Manga

Anyone have suggestions of good manga?

Depends. What do you like? If you're into blood and action, I'd say Hellsing, but if you like girly smooch stories, I'd suggest something more like Marmalade Boy. Manga has genres like any other art form.

Also, there's a Manga group... can't remember what it's called, but they might have some good suggestions.

Yes Or If ya wanna go with something like science fictionish I would go for Bleach or FullmetalAlchemist

In English or in Japanese? I love YuYu Hakusho, One Piece, Rurouni Kenshin, Ranma, etc. A lot of those classic Shounen Jump series are available in English now. Unfortunately, most of my favorite girls'/women's/other series have never been translated. If you're looking for something in Japanese, I recommend Kirakira Kaoru, Hiou Shirabyoushi, and Eight Clouds Rising. I also love Onmyouji, but it's tough going.

Rumiko Takahashi work's are good.

Oh yes, I agree with "animelover1986" ! I checked your account and I see you also have Inuyasha books :D Did you also read other series by her? I recently finished watching the "Mermaid Forest" anime - it follows the manga quite closely (I read the manga first).

Franzeska - do you have more recommendations for Heian period manga? Or other interesting ones? I also looked a bit through your collection and it looks like we do have more books in common (in title), probably just not similar ISBN-versions.

I like Inuyasha and Vampire Miyu (of which English translations do exist) and Kirakirakaoru (which Franzeska also named and of which an English translation doesn't exist as far as I know).
I've recently started "Fushigi Yuugi" and "Ayashi no Ceres". I think English translations of these series also exist, but I'm not sure. Maybe they have different names in English?

Translations do exist; the titles are just transliterations of of the Japanese, so nope, exact same titles all around.

Hi mene,

Onmyouji and Hiou Shirabyoushi are set in the Heian period (forgive me if this is pretty obvious). I haven't read much else from that historical setting. I've seen Otogi Zoshi recommended frequently. It's set partly in the Heian period and partly in the modern day and also features Abe no Seimei. It looks a little more romance-y, which I don't like as much as the utter goofiness of Kirakira Kaoru (admittedly also a romance), the ninja assassin stuff in Hiou Shirabyoushi (definitely shoujo and it has a love interest, but it's really more about kicking ass), or the surreal freakiness of Onmyouji (definitely NOT shoujo--this is a complex, arty manga for adults). Eight Clouds Rising is set in the modern day but with flashbacks to ancient Japan (way pre Heian).

Generally, Wings Comics has some good historical series, many with a BL slant. Very few have been translated into English.

There are some manga adaptations of the Tale of Genji. The one I've seen recommended is Asakiyumemishi.

I also recommend Ou-Oku. It's a weird alternate history thing where most of the men of Japan have been killed off by a plague and the female shogun keeps a harem of hot guys. I like the level of historical detail and the fairly realistic art. This isn't one of those shoujo dating sim style series: it's much more of a serious josei title (different art style, more violence, etc.). It's definitely post-Heian in setting, but it's quite good. Of course, as far as I know, it's not available in English, and the Japanese is freakin' hard!

I also love Meiji, Taisho, and Showa settings. Sanban-chō Hagiwara-ya no Bijin is an interesting girls' series that I've only just started, so I can't really tell you what it's about. It appears to be a coming of age story, and the cover art features all sorts of interesting kabuki and takarazuka actors along with a whole host of weird characters. Tsukumo Nemuru Shizume and (of course) Rurouni Kenshin are fun boys' series with late 19th/early 20thC settings.

My best advice for anyone who loves historical manga and can read some Japanese is to take a trip to a Japanese bookstore with a big manga section and just browse for art you like. I tend to prefer the fairly realistic josei styles or the super 70s-looking stuff (which a lot of people find really ugly). Bookoff in NYC has very cheap used manga, and they'll often have volume 1 of series that aren't popular with Americans (i.e. anything not published by Shounen Jump or Hana to Yume and similar magazines). I'm afraid I have no idea where to go in the Netherlands, but if you're ever in Japan, Bookoff is a huge chain, and you should definitely visit a few locations if you can.

Thank you for the titles! I'll look into them.
The Genji manga adaptation I've read was this (I borrowed these books):
part 1, part 2, part 3. It had old Japanese in the text balloons and at the bottom of every page where "translations" or explanations in modern Japanese. It took me quite a while to read but it was still interesting.

I've been in the New York Book-Off in summer 2007 (when I was in New York), but the first time I'll be in Japan or the US again is probably still some years away. I did read there was a Book-Off in Paris, so maybe I can go there sometime when I'm in France (not that I go there often either...).

I definitely say Hikaru No Go. It touched my heart very very deeply. And the anime version is also very good, with a poetic twist.

Hi mene,

That Genji adaptation looks to be a little more Genji and a little less adaptation if you know what I mean. :D

The one I've had recommended to me is this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Tale_of_Genji_(manga)
I'm pretty sure it's all in modern Japanese (or possibly the kind of "old" Japanese featured in samurai movies).

Manga -- it depends what you are looking for

I liked 4-koma/frame when i was in japan

The usual anime/manga stuff bores the hell out of me.

Thought there were some good manga re Minagata Kumagusu and great erotic stuff by Tsukikage but the stuff i have seen Englished . . . hate tosay it, but it all sucks.

So, if you read japanese, read it and help get the interewsting stuff Englished!