I’m new to manga and have read the above. I get hooked on the cat and mouse of “How will our protagonist overcome it this time?”. Any manga recommendations like this?
Of the above, Berserk was my favorite. Beefy men are a plus.
Thanks ahead of time!
My favorite manga of all time is Dungeon Meshi. The anime adaptation of its first half has just finished airing, but both anime and manga are worth experiencing, and imo you can do so in either order.
It’s about a group of adventurers who lose a comrade, and out of money resort to cooking and eating the monsters in the dungeon in order to get to their friend and revive her in time.
I also run a community over on !dungeonmeshi@ani.social, though the content is very spoilery up to halfway of the story if you’re new.
Some other favorites of mine, and series that fit your your requests:
Claymore - mostly beefy women, art starts off rough but improves massively over the series, and I love the characters and story, anime is not worth watching
Akame ga Kill - “typical” battle manga, except there is no such thing as plot armor, fights are brutal, people die, anime is not worth watching imo
Voynich Hotel - slice of life set in a hotel staffed by immortal supernatural people, considered a must read by most manga fans
The Breaker - technically a manhua, but lots off buff dudes, hence worth mentioning, if you like it “New Waves” is the sequel
Helck - a comedy that turns serious, buff dude MC, anime is not worth watching if you read the manga
Demi-chan - slice of life set in a world where demi-humans exist, centers more on the adult teachers rather than the underage high-school girls, buff dude MC, anime is absolutely worth watching
Kengan Ashura - set in a world where corporate conflicts are settled by representatives in one on one mortal combat, tons and tons of buff dudes, anime is not worth watching
I have only one recommendation: Witch Hat Atelier. Peak magic manga. Probably the best magic manga to be written at least in my opinion.
Dorohedoro is an excellent manga, that has a beefy man (except for his head), plenty of challenges, in a very interesting setting.
The hero is trying to solve his curse, a reptile head, and to retrieve his memory, against magic users from a parallel world that use his world as a training ground.
Tomodachi Game, the whole way, with “how will our protagonist(s) overcome it this time?” and “THERE’S A PLOT TWIST COMING, BUT I still don’t know what it IIIIISSS” and no one is safe.
I think it just finished this month? Binge to your heart’s content.
Why am I not seeing “FullMetal Alchemist” being suggests? Absolutely fantastic story
The Fable.
Recommend reading Monster, its a great drama piece and it feels like an adult manga.
