Currently Running Manga Discussion

[LumRanmaYasha]

Here's a recent poll tallying which manga fans most want to see end can't wait to read the ending of. The top ten is as follows:

1. Kochira Katsushika-ku Kamearikouen-mae Hashutsujo (aka Kochikame)
1. Detective Conan
2. One Piece
3. Glass no Kamen (Glass Mask)
4. Hunter X Hunter
5. Golgo 13
6. Oishinbo
7. Hajime no Ippo (Fighting Spirit)
8. NANA
9. JoJo's Bizarre Adventure

No surprises here. These are all popular series that have gone on so long that no doubt a lot of people are getting pretty antsy to see how they finally end.

[Spark Of Spirit]

I'm surprised Berserk isn't near the top, but I don't know how popular it is now.

[LumRanmaYasha]

Well, it's #14 on the list. That's not too far out. I'm more surprised Captain Tsubasa isn't anywhere on the list more than anything.

[Dr. Ensatsu-ken]

I can see One Piece ending sometime within the next 10 years or so, myself.

As for HXH, I am thoroughly convinced that unless he decides to just abruptly end it out of nowhere, the series will not be completed within Togashi's lifetime, at the rate that he's going.

Hajime no Ippo feels like the most predictable ending to me. That said, even with a hardworking mangaka like Morikawa, this also feels like a series that will end up outliving its creator.

[Spark Of Spirit]

One Piece will end. It's not the type of story that can be stretched out for thirty years and still have people care without feeling strung along.

HxH I see being abandoned eventually. It will go about a decade without new chapters and suddenly Togashi will make a comment like: "Oh that? Yeah, I don't do that anymore." I can totally see it happening.

[LumRanmaYasha]

Well, to give my thoughts on all of them:

Kochikame, Oishinbo, and Golgo 13 have no overarching story so they can potentially go on forever and very well could.

I can see Detective Conan ending in a few years considering the plot developments that happened last year. I figure it'll still make it to it's 25th year before it does though.

One Piece will probably end in around 10 years.

The Glass Mask mangaka said she would end the series soon....5 years ago. I haven't read it so I don't know how close it is to actually finishing.

Hunter X Hunter is probably just going to get abandoned at some point. If it does have an ending it will most likely be a hastily thrown together one like YYH had.

From what I can tell Hajime no Ippo only needs a few years of material to close it off. I think it could easily end in around 5 years if the story just stays focused on the important stuff and is paced properly.

NANA is the only one of these series that isn't super long or "dragged out" and to my understanding could end shortly enough if only it could comeback from it's hiatus. Who knows if it ever will, though.

JoJo's is structured in a way that every story arc essentially stands on it's own. As such, it could go on as long as Araki wants it to and never lose steam since he changes the premise and focus of the series in every arc.

[LumRanmaYasha]

Well, I said I was going to post this list a week ago, but for various reasons I just couldn't get motivated to do it before now. Unlike the majority of my 12 Days posts my write-ups for these will be rather short and won't go into any analysis, but they should do the job of justifying "how" and "why."

2014 was a really good year for manga both commercially and in terms of quality on both sides of the pond and things are only looking up for 2015. On my front I quintupled the amount of manga I kept up with and discovered a lot of quality series, some of which becoming new favorites of mine. There were certainly some mediocre series and output this year, but even so the good far outweighed the bad. I spent twelve days counting down and explaining my twelve favorite chapters and moments in manga this year (though I ended up not writing anything for my #1 which was unfortunate), and now it's time to count down what the ten best manga series were in 2014. These are the series that consistently impressed me with their quality this year and were overall the best written and most memorable of the crop. Without further ado...

The Top Ten Manga of 2014:


#10: Girl May Kill
Chapters: #1-19

Though the premise is familiar and the simple artwork and character designs originally seemed like it work against the series' favor, Girl May Kill is a strongly written and excellent series that makes full use of the implications attached to it's premise with well-written characters and strong development and character studies. Though initially I was worried that the series would follow the path of certain other manga that involve grown men adopting a little girl as their daughter, thankfully this series isn't interested in turning out like that and the relationship between Gohongi and Mei is much more mutli-faceted and dually positive and negative, though in Mei's case, it becomes full-on disturbing how devoted she becomes to him and the lengths she will go to keep him by her side.

Much like other series that involve a salary man unwittingly getting involved in a criminal underworld (i.e. Black Lagoon), a lot of the focus has been on Gohongi retaining his conviction in order to stay close and help the people he cares about, particularly Mei, while still trying not to get too deep into the operations of the Lovely Town mafia to the point he won't be able to back out and continue living a normal life. What makes this so interesting is that Gohongi isn't prepared and underestimates how dangerous living with and associating with these gangsters are, and that he himself is a flawed person who's idealistic outlook ends up slowly being broken as he is involved and brought into situations where he fails to help people he cares about and in fact brings many of them into danger, which often costs them. At this point in the story he is still a good person at heart, but the consequences of his involvement in the gang war has had serious repercussions on many of the people he's tried to help.

The direction the story is taking isn't pleasant as both Mei and Gohongi bring themselves down further into emotional instability and a dangerous co-dependence, a problem that is going to boil sooner rather than later. I'm not sure if this story will end up being one of redemption and salvation or something more depressing, but whatever the case it's one of the most interesting and well-written series I've read this year with huge potential and promise in it's future. Considering less than 400 people on MAL seem to be reading it, it's easily the most under-the-radar series on this list and I'm keeping up with in general, but with it legally available via Crunchyroll manga hopefully more people start to check it out as it picks up more steam.


#9: Fuuka
Chapters: #1-44

I avoided reading this for a while because I figured it was just another standard rom-com manga. But shortly after I got into BECK and became a fan of that I learned that this series was also a manga about music. Interested, I quickly snatched it up and read through it in one lazy afternoon at the end of the summer. Suffice to say, I was pleasantly surprised and impressed. It was a well-written romance series with sensibly written characters who behaved reasonably and realistically, and the slow development into the music element of the series was well-done and appreciable. It never dragged or lost the pace and had very likeable and diverse characters (Mikasa in particular gets props for being one of the best written portrayals of a homosexual character I've ever seen in manga), and how the love triangle was handled and resolved was one of the best I've seen done. I also enjoyed the fact that the main couple got together after only 30 chapters. That never happens, and I liked how we saw them in a relationship and work through some of their concerns for a few chapters. Sure, that twist abruptly ends that and that does bum me out (especially since Fuuka was such a great character), but at the same time it was foreshadowed so I can't hold it that much against the mangaka, though I still feel it's a bit of a missed opportunity.

