unexpected manga bangers
Manga
a small collection of manga that really took me by surprise!! either they struck an emotional cord i didn't expect, were practically perfect to me, or i was just personally really vibing with it and think more people should read em. yeehaw.
updating as and when i find them !
updating as and when i find them !
Manga, 1 vol, 2008
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i originally picked this manga as its just one volume, i fancied a late night read, and the cover art was cute. half hour later im sobbing uncontrollably. so. honestly and truly just read it and you'll see EXACTLY what i mean.
sorry to children of divorce that take this recommendation that's on me
sorry to children of divorce that take this recommendation that's on me
Manga, 1 vol, 2009
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girl i cried so bad and for so long i dried my eyes out its the SEQUEL to the FIRST ONE and i read it IMMEDIATELY AFTER. tw for suicide allusion
Manga, ? vol, 2023
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only one volume out at time of posting but damn its such a funny set up? in just four chapters we got a communion of idiots, crossdressing, word vomit, kinkshaming, threat of assassination AND the ghost of some guy's dead grandma just hanging about. what more could u ask for. like. its all there already
Manga, 2 vol, 2021
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this one got axed which is SUCH a shame bc the premise is CRAZY COOL. it had so much potential i aaaAARGGHHH. very cute workplace relationship dynamic even if the lore is WILD but man. if only we had had more time you and i, dear Ms Seal-San Manga.... your potential was understood by me, i promise
Manga, 8 vol, 2021
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fr this one had me GRIPPED had me SEATED okay. it was also cancelled hence the ending being so crunchy but MAN was i so hyped for the proverbial finale on this one. i wish the author had had more time to pace everything out bc OOF mein gott. nothing like messed up sibling dynamics, competition on a global scale, horrible cycles of violence, and a banger artstyle to really draw ya in y'know
Manga, 9 vol, 2020
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if only this had stuck the landing it would've been one of my ALL TIME favourite manga bc, while Diamond in the Rough is another victim of an early cancellation and bad pacing, it has SUCH compelling characters, designs, the worldbuilding... the magic system and premise by itself is INSANELY cool and unique so i REALLY want to ask y'all to give it a chance and its so pretty as well. so yknow. pls try it
Manga, 5 vol, 2021
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ok this manga is wackadoodle towards the end but in a way that's SO fun you kinda overlook how barmy the trajectory was to get there, and the mc is so refreshingly in love with his gf too its so SO adorable. love a male character thats truly unironically down bad 24/7 and YO the artstyle? im consuming it whole like a kajiki PLEASE READ THIS. bestie the final arc alone will have u like 'hey uh. didn't we start this with making fish food. what tf happened' 100% guaranteed
Manga, 4 vol, 2018
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considering how short this series is, it really does a lot with it. the characters are compelling, the art really interesting and dynamic, the worldbuilding is explored quickly and well, and the stakes of the final battle do feel like a solid amalgamation of the events leading up to it. if anything, it struggles with limiting the potential, as this is a series that could've easily gone on for twice as many volumes, but the fact it does produce as compact but satisfying story in just four is all the more impressive
Manga, 1 vol, 2016
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if 'would you still love me if i was a worm?' was blended with how the cycle of abuse hurts even with good intentions. no one wins, everyone is sad, and yet the ending still had me satisfied. its kafka meets teenage hell and its WILD that it works so well??
