Tuesday, August 05, 2008

Calling All Manga Fans

I've read more Manga than you'd think, since I never really post anything about Manga here, but I still feel 95% ignorant when it comes to making recommendations. I can tell people what I've liked, but what merit do my suggestions have when I've only read 20 Manga series and there are thousands more I haven't read?

And since I'm presenting a workshops for librarians this fall, I want to make sure that I have some Manga in the mix. (The stuff I'm presenting is American-centric, which is fine for the topic, but I want to include Manga information as well.)

So, all of you Manga fans -- or anyone, really -- I need your help. Comment below and tell me five or ten Manga titles that you think belong in American libraries.

Your reward is making the world a better place. For Manga.

9 comments:

Greg said...

I've barely read any manga either, but The Ice Wanderer and Other Stories is a very good book and is partly based on Jack London stories, which would make it a good fit in American libraries. Plus, it's not a series.

Kelly Sue said...

Lone Wolf and Cub
Tekkon Kinkreet
Death Note
Sexy Voice and Robo
Slam Dunk

Timothy Callahan said...

The first three, I've read. The latter two, I will.

Keep em coming!

seth hurley said...

Hotel Harbour View
Benkei in New York
The Walking Man
The Push Man & Other Stories
Good-Bye
Abandon the Old in Tokyo
2001 Nights
Domu
Adolph

Anonymous said...

One Piece
Deathnote
Monster

meh, that's about all I can recommend of the top of my head

Anonymous said...

Here are some of my favorites:

Acrobatic Reptile Gorilla Guerrilla
Cleaning Supplies! Dangerous!
Children With Enormous Eyes Experience Life Backward and Upside Down!
Plummeting Temperature Housecoat
Pinky Without Honor
Kitten Becomes Cat 2*





* Titles may be fictional

Anonymous said...

Akira.
Nuff said!

Anonymous said...

You also should consider the "father" of manga, Osamu Tezuka (whom you may have read already):

Astro Boy (classic; geared toward kids)
Buddha (examines Buddhism)
Phoenix (SciFi take on Shintoism)
Adolf (interesting take on WWI; I have mixed feelings about this one, though)
Black Jack (perhaps his most significant; forthcoming from Vertical)
Ode to Kirihito (mature; Vertical)
Apollo's Song (mature; Vertical)
MW (mature; Vertical)

Kelly Sue said...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/20th_Century_Boys
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pluto_(manga)