I haven't read Seo Kouji's other works and from what I've heard about them I'm unsure of how good they are or not. However, Fuuka has been great so far and even after that series-changing twist three months ago it still continues to be. It's a well-written story with good characters that is pushing forward in a good and interesting direction, and I've been really enjoying it. I have good hopes for it this year and think it really good end up being something being special. I've been disappointed by series that had potential before so I'm keeping my expectations in check, but so far I've been given no reason to worry and the manga continues to impress me with the way it's handled itself. It hasn't been perfect, and I would've liked more time before the recovery, but it's not like I can expect something akin to "The Fall of Joe Yabuki" in a modern-day slice-of-life/romance manga considering the nature of the business and fans these days anyway. It's still one of the best currently-running shonen slice-of-life's I've discovered and one of the best series Crunchyroll manga has to offer, and I expect it will continue to be for a good while. I wouldn't be surprised if I'm able to give it a higher ranking next year.


#8: A Bride's Story
Chapters: #35-43

Bride's Story spent most of this year focusing on a new bride and a different kind of love story. Whereas the previous stories focused on people searching for a romantic love and finding it in spite of adversities and doubts, the focus of Anis' story is rather different. She has a partner and is content with him but she still feels lonely since her husband spends so much time away from her, leaving her by herself. What Anis is missing is someone she can really spend time with and confide in, a friend, and her story was focused on how she went about finding and making that friend and the worries and awkwardness and intimacy that came with that. The connection she eventually made with Shirin was fascinating in how it developed and how strong the bond between them became, and Mori's implementation on the idea of sister-bride's within this culture was spot-on in keeping with the themes of the series and the needs of these characters.

Many people while reading this were wondering if the two were forming a sort of romantic connection, but it really iss just a really deep friendship between these two women who enjoy each other's company and want to be there for one another. And how far Anis is willing to go for Shirin's sake in her time of need is moving as well. Compared to other women in her culture and time she is lucky to have a husband she doesn't have to share, but she takes it on herself to have him take Shirin on as a second wife in order for her and her child to be able to survive financially. If it was for anyone else, she admits she would hate the thought, but if it's for her best friend, she is willing to make that kind of sacrifice. I can't help but wonder how this will affect the friendship and relationship between the two and whether they will be able to deal with the inevitable issues that will arise. Kaoru Mori's travelogue continues to explore such amazing themes in the context of such a fascinating historical timeframe and culture and I can't wait to see how Anis and Shirin's story concludes this year, and what other stories she'll move on to next.


#7: Assassination Classroom
Chapters: #71-113

I'd like to consider this year a transitional year for Assassination Classroom. After establishing the characters, story, and setting the direction of the story in it's current direction through the events of the Island arc which capped the series off last year and concluded right at the beginning of this year, the series proceeded to focus on it's set-up plot and character threads and systematically bring them to some conclusion or progress, while building up to the God of Death arc that essentially concluded the series this year. All the core characters got some good development and have things set-up for them to do as the series continues, and the final conflict(s) of the series seem to be being built up in the aftermath of the God of Death arc and other recent storylines. AC seems to know where it wants to go and what it wants to do with it's characters and it's been a blast to follow it through most of this year, especially in the last few months where it's produced one excellent chapter after another and only with the last released chapter sort of wound down.

If I had to choose one thing in particular that I've loved in the series this year it is the way the characters have been developed, namely Itona, Karasuma, Irina, Terasaka, and most importantly Nagisa. While I'm a bit disappointing that the direction of Nagisa's character arc isn't going in the direction I thought it would, it has still been impressive and interesting to see develop and I'm excited to see where it'll lead to in the future. I have a feeling this year will be a big year for the series. Not just because of the anime, regardless of it's quality, can only push it's popularity to even greater heights, but also because it's set-up a lot to look forward to seeing this year. Even though the series is popular Matsui seems to be moving it along at a good pace and has an endgame in mind. What he'll do with the series with what he's set in motion excites me and as it stands it's easily the most interesting and consistently entertaining series running in Weekly Shonen Jump and one of the most consistently well-done currently running shonen manga in general and I don't see that changing anything soon.


#6: Silver Spoon
Chapters: #93-108

This year was a pivotal one in the direction of the story of Silver Spoon and the paths the characters have taken in their lives. Hachiken and Okawa worked hard to put together a solid business proposal to get funding from Hachiken's father and took the initiative to start their own business, Mikage worked hard in her studies to get closer to her goal of attending a good school where she can work with horses, and all sorts of various minor characters were shown moving towards a new transition in their life as they worked towards their future goals and dreams. As I explained before, my favorite of a sequence of chapters that focused specifically on certain characters and where they're going in life was Komaba, who after having once given up his future now aspires to reclaim it and with blood and sweat works towards fulfilling his dream. It was a wonderful year of chapters that proved at times hilarious, other times inspiring, and many times moving.

And I loved the way the series ended the year, with the Equestrian Club participating in it's most important competition to date, and Hachiken doing his absolute best to help his team win, and Mikage's love of horses and dedication to her craft earning them the right to head to the equestrian koshien. Just those last pages of chapter 108 where Komaba sees the news and immediately gets in a victory pose and screams out "YEAAHHH!!!" ecstatic for the success of his friends as he works hard to follow in their example was amazing and I got the same reaction to that moment as he did. There was so much to love about Silver Spoon this year and as much as it kills me how few chapters of it came out this year it's never disappointed me when it comes to delivering a great chapter every time. I'm looking forward to seeing how, in their final year of High School and with adulthood looming forward, these characters embrace and work with that challenge to achieve their goals and dreams, with the hope that everything works out in spite of the challenges they will no doubt continue to face.


#5: Kakukaku Shikajika
Chapters: #15-28

Akiko Higashimura's auto-biographical manga about how she became a mangaka is as brutally honest and self-critical as it is side-splittingly hilarious. Yet at it's core it's meant as a moving tribute and reflection on her late mentor and all the regrets she has when she thinks of back then. Painful, heart-breaking, and personal, it's often hard to watch Higashimura as she makes her way in life and how she, eventually, finally was able to achieve her dream of becoming a mangaka in spite of a lot of wasted opportunity but because of a lot of hard work to make up for it. It's a fascinating story and journey that rings true and hits home with any aspiring artist but is no doubt relatable to many people who gone through similar experiences and share similar regrets for the mistakes and missteps of their youth. I applaud Higashimura's bravery in telling this very personal story that she felt she had to tell no matter how painful it was to draw for her, and I look forward to seeing it to it's melancholy conclusion this year.


