Wednesday, November 10, 2010

Manhua-Best

Painting Warriors 
by Suen Wai Kwan

Plot
In the early Song Dynasty (AD 960-1127), at the western border of the Tangut Empire - a pivot point of the Silk Road - furious battles were being fought. Brave warriors of the Tangut and a strange religious army from the west battled for a rumoured sacred item. Conflicts, conspiracies, and religious struggles - moving in the heart of the battlefield, the "untouchable war painter" Tao Hui paints nothing but the truth!
 
Show Me The Money
by Lin Malisa

Plot
Hilarious manhua (Taiwanese manga) about a girl to whom money means everything.
Dahasu Zuhn's father has just gotten into debt and now his son, Dahasu Zuhn, is in poverty. He meets a girl called Amei Jin who's super strong and has a reason to get money. Dahasu also attends the High School, Freedom High School where he can get in for free. He meets Jin at the school and learns that she needs money for a special reason. Now he is her slave because he owes her 20,000 yen. Whatever shall Zuhn do?

An Ideal World
authored by Weidong Chen
illustrated by Chao Peng

Plot
A You is a troubled 19-year-old who dislikes his life; he feels that his entire life is unlucky, yet he avoid hard work and prefers to by lazy. He is encouraged by the people around him to work harder and told that he can change his life if he takes control of it, but A You refuses to accept these notions. One day, he accidentally takes the wrong bus and finds himself in the suburbs of his city. A You enjoys his time away and takes shelter inside of a large, hollow tree when it begins to rain. After taking a nap and waking up, he wanders until he comes across a small, green old man referred to as Grandpa Beard. Grandpa Beard decides to help A You with his problems and transports him to a "utopia" called Abi Port in an alternate world.
Abi Port is home to several humans, anthropomorphic beings, and other creatures, some of which look similar to people A You knows in his world. A You is found by members of a circus, who invite him to join them in their act. Although he lacks experience, he finds that he can perform well and begins to develop feelings for a young performer named Anan. He meets others who give him advice on enjoying work and life, particularly the "Master of Universal Love", an anthropomorphic zebra who toiled to earn his position and helps others free of charge.
After A You spends time in this world, Grandpa Beard decides that his problems are solved and returns to take him away from the imaginary world. A You protests, not wanting to return to the cold reality, but Grandpa Beard captures him and tells him that he must change that reality if he dislikes it. Returned to his own world, A You awakens in the tree he had taken shelter in and heads back to his house, where he finds his worried friends and family waiting for him. A You's experiences at Abi Port inspire him to work harder, and he eventually gets married to his co-worker and friend Su Fei. The two are shown years later at the grand opening of Grandpa Beard's Fun House, a restaurant themed after Grandpa Beard, where A You sees he will accomplish his dream and spread happiness.

1/2 Prince
by Yu Wo

Plot
1/2 Prince is about Feng Lan, a wistful, yet cheery, 19 year-old girl who shares the same interest as her 19 year-old twin brother, Feng Yang Ming, to play virtual reality games. After being challenged by her brother, she is determined to become a male warrior in Second Life and prove her gaming skills to her brother without using "female benefits" in game. While trying to get the upper hand on leveling Feng Lan logs into Second Life too early and ends up being the first player ever to log on. As a reward for this, the Second Life superiors grant her wish to change her gender, an otherwise impossible request. Thus begins her adventures as an elf who is too stunning for the girl population to leave alone.
With her perfect face, she needs all the help she can get to fend off crowds of girls/wolves. Along the way, Prince gathers a very odd team of players (in order of joining Prince): Lolidragon, the extraordinarily beautiful elf hidden GM (Game Master); Ugly Wolf, the beast priest that is part of the wolf race and two meters tall; Doll, the cute celestial (or angel, in the novel) necromancer that is afraid of her own undead creatures. Guilastes (Pronounced like Juilastes), nicknamed Gui, the seemingly homosexual demon bard who is attracted to Prince. Lastly, Yu Lian, a human mage who's sense of "beauty" is so distorted she finds Ugly Wolf attractive and Prince and Gui "nice." Together they form the team Odd Squad.
After a clash with Dark Phantom, a team lead by the dark elf Wicked, the team joins the Adventurers' Tournament, to take revenge on Dark Phantom. As the Tournament progresses, Prince gets more and more tangled in trouble and heartbreak, gaining more and more enemies. If her troubles in game aren't enough, it turns out that Gui is Min Gui Wen, her new Professor of Chinese Literature, while Ugly Wolf is her school clinic doctor, Lee Tian Lang. Even worse, her sworn in-game enemy, Wicked, turns out to be her childhood friend, Zhuo Ling Bin, who has been in love with her since childhood. When the Tournament committee announces that the last match will be a to-the-death battle with 600 fighters on the field, Odd Squad decides, for strategic reasons, to train with Dark Phantom. During a training session, fighting mobs of monsters, Prince fell off a cliff and was half dead. Odd Squad and Dark Phantom split up to look for him. Wicked was the first one to find Prince, and in his pained delirium, Prince uses the childhood name for Wicked and Wicked realizes Prince's real identity. Thus, a love rivalry flares up between Wicked and Gui.

The One Manga
by Lee Nicky

Plot
Cane Lele was born into the fashion industry. Her mother, Ye Feii, was Taiwan's top model, and her father was also a model, until a tragic airplane crash left Lele without parents.
Therefore it is no surprise that Lele hates the industry, thinking it superficial and unnecessary. Raised by her paternal grandmother, Lele reaches seventeen before she is sucked in by her mother’s sister, Ye Feihung, a fashion agent (and former model) who "convinces" the reluctant Lele to pose.
Lele is adverse to the whole idea, until she sees a photo shoot of popular American model Angus Lanson, and she begins to see modeling as an art form.
When Aunt Feihung's magazine editor invites Angus Lanson to a meeting of all the top fashion ambassadors, Lele is invited along and is curious to meet Angus. She does not know that Angus' twin elder brother, Eros Lanson, is secretly accompanying his brother. This obviously leads to confusion and is the start of a charming story of Lele's goals: Fashion in New York city, becoming a top model, and love?

