Well, I've only read the first few chapters, but damn -- this manga is sheer, beautifully researched perfection. The depth of the mangaka's understanding of the intellectual and spiritual concerns of the Renaissance is amazing, and I'm so deeply in love with this story that I'm going crazy waiting for the next chapter. But it's the good kind of crazy, the kind that lets you savor every moment of... s231m

Why's it unexpected? Well, although it may start off as pure, camp shoujo-ness in the first volume (as the previous commenter pointed out), Eroica swiftly evolves into a genre-busting manga that appeals to readers of all kinds. It's a gripping, fast-paced, action-oriented story with amazing plots and hilarious humor. In later volumes, the art becomes very masculine (in a good way!), and the camp...

Such a moving, thought-provoking story! Truly the best work by Shimizu Reiko I've yet read. Certainly among the best in the science fiction genre. The first chapter traces the events behind a future American president's death, and reveals the secrets he thought he'd carried with him to the grave. It's a truly beautiful chapter... Not disturbing in the least -- more poetic and romantic than...

As the name implies, this is a historical manga. It's set in Aristotle's time, and focuses on his exile as well as on his philosophy. It's a very interesting storyline, entirely devoid of melodrama -- instead, it's filled with dry humor and unique observations. Well, it is about Aristotle, after all, and about the slave boy who becomes Aristotle's friend. The dialogue covers topics as diverse as...

This manga is the best thing that ever happened to me.

Okay, that's an exaggeration, but this manga is seriously so good. It's a fascinating look into human psychology, with Jungian archetypes, societal pressures and of course freaky phenomena thrown in. Just awesome.

Basically, a homunculus is a representation of a human being's mind and heart -- a sort of artistic interpretation of the person's...

These have to be the most loveable characters I've yet encountered in a manga! I adore them. Both Nitori and Takatsuki are incredibly sweet, but their friends and family are wonderfully characterized, too. Every single character is created with tender care, and you can feel how much the mangaka loves them.

On a serious note, it's great to see a manga address transgenderism in a mature and...

Endlessly inventive, visually stunning and almost musical in its beauty. Frankly, I'm stunned speechless at the fact that this manga isn't licensed. Why on earth not?

Johnson might've sold his soul to the Devil to be able to play the blues, but I'd sell my soul to be able to create a manga like this.

Okay, I'd probably sell my first-born, too.

Subversive, salient, challenging and perceptive. Many a mangaka has tried to create a character that can be called a "condemned hero," but until I met the detective of MPD Psycho, I didn't fully appreciate the concept.

This manga's hero is damned, both because of his own actions and because of his mental instability. And yet he continues to hunt down criminals, despite the fact that many of them...

I've never been much of a sports fan, but this manga gets me into baseball like nothing else. The purity, the ion, the comraderie -- the hand-holding! Ahem. Basically, the story revolves around the adventures of a stuttering pitcher with self-esteem issues, and the gifted catcher who takes him under his wing.

My favorite character has to be Tajima, for the way he randomly spazzes out and yells...

Honestly one of the most perfect mangas ever made. The theme, the characters, the epic ideas and the personal emotions -- it's brilliant. I mean, everyone knows that Urasawa-sensei's a genius, but this manga proves it.

I'll it it... I'm one of those nerds that used to be addicted to Asimov when I was, like, twelve years old. I've grown up obsessed with robotics, and by the existential and moral...

I can't complement this manga enough. The art is beyond superb, and the characters are all richly developed. I can feel the pain of these sailors, stranded in time and trapped by the laws of causality. Should they change the course of history? If they do, what price will the world pay? On the one hand, they can save the lives of fellow Japanese fighters in WWII... But on the other hand, they may...

This is possibly the best shounen action manga I've read -- it borders on seinen because of the depth the series gains as it progresses. The characters are simply amazing. Each one of the Claymores is a unique warrior with a complex history. Part of the pleasure of reading this manga is discovering the stories behind the different Claymores. They aren't treated like women usually are by shounen...

It's difficult to find a shoujo manga about sportswomen that takes the sport as (or even more) seriously than the romance. Crimson Hero is one such anomaly. And what a wonderful anomaly it is! The heroine is unique and strong and completely dedicated to her sport. It's wonderful to see a girl who doesn't just turn into a wilting damsel at the first sign of trouble or romance. Her pluck and her...

If you're looking for an action manhwa with brilliant fights and a degree of philosophical depth, then you'll love Dangu. The plot is a tad more complex than your average wham-bam story, with a bit of politics and betrayal thrown in for flavor. The characters' reflections on being outcasts and renegades are also enjoyable.

What really makes this manhwa, though? Is the art. It's simply some of the...

