Underrated Manga

These are the titles that tend to pop up in my head first when the topic of underrated mangas come up. I like them because there is something about them that is different from the usual fare or I learn something from them. The order presented here is not any sort of "ranking", it is just what was convenient for me. Without further ado...

Super Cruel and Terrible Tales of Mangaka

As the title suggests, this is a gag manga, a humourous take by a mangaka (lit. comic artist) at his own profession. The art is wildly different from the stereotypical style usually associated with Japanese pop culture.

The main topic is stereotypes about mangakas. I think these are actually very little-known outside Japan, which probably dampens the fun a bit. But it is nonetheless very interesting if read as a source about what the profession of manga drawing is actually perceived in Japan, the land where manga and anime are among its most important exports.

The real life facts are obviously exaggerated in the work, as it is meant to make people laugh. Or not. Sometimes the humour gets rather dark, the type that make people smirk instead of laughing out loud. It can be interpreted as off-handed comments from the author. The readers reach their own conclusions, but probably the main message is that being a mangaka is not glamorous at all.

Kimi wa Pet (lit. "You are my pet!". "Tramps like us" in the U.S. release)

A young woman meets a young man. Romance ensues. That is the plot of this manga in a nutshell (with oversimplification of course). That sounds horribly cliched but wait, there are several catches. What if the woman is a walking defiance to the gender norms of the society around her (however modernized, Japan has its own social arrangements and quirks), yet at the same time she feels pressured those norms? And her own perceptions and expectations were shaped by the environment around her? And the young man is not at all her image of the ideal man (yes, yes, this is another cliche but admit it, it works)?

Being a "slice of life" type, this manga is essentially character-driven, and the characters are very well-written. One may agree or disagree with the way they think or act, but their personalities are something that seems believable. In addition, the plot flows well, although at times it seems dragged out. And from a geeky perspective, this manga says a lot about what real-life Japan and its changes are like.

Mekakushi no Kuni ("Land of the blindfolded")

Teenagers having superpowers that turn their lives upside down is another well-trodden path in fiction writing. But that does not necessarily mean that stories following that path are automatically bad. "Land of the blindfolded" in my opinion belongs to the well-written category.

This manga is basically a coming-of-age story where adolescents have their world-views confronted and must decide whether to get out of their safe shells formed by childhood experience. The powers they possess do influence their lives, but what matters most is their personalities and how they relate to other people. I like the soft, calm tone of the story, and the ending will leave you smiling.

Baby Pop

This one is from the same author as "Kimi wa Pet", but no romance for the center character, a photographer for fashion magazines. Instead it is the "awkward parent" type when someone suddenly has to be responsible for a child, or in this case, a teenager. To make things better, this is between step-father and step-daughter, plus point for step-daughter being a very competent and independent-minded teenager and the man-suddenly-promoted-to-dad having to convince her that he is worthy of being her father.

This is a comedy and things get really violent occasionally (just look at the cover art). But there is no lack of emotional moments, the type that will make you feel warm and fluffy inside. What the main character gets is probably sub-optimal for him, considering the situation that brings this father and daughter duo together, but everyone can tell that he has worked his best.

Kekkaishi (Barrier Master)

Well, this one is far from being "obscure". Kekkaishi is famous but it always bugs me why such a good story with decent media coverage has not reached the level of popularity of Naruto or Bleach, hence I include it in my list.

Like most other shounen story, the main character's development in skills and power is an important and visible part. However, Kekkaishi also features a complex background story with power play complete with ancient conspiracy, and the further the story goes, the more important to the plot how this background unfolds becomes. What I also like about this manga is that the concept of the superpower possessed by the protagonists is exceedingly simple, but it is played out in very interesting manners.

Love Allergy

Another coming of age story, another rebel, with the usual problems with romantic stuffs. The story revolves around the theme of what people think they want, and how that influences their interactions with the surrounding world. Despite the title, there is no cheesy romance. Rather it is about the teenage characters learn to cope with challenges that affect their feelings and relationships.

This manga has strong and memorable characters. The main character gets on my nerve at times, but her difficult personality is also what I find attractive at her. Another remarkable characteristic of this manga is that it has "evolving art", meaning you can see the characters get older with time. Thus the growth is portrayed both story-wise and art-wise

Mirai no Football

The title is a pun. It can be understood as either "Mirai's (the protagonist's name) football" or "football of the future". The premise is fanciful: a Japanese professional football (soccer) player gets kidnapped into the past. More precisely, the time when football was first developed. The perpetrator is a well-intentioned man of the era who for some reason got the ability to travel through time and wants to show his compatriots how beautifully the game grows.

Fantastical premise aside, the story is down to earth. Understanding and compassion between those who are different from each other, comradeship among lovers of the game, appreciation for being blessed enough to be able to do and enjoy something one loves. The story is just enough for what it wants to say, and it does that well. There is care put into the research for the circumstances of early professional football in England. Most importantly, the interactions between characters are warm and can make one smile. A manga remembers love for the game in the finest way.

Cesare

One of the manga takes on the life of the (in)famous Cesare Borgia (the other one that I know of is Cantarella by Higuri You). The story is told from the viewpoint of Angelo, an intelligent but naive young man who is sponsored by the powerful Medici family to study law at a prestigious university in Pisa. Born of commoner background, Angelo rubs elbows with soon-to-be statesmen and not all of his encounters go well. Most problematic of all, he meets the charismatic Cesare from the up-and-coming Borgia family and like most people, is both attracted and appalled by the man's genius and ambitions.

This manga has beautiful, detailed, and realistic art which does justice to the stormy historical era it is set in. The plot moves rather slowly but is a good blend of action and introspection on statecraft and how society changes. Liberties with actual history are taken, but since when have story-tellers let facts interfere with a good drama?