed to bore me; Samurai Deeper Kyo, because I haven't read enough of its 38 volumes to judge it yet; Blade of the Immortal, which I have also not read enough of to judge; Boys Over Flowers, which was 36 volumes long but made me want to KILL SOMEONE long before I reached the end; Animal X, which is awesome from an ecological and emotional point of view, but becomes tiresome because of the protagonist being repeatedly raped; Koukou Debut, which is lovely if rather typical shoujo fare at 9 volumes; Fruits Basket, which is sweet but unconvincing at 23 volumes; Lovely Complex, which inspired rather unlovely thoughts about castrating the main male character; Eternal Sabbath, which is fabulous but unfortunately just 8 volumes long; and, finally, Beauty Pop, which is also enjoyable but sadly only 8 volumes long.

... Wow. Almost forgot to breathe, there.

There are plenty of epics that I haven't read yet (happily enough!), so there's a lot out there for me to explore. Feel free to offer up your own favorite epics, and if you liked something I disliked (or vice versa), feel free to discuss that, too. smile

I'm also curious as to what kind of epics you like, and why. Is there a particular kind of theme that appeals to you in a long manga series? Or a particular kind of main character? What makes an epic addictive and worth investing in? What are the manga epics that have kept you up at night, flipping pages until your fingers cramped, or hunching over your computer until your eyes dried up into bloodshot little prunes?

You've already seen my favorite epics mentioned above, and theyr'e the ones I've found most addictive, although of course there are uber-addictive ones even among those. (Claymore, for example, or Berserk, or Monster. I seriously thought I'd die if someone pulled me away from those stories!)

Maybe it's a personality thing, but I find shounen/seinen epics generally more addictive than shoujo/josei ones. Not that I don't enjoy stuff like Nana or Ouran High School Host Club, but I didn't think I'd suffer from heart failure if I had to stop reading them. Well, the one josei series that hooked me ruthlessly was Mars. It was right up there with Claymore, insofar as addiction was concerned. Nodame Cantabile is pretty damn awesome, too... But it's like fine chocolate; I can't have too much of it at once. I feel weirdly like I'm wasting it, or that I should be taking my time to appreciate its deeper undercurrents. With action-packed or suspense-driven epics like Death Note, it feels great to just flip pages and get engrossed in the narrative. But with gentler and subtler epics (like Nodame Cantabile), I feel the need to pause and take a deep breath, the way I would during a scenic walk.

Gosh, it's tough being an otaku!

It's a tragedy that there are so few yaoi/yuri epics out there. I mean, can you imagine a lesbian take on Claymore, or a gay take on Berserk? (Or even on Monster. Holy hell, Johann and Tenma would make the most amazing star-crossed lovers ever!) Haha. Okay, so I sound like just another queer fangirl, but I really wish there was more -- uh -- variety to the romantic aspects of epic series. On the one hand, I understand that it's a financial limitation; yaoi and yuri usually sell less than shoujo or shounen, so naturally there would be fewer publishers willing to invest in a full-length epic series featuring LGBT characters. But on the other hand, I still wish that there were beautifully fleshed-out epics featuring queer protagonists.

Well, a dyke can dream. Until then, do talk about epics with me! And suggest stuff, or argue about stuff, or... stuff. Yeah. Sorry, I just ran out of vocabulary. (It's -- what -- dawn? Nearly. Time for me to sleep.)

G'bye!

Last edited by pearlesque at 5:54 am, Aug 25 2007

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8:13 am, Aug 25 2007
Posts: 29


yay u got almost everything that i read (almost everything since i only read shonen and seinen). u have to try Kotaro Makaritoru it's pretty good too, too bad there is no english version. Project Arms is also give u a good read if u up to the conspiracy thing. and if u like Urasawa Naoki work there is also Master Keaton one of the classic manga and also not avaiable in english yet (too bad >.<). Yul Hyul Kang Ho, Yureka and Shin Angyo Onshi is also can cosidered epic if we use u term of "epic".
The last but not the least Doraemon by FUJIKO F. Fujio this page too small to explain why this manga deserve to be epic just read here(or maybe just me too lazy to write it ^^)

ok i think that enough may be gonna add more later

Last edited by Silluete at 1:57 pm, Aug 25 2007

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12:52 pm, Aug 25 2007
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In terms of the length being epic...I guess you could call it that, but X is very epic eyes I guess the only letdown is that it's on hiatus at 18 volumes...
Oh, and Hinoto and Kotori, they're "important" characters, but I really hate them dead ...and Yuzuriha can get annoying smile wink grin
Seriously though, sometimes the anime (I haven't quite caught up with the manga) was soo epic I was brought to tears laugh
I loved some of the characters to bits and the art is simply to die for, that was enough to keep me reading/watching eyes
In conclusion, X is epic in length and the story itself is epic smile

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1:18 pm, Aug 25 2007
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One Piece
Blade of the Immortal
Naruto
Slam Dunk

I have short attention span and rarely follow longer series, but I love these manga.

