What Are You Reading?

[Foggle]

I've read Astro Boy and Yotsuba!

[Dr. Ensatsu-ken]

No Shonan Junai Gumi or even Great Teacher Onizuka? I'm surprised E-K. 

And no Yu Yu Hakusho, Hunter X Hunter, One Piece, or Bakuman, for that matter. I wanted to keep it to the top 5 most essential shounen manga, which I believe are those 5 series, rather than my personal favorite shounen manga (though to be fair, all 5 of those series are among my personal favorites, regardless).

[Dr. Ensatsu-ken]

1. Bobobo-bo Bo-bobo (representing action-comedy)- Insane satire of action-adventure shonen manga, while still being one itself, with hilarious character and beautiful irreverence. My favorite manga. EVER.

I'll check it out eventually.

4. Animal Land (representing currently ongoing and drama manga) - This doesn't even have a Wikapedia page, which shows how really underrated it is! But it's a smart story, probably the best ongoing shonen manga right now

I really need to get around to Animal Land, one of these days.

(yes, I know Kuroko's Basketball is excellent, but I haven't gotten around to reading it yet)

Kuroko No Basket is a good read, for sure, but I don't think I'd call it the best currently running shounen manga, myself, especially since I feel that the manga kind of became a little bit less interesting after Seirin High vs Tōō (Gakuen) Academy, though to be fair I read the manga in chunks at a time, and currently I'm about 20-30 chapters behind the current story, but I doubt that'd be enough to automatically make me change my mind. The series is fun, though sort of lacks the grandiosity of something like Slam Dunk, which IMO is still the superior manga, on the whole. At any rate, I do think it's definitely worth reading this series, and it's easily one of the better currently running shounen manga around, but I certainly wouldn't call it the best, especially if we're going by overall quality, since One Piece is, IMO, still the best current shounen in terms of overall quality (even if I have my issues with the post time-skip stuff; although, it is getting better again).

[gunswordfist]

Read Samurai Executioner first. It comes before Lone Wolf And Cub (the characters are in the same world) I would have read LWAC and made it my first manga series but I heard about SE and I don't regret my decision.

[Spark Of Spirit]

The current arc in Kuroko is a flashback to what the Generation was like at their prime. I'm assuming this will be the build-up to the last match. As a whole I think it's the best sports manga since Slam Dunk since, despite being the same sport, manages to carve an identity of its own.

I also second Maison Ikkoku as being Takahashi's best work by far.


Currently running manga I enjoy:

1. Kuroko No Basket
2. Again!
3. Vinland Saga

That is all. (HxH isn't running)

[Dr. Ensatsu-ken]

The current arc in Kuroko is a flashback to what the Generation was like at their prime. I'm assuming this will be the build-up to the last match. As a whole I think it's the best sports manga since Slam Dunk since, despite being the same sport, manages to carve an identity of its own.

I haven't read that many sports manga, to be honest, so I couldn't say what the best ones are, myself.

As for Kuroko, I do really enjoy it, but there are a couple of things that prevent it from being as great as (or even surpassing) Slam Dunk for me. For one thing, once we get past Kise and Midorima, the last 3 members are basically the same basic character. They are all that type of shounen character who is all like "I'm the best and I never lose no matter what, so what's the point of even playing basketball?" You just know that Seiring will eventually beat them, and then they will all be like "Oh! I lost! I guess I need to work hard for next time and learn to love the sport some more!" That worked really well for Aomine, but then when we get to Murasakibara and Akashi, it already got old, even if the author tried to put a different spin on them with their personalities. I actually find both Kise and Midorima more interesting for that reason, as they feel distinct among the rest of the team, and actually took Kuroko and his team more seriously from the get-go. They just seem like they naturally have a better code o sportsmanship to them.

