Tatsumi, Yoshihiro

Over four decades ago, Yoshihiro Tatsumi expanded the horizons of comics storytelling by using the visual language of manga to tell gritty, literary stories about the private lives of everyday people. He has been called "the grandfather of Japanese alternative comics" and has influenced generations of cartoonists around the world. Now the visionary creator of "The Push Man and Other Stories" and "Good-bye" has turned his incisive, unflinching gaze upon himself. Over ten years in the making, "A Drifting Life" is Tatsumis' most ambitious, personal, and heart felt work: an autobiographical bildungsroman in comics form. Using his life long obsession with comics as a frame work, Tatsumi weaves a complex story that encompasses family dynamics, Japanese culture and history, first love, the intricacies of the manga industry, and most importantly, what it means to be an artist. Alternately humorous, enlightening, and haunting, this is the masterful summartion of a fascinating life and a historic career.

(Source: Drawn &amp; Quarterly)

Gekiga Hyouryuu

A Drifting Life

劇画漂流

Ishikawa, Masayuki

Tadayasu Sawaki has a gift: he can see all kinds of microbes, from the ones that ferment sake to everyday bathroom mold. Not only that, but they're not scientifically accurate but instead cute chibi creatures. When he enters an agricultural university and a professor finds out about his gift, he begins to meet new people that help him discover more about his abilities and himself.

Moyashimon

Moyasimon: Tales of Agriculture

もやしもん

Abe, Zenta

Kurata, Yoshimi

The series chronicles the lives of the staff and customers of a restaurant called Fujimura, owned by veteran chef Kumano.

Aji Ichi Monme

味いちもんめ

Obana, Miho

Sana Kurata, a child actress, faces many problems in her classroom, including a major one - her bullying classmate, Akito Hayama. Sana's outgoing and friendly nature leads her to work towards correcting all of the problems around her. Her 'meddling' irritates Hayama but at the same time captivates him, just as Hayama's gloomy nature irritates Sana and compels her to change him. As these two opposites attract each other, they face many hardships which bring them closer to a mutual understanding.

(Source: ANN)

Kodomo no Omocha

Kodocha: Sana's Stage

こどものおもちゃ

Umino, Chica

Takemoto lives in a run down student apartment, where his greatest worry is when he'll next be able to afford to eat meat and whether he'll get to class on time. Although he's away from home and living on his own, Takemoto is far from finished growing up. Along with his crazy cast of friends, Morita, Mayama, Yamada, and Hagumi, Takemoto sets out to discover life and his true self.

(Source: VIZ Media)

Included one-shots:
Volume 10: Sora no Kotori, Hoshi no Opera

Hachimitsu to Clover

Honey and Clover

ハチミツとクローバー

Ragawa, Marimo

Takuya is a normal Japanese elementary student whose mother died not very long ago, leaving him alone with his father and his baby brother Minoru. But his father is a busy man, and Takuya has to look after Minoru. Because of this responsibility that would normally never burden a child of his age, Takuya sometimes resents his fate and his baby brother... but his love for Minoru gives him the strength to carry on.

(Source: ANN)

Included one-shots:
Volume 2: Time Limit
Volume 4: Secret Boy ni Tee Dasuna!!
Volume 6: Baka de Karukute Wagamama de
Volume 15: Natsu to Kimi no Irradiation

Akachan to Boku

Baby & Me

赤ちゃんと僕

Azuma, Hideo

Hideo Azuma was born 6th February 1950 in Hokkaido. He moved to Tokyo where he was assistant to Rentaro Itai and debuted in manga in 1969. Throughout the 70´s and 80´s he produced a large body of work in many genres including the comedies FUTARI TO GONIN (Two People and Five) and YAKEKUSO TENSHI (Desperate Angel), the Science Fiction Seiun (Japanese Hugo) Award winning FUJOURI NIKKI (Absurd Diary) and is also known as the father of Lolicon manga. But the pressures told and, in 1989, he ran away from his responsibilities and went homeless. After this experience and his eventual return to normal life, he then repeated the cycle in 1992, this time becoming a gas pipe layer in another town. Later, in 1998, his alcoholism was so bad that he was forced into rehab. This book is his expression of those three periods of his life told, not in a deep or depressed way but, as befits his nature, in a buoyant and cheerful cartoon art and is a welcome addition to the "personal manga" genre. In 2005, SHISSOU NIKKI (Disappearance Diary) was awarded the Grand Prize from the 9th Japan Media Arts Festival Manga Division and the Excellence Price at the 34th Japan Cartoonists Association Awards.