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1:56 pm, Aug 25 2007
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i don't like X too confusing for me (clamp hater here). i only like Magic Knight Rayearth from all clamp work and btw i forgot to mention One Piece am i ? One of the greatest epic ever. no need explanation for this, u guys already know why this manga called epic.Gantz and Hajime no Ippo also can join the longest "epic"

sorry if i give guys headache by reading my post, my English sucks >.<

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"In many ways, the work of a critic is easy. We risk very little yet enjoy a position over those who offer up their work and their selves to our judgment. We thrive on negative criticism, which is fun to write and to read. But the bitter truth we critics must face is that, in the grand scheme of things, the average piece of junk is more meaningful than our criticism designating it so."
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Post #41256 - Reply to (#41234) by amaranthine
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2:12 pm, Aug 25 2007
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Quote from amaranthine
One Piece
Blade of the Immortal
Naruto
Slam Dunk

I have short attention span and rarely follow longer series, but I love these manga.


Ooooh, you can read seinen. Discoveries everyday. smile
I wouldn't call any manga epic for I usually dislike mainstream
stuff and they are usually concerned as epic (long lifespan), but all they have
is a lot of readers...
If manga is an epic when it is long, then there would be a lot of epics.
o.o Just one would be enough.

Last edited by Mamsmilk at 2:19 pm, Aug 25 2007

Post #41373 - Reply to (#41256) by Mamsmilk
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8:00 pm, Aug 25 2007
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Quote from Mamsmilk
Ooooh, you can read seinen. Discoveries everyday. smile
I wouldn't call any manga epic for I usually dislike mainstream
stuff and they are usually concerned as epic (long lifespan), but all they have
is a lot of readers...
If manga is an epic when it is long, then there would be a lot of epics.
o.o Just one would be enough.


What's that supposed to mean?

It' doesn't really matter how many epics there are. But I agree, length doesn't necessarily mean it's an epic, but let's use the word loosely for convenience's sake.

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8:18 pm, Aug 25 2007
Posts: 347


definitely Hajime no Ippo, easily the longest manga i've read, and probably the best. biggrin

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9:21 pm, Aug 25 2007
Posts: 41


If we're going for series 10+ volumes long...
Dear
Berserk
One Piece
Edens Bowy
+Anima
Monster
20th Century Boys

I haven't read enough of the following series to know yet:
Violinist of Hameln
Tenshi na Konamaiki
Fushigi Yuugi
Fruits Basket
Trigun Maximum
Full Metal Alchemist


And yeah.. so many other series jsut fall short on the volume count... Eternal Sabbath, Vampire Juuji Kai, Full Moon wo Sagashite

Post #41443
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10:01 pm, Aug 25 2007
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Alright, time for the series on my top 5 that you haven't already mentioned.

42 volumes long: Dragon Ball. You want epic? Here it is. And you can't get much more classic and influential then this.

I'm also going to third (or is it fourth?) One Piece. This and Dragon Ball tie for my favorite series. It's 46 volumes long, 468 chapters long, and ongoing. You can't ask for much longer then that. And it hasn't gotten a bit boring, despite it's length. Seriously, READ THIS. You'll almost definitely be happy you did.

This one is 20 volumes: Black Cat. My second favorite series (tied with Death Note, which you read, which is why I won't recommend it.), this one is a hilarious, action series. Reformed mobsters, genetically altered little girls, and what's probably the most awesome gun in history, this series is an action must-read.

And my last recommendation, at 15 volumes: MAR. It's a very interesting fantasy series about a nerdy boy who gets sucked into alternate world, and finds out that in this world, he has super strength, no need for glasses, and a war to fight. Every nerd's dream, right? I'll warn you now, though, around the 5th volume, MAR becomes a typical tournament manga. It's a very GOOD tournament manga, but still a tournament series nonetheless, so if that sort of stuff bores you, don't bother with this one.

Well, good luck, and I hope you choose a series you end up liking.