Machizo is my favorite teenaged character in manga, hands-down. He really is so believable -- gifted and conflicted and occasionally stupid, just as most adolescents are. His creative struggle to make the perfect manga is gripping and engaging, as is his on-again, off-again friendship with Tetsuo.

The desire to sur his father is also very cute, and very typical of any boy who's in the same...

Vampires and Nazis and hawtness! I totally agree with that previous reviewer... Walter is sex incarnate. And he's only fourteen. God, I feel like a pervert. I keep thinking that at least some of his missions must require sexual espionage, because damn -- no kid can learn to be that seductive without practice.

I've been yearning to learn more about Walter ever since I read Hellsing, so I was...

I'm so hooked on this manga that I cry every time I find out that another chapter hasn't been released. Seriously, this is so brilliant. And so twisted and freaky. At first, it seems to be just another school drama about a gender dysphoric kid... But it's so much more than that. It's a search for identity in more ways than one, and it covers issues as diverse as dealing with sexual abuse, dealing...

This is a very quiet manga, in which a son attends his father's funeral and reflects on what his father means to him. Some of these reflections are childhood flashbacks, and they reveal different aspects of the father-son relationship. I found these flashbacks very moving, but I also found them interesting from a historical point of view -- it's like a glimpse into a Japan of a different...

This manga is a wonderful exploration of how a single woman finds herself charmed -- and, in a sense, enlightened -- by a child. There are relatively few josei stories out there that focus on this kind of maternal relationship, rather than on the romantic relationships that are so easy to find. Finding Nico Nico Diary was a real pleasure. Read it!

Don't get me wrong, I love Slam Dunk! But this manga is more mature and more interesting from a psychological perspective. The characters have more depth, at least in my opinion -- and the art is, as always, fabulous. Inoue-sensei is one of the best manga artists out there, and it shows. Each flows seamlessly into the next, with enough kinetic energy to drive the narrative forward at a...

I agree with Philip... Yes, this is josei. Really excellent josei. It doesn't shy away from the less palatable aspects of prostitution, and it doesn't gloss over the psychological repercussions of doing such work. The heroine is a unique product of her environment: a woman that grew up in a brothel, and learned its ways long before a child should learn to fend for itself. As a result, she is a lot...

Rika the Breeder is simply awesome world-building. The mangaka constructs an insulated, violent and perverse society, where bullying and sexual victimization are run-of-the-mill events. It's like a gay version of Lord of the Flies, with even more cruelty thrown in.

Hiro, our main character, transfers to a boarding school in order to solve the mystery behind his brother's death. His brother was a...

This is actually a more mature and intense take on the world of competitive Go than what you can see in staple series like Hikaru no Go. What makes the story more mature is the fact that the main character -- a girl, for a change -- has a dark past, and although she continues to be traumatized by it, it doesn't stop her from competing. I found Shion to be an intriguing and unique heroine. She's...

Gorgeous art? Check. Crazy-and-somewhat-deluded protagonist? Check. Humor? Check. Fortuitous meetings and shipwrecked bishounen? Check and check!

Honestly, this manhwa has such a great beginning. I'll leave a better review once I've read more of it. Many thanks to Entropy for bringing us this great title!

It's rare to see artists who're prepared to face the cruelties of the world without flinching -- especially while using children as protagonists. Of course, the truth is that the world IS that dark, that terrible, and that heartless -- children DO get to witness (and, often, participate in) the kinds of horrors that are depicted in "Sidooh".

Perhaps because of the idealism and trivialization...

WARNING: This review contains spoilers!

I think I'm one of the few people who actually read this manga before reading Nana. ittedly, the art is less mature here, but this story still has the poignancy and truthfulness that Yazawa fans love. Midori is much more deeply layered and authentic a character than many shoujo heroines are, and both her happiness and her pain feel so real to me. I can...

I'm really grateful to Tama-Chan Scans for sticking with this project. After reading Urasawa's heavier work, I was surprised at Yawara's lightness -- but never fear, Urasawa brings his trademark storytelling to this tale of sportswomen and innocence. What I loved about this manga was its warmth. It's obvious how much Urasawa loves his characters in this, even the really minor ones. Little details...

Freaking amazing art as well as detailed technical drawings make this manga a pleasure to read. I've been starving for a military manga -- a story about soldiers, about war, and about the lies that fuel war. The protagonist is a typical action hero seeking vengeance, but I love the fact that his darkness and his hatred is balanced with nobility. He's kind of like the Count of Monte Cristo, but...

Darker and more complex than the typical shoujo manga, Eden no Hana is a gripping read. Midori is one of my favorite shoujo heroines ever, because she isn't one of those ridiculously genki, brainless types. She's deep and conflicted and hurt, but she's strong enough to have survived her fractured past.

I really hope things work out for her. I've never felt this worried about a character before...