#4: REAL
Chapters: #73-80

Volume 13 of REAL is interesting in the fact it is completely focused on one event, the comeback wrestling match of Scorpion Shiratori, in what seems like a detour from the story of our three main characters. However, it not only ended up being a fantastic volume of chapters, but perhaps my favorite volume of REAL up to this point and one of my all-time favorite volumes of manga period. In these chapters we get a lot of backstory on Shiratori and his best friend turned rival Matsuzaka as they worked their way up in the professional wrestling world, but a turn of fate ended up making Shiratori a heel while Matsuzaka became a face, and how that tested their relationship and affected his personal life. This is intermixed with the dramatic match between the two as they brutally duke it out, while Shiratori tries to hide the fact he is crippled and has no use of his legs. Which of course leads to a really creative and intense match as Shiratori pulls out all the stops and tricks in his bag to hide his disability and put up one hell of a match against his old rival and give in a run for his money, in a fight personal, badass, and emotional that I daresay now ranks as one of my all time favorites in the medium. It's a fantastic set of chapters that not only gives great insight to a fascinating supporting character and reveals a surprising connection between him and another, but also in inspiring Hisanobu to have the strength to turn his life around and take up wheelchair basketball. It was just a strong year for the series and produced some of my most favorite from material from it to date, which, considering how great this series has consistently been and how long it's run, is high praise indeed.


#3: Billy Bat
Chapters: #111-132

After finishing the conflict against Kiyoshi and averting the crisis involving the moon Kevin Yamagata took up the mantle as the official mangaka of Billy Bat but finds that as a consequence of his actions there is an inevitable crisis coming that he is unable to predict and if it isn't stopped the world will surely end. Kevin has other things to worry about as he deigns to find a successor to take his place in order to travel the world and draw something new, and finds a worthy replacement in Timmy, though it remains uncertain if he can truly communicate with the Bat. Because as it stands it seems the only one who can is Jackie, who is being urged by the Bat to meet with Kevin asap and give him an urgent message. Featuring rapid-fire plot development, surprises, and suspense the whole year through, Billy Bat concluded what I'd like to call it's middle-phase of it's story and has begun it's endgame. Which I feel pretty confident about saying considering that things are starting to tie together with the ultimate mystery behind the Bat being slowly brought to light and the big climax to this whole thing going to be preventing 9/11 from happening. You just can't get much bigger than that though I wouldn't be surprised if Urasawa goes even farther. With old faces returning and meeting up and the clock ticking down as everyone tries to figure out what to do, it'll be interesting to see how Urasawa pulls this all together this year and what other surprises he might have in store. But as far as this year goes it was simply phenomenal, with great development for the character arcs of Kevin, Devivie, "Chuck," and Kiyoshi and conclusions to the stories of the latter two to tense conflicts and a pretty dang bold development in the story, Urasawa's writing is as strong as ever and this series continues to be simply excellent on all levels.

[LumRanmaYasha]

#2: Princess Jellyfish
Chapters: #65-74

My favorite two chapters of any manga this year came from Princess Jellyfish so as you might guess it had a great year. Tsukimi has been pushed out of her comfort zone as she has to live with the consequences of her decision and survive on her own without her friends beside her for the first time in her life while learning the ropes of the professional fashion industry. Kuranosuke still hasn't given up on her and chases her to Hong Kong to find a way to bring her back, unwittingly starting a career as a model over there. Shu deals with the consequences of his obliviousness to Tsukimi's plight as he wrestles to whether he is truly willing to go the distance and risk his career in order to be with her. And we are given deep insight into the past and character of President Kai and his complicated relationship with clothes and the fashion industry and his disillusionment with his job, searching to find an answer to whether he loves what he does or not. All this among harsh reflections on the difficulty of truly achieving your dreams, the cost of success, whether it's worth it to move up in the world while losing the passion you had for doing what you love and with the people you love, and Tsukimi finding an answer to why she's making clothes while also finding a way to stay true to herself and become resolved to endure her present situation. Fantastic character development alongside powerful themes, phenomenal writing, and a great direction to the story cemented a incredibly strong year for Princess Jellyfish, and I can't wait to see what's in store for it and these characters in 2015.

But for as great as PJ was, there is still one series that boasted a better year. One series that managed to leave more of an impact and provide an even more exciting reading experience. And that series is..NARUTO! Ha ha ha no. Let's not kid ourselves here. You all fucking know what the #1 is, and that's...


#1: A Silent Voice
Chapters: #20-62

What can I possibly say about this series that I haven't said a bazillion times by now? You know what, I don't think I can. Instead, here is everything that I have said about A Silent Voice before in chronological order:

Spoiler

A Silent Voice chapter 44 - Holy fucking shit. This chapter was...wow. Right off this was incredibly potent and emotional stuff when Mrs. Nishimiya bows down to apologize to Shoya's mom for what happened to him. The look on her face pretty much says it all at just how ashamed and guilty she feels that he got hurt trying to save her daughter from committing suicide. God, this has got to be the most vulnerable she's ever been at this point, and it really shows. Moving on, Yuzuru bumping into Sahara and Nagatsuka, who've come to see Shoya, was a short, but nice scene. Shoya thought that he had lost his friends for good, but it's clear to see that these two still care a lot about him and, while they still are uncomfortable about what happened before, they are still there for him at this critical time. And then we get to Ueno and Shoko....holy shit is Ueno a fucking horrible person. She doesn't give a damn about what Shoko might be feeling right now, or how she's ever felt, being a deaf girl trying to fit in and constantly bullied. She beats her up, pulls her hair, and mocks the heartfelt letter she wrote to her where she explains just why she acts the way she does and that she does it for her sister's sake...right in front of Yuzuru, who must feel incredibly guilty about everything going on right now as well. And Shoko just takes the beatings and insults. Hell, she probably feels she deserves it. It's all so goddamn sad. So when Mrs. Nishimiya slaps Ueno right at the end of the chapter it was incredibly satisfying. Mrs. Nishimiya, to this point, has tried to protect her daughter by letting her fight her own battles and moving her from place to place when things don't work out. For her to lose her cool and slap a teenager is an incredibly aggressive and violent action from her (though it's more than justified...I mean, Ueno was beating Shoko half to death...). This chapter was just excellent on so many emotional levels. I've already re-read this one about 5 times already now because it's really that strong of stuff. I'm glad I finally tried and caught up with this series. I look forward to how this situation develops in the next chapter. I really want to see Shoko come to grips with what's happened especially. If there's one thing Ueno said that was true, it's that the poor girl needs to realize there are people who truly care about her and want her around.