Bowling King
by Tong Ai

Plot
Bowling King is a Taiwanese comic about a kid named Shautieh Ley and the humiliation he puts himself and his opponents through in bowling alleys.

C.A.T
by Fung Chin Pang

Plot
The third World War is nearing. Each super power country is going through a communications war to prepare for it; A war to obtain the top profiles' information of enemy countries using the Russian's secret weapon BEAR, China's Hao Long, and the United State's Confidential Assasination Troop, a.k.a. CAT.

Magic Insulator 
by Yang Chen Da

Plot
In the Kalan empire a prophecy exists, a prophecy that foretells the destruction of the world. The hope for salvation rests in a young prince, but only if he manages to attain the rank of Archmage. As fate has it, the sole prince of Kalan was cursed at birth, rendering him incapable of controlling the power of his spells.
Growing up, the mischievous prince's fascination for magic got him into all sorts of trouble. And now he has managed to stumble into a world of dragons, elves, and ancient magics, in a quest to remove this damnable curse. Destiny awaits? Can he fulfill his destiny with no weapons, no spells, and two servants who can never agree to disagree?





Manhwa-Best

Demon Diary

Plot
Demon Diary is a light story about Raenef, a newly appointed Demon Lord, and Eclipse, his instructor, who is both a powerful demon and a veteran of a human-versus-demon war. Because of his actions during the Hangma War (which are not elaborated upon), he became known for his cruelty and incredible power. However, when attempting to teach Raenef, Eclipse's 'anger' is often played for laughs.
The Bride of the Water God
by Yun Mi-kyung

Plot
Soah is a girl from a small village. She is a beautiful girl. She fell in love with Muhee whom she believes is Habaek's cousin and didn't realise that Habaek (child) and Muhee (adult) are the same person. Desperate village decides to scarifice Soah for becoming the Water God Habaek's bride in order to end a dry season. Habaek is a temperamental deity of the Water God. He was deeply fall in love with his wife Nakbin who died young but Nakbin has betrayed him without realising. Soah is surprised to be rescued by the Water God - Habaek from killing and she will has an exciting new life. Most surprising, Soah never imagined that she was to be welcomed guest in Habaek's magical kingdom. This story is related to Soah's faith, life and love.
Kill Me, Kiss Me
by Lee Young-you

Plot
Kill Me, Kiss Me is a story with two separate but loosely connected plots. The first, spanning only the first volume of the manhwa, centers around the high school girl Tae Yeon Im and her obsession over a handsome model named Kun Kang. Tae finds out that Kun goes to the same school as her cousin Jung-Woo Im, to whom she is almost identical in appearance. She makes a deal with Jung-Woo to trade places so she can get closer to the model of her dreams, though they settle on only one week for the switch. However, upon arriving at Pure Water High, she promptly gets beaten up by the gang member Ga-Woon Kim, apparently Kun Kang's closest friend. Despite this minor setback, Tae does not give up and goes back to the school the next day to continue her attempt to get closer with Kun. Most of the rest of the plot from this first story arcsexuality. involves Ga-Woon starting to develop feelings of attraction towards Tae, though still under the belief that Tae is really Jung-Woo, Ga-Woon starts to question his sexuality.
The second arc in the Kill Me, Kiss Me series spans the rest of the manhwa from volumes two through five, and has almost no connection with the first arc. The story now concentrates on the beautiful girl Que-Min Ghun, who although appearing innocent at first glance is actually incredibly strong. She attends the same school as Jung-Woo and after meeting him one day in the street, starts to develop a crush on him, going as far as trying to protect him from people like Ghoon-Hahm Che and his gang, the Yi Won. Eventually, Ghoon-Hahm offers an arrangement: in exchange for not beating up Jung-Woo, Que-Min will have to go out with the gang leader himself. Ghoon-Hahm and Que-Min start their forced relationship, and Que-Min finally gets Jung-Woo to remember her name and notice her.

Ragnarok
by Lee Myung-jin
Plot
Ragnarok follows the life and adventures of the warrior Chaos, who is an amnesiac that cannot remember anything from before the last two years in his life. He resides in the city of Fayon, inhabited by a long lineage of warriors. The newest leader in line to claim the head position of the village is a young woman by the name of Iris Irine, who trains with her close friend Chaos to become a suitable leader for her people. Meanwhile, Fenris Fenrir searches for Balder's reincarnation to bring about Ragnarok.
11th Cat
by Kim Mi-kyung

Plot
Cute and charming, yet not so bright little Rika is training to become a real wizard. The first step is to find a magic staff. Ah, that can't be too hard, can it? As Rika and Eujen journey deep into the forest in search of this wonderful magic staff, Rika loses her way. She winds up in an unfortunate chance encounter with the dark sorcerer who kidnapped the princess! Will Rika be able to free the princess and become a real wizard? Follow this cute fantasy story with Rika and find out.
The Tarot Cafe
by Sang Sun Park

