Lesser known great mangas (Don't list stuff like Kenshin!)

[purplemo]

Ah, done cataloging my enormous manga collection, finally. While I was doing this, I decided, why not try this thread out?

Okay, so before I start, let's put down the ground rule. Don't list stuff everyone knows about (i.e. Kenshin, Berserk, FMA, Nausicaa, Fruits Basket, etc). This is for stuff that only a handful or less know about. Because you don't need to be here to find someone who will vouch for those mangas. Those people are everywhere. List good obscure ones. Also, adult and mature=not for you little ones out there.

Kimi no Kakera: Fantasy
This is about a "princess" who lives the life of a peasant in a land full of snow and darkness. A amnesic boy comes and they go off in search of the sun. Before you write this off as a child's story, this is actually a very deep and wonderful yarn. This is the best of this mangaka's works, which also include Saikano, Sayonara Papa, and Il Hito.

Toshiue no Hito: Adult comedy (not for the little boys and girls)
This one's kinda charming. It's about a 26 year old widow who went to "sow" her oats and finds a impotent college student. There's humor to be sure, but it's really more about the dynamic between these two. Both characters are more complex than led to be.

Hotman: Seinen slice o'life
Jean Reno (no, but the main lead is inspired by him), a former gangster, must raise his little daughter who has massive allergies and his two younger brothers and sister along with his other younger sister. It's a nice slice o' life for those into such things.

Aiesu: Josei gender-bender dramas
Stories about people who are 'intersexual,' i.e. hermaphrodites. Touching stories.

Angel Densetsu: Shounen comedy romance
The better work from the Claymore mangaka, this one's a Beauty and the Beast story. It's one of the better shounen comedies I've read.

Sono Mukou no Mukougawa: Fantasy shoujo shounen
A good little fantasy world story. Not deep, just for when you're in the mood for something light.

Honeymoon Salad: Mature romance
This one's a harem setup, but much more realistic. Worth a look if you're into realistic setups when too many people are put into one box.

Deep Love Series: Josei tragedies
The best joseis out there. For shoujo and josei fans, you MUST read Aya's story. It rivals Hachikuro (yes, I said it) as the best josei out there.

Shikeisyu 042: Seinen drama
A murdererer with a bomb strapped to his neck to set off when he gets angry works as a school janitor. A blind girl who befriends him. And countless kids and parents looking to get him blown up. Follow him for 3 years and you begin to realize there's a lot more to this story than what I just said.

Sing Yesterday for Me: Seinen romance/slice o'life
The lesser known but excellent Kei Toume work (Hitsuji no Uta, Luno, Kurogane) follows a college kid who now spends his days working in a convenience store. Things change as his former love and Haru (one of the more unique females out there) collide.

Tsumi ni Nureta Futari: Mature shoujo romance
Note: I'm not very far into this. But so far it looks like it could develop into a good read. Two strangers meet up in Italy on vacation, have a one-night stand, come home, and find out they are siblings. Not too big of a thing in shoujo-dom, but this one does it much better than most.

Immortal Rain: Fantasy action adventure shoujo shounen
This one reminds me of Sono Mukou no Mukougawa. It's a good blend of shoujo and shounen elements for when you want something a little lighter.

Yubisaki Milk Tea: Seinen romance gender-bender
About everyone's got issues. A cross-dresser, some incest, some yuri, LOTS of identity issues, you name it. And it's all spun into a good yarn.

Kagen no Tsuki: Shoujo drama romance
The best work of the Nana and Parakiss mangaka, this one takes a while to explain. Just read it if you're into the type.

Nemuranai Machi kara: Shoujo slice o'life/drama
A little girl growing up with her dad in an apartment in a bad neighborhood. Good read.

Ai Ren: Mature sienen tragedy
A slice o'life where you know what's going to happen in the end. But as they say, the trip is half the journey.

_____________________________________

The current list of all the manga I've put up.

