It's way more shonen than hunterxhunter, not as complex in its characters, powerbuilding, themes and writing. That's fine, it was earlier, but it appeals more to fans of shonen than themes readers like Merphy
Yeah but the manga for Yu Yu was not the best, it was perfected when the mangaka made changes to the anime, the manga was very rushed at certain points
Mob Psycho is an amazing story of a middle schooler wich also happens to be the most pwerfull psychic in the world, but only worries about becoming a better person, with which sadly his superpower doesnt really help. The growth of these characters, Mob for sure but also the poeple he meets along the way is so heartwarming and tear inducing. I recomend the anime over the manga, but im sure youd love it either way. Also, +1 for those Haikyuu recomendations
100% the anime is stronger than the manga. The writing and humor is what makes the series shine and those are completely intact in the anime. The problem is the mangas art is incredibly hit and miss.
Witch Hat Atelier is amazing. One of the best things I’ve ever read. It has a cozy whimsical feeling but also has dark emotional themes. And the artwork is absolutely beautiful.
My top recommendation as well, I love the characters, the world building, the magic system, and it is probably the most beautiful artwork and use of paneling that I've ever seen.
Surprised with how many people recommend Haikyuu but not Slam Dunk. It grabbed me from the first chapter with how comedy is written. And then it introduces an amazing cast of characters with an intense basketball games. Plus it’s finished and doesn’t overstay its welcome
@@Allen-qs2xr Having a series thats been finished for more than decade and still be in top 15 most selling manga isnt something you get from simply being classic, slam dunk is a timeless masterpiece anyone can read and enjoy, and thats going to stay the same for a lot more time to come, its not one of those nostalgia blinded shows people overrate, instead its kind of underrated
Look Back and Goodbye, Eri are probably the two easiest manga recommendations I could ever make.They're both short reads, coming in at about 150 and 200 pages respectively, and yet there's an enormous amount of emotion and creativity packed into that short runtime Goodbye, Eri in particular completely changed the way I look at manga as a medium - it was the first time I ever realized why panelling is so important, and Fujimoto just does such awesome, creative things with it. Cannot recommend it highly enough
Echoing this recommendation! There is nothing else quite like it, it's a story that will give you more and more depth the longer you look/think about it, and the protagonist has a magnificent and terrifying journey. Plus, I think the mysteries can be very engaging
Haikyuu is not everyone's cup of tee, but it has a lot of messages about growth, struggle and life in general masquerading as a volleyball manga. It has some of the most thrilling scenes in manga as well.
@@yashmehta516 I can't decide which I like more but tbh Haikyuu had an ending I thoroughly enjoyed so that's kind of a big win for it and I gotta say the recent Ippo chapters have been some of the absolute best Ippo chapters of all time (The entire current arc for Ippo has been top tier stuff from beginning to now) so it's going very strong too. Both are S-tier for me though.
I highly recommend reading Land of the Lustrous, it follows the story of these gemstone beings, each with their own personalities and struggles. Not only is the artstyle visually stunning, the narrative is really well thought out and layered, exploring themes of identity, purpose and the nature of existence. It is one of the best stories that I have ever read!!
I just commented and recommended the series and then immediately saw this comment. Such an underrated manga, glad to see it getting the love it deserves ❤
DOROHEDORO! Gotta be one of the most underrated series ever, at least in the mainstream. One of the only series I’ve read with no bad characters at all, an extremely cool and flexible magic system, and a fantastic setting. Think post-apocalyptic meets fantasy meets sci-fi meets horror. It’s a crazy mishmash of concepts that’s super engaging with a lot of great mystery and comedy elements to top it all off. Highly recommend and would love to see your thoughts on it!
We have the whole collection of that but I get at volume 17-18, get burnt out, put down, pick it back up and repeat the whole process lol but it is really good. Just need to finish
I feel like you would love Natsume's book of friends (Natsume yuujinchou). Its a very bittersweet, calming series about a boy who can see yokai and the ways that this has impacted his life, both negatively but also gradually more positively as he comes to understand them more and gets more context for the things he's experienced in his life. Its a slow, character focused story with maybe the best adoptive parents I've ever read. Theres also a lot of humour in it, especially from the yokai that become friends with Natsume and love to pester him. The art at the start can be a little rough but has improved massively and is now absolutely beautiful and some of my favourite manga art
So happy to see this recommendation! (as may be obvious from my profile picture 😅) I feel about Natsume Yuujinchou the way Merphy talks about One Piece - it just fits everything I want in a story and even if it has flaws, I can't see anything replacing it as my favorite manga because of what it has meant to me over the years. Obviously that's very personal and not everyone will have that same experience, but I hope more people will find and fall in love with the series. The anime is beautiful as well.
Slam dunk really is one of the most impactful sports manga it literally popularized basketball in Japan. It's just me but the story kind of predicted the Bulls dynasty from 96 to 98
Definitely Slam Dunk! This manga single-handedly made basketball the most played sport in Japan (no one there even knew the rules of basketball when the manga started) and you can literally see the evolution of inoue’s drawings from its beginnings to vagabond’s level of art
Hi Merphy! I recently read a manga series called "Skip and Loafer" It is the first romantic comedy/slice-of-life manga I ever read. It was a cozy sweet and emotional read for me. I love how they touch on some difficult themes along with being very relatable, the characters feel very human and remind of me when I was in high school. I love this manga and the anime was awesome. I hope you can read it and share your thoughts with us! (Sorry for my bad English)
I immediately came to see if anyone had mentioned Nana. Thank you, @mondestroy for talking about this manga and, yes, please! This manga deserves to be read. Also, I think it's important to comment that Nana didn't have an end, although you can kinda imagine your end by what we've been given (and it's way more important for the mangaka to be fine than for the manga to have an end, really. I just hope Yazawa is taking care of her health
I'm probably speaking on deaf ears, but Berserk's gotta come next after going through Vagabond and Vinland Saga. Gut's journey is probably just as incredible as Thorfin and Musashi's but in a totally different way. It's harrowing, pure nightmare fuel, but also surprisingly beautiful at times. The moments of hope in Berserk make me feel as though I'm somebody stranded at a desert trying to scoop whatever little water falls in the sand. It's so few and far in between and you clutch onto it with everything because this story is hopeless most of the time. I genuinely believe that Guts should be studied much like Thorfin and Musashi because of the journey and SIGNIFICANT number of layers that Guts has to him. Berserk was the first story that ever made a betrayal hurt SO deeply that I was literally sobbing over and still haven't truly recovered from. It's the FIRST time I've ever cared about a romantic relationship in any story ever and I'd go so far as to say that it's the only art that either competes with if not succeeds at outdoing the incredible spreads in Vagabond. It's REALLY dark, but how people bounce back (or don't) is the real message here. Griffith I have a deep hatred for, but I greatly admire his character and how perfect he is in the role he serves as the main antagonist. He's the first character in a while that if you literally took him out of Berserk, the entire story would fall apart. He's that vital
She's done a video mentioning Berserk in the past. In her July Wrap Up from 2020. Somehow didn't make it on here, but in short, she only read Volume 1 and decided not to continue. The dark fantasy aspect was great and as well as the underlying plot but she has very strong feelings against sexual assault scenes and scenes depicting graphic violence, specifically with minors as the victims. She mentions being warned against the series for such topics. A friend of hers also confirmed those claims and advised her to not continue due to her personal preferences, she decided to drop it.
@ar.ninetysix That kinda sucks because there's more to the story than just that. Don't blame her, though at all. Whenever I mention Berserk to people who I've convinced read it, I always mention the journey of intense healing that Guts goes through(and continues to go through) , especially with meeting the Black Swordsman party. It's absolutely incredible coming out of Falcon of the Millenium Empire how much less graphic it is in comparison to Black Swordsman through conviction. Not to say the violence goes away at all, but things seem brighter in comparison. I'm a huge fan of the multiple layers that Guts has. I always want to share how much Guts continues to evolve in the more apparent and subtle ways of his character and how he strives to get better. Not to mention how gorgeous the art is
@caenir Maybe it's the whole Eclipse thing, or that it's more fantastical and less "realistic"? But then again, she reads One Piece so I really don't know
@@letplayeee I mean he has to challenge it, there's no point to the last arc if he doesn't. The specifics of what's happening and how he's challenging his ideals now are spoilers. Now that I think about it, every arc after farm arc is about challenging his ideals.
@letplayeee so... it's a spoiler that the mangaka is challenging the beliefs of the protagonist... in a story that largely focuses on that protagonists development in maturity and finding who they are all while experiencing the utmost adversity? I don't really think that one qualifies as much of a plot twist.
I feel like Merphy would love Atelier of witch hat so much! It not only does a great job at depicting real-life issues but the art is also incredibly beautiful and the theme of found family is SOOO prevalent. It just feels like its a series made for her!
Atelier is sooo good! I love the artstyle so much, it gives me old time-y fable/story vibes. It's so creative too! It never feels like they're pulling a win outta nowhere.
Like many others in the comments, I would also like to humbly submit a Mob Psycho 100 recommendation. It does great work in tying its multifaceted characters back to it's central themes of self improvement and finding your place in society as well as having a fun time in the wacky version of Earth it creates. Definitely the kind of series that will make you laugh and cry in the same chapter.
So happy to see Yona Of The Dawn receiving the love it deserves! It has become one of my favorite stories of all time, throughout all types of media, and the fact that there was never a season 2 given for the anime still haunts me.
Dandadan was a recent series I didn’t think I’d be into but tried on a whim, ended up binging it in 2 days. Ghosts, aliens, cryptids, and a weird fixation with genitals somehow had me fascinated and even on the cusp of crying
@@bencc24Yeah, something tells me any of the "Fujimoto-esque" stuff out rn (such as anything by Tatsuki Fujimoto, Dandadan, etc.) would jive well with her
@@samt3412 yeah maybe besides look back. That one’s not TOO insane. But fujimoto-esque stuff is just too crazy, and this isn’t a diss because I love fujimoto, but let’s say “degenerate”
I can highly recommend Haikyu!!. It's a Volleyball (don't worry about this part too much :D) manga/anime that features some of the best character work I've ever read. It manages to stay super down-to-earth and relatable, while at the same time creating some of the most intense and inspiring moments. Would love for you to give it a go and try it out, it's such a great series :)
Assassination Classroom is DEFINITELY one you will love. It also has arguably the strongest first chapter I have ever seen, as well as one of the best endings I have ever seen. The anime is also great and it's not too long!
