#manga taisho

[animehouse-moe]

2024 Manga Taisho Award Winners Announced

In somewhat of an uncontested victory, Kimi to Uchuu wo Aruku Tame Ni walked away with nearly a 100 point victory. Following it in second place is Hiromu Arakawa's Daemons of The Shadow Realm. And only 1 point behind it in third place is Tales of Craftsmen From Kanda Gokurachou.

Though three series, it's really 1st and 3rd that are incredibly interesting. Kimi to Uchuu only has one volume out currently, with its second coming in May. Published under Kodansha, given their recent... "aggression" with manga licenses, there's a very strong chance to see an announcement for it sometime this summer.

On the other hand, Tales of Craftsmen is the first ever manga to be nominated, let alone place in the top 3, of the Manga Taisho awards from Leeds Publishing. It's a really incredible feat, and just another feather in its cap considering that it had recently won Freestyle's Read This Manga! award. Add on top that it's been nominated for the Osamu Tezuka Cultural prize, and it's a work that everyone should have their eyes on.

Though, many seem unaware of it, so I have a post in the works for this afternoon to detail its history and journey that led it to such commercial success and critical acclaim on only a single volume. The short of it though is that like with Kimi to Uchuu, manga readers should be making a lot of noise about getting it licensed over here.

[metalandmagi]

Romance Anime Starter List

I don’t know about you guys, but I’m sick and tired of seeing “Top ___ Best Anime of All Time” lists that are nothing but shounen. So, with "My Happy Marriage" getting a little attention from the anime community, I wanted to put together a list of some romance anime that I consider good “starters” for the genre. Because if I were just now becoming an anime fan, I’d think all there was to offer was shounen action series.

And by “starters” I mean basic stuff that’s not too…out there, and actually involves the characters getting together instead of just harems or using romance as a side plot (sorry Ouran High School Host Club and My Next Life as a Villainess). 

So if you’re new to anime and want stuff that���s not just guys beating the shit out of each other (which is also fun, don’t get me wrong), here are some basics.

Taisho Maiden Fairy Tale- When the pessimistic Tamahiko Shima loses all function in his right arm, his family sends him away to live in the mountains with the cheerful, hard working Yuzuki Tachibana…who was purchased by the Shima family to pay off her family’s debts and basically act as a caretaker/future bride for Tamahiko so they’d never have to deal with him again. It’s a more cheerful version of My Happy Marriage (without the supernatural stuff), except in this one, the guy is the one who has massive self-esteem issues and an abusive family. There are still very serious themes, but ultimately it’s not meant to make you cry every episode. I swear it’s so good, but nobody watched it!

Horimiya- A slice of life in which pretty and popular high school queen bee Hori, finds out her quiet, unassuming classmate Miyamura is hiding piercings and tattoos that could get him expelled. The two gradually find out more about each other and get together in the most realistic way I’ve seen depicted in an anime. It’s also fucking hysterical and genuinely emotional.

Recovery of an MMO Junkie- Another slice of life that focuses on two adults who meet in an MMO game without realizing they also know each other in real life. I don’t want to say much more than that. It’s adorable, and the main character is so relatable it hurts.

Love with Yamada-kun at Level 999- Speaking of MMOs, this is a newer series about Akane Kinoshita, a college first year who’s reeling from a bad break up. In an attempt to get back at her ex, she winds up meeting Akito Yamada, a popular gamer who happens to be in her guild in the MMO they both play at an IRL meetup. The two go from acquaintances to something more as they keep running into each other. Even more relatable main characters and just wholesome relationships all around.

Snow White With The Red Hair- A fantasy in which an apothecary named Shirayuki (meaning, you guessed it, “snow white”) runs away from her home in order to escape becoming the concubine of her town’s prince. While fleeing, she is rescued by Zen, the prince of a neighboring country, and she ends up becoming an herbalist to repay him. It's super cute with some genuinely swoon worthy moments and a couple that just works so well together. I have a habit of comparing this to Akatsuki no Yona, even though the two aren’t really that alike. This is more romance driven while Akatsuki no Yona is more of a serious historical fantasy with romance elements (Yona manga is amazing, but the anime barely scratches the surface, so that’s why I didn’t include it).

