Thread: Poll: Manga Presentation in University (Which ones should i elucidate?)

hi my comrades from JC and ST.

I'm preparing a 1 to 1,5 hour presentation in my university about modern manga and japanese art history.
While i'm presenting modern manga i want to further elucidate and depicture a few examples of the different genre and demografies.
the presentation is at the 16th dec. so there's enough time for me to let the community take part in it


i wanted to present 1 Shoujo , 1 Yosei, 1 Shounen, 1 Sci-fi Manga, 1 Comedy Manga and 1 or 2 specific Seinen. please note that i will list everyone of them but i will only elucidate one of the following each categorie.

One of the seinen should be more or less about social critisism, so i would take one of those:
[_]Team Medical Dragon
[_]Sanctuary
[_]Homunculus
[_]Skyhigh
[_]Uncivilized Planet
[_]The Hour of the Mice

and the other one should be more or less a (mysterie) crime thriller:
[_]Monster
[_]Manhole
[_]20th Century Boys
[_]Goth
[_]MPD Psycho
[_]Nijigahara Holograph

the scifi manga should be something general maybe about living in a post apocalyptic world, so i take one of those:
[_]Eden
[_]Freesia
[_]Agharta
[_]Hotel
[_]Blame
[_]Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou

i also want to shows them a typical shounen:
[_]NGE
[_]Hajime no Ippo
[_]GTO
[_]Death Note
[_]Claymore
[_]One Piece

a comedy manga:
[_]Yotsubato
[_]Angel Densetsu
[_]Yandere Kanojo
[_]Doujin Work
[_]Azumanga Daioh
[_]Love Hina

1 typical shoujo (i don't know that many but i guess one of those will do):
[_]Nana
[_]Skip Beat
[_]Hana Kimi
[_]Tokyo Crazy Paradise
[_]Kare Kano
[_]Kimi ni Todoke

1 typical Josei:
[_]I only know one or two like nodame cantabile i guess. Please suggest some to me. Thanks


thanks for reading, please vote, i'd appreciate your help ~feroz

PS: if you have some general suggestions for a manga presentation just tell me i'd like to hear everything that would make a better presentation.

PPS: of course i'll keep you informed how it went when its over.

seinen thriller: either Monster or 20th Century Boys, take your pick
SF: YKK
comedy: you could go with Angel Densetsu and combine that with shounen -- but that would mean passing over Yotusba&!.
shoujo: Kare Kano, because of the list it's the most typical shoujo romance in that it starts as the heroine's story and becomes the hero's -- her psychological issues are resolved first -- and this is something that needs to pointed up more in scholarly circles

josei -- ND works, or you could go with Hatakari Man, Kimi wa Pet, or Hotaro no Hikari

Originally Posted by Ferozban

One of the seinen should be more or less about social critisism, so i would take one of those:
[_]Team Medical Dragon
[_]Sanctuary
[_]Homunculus
[x]Skyhigh
[_]Uncivilized Planet
[_]The Hour of the Mice

and the other one should be more or less a (mysterie) crime thriller:
[x]Monster
[_]Manhole
[_]20th Century Boys
[_]Goth
[_]MPD Psycho
[_]Nijigahara Holograph

the scifi manga should be something general maybe about living in a post apocalyptic world, so i take one of those:
[x]Eden
[_]Freesia
[_]Agharta
[_]Hotel
[_]Blame
[_]Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou

i also want to shows them a typical shounen:
[_]NGE
[_]Hajime no Ippo
[_]GTO
[_]Death Note
[_]Claymore
[x]One Piece

a comedy manga:
[x]Yotsubato
[_]Angel Densetsu
[_]Yandere Kanojo
[_]Doujin Work
[_]Azumanga Daioh
[_]Love Hina

1 typical shoujo (i don't know that many but i guess one of those will do):
[_]Nana
[_]Skip Beat
[_]Hana Kimi
[_]Tokyo Crazy Paradise
[_]Kare Kano
[x]Kimi ni Todoke

1 typical Josei:
[x]Honey and Clover

Anyway, some comments regarding the choices:

1. Offers an interesting take on the concepts of morality and revenge/forgiveness. Although personally I would've picked something like...Welcome to the N.H.K.

2. Monster is just a flat-out amazing manga. Length may be an issue though, so you might want to pick something shorter.

3. Just the first half of Eden. The second half is all about LOLDEEP and EXISTENTIALISM.

4. Why no Naruto? =3

5. Why not GTO? It's generally considered one of the best shonen gag/ecchi comedy manga.

6. Again, I'd suggest something not on your list here: Aishiteruze Baby, because it retains some of the shoujo stereotypes but yet manages to remain refreshing. Also, BAAWWW ending.

7. I don't read much Josei :/

GL on your project!

How can you talk about comedy without talking about Sakigake Cromartie Highschool?!

I made my choices to fit the paradigms the mangas were selected to represent.

