Manga Titles You Need In 2014

With 2013’s end drawing near, I’d like to share some of the best manga I picked up! This year was definitely a turning point for me as I started to read more manga than watch anime. That didn’t exactly help while making this list as I had more awesomeness to dig through. So bear in mind, this is not a top 3 of 2013. Instead, I’m picking out those with little material out right now that seem promising.

Aku No Hana (Flowers of Evil)

After having read the first few pages, I thought I was reading yet another ordinary slice of life series. Sticking with it until the end of the chapter was one of my best decisions this year. Seriously.
What a cocktail of emotions as Kasuga and those around him get closer and closer to darkness. Or is that darkness what they were all along? The narrative definitely raises questions about human nature and our true selves. Nakamura seems like an antagonist of life itself, but her way of thinking will keep most people interested. People wear masks, and she intends to tear them off. Aku No Hana is a rollercoaster I’d recommend to anyone looking for a psychological series with a dark undertone to spice it up. Warning: Very addictive, it kept me on the edge of my seat.

Nanatsu No Taizai (The Seven Deadly Sins)

Game of Thrones, the manga. Mixed with a bit of Fairy Tail, DBZ and Berserk. There.
Elizabeth Lyonesse, princess of the kingdom of Lyonesse, is on a journey to seek out the Sins. All seven of these Sins once formed the strongest and cruelest order of knights. That was until the Holy Knights framed them, overthrew them and labeled them as villains and traitors. The problem now is that these Holy Knights staged a coup d’état and are cooking up something evil. We’re instantly thrown into the midst of this ongoing scandal as Elizabeth must rely on the Sins to restore order. Fun fact: The Sins carry the name of the sin with damning consequences they committed in the past. I noticed that the story isn’t very predictable, which is nice in this genre. Fights are brutal, and there’s a good amount of plot even though we’re yet to meet all seven Sins. Magic, conspiracies and a lot of suspense. A great read for the shounen fan, and definitely one that will blossom next year.

Ansatsu Kyoushitsu (Assassination Classroom)

One of the weirdest premises out there for sure. But that’s what makes Assassination Classroom an enjoyable ride.
Ever wanted to read about a class having to kill their own alien teacher before the term ends? With the world’s fate on the line? Here’s your story. Weird, right? It may sound silly, but I must say I’ve rarely seen comedy and shounen mixed so well. The thing with unique settings like this one is that it provides unique dilemmas. Interactions between Koro-sensei and his class are far from boring and at times very engaging. Numbers don’t lie either as Ansatsu Kyoushitsu has been steadily climbing in the manga rankings. Clocking in at just 70 chapters available as of now, there’s nothing to lose.

Anime Adaptations

Only Aku No Hana was made into an anime out of the three I mentioned. I personally enjoyed the anime, but it got a lot of flak.
The animation technique known as rotoscoping ended up being controversial. Some thought it was absolutely grotesque. Others said it was perfect for the story and that it wouldn’t have worked with your everyday animation. My general rule of thumb is to try the first three episodes. It’s slow at first, but the pace picks up like it’s a reward for the patient viewer. And boy, did we get rewarded. In my opinion, Aku No Hana has some of the best scenes to grace 2013.
Nanatsu No Taizai and Ansatsu Kyoushitsu have not been animated. Yet.
With the series’ popularity rapidly growing, it’s only a matter of time before we’ll see announcements. There are countless scenes I look forward to being animated. Especially fights.

Honorable Mentions

Here’s a short list of other series I picked up but didn’t make it to top 3 most promising series:

One Piece: Finally picked it up. I haven’t caught up yet but it’s an adventure I truly enjoy.
Kingdom: Feudal China. Great for the historical stories fan. Shounen.
Iron Knight: Brand new. Initial impression: Attack on Titan but demons instead of Titans.

T’is the season to be jolly and sharing is caring. What are your favorite manga? Which fresh manga could really explode in 2014? Comment your picks down below and we might end up reading/reviewing them.

Happy Holidays!