A Silent Voice chapter 45 - Oh wow, Ueno actually felt guilt and regret for her actions. Not only that, but Sahara is still her friend after all of this. I feel that Ueno, selfish and despicable as she can be, does truly want to become a better person, but she's quick to anger and hurting others to relieve her own pain. I hope we see her change her ways before the series is over. But damn, the second half of this chapter, Yuzuru and Mrs. Nishimiya taking down the pictures...reflecting on all that's happened, what they did do, what could have been done, and Shoko coming in and the whole family bursting out in tears...that was a really powerful moment. It seems Shoko now has conviction in her eyes. She's done feeling sorry for herself, and thinking she's a burden. She's going to make things right again. I can't wait to see how.

A Silent Voice chapter 46 - So Shoko wants to make it up to Shoyo by finishing the movie. Though Ueno has already refused, could she really get back the gang together, and make amends? The interactions between Shoko and Nagatsuka was touching in this chapter. Both of them care about helping Shoyo and clearly have a mutual bond from that, but I think they've become genuine friends themselves, a great development considering they previously were only around each other because of Shoyo. Will they be able to finish the movie? I'd hope so.

A Silent Voice chapter 47 - It seems like there's going to be a chapter focusing on each member of the group and their reactions to aftermatch of Shoko's attempted suicide/Shoyo's hospitalization. Last week the chapter was focused on Nagatsuka, the week before that it was about Yuzuru. This week's focus is on Sahara, and her doubts as to whether she has really changed as a person. Unlike Shoyo, it never crossed her mind to track down Shoko and make amends or befriend her. She ran away from the situation, her problems, and Shoko, and instead tried to be someone that other people saw her as, and by circumstance, ended up coming to an understanding with Ueno, perhaps out of the desire to let bygones be and start over, or perhaps out of guilt that she saw her as a horrible person, when she herself couldn't do anything, and perhaps because she just wanted approval from those around her. So the question is, did she change as a person through these years, or has she simply been going along with the flow, doing what's convenient and popular to do at the time. But it's pointless for her to think about why she's done what she's done, and instead focus on what she can do right now for the people she cares about. The dress she made for Ueno, to me, symbolizes her desire to be useful to someone, and to be there for someone. Even though Ueno has rejected her, Shoko stops her from throwing the dress away. Shoko tells her they need it. That they need her. She is their friend, she is doing something that's making a difference. She's been helping all this time. Maybe, she would have never talked to Shoko again if it wasn't for Shoyo. Maybe, she wouldn't have been able to run over and risk her life to stop Shoko from jumping to her death. But she can help with this movie, right here, right now, and that will make a difference. 

A Silent Voice chapter 48 - I'll be honest, I did not expect a chapter about Miki...but wow. Have you ever met a person who has deluded themselves that they are this innocent, model citizen, but in reality is very much a hypocrite and capable of some horrible things, but he/she doesn't realize it and always manages to put a spin on what's happened to put themselves in a victimized or positive light? I certainly know such people, and it can be almost horrifying to see just how far they will twist the facts to make themselves appear saintly and in the right. Typically, you don't see these kinds of characters often in anime/manga. If you do, they are these psychopathic, crazy people, which is not really what I'm talking about, which is more of a "everyday evil" kind of thing. As far as animation/comics in general goes, I'm drawing a blank on many similar characters like this. The closest I can think of is Eric Cartman from South Park. Specifically, if you remember the episode "Fishsticks," you'll remember how Cartman managed to convince himself that he was responsible for the fish dicks joke, when in reality he was only a catalyst for Jimmy to think of it, and you saw the process of how each time Cartman thought of what happened he kept portraying himself in a more active role and heroic light, while Jimmy was increasingly shown to be ineffectual and less involved. In Cartman's mind, the reality of what happened changed to fit his need to be important, and even though Kyle and Jimmy call him out on it, Cartman convinces himself that it is Jimmy who's the one who is deluding himself. It was simply impossible for Cartman to acknowledge that he was taking credit for something he didn't do, because he genuinely believed that he was responsible, and because of his massive ego, the reality of what happened was soon replaced with a more palatable version to suit his delusions of grandeur.

Miki Kawai is exactly the same. She believes she is this cute, kind, model student. She is her class representative, she gets perfect scores, she does plenty of community service. It's clear that she believes she is paradigm of a human being and tries to behave as one. One could say she has a superiority complex, since although she is genial to other people in public, her insistence to help them comes from not just wanting to help, but to show off how smart and kind she is. The first pages of this chapter show her looking at her mirror and thinking about how cute she is. She makes a point to remind Mashiba about the text she sent him about visiting Ishida, not really because she cares about him, but because she wants an excuse to get closer to him and make him fall for how gosh-darn selfless and caring she is. She isn't just satisfied with him knowing that, but the class as well, telling everyone to fold 1000 paper cranes to show their support for Ishida. Why? She'd probably say it's a symbolic gesture of good will. But it's also a completely frivolous act. It will not help Ishida get better. It will not help Ishida feel better. But Kawai is not thinking about that. She's thinking of a way to, yet again, show what a great person she is for thinking of such a "selfless" gesture. What Kawai cares about is the approval of others, and the attention of others. This is why she is head of the class, makes sure she's exceptional at everything she does, and presents herself as this kind, saintly figure. She wants people to notice her and love her as much as she loves herself. And she is eager to know what people think about her. Obsessed. Why else would she be peeing at someone else's phone, focusing on her text?

How does Kawai take criticism of her and her 1000 paper crane plan? Well, she's just confused. After all, she's "worked harder than anyone else," "for the class," and "they all backed her" as class represented. So why would people be mocking her behind her back? She quickly labels herself a victim. She soon attributes their comments as jealousy of her "relationship" with Mashiba. And then she begins to feel she's being bullied. She thinks "oh, this must be how Nishimiya and Sahara felt;" she puts some small criticism of her and her behavior on the same level of Shoko's horrific and often violent bullying and Sahara's complete isolation from school. Both of which, she is quick to forget, she was a part of, and as guilty as anyone else for. She re-remembers the incident where Ishida told her, as a favor, to not tell Mashiba and co. about how he used to bully Shoko in middle school, which she at the time perceived as him threatening her, and publicly shamed him in front of the entire group, the event that destroyed the movie making group, left Nishimiya alone once again and ridden with guilt for what happened, which caused her to try to commit suicide, which led to Ishida saving her at the cost of himself, leaving him in the condition he is in now. But Kawai doesn't think about it that way. She just thinks that "oh, Ishida has been punished for what he's done to me, maybe I should forgive him...a little." She's already manipulated the facts, to portray her as a helpless victim who has suffered just as much as Nishimiya, whereas in reality she was one of the biggest bullies of both her and Ishida, who she now thinks as someone in need of her forgiveness. In Kawai's mind, everything is about her and everything is like how believes it is. And she is always blameless. And if she can't blame Ishida because he's in the hospital, or Shoko because she's been bullied, who else is left but her own best friend, Nao, who she quickly turns on. And notice how she plays the poor victim act in front of Mashiba, tells her she's being bullied with a little sob, and tells him the name of the girl who wrote the text criticizing her so that he can "do something about it." She casually passes off the task of revenge to another person, to absolve herself of any blame. This way she keeps her reputation intact, humiliates and isolates her perceived enemies, and stays on top and as popular as ever. I doubt she even realizes how manipulative that is. But she's probably incapable of even considering that.

