I'm heavily debating over reading manga again despite what I've read and seen...what should I do?
I'm heavily debating over reading manga again despite what I've read and seen...what should I do?
You're viewing a single thread.
I second the request for more details.
- What was the issue that stopped you from reading?
- Are you looking for recommendations or just reasons to give it another go?
- Are you interested in something specific (theme, genre, art style)?
All in all, how can we help?
- The parts that made me cringe.
- I’m looking for both: what are some classic manga I can read on Hoopla and why should I read manga these days if it outsells comics?
- “Anything old and lively.” -John Kricfalusi Probably old and classic titles from years ago. Like, Osamu Tezuka old. And other mangaka.
Just as long as it’s not mainstream shonen or fetishbait or with fanservice or pushes anything.
- A little vague and hard to approach. Manga, just like western comics/books/movies/etc is such a broad medium you'll always find something you won't like. It's pretty much a case of learning what to avoid.
- Following from above, why? Because like in other types of media you can find some fantastic stories that might resonate with you. Or to engage with topics approached from a different cultural point of view. Or maybe just to enjoy the art. There are many reasons people love manga (and yes, stupid and/or fetishistic series are what some people look for).
- I'd be lying if I said I'm knowledgeable enough to suggest some older classics. I'll leave this one to the veterans.
Now onto suggestions...
I'm not familiar with Hoopla but here are two series found from a quick glance:
- A Silent Voice - story about bullying, repentance and healing. Can be pretty rough.
- Blame! - is a sci-fi series consisting of a lot of wordless walking through a deserted mega structure punctured by occasional fight scene. I don't remember it being too edgy but it's been a while since I touched it.
If you're willing to check elsewhere, whether it would be on Mangadex or official apps, I could also suggest:
- Girls' Last Tour - a post post post apocalyptic story about two girls traveling through ruins of a dying world. It's a slower, contemplative series about existence and various mundane things humans don't think about.
- Sousou no Frieren (Frieren at the Funeral) - one of the big ongoing series at the moment. A more... thoughtful (?) take on fantasy with focus on human relations. Limited action, big on joy of adventure and nostalgia.
- The Girl From the Other Side: Siúil, a Rún - story about a young girl living with a wendigo-like caretaker. Pretty unique art style.
I think these should be relatively safe to try out.
Edit: I've seen you mention being a christian and disliking some themes because of that. Is there anything specific you'd like to avoid?
Thank you. I’d like to avoid manga that deals with immoral, explicit, or weird subject matter that the Bible probably prohibits depending on what it is.
To be fair, I do know some good manga already:
Astro Boy - Osamu Tezuka Black Jack - Osamu Tezuka Demon Slayer - Koyoharu Gotouge Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure - Hirohiko Araki Franken Fran - Katsuhisa Kigitsu Sankarea: Undying Love - Mitsuru Hattori
I’m heavily considering rereading Jojo and I at least respect Sankarea before it took a detour and I like Demon Slayer for being genuine.
Franken Fran is just another series I discovered and enjoy as a horror manga because it works.
Astro Boy and Black Jack are both definitely classics having been written by the Father of Manga himself before Dragon Ball developed.
I like old works for that matter because I personally believe they hold up better but there are some modern gems too that I respect.
Zombie Land Saga was the franchise that disrespected zombies in favor of ‘cute’ idol girls being conjured up by a maniacal mastermind who thinks he can ‘save’ Saga by tampering with the dead to appease his recently died classmate which I consider evil regardless if the girls learn to perform on stage as pop stars like Sakura and there are even characters investigating the case while the series focuses on just ‘cute’ idol girls.
It also shied me away from the two mediums because of my gut instinct of how wrong it is but I at least created my own zombie OC apart from the series who acts more like a zombie than even Tae Yamada who’s just supposed to be that.
But I understand you don’t know the classics.
Maybe you could suggest manga-reading apps?
I read Shonen Jump and Azuki for example…
OK, in that case I don't think stuff from my post will be a problem - especially considering titles you mentioned (thanks for that btw, I'll have more things to check out myself).
I forgot to ask but what phone system are we talking about? I use Mihon with this extension file (basically, content sources), but it's Android only.
Most of the things I read aren't licensed in English but the official apps I know about are:
- Manga Plus
- Viz
- Shonen Jump (already mentioned)
Can't say too much about them unfortunately, as my main combo consists of Mihon + physical copies.
I’m iOS.
I've seen a question about iOS apps some time ago and if I remember correctly there's no great choice beyond the official apps. The poster asking last time ended up using Mangadex website as PWA ("installing" site as an app from the browser menu). Depending on where you are this could be an option, though I think Apple decided to screw with that functionality in EU recently.
I’m actually in the USA, but I prefer to read and support the creators myself, or the library and/or bookstore in my opinion.
Are you referring to just manga websites where you read manga on your computer instead?
For licensed series, physical copies or official app will obviously be the most fair option to support the authors and I absolutely I agree it should be used when possible.
Otherwise, websites yes - specifically Mangadex since it's the most popular website of this kind. I suggested the PWA route (i.e. using "add to home screen" option in mobile browser) since that can be a simpler or preferred solution for some.