I whole heartedly second Assassination Classroom. In terms of tone, it’s the closest manga/anime to One Piece that I’ve found (albeit at a much more micro scale). The premise is absurd and the characters can be silly, but there’s so much heart behind everything. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, and you’ll cheer for E Class! Please definitely give it a try!
Hunter x Hunter is easily my favorite work of fiction. Yoshihiro Togashi is a prophet, it is such an amazing writer, and artist, and he created just such a masterpiece of a story, so in depth, so realistic while being unrealistic at the same time. Man I love this series so much
Land of the Lustrous feels like a must read for you, personally. It’s a dystopian sci-fi set in a world where nonbinary, sentient gemstones live and are under attack by creatures from the moon but don’t know exactly why. It’s a series that’s best to leave as little information as possible in a summary and just go in blind. It’s an emotional journey for sure.
I second this, it's one of the most original and interesting stories in all of animanga imo and the protagonist is among the absolute best as well. it's super emotional.
Attack on Titan, Haikyuu and Witch Hat Atelier, please and thank you. All of these are wildly different, but some of my favorites for many reasons. They also have themes and elements you appreciate, so I hope you'll enjoy them!
i would def recommend march comes in like a lion. Its a moving story about this boy Rei Kiriyama and his journey with depression caused by a tough family life, this sport called shogi, and his overall life after moving out while being acquainted by this little cute family who warmly welcomes him. It is heartwarming and wholesome at times but also can be very emotional. I also very much recommends the anime because the animator has done a very good job adapting it and taking it into the next level
I know kingdom can potentially not be your thing but if you gave a a shot The battles in Kingdom are nothing short of epic. The manga brilliantly depicts large-scale warfare, strategic maneuvers, and intense clashes between armies. You'll witness the art of war in action, with tactical planning, military formations, and the use of unique weapons and strategies. The author's attention to detail and the dynamic artwork make the battles come alive, immersing you in the chaos and intensity of war. It's a thrilling experience that keeps you on the edge of your seat! 💥🛡️
Ascendance of a Bookworm is so insanely good. As someone who is currently up to date with the Light Novel prepubs at J-Novel, I'm every single weekly release has me at the edge of my seat quaking with excitement. The series is interesting in that every "Part" is almost its own brand new isekai with aspects of the previous carried forward. But the series is so incredibly wholesome and lovely, while slowly ramping up to bigger and greater issues as the story continues.
Goodbye Eri is a great one shot I think most people should read. I can't say much about it other than it's about a teenage boy making a movie with his phone camera, and the paneling represents that in a pretty cool way. It's by the Chainsaw Man author (and I'm certain that's been recommended), but I think it'd be great to check out Goodbye Eri first!
Since you enjoyed Vinland Saga and Vegabond so much, I highly recommend you read "Kingdom" and also "Berserk" generally these four are always grouped together as the 4 greatest Seinen manga.
Don’t give her more trauma with Bessel. But also I kinda want to see if the series can even end before recommending it. I know the other members have taken it over after his death
@@oscarljimenez5717kingdom is awesome man believe just read it i have also read berserk vegabond and vinland saga and believe me it is worth it..... You will know when you read it
I'm so excited to see your Dragon Ball Z video. It was naturally the first anime that I was exposed to and went back read the original Dragonball manga. Which got me into reading manga in the first place.
I highly recommend Chihayafuru. It's a sports josei manga with 50 volumes and well-developed characters. There's teamwork, friendship, competition, and some romance too.
Hi Merphy! One of my favorite manga of all time is "Blue Period". It hit especially hard for me since I am also pursuing art. The protagonist struggles to find an interest that is fulfilling, I found that very relatable, seeing him on his journey, meeting new people, and improving his skill is very motivating, and makes me want to go do something myself. I can't really describe this manga in text but I loveeeeeeee this series and i hope you can give this manga a read. (I love your video
Right, Blue Period felt so real (speaking as someone who gave up on art school). Not the type of manga I usually read but never have I resonated so much with the main character journey (and the rest of the cast too).
@@tavtav934 Yessssss! The part where Yaguchi argues with his mom about him pursuing art, when he goes to an art class for the first time and sees people who are very talented then gets discouraged also when the teacher judges his work feels soooooo real to me (The rest of the cast is awesome)
Some quick recommendations: Real-By the same author of Vagabond, it's a wheelchair basketball manga with 3 main characters that more than focusing on the sport it focuses on getting back up (no pun intended) and trying to get better as a human being. Blue Period-A manga about painting and fine arts that teaches you to love and appreciate art. It exlpores motivation and the hardships in doing what you love most and also tackles different ways to see the world thanks to it's secondary characters. Billy Bat-By the same author as Monster, but it's more out there. A comic artist discovers that one of his characters (Billy Bat) is actually a ssupernatural being and he goes on a journey that surrounds many real life conspiration theories and shows the true power of stories and what it means to be a writer
I know you said you weren't fully on board with Monster but I think you'd enjoy Urasawa's 20th Century Boys! It's about a group of friends coming back together when they realize someone is using their childhood stories/ideas as a basis to create a doomsday cult. The mystery is so much fun to follow, the characters are loveable and unique, and the twists and turns of the plot are rly amazing to follow! We follow the underdogs but the story has a hopeful air even when the circumstances become increasingly more dire and scary. I don't know how to properly sell JoJo's Bizarre Adventure but it's follows generations of the Joestar family, each part centers a different protagonist and they differ in genre so it never feels too repetitive. The artwork and creativity of this series is truly incredible
Absolutely no shot she’d like Jojo imo. Maybe if she got to like part 4 then sure but that’s a lot of reading before we hit content I think she’d like.
@@soultheconfusing9563 finally someone who acknowledges it too. In my opinion, a big problem with 20thCB is that there are a lot of drawn-out subplots, some of which are completely irrelevant to the outcome of the story. For me personally, 20thCB is Urasawa's worst series.
I'M always so happy whenever i see someone talking about Bookworm,it makes me feels like a proud father. If you loved part 1,you should read further ahead ,it gets only get better from there on
Natsume's book of friends (natsume yuujinchou) is a really great shoujo series. It's probably a bit out of your comfort zone and may be a bit slow paced for your taste but from the emotions you go through while reading it, it's absolutely worth it. It's sweet and sad and has a lot of found family. It's a really episodic story and each small story is just emotionally beautiful but the overarching story is really great and you just want to know more about all of it. There is a bit of adventure and action but it's more on the slice of life side of things but probably will make you cry. If sometime you are feeling up for a emotional slice of life story, that is a bit slower paced, I would definitely recommend it.
I always wanted to read/watch it and always forgot to do so. Thank you for talking about this series, I just got it to finally start after reading your comment.
@@danamytereads5304 Nice to hear that there are more fans of Natsume's book of friends here. It's a classic but at the same time I feel, that many have forgotten it in the recent years.
I would suggest Goodbye Eri. Its a interesting short story/manga about the writers creative process. It just stuck in the back of mind like gum on the side walk.
Oh, I got a token! I'll try and cash it in for Attack on Titan (Shingeki no Kyojin in Japanese) it's an absolute masterpiece and has a very deep focus on it's theme's throughout it's storytelling. It starts off very high octane and more action heavy but then almost catches you off guard when the story starts taking a way broader and more ambitious approach in it's depiction of character and world building developement. It's an absolute must-read for any fan of the medium, especially as the art visibly improves over time. Some of the spreads near the end will leave you both in awe aswell as contemplating their content for days.
And then it ends so badly that it ruins everything. Not poorly, badly. The ending is a very well executed character assassination and smear campaign. With truly awful use of prophecy tropes, and a general tone of edgy spite for no good reason. Maybe a masochist would like it... maybe.
@@Rowan_A_BoatSPOILERS . . . . I completely disagree. It felt slightly rushed at the end, I'll give you that, but it is still completely true to the characters and who they are. It's a logical ending to what was being built up the entire time. I don't want to get into specifics because we'd be entering spoiler territory, but this was always going to be the outcome. It was never going to be a happy go lucky kinda ending and I think Isayama tied it all together. You're entitled your opinion, but I don't understand why some people think the characters were off in the end, they are true to who they've been the whole time.
@@Sabor180 SPOILER ALERT Right, and that means the whole story was shitty. All of the good and suspenseful parts were always leading up to a pile of shit, so that means they were shit too. That's how that works. None of the mysteries amounted to anything. None of the political maneuvering mattered at all. It was just torture and snuff and no payoffs. No meaning to the suffering.
@@Rowan_A_BoatSPOILERS . . . . . You have a real bleak outlook on all this it seems. I'm sorry that you didn't think that things and mysteries paid off or that everything ment nothing in the end. That's not how I see it at all, but people see things differently and that's life.
Dandadan is an absolute must read, its an absurd blend of horror, sci-fi, supernatural, comedy, action, and romance that should never work but somehow does it all amazingly. Criminal there isn't an anime adaptation yet.
Hey Merphy, this is a deep cut and most people in the comments will have never heard of it, but I think The Lucifer and Biscuit Hammer is right up your alley. It's weird, it's funny, it's got deep rooted themes of found family, good action, great characters and a fun twist on genre tropes.
I highly recommend the light novel for Ascendance of a Bookworm! It's the original form of the series, it's way ahead, and in my opinion it's the best version. And the series only gets better as you go on.
I’m so desperate for Merphy to read Dungeon Meshi and Dorohedoro I just know she’d love them. Also it was really nice to see Yona of the Dawn in here I had no idea she read it!
Dungeon Meshi!! Its about poor adventurers that end up having to learn how to cook monsters to survive in the dungeon, I started reading it because it was such a fun read, but the world development was so good that it ended up becoming one of my favorite manga of all time, I highly recomend it!