Plot
In contemporary Great Britain, Pamela is the owner of a mysterious Tarot Cafe. After midnight, she receives supernatural clients who come to her for advice through tarot readings. From cats to fairies to vampires, they tell her their stories even as she unravels their past, present and future through her cards. In exchange for her advice, they pay her with beads of Berial's Necklace, which Pamela gathers for her own secret ends.
Priest
by Hyung Min-woo
Plot
Priest tells the story of humanity's battle against 12 fallen angels, led by the archangel Temozarela. Despite having fought for God in the battle against Lucifer, Temozarela and his cohorts shortly thereafter found that God had lost interest in them. Upon finding God has focused his attention on humans they decide to rebel against God in light of God's favoritism towards the human race. They descend upon Earth to 'play God' among the humans who build a temple and statues for them. For their rebellion and acts against humanity, God destroyed their temple and their statues were cast underground, with their souls being trapped within the statues.
Centuries later, there lives a Holy Knight called Vascar De Gullion, a killer of heretics in the name of God. After his wife and children were burned alive, Vascar De Gullion 'loses faith' and wanders the earth in a 'blood rage,' leaving a wake of slaughter wherever he goes. His journey comes to an end when he discovers a hidden cave with the statues of the 12 fallen angels. Temozarela talks Vascar De Gullion into giving his body to him in the hopes of exacting his revenge on God.
It is again centuries later that Vascar De Gullion is found alive and sentenced to be judged as a Heretic by Betheal, a powerful priest. Upon dealing with Vascar De Gullion, Betheal discovers from Vascar De Gullion that he is not who he is meant to be, but rather Temozarela. Temozarela plays with Betheal's only pride and joy in life, a child he saved from a heretic sacrifice. The fallen angel manipulates the child into brutally slaughtering a young woman, taking her arms and heart, and setting up a blasphemous ritual room with her blood. Once Betheal sees what his child had done and sees Temozarela laughing, he ends up killing the child with his own hands. Betheal loses faith in God and Temozarela takes Betheal under his wing as one of his disciples. Instead of turning in favor of Temozarela, Betheal acts as the Judas in this story, betraying Temozarela. Betheal devotes his life to study a way to trap Temozarela so that people can be free from him. This came in heretic invention of the Domas Porada. Betheal's body is needed to be the key in keeping the lock on this 'cage' locked. With his soul trapped inside the Domas Porada, Betheal enters a new life altogether with the power he gained from turning away from God. He is a now a kind of demon, called Belial.
Ivan Isaacs, the hero, is called upon to solve the puzzle that the Domas Porada presents. Upon solving it Ivan is cast onto a cross after witnessing his only love, Gena, die in his arms. It is then that Belial takes Ivan, who in the madness of losing Gena denounces God. Ivan is reborn as an immortal serving Belial. Because of Gena's death Ivan devotes himself for vengeance against Temozarela and his men.
The Priest story spans three distinct time periods; modern times, the Crusades and the Wild West, although it is primarily focused on the last period. Whilst featuring a large cast of heroes, anti-heroes and villains, a number of which enjoying in depth and detailed character development within the plot, the lead antagonist of Priest is Temozarela, whilst the main protagonist is Ivan Isaacs, a now immortal, 19th century priest who sold his soul to Belial, a former priest turned devil, in the pursuit of revenge and redemption after unwittingly unleashing Temozarela from the Domas Porada, a prison of sorts constructed by Belial (then Betheal) to imprison Temozarela.

I.N.V.U
by Kim Kang-won
Plot
16 year old Sey wakes up to the sounds of people in her bedroom. Moving men are packing up things, and her mother tells her, "I am going to Italy for five years," and leaves her in the care of a friend, Meja Kang. They are complete strangers to Sey and have a son named Terry her age. It turns out that the family have some issues of their own since Terry turns out to be a girl named Hali, who is pretending to be her dead brother to prevent her mother from having a break-down.
Deciding that she wants to depend on herself, Sey sets out to look for a job, and finds one at a gas-station. However in order to work there, she is forced to learn how to skate. Siho Lee, a guy in her class who happens to date her friend Ria and also be the one who got her the job, offers to teach her. It is later revealed that Siho owns the gas-station, when Sey gets in trouble with a customer and Siho has to pay for the damage. Not wanting to be in debt to him, Sey begins tutoring him after school for the mid-terms. Sey is uncomfortable being around Siho because he is a boy. Due to her mother's many lovers and the book her mother published when Sey was in middle school, the boys in her class thought "like mother like daughter". Sey has not dated at all and is known for hating boys. The fact that Siho lives alone is not a bonus to the situation. Siho later reveals to Sey that he and Ria broke up because he likes someone else. A conversation between Ria and Sey reveals that it was Sey Siho was talking about.
Despite everything, she and Siho end up in a strange friendship. While giving him notes one day, she experiences her first kiss, but that is interrupted by a door slamming her head. She refuses to acknowledge the kiss because it was stolen and that it happened with Siho, who is known for his wandering hands. At the end of book three, Siho manages to win a date with Sey based on a bet on how many scores he would get on his midterm. The date turns out to be a disaster since they were stalked by Siho's ex and Sey got Siho's Birthday cake in her face. After trying to escape from Siho, he manages to catch up with her and kiss her. Despite seeming to enjoy the kiss, she hits him and runs but forgets her cellphone. At school, as she tries to get it back from him, they accidentally set on the speakers and are forced to hide from the principal. A stressed out Sey tells Siho to leave her alone and that he always makes her do things she doesn't want to do. An angry and hurt Siho apologizes for butting in to her life and that he will leave her alone.
After school, Sey turns up at Sihos apartment to get her phone. Hurt from Sihos cold attitude towards her, she tells him that he has no consideration to other peoples feelings and rushes of to the elevator. Siho sneaks up behind her and asks her if she is afraid of him. Sey confesses that she is afraid of the situation since it was all new to her and that Siho did not make it better by doing what he wanted. Placing his chin on the top of her head, Siho apologizes to which Sey tells him he is heavy.
In volume 5, Siho and Sey have yet another argument, where Siho finds out that he isn't as far up on Sey's priority list as he thought. When Sey is at the hospital to gige Mrs. Kang some change, she runs in to him and his mother. It is then revealed that his mother suffers from brain damage, caused by a car accident. She and Siho had been hiding in the USA from his father at the time and Siho suspects that his father was behind the accident. In return for going with his father back to Korea, his mother receives medical care and is taken care of. Realising that she and Siho both grew up alone and that they are very similar, Sey takes Siho's hands as she tells him so. How their relationship develops is to be seen in volume 6.
King of Hell
by Ra In-soo

Plot
Majeh was a great swordsman in life but in death he is merely an envoy to the next world for the King of Hell: an old man who bosses him around and throws things at him. It is later discovered that he is a legendary swordsman who was placed in a magical realm where the fiercest warriors stayed, killing those who dared to attack him in one fatal swoop. The magical realm in which Majeh was sent is a place where martial artists who have honed their skills to incredible levels through horrendous or inhumane tactics are sent. As such that realm is legendary for the inhabitants' prowess in battle as well as their cruelty and delight in death and destruction. Majeh used his incredible martial arts abilities to easily defeat the inhabitants of the sealed realm with his trademark "Heaven's Arrows of Judgement" technique which he is still able to perform in his teenage form, albeit to a lesser degree.
I Wish
by Seo Hyun-Joo

Plot
This story tells the tale of a young woman whose family passes away. In desperation, she asks a magician to wish them back. However, the wish cannot be granted. She ends up becoming his assistant until she can decide on a wish he can grant. Just what is the most precious possession one must give up to have their wish granted?