Another thing that kind of bugs me is that the later matches can get a little bit too silly with the "techniques" that players use (seriously, if this stuff were real, these kids would already be above the freaking NBA level). I wouldn't mind this if the series was naturally over the top to begin with, but the series was for the most part pretty grounded in reality with it's sense of basketball physics, much like Slam Dunk, so when you get techniques that sound like shounen attacks (Vanishing Drive, Phantom Shot, etc.), and they use these skills constantly throughout the manga, it starts to feel a less believable, and while the manga is still entertaining, that holds it back a bit for me from being as good as Slam Dunk's matches were. On that note, one thing that peeved me was the use of "The Zone" in the manga. Unlike some of the other techniques I didn't mind this in it's first use between Kagami and Aomine, because they were clear rivals in terms of being the same type of basketball player, and the respective aces o their teams. It worked well for that match, especially since you got the sense that Kagami got into that state out of sheer desperation to beat Aomine. What ticked me off is that it should have just ended, there. I was a little annoyed to see the author use this again as a Deus Ex Machina right away in the match against Murasakibara's team, Yosen. In this regard, I feel similar to this about how you feel about the Super Saiyan transformation in DBZ, in that I feel that "The Zone" is something that worked best only once, and having it used so soon again after that just made it feel so much less special, IMO.

At any rate, I'm nitpicking here. It probably sounds like I hate the manga reading all of that, but like I said, I still think it's really good. I just feel that it could have been better than it is if it avoided some of those issues I had with it, but I'm not going to complain to much given that this is one of the few really good manga that's still running in Weekly Shounen Jump.

Currently running manga I enjoy:

1. Kuroko No Basket
2. Again!
3. Vinland Saga

Has Billy Bat ended a while ago, or something? I was waiting for it to finish before I started reading it, given how addicting Urasawa's series can get, which would really frustrate me if I started it and then couldn't finish it.

That is all. (HxH isn't running)

That's also why I didn't count HXH as my favorite currently running shounen manga, either.

[Spark Of Spirit]

The current arc in Kuroko is a flashback to what the Generation was like at their prime. I'm assuming this will be the build-up to the last match. As a whole I think it's the best sports manga since Slam Dunk since, despite being the same sport, manages to carve an identity of its own.

I haven't read that many sports manga, to be honest, so I couldn't say what the best ones are, myself.

As for Kuroko, I do really enjoy it, but there are a couple of things that prevent it from being as great as (or even surpassing) Slam Dunk for me. For one thing, once we get past Kise and Midorima, the last 3 members are basically the same basic character. They are all that type of shounen character who is all like "I'm the best and I never lose no matter what, so what's the point of even playing basketball?" You just know that Seiring will eventually beat them, and then they will all be like "Oh! I lost! I guess I need to work hard for next time and learn to love the sport some more!" That worked really well for Aomine, but then when we get to Murasakibara and Akashi, it already got old, even if the author tried to put a different spin on them with their personalities. I actually find both Kise and Midorima more interesting for that reason, as they feel distinct among the rest of the team, and actually took Kuroko and his team more seriously from the get-go. They just seem like they naturally have a better code o sportsmanship to them.

I actually have liked the characters more because of the flashback arc where you see that they didn't just 'learn' to appreciate the sport, they actually lost touch with it. It's simple, but since this is hot-blooded shonen I feel it works. You see how they branch off to be that way, and it makes sense in its own little way. Akashi is most definitely not much like Murasakibara who simply doesn't care (if anything he might care TOO much). Aomine is better once you see what makes him tick.

Another thing that kind of bugs me is that the later matches can get a little bit too silly with the "techniques" that players use (seriously, if this stuff were real, these kids would already be above the freaking NBA level). I wouldn't mind this if the series was naturally over the top to begin with, but the series was for the most part pretty grounded in reality with it's sense of basketball physics, much like Slam Dunk, so when you get techniques that sound like shounen attacks (Vanishing Drive, Phantom Shot, etc.), and they use these skills constantly throughout the manga, it starts to feel a less believable, and while the manga is still entertaining, that holds it back a bit for me from being as good as Slam Dunk's matches were. On that note, one thing that peeved me was the use of "The Zone" in the manga. Unlike some of the other techniques I didn't mind this in it's first use between Kagami and Aomine, because they were clear rivals in terms of being the same type of basketball player, and the respective aces o their teams. It worked well for that match, especially since you got the sense that Kagami got into that state out of sheer desperation to beat Aomine. What ticked me off is that it should have just ended, there. I was a little annoyed to see the author use this again as a Deus Ex Machina right away in the match against Murasakibara's team, Yosen. In this regard, I feel similar to this about how you feel about the Super Saiyan transformation in DBZ, in that I feel that "The Zone" is something that worked best only once, and having it used so soon again after that just made it feel so much less special, IMO.

