What's up guys?
It's Kristin from Anime Collective.
So this week I want to do something a little bit different on the channel
by giving you guys some manga recommendations.
This is just a small taste
of what I've been into recently and I hope you all enjoy.
First up is The Eminence in Shadow, which is a self-aware and humorous
take on isekai.
The creators use the many tropes of isekai as a means of comedy
and it's done in a tongue in cheek type of way.
The way that it lightheartedly pokes fun at isekai makes it an entertaining read.
I don't want the fact that is a parody of sorts to cheapen it in
any way though, because it actually has an incredible story as well.
The Eminence in Shadow is about Cid, who is reincarnated into a fantasy world,
but instead of becoming the main character or flashy hero, he decides to be an
eminence in shadow, a puppeteer pulling the strings behind the curtain.
To get people to follow him, he makes up an imaginary enemy
that his organization,
the Shadow Garden, can fight against called the Cult of Diablos.
Funnily enough, though,
and little to Cid's knowledge, the Cult of Diablos actually exists.
It's absolutely hilarious so much so it makes me laugh out loud.
But even more so than that, it has a compelling storyline,
and of course, there's a cult, which keeps me interested too.
Even if you are someone who has cast isekai aside I really hope
you'll give this one a shot because it's a refreshing and unique read.
Gachiakuta is one you may already know thanks to a recommendation
from Atsushi Ohkubo.
When Atsushi Ohkubo, who is one of my favorite creators that brought us manga
like Fire Force and Soul Eater, recommends anything I listen.
He even went as far to say that he is passing on the baton
to Kei Urana, who was his assistant at one point in time.
Those are big words and big shoes to fill, but I couldn't agree more
after reading Gachiakuta.
The style and character designs, the worldbuilding,
the fact that it has a similar vibe and feel to two other manga
I love, Deadman Wonderland and Fire Force, but it's still so unique.
It's gritty and emotional, has amazing art.
I could go on and on as to why I enjoy this series...
Gachiakuta follows a boy named Rudo, an orphan living with his adoptive parent
in the slums.
He has abilities
that make him stand out from other people, but they make him a target as well.
One day, Rudo's life is changed forever when he is framed for a murder
he did not commit and he is thrown into a place called The Abyss.
Instead of dying though,
he finds himself in a strange new world, surrounded by monsters made of trash.
There he meets a man named Engine who is a janitor, an individual
who fights against these monsters with special weapons.
Rudo becomes a janitor as well, so that he can fight his way
out of the abyss and get his revenge.
Gachiakuta is one of those series that just excites me.
I've been waiting for a series like this one to release for quite some time,
something that could give me that same feeling that creators like Atsushi Ohkubo
or JInsei Kataoka and Kazuma Kondou have made me feel time and time again.
And I finally felt that feeling again with Gachiakuta.
There's just so much potential here, and I'm looking forward
to seeing how the story develops in the chapters to come.
I love horror, but I also love comedies, so of course I love horror comedies,
but few have captured my attention as much as much as Mieruko-chan has.
Miko is a normal girl that sees ghosts everywhere
she looks but her friends and family are totally oblivious of them.
She tries to pretend herself they aren't there as well,
but this of course, is more challenging than it looks.
Much of what makes this one funny are the situations that Miko finds herself
in, but there's nods to horror that fans of the genre will laugh at also.
For instance,
she often tries things she sees in horror films to get rid of the ghosts.
But as with many things, they only work in the movies.
This manga is a comedy horror so it will make you laugh,
but when you stop to really think
about what Miko is going through, it's unsettling as well.
It's an interesting blend
because it's a light hearted read, but at the same time it's horrifying also.
It is one of the most enjoyable and best horror manga
I've read as of late, and it has some of the best artwork I've seen too.
If you've already gotten into this one and are looking for something
similar, I highly recommend Liar Satsuki Can See Death.
It's about a girl
who can see the corpses of people who died 24 hours before their death.
One day she steps in and alters a classmate's fate,
which has more consequences than expected.
Definitely has a similar premise and feel, and it's good as well.
This next one, Leviathan, is a manhwa,
but I had to add it to this list because it's unbelievably amazing.
The stunning art you'll witness in Leviathan,
which is some of the best I've ever seen,
by the way, combined with its story, makes for an unforgettable experience.
The worldbuilding in Leviathan is top notch.
It's set in a world where it rained for so long
everything is now covered in water, so it's a post-apocalyptic story.
Humans now survive on boats and scavenge the ruins for food.
These new dangers bring about even more terror
than before, though, especially with the arrival of Leviathan, mysterious
and terrifying creatures who lie patiently in the depths ready to attack.
In response to the leviathan, the Harpoonists, an elite group of people
that fight against the Leviathan are formed.
The story follows Bota, a young boy and his family, though,
who are trying to survive in this harsh world.
But of course, there's more to this story that I can't spoil.
Leviathan is full of action, but it's full of emotional moments too,
so it's an exciting but also powerful read.
And there's something so unsettling and creepy about it as well,
which is largely thanks to Leviathan's designs.
This series has an intriguing and creative premise that will keep you on the edge
of your seat.
And just when you think you know what to expect, it surprises you yet again.
I love post-apocalyptic series and I've read many of them,
but Leviathan is truly special and there's nothing else like it.
Leviathan is on Toomics if you'd like to check it out!
Takopi's Original Sin is a drama sci fi manga by Taizan
5 that has skyrocketed in popularity over these past few months.
I couldn't be happier
because it is one of my favorite new manga series released within quite some time.
I thought Goodnight Punpun
by Inio Asano was a tough read, and don't get me wrong, it definitely is.
But there's something
about the compactness of Takopi's Original Sin and the topics it explores
that makes it just as much, if not more, of a heavy read.
While Goodnight Punpun is a story that unfolds over multiple volumes
Takopi's Original Sin hits you hard from the get go and continues
to do so over the course of its two volumes.
That being said, you'll definitely want to go
into reading this one when you're in a good headspace
because it is a tough read.
These two manga series share a lot of similarities.
Both are incredibly difficult to get through, but they are
some of the most amazing stories I've ever read.
What's unique about Takopi's Original Sin, though, is that it's
a sci fi story about Takopi, an alien from Happy Planet,
a utopia where everyone is kind and happy, who meets a girl named Shizuka.
In his interactions with her,
he discovers that sadness and anger are part of the human existence.
Through his experiences on Earth and his time with Shizuka,
Takopi learns to cope with new emotions he's never experienced before,
the consequences that come with your actions,
and how to be compassionate towards others, all while trying to get home.
The series' serious tone contrasts with the main character,
Takopi, an octopus-like alien who is really cute.
This story tackles complex dark topics, but in ways that are interesting
and original and it is a harrowing read that I won't soon forget.
It's up now on Manga Plus if you'd like to read it!
Let's move on from something sad to something really funny.
Grand Blue Dreaming is by far the most hilarious comedy manga I've ever read.
It has made me laugh out loud more times than any manga
and has, on many occasions, made me cry from laughter.
The humor in this one is absolutely absurd and downright
ridiculous, but in the absolute best way possible.
Some may waver on picking up Grand Blue Dreaming
because they think it's a manga about diving, and while it is, it's more
so a comedy than anything.
This manga is about partying as much as it is about diving.
There's a lot of drinking as well as goofing off that goes on in this series.
The story follows main character Iori Kitohara, who moves in with his uncle
at a diving shop to go to college and ends up joining the diving club
that do as much partying as they do diving.
I want to talk about the faces and expressions
the characters make in this series.
They're absolutely hilarious and get me every single time.
There are a few series that knock this out of the park as much as this one.
Although Spy x Family, thanks to Anya, and Prison School are up there for me also.
That being said, when it comes to slapstick humor,
none do it quite as well as Grand Blue Dreaming does.
Apart from being my favorite comedy manga of all time, Grand Blue Dreaming
is one of my top manga of all time as well.
It has perfect comedic timing, amazing art, great character dynamics and more.
It will make you laugh more times than you can count
but as you head beneath the surface and explore these beautifully drawn
and rich underwater worlds, it's awes and awakens something within you as well.
Dead Dead Demon's Dededede Destruction by Inio Asano,
who also created Goodnight Punpun and more, is set in Tokyo.
But when the citizens of Tokyo look up to the sky, they don't see a blue expanse.
Instead they see an alien mothership looming above them.
Who are these "invaders" and what do they want?
This fear of the unknown raises concern within some people
and the government and the response is anything but peaceful.
This creates a rift between those who would like to seek
conversation and peaceful treaty with the invaders
and those who would rather use force instead.
It really takes a good look at what people would do
in the face as something or someone they don't quite understand.
Alongside this overarching storyline, we follow the main characters
as well as our main group of friends who are trying their best
to live a normal life in the midst of all that's going on.
So on one hand, this story really takes a hard
look at society, but it's also a coming of age story as well.
