10 Manga in the year 2010

I remember when I first started reading manga.  There weren’t a lot of series out and Viz was still printing their manga in giant books.  In would be in 2005 that I first read Shonen Jump and bought a few manga and from there more and more series were released and I found a few older series to get into.  I was on a manga hiatus for two years because of school, but I was able to pick it back up last year.  There’s a couple of series that I plan on getting into since now more than ever there’s a LOT of great series out there.  So here’s my list of 12 manga I plan on finishing/starting this year (some I’ve already ‘started’ but its only a chapter or even part of a volume). 

1.   Chi’s Sweet Home

I’ve watched the anime through Crunchyroll and I have to say it’s too cute.  It’s about a kitten named Chi and how she ends up adopted by a family with a young toddler despite their opposition at first.   It’s adorable and light-hearted and it features a kitten, what’s not to love?

2.   Stepping on Roses

Stepping on Roses involves a young woman, Sumi, who ends up getting married to the rich Soichiro, after he helps her solve her financial woes caused by her brother.  Stepping on Roses was written by the same woman who did Tails of the Moon (a good manga too).  I’m recently taken a living to manga about marriage and it’s interesting to see how romance develops between a husband and wife who weren’t in love to begin with (it did happen not that long ago).  I’ve already heard some good things about Stepping on Roses so its high on my to-get list.

3.   Here I am

I first stumbled across Here I am on onemanga.com over the summer.  It’s incredibly cute and its a series that focuses on Hikage, an eighth grader that no one notices.  You really feel for her especially since the only two people who do seem to notice her are two commenters on her blog.  Later on two boys at school give her notice and from then on she becomes a sunflower.  It’s really cute and a great development story.

4.Karakuri Odette

Karakuri Odette is a series I was very excited to see licensed.  I first read it on onemanga.com and I raved about it to friends who didn’t read manga (one who even thinks its silly).  Karakuri Odette is about a robot who begins attending school and tries to understand humans.  Her curiousity is both innocent and subtly mature and its one of those few manga that makes you step back and think.  This isn’t your typical robo-girl manga.

5.  Sand Chronicles

Shame on me for not starting this series a lot sooner!  I’ve read a couple chapters of the manga and I loved it.  What really is drawing about Sand Chronicles is how realistic it is and the issues it deals with (long distance relationships, growing up, rivals) and it handles them in a way as it would happen in the real world-not manga land.  Another plus about this series is it follows the life of the heroine, Ann, through several years and eventually becomes a Josei.  The final installment in the series is coming out in December or early in 2011.

6. Monkey High!

When I first heard about Monkey High my initial thought was it was going to be cheesy and just another shojo manga.   After reading the first chapter I saw a lot of potential and from what I’ve been reading in reviews it stands above most of the high school romances you’ll come across.  I also like the fact that the heroine doesn’t go for the super hot popular guy, but instead the sweet and funny class clown.

7.  Butterflies, Flowers

Butterflies, Flowers is a series that I’ve been hearing a lot of good things about and the story itself sounds intriguing.  The Heroine used to come from a family with a lot of money and her boss was her servant, now roles have shifted so how will that affect their relationship?  I want to read this also because its Josei and focuses on two young adults in their twenties.  

8. A Distant Neighborhood

I’ve been meaning to start this title for a while.  It tells the story of a man who goes back to being a 14 year old boy while still remembering what happened in the future.  I’ve always thought it was interesting to try and imagine what life would be like if you knew then what you know now. 

9. High School Debut

I’m not completely new to High School debut.  When I read the first chapter in Shojo Beat a while back I didn’t expect much.  It wasn’t until I read a few more chapters that I really came to like it, so now I’m trying to read the entire series.  With volume 13, the series came to a close recently, so I’m interested in seeing how it all plays out.

10. Kimi Ni Todoke

What an amazing Shojo series.  I just started the first volume and already I’m in love with this series!   The characters are great and refreshing, the storyline and plot are good and it has a lot of good messages about life that ring true.  It also just has a good feel to it.  Sawako/Sadako is a great female lead to.  You can’t help but admire her good-heart and her constant strive to be a better person and be honest.

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There’s a lot of other series I plan on reading this year too.  I’m currently reading Monkey High and its a really fun series so far. Expect a review of it within the next few days.

Ja Ne!