(Source: ANN)

Shissou Nikki

Disappearance Diary

失踪日記

Ousaka, Mieko

The story follows a fantasy writer and her dog.

Eien no Nohara

永遠の野原

Urasawa, Naoki

Kenzou Tenma, a renowned Japanese neurosurgeon working in post-war Germany, faces a difficult choice: to operate on Johan Liebert, an orphan boy on the verge of death, or on the mayor of Düsseldorf. In the end, Tenma decides to gamble his reputation by saving Johan, effectively leaving the mayor for dead.

As a consequence of his actions, hospital director Heinemann strips Tenma of his position, and Heinemann's daughter Eva breaks off their engagement. Disgraced and shunned by his colleagues, Tenma loses all hope of a successful career—that is, until the mysterious killing of Heinemann gives him another chance.

Nine years later, Tenma is the head of the surgical department and close to becoming the director himself. Although all seems well for him at first, he soon becomes entangled in a chain of gruesome murders that have taken place throughout Germany. The culprit is a monster—the same one that Tenma saved on that fateful day nine years ago.

[Written by MAL Rewrite]

Monster

MONSTER

As the 20th century approaches its end, people all over the world are anxious that the world is changing. And probably not for the better.

Kenji Endou is a normal convenience store manager who is just trying to get by. But when he learns that one of his old friends going by the name "Donkey" has suddenly committed suicide and that a new cult led by a figure known as "Friend" is becoming more notorious, Kenji starts to feel that something is not right. With a few key clues left behind by his deceased friend, Kenji realizes that this cult is much more than he ever thought it would be—not only is this mysterious organization directly targeting him and his childhood friends, but the whole world also faces a grave danger that only the friends have the key to stop.

Kenji's simple life of barely making ends meet is flipped upside down when he reunites with his childhood friends, and together they must figure out the truth of how their past is connected to the cult, as the turn of the century could mean the possible end of the world.

[Written by MAL Rewrite]

20th Century Boys

20世紀少年

As the conflict between Kenji Endo, his childhood friends, and cult leader "Friend" comes to an end, two mysteries remain—Friend's true identity and whether the threat of an "anti-photon bomb" before his death was legitimate. Hoping to find an answer, Kenji, alongside the United Nations, decides to use a virtual reality program created from Friend's childhood memories in this conclusion to a long journey that will span decades.

[Written by MAL Rewrite]

21st Century Boys

21世紀少年

Yumemakura, Baku

Taniguchi, Jiro

In 1924, mountaineers George Mallory and Andrew Irvine attempted a daring challenge: to be the first to scale Mount Everest. However, they disappeared during the final stages of their trek, leading to one of mountaineering's greatest mysteries—did the pair ever make it to the summit?

1993, Kathmandu. Japanese photographer Makoto Fukamachi discovers a vintage camera in an antique store, which he believes might have belonged to Mallory. However, the camera falls into the possession of "Bikha Sanp," a burly Japanese man who Fukamachi realizes may very well be Jouji Habu, a legendary Japanese mountaineer who disappeared from the scene several years ago. Unfortunately for Fukamachi however, Bikha Sanp refuses to talk to him and leaves with the camera in tow.

With the trail gone cold, Fukamachi has only one course left to pursue: to delve into Habu's past and see just what may have brought the former climber to Nepal. For the sake of rewriting mountaineering history, Fukamachi begins his investigation, a task that will bring him to the greatest height in the world—the summit of the gods.

[Written by MAL Rewrite]

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