recommend me some manga?

[Feil]

I have read a few books of manga, and am interested in seeing more.

I don't like antiheroes. I like stories that make an effort towards (stylized) realism in the artwork (for instance, I dislike books that use pairs of people floating off the ground in a cloud of smoke with ten fists positioned at random angles to indicate a scuffle); and I like a story that is presented in a serious literary way even in funny parts, if it has them.

I enjoyed Monster by Naoki Urasawa, and I am in the process of enjoying King of Thorn by Yuji Iwahara.

They would need to be in English or French. I don't speak Japanese.

If anyone could give me some recommendations for more that I would like, that would be great.

[open_sketchbook]

Sanctuary. Seriously, it's amazing.

[Elheru Aran]

Hellsing is pretty decent, and it's FINALLY complete. I'd recommend it. Alucard might violate your "no antihero" rule, though...

Along the vampires line, Trinity Blood isn't too bad either.

[Tasoth]

I recommend Priest by Min Woo Hyung. While Ivan Isaacs is your typical anti-hero, the federal marshals are not. It's full of fallen angels, old west action and the undead. The art style is a little more angular but sticks pretty close to realistic and when the less than human members of the cast move, there is no move names being screamed or energy discharges.

[Ronsu]

Hayao Miyazaki's classic Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind is not to be missed. (Do not read the spoilerific synopsis in the wiki page, by the way)

The '84 movie is a nice, abridged, enviromental post-post-apocalyptic scifi, but the main course is the manga that expanded the movie's framework to a full-blown war epic.

The setting is mankind's twilight years, some thousand years after the burning of the world. Technology is reduced to swordplay, though the larger nations still have capability to produce aircraft and firearms. The world is being covered by a toxic fungal jungle filled with giant insect life, driving mankind further to ruin.
Enter Nausicaä, princess from the peaceful Valley of the Wind, thrust into war between the greater nations which will test her integrity and ideals to the fullest.

The visual storytelling is conveniently a lot closer to european comics than japanese, Miyazaki is a fantastic artist and his love of flight and aircraft shines through.
Thematically it's about man's relationship with his enviroment and generational conflict, with Nausicaä eventually coming to a head with the lasting influence of the civilization that ruined Earth.
And since you prefer more idealistic protagonists, Nausicaä the character is just for you, as she's the archetype for Miyazaki's trademark of strong, young women who the world of men needs.

[Edward Yee]

I'd throw in Vagabond for consideration, about the growing up of one Shinmen Takezou, better known as Miyamoto Musashi.

I'm lately "hooked" on Souten Kouro, but I haven't seen scanlations past chapter 34 and the ending of the anime left a sour taste in my mouth, as it only got a 26-episode run which was far shorter and ended far earlier than what the manga does, but seemed to end in very... abrupt, "cliffhanger followed by wall of text" fashion. Warning: Also may violate your "no anti-hero" rule, as it's "Romance of the Three Kingdoms with Cao Cao and not Liu Bei as the hero." (If that doesn't ring a bell, Dynasty Warriors is pretty much the most well-known adaptation of the source material in the Western world.)

[Garlak]

I recommend Fullmetal Alchemist.


If you want to watch the anime, I seriously suggest you go for the second one which follows the manga. (The first was started before the story was finished, so...) This second anime is called Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood.


Hm. For what it's worth, the series drove me to tears. Manly, sad, and joyous. I do get worked up and indignant or opinionated over fiction, but it doesn't usually effect me like that.

[HeadCreeps]

Naoki Urasawa also made 20th Century Boys, which is also rather highly rated. The story is also very psychological, but the tone and events are fairly different from Monster.

