It’s crazy that anime can somehow speak a global language. It has something for everyone, no matter their tastes. As a fan of anime, it might be that you find your “to watch” list getting smaller and smaller. There’s only so much anime available, but you’ve got a real desire to get your teeth into a new series. How? Manga. To start you off, here are the top five manga that every anime fan needs to read right now.
Skip Beat!
Skip Beat! is rom-com at its finest. The sweet, hard-working protagonist, Kyoko Mogami, is infatuated with her childhood friend, Sho Fuwa. However, she soon discovers he has just been using her for her money and cleaning abilities. Heartbroken and determined for revenge, she decides to become an actor and beat his fame.
It’s a slow-burning manga that is full of heart and emotion, and it’s perfect if you’re a fan of the Ouran High School Host Club or Maid Sama! anime. The anime adaptation of Skip Beat! was shortlived, but the manga is ongoing and getting more dramatic and heart-wrenching with every chapter. You’ll find yourself getting second-hand embarrassment in almost every chapter but will not regret a second of it.
Fullmetal Alchemist
Fullmetal Alchemist has aged exceptionally well. First published in 2001, the manga went strong for 10 years before reaching a satisfying end. On its surface, Fullmetal Alchemist appears like any other action manga. It begins with two brothers, Edward and Alphonse Elric. They are exceptionally talented alchemists who break the biggest taboo in alchemy and attempted to create human life, paying a hefty price for their crime. In a desperate journey to find the Philosopher’s Stone and get back what they lost, they find themselves thrown into some very dangerous adventures.
Fullmetal Alchemist is a fast-moving manga with complicated characters, interesting political intrigue, and emotionally charged choices that have some heavy consequences. It will definitely make you cry. The manga isn’t subjected to as much censor as the anime, and as such, has endless blood and guts. Any fans of anime like Tokyo Ghoul, Attack on Titan, or Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood will not be able to pass up this manga.
Bleach
As an anime fan, it would be fair to assume you will have watched Bleach. If not, then you will want to get into it. It’s an adrenaline fuelled, action manga about a normal, 15-year-old high school student, Ichigo Kurosaki, who can see ghosts. Everything changes for him when he is forced to become a soul reaper to save his family. With his friends, he begins to hunt down rogue Hollows and help peaceful spirits find rest in the afterlife.
The manga is full of powerful characters and a good dose of humour. The humour within Bleach breaks up the intense and beautifully rendered fight scenes. Unlike the anime, the manga is all story and no filler. That means that you’re going to be hanging on for every twist and turn of the story. Any fan of anime like The Seven Deadly Sins or Fairy Tail would enjoy Bleach.
Inuyasha
Inuyasha begins its story with Kagome Higurashi, a 15-year-old girl from Tokyo who believes herself to be quite ordinary. That is, until she falls down a well at her family’s shrine and into the Sengoku period of Japan. There, she meets several demons that attempt to take the Shikon Jewel that she discovers has been hidden within her. After accidentally shattering the Jewel, Kagome is forced to partner with a half-demon dog, Inuyasha, to recover the pieces from all over Japan.
Inuyasha is a deep and complicated manga that deals with heavy themes with the required amount of respect and a little humour. It manages to avoid cliché pitfalls and evolve into a fascinating, tear-jerking story that will be sure to have you up all hours of the night. With just the right amount of action and romance, this manga will appeal to anyone, especially if you’re a fan of Spirited Away or Rin-ne.
Ouran High School Host Club
Ouran High School Host Club is another rom-com guaranteed to have you in stitches. Haruhi Fujioka, a scholarship student at the prestigious Ouran Academy, is required to join a host club after breaking a valuable vase. Due to her short hair and grungy appearance, Haruhi is mistaken for a boy and forced to entertain ladies at the club, eventually finding her feet (and a romance) while she’s at it.
Anime fans will love the dramatic, comedic story of the Ouran High School Host Club. The anime was fantastic — although short-lived with an unsatisfying finale. The manga, however, is a much more well-paced story, with a very happy ending. The story never takes itself seriously, and neither will you. If you liked The Wallflower and Special A, then Ouran High School Host Club will catch your interest as well.