This is a pretty sensible list if you ask me, glad to see Fullmetal Alchemist ranking high because it's such a charming enjoyable series and has so much dept I feel it gets undervalued at times. I also have a similar distaste for Naoki Urasawa's books, not bad reads but definitively have not felt as my cup of tea, the one exception being Pluto which really stands out from the rest, it keeps the good stuff, shaves the bad stuff and borrows enough World building from Osamu Tezuka to make it feel charming and intriguing. My recommendation would be: read Satoshi Mizukami, either his Lucifer and the Biscuit Hammer or Spirit Circle series are charming, creative and full of great characters to follow.
A series that not many people talk about D Gray Man i think a lot more people should try it and would recommend it. DGM has a lot of depth to it and it really pushes the feeling of never giving up.
Ok, now I can recommend San Gatsu no Lion. It's my favorite series ever, also having those same S tiers, it will break your heart in multiple pieces and warm you a lot. It's my safe place, the art is amazing and It has so many messages and so many things to say about life that it is just incredible.
You should definitely read Mob Psycho. It's simply about a teenage boy going through life along with a cunning smart mentor and it teaches the best life lessons ever, with a spirity ghosty setting. It's such a different feel from other mangas and while I do think the anime is better and feels really different, it's worth checking out both.
Submitting my token for Haikyuu. As someone who doesn't consider themselves a sports fan I waited a very long time to check it out and was blown away with how good it was. As long as you love watching deeply realized characters chase their dreams anyone can love this series. Also I now know more technical knowledge about volleyball than anyone else in my life despite never playing a game lol
I second this, while I only read the manga after I finished the anime, Haikyuu is lowkey the reason I tried volleyball for the first time in my life in my senior year of highschool.
I don't know why, but I just loved that Merphy used One Piece as her timeline for another manga. "It was way back in Skypeia for me." That just brought a big smile to my face.
Excited to see you continue Ascendance of a Bookworm! It's my favorite light novel series and it's part of what got me into reading other fantasy (your fantasy difficulty tier list was a great help there too). In my opinion, the series gets better with every Part, and I hope you continue past the manga into Part 3 and onward in the light novel, or maybe even try Part 2 in Light Novel (LN) format. I think you'll continue to be charmed by the core themes of familial love, with its emphasis on mothers and their connection to their children, even as the world around Myne seems to expand.
Hi Merphy, I know a lot of people have recommended JoJo's Bizarre Adventure BUT I wanna suggest something that you might be interested in. The author of JJBA (Araki Hirohiko) has a book called "Manga in Theory and Practice" that I just finished a couple of days ago and since you are finding more and more series that you love you might wanna check what one of the most successful mangakas of all time has to add about the medium.
the fruits basket part made me sad since it's my all time favourite manga series :( i promise that it's not all trauma! there are a lot of wholesome scenes and also shows how the characters work through their trauma with one and another is very beautiful, in my opinion. i really really hope you pick it back up one day, it really is a gem
This! But I also can understand why it was dropped. It is heavy on the trauma and Takaya conveys that heaviness well so it can definitely be a bit mentally and emotionally tolling. It’d probably be best to pick it back up after a break if it gets too heavy on you.
Yeah, I don't do those stories much but I learned of it when I didn't really know anything like her. The drama was fine for me as I, at the time didn't mind anything dark or deep too long. But she is binging so its tuff. The best parts are the final arc too. I didn't know this till I saw the later redo.
Assassination Classroom is a long time favourite for me. I’m not sure exactly if this falls outside of your comfort zone but the series kinda lets you know fairly early on what it wants to be.
Thank you for the video! I’m very happy ascension of a bookworm is on your list! I use my token to recommend „Frieren: Beyond Journey's End“. It follows an elven mage who lived for a thousand years and just defeated the demon king with her hero group. But since she lives so long she realizes too late how fleeting human lives are and her friends die of old age. We follow her on a new journey where she tries to better understand humans. She does this by repeating the steps of her journey with her old group. The anime started not long ago. The trailers are all excellent so you can get an idea if it is for you or not.
Read Re: Zero or Berserk. These two series have some of the best character arcs as well as world-building I've personally seen and each has made me experience a phenomenal rollercoaster of emotions! I would be lying that these authors have touched my heart on many occasions and even though they are both dark and heavy, I feel you would end up enjoying them. Finally, keep up the amazing work! Your videos are always a joy to watch!
she has mentioned berserk before i believe and is very against reading highly graphic things against women/children so she would absolutely not like berserk at all
@@ashxarya4294 The story of Berserk is about perseverance and struggling to move forward. The world has horrible things happen to everyone. There have been absolutely horrible things that have happened to characters in stories she did review. Like in HunterxHunter, Monster, Vinland saga. A story should not be solely boiled down to its dark themes and plot beats. It should be looked at by its storylines, world-building, and character writing. And that's why I suggest Berserk and Re: Zero.
She already read like the first volume if I remember correctly? It's too graphic for her if I remember correctly + the things that happen to woman and children there is something she doesn't like
I recommend giving The Climber a try again at some point (doesn’t have to be anytime soon) as the author switch part way through pays out big at the end imo. Last arc/sequence of events may be one of my favourites in any series, visual storytelling at its best.
I'd like to recommend ERASED! It deals with heavy themes and is very plot heavy, but at all times the characters shine and surprise us. I think it has the status of a classic, but the anime ending bummed out a lot of avid watchers
I would highly recommend Frieren: Beyond journey's end to you! Recently it received an anime adaptation as well and it is gorgeous. The story is both lighthearted and deals with the main character's melancholy in parts. I believe there's 11 volumes currently out.
Honestly, I’d recommend picking up fruits basket again, just give it one more shot because even though it is very drama heavy, and it can be very depressing the way it comes together is so extremely well done. All I can tell you without spoiling it is a fruits basket has a happy ending and wet executed is incredibly well done and is actually one of my favorite manga endings of all time!
I'm sure you've probably been made aware of this, but regarding Vagabond; The mangaka put the series on hiatus, and it's been that way for years now. Recently, during interviews over his series Slam Dunk getting a movie, he has said he plans on resuming the series soon. The series is based off a book called Musashi, which is based off a real person! I LOVE the book, it's a little slow at time, but I feel the story is every bit as rich and enthralling as the manga, as well as given a satisfying conclusion. If you reached the end of Vagabond and want to know what happens, highly recommend you check out Musashi.
I recommend a manga called Land of the Lustrous, it’s a great story that explores the themes of finding purpose and what does it means to save someone else
Merphy you gotta check out Akane Banashi. It is not an action series but is instead a weekly running Rakugo Performance series that runs alongside One Piece in Jump, and Oda himself really recommended it. The character writing is SUPERB.
I'd love to see your takes on Tatsuki Fujimoto's works. Particularly Look Back and Goodbye Eri (both one-shots). He's a younger mangaka but someone I follow due the consistent themes in his work and somewhat eccentric storytelling.
Sousou no Frieren. I’m late to the party but this one is a must. Great fantasy setting (elves and mages and warriors and a dragon), but this isn’t the typical great quest story. When we join the story the great quest has already happened, the demon king was defeated, the heroes won, and now it’s 50+ years later. Great manga, great anime. You’ll love it.
I really think you should finish Fruits Basket. It's okay to take breaks between volumes when things get heavy and overwhelming. I totally understand how rough it is to get through all of the trauma but the ending is worth it, I promise. That series is about the journey through the trauma to a happy ending.
I really liked the approach to reading manga from someone that is still new to it and I absolutely appreciate how in this channel we look deeper into the meanings of the story while still appreciating the fun (like Dragon Ball’s absurdity). It is changing how I read manga as well and making my One Piece read very interesting. I wonder how it can impact more of my reads?
My recommendation would be Akane Banashi. Its a series about a young girl pursuing a career in Rakugo (Comedic Japanese one man shows from the Edo period). It is pretty firmly in the Shounen category and has quickly become one of my favorite series. It has 2 published volumes released in English so far and appears to have a pretty long future ahead of it.
I see a few ppl recommending Land of the Lustrous. I know you're not a big TV watcher, however if you decide to check out this series I would HIGHLY recommend watching even just a few scenes as the anime is one of the most jaw-droppingly gorgeous productions in recent years. The studio really produced something special and did the gemstone characters justice.
I recommend Sunny by Taiyo Matsumoto. It’s about a group of children living in a group home after being abandoned by their parents. It’s heartwarming, heartbreaking, and everything in between. The mangaka himself lived through such an experience and he’s also considered one of the greatest living mangaka. The manga is different from what you normally read, it’s a mostly realistic seinen with a unique art style, but it’s very well respected among experienced manga readers
For Ascendance of a Bookworm I'd suggest to read the light novel it has a lot more world building than the manga but both versions are good. Also I love how it starts small and continually expands more and more including more social stratas as it goes until you understand how every part of society works.
Hi Merphy, although Im not familiar with your tastes in comedy or romance I really recommend Kaguya-Sama: Love is War by Akasaka Aka, its a story about 2 super genius high school students who love each other trying to get the other person to confess their love first. The manga is excellent due to the cat and mouse style of their interactions as well has having a great supporting cast, and finally the series doesnt lack in emotionally moving scenes either.
I absolutely love Akatsuki no Yona precisely because it does the strong female protagonist trope absolutely perfectly. Yona is a terrific lead and a strong woman, and she makes sure that she grows into that strong woman. She owns that position because she works for it. So many stories get this wrong these days. Honestly Yona's arc is done basically perfectly. Also hak is just.........so cool
I think you would LOVE Pandora Hearts. It hits on many of the themes you like. It's a psychological mystery story set in a Victorian era England. There are so many characters that I think you'd love, and the themes in the story are right up your alley. It's only 106 chapters long and the art is DIVINE especially by the second half of the series
It’s great to hear that you read Part 1 of the Ascendance of a Bookworm manga. Bookworm is easily my favourite light novel series, and one of my favourite franchises. The original Ascendance of a Bookworm was the web novel (which is not available in English outside of machine translations). The web novel was compiled (with some editing) into the light novels. The light novels were then adapted into the four parts of the manga currently available. Parts 2, 3 and 4 are not available in English yet, and they are not completed. The Part 5 manga hasn’t even started yet. The light novels also received an anime adaptation. The anime is mostly good, but the animation is a little jank, and seasons 2 and 3 had to leave out a ton of information. I would definitely recommend reading the light novels, but I would warn you that the prose probably isn’t what you’re used to (especially in Part 1), but Bookworm also has some of the better prose among light novels.
