Filed under: Anime | Tags: boredom, gurren lagann, kamina, tcg, tengen toppa gurren lagann
as my Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann TCG booster boxes won’t be posted til Monday. To be fair, last time they turned up within a few days, something i have never had happen when ordering from overseas, but even so, it still means i have to wait. Normally i would be fine, but oh am i bored outta my mind. After watching the latest UFC ( SPOILER : really wanted Lesner to win, didn’t like him too much in WWE but wanted him to do well in the octagon) and now waiting for the Superbowl to start ( GO PATS!), i fear i will have nothing to do over the next couple of days. Apart from working in the evenings, i ain’t really got anything to do now that my plastic came on the weekend. Could play some games, but everything i play i either get bored of quickly at the moment or spend ages not doing anything particular in the game than mucking around. I’m blame the weather, it’s been raining for days, can’t go outside to do any photography, can’t drive anywhere as my car is dead ( RIP Astra, you’ll be missed sorely), and the lack of those two leads to boring days after days. Well at least when these turn up, i’ll have something to do. Meanwhile, i’m still trying to set up some sort of diorama for these things, as with these two boxes will be another 12 figures ( albeit only 5 are needed per set, so 10 figures with 2 spare hopefully) and them plus the 7 i already own would look pretty sweet on some sort of stage.
Filed under: Anime | Tags: air gear, Anime, deathnote, hunter x hunter, jing, list, manga, top 5
Over the years i have bought many a manga, most in English, some in Japanese, and even a few in French and German that i have later found in in English but being too broke to re-buy them again. Like my anime, my manga range of series and genres is pretty wide spread, from shounen to 1 or 2 shojo ( that i haven’t finished due to me coming to my senses about what they were about and likely to lead into). Here are my 5 favourite manga’s ( to date) that i’ve read.
1. Deathnote
Great picture isn’t it. I started reading this series about 1 or 2 months after the first scanlations were done, and continued reading right til the end ( which i have no problem with, i think it’s a fine ending). To start with i was hooked on the whole battle between L and Kira, but after the first story arc, i was completely engulfed by the series. The drawings are quality throughout the whole series, and the story is one i’ve yet to find comparable to any other manga i’ve read after it. I’m getting this one out of the way now as by now if you like anime or manga then you’ve prolly read or watched the anime, or films, which i recommend.
2. Dectecive Conan
Not Cased Closed. Yes all the manga i have says Case Closed, but no. Just no. Apart from the changing of names which i just don’t get why when every other manga manages to keep the right ones ( apart from Initial D as well, go Tokyopop) and the only reason i can see it being that the anime when dubbed had the names changed as well, this manga is awesome. After watching 200+ episodes of the anime, i was quite happy to finally get my hands on the English version of the manga. Obviously i knew the cases already, but that never stopped me buying all of Dragonball or Deathnote. What kept me buying was how much i enjoy the cases regardless if i know how to solve them. The drawings can be very graphic in places, much like the anime in segments, and the stories range from excellent to ok. If you’re looking for a manga that will leave you trying to figure out how Mr A. killed Mrs B. before you’re told, i’d check here first.
3. Jing : King of Bandits
Great art. Great story. Great Characters. For such a short series ( not unless you count Twilight Tales) this kept me entertained for ages. I simply love the style of drawing and the weird, twisted images and environments that this all takes place in. The main character Jing is a cocky thief, known as the King of Bandits, but cocky for a very good reason. What ever the odds, he seems to pull out of it with [insert stolen item here] every time. Along with the anime and the ova, this is another manga that i would recommend, mainly as i don’t think it has had as much press or spotlight as i think it deserves.
4. Air Gear
Air Treks. C’mon, you know you want a pair. I know that the only thing i want more in the world than actually being told Europe would be getting Smash Bros Brawl in the near future AND the date wouldnt’ change AND i’d get it for free cuz it’s been too damn long would be a working pair of air treks and anime like healing. I’d even swap getting a Civic Type-R to have a pair. The anime was one of the best i watched in a long time, so i was very happy to see the manga get translated so soon. Keeping all the humour, fights and skating that the anime derives from, it’s simply a brilliant manga. Clean drawings with a fast paced story leaves me wanting more and more of it.
5. Hunter X Hunter
A-maz-ing! Like most of the manga’s i’ve read, i’ve either watched the anime first then got the manga and vice versa. With this, i watched the whole series of Hunter X Hunter from start to end, Greed Island included, in a matter of weeks, with many days watching 3 or 4 episodes then doing some work for university. Apart from Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann (refer to a here as to what i’m going on about) this series is awesome. But, as i am sure a lot of people have found, the ending of the anime left me with so many questions. This is when i started to read the manga, which thankfully goes past Greed Island and continues the story. Without giving anything away, i’m still deeply happy with the progress of the story and characters. Gon is still a legend of a character, much like he has been along with Killua, and keeping up with the Ryodan is pretty cool. There have been a lot of complaints about the quality and releases of the work, with the manga being on and off for a few years or so now, and it is to my understanding the artist is ill. What ever the reason, i’m not bothered. While the drawings have gotten sketchy, i’m still engrossed by the story too much to care. Watch, read, and look up Hunter X hunter, as it is a definite winner.
Notable manga’s not on the list include Dragonball (c’mon, it is actually good when you read it), Initial D ( would be on the list but Tokyopop has ruined Initial D in English for me), Eyeshield 21, Trigun, Sgt Frog, and everyones favourite long running manga One Piece.
