Top Ten Manga Authors

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.

Today's topic asked us to choose our top ten favorite authors of any genre, and while manga isn't technically a genre, I wanted to do something different, since I doubt I would be able to include anyone too unique in fantasy, sci fi, or whatever. Also, I don't get to fangirl about manga often enough. These probably aren't all on my real top ten, but they're the first ten to pop into my head, so victory for them!

1. Mizuto Aqua
I've read several of her manga series, and I've enjoyed every single one. Her art skills are questionable; once, I heard her women described as looking like crossdressing men with mops for hair, and I couldn't say it was entirely without merit. Honestly, considering that I pick manga to read by whether I like the look of the art (part of why I mostly read girly manga), it's rather surprising I ever read her stuff. I am so glad I did, though, because she is so funny. Her series Milk Crown makes me crack up so loud. It's absurd and I love it.

2. Mitsuki Takaya
Alright, so I've only read one manga by Mitsuki Takaya, but it's my favorite manga of all time (that I've found so far), so she deserves inclusion in the list. What I love most about Fruits Basket is how the characters mature through the series, physically and emotionally. That's rare to find.

3. Hiromu Arakawa 
Again, I've only read one manga by her, but it rocked my socks, so there. Fullmetal Alchemist is one of the most well-known manga, though I think Naruto or Bleach probably wins that. Fullmetal Alchemist is way better though. It's steampunk, fantasy, adventure and humor all put together to make something wonderful. There are plot lines that will always haunt me.

4. Miwa Ueda
Okay, I'm sure people who know manga, assuming any of the people who read my blog do, will judge me for this. Miwa Ueda's manga are so ridiculously melodramatic. Peach Girl is the prime example. It's over the top drama and sappiness. But somehow it's just perfectly what it is and I love it. I've also read a few volumes of Papillon and I like it too, even though, yet again, it's so ridiculous.

5. Mitsuba Takanashi 
Totally one of my favorites. I've read two series by her, one of which she seriously needs to finish so that I can freaking know what happens! Her older series, The Devil Does Exist, is about a step-brother and sister who fall in love. The one that I'm waiting for the end of is about a girl determined to play volleyball. Neither topic is top of my list, but I got so completely absorbed in both, and I've read them both more than once.

6. Banri Hidaka
Banri Hidaka's two manga that I've read have a common theme: a couple with a younger girl and an older guy, as in like 8 years older. I usually am super creeped out by couples like that. Age gaps just make me uncomfortable, but Hidaka makes it work. Also, her art is so adorable.

7. Yuki Kure
La Corda d'Oro is another of my super embarrassing loves. I know it's completely stereotypical and the plot is stupid, but I am so obsessed with it. I feel like my manga tastes line up with my taste in television shows: all the cheesiest teen shows entertain me forever. This one's a reverse harem, which means there's ton of pretty guys. Thank goodness the manga isn't actually in color or all the blue and green hair would make me crazy.

8. Shizuru Seino
Seino's manga that I've read all feature more powerful female heroines than you find in your average shoujo manga. The heroine of the series pictured especially. She's crazy violent. The series she writes are totally more about comedy than melodrama also, so that's a nice change.

9. Rie Takada
Please ignore the completely obnoxious artwork that's reminiscent of Bratz. This series is so incredibly funny, as have been all the others of Takada's I've read. Obviously, I like my manga with romance and humor. :)

10. Ai Yazawa
For a change of pace, I'm going to end with a mangaka who writes manga for a slightly older crowd than children/teens. As such, Yazawa's series are darker, edgier and sexier. She's best known for Nana, which, sadly, has yet to be finished (both the manga and the anime, since, for accuracy's sake, they decided to wait until the manga finished to end the anime), because she had health problems partway through the series. I haven't read that one yet, because I try not to read unfinished series, but I did read Paradise Kiss and it was awesome. I also really liked the anime for Nana. So. Much. Drama.

So there you go. My super embarrassing taste in manga. If you read manga, do you have any to recommend?