I have absolutely no idea what your familiarity with manga is, but -
Berserk - heavy in medieval action/violence/supernatural horror; will probably never be finished
Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind - described by another poster
Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou - is an extremely passive story about life in a post-apocalypse where humanity is going out nonviolently
Vinland Saga - not that far from Berserk, it's a Viking story that centers on various events, including the Viking occupation of England and I assume eventually North America. Is still being created last I checked.
Death Note - I only watched the anime, but the manga maintains very high ratings. Supernatural mystery story where you can see both sides as they happen, yet still leaves you guessing.
FMA - described by another poster, but FYI the original anime is extremely good and worth watching as well.
Mushishi - it's about a guy who travels around and finds solutions for the ills of villagers around the countryside. Very supernatural, in a Princess Mononoke kind of way, but the story has its own sort of feel to it.
Ghost in the Shell

[AniThyng]

FMA - described by another poster, but FYI the original anime is extremely good and worth watching as well.

Personally I'd rate the manga storyline and the 2nd anime that followed closely the manga storyline to its conclusion to be better than the first anime (which diverged midway,with the manga authors approval).

I'd check out Planetes, both manga and anime versions. They each have a slightly different focus, but for a near future drama set in near orbit space and also social commentary of what happens in have not nations in the global economy, it's hard to beat.

[HeadCreeps]

FMA - described by another poster, but FYI the original anime is extremely good and worth watching as well.

Personally I'd rate the manga storyline and the 2nd anime that followed closely the manga storyline to its conclusion to be better than the first anime (which diverged midway,with the manga authors approval).

It isn't an issue of which one is better.

[eion]

Planetes, some of the only hard sci-fi manga out there.

[Majin Gojira]

I have read a few books of manga, and am interested in seeing more. [

I don't like antiheroes. I like stories that make an effort towards (stylized) realism in the artwork (for instance, I dislike books that use pairs of people floating off the ground in a cloud of smoke with ten fists positioned at random angles to indicate a scuffle); and I like a story that is presented in a serious literary way even in funny parts, if it has them.

I'd echo the recommendation of FMA and tell you to be wary of Hellsing and Death Note. They're fun, but they're quite strong anti-heroes (or Anti-Villains depending on your view of Death Note).

I enjoyed Monster by Naoki Urasawa, and I am in the process of enjoying King of Thorn by Yuji Iwahara.

Naoki Urasawa is a guy worth following between works. My favorite of his works is Pluto (a retelling of an Astro Boy story as a Murder Mystery with a different initial protagonist). Robot rights and murder in the future. Good stuff.

If anyone could give me some recommendations for more that I would like, that would be great.

It'd be easier if a genre was mentioned.

I'd recommend Claymore. A dark tale, but not anti-heroic even though the main character is on a quest for revenge in part. It does use some rapid fire fisticuffs, but portrays them in a more realistic way -- it's either blurs or all we see are the after effects (and that's only with specific techniques).

But the art is amazing in that the main cast pretty much all have blond hair and silver eyes and yet their faces are what make them distinct.

[lord Martiya]

If you like romantic space opera, I suggest Space Pirate Captain Harlock. If you choose it, just a warning: don't even attempt to get some continuity with other works of Leiji Matsumoto, even if you have the same characters in the very same roles, there will ALWAYS be something ruining any possibility for a continuity (Matsumoto is pretty infamous for that).

[Sriad]

In the vein of "manga that are even better than their movies" (and Nausicaa is spectacular) I recommend Akira. As with Nausicaa the movie is a dramatically truncated version of a much more complete and complex work.

I also recommend Buddha, which is exactly what you'd guess from the title--a retelling of the story of Siddhartha Gautama, the original Buddha. Sometimes anachronistic and humorous, but mostly an engaging and surprisingly deep lesson on Buddhism.

Yotsuba &! is a relentlessly innocent delight. Azumanga Daioh, from the same creator, works much better in anime form; it's high school girls comedy with only a trace of drama. If you need an anime to watch with your grandma or 10-year-old cousin this is a top candidate.

Hikaru no Go is another entry in the "surprisingly entertaining non-violent manga" category. Middle school student Hikaru Shindo is driven to the game by the ghost of Fujiwara-no-Sai and gradually comes to appreciate the game himself, maturing over the series--and, life following art, the manga led to a resurgence of interest in Go among Japanese youth.