Hi! This is the first video I watch from your channel, so I'm not sure if you watch anime too and if that's the reason you didn't get to read some of the following manga I'll recommend: - Frieren: Beyond Journey's End - The Apothecary Diaries - Chainsaw Man - Sakamoto Days - Witch Hat Atelier - Blue Box - Jujustsu Kaisen - Skip to Loafer - Nana - Blue Period - Shadows House - Hirayasumi - Little Forest I too struggle to find good shoujo, I'll try to find recommendations in the comments. But probably josei manga like Nana are going to be a better pick for you! I did recommend some slice of life because, even if you enjoy action packed stories, you seem to like character driven stories too, I think it's worth to give it a try :)
Ascendance of a bookworm only gets better the further it goes, you should definitely stick with it. Also highly recommend reading the light novels rather than the manga for this one.
The Ascendance of a bookworm manga is actually based off of a novel of the same name. I highly recommend it and i enjoyed it even more than the manga or anime.
Based on your reaction to Vagabond, I would recommend also reading the novel Musashi, by Eiji Yoshikawa. It is basically Japan's "Gone with the Wind" equivalent and the story is somewhat adjacent to Vagabond. It's a heavily romanticized version of the life of real world ronin Miyamoto Musashi.
Can't wait until you get into the second and third arcs for Ascendance of a Bookworm. The direction it goes isn't what you would expect and the characters are so charming.
I dont expect it to win but Golden Kamuy is a manga with a crazy combination of treasure hunt, indigenous culture, gayness, gore, comedy and some of the most horrific fetish representation you can think of. Its great
Great series, but might very well be too bloody and violent at times for Merphy's taste (at least I think that is something that was not liked, If I'm wrong then this is of course a perfect recommendation)
Dungeon Meshi is a series that just concluded and it was a godlike journey. Great blend of goofy humor, good plot and fun characters. Like a giant D&D campaign.
I really recommend reading attack on titan. Many compare it to Vinland saga and in a way, they are set in similar, old times ig? Either way, it is amazing and has many excellent characters. Although I do advise watching out for spoilers as the story really gets intense, building certain plot points and resulting in plot twists that make it so great ❤
PLS read Ranking Of Kings! It is soo good! You’ll 100% love it!! It’s about a deaf + mute little prince that wants to be a strong king just like his dad, but everyone around him believe that he can’t.
Recommendations Short stories: Goodbye Eri, Hinamatsuri (A psychic and mobster comedy. Spy x Family but crazier), Blank Canvas: My So Called Artist's Journey (A Semi- autobiographical work.), Medalist, My Lesbian Experience with Loneliness (Autobiographical work). These are one shots or upto 100 chs. Long stories: Golden Kamuy (ABSURD COMEDY adventure), Delicious in Dungeon (A fantasy about cooking in dungeons), The Ancient Magus' Bride (A fantasy world set in modern day London where fae, mages and humans coexist.), Magi (A fantasy series based on the Arabian nights and tales. Definitely recommend since you love One Piece)
Also tossing Land of the Lustrous into the mix! The start is a touch slow, but it's one of those stories that builds and builds and builds upon itself until it becomes fantastically heavy and resonant. Fantastic MC, great worldbuilding, powerful theming. Everything down to it's beautiful artstyle is deceivingly simple.
If your interested in picking up dragon ball as a means to understand the history of shonen, an equally important piece of the puzzle is JoJos bizzare adventure, which introduced the idea of individual powers and systems (devil fruits, nen abilities) to shonen readers. Its also a great manga for discussion purposes as each arc follows a different protagonist, time period and genre with the first being victorian gothic horror. Everyone has their favourite and least favourite parts, but one of the best features of it is you can see the author evolve and mature as a writer and artist with each part (it started in 1987 and part 9 just launched this year).
Still would like you to read „Atelier of Witch hat“ and hear your take on the magic system 😊. It was the series that brought me back to reading mangas, after the oh so typical „I have to grow up“ phase. The drawings are beautiful and the story seems whimsical, but there’s a darker, hidden side that gets more and more room. And I love the magic system…
Strongly agree! One's art style always leaves a lot to be desired, but it leads itself better to Mob than One Punch Man. Mob Psycho 100 also has the heart, it has so much to it that makes you think and feel. Great story really.
@@Sabor180 I think the best think about Mob is obviously the story, but simply seeing the improvement in the art throughout the series is a huge joy to experience. And the Panelling is some of the best around IMO
"Golden Kamuy" is the only manga other than One Piece that is able to seamlessly blend gut-busting humor and heart-wrenching sadness at the same time. I consider it a masterpiece among manga; it's a shame that it never gained much popularity in English-speaking countries.
I mean... There is at least one more manga that masterfully blends humor and sadness. Gintama. Never gained more popularity among English-speaking community either. Such a great series
So, i made it to the end and i am so glad you asked for a recommendation! Yomi no Tsugai (Daemons of the shadow realm) is a manga written by the mangaka of Full Metal Alchemist , it explores the theme of duality and it follows a brother and sister with a heart warming / heart wrenching relationship, the humor is brilliant the side characters are interesting and the manga is ongoing and only has 5 volumes out!
I’m only familiar with the anime and only a few episodes are out currently, but Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End seems like it would be right up your alley so far
Yu Yu Hakusho Written by the same mangaka who wrote HunterxHunter And it's one of my favorites
It's way more shonen than hunterxhunter, not as complex in its characters, powerbuilding, themes and writing. That's fine, it was earlier, but it appeals more to fans of shonen than themes readers like Merphy
Not yet...
HOW HAVE YOU COMMENTED 12 HOURS AGO THE VIDEO WAS REALSESD 33 MIN AGO
Yeah but the manga for Yu Yu was not the best, it was perfected when the mangaka made changes to the anime, the manga was very rushed at certain points
@@lordyassin8681 he is a member bruh...
Mob Psycho is an amazing story of a middle schooler wich also happens to be the most pwerfull psychic in the world, but only worries about becoming a better person, with which sadly his superpower doesnt really help. The growth of these characters, Mob for sure but also the poeple he meets along the way is so heartwarming and tear inducing. I recomend the anime over the manga, but im sure youd love it either way.
Also, +1 for those Haikyuu recomendations
This! Yes! Mob Psycho 100 is amazing. It's so goofy but has so much heart. Great recommendation 👍
Agreed.
100% the anime is stronger than the manga. The writing and humor is what makes the series shine and those are completely intact in the anime. The problem is the mangas art is incredibly hit and miss.
I don’t know if she will hate because of it art style and author of Mob Psycho is best artist in manga
I think generally the anime is the better way to experience it until the manga gets the OPM treatment at least
Witch Hat Atelier is amazing. One of the best things I’ve ever read. It has a cozy whimsical feeling but also has dark emotional themes. And the artwork is absolutely beautiful.
I've only read the first volume, but I loved the art style so much. Also the only series I could think of to suggest.
My top recommendation as well, I love the characters, the world building, the magic system, and it is probably the most beautiful artwork and use of paneling that I've ever seen.
Witch Hat Atelier is absolutely wonderful, there's more effort and creativity put to the layouts than in most manga.
The style of art vaguely reminds me of berserk with the way some human characters look
Came down to the comments to suggest this, glad to see someone already is on it!
Surprised with how many people recommend Haikyuu but not Slam Dunk. It grabbed me from the first chapter with how comedy is written. And then it introduces an amazing cast of characters with an intense basketball games. Plus it’s finished and doesn’t overstay its welcome
And this manga was created by the same guy who created Vagabond. A good read if you want a lot of Slapstick comedy in sports manga.
A classic that everyone should try reading for sure
It's because Slam Dunk is a classic, but Haikyuu is a Generational Masterpiece. The Hobbit is a fine book but it is no Lord of the Rings.
@@Allen-qs2xrso... you think slam dunk is worse? what is that analogy
@@Allen-qs2xr Having a series thats been finished for more than decade and still be in top 15 most selling manga isnt something you get from simply being classic, slam dunk is a timeless masterpiece anyone can read and enjoy, and thats going to stay the same for a lot more time to come, its not one of those nostalgia blinded shows people overrate, instead its kind of underrated
Look Back and Goodbye, Eri are probably the two easiest manga recommendations I could ever make.They're both short reads, coming in at about 150 and 200 pages respectively, and yet there's an enormous amount of emotion and creativity packed into that short runtime
Goodbye, Eri in particular completely changed the way I look at manga as a medium - it was the first time I ever realized why panelling is so important, and Fujimoto just does such awesome, creative things with it. Cannot recommend it highly enough
Both are incredible and easy to read due to them being one shots! Highly recommend them as well!
A series that’s really great is land of the lustrous. Theme heavy with gorgeous art, and has an unique mood
doubled - houseki no kuni is absolutely amazing and goes places you genuinely cannot guess
I thought that little thumbnail was going to be that until she showed the cover and it ended up being mermaid saga
Echoing this recommendation! There is nothing else quite like it, it's a story that will give you more and more depth the longer you look/think about it, and the protagonist has a magnificent and terrifying journey. Plus, I think the mysteries can be very engaging
Eyyy my favorite manga of all time
Haikyuu is not everyone's cup of tee, but it has a lot of messages about growth, struggle and life in general masquerading as a volleyball manga. It has some of the most thrilling scenes in manga as well.
If you like haikyuu, I think you would like Major since it is very similar in that fashion as a sports series.
i think she would really like haikyuu
Yes Haikyuu was good but dude Hajime no ippo is my fav Sports manga, you should try
The ending is almost fairytale cheesy (even tho I love the series)
@@yashmehta516 I can't decide which I like more but tbh Haikyuu had an ending I thoroughly enjoyed so that's kind of a big win for it and I gotta say the recent Ippo chapters have been some of the absolute best Ippo chapters of all time (The entire current arc for Ippo has been top tier stuff from beginning to now) so it's going very strong too. Both are S-tier for me though.
I highly recommend reading Land of the Lustrous, it follows the story of these gemstone beings, each with their own personalities and struggles. Not only is the artstyle visually stunning, the narrative is really well thought out and layered, exploring themes of identity, purpose and the nature of existence. It is one of the best stories that I have ever read!!