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

Best Supernatural/Spooky/Horror manga

Muhyo & Roji's Bureau of Supernatural Investigation

by Yoshiyuki Nishi

Plot
Vengeful spirits making it difficult to relax at home? Evil toys trying to possess you while you sleep? Who you gonna call? No, not Ghostbusters. When dead are disturbing the peace of the living, only a specialist in supernatural law like Tohru Muhyo can send those evil spirits packin' to the afterlife.
With his slightly clueless sidekick Jiro Kusano, Muhyo takes on cases like a school girl haunted by a friend who committed suicide and a ghost-infested dorm and delivers tales of the supernatural that are only slightly spooky, but very entertaining.

GeGeGe no Kitaro
by Mizuki Shigeru

Plot
Youkai are specters who have lived in the human world since the dawn of time. They often rest peacefully in their dwelling places, until humans rouse them by inconsiderate actions. Kitaro is a young youkai boy who wants to help humans and youkai live in harmony, and he fights to protect humans from the enraged youkai who lash out at them. 
 
Aphorism 
by Kujo Karuna

Plot
Naraka High School, is a seemingly normal school. However, unknown to the public is the cruel truth of what really goes on in the school's halls. Rather than studying, students are forced to struggle for their very survival. And the strong bonds of friendship may be the only difference between life and death. 
 
Blood+
by Katsura Asuka

Plot
Set several decades after the events in the popular Blood: The Last Vampire anime film, an amnesiac Saya Otonashi lives as a seemingly normal high school student with her adoptive family in Okinawa. Horrible nightmares are the only hints at the violent life she once led, but her past is about to catch up with her and awaken the merciless warrior within.
Chiropterans--powerful shape-changing creatures who need and crave blood-threaten humanity once more, and a mysterious organization called the Red Shield needs Saya's deadly sword skills and mysterious powers to aid in the fight against these beasts. As her submerged abilities begin to reawaken and as she seeks to regain her memories, Chiropteran warriors are guided by a mysterious leader to threaten Saya and her loved ones.
Asuka Katsura's manga series successfully expands upon the original Production I.G/Aniplex feature, delivering moments of jarring violence and thrilling action in a tale that spans several centuries.
 
 
Byakuya Zaushi 
by Miyagi Tooko

Plot
One volume of dark supernatural short stories. Living spirits, oni, death, and reincarnation are some themes in these creepy tales. 
 
 
Akuma no Hanayome: Saishuushou

Plot
Deimos was once a handsome god. He loved a beautiful goddess who returns his sentiments. The problem, well, she is his sister. For their crime against nature they were struck down out of Olympus. The brother is now a demon and the sister a rotting corpse at the bottom of the ocean. Deimos must choose between his sister and her living human incarnation. His sister is jealous. The girl is horrified and unsure of just what to make of her situation. 
 
Doll
by  Mitsukazu Mihara
 
Plot
Like many of the horror manga spotlighted on this list, Doll is a series of short stories. In these themed tales, human-like androids called Dolls change their owners' lives, often in strange and unexpected ways. A woman develops an unusual closeness to doll that will affect her human family from beyond the grave. A man wants to make his doll into the perfect human lover, but discovers that humans are not perfect.
The gorgeous artwork in Doll follows the classic Gothic Lolita aesthetic of haunting delicacy with a dark, decadent core. While not your traditional blood and gore horror story, Doll will haunt your dreams long after you turn the last page.

After School Nightmare
by Setona Mizushiro

Plot
Mashiro Ichijo is a girls' idol, handsome and kind, but he has been hiding a secret all his life: he's not truly male, nor entirely female. He has the upper body of a male but the lower body of a female. When a mysterious school nurse introduces him to a new class, he finds that in order to graduate he has to go to a world of dreams to find a mysterious key, competing with other classmates to find it. Once this key is found, the student graduates and all other members of the school forget their existence. As he struggles with his gender identity, he tries to decide whether he wants to live as a male and go out with one of the prettiest girls in school or as a female and be with the cute male slacker, both of which are madly in love with Ichijo.
The final chapter reveals that the whole story is an allegory for an outer story that was hinted at on the first page and then hinted at repeatedly during the course of the story: The school is connected to a ward of pregnant women and when a student graduates, they are born in the real world. Mashiro is reborn as a girl, whose twin brother died right before birth. In the epilogue, the real-world analogs for Fujishima, Mizuhashi, and Ebizawa are shown, with the real-world Mashiro and Mizuhashi meeting by coincidence when catching the same train to school.

Nightmares For Sales
by Kaoru Ohashi

Plot
Shadow's Pawn Shop looks ordinary enough, but the deals that Shadow and his not-as-innocent-as-she-looks assistant Maria make with customers are for higher stakes than just money or possessions. Customers make deals to fulfill their dreams or to rid themselves of their troubles, but somehow end up losing some, if not all of their souls in the bargain.
Nightmares for Sale is a series of short shojo-style horror stories, focusing on Shadow's customers and the tragic lessons they learn when they make a deal at this mysterious pawn shop.
 
Mermaid Saga
by Rumiko Takahashi

Plot
Chronicling the adventures of Yuta, a fisherman who gained immortality by eating mermaid flesh. Desperate to live an ordinary existence, Yuta spends five hundred years wandering Japan in search of a mermaid who can restore his mortality, crossing paths with criminals, immortals, and “lost souls,” people reduced to a monstrous condition by the poison in mermaid flesh. Though the stories follow a somewhat predictable pattern, Takahashi’s writing is brisk and assured, propelled by snappy dialogue and genuinely creepy scenarios. The imagery is tame by horror standards, but Takahashi doesn’t shy away from the occasional grotesque or gory image, using them to underscore the ugly consequences of seeking immortality.
 