If anything clinches the "Kawai is a self-centered bitch" thing it's that she completely ignores what Shoko wants to do, finish the movie, and belittles her idea while going on what she believes to be a motivational speech but is really a self-pitying rant. Furthermore, now that she believes "Nao is bad," she is quick to antagonize her. She firmly believes that Nao is the bad guy here, but Nao, while a despicable in her won right for how she's treated Shoko all this time, genuinely cares about Ishida's well-being and recognizes that her actions were wrong, and while she won't admit it, she feels guilty about it. Nao doesn't hide behind pretense. She does what she feels. But all Kawai cares about is keeping up her image of being a model student. She has no genuine interest in anyone else but herself, and she is not capable of thinking of herself in a negative light, or contemplate on her own actions. So here we have two very different everyday life villains. One who isn't afraid to admit who she is, the other completely unaware. And now they are face to face with each other, a tense confrontation soon to turn to a shouting match. And it's anyone's guess where it will lead. Once again, A Silent Voice has the best chapter of the week. Easily.

A Silent Voice chapter 49 - I was expecting a shouting match between Ueno and Kawai, but that wasn't the focus of the chapter. Though, we got an amazing scene where Ishida's mom meets Shoko, and can't find anything to say to her, and instead walks away, telling Yuzuru that they can talk once Ishida recovers. But the real meat of the chapter was learning more about Mashiba and seeing him come to terms with himself and the incident this week. And it seems he isn't the confident, upstanding man he appears to be. His motivations, in fact, had been very skewed, dreaming to become a teacher solely to punish the children of those who bullied him, and hanging around Ishida to make himself feel more normal in comparison. However, Ishida's selfless actions have left him thinking about what kind of person he really is and makes him feel guilty and ashamed. Unlike Kawai, who immediately pulls a 180 and agrees to finish the movie only because Mashiba agreed to help, Mashiba genuinely wants to be a better person, and has been encouraged to change his ways following Ishida's example, apologizing to the teacher he beat up in order to help Shoko be able to film at the school. I appreciate this look at Mashiba, and it seems next week, we'll be coming back to Ueno. I wonder if she'll be able to suck up her pride and change her ways too? 

A Silent Voice chapter 50 - This chapter featured a great exploration into Ueno's character: why she likes Ishida, why she hates Shoko, and why she behaves the way she does. I find it interesting, and realistic, and Ueno doesn't change her mind about Shoko and join the movie project. There's plenty of people who simply can't let grudges go. But it was nice that she does end up helping her anyway, giving her the number for a sound production team, after being won over bu Shoko's determination. I don't know if this is the last we'll see of Ueno, but if it was, it was a good resolution to that conflict and her character arc.

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[LumRanmaYasha]

NOTE: Turns out I wrote A LOT about A Silent Voice. This is going to be a multi-post thing...

Spoiler

A Silent Voice chapter 51 - This was a fantastic look into Shoko's perspective and how she perceives her surroundings, as well as her regrets for how things turned out and her longing for a normal, happy childhood. Very moving, powerful stuff. I'm a bit confused as to where Shoko is going at the end of the chapter. In the dream she had it seemed Ishida was going to die. Maybe she's going to visit him again. That could lead a very emotional moment, especially if Ishida wakes up soon.

A Silent Voice chapter 52 - Oh man, this was a powerful chapter. Completely wordless until the end, as Shoko runs towards the balcony where she almost tried to commit suicide and reflects on everything that's happened, and then runs to the bridge where she and Shoya used to meet, and then breaks down in tears. And then, at the same time she does, Shoya finally rewakens in the hospital. Moving stuff. I can't wait to see their reunion next week.

A Silent Voice chapter 53 - I honestly was expecting the reunion of Shoya and Shoko to be a bit more dramatic, but as it is it made for a sweet scene where they realize the other is okay and become elated. I also enjoyed the sequence at the beginning of the chapter where Shoya has a "what-if" dream, mirroring that of Shoko's last week. Both of them regret the way things turned out back then, and no doubt they would have been different if Shoko wasn't deaf and Shoya hadn't been desperate for attention. Of course, those past mistakes have made them close to each other in the present, and luckily, that bond prevented either one of them from doing harm to themselves. Of course Shoya was injured trying to stop Shoko from committing suicide, but he's alright now, and now that they both have in each other somebody willing to go to any lengths to protect/help each other, they can start leaving behind their regrets and self-depreciating thoughts and start moving forward and living happier lives. Since the plan was to make the movie in order to support Shoya's recovery, I wonder how that will change now that he is out of his coma? Certainly, there are still amends and loose ends that need to be tied up, and I'm sure the project will still move forward, with Shoya's involvement now that he's recovered. Since the series is ending on November 12th, there should still be around 7 or so chapters of the series left at this point, so I'm eager to see how everything will be resolved from this point in that remaining time. 

A Silent Voice chapter 54 - A wonderfully touching reunion between Shoko and Shoya, where Shoya tells her that she helped him find new happiness in his life, and that while he doesn't know what he can do to make her happy, he wants to continue trying, and wants her to continue to help him become a better person. A great scene and dialogue, and a strong emotional conclusion to the development of their relationship throughout the story. It makes me wonder just what could possibly be left to show for the next six or so weeks before the series ends, but I'm sure it will continue to be a solid, rewarding denouement.

A Silent Voice chapter 56

- Per usual, first up is A Silent Voice! After the wonderful reconciliation between Shoya and Shoko's mothers last week, I expect this week will continue showing more resolutions between the characters.

- Oh man, so Shoya has decided to go back to school. How are people going to treat him, after knowing what he's been through? I remember some were doubting that he really saved Shoko, and postulated that he actually tried to push her off the balcony himself, and others still felt indifferent to his plight. Though he's made tremendous strides in becoming a better person and has been through so much to make amends, this previous reputation as an awkward, mean-spirited bully still lingers. He still has a long way to go before he's able to wipe his slate clean. I'm sure, though, that with the help of the people who truly know the kind of person he is, the people who proudly call themselves his friends, will help him accomplish that.

