I often feel the same way, both when people talk about manga and anime... not to mention many other things I'm much worse at keeping up with, like current music and fantasy literature and movies...
I can't read Japanese and I can rarely get into a series when I first read it online - legally or not - so all of the above titles have come out in official translations in French, English, or in one case Swedish. The English ones (and the Swedish one) I can buy from two specialty shops in this city, while I order the French ones online. I'm glad we have those two shops since I like being able to browse a new series before buying!
One reason why I buy so many manga volumes is probably because 1) I like to read when I eat, and 2) I like to read in the bath! You can't do either of those things with library copies of manga, and you can't read on the computer or mobile phone in the bath. Hence, print manga are important to me! :D
Ahhh, that's a great question but still a hard one! Even if I chose the option "the one with the most important message", that's still tough --- AND OH MAN I JUST REALIZED I COMPLETELY FORGOT TO LIST "IN THIS CORNER OF THE WORLD" aughhh --- I must update!
...well, anyway. As I was saying, people are so different as to what kinds of comics they would be the most receptive to, in tone and in visual style and composition as much as in the content. So with several comics of excellent messages and fine artistic strength, it's still hard to say which one to pick.
So I'll pick "Iguana Girl"! I don't know how well other people will respond to it, but I found this short story by Moto Hagio, available in English in the hardcover anthology "The Drunken Dream And Other Stories", to be just plain unforgettable. Hagio has made another extremely memorable short story, "Hanshin", which I first read back in the 90s. Like "Hanshin", "Iguana Girl" is about identity and self-image and struggling with how people think you are, among other things.
The premise is simple: A mother gives birth to a child that, to her, looks like an iguana and not a human. What happens later, as this child grows up? But it's executed so memorably. The art looks simple on the surface - a lot less delicate than in many of her other works - but it's so... not sure how to put it. "Iconic"? And also heartbreaking. Everyone should read this story to see what the short story format in comics can do.
no subject
I can't read Japanese and I can rarely get into a series when I first read it online - legally or not - so all of the above titles have come out in official translations in French, English, or in one case Swedish. The English ones (and the Swedish one) I can buy from two specialty shops in this city, while I order the French ones online. I'm glad we have those two shops since I like being able to browse a new series before buying!
One reason why I buy so many manga volumes is probably because 1) I like to read when I eat, and 2) I like to read in the bath! You can't do either of those things with library copies of manga, and you can't read on the computer or mobile phone in the bath. Hence, print manga are important to me! :D
Ahhh, that's a great question but still a hard one! Even if I chose the option "the one with the most important message", that's still tough --- AND OH MAN I JUST REALIZED I COMPLETELY FORGOT TO LIST "IN THIS CORNER OF THE WORLD" aughhh --- I must update!
...well, anyway. As I was saying, people are so different as to what kinds of comics they would be the most receptive to, in tone and in visual style and composition as much as in the content. So with several comics of excellent messages and fine artistic strength, it's still hard to say which one to pick.
So I'll pick "Iguana Girl"! I don't know how well other people will respond to it, but I found this short story by Moto Hagio, available in English in the hardcover anthology "The Drunken Dream And Other Stories", to be just plain unforgettable. Hagio has made another extremely memorable short story, "Hanshin", which I first read back in the 90s. Like "Hanshin", "Iguana Girl" is about identity and self-image and struggling with how people think you are, among other things.
The premise is simple: A mother gives birth to a child that, to her, looks like an iguana and not a human. What happens later, as this child grows up? But it's executed so memorably. The art looks simple on the surface - a lot less delicate than in many of her other works - but it's so... not sure how to put it. "Iconic"? And also heartbreaking. Everyone should read this story to see what the short story format in comics can do.