Manga, 3 vol, 2020
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Author:10
i could say so much about this about this one man but the main thing you need to know is that the way it handles grief is so SO compelling and empathetic, even if it is earth shatteringly, devastatingly, unRECOVERably sad. no character is treated with a disrespect for their perspectives on death even as they differ and the way mika holds on and treasures her friend all the way along her journey in every little tiny thing had me so- girl. i fogged up my glasses from my miserable lil tears when that final chapter hit it was so desperately Haunting.
like. its obvious from the beginning what she'll have to do. its the only thing she really can do, circumstances being. but her choice BEING her choice still made me so heart-ached bc truly she earns it she FIGHTS for it, hand outstretched. i wanted the impossible for her. i wanted the wrong, cruel, horrible ending so all the steps and sprints there would feel justified and the author was so correct and so kind and so RIGHT to not allow her to have it. holding mika in her hands and just gently moving her a step back. insane writing, perfect ending that ripped me to goddamn shreds thrice over for good measure.
christ. anyway. read this manga.
like. its obvious from the beginning what she'll have to do. its the only thing she really can do, circumstances being. but her choice BEING her choice still made me so heart-ached bc truly she earns it she FIGHTS for it, hand outstretched. i wanted the impossible for her. i wanted the wrong, cruel, horrible ending so all the steps and sprints there would feel justified and the author was so correct and so kind and so RIGHT to not allow her to have it. holding mika in her hands and just gently moving her a step back. insane writing, perfect ending that ripped me to goddamn shreds thrice over for good measure.
christ. anyway. read this manga.
Manga, ? vol, 2023
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granted, this manga is nothing groundbreaking. its a cute supernatural slice of life premise where a girl with some emotional baggage moves into a haunted apartment where the ghost is a dog but what got me is how EXPRESSIVE this manga is? every line is so deliberate, the actual facial expressions are so so funny (its how the shiba got his name too so the thematics there? MWAH), and the author does a really really good job of pairing the emotional beats with emphasis, catharsis, and a good balance of humour. its only 10 or so chapters in at time of posting but man, im always excited for a new chapter this manga is just crazy charming
Manga, 8 vol, 2017
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once again i hand you a series while face down on the floor sobbing. sorry.
GOD. this manga is an all-timer. legitimately. the premise is SO cool, first of all, as the protagonist is a sentient paining (already cool) forced to live with the knowledge that, as the only magic painting his artist drew for herself, he could never be seen by her and had to watch as everyone around her took cruel advantage of her ability to bring her art to life. then she dies. and her paintings are corrupted by their buyers, becoming 'cursed art' that our furious and grieving protagonist must destroy to honour her memory, and the story kicks off from there. there's more to it than this, but i don't wanna give the whole plot away when its so insanely well written.
all you need to know beyond this is that i was capital i INVESTED in this manga. every character has weight to the story, speaks to their impact on the people and world around them, the mysteries keep you involved, and the stakes are palpable throughout; there's a part in the penultimate volume where i was so tense that they [REDACTED] that my knuckles went white. not to mention, loki is such a unique and well-crafted protagonist, his design is so aesthetically pleasing and cohesive, his motivations genuinely heartbreaking, and he's just so nuanced in the best balance, UGH. just incredible character work fr fr
PLEASE. if you feel like reading a banger of a manga, try majo no kaigashuu
GOD. this manga is an all-timer. legitimately. the premise is SO cool, first of all, as the protagonist is a sentient paining (already cool) forced to live with the knowledge that, as the only magic painting his artist drew for herself, he could never be seen by her and had to watch as everyone around her took cruel advantage of her ability to bring her art to life. then she dies. and her paintings are corrupted by their buyers, becoming 'cursed art' that our furious and grieving protagonist must destroy to honour her memory, and the story kicks off from there. there's more to it than this, but i don't wanna give the whole plot away when its so insanely well written.
all you need to know beyond this is that i was capital i INVESTED in this manga. every character has weight to the story, speaks to their impact on the people and world around them, the mysteries keep you involved, and the stakes are palpable throughout; there's a part in the penultimate volume where i was so tense that they [REDACTED] that my knuckles went white. not to mention, loki is such a unique and well-crafted protagonist, his design is so aesthetically pleasing and cohesive, his motivations genuinely heartbreaking, and he's just so nuanced in the best balance, UGH. just incredible character work fr fr
PLEASE. if you feel like reading a banger of a manga, try majo no kaigashuu