So i'm looking for a story where a character's personality changes from inhuman to human. The character can be emotionless, feral, robotic, wild ect.

- some part of the story is devoted to the character's emotional growth
- character does not need to be the main character, but i would prefer they are around for a good chunk of the manga.
- the character does not need to start out as inhuman.
- any genre and medium will do (manga/anime/book/tv/movie). I read a lot of seinen/josei
- please don't recommend common shoujo, shounen series.

examples:
Vinland Saga - Thorfinn
Togari - Tobi
Nabari no Oh - Yoite
Gangsta - Nic

Thank you! I'm looking forward to the recs!


________________

Image from Gangsta -> Full Image Link http://www.k4.dion.ne.jp/~babyrock/page030.html

Omoide Emanon ~ this story is all about perspective, so depending on what you think by the time you finish this manga, it might or might not fit your description. A short for the thoughtful reader. Seinen.

Watashitachi no Shiawase na Jikan ~ if you're looking for emotional growth, this is perfect. It is also, in my opinion, depending on perspective. Through my eyes the characters in this story are almost completely detached from human society because of hardships and that tiny strand of humanity left in them helped them change and become better people who learn to live again. I loved this story. Seinen.

Added:
NHK ni Youkoso! ~ it's pretty heavy on ecchi, but that aside, it's pretty good, the aspect of it. The MC is a shut-in, barely considered human that he even hallucinates and talks to household objects. He changes, sure, more human than in the beginning, but I just think the last few chapters ruined it. Still a good read though! Seinen.

Kieli ~ the leading male character seems to develop humanistic qualities later on. I can't really remember since I read a while ago. Actually I read all of these a while ago, but they're all great. Anyway out of the few so far this is the only actual supernatural story(unless you view Omoide Emanon differently) and it's amazing. Great plot.

You also said any medium, so I'll have to recommend some really good books you might like:

Thirst by Christopher Pike.
Speaker for the Dead by Orson Scott Card or other books in the Enderverse series.
Pure by an author whose name I forgot.

Arghhh I have more but I forgot the titles! I really need to look over my library more...

Anyway, so far that's it. Hope you like them.

Last edited by blublaise at 5:35 pm, Nov 29 2012

________________
I am vindicated!
I am selfish;
I am wrong!
I am right,
I swear I'm right.
Swear I knew it all along
And I am flawed!
But I am cleaning up so well
I am seeing in me now
The things you swore
You saw yourself...

~"Vindicated" by Dashboard Confessional

Claymore has some of this in the beginning (if I remember correctly), though it's shounen, which actually surprises me. It's way more deep/gory than traditional shounens.

Recent O/A chapters have a character like this, though I'm not sure how often she'll appear from now on. (The main protagonist also changes over time, though not in the same way.)

Shikeisyu 042 is basically a manga about exactly this.

Black Cat has this too (hey, look, it's even in the story summary!) though I can't remember if it was before and during the manga (I'm getting my manga/anime confused, ha). I do remember them spending a bit of time on it, though, so there's that.

In Bushido Sixteen, the main character starts off aloof and condescending and slowly changes from there. Not sure if that's exactly what you're looking for, though.

And, if you don't mind BL, this happens in A Night of a Thousand Dreams too.

In terms of anime, Princess Tutu's Fakir vaguely falls into this spectrum, as well as Barnaby from Tiger & Bunny.

ES - From what I can remember, I think it might fit your bill. Emotionless, genetically modified (grown?) mind reader guy meets a researcher/scientist woman and plot happens. He slowly gets less robotic. I read this years ago though, so I'm a bit fuzzy on the details.

I second ES

Also try

Code: Breaker - Ogami starts off as a cold-hearted killer who sees people as rubbish.

Get Backers - Ginji, and to a lesser extent Ban, were both distant and cold, but became more compassionate after meeting each other.

Full Metal Panic! - Sousuke was raised as a child soldier, so can be a little robotic, but he slowly becomes more like a normal teenager after going to school with Chidori. I recommend the novels if you can, they are much more involved.

Hope this helps.

________________
The pen is mightier than the sword...and considerably easier to write with.

Thanks for the recommendations! I had read all of the manga except for the ones below:

Bushido Sixteen
A Night of a Thousand Dreams



________________

Image from Gangsta -> Full Image Link http://www.k4.dion.ne.jp/~babyrock/page030.html

Oretama - The ending deals with a demon becoming a human. The rest deals with incredibly risque humor.

Katanagatari

One of my favorite anime ever. The art is unconventional, but I think it's beautiful and the animation is top notch. Despite the synopsis given, it's actually a very dialogue heavy series as well. Where your request falls in place, is the fact that the MC pretty much starts off as an emotionless weapon, but through his adventures, slowly becomes more human.

Last edited by ProlificSky at 10:18 pm, Nov 30 2012

Just wanted to say after seeing the recommendation I had to go watch this series. And god I am just in aw. It really fits what the OP was probably looking for and was a really good series. The art was unique and done well.

I recommend this series.

________________
Needs Attention: Nemureru Hoshi

I am really glad I was able to convince someone to give Katanagatari a try. It definitely deserves more recognition than it has. The story even comes from Nisio Isin of the famed Bakemonogatari and more recently Medaka Box series.

This thread reminded me of Key - The Metal Idol which I saw about 10 years ago, so pardon me if I remember wrong, but it should fit.

________________
What I like in Trivial Pursuit style. Pick your category: