Usagi Yojimbo DojoBoard

Hello all! I'm back again with another little opinion getter.

I would like to know what you all think is the greatest manga ever created.

Now we alll know what the greatest AMERICAN comic book is (usagi yojimbo of course!),but I would like to hear what you all think about manga.l

My vote for the greastest manga ever created is......Astro Boy!

OK, I've already sang my praises for Dr. Osamu Tezuka, so instead I'll sing the praises of this wonderul work.

First of all, this manga went on to be the first anime ever created, PERIOD!

Seacond of all, it has a deep social message about the nature of humans and technology, with robots being an oppressed minority in this future earth.

And finally, it still remains fresh, even 50 years later!

So, what do YOU think?

I have to go with the only one I've read...

Kozure Okami (AKA - Lone Wolf and Cub) by Koike and Kojima, with Kubikiri Asa (AKA - Samurai Executioner) by Koike and Kojima coming in second.

Then again, I never really grew up with or was exposed to much manga or anime (except Speedracer).

Again, everyone will have a different opinion on this one .

My favourite Osamu Tezuka works are Adolf and Buddha (I haven't read Black Jack yet.) Adolf is a really nice historical drama and Buddha is a really amusing look at the life of Siddartha Gautama, but there are many more manga that deserve attention. Almost everything by Masamune Shirow is amazing and thought-provoking (Appleseed, Ghost In The Shell, Orion), and on the same line, "GUNNM" (known in the USA as "Battle Angel Alita") is a brilliant work of science-fiction. James Cameron has bought the movie rights for this one, and is already in preproduction.

"Lone Wolf and Cub" is a classic, and so should be "Blade Of The Inmortal", even though their approach to the chambara genre is absolutely different. But there are many more chambara manga which happen to be good.

One of the most enjoyable and absorving manga that I've ever read is "Nausicäa of the Valley of the Wind" by Hayao Miyazaki (the manga, NOT the movie.) There's something unique about it: the world on which the story takes place (a poisoned Earth due to years of war) is charming, and the poisonous forests, the giant insects, the Forest People, and the many populations living in the world are very appealing. Nausicäa is one of my favourite characters ever, and the remaining technology of the world (mostly the flying technology, like the Barges or my beloved Möewe) simply kicks BADWORD. The story is epic, but it doesn't glorify the ego of an arrogant hero, and the story itself is thought-provoking. This is certainly a manga that I think would qualify as a candidate for "best manga ever".

I grew up reading Tezuka's books, so I would definitely choose one of his works, though not necessarily Astro Boy. This is probably his most well-regarded work, with deep political depth, but perhaps I would choose his Phoenix series. It's more spiritual than his other works, and is truly an epic spanning hundreds of years.

Umm......Well I know Im not on the same level on Manga reading- But were I live, Inu Yasha and Ramna 1/2 were very big- ...Most of Rumiko Takahashi work are pretty well known and Populare

Usagi wrote:Umm......Well I know Im not on the same level on Manga reading- But were I live, Inu Yasha and Ramna 1/2 were very big- ...Most of Rumiko Takahashi work are pretty well known and Populare

While not her most well-known, my favorite Takahashi stories is her Mermaid series. It is based on the legend that if you eat the flesh of a mermaid, you become immortal.

That is so cute!- Well acctually, now that I think about it...the only works that I see from her are Inu- Yasha and Ramna 1/2- LoL And Maison Ikaku-.....I tihnk "One Pound Gosple" too?....

Iv only read a cuple of the Inu-Yasha- only because as soon as it came on TV I was already outr of it- and then the Inu-Yasha wave ran- I think Ranma had a wave at one point, but I might have been to little to realyl remember or care lol-

I really like Kimba the White Lion. and Matropolas- by Tezuka...I love this early manga style, its so cartoon classy. I hope Kimba comes out in Manga one day...or a re release...or something...If it has already been turnd into a manga book (s)-

The author who introduced me to Anime and Manga was Katsuhiro Otomo with Akira. So I guess his works will always have a special place in my heart.
I know he is quite violent but the depth of his stories and drawing quite simply leave me in awe!
On the subject of Anime I would have to say Hayao Miyazaki, (Spirited Away and My Neighbor Totoro), I don't know if he produces Manga, but his films are beautiful. And I really love the art books for his films, they a very worthy of prime placing on ones coffee table!

I like the original Dragonball.

Greentreesquid wrote:I like the original Dragonball.

I did as well. I also like Toriyama's early Dr Slump. The problem I had with both these series is that they quickly got redundant. Dragonball just became a series of martial arts tournaments, and Slump became one race after another.

Stan Sakai wrote:

Greentreesquid wrote:I like the original Dragonball.

I did as well. I also like Toriyama's early Dr Slump. The problem I had with both these series is that they quickly got redundant. Dragonball just became a series of martial arts tournaments, and Slump became one race after another.

Early Dragonball was a big hit in TV here, and so was Dr. Slump. I remember staring at the TV rolling on the floor laughing when Dr. Slump was on. Arale-chan was every single kid's hero .

Akira is my fave......Appleseed by Shirow ranks high. In fact anything by Shirow ranks high... also: Area 88... Lone Wolf... Kamui.... Urusei Yatsura... Ranma....3x3 Eyes....I haven't read Takahashi's Mermaid Forest (Ningyo No Mori) series but I've seen the OAVs and they are outstanding....

I still think Usagi should be considered Manga...it's a comic book, it's drawn by a Japanese cartoonist who was born in Japan, it's in black-and-white (most of the time), and I'm sure there are people in Japan who own some of the issues.... Shouldn't that qualify it as manga. If so give Usagi my vote!!! Sure, it isn't published in Japan, but if I get my way one day it will be!!

What is that one Cartoon Network showing a few years ago. It took place on a submarine quite alot and it had the same pencil artistic style as Metropolis and Astroboy. Granted that's anime but I'm sure it was also a manga piece, first. It has a late 1960's look to its production. I once new what it was called but I can not recall it now. What I do know is when I was watching it, it was quite exciting.

Stan Sakai wrote:I grew up reading Tezuka's books, so I would definitely choose one of his works, though not necessarily Astro Boy. This is probably his most well-regarded work, with deep political depth, but perhaps I would choose his Phoenix series. It's more spiritual than his other works, and is truly an epic spanning hundreds of years.

Actually, I kinda agree with Stan here. The Phoenix was probably one of his best all around works, and a true epic. His Black Jack series is also notable.

However, the reason I said Astro Boy was because it was the most ACCESSIBLE of his work. Its an fantastic adventure story that can be enjoyed by young readers too young to appreciate its social message.

well mr.sakai-san you will be happy to know viz is bring mr.akira toriyama's dr.slump to the u.s. this year. and dragonball Z manga is almost over on shonen jump. viz still hasn't done a sandland graphic novel. but the rest of their shonen jump manga series are made into graphic novels.
-Joe:)