I just commented and recommended the series and then immediately saw this comment. Such an underrated manga, glad to see it getting the love it deserves ❤
YESSSIRR goated manga, love Ichikawa.
Vouching for this one
Anime steven universe i gotta read this
I have not read it but for what people have told me about it seems to fit her taste
DOROHEDORO! Gotta be one of the most underrated series ever, at least in the mainstream. One of the only series I’ve read with no bad characters at all, an extremely cool and flexible magic system, and a fantastic setting. Think post-apocalyptic meets fantasy meets sci-fi meets horror. It’s a crazy mishmash of concepts that’s super engaging with a lot of great mystery and comedy elements to top it all off. Highly recommend and would love to see your thoughts on it!
The art for that manga is ridiculously good. Genuinely some of the most detailed and stylish artwork I’ve ever seen in a manga.
One of the best manga ever, shocking!
We have the whole collection of that but I get at volume 17-18, get burnt out, put down, pick it back up and repeat the whole process lol but it is really good. Just need to finish
I feel like you would love Natsume's book of friends (Natsume yuujinchou). Its a very bittersweet, calming series about a boy who can see yokai and the ways that this has impacted his life, both negatively but also gradually more positively as he comes to understand them more and gets more context for the things he's experienced in his life. Its a slow, character focused story with maybe the best adoptive parents I've ever read. Theres also a lot of humour in it, especially from the yokai that become friends with Natsume and love to pester him. The art at the start can be a little rough but has improved massively and is now absolutely beautiful and some of my favourite manga art
LOVE Natsume's Book of Friends! 🥰
yESSSSSSS it's criminally underrated but in my top 5 manga of all time
Yesss its so good, absolutely recommended ❤
So happy to see this recommendation! (as may be obvious from my profile picture 😅)
I feel about Natsume Yuujinchou the way Merphy talks about One Piece - it just fits everything I want in a story and even if it has flaws, I can't see anything replacing it as my favorite manga because of what it has meant to me over the years. Obviously that's very personal and not everyone will have that same experience, but I hope more people will find and fall in love with the series. The anime is beautiful as well.
I would recommend Takehiko Inoue's other series, Real and Slam Dunk. Both equally as good as Vagabond in their own ways imo
Slam dunk really is one of the most impactful sports manga it literally popularized basketball in Japan. It's just me but the story kind of predicted the Bulls dynasty from 96 to 98
Oh thank you for putting this out to her. Slam Dunk is so well crafted. That is art. And Oda is a fan as well, she will love it.
Real STRUCK me, its AWESOME
REAL!!!!!
Definitely Slam Dunk! This manga single-handedly made basketball the most played sport in Japan (no one there even knew the rules of basketball when the manga started) and you can literally see the evolution of inoue’s drawings from its beginnings to vagabond’s level of art
Hi Merphy! I recently read a manga series called "Skip and Loafer" It is the first romantic comedy/slice-of-life manga I ever read. It was a cozy sweet and emotional read for me. I love how they touch on some difficult themes along with being very relatable, the characters feel very human and remind of me when I was in high school. I love this manga and the anime was awesome. I hope you can read it and share your thoughts with us! (Sorry for my bad English)
Yes Skip and loafer is so so good
Touché
Meh, its good but its a basic rom com drama
I just watched the first season, sooo good and cute!
@@synaesthesia888 honestly the characters at first seem very generic but how they execute it is what made it so good
You should really read Nana! Nana’s characters are so soul crushingly real, and it leads to some of the most well written drama in the medium
I immediately came to see if anyone had mentioned Nana. Thank you, @mondestroy for talking about this manga and, yes, please! This manga deserves to be read.
Also, I think it's important to comment that Nana didn't have an end, although you can kinda imagine your end by what we've been given (and it's way more important for the mangaka to be fine than for the manga to have an end, really. I just hope Yazawa is taking care of her health
And the accompanying albums really bring the bands to life.
Yona of the Dawn is my fave of all time and it's so underrated. Glad you loved it!
I'm probably speaking on deaf ears, but Berserk's gotta come next after going through Vagabond and Vinland Saga. Gut's journey is probably just as incredible as Thorfin and Musashi's but in a totally different way. It's harrowing, pure nightmare fuel, but also surprisingly beautiful at times. The moments of hope in Berserk make me feel as though I'm somebody stranded at a desert trying to scoop whatever little water falls in the sand. It's so few and far in between and you clutch onto it with everything because this story is hopeless most of the time. I genuinely believe that Guts should be studied much like Thorfin and Musashi because of the journey and SIGNIFICANT number of layers that Guts has to him.
Berserk was the first story that ever made a betrayal hurt SO deeply that I was literally sobbing over and still haven't truly recovered from. It's the FIRST time I've ever cared about a romantic relationship in any story ever and I'd go so far as to say that it's the only art that either competes with if not succeeds at outdoing the incredible spreads in Vagabond. It's REALLY dark, but how people bounce back (or don't) is the real message here. Griffith I have a deep hatred for, but I greatly admire his character and how perfect he is in the role he serves as the main antagonist. He's the first character in a while that if you literally took him out of Berserk, the entire story would fall apart. He's that vital
She's done a video mentioning Berserk in the past. In her July Wrap Up from 2020. Somehow didn't make it on here, but in short, she only read Volume 1 and decided not to continue.
The dark fantasy aspect was great and as well as the underlying plot but she has very strong feelings against sexual assault scenes and scenes depicting graphic violence, specifically with minors as the victims. She mentions being warned against the series for such topics. A friend of hers also confirmed those claims and advised her to not continue due to her personal preferences, she decided to drop it.
@ar.ninetysix That kinda sucks because there's more to the story than just that. Don't blame her, though at all. Whenever I mention Berserk to people who I've convinced read it, I always mention the journey of intense healing that Guts goes through(and continues to go through) , especially with meeting the Black Swordsman party. It's absolutely incredible coming out of Falcon of the Millenium Empire how much less graphic it is in comparison to Black Swordsman through conviction. Not to say the violence goes away at all, but things seem brighter in comparison. I'm a huge fan of the multiple layers that Guts has. I always want to share how much Guts continues to evolve in the more apparent and subtle ways of his character and how he strives to get better. Not to mention how gorgeous the art is
@ar.ninetysix does she understand that vinland has the same scenes. Thorfin as a kid.... Also vagabond kinda does during like chapter 3.
@caenir Maybe it's the whole Eclipse thing, or that it's more fantastical and less "realistic"? But then again, she reads One Piece so I really don't know
@@caenir No it doesn't lol Berserk is far more brutal
Vinland arc is shaping up good let's hope Yukimura lands it. I'm not gonna spoil but he's really challenging Thorfinn's ideals right now.
@@letplayeee I mean he has to challenge it, there's no point to the last arc if he doesn't. The specifics of what's happening and how he's challenging his ideals now are spoilers. Now that I think about it, every arc after farm arc is about challenging his ideals.
Yukimura is a Good Mangaka.
@letplayeee so... it's a spoiler that the mangaka is challenging the beliefs of the protagonist... in a story that largely focuses on that protagonists development in maturity and finding who they are all while experiencing the utmost adversity? I don't really think that one qualifies as much of a plot twist.
@@letplayeeeWell the spoiler is also like... actual history dawg. Like a lot of these events genuinely happened.
@@Mecawallacei’d say it’s about 40 to 50% accurate
I feel like Merphy would love Atelier of witch hat so much! It not only does a great job at depicting real-life issues but the art is also incredibly beautiful and the theme of found family is SOOO prevalent. It just feels like its a series made for her!
Atelier is sooo good! I love the artstyle so much, it gives me old time-y fable/story vibes. It's so creative too! It never feels like they're pulling a win outta nowhere.
attelier witch hat is very good indeed, have some flaws but the art and the story is good. whould love murphy to read it
she would absolutely love it
I really love the fact that you enjoy DB. You understand what it is and when you don’t your fans tell you and you love it even more
Like many others in the comments, I would also like to humbly submit a Mob Psycho 100 recommendation. It does great work in tying its multifaceted characters back to it's central themes of self improvement and finding your place in society as well as having a fun time in the wacky version of Earth it creates. Definitely the kind of series that will make you laugh and cry in the same chapter.
I haven’t read the manga but watched the anime and it is wholesome
Reigen is my favourite character
She would loove Reigen.. he’s just a competent Buggy 😂😂😂
@@mma93067 he has whole good arc to him which is really wholesome
So happy to see Yona Of The Dawn receiving the love it deserves! It has become one of my favorite stories of all time, throughout all types of media, and the fact that there was never a season 2 given for the anime still haunts me.
Dandadan was a recent series I didn’t think I’d be into but tried on a whim, ended up binging it in 2 days. Ghosts, aliens, cryptids, and a weird fixation with genitals somehow had me fascinated and even on the cusp of crying
I love DanDaDan! Maybe I'm underestimating Merph's tolerance for fan service and degeneracy here, but I don't think it'll be her cup of tea.
I have a good feeling she wouldn’t like dandadan
@@bencc24Yeah, something tells me any of the "Fujimoto-esque" stuff out rn (such as anything by Tatsuki Fujimoto, Dandadan, etc.) would jive well with her
@@samt3412 yeah maybe besides look back. That one’s not TOO insane. But fujimoto-esque stuff is just too crazy, and this isn’t a diss because I love fujimoto, but let’s say “degenerate”
I can highly recommend Haikyu!!. It's a Volleyball (don't worry about this part too much :D) manga/anime that features some of the best character work I've ever read. It manages to stay super down-to-earth and relatable, while at the same time creating some of the most intense and inspiring moments. Would love for you to give it a go and try it out, it's such a great series :)
Assassination Classroom is DEFINITELY one you will love. It also has arguably the strongest first chapter I have ever seen, as well as one of the best endings I have ever seen. The anime is also great and it's not too long!
I whole heartedly second Assassination Classroom. In terms of tone, it’s the closest manga/anime to One Piece that I’ve found (albeit at a much more micro scale). The premise is absurd and the characters can be silly, but there’s so much heart behind everything. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, and you’ll cheer for E Class! Please definitely give it a try!
