#hikaru ga shinda natsu reference spotted

[nzurus]

consume me. yes, me.

[existingtm]

What are your top five anime/manga?

Ooh, this is hard because I really haven't watched/read that many! I feel like my scope is very limited. But as it stands, I'll give you my current top five as far as I've thought about them:

5. (TBD) Contenders: The Summer Hikaru Died / Hikaru ga Shinda Natsu (Manga, anime not yet released), The Yakuza's Guide to Babysitting (Manga)

4. (TBD) Contenders: Sousou no Frieren (Anime) (holy shit, don't let anyone tell you it's overrated), Uramichi Oniisan (Anime, haven't read the manga yet), Erased (both the Anime and Manga)

3. The Apothecary Diaries (Anime) This had me hooked, waiting every week for the next episode to drop! I've only read the first volume of the manga, and am unfamiliar with the light novels, so I can't say which form is best, but they did an AMAZING job with the anime! It's visually stunning! More than that, though, the story and characters were what hooked me. I can't stand fantastical, Sherlock-esque deductive reasoning, but Maomao doesn't fall into that trope. She steps back when she realizes she's making flawed generalizations, and that makes her so much more real and interesting.

2. The Case Study of Vanitas / Vanitas no Carte (Manga) This might overtake the number one spot when it's complete! VNC is by the same author as Pandora Hearts, but it's newer, so she has more experience with storytelling and illustration. I actually studied it for a real college credit! MochiJun does a great deal of research for her manga, so I was able to make an actual case for it as an academically relevant work. Beautiful and intriguing story that has me constantly stressed out! The fact that it's influenced by so many historical tragedies is very ominous. However, it has MochiJun's usual motifs, many of which are fueled by love. There's so much to look forward to (or fear)!

1. Pandora Hearts (Manga) This one should come as no surprise. My icon has been the PH contractor incuse over the genderfluid flag for a while. This became my favorite manga after I picked it up from the library on a whim in middle school, drawn in by the references to the Alice duology and The Wizard of Oz. Then it overturned my expectations completely! It totally reshaped how I view storytelling. It's also why I decided to start reading Fullmetal Alchemist and D.Gray-man, both of which I'm still in the early stages of (so they're not on the list yet), and which are relevant to the author. This manga is why I came to care so much about complex characters and plots as a writer myself, and that's not even mentioning MochiJun's art! Beautiful even back then!

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So, in summary: I love complex characters and a unique plot, especially ones that effectively invoke both tragedy and comedy. I also love an element of horror in my stories! (And maybe a little romance if it's well-done!) (Edit: and Mystery!!! But good mysteries are hard to find!)

Thanks for asking! Please throw any recommendations my way if these bring other anime/manga to mind! (There's a good chance they may be in my to-watch/read lists already, but don't let that stop you!)