GTO is the story of Onizuka, ex-biker punk turned high-school teacher, slapstick comedy and high-school drama in roughly equal doses, with a side of fightin'. It eventually gets a bit same-y and I'd be lying if I described it as "literary", but still pretty good.

Lone Wolf and Cub is a formative classic of the genre. Ogami Ito is a ronin seeking revenge against the Yagyu clan, which cast him into disgrace with false accusations of treason. The swordplay and variety of martial arts are (relatively) realistic and wonderfully illustrated. My only knock against the series is that, like GTO, it feels repetitive for a few middle volumes.

[HeadCreeps]

Spoiler

It's always fascinating to come across people who really did think Light was the protagonist of Death Note. The reaction I once saw for someone who thought he was the "good guy" all the way to the bitter end of the story was hilarious.

In the vein of "manga that are even better than their movies" (and Nausicaa is spectacular) I recommend Akira. As with Nausicaa the movie is a dramatically truncated version of a much more complete and complex work.

Lone Wolf and Cub is a formative classic of the genre. Ogami Ito is a ronin seeking revenge against the Yagyu clan, which cast him into disgrace with false accusations of treason. The swordplay and variety of martial arts are (relatively) realistic and wonderfully illustrated. My only knock against the series is that, like GTO, it feels repetitive for a few middle volumes.

I see you appreciate the ancient classics.

If you read any of his other works, the author of LW&C seems to have this fetish about people drinking urine. It's appalling. I have a lot of criticism to give toward that author and his portrayals of characters, but then again someone who likes superhero stories would potentially like LW&C. Of the stories I've read, he also wrote one about a ritual executioner and a ninja, both of which are nearly as repetitive.

Akira is a staple manga, really. I never could finish either the movie or the manga, but it's one of those stories that anyone interested in manga should at least give a try.

[Feil]

Thanks for the suggestions, all. Some of these I will definitely take a look at.

[Cosmic Average]

Billy Bat by Naoki Urasawa.

It's about a Japanese-American comic artist and a cartoon bat that alters important events in history. The bat shows up to Jesus, Lee Harvey Oswald, a monk, etc.

[The Yosemite Bear]

I'm a big fan of Lone Wolf, and several other series.
\
colin's favorite bishi: Rei from Fist of the North Star

[Feil]

Aren't scans of manga illegal, Cosmic Average?


Gojira - I found the first volume of Pluto at my local library. Will give it a look sometime this week. Thanks for the tip

[Norade]

Aren't scans of manga illegal, Cosmic Average?

Likely, but much of what is scanned and fan translated will never come over here anyway, so it's really hard for them to argue lost sales and take anybody to court.

[Murazor]

I have read a few books of manga, and am interested in seeing more.

I don't like antiheroes. I like stories that make an effort towards (stylized) realism in the artwork (for instance, I dislike books that use pairs of people floating off the ground in a cloud of smoke with ten fists positioned at random angles to indicate a scuffle); and I like a story that is presented in a serious literary way even in funny parts, if it has them.

I enjoyed Monster by Naoki Urasawa, and I am in the process of enjoying King of Thorn by Yuji Iwahara.

They would need to be in English or French. I don't speak Japanese.

If anyone could give me some recommendations for more that I would like, that would be great.

Since it hasn't been mentioned yet, I am going to recommend Guyver with the caveat that it contains plot critical elements of biotech wank. It seems to fit your requirements:

*No antiheroes (one character starts like that, but has since graduated to full blown villainy).
*Very realistic artwork. Particularly the drawings of the cities in which the battles take place it making it easy to (for example) follow in Google maps the path of devastation left by two superpowered combatants fighting it out through downtown Tokyo or the effects of a mass destruction terrorist attack in Washington.
*The story is treated very seriously though the plot is still unfinished.