- Yeah, he is really, really nervous. I feel for him. He really wants to change people's perceptions of him, apologize for what he's done in the past. One thing that hits home for me here is him practicing trying to talk to people, because that's something I, personally, still have trouble with. I can really sympathize with him trying to learn how to be more sociable, and make a better impression on people.

- I also love his resolve to not only talk to more people, but to listen to them as well, no matter what they have to say. He's come a long way from the beginning of the series.

- It looks like their going to see Nagatsuka's movie. I was thinking there'd be a few more chapters until that, but that's interesting. Shoya's reaction to it is bound to be very emotional.

- X faces! Wow, we haven't seen those in a while. I guess most of his classmates still feel distant and alien from him.

- Oh Shoya...I feel ya man. But you can't just avoid the problem any longer. You got to keep your head up.

- D'aw...Shoko pulling Shoya around is as adorable as it is hilariously awkward. 

- Oh geez, Nagatsuka's movie is fucking dark. And really, really relevant to what Shoko and Shoya have been through. Damn.

- What, Kawai wrote this? I'm as surprised as Shoya. I guess that proves the point that you can never know what they can be truly capable of or the mark of their character unless you really try and get to know them better. Though, in Kawai's case, I don't think her rotten behavior can be forgiven, especially since she's oblivious about it. It'll be interesting to see how Shoya deals with her when they meet again.

- Way to get everyone's attention, Shoya. Oh god, the look on his face. Painful. You can tell he's overwhelmed and uncomfortable with everyone's else being on him. Not only that, but notably, none of them have their faces crossed out. Shoya sees their faces. They see his. He has to deal with other people again; it's now or never. What will he do? What can he say? What will they do? What will they say? God dammit, A Silent Voice, why must you tug at my heartstrings so!

A Silent Voice chapter 57 - I was wondering how things would resolve themselves, how Shoya would be able to face and apologize to these people he wants to consider friends. At the beginning of the series Shoya did not recognize people, much less get to know them, but as he started mending his ways through Shoko, he started to gain a circle of friends around him. Yet, even then, he never tried to get close to them or know them better, and was just content to be around them after all this time, having been friend-less for so many years. But as time went on, he did begin to notice things about these people, and what makes them who they are. But, after seeing the movie, he realized that there is still so, so much he still has yet to know about them as well. And he wants to get to know them better. I think the one character that surprised me here was Kawaii. She's still oblivious, and I felt she shouldn't have been forgiven quite as easily, but it also seems she genuinely felt bad that she didn't get enough people to make paper cranes to celebrate Shoya's release from the hospital. It seems there are still sides to her personality that we hadn't seen, but should get to know. The same for everyone else, and Shoya knows this now. I loved each personal reconciliation Shoya had with each of the characters, as one by one there faces became clear, and Shoya was able to see them for the people they were again. And, I loved, LOVED the ending of the chapter, where Shoya has finally decided to open up to people, embrace the good and bad things about them and whatever they might think of him, with all the "X's" falling off their faces one by one as he hears all their voices. Brilliant, emotional stuff all the way through. This honestly felt like it should have been the second to last chapter, in the way. It makes me wonder what the next four chapters will be about. Knowing this series, though, they are bound to be great ones.

A Silent Voice chapter 58 - The group worked so hard on the movie...only for it to be bashed as "pretentious," the judges not understanding the genuine nature and motives behind the project, and every single aspect about their movie was mercilessly picked apart. It was painful to read. They put into a lot of effort into the movie, thought what they made was great, but even so other people hated it. Yet, as Shoya tries to say, that shouldn't let them get them down. They don't need to care about what those assholes said about it. It was a rushed project, there were some rough edges, but they accomplished something together, and they had fun doing it, and it meant a lot to the person they were making it for. They'll just do it even better next time, and show people what they can really do. It was a great moment. And the icing on the cake was the whole group going to have dinner together, laughing and joking around as friends. It's all so emotionally rewarding considering the trials these characters have gone through, and how they've now found good friends they can be comfortable being themselves with. Seeing Shoko laugh and smile, for the first time in a long, long while, almost brought a tear to my eye, just how it does Yuzuru's. Another beautiful, wonderful chapter.

A Silent Voice chapter 59 - And so now the characters are preparing the move into a new transition in their lives. Shoya is afraid to lose the friends he's made, particularly Nishimiya, and refuses to accept her decision to move to Tokyo. But he has to realize that it's time for everyone to move on, including himself. Will he follow Nishimiya to Tokyo? Perhaps. No matter where he goes, though, he should be fine. He's no longer afraid to get to know other people.

A Silent Voice chapter 60 - Aw...so Shoya ended up making Shoko feel wary about moving to Tokyo, and he feels so awful about it. And he just keeps wondering: What am I going to do? Not just with this situation, but with his life. It's re-enforced during his meet-up with his Nagatsuka and co., where they all have plans for the future and, while not all them know what they want to do in life, they are going to do what they want to do. (On that note, I love how Mashiba doesn't dissuade Kawai from following him to the same college he goes to and how nonchalantly he says he likes her...third best after children. And then Nagatsuka's like "ah, she's pretty high. I like kids too." That was a wonderfully funny moment.) But, what does Shoya want to do? That's what he's trying to figure out. For so much of his life he was just miserable and going through the motions. Then he finally found purpose in making amends with Nishimiya and helping her find friends and being a friend to her. But that job's done now. She's found a goal and is ready to move on with her life, and Shoya needs to find one too. But right now he feels he's held her back by making her reconsider her decision to move to Tokyo. And so that scene with Yuzuru...man, it's just so nice to see how their relationship is now compared to when they first met, and how they both feel about Shoko's decision: sad that she would be out of their lives for a bit, but at the same time knowing that it's for the best she leaves to do what she wants. And so Shoya sends a text telling her to go for it after all, and Yuzuru plans to work hard to make sure her sister wont stay behind because she's worried about her. And so what does Shoya do now? What does he become now? That's the question the final two chapters should be sure to answer, and I can't wait to see what it is.

[close]

[LumRanmaYasha]

Spoiler

A Silent Voice chapter 61 - Such great character resolution here between Shoya and Ueno. First Shoya revealing that he's decided to stay at home and work to take over the family business. Then Ueno telling him that Shoko also wants to be a hairdresser. Tying things together with the beginning of the series with Shoya learning that it was Shimada and Hirose who rescued him, which segues way into Ueno finally apologizing to Shoya for turning on him and bullying him when they were kids, which leads into Ueno acknowledging her own self-hatred for her actions and her inability to like Shoko even after everything that's happened, which leads into Shoya acknowledging what happened to him that caused him to get estranged from his old friends was his fault, which leads into Shoya encouraging Ueno that because she recognizes her faults she has the ability to change herself...oh my god so perfect. Just perfect. And then everybody graduating, Shoya saying his farewells to Nishimiya...yeah everything was just fantastic here. So, so, so satisfying. I will be so sad when this series ends next week. At the same time, though, I'm looking forward to it, because after all of this, the conclusion is bound to be very, truly satisfying.