3 Gatsu no Lion
7 Seeds
Ai Ren
Aiesu
Aiko Desho
Alien 9
Angel Densetsu
Arcana Soul
Astral Project
Before You Become Memories
Blood Alone
Boku no Futatsu no Tsubasa
Chinatsu no Uta
Clover
Clover and Promise
Confidential Confessions
Day of Revolution
Dear Friends
Deep Love Series
Divine Melody
Dorothea
Eidron Shadow, Lenmear, Chirality, Plastic Little, Ragnarok City, Dark Crimson
Expectant Moon - Imperishable Night Rewrite
Flower Flower
Forever Honey
Ga-rei
Geranium
Girlfriend
Girls Saurus
Girl×Girl×Boy
Gon
Hakubune Hakusho
Haru yo, Koi
Hatsukoi Limited
Hitsuji no Namida
Hitsuji no Uta
Honeymoon Salad
Hoshi no Koe
Hoshi wa Utau
Hotarubi no Mori E
Hotel
Hotman
Iinari! Aibration
Immortal Rain
Imouto Wa Shishunki
IO
Kabu no Isaki
Kagen no Tsuki
Kaijuu no Kodomo
Kimi no Kakera
Kimi to Himitsu no Hanazono
King of Thorn
Kisses, Sighs, and Cherry Blossom Pink
Kobato
Kurogane
Landreaall
Little Busters! 4koma
Living Game
Lucky Star Pocket
Mademoiselle Butterfly
Maimiko Touko no Jikenbo
Meisou Kuiki
Miko Miko Suika
Miko Miko Suika 2: Dancing For the Gods at the Hakurei Shrine
Miyuki-chan in Wonderland
Moon Rabbit What Do You Watch When You Jump
Murikuri
Mushi to Medama to Teddybear
Music of Marie
My Girl
My Lovely Ghost Kana
Nagi
Nausicaä
Nemuranai Machi kara
Ninohime no Monogatari
Orfina
Present
Rubbers 7
Saikano - Love Story Killed
Saki
Sasameki Koto
Scarlet and Scarlet
School of Water Busines
She Got Off The Bus at the Peninsula
Shikeisyu 042
Shirahime-Syo
Shoujo Sect
Sing Yesterday for Me
Slow Down
Sono Mukou no Mukougawa
Spring Snow and Flowery Winter
Sprout
Strawberry Shake
Suika in Yakumo Family
Sweet Blue Flowers
Tenshi na Konamaiki
The Caged Miko and the Whimsical Witch
The Girl's Winter
The Higurashi mangas
The Sea Where the Siren Lives
The Willow Tree
Tiger Lily
Tista
Tomodachi
Tomorrow
Tonari Atte Futari, Mukai Atte Sannin
Toshiue no Hito
Town of Evening Calm, Country of Cherry Blossoms
Tsumi ni Nureta Futari
Umineko no Naku Koro ni
Usagi Drop
Variante
VS
W Pinch
We Are Prismriver
Winter of the Residents of a Touhou Town
With!!
World Embryo
Worldend Fairytale
Yasashii Watashi
Yubisaki Milk Tea

[Fireaxe]

I's (http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/ency...ga.php?id=2721)

If you're into serious romance stuff, with a mild level of ecchi, you'll love this one. Character's are lovely, and the story's really really touching. What I loved the most about I's was the fact that the relationship between the 2 main characters is constantly developing throughout the story, it's not the usual "I'm too shy/dumb to confess to her" concept that we've seen soooo many times.

[marmar040]

One of my faves is Hot Milk.

It's a shonen ecchi comedy about a down on his luck bodyguard who's hired to guard the teenage granddaughter of a wealthy CEO. It's pretty short though, only two volumes. Nice quick read.

Nice list by the way. I've only heard about two of those. Gonna have to add those to my to read list.

[vivafruit]

I'm not sure if this is lesser known or not (I'm a very casual manga reader), but I very much enjoyed Please Save My Earth. It's a shoujo science fiction series that has very well developed characters and a pretty creative plot. It's also worlds better than the anime OVA that was released for it a while back.

