 |
| Source |
Hi! Hello! Finally, I'm back with bookish list! It's been quite a while since I write this kind of post, hasn't it. As usual, this post is a part of Top Five Wednesday, which is a weekly feature created by Lainey from Gingerreadslainey but now is hosted by Sam from ThoughtsOnTomes. More information about T5W is provided at its Goodreads group page. This week's topic is favorite non-written novels, which means what books that are not in the usual written word format that are your favorite. This could include mangas, graphic novels, audiobooks, and so on. Does my explanation make sense? I hope it does. If you've been following this blog for a while, you'll notice that I love reading mangas and lately I've been into graphic novels and superhero comics too. You'll see that this list reflects that.
Let's start the list with a classic, Sailor Moon. This manga is my childhood. I used to watch the anime adaptation of this manga a lot. I tried reading the manga, but not chronologically because I couldn't afford to buy the manga. So I borrowed it from friends and they often don't have the complete series. When I learned that Kodansha was going to republish this series, I just knew I had to get it. I did buy the box sets and they are beautiful. Oh! and I have yet to watch Sailor Moon Crystal, which is the new anime adaptation/ reboot of this manga series.
2. Aria by Kozue Amano
This one is such an underrated manga series. I don't think many people know about it, and they should because oh my God this manga is so gorgeous. I accidentally discovered this manga back then and I'm glad I did. I was intrigued because this manga is set in Italy-ish and I love Italy. To make it easier, I'm gonna quote the plot summary from its Wikipedia page and explain further from there.
Aqua and Aria take place in the early 24th century, starting in 2301 AD, in the city of Neo-Venezia on the planet Aqua—formerly Mars, which was renamed after being terraformed into a habitable planet covered in oceans around 150 years beforehand. Neo-Venezia, based on Venice in both architecture and atmosphere, is a harbor city of narrow canals instead of streets, traveled by unmotorized gondolas.
By the way, Aqua is the prequel of Aria manga series. Moving on, this manga follows Akari, an aspiring gondolier. She moved from Manhome (formerly Earth) to Neo-Venezia, to train as an undine. An undine is a female gondolier whose job is to be a tour guide for visitors in Neo-Venezia. This manga is a slice-of-life/ drama manga with a little bit of science fiction. It sets in the future where technologies have improved a lot, especially on Manhome, but Neo-Venezia is built as an imitation to the 'ancient' city of Venice. So the people of Neo-Venezia kind of minimize their use of technology. This manga is so atmospheric and calm, but it's not boring. Neo-Venezia is such a charming city which I'd love to revisit many times. Also, have I told you how beautiful the art in this manga is? because it is.
I love how optimistic this manga is. Aria has so much impact on me. It teaches me to appreciate every moment in your life, no matter how little or trivial it might seem. It's heartwarming and it really makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside. This manga will always have a special place in my heart. Sadly, it's difficult to obtain a hard copy of this manga now. Even I don't manage to collect the series before it completely sold out. But, you can still watch the anime adaptation of Aria which has the same feel or even better than the manga because it's in full color and accompanied with equally beautiful soundtracks. Bottom line, I highly highly recommend this series.
I love how optimistic this manga is. Aria has so much impact on me. It teaches me to appreciate every moment in your life, no matter how little or trivial it might seem. It's heartwarming and it really makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside. This manga will always have a special place in my heart. Sadly, it's difficult to obtain a hard copy of this manga now. Even I don't manage to collect the series before it completely sold out. But, you can still watch the anime adaptation of Aria which has the same feel or even better than the manga because it's in full color and accompanied with equally beautiful soundtracks. Bottom line, I highly highly recommend this series.
3. Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-Kun (Monthly Girls Nozaki-Kun) by Izumi Tsubaki
Still in the manga territory, but the last in this list, we have Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-Kun. Meet Chiyo Sakura, a high school student who has a crush on her classmate, Nozaki. When she finally tried to confess her feelings to Nozaki, she ended up being nervous and asking for his signature instead. That's when she discovered that Nozaki is actually a Shoujo (manga targeted to young girls) mangaka, which is unexpected considering how cold and robot-like Nozaki is. FYI, shoujo manga is known for being cheesy and fluffy, totally the opposite of Nozaki's personality. Recognizing Chiyo's artistic talent, Nozaki then recruited Chiyo to be his assistant. Thus we follow Chiyo's romantic pursuit while navigating the world of a Shoujo mangaka. This manga is in the slice-of-life/ comedy genre. Nozaki is actually clueless about high school romance, but he needs the insight to write his manga. As a result, he had to research about those things. He likes to involve Chiyo and his other friends/assistant on his research. So imagine the shenanigans that they're in. It's funny. The manga is still ongoing and I'm always looking forward to the next volume. It's a fun and stress relief read for me. This manga has also been adapted into anime. If you're hesitant to read the manga, try watching the anime. It's hilarious.
4. Y: the Last Man by Brian K. Vaughan
Some of you might have heard of Saga, a popular science fiction graphic novel which has won many awards. Well this graphic novel is written by the same person who wrote Saga. This graphic novel has an interesting premise. In Y: the Last Man, a mysterious plague kills all Y chromosome carriers on earth, except for Yorick Brown and his monkey Ampersand. If you've ever wondered what would happen if the earth was only inhabited by women, this graphic novel provides one of the many possible scenarios. It's thought provoking and funny at the same time. Yorick is sassy and sarcastic. His witty remark balances the dark and gritty situation that these characters in. It's an enjoyable graphic novel series.
 |
| can you believe this guy wrote romantic Shoujo manga? Source |
Some of you might have heard of Saga, a popular science fiction graphic novel which has won many awards. Well this graphic novel is written by the same person who wrote Saga. This graphic novel has an interesting premise. In Y: the Last Man, a mysterious plague kills all Y chromosome carriers on earth, except for Yorick Brown and his monkey Ampersand. If you've ever wondered what would happen if the earth was only inhabited by women, this graphic novel provides one of the many possible scenarios. It's thought provoking and funny at the same time. Yorick is sassy and sarcastic. His witty remark balances the dark and gritty situation that these characters in. It's an enjoyable graphic novel series.
Now we're on the superhero comics territory. The Killing Joke is actually my gateway to superhero comic. I read it last year and it blew my mind. It's one of Joker's many origin stories. In this comic, Joker wanted to show Batman how one bad day can turn an ordinary man into a psychotic like the Joker. I think I've explained enough on this blog how great this comic is. You can read my thoughts on this comic on my August 2016 wrap-up.
Okay, that is it. My favorite 'non-written' novels. I have other favorites too, but these five are on top of my list. Let me know in the comment if you've read any of these books. Did you like it? or did you not find it enjoyable to read? or maybe you have your own favorite non-written novels. Feel free to share them in the comment section and have a nice week!
Okay, that is it. My favorite 'non-written' novels. I have other favorites too, but these five are on top of my list. Let me know in the comment if you've read any of these books. Did you like it? or did you not find it enjoyable to read? or maybe you have your own favorite non-written novels. Feel free to share them in the comment section and have a nice week!
No comments :
Post a Comment