YESSS omg assasination classroom is top tier. i love it so much
Thirding this! Pleaseee AssClass is so good! 😭❤
Yesss
Hunter x Hunter is easily my favorite work of fiction. Yoshihiro Togashi is a prophet, it is such an amazing writer, and artist, and he created just such a masterpiece of a story, so in depth, so realistic while being unrealistic at the same time. Man I love this series so much
try one piece. imagine if hxh had 400 more eps of peak that would be one piece
@@xandex69 I’ve read one piece, I think hxh is better, but one piece is still a favorite
@@xenolith5032 yeah same but vice versa lol
Same HxH is my favourite piece of man media
@@human2570 man media?
Land of the Lustrous feels like a must read for you, personally. It’s a dystopian sci-fi set in a world where nonbinary, sentient gemstones live and are under attack by creatures from the moon but don’t know exactly why. It’s a series that’s best to leave as little information as possible in a summary and just go in blind. It’s an emotional journey for sure.
I second this, it's one of the most original and interesting stories in all of animanga imo and the protagonist is among the absolute best as well. it's super emotional.
omg this would be amazing, easily one of my fav series and has one of my fav protagonists
It’s soooo close to ending too! Just a couple more months!
and the art is GORGEOUS
I highly recommend you read Frieren, Girl's Last Tour and Ancient Magus Bride.
Love frieren
The Ancient Magus' Bride love.
Great stuff 👌
I was going to recommend exactly these mangas as well :D
Frieren might just be my second favorite fantasy series of all time and Im only like the first volume in
Attack on Titan, Haikyuu and Witch Hat Atelier, please and thank you. All of these are wildly different, but some of my favorites for many reasons. They also have themes and elements you appreciate, so I hope you'll enjoy them!
Witch hat atelier would be perfect
What kind of monster recommends AoT?
@@Rowan_A_Boatit's better than series which blatantly rips off Tom and Jerry called one piece with no stakes fakeout deaths and no personality
@@XDGamer88 That's some low quality bait, kid.
i would def recommend march comes in like a lion. Its a moving story about this boy Rei Kiriyama and his journey with depression caused by a tough family life, this sport called shogi, and his overall life after moving out while being acquainted by this little cute family who warmly welcomes him. It is heartwarming and wholesome at times but also can be very emotional. I also very much recommends the anime because the animator has done a very good job adapting it and taking it into the next level
sangatsu is so good, its my favorite of all time (so sad about the anime not having a season 3 :') )
OMG I cannot recommend this enough.
This manga is a freaking masterpiece plus the mangaka said that it’s wrapping up soon so we should be getting an ending sometime in the near future.
This manga is SSS tier
I liked the first season and then stopped watching when it became less about analyzing depression, and more about getting engaged to a middle-schooler
I know kingdom can potentially not be your thing but if you gave a a shot The battles in Kingdom are nothing short of epic. The manga brilliantly depicts large-scale warfare, strategic maneuvers, and intense clashes between armies. You'll witness the art of war in action, with tactical planning, military formations, and the use of unique weapons and strategies. The author's attention to detail and the dynamic artwork make the battles come alive, immersing you in the chaos and intensity of war. It's a thrilling experience that keeps you on the edge of your seat! 💥🛡️
I have read it bro and it's awesome just awesome worth reading every chapter but when it be finish 😢😢
Kingdom is great!
She can’t read though there’s no official English release
@@davec8385 Personally, I would put Kingdom on the same tier as Berserk, Vagabond & Vinland Saga.
Ascendance of a Bookworm is so insanely good.
As someone who is currently up to date with the Light Novel prepubs at J-Novel, I'm every single weekly release has me at the edge of my seat quaking with excitement.
The series is interesting in that every "Part" is almost its own brand new isekai with aspects of the previous carried forward. But the series is so incredibly wholesome and lovely, while slowly ramping up to bigger and greater issues as the story continues.
Goodbye Eri is a great one shot I think most people should read. I can't say much about it other than it's about a teenage boy making a movie with his phone camera, and the paneling represents that in a pretty cool way.
It's by the Chainsaw Man author (and I'm certain that's been recommended), but I think it'd be great to check out Goodbye Eri first!
❤
@@mcjcave18isn't Eri and ASA mitaka and the bomb devil all sister?
They all look similar to each other
Since you enjoyed Vinland Saga and Vegabond so much, I highly recommend you read "Kingdom" and also "Berserk" generally these four are always grouped together as the 4 greatest Seinen manga.
Does Kingdom that good? I never read it, but i'm huge fan of Vinland Saga/Berserk/Vagabond.
@@oscarljimenez5717 100% it is. Why else do you think it gets constantly mentioned with the other goated mangas? it's personally my favorite of the 4.
Don’t give her more trauma with Bessel.
But also I kinda want to see if the series can even end before recommending it. I know the other members have taken it over after his death
@@oscarljimenez5717kingdom is awesome man believe just read it i have also read berserk vegabond and vinland saga and believe me it is worth it..... You will know when you read it
Usuoegi is the best Seinen
Please check out Land of the Lustrous, its main character has one of the best arcs I've ever seen. It's also beautiful, both the manga and the anime.
I'm so excited to see your Dragon Ball Z video. It was naturally the first anime that I was exposed to and went back read the original Dragonball manga. Which got me into reading manga in the first place.
I highly recommend Chihayafuru. It's a sports josei manga with 50 volumes and well-developed characters. There's teamwork, friendship, competition, and some romance too.
Hi Merphy! One of my favorite manga of all time is "Blue Period". It hit especially hard for me since I am also pursuing art. The protagonist struggles to find an interest that is fulfilling, I found that very relatable, seeing him on his journey, meeting new people, and improving his skill is very motivating, and makes me want to go do something myself. I can't really describe this manga in text but I loveeeeeeee this series and i hope you can give this manga a read. (I love your video
Right, Blue Period felt so real (speaking as someone who gave up on art school). Not the type of manga I usually read but never have I resonated so much with the main character journey (and the rest of the cast too).
@@tavtav934 Yessssss! The part where Yaguchi argues with his mom about him pursuing art, when he goes to an art class for the first time and sees people who are very talented then gets discouraged also when the teacher judges his work feels soooooo real to me (The rest of the cast is awesome)
@@shirohana8549 "when the teacher judges his work" -> ptsd intensifies xD
If anybody wants series that are kinda similar I'd recommend Blank Canvas: My So-Called Artist’s Journey and Hirayasumi
@@Donkeyhead thanks, will definitely check those out
Some quick recommendations:
Real-By the same author of Vagabond, it's a wheelchair basketball manga with 3 main characters that more than focusing on the sport it focuses on getting back up (no pun intended) and trying to get better as a human being.
Blue Period-A manga about painting and fine arts that teaches you to love and appreciate art. It exlpores motivation and the hardships in doing what you love most and also tackles different ways to see the world thanks to it's secondary characters.
Billy Bat-By the same author as Monster, but it's more out there. A comic artist discovers that one of his characters (Billy Bat) is actually a ssupernatural being and he goes on a journey that surrounds many real life conspiration theories and shows the true power of stories and what it means to be a writer
Blue period really is great. Haven't read the other two
Billy bat is so amazing
@@fearacha965they’re both really good
I know you said you weren't fully on board with Monster but I think you'd enjoy Urasawa's 20th Century Boys! It's about a group of friends coming back together when they realize someone is using their childhood stories/ideas as a basis to create a doomsday cult. The mystery is so much fun to follow, the characters are loveable and unique, and the twists and turns of the plot are rly amazing to follow! We follow the underdogs but the story has a hopeful air even when the circumstances become increasingly more dire and scary.
I don't know how to properly sell JoJo's Bizarre Adventure but it's follows generations of the Joestar family, each part centers a different protagonist and they differ in genre so it never feels too repetitive. The artwork and creativity of this series is truly incredible
I kinda feel like she’s gonna fall out of love for it eventually because 20th cb kinda gets a little messy/all over the place towards the end
Absolutely no shot she’d like Jojo imo. Maybe if she got to like part 4 then sure but that’s a lot of reading before we hit content I think she’d like.
@@soultheconfusing9563 so it not just me, i felt the 20th boy century just starting to fall fall apart after the tokyo incedent story
@@soultheconfusing9563 finally someone who acknowledges it too. In my opinion, a big problem with 20thCB is that there are a lot of drawn-out subplots, some of which are completely irrelevant to the outcome of the story. For me personally, 20thCB is Urasawa's worst series.
@@reza.muhammad8067 No, me too. But I think, we are in a minority thinkking this way.
I'M always so happy whenever i see someone talking about Bookworm,it makes me feels like a proud father. If you loved part 1,you should read further ahead ,it gets only get better from there on
Natsume's book of friends (natsume yuujinchou) is a really great shoujo series. It's probably a bit out of your comfort zone and may be a bit slow paced for your taste but from the emotions you go through while reading it, it's absolutely worth it. It's sweet and sad and has a lot of found family. It's a really episodic story and each small story is just emotionally beautiful but the overarching story is really great and you just want to know more about all of it. There is a bit of adventure and action but it's more on the slice of life side of things but probably will make you cry. If sometime you are feeling up for a emotional slice of life story, that is a bit slower paced, I would definitely recommend it.
I always wanted to read/watch it and always forgot to do so. Thank you for talking about this series, I just got it to finally start after reading your comment.
LOVE Natsume's Book of Friends 🥰🥰🥰
@@danamytereads5304 Nice to hear that there are more fans of Natsume's book of friends here. It's a classic but at the same time I feel, that many have forgotten it in the recent years.
@@Tochter_des_Sturmsbruh how can i forgot natsume if i keep rewatch it every year 🗿
I would suggest Goodbye Eri. Its a interesting short story/manga about the writers creative process. It just stuck in the back of mind like gum on the side walk.
Oh, I got a token! I'll try and cash it in for Attack on Titan (Shingeki no Kyojin in Japanese) it's an absolute masterpiece and has a very deep focus on it's theme's throughout it's storytelling. It starts off very high octane and more action heavy but then almost catches you off guard when the story starts taking a way broader and more ambitious approach in it's depiction of character and world building developement. It's an absolute must-read for any fan of the medium, especially as the art visibly improves over time. Some of the spreads near the end will leave you both in awe aswell as contemplating their content for days.