A Silent Voice chapter 62 - And so it's come to this. The final chapter of A Silent Voice. Man, what a ride. What a wonderful ride. I started keeping up with this series right when the chapter where Shoya fell and became injured after stopping Nishimiya from committing suicide happened. That was really good timing, because I basically was able to see how the entire last act of the story, the part where every major character reflected on their actions, who they were as people, and what they wanted out of life, and how they all came together as a group of friends united by one goal, and how they all grew as people from this experience, as they head out towards adulthood and whatever future awaits them. Every week was a great and enjoyable surprise as each character got dissected as things slowly came together and the layers behind each character was exposed and developed. I had no clue where the story would go, but the way things were handled didn't disappoint me, and overall, out of the 19 chapters I read each week since I caught up on the series, 15 of them were my #1 favorite manga chapter of the week, and even in the weeks they weren't, they still were 10/10 chapters and in the top 3. And, as a whole, the series was just that well-written and strong throughout the course of it's run. It was like few manga I've ever read or kept up with, in tone and content, and for what could have just been a lame PSA or serviceable love story, it was so much more than that; a great coming of age story, as well as a look on people who were victims of bullying, suffering from disabilities, among a myriad of other topics.

And this final chapter was a fantastic way to end that story. I noticed some people didn't like the ending, but these people seemed to only be reading this manga for the romance between Shoya and Shoko. Which was really missing the point of the manga to begin with. Not to say that they didn't grow a romantic interest in each other as the series went on, but that wasn't the focus of the story or the most meaningful aspect of their relationship with each other. Shoya and Shoko were both people who, at the start of this series, felt alone, a burden on others, and people who might as well not even exist and thought their families would be better off if they were. But through each other they found someone who cared about them and would reach out to help them. They found other people who befriended them and cared about them as well. They became even closer with their own families. And they bettered themselves as people. Shoya became more open and able to talk with other people after having been ostrachized from them for so long. Shoko gained more confidence in herself and learned that it's okay for her to prioritize what she wanted to do and she wasn't just a burden on other people. Shoya and Shoko helped each other grow and mature as people. They helped each other find reasons to go on, and find things they wanted to do and goals they wanted to accomplish. They gave each other a future. So the last page of this manga, the two holding hands and going through those doors together, though uncertain of what lies in store for them, is purposeful; it symbolizes them embracing the uncertain future that lies in store for them with confidence, which they can do because each is there for each other. That, to me, is a far more emotional and meaningful reflection on the nature of their relationship than a mere kiss could be, and is much more in line with what this story was about and what it represented, and what these characters went through and what they mean to each other. It's a well though-out and strong ending that closes this series off on all the right notes, and there is really few ways I could see it being improved on that aren't superfluous.

A Silent Voice was a fantastic manga. With the series over I can say that it is easily one of my favorite manga. I got so much out of this story, it's themes, it's characters, and the experience of reading that last third on a week to week basis and the overall quality and construction of the story was tight and well-executed through and through. I applaud it as one of few manga, especially nowadays, that could tell a story so untraditional and un-mainstream like this, and not only have it be quite successful on the sheer grounds of it's quality, but also know exactly when to stop, and to have a direction and conclusion it worked towards not dragged down or stretched out for the sake of extending the series past what it needed to. Few manga simply end telling a complete story in such a short amount of time and with no extraneous parts like this, especially these days, and that just makes this series stand out even more. I love this manga, and it's going to be a bit of a downer to no longer reading it every week now, but all the same, I'm glad it came out the way it did and ended the way it did too. I look forward to reading Oima's next work, and I hope it comes soon. And if you haven't read ASV yet...seriously, do it. You'll enjoy it.

#2: A Silent Voice chapter #45: "It Was All For Nothing?"

When I started making this list, by far the hardest part was figuring out which chapter of A Silent Voice I should include. If I was being totally honest and not just limiting this list to a one chapter per series representation, then A Silent Voice chapters would take up, like, around half the slots if not just most of them. Of course, as I said before, I thought that would be lame, so I didn't do that. Still, that meant that I could only choose one chapter from the series for this list, and how was I supposed to go about doing that? Figuring out which chapter had the most impact or was the best and most memorable and whatnot? When I was reading through the series before I got caught up to it the whole story flowed so smoothly and effectively that I couldn't really pick out a standout chapter from that portion of it. And then when I did get caught up to it, every week reading this series was pretty much like that. It had the best chapter of the week pretty much every week. It continually had standout, strong moments that impressed me. So thinking about all that, which chapter could I really say left the most impact on me?

I ended up thinking about when I started keeping up with the series - the chapter where Shoya fell while preventing Shoko's suicide (what a chapter to end off getting caught up with, right?), and then I thought about how I felt about the series after reading that, and all the questions I was asking myself. "Holy shit, did they just do that?", "How is this going to play out?" ", "Is he really going to die?" , among others, but most importantly, I was wondering to myself, "Will this series do this right?" After a big moment like that, I was both curious and worried. It was a delicate, volatile direction it was taking. One misstep in the plotting or the handling of the characters and the themes , and the story could sour horribly. And so I entered keeping up to the series on a weekly basis with a lot of concerns. I wanted this story to be a success, and not end without fulfilling that potential. I had high hopes, but I've been burned before, so I was keeping my expectations in check, trying not to get too excited or confident about it. But very quickly, my concerns were dashed, and never arose again. The rest you know by now. But what was that moment? That moment where I could be confident this series would turn out right? To be honest, I'm not sure if I can say exactly when it was. It might have been earlier, it might have been later, but when I think about the series, this is one of the moments that always sticks out to me the most. And it came right around the time I started keeping up with the series too. It wasn't the first chapter I read when I started keeping up with it, technically, but it was one of the first, and it was certainly a moment that left me very optimistic for it's future.

There are many parts to this chapters that struck me well. First was seeing Ueno finally get physically reprimanded for being such an asshole to everyone, particularly after she beat up Shoko in the previous chapter. The fact that it was Mrs. Nishimiya, who you would never expect to go that far, especially against a child, who was slapping her around for what she did to her daughter made it even more satisfying (I especially loved the fact she did it while maintaining her usual stoic expression, which makes another moment that happens later in the chapter all the more powerful). It was great seeing Ueno finally get called out on and hurt as much as she's hurt others, but what's really great about it to me is the aftermath. Seeing Ueno cry and recognize that she's done a horrible thing. The idea that she is aware that the way she's behaving and the way she has been treating others is wrong, but how despite that she does it anyway and won't stop. It added a lot of depth to a character that had some visible nuances before, and would set up a good study of her character further down the line.

