New Year is near and there is a lot to catch up. What was the best manga/novel/book you read this year? Comment on it and we might make a follow up upload post :)
Happy New Year!
So what was the best thing you read in 2009?
Thu, Dec 31, 2009
This post was written by:
silverado - who has written 297 posts on Manga Underground v3.1.
Biographical Info | Reading: 20th CB, Akumetsu, Ares, Blood Alone, Bokurano, Dragon Head, Eden, G Senjou Heavens Door, Hajime no Ippo, Hotman, Keishi Sokan Asami, Mushishi, Parasite Kiseijuu, Pluto, Pokemon Special, PositioN, REAL, Ravages of Time, Ryuuroden, Shin Angyo Onshi, School of Water Business, Yotsubato, Zetman
Watching: Seirei no Moribito, Moonlight Mile
Likes: Classic Music & TV (You should watch ROME & Blackadder!)
Dislikes: neo-liberalists & pseudo capitalists
Catchphrase: As long as you live, be lighthearted. Let nothing trouble you. Life is only too short and time takes its toll.
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December 31st, 2009 at 9:57 AM
I was quite surprised by Otoyomegatari (and not only because it’s from Kaoru Mori). Waters and All Rounder Meguru looks very promising too (from first few chapters)…
From older stuff I read Nodame Cantabile and Beck and I finished Pluto (end wasn’t so good but I like it anyway)
December 31st, 2009 at 10:15 AM
For me, undisputedly Monster. 20th Century Boys, Lone Wolf and Cub, Sexy Voice and Robo, Noramimi also deserve mentions.
December 31st, 2009 at 10:25 AM
Jeez hard one … I still love One piece and Nleach, enjoy Bakuman, Burning hell was a nice discovery, Batlle alita is as brilliant as ever …
There is not much manga that I dislike T_T
December 31st, 2009 at 10:46 AM
Shigurui is this years favorite for me. Hope there will be some new chapters in the not too distant future!
December 31st, 2009 at 10:54 AM
I discovered the awesome JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure series this year, so 2009 clearly goes for that manga in my case.
That’s a nice question by the way, especially for us readers of this blog! Cool.
December 31st, 2009 at 11:26 AM
Though I discovered many new series, and still love the old ones, I’d have to say this year’s favorite discovery was likely Otoyomegatari. I totally fell in love with those detailed decorations.
Hoping for plentiful of new pleasant discoveries in the world of manga in the coming New Year for everyone following this awesome site!
December 31st, 2009 at 11:35 AM
I have read quite a lot of manga this year,more than i ever read during a single year,so it’s quite hard to choose some favorites since this year i started Freesia, Vinland Saga, Lone Wolf and Cub, Eden, Blade of the Immortal , Akira, JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure and also finished reading: BAA, Dragon Head, Blame, Uzumaki, Ichi The Killer, Riki-oh, Parasyte, and this are just some of the titles that i started or finished reading this year,there are some more but not really as good as the ones i listed,anyway all the manga i mentioned were great and i definitely recommend them to everyone.
Also if by books you meant anything not related to manga/anime, i would say my favorite ones would be Dune(i finally got to read it this year :D) and Ubik, this two are closely followed by Ender’s Game and Salem’s Lot. This was the year that i read my 1st SF book and become a fan of SF.
Happy New Year!
December 31st, 2009 at 11:41 AM
Blueberry, french comicbook.
December 31st, 2009 at 11:43 AM
ARES. shin angyo onshi, skyhigh karma, vinland saga (1st arc), hanaotoko. aoi haru, the breaker (glorious!), crows x worst, deadman wonderland, gamaran, hellsing, hoshi no koe, hyouge mono, ikigami, island, priest, takemitsu zamurai, threads of time, tista. that’s because i am newer to manga and had to read it all at once. also, because i channel the soul of a 12 year-old boy: bleach, fairy tail, kekkaishi, naruto. i have confused respect for anyone who can actually answer with only one title, xD. ++thanks to mu for getting me to read tekkon kinkreet, which was a gateway drug to matsuomoto taiyo.
December 31st, 2009 at 12:07 PM
Blah, I’ve read to much I cant recall it all. Granted I do keep a folder of all the manga/manhwa. So since not going to name each an everyone. I’ll keep this post short.
December 31st, 2009 at 12:29 PM
The Breaker, love the style of the drawings and the story is developing nicely.
December 31st, 2009 at 12:34 PM
Vinland saga and doro (though I’ve lost the plot with it completely)
As for new scanlations, definately meguru, gamaran and desert punk
December 31st, 2009 at 1:51 PM
The best I read in 2009 definately were:
SOIL/ Takemitzu Samurai
Also:
Say hello to Black Jack/ Desert Punk/ Yugo/ Zipang
And as for long running series that did go on of cause:
BAA Last Order/ Vinland Saga/ Vagabond/ Beserk/ Dorohedoro
(:
December 31st, 2009 at 1:58 PM
Ryuguden, Bakune Young, Jiro stuff, Taiyo stuff, The World is Mine.
December 31st, 2009 at 2:22 PM
concerning the manga i discovered this year and that are not yet completed, i choose vinland saga (great and promising), gambling legend emperor zero (very creative, refreshing) and gamaran (samurai stuff are nice).
i still have to catch up with a lot of series.
concerning the manga i havent discovered this year but that i keep fallowing up i put BAA (great as ever) one piece (oda is a genius) and red eyes (just… WOOOW!) there isnt much cover on red eyes and the publication is quite slow, but its really worth it!
i am only picking up 3 names, else the list would be much much longer
December 31st, 2009 at 3:15 PM
Vinland Saga probably.