Yes, yes, yes, 1000% agree! Glad to to see someone else recommending Shingeki no Kyojin ❤👍
And then it ends so badly that it ruins everything. Not poorly, badly. The ending is a very well executed character assassination and smear campaign. With truly awful use of prophecy tropes, and a general tone of edgy spite for no good reason. Maybe a masochist would like it... maybe.
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I completely disagree. It felt slightly rushed at the end, I'll give you that, but it is still completely true to the characters and who they are. It's a logical ending to what was being built up the entire time. I don't want to get into specifics because we'd be entering spoiler territory, but this was always going to be the outcome. It was never going to be a happy go lucky kinda ending and I think Isayama tied it all together. You're entitled your opinion, but I don't understand why some people think the characters were off in the end, they are true to who they've been the whole time.
@@Sabor180 SPOILER ALERT
Right, and that means the whole story was shitty. All of the good and suspenseful parts were always leading up to a pile of shit, so that means they were shit too. That's how that works. None of the mysteries amounted to anything. None of the political maneuvering mattered at all. It was just torture and snuff and no payoffs. No meaning to the suffering.
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You have a real bleak outlook on all this it seems. I'm sorry that you didn't think that things and mysteries paid off or that everything ment nothing in the end. That's not how I see it at all, but people see things differently and that's life.
Dandadan is an absolute must read, its an absurd blend of horror, sci-fi, supernatural, comedy, action, and romance that should never work but somehow does it all amazingly. Criminal there isn't an anime adaptation yet.
It's gonna conquer the world when the anime comes out.
Best looking manga out right now (in my opinion)
I second this!!n
@@julio1148seriously, how is Dandadan weekly with the level of art thats in every chapter
@@eddiecampos I picture this mangaka kind of like Eiji from Bakuman 🤣 just obsessed about creating manga
Hey Merphy, this is a deep cut and most people in the comments will have never heard of it, but I think The Lucifer and Biscuit Hammer is right up your alley. It's weird, it's funny, it's got deep rooted themes of found family, good action, great characters and a fun twist on genre tropes.
I highly recommend the light novel for Ascendance of a Bookworm! It's the original form of the series, it's way ahead, and in my opinion it's the best version. And the series only gets better as you go on.
I’m so desperate for Merphy to read Dungeon Meshi and Dorohedoro I just know she’d love them. Also it was really nice to see Yona of the Dawn in here I had no idea she read it!
I will heartily second Dungeon Meshi, especially since it just finished recently and it finished off so well.
I second Dorohedoro!
I second dorohedoro aswell
I definitely second Dorohedoro certainly an S tier for the first 3 quarters
Dungeon Meshi!! Its about poor adventurers that end up having to learn how to cook monsters to survive in the dungeon, I started reading it because it was such a fun read, but the world development was so good that it ended up becoming one of my favorite manga of all time, I highly recomend it!
100% second Dungeon Meshi! Godlike and it ended so well. Didn't fall off at all even to the finish.
I am so glad you love DB! I hope you continue to love it as you wrap up the Z portion of the story!
This is a pretty sensible list if you ask me, glad to see Fullmetal Alchemist ranking high because it's such a charming enjoyable series and has so much dept I feel it gets undervalued at times. I also have a similar distaste for Naoki Urasawa's books, not bad reads but definitively have not felt as my cup of tea, the one exception being Pluto which really stands out from the rest, it keeps the good stuff, shaves the bad stuff and borrows enough World building from Osamu Tezuka to make it feel charming and intriguing.
My recommendation would be: read Satoshi Mizukami, either his Lucifer and the Biscuit Hammer or Spirit Circle series are charming, creative and full of great characters to follow.
A series that not many people talk about D Gray Man i think a lot more people should try it and would recommend it. DGM has a lot of depth to it and it really pushes the feeling of never giving up.
Ok, now I can recommend San Gatsu no Lion. It's my favorite series ever, also having those same S tiers, it will break your heart in multiple pieces and warm you a lot. It's my safe place, the art is amazing and It has so many messages and so many things to say about life that it is just incredible.
You should definitely read Mob Psycho. It's simply about a teenage boy going through life along with a cunning smart mentor and it teaches the best life lessons ever, with a spirity ghosty setting. It's such a different feel from other mangas and while I do think the anime is better and feels really different, it's worth checking out both.
Why bother reading when you can watch the anime which is miles better than the manga
Submitting my token for Haikyuu. As someone who doesn't consider themselves a sports fan I waited a very long time to check it out and was blown away with how good it was. As long as you love watching deeply realized characters chase their dreams anyone can love this series. Also I now know more technical knowledge about volleyball than anyone else in my life despite never playing a game lol
I second this, while I only read the manga after I finished the anime, Haikyuu is lowkey the reason I tried volleyball for the first time in my life in my senior year of highschool.
I don't know why, but I just loved that Merphy used One Piece as her timeline for another manga. "It was way back in Skypeia for me." That just brought a big smile to my face.
Excited to see you continue Ascendance of a Bookworm! It's my favorite light novel series and it's part of what got me into reading other fantasy (your fantasy difficulty tier list was a great help there too). In my opinion, the series gets better with every Part, and I hope you continue past the manga into Part 3 and onward in the light novel, or maybe even try Part 2 in Light Novel (LN) format. I think you'll continue to be charmed by the core themes of familial love, with its emphasis on mothers and their connection to their children, even as the world around Myne seems to expand.
Hi Merphy, I know a lot of people have recommended JoJo's Bizarre Adventure BUT I wanna suggest something that you might be interested in. The author of JJBA (Araki Hirohiko) has a book called "Manga in Theory and Practice" that I just finished a couple of days ago and since you are finding more and more series that you love you might wanna check what one of the most successful mangakas of all time has to add about the medium.
the fruits basket part made me sad since it's my all time favourite manga series :( i promise that it's not all trauma! there are a lot of wholesome scenes and also shows how the characters work through their trauma with one and another is very beautiful, in my opinion. i really really hope you pick it back up one day, it really is a gem
This! But I also can understand why it was dropped. It is heavy on the trauma and Takaya conveys that heaviness well so it can definitely be a bit mentally and emotionally tolling. It’d probably be best to pick it back up after a break if it gets too heavy on you.
Yeah, I don't do those stories much but I learned of it when I didn't really know anything like her. The drama was fine for me as I, at the time didn't mind anything dark or deep too long. But she is binging so its tuff. The best parts are the final arc too. I didn't know this till I saw the later redo.
Assassination Classroom is a long time favourite for me. I’m not sure exactly if this falls outside of your comfort zone but the series kinda lets you know fairly early on what it wants to be.
Thank you for the video! I’m very happy ascension of a bookworm is on your list! I use my token to recommend „Frieren: Beyond Journey's End“. It follows an elven mage who lived for a thousand years and just defeated the demon king with her hero group. But since she lives so long she realizes too late how fleeting human lives are and her friends die of old age. We follow her on a new journey where she tries to better understand humans. She does this by repeating the steps of her journey with her old group. The anime started not long ago. The trailers are all excellent so you can get an idea if it is for you or not.
Read Re: Zero or Berserk. These two series have some of the best character arcs as well as world-building I've personally seen and each has made me experience a phenomenal rollercoaster of emotions! I would be lying that these authors have touched my heart on many occasions and even though they are both dark and heavy, I feel you would end up enjoying them. Finally, keep up the amazing work! Your videos are always a joy to watch!
Berserk is definitely a huge must-read for Merphy…she will be blown away by Miura’s beautiful art style and the story’s THEMES! 😅
she has mentioned berserk before i believe and is very against reading highly graphic things against women/children so she would absolutely not like berserk at all
@@ashxarya4294 The story of Berserk is about perseverance and struggling to move forward. The world has horrible things happen to everyone. There have been absolutely horrible things that have happened to characters in stories she did review. Like in HunterxHunter, Monster, Vinland saga. A story should not be solely boiled down to its dark themes and plot beats. It should be looked at by its storylines, world-building, and character writing. And that's why I suggest Berserk and Re: Zero.
😏Berserk uhh
She already read like the first volume if I remember correctly? It's too graphic for her if I remember correctly + the things that happen to woman and children there is something she doesn't like
I recommend giving The Climber a try again at some point (doesn’t have to be anytime soon) as the author switch part way through pays out big at the end imo. Last arc/sequence of events may be one of my favourites in any series, visual storytelling at its best.
yeah it's a masterpiece.
I'd like to recommend ERASED! It deals with heavy themes and is very plot heavy, but at all times the characters shine and surprise us. I think it has the status of a classic, but the anime ending bummed out a lot of avid watchers
I would highly recommend Frieren: Beyond journey's end to you! Recently it received an anime adaptation as well and it is gorgeous. The story is both lighthearted and deals with the main character's melancholy in parts. I believe there's 11 volumes currently out.
Honestly, I’d recommend picking up fruits basket again, just give it one more shot because even though it is very drama heavy, and it can be very depressing the way it comes together is so extremely well done. All I can tell you without spoiling it is a fruits basket has a happy ending and wet executed is incredibly well done and is actually one of my favorite manga endings of all time!
I'm sure you've probably been made aware of this, but regarding Vagabond; The mangaka put the series on hiatus, and it's been that way for years now. Recently, during interviews over his series Slam Dunk getting a movie, he has said he plans on resuming the series soon. The series is based off a book called Musashi, which is based off a real person! I LOVE the book, it's a little slow at time, but I feel the story is every bit as rich and enthralling as the manga, as well as given a satisfying conclusion. If you reached the end of Vagabond and want to know what happens, highly recommend you check out Musashi.
I recommend a manga called Land of the Lustrous, it’s a great story that explores the themes of finding purpose and what does it means to save someone else
Merphy you gotta check out Akane Banashi. It is not an action series but is instead a weekly running Rakugo Performance series that runs alongside One Piece in Jump, and Oda himself really recommended it. The character writing is SUPERB.
I'd love to see your takes on Tatsuki Fujimoto's works. Particularly Look Back and Goodbye Eri (both one-shots).
He's a younger mangaka but someone I follow due the consistent themes in his work and somewhat eccentric storytelling.
Sousou no Frieren. I’m late to the party but this one is a must. Great fantasy setting (elves and mages and warriors and a dragon), but this isn’t the typical great quest story. When we join the story the great quest has already happened, the demon king was defeated, the heroes won, and now it’s 50+ years later. Great manga, great anime. You’ll love it.
