Manga Releases in 2015—
Manga released by licensees outside of Japan. Since we are an English-speaking site, this will naturally be limited to North American releases in English. As I am mainly an anime reviewer who only dabbles in manga, I’ll let our staff reviewers’ picks speak for themselves…and there are no “winners” as there was not even a sliver of consensus in any category.
Best Continuing Manga
So…what was the best continuing series in 2015?
Reviewers’ Picks:
MPA: Best continuing drama is Ooku with its sweeping story arcs that can span multiple generations in a single volume and its incredibly unique altered examination of feudal Japan if it had been ruled by women. My best continuing guilty pleasure is a toss up between Triage and High School DxD; what can I say, I love silly ecchi and cute girls.
MW: 1. Ajin: Demi-Human 2. One Piece 3. Tegami Bachi
Ajin continues to carry on from its explosive start last year, upping the punch with every volume and proving a pleasure with each entry. It really is a unique rollercoaster of a series, and one people should be sure to give a look if they haven’t yet. One Piece, meanwhile, continues on with the rather strong and jam packed Dressrosa arc, where Oda once more showcases his ability to squeeze the most out of each and every chapter. And finally, Tegami Bachi remains one of the most beautiful and heartfelt books on the market as it approaches its finale.
KO: 1. Dorohedoro 2. Pandora Hearts 3. Barakamon
Yes, okay, this is just a short list of my favorites. Dorohedoro takes first place for pushing the boundaries for how much gore you can get on a page and not lose your readers. Oh, and the plot is starting to wrap up with huge revelations which were years in the making. It’s still just insanely entertaining and I love it to death. Pandora Hearts is also closing out its US release with penultimate volumes full of tragedy and hope. Barakamon, because a good slice of life comedy grounded in reality is so hard to come by.
DW: Mobile Suit Gundam Origin – I’m still loving this series that Vertical put out. As a long time fan of the original U.C. timeline, it’s been a hoot seeing the supporting characters flesh out the storyline so cohesively. Also, the action and intrigue and excellent artwork don’t hurt my feelings none. Excellent release here.
GLP: 1. My Love Story!! 2. Genshiken: Second Season 3. Attack on Titan
All three picks have had anime adaptations for a reason. Each series has a solid cast that you can get emotionally invested in, even after so many volumes in. And while Attack on Titan has been in a rut for the last few arcs, later chapters have shown signs of improvement, reaching a caliber that’s equally as good as the first chapters that captivated so many readers and have kept them reading for this long.