 
 

Manga-Great Global

SCOTT PILGRIM

Bryan Lee O’Malley • Oni Press 

In case you’ve been living under a rock, here’s the deal with Scott Pilgrim: this goofy series documents the romantic misadventures of a twenty-three-year-old slacker while poking fun at hipster culture in such a way that everyone has something to knowingly laugh at, from classic video games to indie rock. The best part of Scott Pilgrim is its central conceit: our hero must defeat The League of Evil Ex-Boyfriends, a loose consortium of his girlfriend’s previous lovers, before the couple can enjoy true relationship bliss. Scott’s travails are an apt metaphor for the way most of us feel when we embark on a new relationship: we’d like to leave our baggage behind and make a fresh start of things, but it usually takes a whole lot of effort — and maybe some Mortal Kombat — to get there. 

NIGHTSCHOOL: THE WEIRN BOOKS

Svetlana Chmakova • Yen Press 

At first glance, Nightschool looks the product of a teen focus group, a mash-up of Twilight, Harry Potter, and a dozen other fantasy series starring vampires and wizards. A closer look, however, reveals that Svetlana Chmakova has fashioned an engrossing supernatural mystery from elements of domestic drama, horror, and humor: an eye-of-newt solution comes with a “may contain peanuts” warning, a beleaguered headmaster finds an ingenious solution for including vampires in the high school yearbook. (They don’t show up on film.) Chmakova doesn’t skimp on the action, either, staging scenes of nocturnal combat with great aplomb. Perhaps most exciting thing about Nightschool is seeing the degree to which her storytelling has evolved since she burst on the scene in 2005; though Chmakova’s trademark style is immediately recognizable, the layouts are looser and more dynamic than Dramacon‘s, playing a more integral role in advancing the plot.

YOKAIDEN

Nina Matsumoto • Del Rey

Nina Matsumoto made a splash back in 2007 with a manga-fied rendition of the entire Simpsons cast. What could have been a passing moment of Internet notoriety helped open doors for her, however, leading to an offer from Del Rey to pitch an original story. The result is Yokaiden, a supernatural adventure about a young boy whose knowledge of and trust in yokai is put to the test when a vengeful kappa steals his grandmother’s soul.  Among the many pleasures of Matsumoto’s smartly paced series are the yokai themselves; her demons would be right at home in the Hokusai Manga or an eighteenth-century scroll painting. The script is a little tin-eared at times, but the humor and stylish artwork more than compensate for a few clunky passages.

KING CITY

Brandon Graham • Image Comics/Tokyopop 

King City was one of several titles stuck in limbo when Tokyopop restructured its global manga initiative, eventually finding a new home and a new (floppy) format at Image Comics. The larger trim size suits the material, giving Brandon Graham’s detailed cityscapes and characters a little more room to breathe. The story is an agreeable mess, chronicling the adventures of Joe, a twenty-something dude with a talent for picking locks and getting mixed up in dangerous (read: illegal) activities. Aiding him is Earthling J. J. Catterworth the Third, a cat capable of transforming into whatever tool Joe needs — a weapon, a periscope — and Joe’s geeky sidekick Pete. Though the story sometimes has a forced zaniness to it, Graham is an imaginative cartoonist capable of drawing anything from super-sexy Gothic girls to dinosaurs. His affection for manga is evident throughout the series, most notably in his use of evocative but silly sound effects, and in his fondness for extreme camera angles… just because.

12 DAYS

June Kim • Tokyopop

When Jackie’s ex-girlfriend Noah dies in a car accident, Jackie decides that the best strategy for coping with her grief is to consume Noah’s ashes in the form of a daily smoothie. Over the course of twelve days, Jackie punishes herself with this gruesome ritual while confronting painful memories of Noah and sparring with Noah’s brother Nick. Though the smoothie conceit is self-consciously literary — Jackie’s ash-drinking ritual has an analog in classical antiquity — June Kim’s book remains true to life, filled with lovely, quiet observations about the way we grieve, define family, express desire, and remember moments of hurt and betrayal. Kim dares to fill up pages with nothing more than realistically drawn close-ups of faces and hands, allowing us to experience the characters’ emptiness for ourselves. Some poor design choices on Tokyopop’s part — namely, a hideous font — mar, but don’t ruin, Kim’s carefully composed layouts.


EMPOWERED

Adam Warren • Dark Horse

Empowered is a unique crossover, a manga-influenced comic that parodies tights-and-capes conventions with raunchy gusto. Its heroine, Elissa Megan Powers, a.k.a. Empowered, is a superhero who struggles with self-esteem issues and social anxiety — two problems compounded by her utterly unreliable super-suit, which is prone to ripping and exposing her at inopportune moments. In less skillful hands, Empowered would be pure cheesecake, but Adam Warren manages the difficult trick of drawing a heroine whose costume failures do more than just titillate (if you’ll pardon the expression), they shed light on the objectification of female superheroes in mainstream American comics. Warren also has a ball satirizing manga, as Empowered’s best friend is a reformed villainess imaginatively named Ninjette. Rude, silly fun.

JAPAN AI: A TALL GIRL’S ADVENTURES IN JAPAN

Aimee Major Steinberger • Go! Comi 

In ten charmingly illustrated chapters, animator and avid cosplayer Aimee Major Steinberger documents her 2007 trip to Japan, where she visited otaku hotspots from the manga shops of Akihabara to the back door of the Takarazuka Revue. Steinberger’s simple but evocative art does a beautiful job conveying both the essential strangeness of being a tall American woman in Japan and the sheer joy of being a fangirl in the otaku motherland. The only drawback to Japan-Ai is the packaging: the sparkling pink cover and bubbly font — presumably derived from Steinberger’s handwriting — may deter male readers from purchasing a book that looks suspiciously like a SnoBall. That’s a pity, because Steinberger’s narrative is funny and informative, filled with the kind of interesting digressions on kogal fashions, Takarazuka fan culture, and onsen etiquette that any budding Japanophile would find enlightening.

