“Death Note”
With countless adaptations ranging from plays, live-action movies and an anime, some may need help finding a place to start with this classic story. However, nothing can truly outdo the original source material, the early 2000s manga.
Finishing publication in 2006 with 12 volumes, “Death Note” starts out with high-schooler Light Yagami during his mundane and seemingly perfect life. However, when a God of Death drops a mysterious notebook titled “Death Note,” Light’s average life shifts towards the dark and corrupt.
As the series continues, the line between justice and righteousness become unclear for the protagonist, as Light trys to fend off everyone in search of his “ideal” world.
“D.Gray Man”
“D.Gray Man” tells the story of Allen Walker, a young disciple of the late General Cross. By his master’s request, he joins an organization known as the Black Order, a force trying to defend the world against creations known as akuma.
With the help of the organization, Walker begins his training to become an exorcist and help the resistance. Throughout the series, Walker and his team of friends become more entangled in the twisted web, unsure if they will ever escape their impending fate.
“Fullmetal Alchemist”
One innocent mistake costs one brother his arm and leg, the other his entire body. Edward and Alphonse Elric commit the ultimate taboo: trying to use the practice of alchemy to resurrect their deceased mother.
From this point onward, both brothers try to find a way to get Alphonse his body back, with his soul currently transfused within a coat of armor. However, as they begin to dig closer to the truth of alchemy, both brothers and their comrades unravel a conspiracy that threatens the world and one another.
“Goodbye, Eri”
Coming from the acclaimed author of “Chainsaw Man,” this short one-shot manga ventures into similar psychological territories. Yuuta records his mother’s final moments before she passes, creating a memorialized video to present at school.
The audience does not take too kindly to his morbid narrative, besides another student Eri. She approaches him and asks if he can make a film out of her next, to which he agrees. The rest of the manga is littered with panels that confuse readers into wondering: what is reality and what is fiction?
“The Enigma of Amigara Fault”
There are plenty of great stories that have come from author Junji Ito’s extensive collection. However, one of the most impactful and short stories is “The Enigma of Amigara Fault.” In Japan, a fault opens in the side of a mountain, causing many residents to seek out this new discovery.
Surprisingly, inside the mountainside are human-shaped cutouts, arranged in a unusual and infinite path. Without spoiling the short tale, the community debates what to do with the development, wondering how far they can or should interact with them.
“Parasyte”
If you’ve ever gravitated toward zombies or any other type of apocalyptic story, “Parasyte” would be a fantastic horror read. As the title suggests, there is an invasion of an unknown creature, simply called “Parasytes,” that thrive on infiltrating humanity for their own survival.
Things go awry when one of these creatures attempts to take over high-schooler Shinichi Izumi’s body. With an unlikely partnership with a parasyte named Migi inhabiting his right arm, the two will need to defend themselves against humans and aliens alike.
“Soul Eater”
Living in a Halloween-styled world, Death City is also known for its prestigious school, Death Weapon Meister Academy. The school teaches two different kinds of people: Meisters – people who can utilize weapons to execute evil and Demon Weapons – individuals who can transform into weapons at their own will. The series follows three pairs of students, all in the same friend group, as they discover the secrets underneath the institution and beyond.
“The Summer Hikaru Died”
A recently published series, this manga’s title gives a rough sense of the starting plot. Hikura doesn’t appear deceased in any way; he still comes to school, still has access to his memories and still hangs out with his childhood best friend Yoshiki. But Yoshiki knows it isn’t really Hikaru. As details and truths become clearer, the relationship between these two friends becomes more muddled, causing strange occurrences in their once-small town.
“Tokyo Ghoul”
A mixture of vampires and zombies, Tokyo runs rampant with ghouls. At night, these creatures feast on human flesh. Despite this, many of them integrate into society without detection in the daylight.
When college freshman Ken Kaneki accidentally becomes prey for one of these creatures, his life changes in a mere instant. Now living as a part-ghoul, part-human hybrid, Kaneki finds himself at the start of both a new world and approaching war.
“Toilet Bound Hanako Kun”
In Kamome Academy, there exists rumors of supernatural entities referred to as the ‘Seven Mysteries.’ One of them happens to be a boy named Hanako, a spirit residing in one of the school’s bathrooms who promises to grant a wish to anyone who summons him.
Student Nene Yashiro attempts to get her wish granted, but the process goes wrong very quickly. In exchange for him reversing the effects of her misguided wish, Hanako offers Yashiro the position of becoming his assistant. As Yashiro accepts and finds out more about the supernatural beings and rulers of her school, she finds out that some rumors can be very misleading.
Sierra Thornton can be reached at [email protected].
