Your Favorite Hidden Manga Gems

[Dia]

Hello my lovelies~

I wanted to open up a special section to share some Manga that really hit home for you--I'm talking top 3-5 choices for obscure works (insert shameless plugs for The Demon Ororon, I Wish..., Eternal Sabbath, Meteor Methuselah, etc.) This is mainly for work that does NOT have an anime adaptation, but if there's one you really have your heart set on go ahead and tell us about it!

While few people have even heard of these titles, many of them are truly worth a read--give us your reasons why we should all them immediately to our reading lists, and why you added them to your own!

[Dia]

As the introductory thread suggests, I have a few manga that I truly adore that I believe really need more attention than they get. Without further ado:

The Demon Ororon (Akuma no Ororon) -- www.mangaupdates.com/series.html?id=2827
This is an absolute masterpiece that is really shoved off off to the side simply for the artwork. The characters are absolutely amazing--from what brings them together to what tears them apart, the author really takes the time to develop them, their romance, and eventual ruin (YEAH it's a tragedy. Now go read it, you pansies). The amin characters, Chiaki and Ororon, have very opposite personalities and yet extremely similar situations which is something that really brings them together to understand each other and learn/grow as individuals. The art is nothing like you've ever seen before; by god it's ugly as hell. But you seriously need to read this. It's not the artwork that's important here, it's really the story. And I guarantee it'll change you.

I Wish... -- www.mangaupdates.com/series.html?id=1620
Yeah, this is another one marked up as tragedy, but it can't touch anything like The Demon Ororon (Honestly, you need tissues if you're going to read that) and honestly isn't actually a tragedy in my eyes. As it's a Manhwa, the artwork is a little different than manga but is still very charming and not at all as repulsive as TDO. The characters in the story are all fairly mature, so you won't really be dealing with high school drama commonly found in shoujo works, although it is tagged as one. This is another piece where the character development is really prominent, and the past plays an important role. K and Jin Ryu have a realtionship very similar to that of Neuro and Yako of Majin Tantei Nougami Neuro (I'm going to recommend that one too, but I might place it in the more well known catgory since there's an anime) which is filled with comical violence/mistreatment, ridiculous attitudes, but a sense of mutual friendship, appreciation and understanding that comes from the bond the two both have. K is very easy to fall in love with, and will always keep you on your toes despite is lax attitude. What makes I Wish different from MTNN however is the graceful way the author brings romance into the story that couldn't be done in the latter. I really recommend this one, it will definitely entertain and enrapture you form the start.

Eternal Sabbath (ES) -- www.mangaupdates.com/series.html?id=439
Ah yes, Eternal Sabbath. EASILY one of my favorite mangas of all time, and not an exaggeration. I don't know how I ever stumbled upon this magnificent and glorious book, but holy crap was it amazing. Okay, okay, so I am a fan of romantic tragedies, but the way this manga finishes is honestly one of the best endings I've ever read in the history of completed manga. Again, the character development is ever prominent and fantastic. One of my favorite aspects of this is the demographic--there are no annoying teenagers, no stupid blushing and crying shoujo girls, no bat-shit magical gun-slinging ridiculousness that so often riddles many anime and manga. It is for a mature audience, and makes no mistake in completing the story in a completely engaging yet unsaturated masterpiece. It has all the aspects of children's manga, but toned down completely to something sensible and comprehensible--bearable. The characters are relatable, people with families, love interests, and commonplace problems that come with them. The main character's love story is unique and magical--a woman who is so often shunned from affection simply because she is passionate about what she does, the coming together of two souls who have been misunderstood and ostracized to form a tag team that is unbeatable, and the perfect touch of supernatural to keep the whole thing together and exciting. If you're going to read any of these, make it this one. I promise you it is one of the best works you will ever read.

Meteor Methuselah (Immortal Rain) -- www.mangaupdates.com/series.html?id=5348
IT'S NOT A TRAGEDY, GO FIGURE. Actually though, it's not. This is one of the mangas that really captured my heart from the start. The characters are all really lovable, and Rain might be the most adorable man that has ever walked the manga world. He is someone who has carried a lot over his lifetime, but still has such a gentle demeanor and comic atmosphere around him as well as the ability to love and have the greatest compassion I've seen. The story is beautifully played out and extremely lighthearted, even with the drama that does unfold between the main characters. There's no real internal petty arguments commonly in mainstream manga, and, no, stupidity and bad communication skills isn't used as a plot device (amazing, right?!). This one is really worth a read because it really takes you to another world and sucks you into the strong bonds the characters have with each other. Stop reading my post and go read them all now, it's important.