Yep, this is where the 'shonen' stuff comes into play which is why some people either hate the techniques or think they don't go far enough with them. But not to spoil it for you or anything, but 'the Zone' is never used after the game with Murasakibara (and it does little to help him, he still loses the game) which makes it a little less overpowered than your standard power-up. Also, to be fair with Kuroko's techniques, they're all based on his tricky movement and aren't like crazy over-the-top plays or anything. I'm not sure how far you got, but they don't always work and certain ones simply don't anymore. It's all about figuring them out.

At any rate, I'm nitpicking here. It probably sounds like I hate the manga reading all of that, but like I said, I still think it's really good. I just feel that it could have been better than it is if it avoided some of those issues I had with it, but I'm not going to complain to much given that this is one of the few really good manga that's still running in Weekly Shounen Jump.

I don't think it's perfect, but when I read it I get the excitement the author is putting into it and how much he respects both the sport and shonen. I also feel the idea of someone like Kuroko as the MAIN character (not a side-character or 'weird' friend) distinguishes it further. It's not Slam Dunk, but that's probably a good thing that it's a separate approach.

Currently running manga I enjoy:

1. Kuroko No Basket
2. Again!
3. Vinland Saga

Has Billy Bat ended a while ago, or something? I was waiting for it to finish before I started reading it, given how addicting Urasawa's series can get, which would really frustrate me if I started it and then couldn't finish it.

I forgot about it. Mainly because I can't read Urasawa manga until it's finished. I couldn't tell you how good it is!

[Dr. Ensatsu-ken]

I actually have liked the characters more because of the flashback arc where you see that they didn't just 'learn' to appreciate the sport, they actually lost touch with it. It's simple, but since this is hot-blooded shonen I feel it works. You see how they branch off to be that way, and it makes sense in its own little way. Akashi is most definitely not much like Murasakibara who simply doesn't care (if anything he might care TOO much). Aomine is better once you see what makes him tick.

But, that's what I was saying about the author trying to cover things up with their different personalities. Yes, those aspects of the characters are different, but the core concept of them is the same: they all have an unhealthy superiority complex due to how used to winning they are. That aspect doesn't really change between them, IMO.

Yep, this is where the 'shonen' stuff comes into play which is why some people either hate the techniques or think they don't go far enough with them. But not to spoil it for you or anything, but 'the Zone' is never used after the game with Murasakibara (and it does little to help him, he still loses the game) which makes it a little less overpowered than your standard power-up. Also, to be fair with Kuroko's techniques, they're all based on his tricky movement and aren't like crazy over-the-top plays or anything. I'm not sure how far you got, but they don't always work and certain ones simply don't anymore. It's all about figuring them out.

Actually, I made a mistake naming Kuroko's techniques as the ones that bug me. I was just trying to think of the names of the other techniques, and his were the ones that came to mind, so I just typed it up without thinking. Since it's a shounen manga, I can accept some suspenion of disbelief. What I starts messing things up for me a bit is when some abilities get a bit too ridiculous, like Akashi's ability to use his eyes to perceive the future moves of the people he plays against. Maybe they dissect this skill passed where I have read (all I've gotten, so far, is that he can perceive people's heart-beats and fine details and stuff like that to make predictions, which also sounds a bit too far-fetched), but the way they make it sound is that he can literally predict the future, which just feels way too out there in a manga with a relatively believable atmosphere for the most part. Make no mistake, though, the techniques don't ruin it for me as an overall series, it's just that the more ridiculous ones feel out of place in this series, IMO.