The characters in the series have a very pessimistic outlook
and poke fun at the issues in their lives
and some means of comedy, but humor is also a coping mechanism for them.
This is an Inio Asano manga, so while comedic,
it still has a melancholic tone as well as hard hitting moments.
It isn't nearly as dark or heavy feeling as other manga,
even though it can feel that way at times
given the nature of what's happening in the series.
Because of this, it's one I always recommend
for first time readers of his manga. Inio Asano's manga
always have
an interesting cast of characters and a unique perspective.
When you're reading his series,
you very much know they are his yet they all feel so different and fresh.
To me though, Dead Dead Demon's sees him stepping out of the box more so than ever
before with its sci fi themes.
I love all of his works, but this one shines bright
as a result of this, and it's one of my favorites he's released to date.
Brutal: Satsujin Keisatsukan no Kokohaku
is an extremely underrated horror manga about a detective named Hiroki Dan
that will do anything, even the most unthinkable, to get revenge
on criminals that slip through the cracks of the justice system.
When all else fails, he is there to make sure they never hurt
anyone else ever again, even if he himself must dirty his hands to do so.
He has his eye for an eye and tooth for a tooth type of mentality.
But the people he kills are the absolute worst of the worst
that live out their days, harming and taking the lives of others.
It creates a sense of uncertainty within you as the reader.
On one hand, you'll think they got what they deserved.
On the other hand, you find yourself questioning his methods
as well as the joy he gets from killing them.
In this way, he is very similar to characters
like Light in Death Note or Dexter Morgan in Dexter, so if you enjoyed
watching or reading these series, you will enjoy Brutal as well.
Due to the nature of the content in the story, it is quite graphic.
But if you enjoy horror like me, this is something that is most likely
not a concern.
That being said, it is more violent than most
because of the brutal way in which Hiroki kills these criminals.
There is some pitch black humor in this one as well.
It's one many of you guys actually recommended to me
and I couldn't be happier that you did because it really is a hidden gem.
It hasn't been translated
into English yet, but I'm hopeful it will get a print release someday!
This next series Oshi no Ko is weird,
but I love weird stories, so this is a compliment coming from me.
I was excited for this one because it's written by the creator
of one of my favorite romantic comedies, Kaguya-sama Love Is War,
and is illustrated by the creator of Scum's Wish.
If you are looking for a series about an idol, the MC is one,
but if you're thinking this is going to be your typical Idol
story, you're in for something else entirely.
This one shines a unique light on what it means to be an idol
and the struggles that come with being one,
like always being in the public eye and having to fake emotions for the camera
and the issues idols face
in the industry in general, but it's a supernatural story too.
In this story, our MC ends up getting pregnant and heads
to a rural hospital to secretly have her twins.
The doctor there just so happens to be a fan of hers.
One thing leads to another and a mysterious figure kills him.
He wakes up to find out he's been reborn as her newborn son, Aquamarine.
There's quite been a mystery to this one that makes an interesting
read and it's a unique story involving reincarnation too.
It's on Manga Plus if you'd like to check it out!
Rebuild World is an action sci fi manga that I have recently gotten into.
It's based in a world that was once technologically advanced
but a collapse occurs that changes everything.
That being said, it's
set in a post-apocalyptic type world, which always appeals to me.
Our MC Akira has dreams to make it out of his birthplace, Slumtown,
which is right next to the dangerous wastelands, and make something of himself.
So becomes a hunter and ventures into the ruins of the new world, where
relics worth money reside, but perils await in this region as well.
There he meets a mysterious entity named Alpha
who brings him his first commission as a hunter.
Later on, he signs a contract with her and she supports him on his missions.
But to what end?
Apart from having a really interesting story
that's full of action and danger around every corner,
which is something expected for a survival story,
I really like the characters and the world it's set in.
My favorite thing about Rebuild World, apart from its worldbuilding,
though, is its art.
The panels are highly detailed, super clean, and they are beautiful to witness.
Some of the best panels I've ever seen in a recently released series for sure.
So on top of having an interesting world, premise and characters, Rebuild World
has phenomenal art.
If you're into sci fi survival stories or advanced tech
like I am, I highly recommend checking this one out.
These are only a few of the manga I've been loving lately.
I definitely have
a lot more recommendations than these, so I have more videos on the way.
Also, let me know what manga you guys have been into recently!
You guys have gotten me into a lot of awesome series
so I'm interested in seeing what else you enjoy.
And that's it for the video.