It's rare to see a sports manga that deals with ecological and philosophical issues as well. A really rewarding read, with great art and even better characterization. I eagerly look forward to more updates. Thanks, Nibo!

Okay, I'll it it... I started reading this manga because the heroine looks like me. (Short, nerdy, snub-nosed.) But I kept reading it because of the wonderful characters, and the tenderness with which even the most mean bullies are characterized. Everyone's a human in this manga; the side characters are treated with as much respect as the main ones.

Not to mention the fact that Kumiko's just...

I used to be like the main character before my Big Bad Burnout, so I can appreciate where she's coming from. This is an interesting, wry and often amusing take on what overworking can do to a person. The glimpses into a normal working environment, along with office politics etc., really make this a special read.

At first I thought that the plot sounded silly -- an alien living in a guy's hand? -- but seriously, this is very cool and makes you think about how fictional the idea of a universal morality really is. The comparisons between an alien culture and human psychology are just beyond awesome. Not to mention that the central character's eventual change -- both in outlook and in biology -- is so...

There isn't enough of this scanslated for me to be able to leave one of my huge, whopping reviews... But the few chapters that are available are certainly intriguing. I really like the main character, and his determination not to be a hero. I mean, in most stories, the high school kid either rejoices when he discovers that he has superpowers, or he angsts endlessly over his destiny. In this case...

Aliens as house guests -- well, it's a common enough theme, although here it's illustrated in a unique and highly entertaining fashion. The humor is light, and more psychological than slap-stick. That only makes the manhwa more enjoyable, and it's fun to see each of the aliens reveal their idiosyncracies.

My rating of an 8 is tentative... I want to finish reading this manhwa before giving it a...

The art in this manga is really amazing. Very storybook-ish, but in a good way -- it's charming and eye-catching, and very detailed. I loved it. But what really makes this manga unique is that it's a political historical drama set in Turkey -- a fictional Turkey, but still. As you might expect, the costumes and the settings are really lovely, and the wartime functioning of the Diwan (council of...

God, it's so good to see the bastards get what's coming to them, for a change! In many shoujo stories, the heroine's completely (and unreasonably) smitten with a guy that treats her like dirt. I was immensely relieved -- and highly entertained -- to find a spitfire heroine like Kyoko, who gets her heart broken but decides to trample on her heart-breaker's ambitions in return.

Skip Beat doesn't...

I'm really thrilled by the art in this manhwa. While it's very stylized and definitely very shoujo-esque, it's still absolutely lovely. The storyline itself is a typical supernatural romance -- but the world of the gods is interesting and different enough to spark one's interest. There is a wonderful fairy-tale atmosphere to the story, and that makes it easy to suspend one's disbelief. I don't...

This manga's great for those in-between moments between epics. I mean -- usually I'm reading stuff like Vagabond or Claymore, so I need a bit of lightening up from time to time. Today in Class 5-2 is just what the doctor ordered. The manga is basically made up of small, inter-connecting stories that are like little anecdotes of school life. They're cute and wry and funny, without ever being...

This is honestly one of the most enjoyable series I've read recently. I've always been a huge fan of "ero guro," or the erotic grotesque, and this manga more than satisfied me. Initially, I was slack-jawed at the grisly realism of the child abuse -- which doesn't entertain me the way clean, honest gore does -- but the way the "victim" becomes the "hunter" is truly remarkable. The main character's...

To be honest, I don't know why I find this manga so gripping. I mean, the story is hardly a unique one -- little girl seeks protection from jaded warrior -- but I suppose this otherwise stereotypical plot is interpreted with unique charm by the mangaka. The art is lovely, which is definitely a plus, but what really makes this work for me is that the characters have depth, and that their emotions...

Yeah, there are plenty of stories about gay vamps out there, but this is far more beautifully illustrated and more interesting than most of them. Cherry -- sorry, Charlie -- is an amazingly cool concept for a character. Seriously, can you get any cooler than a cyborg vampire priest with Daddy issues? I think not! 😀

Matsutomo's humor tends to be dry and light, and that's exactly what you'll get with this manga. The atypical heroine is an added bonus, and she snarks mercilessly with her conversation teacher. I'm actually less interested in the romance than I am in the snark -- I don't want to see it go!

So. Much. Fun. Sure, the plot's full of crack, but who can resist that foul-mouthed little brat? Chrono Nanae's trademark sardonic humor finds wonderful voice in "Senki Senki Momotama."

This is your typical shoujo plot -- two handsome boys, one simple-hearted girl -- with a little more heartache than is common. Rather than the love triangle, what actually interested me the most -- and what raised the level of this manga for me -- was the depiction of the self-destructive relationship Ichi had with his ex. The way she manipulated him and used him, and the way he allowed himself to...