LCHS’ Mega Manga Collection

Much like a graphic novel, Manga is a Japanese book, typically aimed at teenage to adult audiences. The LCHS Library has a variety of manga to offer, each of which contains a unique story that rallies fans to read, watch, and celebrate the books.

The panels of manga are read left to right instead of right to left. This can confuse many first-time readers, but after time it begins to become easier to read.  Because of this reading style, readers will begin reading from what is traditionally recognized as the back of the book and read to the front of the book.

Below is a series summary of the manga series which can be found in the LCHS library.Assassination Classroom – Assassination Classroom begins with the near-total destruction of the moon, the being responsible claims that he will destroy the Earth next. He makes a deal with the Japanese government that he will teach a class and if they manage to kill him by the end of the school year he won’t destroy Earth. The manga is very comedic with a great storyline and lovable characters, it is very emotional later on but very enjoyable the whole way through. It is one of my favorites and definitely worth a read. The library has 10 volumes, making up about half of the full manga which has 21 volumes.

Attack on Titan – In Attack on Titan, the remains of humanity live within giant stone walls to protect them from creatures called titans. Eren Jaeger’s mother is killed and eaten, which leads him to join the Survey Corps. where he vows to destroy all of the titans. Attack on Titan is a very philosophical piece of literature, with many scenes where the morality and ethics of events and characters are questioned. The characters are for the most part very likable, with lots of depth and actual development. I believe that it is one of the best-written manga on this list. The library has 14 volumes, making up just under half of the full manga which has 33 volumes.

Bleach – Bleach stars Ichigo Kurosaki, a seemingly normal man who can see ghosts. One night, his family is attacked by a corrupt spirit and he must use Rukia Kukichi’s abilities and take the title of Shinigami (or soul reaper in some prints). In this world, Shinigami guide humans to their afterlives and help corrupt spirits, called hollows, make their way to the Soul Society as well. Now unable to return her powers to her, they must find a way to bring her back to her former self while hunting hollows and dodging new threats. Bleach was an amazing manga, and it easily makes it my second favorite that the library has, being extremely close to One Piece on my list.  Now that the anime is finishing up its final arc I may rewatch the entire thing. The library has a complete series of Bleach volumes.

Death Note – Light Yagami, a student who kept mostly to himself, found a notebook that allows him to kill anyone whose name is written inside. Using his newfound power, he attempts to create a world without criminals but runs into issues with a detective named L. Throughout the majority of the series, Light and L battle for who is the smartest as many twists are unraveled. Personally, I really enjoyed Death Note, it was one of my first manga and I can see myself re-reading it again in the future. In the library, they have the entirety of Death Note.

Full Metal Alchemist – Edward and Alphonse Elric are two brothers who live in Amestris, a kingdom where alchemy is widely used both in the military and modern life. At some point before the story, the Elric brothers were in an incident causing Edward to lose an arm and a leg, and Alphonse to be trapped in a suit of armor. Throughout the series, the Elric brothers come across several threats on their journey to retrieve their original bodies. This manga is great as well, it’s another one of my favorites and I enjoy the story a lot. The library has every volume of Full Metal Alchemist.

Naruto/Naruto: Shippuden – The main story of Naruto is split into two different manga, with the first half being titled just Naruto, while the second half is titled Shippuden. In it, the main character Naruto has the goal of becoming the Hokage, which is the leader of their village and renowned as the strongest ninja there. Shippuden takes place two and a half years after the original part and continues the story with new allies and powers. Naruto was good, it was long but I think it all wrapped up pretty well, and I haven’t started Boruto yet but from what I’ve seen it’s good. The library has all of the volumes for both Naruto and Naruto: Shippuden.

One Piece – One Piece is a manga about the Strawhat Pirates, a crew led by their captain Monkey D. Luffy. The Strawhats begin their journey in the East Blue, one of the five stretches of ocean in the One Piece world. They make their way to the Grand Line, where the crew continues growing while they travel to the treasure hidden at the end of the world, left by the executed pirate king Gold Roger. As the Strawhats fight against the World Government, enemy pirate crews, and corrupt governments, they get stronger and get closer and closer to their final goals. One Piece is one of my favorite manga and is my favorite manga that the library has to offer. While it is long, I personally believe it is well worth it and I recommend it. They have up to volume 89 in the library.