Sasaki to Miyano- When the shy, easily flustered Miyano meets Sasaki, a cool “delinquent” upperclassmen, the two end up bonding over manga…specifically BL manga. That’s right, Miyano is a fudanshi, but due to his small stature and somewhat feminine appearance, he’s constantly trying to convince others that he’s not interested in having his own love story where he’d be reduced to a stereotypical doe-eyed uke. But as Sasaki and Miyano spend more time together, they realize that what they have is more than friendship, and they have to come to terms with their own perception of gay relationships. This is my favorite romance of all time. It’s a slow burn, but boy is it worth it. Their relationship is so natural and realistic, just like Horimiya. Just two people hanging out and bonding over things the way people do in real life!

Given: The story of some boys in a band with trauma. Enough said. It's great. Go watch it.

Bloom Into You- Yuu Koito is a high school girl who’s been waiting her whole life for her own perfect romance to start…but when she receives a confession, she realizes she doesn’t know how to respond when she’s just not into the guy. And then she gets another confession…this time from the cool student council president Touko Nanami, who basically jumpstarts her lesbian awakening. Very cute story about how we perceive the concept of love vs actually feeling it. Also has a canonically aro/ace side character, so that’s a win for me. Another show like this is Adachi to Shimamura (but I honestly don’t remember much about it. It just didn’t stick with me as much).

Ore Monogatari- Takeo Gouda is a tall, bulky high school first year with a sensitive heart of gold. He wants nothing more than to find his own true love, but most girls are intimidated by his enormous stature, and they end up falling for his conventionally attractive friend instead. That is, until he meets the tiny, adorable Rinko Yamato. He falls in love instantly, but he’s sure she’s interested in his best friend like everyone else, so he vows to help get them together, even though his heart is breaking. Peak himbo behavior. Pure of heart, dumb of ass.

Yuri on Ice- Yes it’s the gay figure skating anime everyone knows. And yes it’s a fucking romance, okay? I will die on this hill. The romance between Viktor and Yuri is just as important as the plot!

Kaguya-sama Love Is War- Two insanely smart high school students both have a crush on the other, but since they’re…you know…high schoolers, neither of them wants to admit it first. So they come up with increasingly convoluted plans to get the other to confess first. This will go down as one of the best of all time. It’s a hilarious yet poignant modern classic.

Fruits Basket- I’ve talked about it before and I’ll talk about it again. A romance “comedy” that slowly morphs into a drama about a girl named Tohru who finds herself living with the mysterious Sohma family after her mother dies. Little does she know, the Sohmas are the victims of a  (somewhat silly, but ultimately tragic) curse that she must fight to break. Even though I’m more into it for the family drama, the romance is still top tier and plays an important role in the story. This is my second favorite anime of all time, and it’s a classic for a reason. If anyone hasn’t watched it yet, GO WATCH IT! IT WILL RIP YOU TO SHREDS!

Blue Box- A sports romance about an aspiring badminton player named Taiki Inomata who has a massive crush on the girls basketball team's star player Chinatsu Kano. Through a twist of fate, the two end up living together and having to hide it from the rest of their classmates, all while Taiki tries to work up the courage to ask Chinatsu out. It's so sweet and wholesome, and it's a great blend of sports anime and romance that can appeal to anyone who is more hesitant to get into the romance genre. The animation is also so freaking gorgeous!!!!

365 Days To The Wedding- A workplace romance between the two most awkward people you could possibly imagine! The story takes place at a travel company that is about to open a new branch in Alaska, but because our two main characters are...like I said...very awkward, they come up with a plan to avoid being sent to work at the new branch...by telling their boss they're getting married. Because they wouldn't want to split up a married couple by making one move away, right? As ridiculous as the premise sounds, hilarious shenanigans ensue, but there's also a surprising amount of serious discussions about romance and marriage. The main characters also have major autism coding, so if you're looking for a neurodivergent romance, this is it. (There's also an episode that involves a princess wanting to give up the throne to pursue a life with her girlfriend!)

And now for some honorable mentions that didn't quite fit into the regular list:

Ride Your Wave- A movie about a surfer who falls in love with a firefighter……and I’m not going to say any more than that. Go into it blind. If you like stuff like Your Name, this is a good one to watch.

Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-kun- A comedy about a high school girl who finds out the upperclassman she has a crush on is actually a shoujo manga artist, and no matter how she tries to confess to him, he just never gets it.