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10:21 pm, Aug 25 2007
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In addition to a bunch you've already listed (in no particular order):

Ao no Fuuin
Red River
Silver Diamond
Yami no Matsuei
Banana Fish
Kindaichi Shounen no Jikenbo

Crap, this list makes it look like I only read shoujo. confused

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10:37 pm, Aug 25 2007
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love hina
dears
naruto
gto
air gear
and that just some of them

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3:32 pm, Aug 26 2007
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Not mentioned yet, but let me just throw Flame of Recca on there.

It starts out very similar to alot of other things, but it ends up being something you never really expected, an emotionally driven shounen manga!

Even though it hasn't finished yet, I think in about 10 year's or so, One Piece will be looked back at, fondly, as both Epic and Inspirational. That's if it has ended by then, because, honestly, this manga could probably go for another ten years, easily. And yes, I said ANOTHER. It started ten years ago in 1997. It's also one of the highest rated anime's of all time. It normally dominates the ratings, even compared to highly popular stuf like Naruto.

Dragon Ball. Where do I begin? I have stated in other threads my opinion of the series. It has single handedly inspired more than ONE generation of fans. The effects of its inspiration can be scene in modern manga, such as One Piece, Naruto, and Bleach. Most modern Manga-ka in the Shounen genre attribute some of their own work to Akira Toriyama. Goku is, and probably will always be, one of the most recognizeable faces in Anime and Manga history.

Hajime no Ippo is not only Epic in scale and length, the fact that it's been going consistently for over 18 year should tell you its popularity. I wasn't a fan of Boxing that much. I had hardly ever watched the sport. But something told me I should read this and I am glad I did. You can learn alot about boxing from this manga, but even more than that its the characters and how they develop that make this an Epic manga. I liked this manga so much I wrote a review for it on this very site, check out the information page for Ippo for it.

Berserk has been mentioned, but, then again, so has a bunch of other stuff I have talked about. This series has been going almost twenty years, aswell. The plot is long and deep, and contains a very elaborate back story for all of its central characters.

Well, alot of people outside Japan haven't really heard of Fist of the North Star, you could ask most Japanese people about it, and they'd instantly tell you it's the most violent anime and manga ever. Because it is. Started in 1983, and ending in 1988, it comprised of (at the time) a lengthy 27 volumes. This was at a time where long manga where not that heard of, and only the best of the best lasted any good length of time (such as Kochikame).

To this day it remains the seventh highest selling Shounen Jump title of all time. In a poll by TV Asahi in 2005, it ranked number 25 of the 100 best Anime. In a celebrity poll the same year it ranked 15. It's also well known as the favorite anime and manga of Jrockstar Gackt. He went so far as to make two of his songs the opening and ending themes of Shin Hokuto no Ken (New Fist of the North Star), aswell as got to actually play a character in the series. He is probably the only person (or at least one of few) to actually play a character in his favorite series.

The main character is probably one of the most bad ass characters in history. His martial art style is probably the most deadly, as it's aim is to attack an opponent's internal organs. By attacking the pressure points of the body, he can make various effects happen. Such as making an opponent succeptible to being told what to do, or stoping the flow of blood to parts of the body. By doing so, he can force blood to head to a certain part of the body. The effect is an overflow of blood and an exploding body part. Frequantly he makes opponents bodies and heads explode. Because of the fact that the plot moves at a very steady pace, and the series itself is not too long in length, and that the artwork is excellent, especially for its time, this series ranks my top favorite, standing right up there with FMA, which brings me to....

Fullmetal Alchemist. Well, I went a bit overboard with the description for Fist of the North Star, so, I am pretty sure most people have heard of FMA. The series is brilliant. It contains alot of what make a series good. It has its times where it is series, and thats good, but it also doesn't take itself too seriously, at times, which is also good.

It contains a very unique and deep plot, and easily likeable characters. It contains alot of deep moments, and is one of few times where I actually like BOTH the anime and manga equally (I usually find myself liking a series' manga over its anime counter part).

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3:46 pm, Aug 26 2007
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HOTEL

For a one shot, this one of the most epic manga I've read.

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3:57 pm, Aug 26 2007
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Vagabond for sure. I'm surprised more people haven't mentioned it, it's quite possibly one of the best series' I've ever read.

It's at Volume 27 ch236 now, and still going strong, so I'd consider that Epic eek As a quick summary, it's about Miyamoto Musashi and his quest to become "Invincible under the sun".

Definitely a mature manga, with nudity and very violent realistic sword play.. they don't go around shouting out the moves they're doing in fights, and they don't need to because it's so well drawn. This manga is honest to god a work of art.

If you're into the whole Japanese samurai culture, make sure to check this one out. If you aren't sure if you like it, but you're looking for a very seriously awesome manga, this is it.



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