As for the part about "The Zone" not being used again after the 2nd time, I'm glad to hear that. It was a really nice climax to the final few minutes between the match with Seirin and Gakuen. Having Kagami use it again in the next match did hurt it a bit for me, but if that's the last time that he uses it, then I won't be too peeved. But something tells me that we're going to see that technique spring up again, anyways, at least by the final match in the series.

I don't think it's perfect, but when I read it I get the excitement the author is putting into it and how much he respects both the sport and shonen. I also feel the idea of someone like Kuroko as the MAIN character (not a side-character or 'weird' friend) distinguishes it further. It's not Slam Dunk, but that's probably a good thing that it's a separate approach.

I agree with this. If this series were done by any other author who wanted to do a generic sports manga, Kuroko would just be a quirky supporting character, and the star of the serious would be someone like Kagami. However, Kuroko makes himself Kagami's "shadow," and vows to support him in being the best player in Japan by using his own set of skills to help bring out the best in Kagami, as Kuroko himself just doesn't have the height or physique to become the best individual player (that's just the reality of the situation). So for all intents and purposes, Kuroko is like Kagami's side-kick, but he is the main character of the series, so this is really a manga about the side-kick. Though, to be fair, even Kuroko eventually becomes more than just that, and even though the manga is named after Kuroko, I think it's fair to say that Kagami gets just as much focus so as it wouldn't be a stretch to call him a main character as well. To me, this manga is really about Kuroko and Kagami as a duo, and the obvious theme being teamwork focuses on how these 2 use their different talents to bring out the best in each other. While neither Kuroko or Kagami could really stand up to the Generation of Miracles individually, as a team they can surpass them, which I believe is the whole point of the manga. That said, I believe the reason Kuroko is considered the more important main character is because he is basically the center of the team (and I don't mean in terms of his position, since he is obviously not a "center" ). As the center of the team, he helps enhance the team's performance through his unique set of skills, which is why he's the most significant character in a manga that's all about what it means to be a team.

[Spark Of Spirit]

If you haven't gotten to the game with Kuroko Vs. Kise, I think you really should. I think that might have been the best game in the manga so far (and all the games are usually entertaining) and that last point... awesome! It's a good one. If I'm not mistaken it's intense from page one, and nobody uses 'the Zone' (if I'm not mistaken... if they do and I don't remember, it does no good) which I think was a good way to make it pretty fast-paced.

Though right now we're in a flashback arc, it's still pretty entertaining. But I don't think the 'Emperor Eye' is him seeing the future, it's some kind of a stare that intimidates and puts opponents off balance for something like a Milli-second which he uses to force himself through. I don't know how to explain it properly, but it's more psychological intimidation than perception even if it might go a bit too far for most readers. Him 'knowing' what's going to happen is just him studying his opponent and their plays, it's not a special ability.

Anyway, Kuroko's goal of not being the best player, but the best teammate is quite fresh. I think that makes him the most valuable player even if he isn't the best. Especially when the rest of the team becomes able to catch his passes.

It's certainly the most fun thing running in Jump.

[LumRanmaYasha]

I've read Astro Boy and Yotsuba!

And no Yu Yu Hakusho, Hunter X Hunter, One Piece, or Bakuman, for that matter. I wanted to keep it to the top 5 most essential shounen manga, which I believe are those 5 series, rather than my personal favorite shounen manga (though to be fair, all 5 of those series are among my personal favorites, regardless).

True, but I would have suspected you to suggest Shonan Junai Gumi since you like it a lot and consider it the best "delinquent story" manga.  As for Yu Yu Hakusho and Hunter X Hunter, I know you prefer the anime adaptions over their manga because they improve on the source material, so I wasn't surprised to see you not mention them.