I really think you should finish Fruits Basket. It's okay to take breaks between volumes when things get heavy and overwhelming. I totally understand how rough it is to get through all of the trauma but the ending is worth it, I promise. That series is about the journey through the trauma to a happy ending.
I really liked the approach to reading manga from someone that is still new to it and I absolutely appreciate how in this channel we look deeper into the meanings of the story while still appreciating the fun (like Dragon Ball’s absurdity). It is changing how I read manga as well and making my One Piece read very interesting. I wonder how it can impact more of my reads?
My recommendation would be Akane Banashi. Its a series about a young girl pursuing a career in Rakugo (Comedic Japanese one man shows from the Edo period). It is pretty firmly in the Shounen category and has quickly become one of my favorite series. It has 2 published volumes released in English so far and appears to have a pretty long future ahead of it.
I see a few ppl recommending Land of the Lustrous. I know you're not a big TV watcher, however if you decide to check out this series I would HIGHLY recommend watching even just a few scenes as the anime is one of the most jaw-droppingly gorgeous productions in recent years. The studio really produced something special and did the gemstone characters justice.
I recommend Sunny by Taiyo Matsumoto. It’s about a group of children living in a group home after being abandoned by their parents. It’s heartwarming, heartbreaking, and everything in between. The mangaka himself lived through such an experience and he’s also considered one of the greatest living mangaka. The manga is different from what you normally read, it’s a mostly realistic seinen with a unique art style, but it’s very well respected among experienced manga readers
Came here to also recommend Sunny. My favourite manga, it feels so real and unfiltered.
Sunny makes me feel empty
For Ascendance of a Bookworm I'd suggest to read the light novel it has a lot more world building than the manga but both versions are good. Also I love how it starts small and continually expands more and more including more social stratas as it goes until you understand how every part of society works.
Hi Merphy, although Im not familiar with your tastes in comedy or romance I really recommend Kaguya-Sama: Love is War by Akasaka Aka, its a story about 2 super genius high school students who love each other trying to get the other person to confess their love first. The manga is excellent due to the cat and mouse style of their interactions as well has having a great supporting cast, and finally the series doesnt lack in emotionally moving scenes either.
Finally someone recommend this
I absolutely love Akatsuki no Yona precisely because it does the strong female protagonist trope absolutely perfectly. Yona is a terrific lead and a strong woman, and she makes sure that she grows into that strong woman. She owns that position because she works for it. So many stories get this wrong these days. Honestly Yona's arc is done basically perfectly.
Also hak is just.........so cool
I think you would LOVE Pandora Hearts. It hits on many of the themes you like. It's a psychological mystery story set in a Victorian era England. There are so many characters that I think you'd love, and the themes in the story are right up your alley. It's only 106 chapters long and the art is DIVINE especially by the second half of the series
It’s great to hear that you read Part 1 of the Ascendance of a Bookworm manga. Bookworm is easily my favourite light novel series, and one of my favourite franchises.
The original Ascendance of a Bookworm was the web novel (which is not available in English outside of machine translations). The web novel was compiled (with some editing) into the light novels. The light novels were then adapted into the four parts of the manga currently available. Parts 2, 3 and 4 are not available in English yet, and they are not completed. The Part 5 manga hasn’t even started yet. The light novels also received an anime adaptation. The anime is mostly good, but the animation is a little jank, and seasons 2 and 3 had to leave out a ton of information.
I would definitely recommend reading the light novels, but I would warn you that the prose probably isn’t what you’re used to (especially in Part 1), but Bookworm also has some of the better prose among light novels.
Hi! This is the first video I watch from your channel, so I'm not sure if you watch anime too and if that's the reason you didn't get to read some of the following manga I'll recommend:
- Frieren: Beyond Journey's End
- The Apothecary Diaries
- Chainsaw Man
- Sakamoto Days
- Witch Hat Atelier
- Blue Box
- Jujustsu Kaisen
- Skip to Loafer
- Nana
- Blue Period
- Shadows House
- Hirayasumi
- Little Forest
I too struggle to find good shoujo, I'll try to find recommendations in the comments. But probably josei manga like Nana are going to be a better pick for you! I did recommend some slice of life because, even if you enjoy action packed stories, you seem to like character driven stories too, I think it's worth to give it a try :)
I’d recommend Look Back & Goodbye Eri by Tatsuki Fujimoto, both are self contained one volume stories that are quick to read & both are excellent.
Ascendance of a bookworm only gets better the further it goes, you should definitely stick with it. Also highly recommend reading the light novels rather than the manga for this one.
The Ascendance of a bookworm manga is actually based off of a novel of the same name. I highly recommend it and i enjoyed it even more than the manga or anime.
Based on your reaction to Vagabond, I would recommend also reading the novel Musashi, by Eiji Yoshikawa. It is basically Japan's "Gone with the Wind" equivalent and the story is somewhat adjacent to Vagabond. It's a heavily romanticized version of the life of real world ronin Miyamoto Musashi.
Can't wait until you get into the second and third arcs for Ascendance of a Bookworm. The direction it goes isn't what you would expect and the characters are so charming.
Slam dunk by Inoue the same author of Vagabond is probably the pinnacle of sports manga.
I dont expect it to win but Golden Kamuy is a manga with a crazy combination of treasure hunt, indigenous culture, gayness, gore, comedy and some of the most horrific fetish representation you can think of. Its great
I would love this series with Philip :)
I don’t know if it would be Merphy’s cup of tea but it is absolutely bonkers. And really educational too!
GK is definitely a hit. The anime has one of my fav English voice actors too, Ian Sinclair
Great series, but might very well be too bloody and violent at times for Merphy's taste (at least I think that is something that was not liked, If I'm wrong then this is of course a perfect recommendation)
I'm an anime only for this, but it's so good!
Dungeon Meshi is a series that just concluded and it was a godlike journey. Great blend of goofy humor, good plot and fun characters. Like a giant D&D campaign.
Wait it's over? I put off reading it since it was almost finished
@@pauloperegrinau.8521 Yep, just ended like last month I think? There might still be epilogue material, but yeah, it's listed as the end.
One of my faves without a doubt, the characters are amazing and the way it play with the themes
Yes yes YES, one of the few manga of the recent years that I really enjoyed, really a well-rounded story
I really recommend reading attack on titan. Many compare it to Vinland saga and in a way, they are set in similar, old times ig? Either way, it is amazing and has many excellent characters. Although I do advise watching out for spoilers as the story really gets intense, building certain plot points and resulting in plot twists that make it so great ❤
PLS read Ranking Of Kings! It is soo good! You’ll 100% love it!! It’s about a deaf + mute little prince that wants to be a strong king just like his dad, but everyone around him believe that he can’t.
Recommendations
Short stories: Goodbye Eri, Hinamatsuri (A psychic and mobster comedy. Spy x Family but crazier), Blank Canvas: My So Called Artist's Journey (A Semi- autobiographical work.), Medalist, My Lesbian Experience with Loneliness (Autobiographical work).
These are one shots or upto 100 chs.
Long stories: Golden Kamuy (ABSURD COMEDY adventure), Delicious in Dungeon (A fantasy about cooking in dungeons), The Ancient Magus' Bride (A fantasy world set in modern day London where fae, mages and humans coexist.), Magi (A fantasy series based on the Arabian nights and tales. Definitely recommend since you love One Piece)
Holy peak, you know quality when you see it that's for sure.
Also tossing Land of the Lustrous into the mix! The start is a touch slow, but it's one of those stories that builds and builds and builds upon itself until it becomes fantastically heavy and resonant. Fantastic MC, great worldbuilding, powerful theming. Everything down to it's beautiful artstyle is deceivingly simple.
If your interested in picking up dragon ball as a means to understand the history of shonen, an equally important piece of the puzzle is JoJos bizzare adventure, which introduced the idea of individual powers and systems (devil fruits, nen abilities) to shonen readers.
Its also a great manga for discussion purposes as each arc follows a different protagonist, time period and genre with the first being victorian gothic horror.
Everyone has their favourite and least favourite parts, but one of the best features of it is you can see the author evolve and mature as a writer and artist with each part (it started in 1987 and part 9 just launched this year).
The Climber is a piece of art, please read it till the end
I still remember when I'm just tuning to Merphy for books. Now, this channel basically represents everything that I love.
Still would like you to read „Atelier of Witch hat“ and hear your take on the magic system 😊. It was the series that brought me back to reading mangas, after the oh so typical „I have to grow up“ phase. The drawings are beautiful and the story seems whimsical, but there’s a darker, hidden side that gets more and more room. And I love the magic system…
HIGHLY recommend Mob Psycho 100!! The art takes a little getting used to but it's one of the best coming of age stories put to page IMO
Strongly agree! One's art style always leaves a lot to be desired, but it leads itself better to Mob than One Punch Man. Mob Psycho 100 also has the heart, it has so much to it that makes you think and feel. Great story really.
@@Sabor180 I think the best think about Mob is obviously the story, but simply seeing the improvement in the art throughout the series is a huge joy to experience. And the Panelling is some of the best around IMO
"Golden Kamuy" is the only manga other than One Piece that is able to seamlessly blend gut-busting humor and heart-wrenching sadness at the same time. I consider it a masterpiece among manga; it's a shame that it never gained much popularity in English-speaking countries.
+1 for Golden Kamuy, it's gotta be my second favorite after One Piece.
+1 VOUCH FOR GOLDEN KAMUY!! Incredibly underrated.
@@AJ-lq3jz Different series, haha. The one you are thinking of is called "Ougon Bat" in japanese.
I mean... There is at least one more manga that masterfully blends humor and sadness. Gintama. Never gained more popularity among English-speaking community either. Such a great series
@@shai_zeta Oh, you're totally right. Gintama is DEFINITELY in the mix too.
So, i made it to the end and i am so glad you asked for a recommendation!
Yomi no Tsugai (Daemons of the shadow realm) is a manga written by the mangaka of Full Metal Alchemist , it explores the theme of duality and it follows a brother and sister with a heart warming / heart wrenching relationship, the humor is brilliant the side characters are interesting and the manga is ongoing and only has 5 volumes out!
I’m only familiar with the anime and only a few episodes are out currently, but Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End seems like it would be right up your alley so far