Maybe this is being picky but I'm really tired of manga with bad/overdone/cliche plots and lazy art. I'm also tired of manga that isn't deep or thought-provoking. I know that comics in general are pretty shallow and its a form of entertainment, not high literature, but something that at least makes me use my brain once in a blue moon is nice.
So I'm looking for a well-written, well-drawn manga with an interesting, original plot. Shounen, Seinen, and Shojo are fine. No ecchi or anything like that. I have a soft spot for fantasy, but any genre is fine. Bonus points if no one is in high school.
A couple of examples that come to mind are Monster and Vinland Saga. Also Fullmetal Alchemist.

You could try reading Hoshi no Samidare or Please Save My Earth.

[/m]Natsume Yuujinchou[m] [/m]mushishi[m]

I suggest Mon Seul for a short read, & Ubel Blatt fr a long one. Neither has characters in high school, & the latter has a fantasy setting. I don't really see Ubel Blatt as ecchi, & if you get by volume 0, you will inderstand what I mean. The comments support that.

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Iris Zero
Melo Holic
Yumekui Merry
Immortal Rain
Hanako to Guuwa no Tera

second Hoshi no Samidare

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in need of romance?
uncommon, sad, sweet

If you've read Monster, I think you've also read 20th Century Boys.
If you haven't, read it now.

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Oyasumi Punpun - A deep, realistic and dramatic portrait of youth and growing up in general. It is quite well written, deep and thought provoking. If you like that try reading other Asano Inio works after that.

Akumetsu - A very interesting manga that raises lots of political questions, even going as far as re-defining people's concept of justice. Who is right, who is wrong... Is the world really simple enough for us to answer that question easily? Is the world really all black and white or is it filled with shades of grey? Akumetsu touches these points along with many political matters.

Also suggesting Hoshi no Samidare but with a warning. Don't take it lightly. Try to really grasp everything the manga has to offer beyond its seemingly simple surface. Though the art is nothing close to brilliant.

If you liked Monster then try some of Naoki's other works like Pluto and 20th Century Boys

Liar Game i found this really interesting and well explained
Dr. Frost about a university psychology professor
Beck is pretty good only manga i read about music and it had me hooked
Zetman

Last edited by gss93 at 3:30 pm, Mar 6 2012

Another vote for Hoshi no Samidare. It seems very lightweight and silly at first, but can get very serious by the end (yet remains fun throughout). Actually, anything by Mizukami Satoshi is good, particularly the short Psycho Staff or the ongoing Sengoku Youko (though unfortunately the translation of that is kind of on hiatus). Mizukami's art is not the sharpest but it is very distinctively his, which I value as much as technical proficiency.

Tentatively seconding Yumekui Merry as well. Good art, great action, a little moral grayness developing (though the bad guy is still pretty damn bad), touches on issues of responsibility and doing what's right versus what's convenient when pressed, some growing mystery around the male lead, though I don't know if I'd call it particularly deep? I still like it a lot and it's at least a little thoughtful, though.

Pandora Hearts is another personal favorite that is a lot deeper (and darker) than it initially seems. Heavy Alice In Wonderland motifs all over, especially in the names of chains (the monsters and source of magic powers in this series), and a very twisty plot where most major revelations feel utterly blind-siding yet make horribly perfect sense when they arrive. May get a little too choking with sudden twist revelations in the most recent chapters, though.

Classmate, Kamimura Yuuka wa Kou Itta might or might not work for you; it's very early on in the series yet, and it seems like a shounen high school romance but develops in odd ways right away, in a direction that makes me think of Dark City, of all things

Hitogatana is comparable to a somewhat less-philosophical Ghost in the Shell, with lots of action and the "science" behind the sci-fi being a lot softer and more in service to the plot, but shows signs of growing much deeper and more thoughtful

Megalomania, about racism, justice, and terrorism in a light fantasy (or distant-post-apocalypse sci-fi) world, where a diverse population of humanoid engineered species live uneasily as second-class citizens among humanity (also unfortunately with precious little translated). Another "art distinctiveness vs. technical proficiency" thing for me because a lot of people would not call it the prettiest artwork but it has its own very strong style that handles everything cleanly and well anyway.

Paradox Blue, which is... kind of think Eva only with riddles instead of giant mechs? "Angels" appear, posing puzzles to people where they appear, and the puzzles must be solved or else the angels will rain destruction on their surroundings. Takes an "Encyclopedia Brown" approach to puzzles instead of "Sherlock Holmes," where readers have all the information necessary to figure it out themselves and the answer isn't given until the chapter after which it was posed.

Break Blade - a man who can't use magic in a society based entirely around magitech, gets drawn into a war with friends on both sides when it turns out he's the only one who can drive an ancient mech that doesn't respond to magic at all. Very character-driven, the sort of story where a lot of conflicts are spawned from otherwise reasonable people butting heads over issues they cannot or will not back down from, and even if they wanted to events are now moving out of their control.

I would say Eternal Sabbath because even though it's rushed, it gets you thinking. (If you're alright with dramatic shoujo in a high school setting, I would recommend Mars. It explores the human mind too, and gets quite dark.)

And maybe After School Nightmare (it's in a high school setting). This one is better the second time around because after the ending you can see all the little hints the author dropped.

Ga-Rei - people say it's the same old Blood+ type manga, but it's really much better.
Kurohime - a bit cliche in some parts, but it was really touching.
Lovely Complex - your "average love-com," but I found this one particularly touching.
Akagami no Shirayukihime - great art, unique method of telling a shojo story.
Shin Angyo Onshi - (manhwa) top-notch shounen
Annarasumanara - (webtoon) brilliant psychological issues, deep examination of society.
Tower of God - (webtoon) amazingly well-done shounen.

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