BLUE MONDAY

Chynna Clugston • Oni Press 

Though Chynna Clugston’s artwork suggests a strong manga influence, her take-no-guff female characters are a welcome departure from the plain Janes and trembling wallflowers found throughout shojo mangadom. Blue Monday charts the ups and downs of Bleu Finnegan, a California teen whose enthusiasms are all over the map: Adam Ant albums, Buster Keaton flicks, vintage mod fashions. Bleu spends most of her time hanging out with a small posse of friends that include Clover, an Irish ex-pat; Alan, a sex-addled player; Victor, a reformed Goth; Erin, a scheming frenemy; and Monkeyboy, an underclassman who hides behind a curtain of hair. At times, the stories feel a little frenetic, but Clugston does a fine job of capturing this co-ed group’s dynamic, from the endless your-mama jokes to the earnest pop culture analysis. Too bad no one from Minx thought to commission a book from Clugston, as Blue Monday‘s frank, free-wheeling humor and girl-positive message would have been a welcome addition to their line.

OFF*BEAT

Jen Lee Quick • Tokyopop

Off*Beat, an ambitious mixture of science fiction, realism, and romance, focuses on Tory, a smart, lonely teen who lives with his mother in Queens. When a boy his own age moves in across the street, Tory becomes infatuated with Colin, observing and recording Colin’s behavior in a journal, and angling to become Colin’s math tutor. Midway through the story, Jen Lee Quick introduces a subplot that hints at Colin’s involvement with something called the Gaia Project — an organization that may be responsible for Colin’s mysterious blackouts. Unfortunately, Tokyopop pulled the plug on the third and final volume; we’ll never know if the Gaia conspiracy is real or a product of Tory’s vivid imagination. Either way, Off*Beat is an engrossing read that vividly evokes urban life and thoughtfully explores the boundaries between same-sex friendship and romance.

THE DREAMING

Queenie Chan • Tokyopop

Not long after identical twins Jeanie and Amber Malkin enroll at a boarding school in the Australian outback, one of their classmates disappears, triggering a series of eerie, unexplained events. Queenie Chan creates the perfect atmosphere for this Picnic at Hanging Rock meets The Orphanage ghost story; with its Gothic architecture and period furnishings, the school looks like something from a Hammer Studio film, filled with walled-off chambers, mysterious paintings, and apparitions in Victorian dress. The first two volumes are solid and smartly paced, but the third suffers from a bad case of compression; one wishes that Tokyopop had given Chan four volumes instead of three so that Chan could show more and tell less. Still, it’s impossible to deny this emerging artist’s considerable talent, and easy to see why Del Rey hired her to adapt Odd Thomas from novel to manga.


Manhwa-Must Read

BUJA’S DIARY

Seyoung O • NBM/Comics Lit 

Among the manhwa featured in “Korean Comics: A Society Through Small Frames” was “The Picture Diary of Puja,” a short, poignant story about a rural family’s efforts to make a home in Seoul. “Puja’s Diary” (translated by NBM as “Buja’s Diary”) juxtaposes wordless scenes, illustrated in a naturalistic style, with a young girl’s description of the same events: a robbery, a shakedown, a child being injured at a construction site. The effect is simple yet devastating, a Dickensian critique of industrialization and poverty in modern-day Korea. As the other stories in Buja’s Diary attest, displacement, change, and encroaching urbanization are important themes in Seyoung O’s work, though he proves equally adept at humor (“Observe,” which tracks a vain gum-chewer through the streets of Seoul) and surrealism (“Escape,” which depicts one bored man’s nightmarish daydream about his office mates). The artwork varies according to the tone of the story; some of the more somber tales are rendered in charcoal wash and ink, while others employ more exaggerated linework reminiscent of Daumier. One of the most thought-provoking and beautiful manhwa available in English.


DOKEBI BRIDE

Marley • NETCOMICS

After losing her mother to mental illness and her grandmother to old age, Sunbi’s long-absent father returns to claim her. Their reunion proves an awkward and unhappy one, however: his new wife and daughter resent Sunbi’s presence, while Sunbi’s classmates shun her for her “freakish” behavior, none of them realizing that her aloof, abrasive demeanor helps protect her from demons and spirits. Familiar as Dokebi Bride‘s “I see demons!” premise may be, Marley uses Sunbi’s affliction as a jumping-off point for exploring issues such as fitting in, blending families, and answering that most basic of questions, who am I? Sunbi is an all-too-rare character in comics, a smart, resourceful girl who’s palpably — and justifiably, I might add — angry. Long after you’ve forgotten the basic storyline, the memory of Marley’s fierce, real heroine will stay with you. N.B. Dokebi Bride has been on hiatus for over a year; NETCOMICS has released the six volumes that were published in Korea. No word on when — or if — Dokebi Bride will resume.

SHAMAN WARRIOR

Park Joong-Ki • Dark Horse

Shaman Warrior serves up generous portions of pow! splat! thmp! and gyaaaa! with heaping sides of political intrigue and supernatural hoo-ha. The story is, at heart, an inter-generational revenge fantasy about a young woman who spends her childhood preparing to confront her father’s assassin and lay bare the double-crosses and unsavory alliances that led to his demise — in short, it’s a grrrl power theme-and-variation on the Epigoni. What it lacks in complexity Shaman Warrior makes up in beauty and bravado: Park Joong-Ki is a superb draftsman, populating his story with an astonishing variety of faces and body-types. His fight scenes are artfully choreographed, if a little heavy on the speedlines, immersing readers in the action in the manner of a contemporary wuxia film.

