Dragon Ball by Akira Toriyama

 

Before the sequel Dragon Ball Z  was Dragon Ball where  we follow the adventures of Goku, a boy with a taill, who loves to do nothing but eat and hunt.  That is until he meets Bulma who is seeking the Dragon Balls. 

Together the pair go in search of the magical spheres that can summon a great magical dragon who can grant a single wish. Goku and Bulma’s adventure leads them through some dangerous and at times comical situations when  every Dragon Ball they gather reveals a bit more of Goku’s true identity and power. --Claudio Leon

Toriyama, Akira. Dragon Ball. San Francisco: VIZ Media, 2003. Print.

Dragon Ball Z by Akira Toriyama

It’s been a long time coming but  Akira Toryama has brought manga and anime into the world spotlight! In Dragon Ball Z  Goku has settled down on planet Earth and started a family,  although never in his wildest dreams would the Saiyan warrior have thought this would be his life!   But it all comes crashing down as his elder brother Raditz arrives on Earth  ready to conquer it. 

This is only the tip of the iceberg as we learn that more Saiyan warriors,  led by an evil emperor,  are on their way to Earth.  Now Goku must gather up the strongest warriors to defend his new home and family. 

Anyone who is already a manga fan,  or anyone wanting to know where to start should pick up and read Dragon Ball Z! --Claudio Leon

Toriyama, Akira. Dragon Ball Z. San Francisco: VIZ Media, 2011. Print.

Assassination Classroom by Yusei Matsui

While the introductory premise to this manga series requires quite a suspension of disbelief--an alien threatening to destroy Earth has chiselled away most of the moon and can only be placated by being allowed to teach a group of struggling Japanese middle school students how to assassinate him along with their regular school subjects--manga fans will enjoy joining the group of students who are at the bottom of their school’s totem pole and marveling at a teacher who can regenerate limbs and fly through the air at a speed of Mach 20.  The violence of classroom assassination attempts makes this unsuitable for younger readers, but the violence is so over-the-top as to be unrealistic.  The storyline allows various students to express their feelings of frustration in regard to teachers at their demanding school as they try to determine Sensei Koro’s weaknesses and appreciate his successes as well as his care for them.  Originally published weekly in a manga magazine, the story is episodic and seems to grow in complexity as new characters are introduced and the plot thickens. --Jessica Fenster-Sparber

Princess Jellyfish Volume 1 by Akiko Higashimura

Tsukimi is a young woman whose passion in life is jellyfish and whose mother has passed away, leading Tsukimi to move into a women-only building in Tokyo. While she finds community with her new neighbors, her newfound independence amongst the like-minded amars is threatened when she is befriended by an attractive cross-dressing boy who happens to be the son of a powerful Japanese politician.   Will the amars be able to accept Tsukimi’s new friend?  Will their community survive a developer’s attempt to take it over?  These volumes collect the Princess Jellyfish series which was originally published in 2008 in serial format and was released as anime in 2010.  Fans of anime will enjoy reading the print, and female manga readers who are not yet familiar with the characters will enjoy the discovery that awaits them, blending otaku culture, humor, suspense, and romance, along with a plotline that involves the politics of gentrification.--Jessica Fenster-Sparber

Higashimura, Akiko.  Princess Jellyfish (Book 1).  New York: Kodashna Comics, 2016.  Print.

Pluto by Naoki Urasawa

In the future, robots and humans have fought many wars together and now live, relatively peaceably, side-by-side.  International robot laws are in place and these legal restrictions prohibit robots from killing humans.  In spite of a recent civil rights movement for robots, they are still discriminated against by humans, and the protagonist of this murder mystery is a robot member of an international police agency who passes for human named Gesicht.  As the series begins, Gesicht is investigating the recent chilling destruction of a beloved robot and global hero and a string of murders, trying to determine a motive.

This eight volume manga series brings Astro Boy and the grandfather of manga to a fresh audience with fresh perspective.  It begins with a re-imagining of the premise of the recent war in Afghanistan.  In doing so, it raises questions for readers of the nature of sentient life, the implications of artificial intelligence, the features of a post-conflict diverse society, and explores notions of human rights and civil rights in the future.  Fans of manga who loved Death Note and are looking for a new series will devour this one. ---Jessica Fenster-Sparber

Urasawa, Naoki and Osamu Tezuka.  Pluto.  San Francisco: Viz Media, 2008.  Print.

One Piece by Eiichiro Oda

If you like pirates, over-the-top characters, and long journeys, you’re going to love One Piece.  As this manga series starts we meet Luffy, a teenage boy who ate a devil fruit from a Gum-Gum Tree.  Unbeknownst to Luffy, the fruit grants him special powers at the cost of the ability to swim.  How then will Luffy be able to realize his dream of becoming the greatest pirate in history? Since this manga series is on the lengthy side with about 66 volumes, it will surely keep readers entertained for a long time.  One Piece may provide fodder for teachers working on topics that include debate skills as they prepare arguments on the subject of “Pirates vs. Ninjas.” In all seriousness, readers of manga series like Bleach, Naruto, Dragon Ball Z and Death Note will enjoy this prolific writer. --Claudio Leon


Oda, Eiichiro, and Lance Caselman. One Piece. San Francisco, CA: Viz, LLC, 2004. Print.