Social criticism: pass (haven't read 3 of those). Alternate Suggestion: Welcome to the NHK! (too)

Crime thriller: Monster. I think this one balanced the investigation, plot, and drama best out of the choices without losing believability.

Scifi/post-apocalyptic: Eden. Unlike Beo, I think the whole manga so far makes it a good candidate. Existentialism fits well with the manga's image of eden. The dual representation of 'Eden' as the drive for Ennoa's actions in the 1st chapter as well as in the evolution of the colloid in a depressed world is interesting.

Typical Shounen: One Piece. It's the choice that fits the paradigm the best, has an extensive plot to draw examples from, and also somewhat sets the direction for where shounen is going. Alternatively, DBZ would be a good historical archetype for the genre. GTO deals with seinen themes, and Naruto has an unconventional setup for a shounen.

Comedy: What kind are you looking for? Most of the suggestions are romantic comedies. Alternative suggestions are The World God Only Knows, School Rumble, or a 4-koma series like World War 3.

Typical shoujo: I'd choose Kare kano or Skip beat out of the given choices, but I think Fruits Basket might be a better archetype for the genre, or Itazura na kiss as a less dramatic alternative. Aishiteruze baby was a bit unconventional for a shoujo because the main character was a dude.

Josei: Honey and Clover too, but Nana also fits better than Nodame.

@Feroz- What specifically is the theme or view you're trying to convey in the presentation? Are you going to mention the anime industry at all or it's relation to the manga industry?

If I could, I'd probably find an excuse to incorporate Code Geass into the talk since it's a series that could be described as a fusion genre (where the doesn't necessarily have a dominant genre) and mention how it adopts the tradition of CLAMP, Shakespeare, and incorporates a lot of philosophical, religious, historical, and political theory into the story, enabling it to be compared to a wide host of manga.

^To be sincere, I don´t think One Piece would be a good choice if it should be a typical Shounen. It´s more complex and more unpredictable than both Bleach and Naruto and DBZ.

Man, most of the mangas you listed I haven´t even read -.-" Gotta get it on with most classics... when I have time =P

And for comedy I´d say Love Hina (cuz that´s the only thing I read out of those that you posted) but it´s also "Harem-orientated" and that´s not the case in every comedy manga...

One of the seinen should be more or less about social critisism, so i would take one of those:
Of the alternatives it would be Homunculus, but I as well feel that Welcome to the NHK would be the best choice.


and the other one should be more or less a (mysterie) crime thriller:
Monster. No question about it


the scifi manga should be something general maybe about living in a post apocalyptic world, so i take one of those:
Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou


i also want to shows them a typical shounen:
Of these the more typical would be Claymore or One Piece. I will not voice any further opinion.

a comedy manga:
Yotsubato, who can't enjoy it?


1 typical shoujo (i don't know that many but i guess one of those will do):
Hana Kimi or Skip Beat.

1 typical Josei:
Nana. Nana goddamnit, Nana.


Allow me to give you one of my thoughts about anime/manga by quoting myself:

I have, in recent years, tried to define exactly what makes anime and manga more fascinating to me than western series, and the only real difference I find is the telling of the plot. The dramatic structure seems to be fundamentally different, yet influenced by western story-telling, thus creating a strange hybrid.

I have never found anyone to stress the difference in the dramatic structure before, neglecting it only seems odd to me.

social critisism
Don´t know any of them exept skyhigh and though I like that one, I´m not sure about it´s worth in the category social critisism

(mysterie) crime thriller:
[x]Monster
[_]Manhole
[_]20th Century Boys
[_]Goth
[_]MPD Psycho
[_]Nijigahara Holograph
toguh choise as 20th Century Boys is a good choise as well.

scifi
[_]Eden
[_]Freesia
[_]Agharta
[_]Hotel
[_]Blame
[x]Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou
What else???
I like Blame!, but YKK is unbeatable as good example, and both aren´t exactly typical examples

typical shounen:
[_]NGE
[_]Hajime no Ippo
[x]GTO
[_]Death Note
[_]Claymore
[_]One Piece
GTO and Claymore are both good choises, but GTO is the more typical one
(I dislike OP and think of DN and NGE as rather un-typical)

a comedy manga:
[x]Yotsubato
[_]Angel Densetsu
[_]Yandere Kanojo
[_]Doujin Work
[_]Azumanga Daioh
[_]Love Hina
No Sketchbook? Die! (well Azumanga Daioh isn´t bad, but as I prefer sketchbook, which isn´t here, I chose the one with a totally different setting)

1 typical shoujo (i don't know that many but i guess one of those will do):
[_]Nana
[_]Skip Beat
[_]Hana Kimi
[_]Tokyo Crazy Paradise
[_]Kare Kano
[_]Kimi ni Todoke
I know a few good ones, but none of these.

1 typical Josei:
Usagi Drop would be a nice choise for Josei as well as for social critisism

Why is seinen manga not on the list?

Read the first two selections again, abaile.