[purplemo]

Originally Posted by marmar040

Nice list by the way. I've only heard about two of those. Gonna have to add those to my to read list.

Thanks. The list would've been even longer (I've got much more), but I got tired. Actually I inserted Ai Ren in at the end to give a nod to the senile_seinen. Not that it doesn't fit on a list of good manga by itself, but it struck me as reasonably well known (though I found out later today that's not true).

Originally Posted by vivafruit

I'm not sure if this is lesser known or not (I'm a very casual manga reader), but I very much enjoyed Please Save My Earth. It's a shoujo science fiction series that has very well developed characters and a pretty creative plot. It's also worlds better than the anime OVA that was released for it a while back.

It's reasonably unknown (especially to the younger crowd). I should've clarified that this isn't so much about rare manga as much as avoiding ones everyone's read. I know more people know OF PSME than know anything ABOUT it, so it's a good one to throw in. I remember reading a bit of it a ways back but don't remember much about it nor why I stopped.

[CMC]

Vagabond

Amazingly I don't know that many people that has read any of it. And I say that since it's about Miyamoto Musashi, thought to be one of the greatest, if not THE samurai.

Oldboy

Another tale of wrongful imprisonment with revenge on the mind. But I think it's done quite well.

OK, now this last one is for the younger crowd or anyone that has overlooked it over the years. Now that one can finally get it uncensored and in an Omnibus version, I highly suggest for anyone to take a peak at Gunsmith Cats.

If you like guns, girls, cars and tons of action and a great story, you should take a gander at it. Also the amount of detail Kenichi Sonada puts into everything is top notch.

All three of those are Mature rated though.

[Morvind]

Hmm. ime not quite shure on how unknown these are:

Battle Angel Alita: sci-fi mature action seinen and some romance.
I dont know how to write a good description of the story in this manga, the story simply envolopes to much. Its nerly on par with Berserk when it comes to how good it is if you ignore the ending in Battle angel alita and continue reading Last order insted.

Shin Angyo Onshi Action adventure fantasy seinen historical
http://www.mangaupdates.com/series.html?id=164

Kimi wa pet: Comedy Drama Josei Mature Romance
http://www.mangaupdates.com/series.html?id=596

Biomega Action Adventure Sci-fi Seinen
This is a realy good story and amasing eye candy.

Mirai Nikki Psychological Romance School Life Shounen Supernatural
This is a story thats going to keep you crawing for more. Even those of you that usualy dont like shounen.

MY Balls Adult Comedy Ecchi Mature Seinen.
a very very good Comedy

Bitter Virgin Drama, Mature, Romance, Seinen
Read this! its realy good.

3x3 eyes Action Adventure Mature Romance Seinen Supernatural
I think most people have heard of this manga but ime a little unsertain on how many people that have actualy read this. Its like a fantasy versjon of Blade of the Imortal without the samurai sword play setting and its just as good in my opinion. And thers a lote of it thats translated wich is a huge + in my book. Either you are going to hate it or love it. You need to read atleast 2-4 volumes before you deside in my opinion.

[CMC]

Oh god, I can't believe I forgot one.

Now it's not licensed yet(why I say it's lesser known for one reason), it may never be(pretty damn long, currently at 80+ volumes)but it is well worth the time to take a look at. I know if it ever does get licensed I'll probably pick up two copies of every volume.

Hajime no Ippo

It's a sports manga about boxing. You don't have to like or care for boxing at all to like this manga. There is good drama, comedy and action. Really, if you can't get into Ippo then you must be a Nazi. It's that good in my opinion. I wasn't one much on boxing when I first got into it, but low and behold it's turned into one of my favorite anime and manga. Also, you may be surprised at being inspired to go work out.

[Tomikohara]

I've started reading manga called (the) Tarot Cafe. I don't think it's really well known because no one I know seems to know about it, and it's hard to find. It makes me think of Pet Shop of Horrors

[Kenikki]

I also love Hot Milk.

Love Roma is fun as well.

I'm reading Mx0 at the moment I find that pretty good.

(Don't know if these are lesser known)