I can’t resist list-making. Over at MangaBlog, Brigid Alverson shares a request from a reader for “slice-of-life” manga. Excellent recommendations ensue, so I thought I would compile the titles that got multiple nods from the folks leaving comments.
Antique Bakery, by Fumi Yoshinaga (DMP)
Emma, by Kaoru Mori (CMX)
Flower of Life, by Fumi Yoshinaga (DMP)
Honey and Clover, by Chica Umino (Viz)
Japan, as Viewed by 17 Creators, by various gifted people (Fanfare/Ponent Mon)
Love Roma, by Minoru Toyoda (Del Rey)
Sand Chronicles, by Hinako Ashihara (Viz)
Suppli, by Mari Okazaki (Tokyopop)
The Voices of a Distant Star, by Mizu Sahara and Makoto Shinkai (Tokyopo)
The Walking Man, by Jiro Taniguichi (Fanfare/Ponent Mon)
The Day I Become a Butterfly, by Yumeka Sumomo (Juné)
Same Cell Organism, by Yumeka Sumomo (Juné)
There are plenty of great recommendations in the MangaBlog comments thread, both of slice-of-life series and good reads in general. If I missed a slice-of-life title that got multiple mentions, let me know, and I’ll update the list.
No Aqua/Aria? I’d also go ahead and throw Yotsuba&! in there if we’re including stuff like Emma and Voices of a Distant Star.
It’s surprising to see just how many titles that are commercially available in English could be considered “slice-of-life” when it’s considered “un-marketable” by some. That said, I eternally lament the fact that the definitive masterpiece of the genre, Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou, seems to have little chance of getting licensed.
Comment by Huff — May 14, 2008 @ 1:53 pm
Ah, the person doing the requesting had already read and loved Yotsuba&! and Aria, which I probably should have mentioned.
Comment by davidpwelsh — May 14, 2008 @ 1:59 pm
Ah, that would explain it. But since I didn’t mention it before, good list. I always avoided the Voices… manga since, as a rule, manga adapted from animes are usually poor, but most of the press for it has been surprisingly enthusiastic. A lot of the short film’s appeal came from its intimacy (which was enhanced by the fact that it was literally created by a single man), so I guess it isn’t that surprising that it would translate well into the graphic fiction medium.
As for other great unlicensed slice-of-life manga (besides the amazing YKK of course) one title that I would kill to have licensed is Hourou Musuko. Usually when you hear the words “gender bending” in the context of manga you think of comedy. This is a rare work that takes the subject seriously (but never oppressively so), offering an incredibly nuanced and heartfelt coming-of-age story about two children who were born in the wrong bodies so-to-speak. I don’t think I’ve ever encountered a manga which gives a more honest portrayal of puberty and how kids that age act. And if a cynical bastard like me can fall in love with it than anyone can.
Comment by Huff — May 16, 2008 @ 12:21 pm