The Ice Guy and His Cool Female Colleague- A slow burn slice of life that focuses on a guy with ice powers who has a crush on his coworker. That’s it. That’s the show. When I say slow, I mean SLOW. It’s perfectly cute and fluffy, but my god does it take forever to get anywhere with these two.

Skip to Loafer- A high strung, small town girl decides to go to high school in Tokyo, where she meets a variety of classmates, including the laid back Sousuke Shima. The unlikely pair become friends, and soon enough, she starts to feel something more than friendship. The only reason I didn’t include it in the main list is because they don’t get together by the end of the first season, but it’s still really cute (also canonically trans character for the win!?)

So that’s my starter list. And no, I didn’t include Toradora, even though it’s a classic. I know it’s blasphemous, but I like it more as a comedy than a romance. It kinda lost me with the ending. But anyway, maybe someone will find something they like. Or maybe you'll just want to roast me and my picks 😅

[twin-azure-dragon-wave]

Shiina decided to give us ALL the family portraits in this chapter.

[demifiendrsa]

Jump j Books 30th anniversary shikishi

Riku Sanjo and Koji Inada (Dragon Quest: The Adventure of Dai)

Eiichiro Oda (One Piece)

Masashi Kishimoto (Naruto)

Tite Kubo (Bleach)

Hideaki Sorachi (Gintama)

Haruichi Furudate (Haikyu!!)

Yūki Tabata (Black Clover)

Koyoharu Gotouge (Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba)

Kaiu Shirai and Posuka Demizu (The Promised Neverland)

Taishi Tsutsui (We Never Learn)

Yoshifumi Tozuka (Undead Unluck)

Sana Kirioka (Taisho Otome Fairy Tale)

Yasuki Tanaka (Summer Time Rendering)

Yuji Kaku (Hell's Paradise: Jigokuraku)

[dailyfigures]

Yuzuki Tachibana ; Taisho Otome Fairy Tale ☆ FuRyu

[iincogneeto]

- it’s time for a taishō era secret!

did you know that Jinsei is actually a very sweet guy? This is only known by one individual! Tanjiro! He’s the only one that’s seen Jinsei be a sweet person in real time!! Due to his tall frame and ominous face, Jinsei comes off as scary and mean! But he is one of the nicest people Tanjiro has ever met! ✨

( art by me - ref:: kny screenshot )

[autisticzenitsu]

Zenitsu: You betrayed the Corps by becoming a demon and made Gramps kill himself! Kaigaku: *whips out ukulele* Kaigaku: THE TOXIC GOSSIP TRAIN-

[yunna-ivy]

Inuyasha and Toga in new ep. of Hanyou No Yashahime_chapter 41.

[deilantha]

Family's portrait.

[ferwasfound]

— Inu No Taisho manga pfp !

[serexvu]

yuzuki tachibana from taisho maiden fairy tale

[animehouse-moe]

Tales of Craftsmen From Kanda Gokurachou earns Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize

This is... really big news- for me, at least. Tales of Craftsmen from Kanda Gokurachou has netted something massive with their awarding of the New Life/Creative award with this year's Cultural Prize.

Akihito Sakaue has already had an incredible run of popularity and critical acclaim leading up to this, but this award is really the icing on the cake.

It places the manga in elite company, alongside the likes of Frieren, BEASTARS, and Showa Genroku Rakugo Shinju- all of which we have in English print. Though, the point that pulls these series together is that they are a supposed "triple threat", having all won the same category of Tezuka Cultural Prize, and ranked within the top 3 for both Kono Manga Ga Sugoi, and the Manga Taisho awards.

That's not a guarantee by any means for Kanda Gokurachou, but damn if it isn't ever inspiring and hopeful. Really great news for both the series and Sakaue though, so I'm sure they'll be taking the time to celebrate the achievement.

[deus-ex-mona]

anyways, in honour of 1 year of honeypre (rip) eos, what were your top stats like at the end of the game? i’ll go first~~~

[twin-azure-dragon-wave]

Hanyo no Yashahime Chapter 41: Telepathy

Papa Sesshomaru is like, "I know you didn't just underestimate my daughters."

[cybertori]

“╰The clash of the opposites.”

giyuu / outgoing! reader.