December 31st, 2009 at 3:59 PM
The Breaker, The Ravages of Time, Tough both Seasons, Garoden, Wolf Guy, Tekken Chinmi all titles and lots more.
December 31st, 2009 at 4:10 PM
Pluto, definately, Pluto, Vinland Saga is also there but it’s not finished yet…
December 31st, 2009 at 4:40 PM
It’s a hard question, because I’ve read alot of good stuff this year, but I’ll have to pick Bokurano.
I was never expecting to read something so deepful and meaningful, especially something involving kids and “Mechas”, which I’d have avoided in normal circumstances. Again, It may not the best manga I read this year, but it’s certainly the one I was most surprised with.
I also would like to highlight Goodnight Puupun, Dangu, Music of Marie, Soil, Yugo, Tough, Ikigami and Riman Gambler Mouse.
On a related note, If I had to pick the worst manga I read this year I’d have chosen Gekkoh, that manga sucks and I blame you(MU) for introducing it to me. :P
Happy new year everyone!
@Lunastra:
“Shigurui is this years favorite for me. Hope there will be some new chapters in the not too distant future!”
Yeah, it’s been months since I read the lastest chapter. I’m also worried about MPD Pyscho, things are not looking good for those mangas. :(
December 31st, 2009 at 4:42 PM
Dorohedoro.
December 31st, 2009 at 6:35 PM
The World Is Mine was probably the best manga I read this year… too bad KEFI stopped halfway through the year at July
Shigurui is also on that list… 2 volumes have been released with NO scanslations released… everyone likes it but no one wants to pick it up…strange
December 31st, 2009 at 6:47 PM
Shin Angyo Onshi & Vinland Saga were really good surprises, and Eden of course!
January 1st, 2010 at 12:10 AM
For me was a great year of discoverys 20th Century Boys, Black Lagoon, Dorohedoro, Freezing, Team Medical Dragon!!!!
January 1st, 2010 at 1:32 PM
I’ve been following Dorohedoro for a while now, but we got those 4-5 volumes released just this year. I’m absolutely in love with that series. Some other favorites include Vinland Saga, Fullmetal Alchemist, and Goodnight PunPun (thank you, Hox!), and Illumination by Yamashita Tomoko. Also Kodansha just released the first volume of Akira in English this year, can’t wait for the second volume.
My favorite western comic is Hellboy at the moment, and the old BPRD’s (1946, 1947). My favorite one shot is probably Lone Racer by Nicolas Mahler. And two books I’ve loved this year are Big Bang by Simon Singh and
The Children of Hurin by Tolkien.
January 1st, 2010 at 8:31 PM
IT_WAS_TWIM/DamnedBones/Lunastra: I will try to get a translator for Shigurui.
Right now, the best things I can think of should be Tough, Dorohedoro, Otoyomegatari, Vinland Saga, BOTI and Hajime No Ippo.
January 1st, 2010 at 11:59 PM
20th century boys was excellent.
EDEN is excellent so far.
Gantz is also very impressive
The world is mine is a great read too.
January 2nd, 2010 at 7:10 AM
There’s been a lot of good stuff.
Desert Punk though sticks out for me. Gantzwaitingroom is up to 2 vol., I’ve read 4 so far, supposedly the author did 7-8 and then went on a long hiatus, but came back recently.
Man I really want to read V05.
January 2nd, 2010 at 9:45 AM
Bokurano is definitely a manga that i read that has moved me on such an emotional level, and for that reason it is the best thing that i’ve read all year. The characters are well fleshed out, and i found myself constantly torn at the inevitability of each characters fate. Definitely a must read for those that enjoy a good character study.
January 2nd, 2010 at 10:45 AM
Nana to Kaoru
there’s no ecchi series make me as hard as it.
Goodnight PunPun good and Akumetsu end awesome.
January 2nd, 2010 at 9:03 PM
Dorohedoro was definitely a very interesting read and one of my favorite discoveries this year.
Other favorite discoveries includes Blame! and Biomega (though the ending for biomega was a bit disappointing and rushed…imho) as well as One Piece (heard about it, but never quite got around to reading it until this year)
Looking forward to…more BAALO (as well as the BAA movie if Avatar makes more money), BERSERK (Elf King!!! Woohoo!!!), and the finale of Fullmetal Alchemist, Bleach (don’t want to drop the series even though it’s devolved into a crapfest) and Claymore (please don’t disappoint with ending!!!)
January 2nd, 2010 at 9:04 PM
Oh, how can i forget about Vinland Saga….love the detailed artwork and the political intrigue as well as the personal growth of the main character!!
January 4th, 2010 at 10:58 AM
Definitely Blade of the Immortal, though honourable mentions go to Shigurui, The World is Mine (very frustrating that none of these excellent manga get the regular translations they deserve), Vagabond, Blame!, Wolf Guy and Akira.
January 9th, 2010 at 6:47 AM
BLAME…
Was told about it awhile back but never got the time to read it all.
It was so different from any other Manga I have read. Not my usual taste but really good.
Also started reading
Veritas, Ubel Blatt, tenjho Tenge, Blade of the Immortal,Vagabond, Drifters, and
wasted a lot of my life waiting for new Gantz, so on and so on.
February 5th, 2010 at 10:23 PM
Speaking of The World is Mine:
We’re back, somewhat.
Our translator went MIA, but I have v11 edited and ready once either the JP/EN or FR/EN translators step back up.