FOREST OF GRAY CITY

Jung-Hyun Uhm • ICE Kunion/Yen Press

Struggling artist Yun-Ook and bartender Bum-Moo decide to room together after a series of drunken misunderstandings that wouldn’t be out of place in a Meg Ryan movie. Though Yun-Ook is horrified to discover their age difference — she’s in her twenties, he’s seventeen — Bum-Moo begins courting her in a confused, low-key fashion. The story would be pure Harlequin fodder if Jung-Hyun Uhm’s heroine wasn’t such a strong, appealing character. Yun-Ook is impetuous, insecure, and quick to take offense, but she’s also focused on her career, protective of Bum-Moo, and determined not to sacrifice her sense of self just to land a husband. There’s a level of emotional authenticity about her character that will resonate with female readers in their twenties and thirties, even if her story seems more firmly rooted in romance novel convention than reality.

GOONG: THE ROYAL PALACE

Park Soo-Hee • Ice Kunion/Yen Press

Goong: The Royal Palace focuses on commoner Chae-Kyung, a high school student who marries the next in line to the (fictional) Korean throne. Just as Diana Spence did in real life, Chae-Kyung discovers that being a princess isn’t glamorous, as her day-to-day life is filled with palace intrigue, onerous civic responsibilities, jealous classmates, and an indifferent husband who’s in love with someone else. Though the plot is an amalgam of familiar soap-opera conventions — romantic triangles! hot younger siblings! disapproving mother-in-laws! — the story has surprising depth, showing us the emotional toll that public life exacts on the young couple. Another plus is the artwork: it’s flat-out gorgeous, with considerable attention devoted to ancient ceremonial costumes and au-courant fashions. Pair those beautiful images with a compelling plot and boatloads of romantic tension, and you have a recipe for manhwa crack.

10, 20, AND 30

Morim Kang • NETCOMICS

The ten, twenty, and thirty of the title refer to Rok, a sixteen-year-old girl; Belle, her twenty-six-year old cousin; and Krumb, Rok’s mother, who at age thirty-two finds herself a widow. Through a series of interlocking vignettes, 10, 20, and 30 documents the trio’s fumbling efforts to find themselves — and Mr. Right. If the naive, cartoonish art is a take-it-or-leave-it affair, Kang’s heroines are winning, at once complex and sympathetic. They make mistakes; they overreact; they misjudge the men in their lives; they sometimes hurt loved ones with selfish behavior. To be sure, similar characters abound in Bridget Jones’ Diary and Sex and the City, but there’s a qualitative difference between Bridget and the ladies of 10, 20, and 30: Rok, Belle, and Krumb aren’t neurotic. Beneath their quirks and anxieties, all three women display genuine strength and self-determination, even if they don’t always make smart choices about the men in their lives. 

RUN, BONG-GU, RUN!

Byun Byung-Jun • NBM/Comics Lit

Run, Bong-Gu, Run! tells a simple story: Bong-Gu and his mother leave their rural village to find Bong-Gu’s father, who has gone to Seoul in search of work. As they retrace his steps through the capital, a chance encounter with a beggar yields an important clue to the father’s whereabouts, offering hope that the family will be reunited. The author never explicitly states what prompted the father to leave, how long he’s been away, or why Bong-Gu’s mother waited so long to track him down. In leaving these characters’ personal histories mysterious, Byun Byung-Jun comes dangerously close to romanticizing them: Bongu-Gu’s parents and the old beggar often register as poor but dignified archetypes rather than flesh-and-blood people. But Byun’s spare, restrained artwork mitigates against the story’s sentimentality, offering readers a haunting cityscape that’s as much a character as Bong-Gu or his mother. Rendered in rough, energetic brushstrokes and muted watercolors, Byun’s street scenes are among the most beautiful images I’ve seen in any manhwa translated for English-speaking audiences.

PRIEST

Min-woo Hyung • Tokyopop

This sprawling, religio-horror epic comes saddled with enough convoluted backstory for a J.R.R. Tolkein trilogy or a George Lucas franchise, yet proves surprisingly fast-paced and fun. Skipping between the present, the Crusades, and the American West — or, more accurately, a manhwa artist’s cinematically influenced notion of the West — Priest tells the story of Ivan Isaacs, a man of the cloth who renounces his faith after evil researchers use his sister as a human sacrifice. Over the span of sixteen volumes, Ivan battles fallen angels and zombies in an effort to avenge Gena’s death, restore order, and redeem his sinner’s soul. The artwork is bold and stark, with spiky lines and attitude to spare; if you adored the over-the-top action sequences and pistol-packing clergymen of Hellsing, Min-woo Hyung’s elaborate shoot-em-up will be your cup of tea. 

NARRATION OF LOVE AT 17

Kyongok Kang • NETCOMICS

Seyoung, the heroine of Narration of Love at 17, is bright, but not exceptional; pretty, but not a head-turner; and talented, but not outstanding. For several years, Seyoung has been a member of the drama club, relegated to backstage roles while the beautiful Hyemi lands the plum parts. When Hyemi becomes involved with Hyunwoo, Seyoung’s friend and first crush, Seyoung faces a tough choice: will she wait for Hyunwoo to reciprocate her feelings, or will she move on? Backstage rivalries and first loves are standard manhwa fare, but Narration of Love at 17 proves deeper and more heartfelt than most coming-of-age stories in this vein, thanks to Kyongok Kang’s believable, appealing characters; their quicksilver moods, intense passions, deep insecurities, and ever-changing social allegiances make them seem like real teenagers and not an adult’s idea of what teenagers are like. Though the art is, at times, a little clumsy, Kang’s fondness for 1970s shojo is evident in her linework and character designs, and in her emotionally resilient protagonist.

DEJA-VU: SPRING, SUMMER, FALL, WINTER

Youn In-Wan and Various Artists • Tokyopop

Déjà vu is a manhwa smorgasbord, pairing writer Youn In-Wan with six artists with distinctly different styles. The first four stories follow the same basic template: two lovers find themselves drawn together by mysterious forces, only to be separated by a moment of terrible violence. The settings and circumstances range from the vaguely folkloric — a warrior and a fox demon fall in love after he frees her from a hunter’s snare — to the contemporary — a blind Korean-American girl and an up-and-coming pop singer meet cute on the streets of San Francisco. The best stories, “Spring” and “Winter,” deftly interlace the fates of the warrior and the fox with the survivors of a twenty-third century apocalypse, bringing to mind Sun, the final installment of Osamu Tezuka’s Phoenix. Though the stories aren’t uniformly excellent, Deja-vu still makes a fine introduction to the contemporary Korean comics scene in general and the writing of Youn In-Wan in particular.

