The following is a list of story arcs we never got around to including for one reason or another. Each compiler will include a reason why the arc was not included and maybe you will hate us all a bit less. Nonetheless, these are all extra nominees that just missed the cut for the final list. Chances are, if it’s good, we looked it over. So enjoy this compilation of stories that didn’t quite make it on. Ashita no Joe – Carlos…

Read More Read More

#05. Revenge/Remembrance (Rurouni Kenshin) Creator: Nobuhiro Watsuki Original Years of Publication: 1997-1999 Manga: Volumes #18-28, Chapters #152-255 Anime: Rurouni Kenshin: Trust & Betrayal #1-4 (Remembrance only) Studio: Studio Deen Japanese Publisher: Shueisha (Weekly Shonen Jump) North American Publisher: Viz Media North American Distributor: Aniplex of America Recommended Version: Manga Revenge: Rurouni Kenshin is a story about change; changing times, changing values, and changing people. Moreover, it’s the story of how it’s main character, Kenshin Himura, makes an oath to atone…

Read More Read More

#10. The Gung-Ho Guns (Trigun) Creator: Yasuhiro Nightow (series creator), Yousuke Kuroda (writer), Satoshi Nishimura (director) Originally Aired: 1998 Anime: Episodes #12-26 Studio: Madhouse North American Distributor: Funimation Streaming: Funimation, Netflix In recent years, Trigun has been known as the “obvious lesser” of the fan-dubbed “Space Western Trilogy” which has somehow been given an “obvious” hierarchy. The order would be Cowboy Bebop > Trigun > Outlaw Star, despite none of three even remotely attempting the same thing and all three being great…

Read More Read More

#15. Munich (Monster) Creator: Naoki Uraswa Original Years of Publication: 1997-1998 Manga: Chapters #47-77 Anime: (Monster) Episodes #25-39 Studio: Madhouse Japanese Publisher: Shogakukan (Big Comic Original) North American Publisher: Viz Media North American Distributor: Viz Media Recommended Version: Manga There’s a doctor named Kenzo Tenma on the road searching for a man named Johan. A man as sick and twisted as he is good at hiding his evil intentions, Johan quickly rises through the criminal underworld with nothing but charisma…

Read More Read More

#20. Kyoto (Rurouni Kenshin) Creator: Nobuhiro Watsuki Original Years of Publication: 1994-1997 Manga: Chapters #48-151 Anime: (Rurouni Kenshin) Episodes #28-62 Studio: Studio Gallop Japanese Publisher: Shueisha (Weekly Shonen Jump) North American Publisher: Viz Media North American Distributor: Aniplex of America Streaming: Crunchyroll, Hulu Recommended Version: Manga Oh, come on. You can’t tell me you haven’t seen or read this yet? Rurouni Kenshin, known as one of the best manga series out there, and one of the most influential, is a story…

Read More Read More

#25. Ending Day by Day (Full Metal Panic!) Creator: Shoji Gatoh Original Years of Publication: 2000-2001 Light Novel: Volumes #4-5 Manga: (Full Metal Panic! Sigma) Volumes #1-3, Chapters #1-12 Anime: (Full Metal Panic! The Second Raid) Episodes #1-13 Studio: Kyoto Animation Japanese Publisher: Fujimi Shobo (Fujimi Fantasia Bunko/Light Novel, Monthly Dragon Magazine/Manga) North American Publisher: Tokyopop [Defunct] (Light Novel) North American Distributor: FUNimation Entertainment Streaming: FUNimation Recommended Version: Anime Full Metal Panic! was a series of light novels that ran…

Read More Read More

In 1968, writer Ikki Kajiwara (or whatever his real name is) and artist Chiba Tetsuya teamed up to create one of the most influential and critically-acclaimed manga of all time. It was a gritty, and at times surprisingly dark, manga about a young man from the slums who slowly rises to fame in Japan as he pursues a career in boxing. The story itself sounds basic enough from that description, which unfortunately does it absolutely no justice since what you…

Read More Read More

So, what role do the villains have to play in all of this? Villains, as you will find out, is a rather broad and vague term in the world of Hunter X Hunter. In this case, though, the arc chooses to focus on the Phantom Troupe as the primary antagonists. These are the so-called ruthless bastards that have been behind seemingly hundreds of crimes, including the massacre of the Kurata clan and the theft of their scarlet eyes. They are…

Read More Read More

So on one side of the coin, we have Kurapika, who is basically the main character of this particular story arc. In that case, what exactly is his character arc? Well, at the start of the series we learned that he was a man out for blood on those who had wronged him. Aside from that, he was a pretty calm-natured dude. He was thoroughly stubborn in his viewpoints and rather naïve at times (not as much as Gon, of…

Read More Read More