But the most potent content in this chapter is in the second half, focusing on the Nishimiya family and how they are processing and dealing with what's just happened. When Ueno asks Yuzuru why she didn't stop her, she responds by saying she didn't know if that was the right thing to do. Because all this time, she's done what she thought was the right thing to do to protect her sister. She kept her away from people who might harm her. She stood up for her. When she saw her feelings for Ishida she tried to bring the two closer together. She did everything she could do to make her sister happy. Every day since that day where Shoko first tried and failed to commit suicide and said she wanted to die, she tried her best to make it so she wouldn't feel that way again. Even her hobby of taking pictures of dead and decayed things was done to dissuade Shoko from dying too. But none of that worked. All those years she tried to make her happy were pointless. She still tried to kill herself. She would have died if Ishida wasn't there to stop her. So what right does she have to criticize Ueno's way of trying to get Shoko to her sense when what she tried didn't work in the first place? What was the point of anything she's done for her if it didn't stop her thinking like that, and for almost going through with that again? And so she goes home and starts tearing down the photos she's plastered all over the wall. They didn't help. The message she was sending to her didn't get through. They're meaningless. Her mother helps her. And she thinks to herself "Should I have just told her her "don't die?", "What would Ishida have done?", "What should I have done?" And then Shoko walks into the room. And the whole family just looks at each other for a moment. And then, backs turned to one another, they all start to cry.

But it was a cleansing cry. Afterwards, Shoko heads out. She's no longer weak, timid, or shy. She's confident. Determined. She knows what she needs to do. She will take the initiative. She will repay what Ishida has done for her. She will make things right again. And Yuzuru sees her like this, and she's able to smile. The time for feeling sorry for herself is over. The time to dwell on regrets and "what if's" have long past. What's important is what happens now. How she makes use of this second chance she has. What she can do for someone who she owes her life to. This chapter marks a huge turning point for Shoko's character arc, and sets the stage for the following chapters exploring each of the main characters, and their reactions to what's happened and as they come together again to finish the movie in support of Ishida. In addition, it's a fantastic look into the characters of Ueno and Yuzuru, and the relationship between the Nishimiya family. While much of the chapter focuses on self-loathing and regrets, at the very end, there is a light of hope. Optimism for a brighter future. A future that Shoko is determined to make happen. It's a moving moment for characters that have been through so much, and it was a moment where, despite myself, I felt that this series' future was secure. A feeling that I ended up being justified for having in the end.

Most of A Silent Voice's entire run was printed in 2014. To rank this chapter on my list might imply that I'd consider this the best chapter in the series. Is it? Maybe, maybe not. I couldn't say. Like I said, it was hard thinking about which chapter of the series I wanted on this list. I had so many to choose from, and so many I could justify making it on here instead of this one. But I chose it because I really do feel it was a turning point in the series. Not just for the story or a few characters' character arcs, but for my impressions and expectations for it going into it's final chapters as well. And it provided a powerful, memorable moment that has stuck with me ever since I've read it, among other elements that I find as appreciable if not more so since then. So yeah, feel free to disagree with me, but chapter 45 of A Silent Voice is my choice for it's best chapter this year and the #2 best in manga overall.

[close]

TL; DR: A Silent Voice is a fantastic manga. Read it.

Well, that's my picks for the top manga of 2014. It was a good year of manga and I have good hopes that 2015 will be even better. Hope you liked reading it and the 12 days posts and could agree with the choices you knew from each. And though I've slacked on it for over a month I will resume my weekly manga recaps soon enough, so look forward to that as well. In the meantime, feel free to comment on this list and share your thoughts on the best (or worst) manga of last year.

[LumRanmaYasha]

Here is a recent poll where fans list the seinin manga series that they think most deserve a sequel:

1. Initial D (Shuuichi Shigeno) 12.5%
2. Dragon Zakura (Norifusa Mita) 9.5%
3. 20th Century Boys (Naoki Urasawa) 9.0%
4. Iry? - Team Medical Dragon (Akira Nagai/ Tar? Nogizaka) 8.5%
5. Parasyte (Hitoshi Iwaaki) 8.0%
6. GANTZ (Hiroya Oku) 7.0%
7. Maison Ikkoku (Rumiko Takahashi) 6.0%
8. Akira (Katsuhiro Otomo) 6.0%
9. Naniwa Kin'yudo (Yuuji Aoki) 5.5%
10. The Silent Service (Kaiji Kawaguchi) 4.0%
11. Moteki (Mitsurou Kubo) 4.0%
12. MONSTER (Naoki Urasawa) 4.0%

Interesting choices. I personally don't think that 20th Century Boys, Monster, Parasyte, or Akira really need sequels but I could see potential in stories set in the same universe for the former two. However, I do think a Maison Ikkoku sequel could really work well, either focusing on Godai and Kyoko adjusting to married life and/or centering it on their daughter, Haruka, as she grows into adulthood, or even showing what happened to Yagami and how she finally moved on with her life. Of the possibilities, though, I really do think a lot of people would love to see a sequel with Haruka as the main character. I hope Takahashi could consider doing it after she ends Rin-ne.

[Spark Of Spirit]

I don't really want any of them to continue. I'm fine with the ending they have.

As a matter of fact, I can't think of any manga I would like a sequel to. Most of them have good enough endings on their own or went on too long as it is.

[LumRanmaYasha]

I can't think of any series I absolutely would want a sequel to, but there are a few that if a sequel was made I wouldn't mind and would happily read.

[LumRanmaYasha]

Weekly Manga Recap's 2014 year in review recap is up.

I agree with most of their opinions on the series they covered, namely on One Piece, Toriko, and even World Trigger (though I didn't and still don't love it nearly to the same extent as them and preferred Soma on the whole, though I understand why they weren't able to appreciate that series as much considering they hadn't read much of it before it was added into the english Jump. The one thing I disagree with them with is about Sins being just okay since I really liked the last arc quite a bit, but I do agree it hasn't become especially notable as far as battle shonen series go yet either.

[Markness]

Nanatsu no Taizai is definitely more than okay, IMO. Not only has it become my favorite ongoing shounen manga but one of my most favorite mangas in general. I like how Nakaba Suzuki favors experienced protagonists instead of putting them through dozens of training arcs and he never seems to run out of character inspiration, even with his side characters.