Currently running manga I enjoy:

1. Kuroko No Basket
2. Again!
3. Vinland Saga

That is all. (HxH isn't running)

On that note, Vinland Saga is something I've been meaning to get to as well. Haven't heard of Again! before, but it sounds interesting enough, so I'll check it out sometime. Like the rest of you, I'm waiting for Billy Bat to finish before I read more than I have of it.

Right now I only follow three currently running manga as they come out: One Piece, Toriko, and Detective Conan. I would be following Animal Land and that Don Patch spinoff manga Sawaii is writing... but sadly, no one scans them.

I dropped everything I didn't enjoy, like Naruto and Fairy Tail, months ago, while some stuff I had mixed opinions of like Soul Eater and Medaka Box have simply ended. As for other currenlty-running stuff I like such as Yotsuba and Pokemon Adventures...it's really just easier to me to just wait for the proper english translations, since I'm way behind on most of them. Anyways, right now, on a week by week basis, I feel new chapters of Toriko best new chapters of One Piece in entertainment, although admittedly Toriko is/was in a pretty intense and climatic arc these past few months, whereas One Piece is just in build-up. Still, all three are consistently enjoyable for me, so I can't complain, although I would like to be reading some currently running seinin as well, but most of the stuff I'm interested in has too many chapters for me to really want to catch up right now, so I'll wait until I get around to them on my backlog.

I also second Maison Ikkoku as being Takahashi's best work by far.

I don't know which between Urusei Yatsura and Maison Ikkoku I like best. Both are two of my absolute favorite anime/manga franchises... Actually, I haven't finished the manga of Maison Ikkoku yet, though I have watched the anime, OVA, and movie. Likewise, with Urusei Yatsura I haven't watched more than a couple episodes of the anime and the OVAs, although I have read the manga and watched all the movies  . I have to finish both franchises completely in order for me to determine which I ultimately prefer to be totally honest. Right now, though, if I had to rank all of Takahashi's works that I've read/watched in order it would go:

1. Urusei Yatsura (based on the manga, films, and what I've seen of the anime)
2. Maison Ikkoku (based on the anime, OVA, films, and what I've read of the manga)
3. Ranma 1/2 (based on the manga, anime, OVA's, and movies)
4. InuYasha (based on the manga and The Final Act. I have never and still don't care for the first anime and the movies)
5. Mermaid Saga (based on the manga)
6. One Pound Gospel (based on the manga)

I really enjoy all of these series, though. I need to finish the Maison Ikkoku manga properly, mind you, but I can safely say that it, Urusei Yatsura, Ranma 1/2, and InuYasha make my top 20 favorite manga list while Maison Ikkoku and Ranma 1/2's animes make my top 10, and of course, I love the Urusei Yatsura films immensely and three of them make my top 30 favorite films list. I know her works aren't favored as highly anymore because of, well, the InuYasha anime, but I've enjoyed her works in their various forms immensely overall. That said, I would only recommend Urusei Yatsura and Maison Ikkoku, anime or manga, to people here because they are definitely her best and most well-written (and least repetitive) works, and even if you didn't like or even hated InuYasha I would encourage you guys to try UY and MI because they, and this is coming from a fan of that series mind you, are nothing like it and are leaps and bounds more enjoyable in terms of characters, stories, and overall execution.   

[Spark Of Spirit]

I've enjoyed what I've encountered of her pre-Ranma work, but I thought Maison Ikkoku was on its own level. And one of the few romance series I liked that didn't grate on my nerves.

[Dr. Ensatsu-ken]

The end of the Seirin vs. Kaijou match in the Winter Cup semi-finals was actually where I left off. It was indeed a great match, though my personal favorite match in the series was still the 2nd match between Seirin and Gakuen (I just use that name because I can never be sure of the correct spelling or Tou-oh? Academy). Being that it was Seirin's "revenge" match against Aomine and his team, it just felt so damn intense to me from start to finish. And, just like the semi-finals match, it also had a final point that had me absolutely on the edge of my seat until the last second.

[Avaitor]

Uh...

[Foggle]

what the

[LumRanmaYasha]

Uh...

what the