As you mentally prepared for the mission, you couldn't help but quietly wonder if the demon residing at the village would be one who would drain half of your energy as you moved and clashed your katana against the demon's body, moreover, being more talkative by nature, you anticipated and hoped of  encountering a demon who would pose a psychological challenge. Some might find it strange, but you saw this as an opportunity to study a demon closely related to Muzan Kibutsuji's bloodline—a thought that fueled your excitement.

Both of you knelt before the conclusion of the meeting, with Mr. Urokodaki's words echoing in your mind.

"I believe it would be best if you, out of all the Hashira, accompany Tomioka on this mission."

"Mr. Urokodaki," You spoke as your voice tinged with concern, "With all due respect.. I've tried talking to him, but it seems nearly impossible."

Mr. Urokodaki chuckled softly, his amusement evident

"You'll do well for him."

As you both traversed the winding path through dense forests and mist-shrouded valleys, You couldn't help but attempt to break the silence that seemed to surround Giyuu like an impenetrable barrier. “Tomioka," you started, your voice tinged with a mix of determination and concern. "We have a mission to accomplish, but I can't help but wonder about your silence. Is there something on your mind?"

Giyuu's gaze remained fixed ahead, his face masked with an unreadable expression. No response escaped his lips, leaving you momentarily disheartened. Nevertheless, you pressed on, your steps echoing in the stillness of the forest.

Days turned into nights, and nights into days, as you delved deeper into the heart of the village's enigma. You continued to chatter, sharing anecdotes, theories, and speculations about the disappearances, hoping to draw Giyuu into the conversation. Yet, he remained a steadfast observer, his stoic presence as unyielding as the mountains themselves.

In the midst of your investigations, You had stumbled upon a hidden shrine nestled amidst ancient trees. Intrigued, You entered the sacred space, only to find a tranquil atmosphere permeating the air. It was as if the shrine itself whispered secrets of serenity and peace.

It would have never been, ever conpared to one's feeling to encountering a demon, nor was this mission one that was fueled with serotin or danger— perhaps that was what you were meant to be here for, as the certain disapperances of these people, weren't a sudden run off of hunger by a starving demon. Their souls echoed through the ancient trees, Something told you these were their voices.

"This place... it reminds me of the tranquility I seek in silence. Sometimes, words can disturb the delicate balance of our thoughts and emotions. In silence, we can better attune ourselves to the world around us." Your thoughts were cutoff by the man you swore couldn't have the capacity of talking, His eyes seemed to be gazing at the awestruck of your expression, Giyuu had finally broken his silence, his voice as soft as a sigh.

You were astonished but relatively Decided to listened intently, your eyes mirroring newfound understanding. In that moment, you realized that Giyuu's silence wasn't a lack of engagement or indifference, but rather a profound connection to his surroundings and an embodiment of the tranquil spirit he sought to uphold, Somehow.. it seemed like he represented this place.

"Ah, I see." You spoke quietly as your profounded theories were on verge of being proven true, The water hashira had this special aura to him.. You were ever so inconclusive about, but somehow it made you even more curious about the quiet individual.

As you both bid farewell to the village, and the uncovered truth, having restored peace, It came to the conclusion that these individuals hadn't died in the hand's of a demon, rather died due to diseases that were marked in the branches of the tall trees and their souls had swam into the place with the most upheld peace, this had eliminated any of the doubts the residents had.

You and Giyuu shared a knowing glance.

Your small journey together had forged a bond beyond words, a testament to the strength found in large differences, the beginning of something new, you'd like to add.

And so, as you ventured back to your respective duties as Hashira and as your paths intertwined once more. No longer frustrated by Giyuu's silence, the all-known talkative Hashira had come to appreciate the profound depths hidden within the silent warrior, knowing that true connection transcends the need for constant words.

"The clash of the opposites" rumoured.

[ashitakaxsan]

Please excuse me for being late,the business kept me way. i’m so glad with Maoanniversary.

Thank you so much Rumiko sama. for creating and keeping it going this great manga, which has been with me during these 4 years.I'm so thankful and I'm looking forward for this story.

るみこ先生、本当にありがとうございました。この素晴らしいマンガを作成し、継続させてくれて、この 4 年間私と一緒にいてくれました。とても感謝していますし、この物語を楽しみにしています。