Manga-Top 10 Most Popular

DEATH NOTE
by Obata Takeshi

Summary:
Shinigami own notebooks called “Death Notes” which are used as killing devices. Whoever’s name they write down in a death note will die within 40 seconds. Shinigami Ryuk dropped his Death Note in the human world where it’s found by honor high school student Light. With the death note actually having directions in it for its use, Light discovers he now has the power to discreetly kill people, and with this new power he plans to change the world in his ideal world by killing off criminals. Eventually the governments of the countries around the world notice the unusual amounts of deaths of their criminals, and figure out someone is behind them, but they have no way of discovering it themselves. That’s when they hire L, a master detective, to find out who is behind the murders.



NARUTO
by Masashi Kishimoto

Summary:
When Naruto was born the spirit of a evil nine-tailed fox was imprisoned within him, rendering him the hate of the villagers in the ninja-village of the Leaf who feared the demon in him. Countering this hate he grew into the role of the clown, trying to attract attention by making a fool of himself and his teachers. But within him dwells the dream of becoming Hokage, the strongest warrior of the village. When he graduates from the academy he’s placed in the same group as Sakura, the technician and the girl he loves and Sasuke, the strong, quiet guy and his rival for Sakura. Leader and teacher of the group are Kakashi, the strange and always late, though powerful ninja.



BLEACH
by Tite Kubo

Summary:
The story opens with the sudden appearance of Rukia Kuchiki in Ichigo Kurosaki`s bedroom. She is surprised at his ability to see her, but their resulting conversation is interrupted by the appearance of a hollow, an evil spirit. After Rukia is severely wounded while trying to protect Ichigo, she intends to transfer half her powers to Ichigo, hoping to give him the opportunity to face the hollow on equal footing. Ichigo unintentionally absorbs almost all her powers instead, allowing him to defeat the hollow with ease.



ONE PIECE
By Eiichiro Oda

Summary:
Twenty two years ago, the legendary pirate, Gold Roger was executed. His final words told that his treasure known as "One Piece" was hidden somewhere on the Grand Line. This started the Age of Pirates. Now, twenty two years later, seventeen year old Monkey D. Luffy desires to find One Piece, and become the Pirate King. But to do this, he needs a crew.Seeking to be the greatest pirate in the world, young Monkey D. Luffy, endowed with stretching powers from the legendary `Gomu Gomu` Devil`s fruit, travels towards the Grand Line in search of One Piece, the greatest treasure in the world.



FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST
by Arakawa Hiromu


Summary:  
When two brothers, Edward and Alphonse Elric tried to revive their mother using Alchemy, something went drastically wrong. Edward lost his leg and his arm, and Alphonse lost his entire body. Now, a few years later, Edward becomes what's known as a "State Alchemist" or a Nationally recognized Alchemist. Along with Alphonse, who's spirit has been put into a metal suit of armor, and his Automail leg and arm, the two brothers set out to find a way to restore themselves.



FRUIT BASKET
by Takaya Natsuki

Summary:
Fruits Basket is a story about enigmatic Sohma family shares a great secret, its members are possessed by spirits of the Chinese Zodiac, and when they are hugged by members of the opposite sex, they transform into their Zodiac animal! Tohru Honda, an orphaned high school freshman, is given lodging in the Sohma household in exchange for taking care of household chores. The humble Tohru is quite grateful for the Sohma family's generosity, and the longer she stays with them, the more they realize what a blessing she is in their lives, as well.



CHOBITS
by Clamp

Summary: 
In the future, almost every person roams arounds with persocons, robots that look like humans and act (somewhat) like humans. However, poor Hideki, a cram student doesn't have the money for his own. He crosses a persocon in the garbage wrapped in bandages. Once he activates her, she only knows the word "Chii." As each day passes, Hideki finds out more about Chii's past and in turn Chii learns more about the world.



RUROUNI KENSHIN
by Watsuki Nobuhiro 

Summary:
During the violent era known as the Bakumatsu, there was an Ishin assassin known only as the Hitokiri Battousai, whose skill and brutality became near legendary in the age of Restoration he helped to build. However, as the time of fighting drew to a close, he vanished without a trace, only to resurface eleven years later as a wandering swordsman, Himura Kenshin. Now staying at a kenjutsu dojo maintained by a fiery-tempered woman named Kamiya Kaoru, and surrounded by newfound friends like the streetfighter Sagara Sanosuke, ex-samurai's son Myoujin Yahiko, and the shrewd doctor Takani Megumi, he seeks to carry out his vow to protect the weak without killing in order to atone for the lives he's taken. It's not long, though, before this vow is put to the test, and the shadows of his past return to haunt him and everyone he holds dear.


LOVE HINA
by Akamatsu Ken

Summary:   
When he was a child, Keitaro Urashima promised with a girl that they would meet in Tokyo University (Toudai). For this reason he has tried to get into the prestigious university, but has failed the entrance exam two years in a row. When his parents kick him out of the house he tries to find lodging at his Grandmother's inn, but unbeknownst to him it has been changed into an all-girls dormitory. He is allowed to stay in the position of kanrinin (dorm manager) but his clumsiness tends to land him in trouble with the girls. To achieve his dream, he studies to pass the Tokyo University exam along with Naru Narusegawa, who has her own reasons for wanting to get into Toudai.


GANTZ
by Hiroya Oku

Summary:
Somewhere in Tokyo, there is a room. In that room is a black sphere. Periodically, people who should otherwise have died are transferred to the room. There, the sphere gives them special suits and weapons, and sends them out on a mission to kill aliens here on Earth. While these missions take place, the rest of the world is largely oblivious to them. These missions are lethal - few participants survive them. The sphere calls the shots, and it`s not the slightest bit nice. It`s name... Gantz