YKK Forum

Similar mangas

Does anyone know of any mangas which are similar to YKK? Any suggestions? I have searched for something similar... but i havent found anything quite like it!

- Alladin
Tuesday, August 3, 2004

Check out the "If you liked YKK" thread further down the forum listings.

- Andy Tucker
Wednesday, August 4, 2004

The thread is worth reading, but here is the list so far:

MANGA:
Aria
Aqua
Azumanga Daioh (chotto...)
Yotsubato!
Spirit of Wonder
Kokoro Library
Someday's Dreamers?
...

ANIME:
Haibane Renmei
Kokoro Library
Piano
Kino's Journey
Risky/Safety
...

ja,

- Hiro
Wednesday, August 4, 2004

I recently read a manga simmilar to YKK entitled Aruku Hito (The Walking Man).

Here's manga-sketchbook's description:

Nowadays, who takes his time to climb a tree in the middle of the city? To look at the birds, to play in the puddles after the rain? The walking man, through his lonely and silent strolls, makes us rediscover the happiness of wandering around...


I've been a long-time fan of Jiro Taniguchi's works, and this one is quite good. If you like it, I would really suggest to seek out his other works, even though they aren't anything like YKK.

- Silver
Thursday, August 5, 2004

sounds quite interesting, could you please post a link or something?

- AltF4
Friday, August 6, 2004

Manga search site: (has nearly every scanlation project on the web listed)
http://www.dailymanga.org/

Manga-sketchbook's site: (they did Aruku Hito, as well as several other of Jiro Taniguchi's stories)
http://manga-sketchbook.org/

- Silver
Sunday, August 8, 2004

Howdy,

I love Aruku-hito! I picked this up completely by chance in Japan about twelve years ago, and still love the story. Amazing work, I hadn't realized someone has scanlated it. I encourage folks to check out this fine work.

Also, just returned from Japan and picked up vols 3 and 4 of Aria. Volume 5 came out a week after I came home... :(

Best,

Dave

- dDave
Tuesday, August 10, 2004

I got a chance to see the first DVD of the Someday's Dreamers anime series. I must say that watching a shoujo program like this one makes me appreciate more sophisticated storys such as YKK. The only part of Someday's Dreamers that I liked was how the magicians were a heavily regulated professional class under the control of a social welfare agency. I found that hilarious. I also liked the main character. Her behavior and manner were believable. Other than that, however, I found the stories silly and uninteresting. The plots were so bad that it ruin the initial pleasure I felt watching the introduction.

One of the standout features of YKK is the care the author devoted to developing a believable environment populated by fantastic but believable characters. The only imaginative stretch in the story is that the reader has to accept the existance of these artificial lifeforms.

- Loran
Tuesday, August 10, 2004

> I got a chance to see the first DVD of the Someday's Dreamers anime series.

The manga's actually pretty good and covers the main story line (which would have fitted into a longish 6 part OAV, maybe less) and caters for its intended market pretty well. Artwork is outstanding though, well worth appreciating. The anime suffers filler-itis like a lot of anime done lately. I'm sorely missing some serious anime drama these days...

> Also, just returned from Japan and picked up vols 3 and 4 of Aria.

I'm looking forward to reading/seeing this at some point, any impressions you can impart on this manga dDave?

- PC
Wednesday, August 11, 2004

Howdy,

Aqua/Aria has a similar feel and tone to YKK (It starts with 2 vols of Aqua, and is up to 5 vols of Aria). It is a future based society, but the author takes pains to show us the beauty of the crumbling, decaying iconoclastic edges as well (abandoned trains when there are hover-cars?). It has a dose of those mystical moments that you can't logically explain (primarily having to do with the author's cat fetish). It successfully duplicates Alpha's wide eyed wonder at the world in the main character Akari. Plus it has moments that could be interpreted as subtle shoujoai overtones as well.

On the flip side, the world isn't as cohesive and well thought out as YKK. Or it could be too many mysteries explained poorly - like how Mars (the story is set on a terra-formed Mars) gets it's gravity increased to earth normal.

In general, the stories have the pace and energy of 15 year old Akari, not the calm reflective pace of mature Alpha. Overall though, the series is a delight, with beautiful art and interesting stories.

Best,

Dave

- dDave
Wednesday, August 11, 2004

Just picked up "Alpha" the Kozue Amano art book. Very nice, lots of the colour pages from Aqua and Aria plus some of his other works such as "Roman Club" and something with bishie prettyboys.

Got a figurine of a kneeling Akari holding President Aria too. Pinyu!

- Andy Tucker
Thursday, August 12, 2004

> In general, the stories have the pace and energy of 15 year old Akari, not the calm reflective pace of mature Alpha. Overall though, the series is a delight, with beautiful art and interesting stories.

Great - thanks for sharing, I'll definitely have to pick up a copy at some point in time once they turn up (I think they just got released by ADV?) locally. I'm always on the lookout for some more quality titles to enjoy (there's not as many as I hope these days!)

- PC
Friday, August 13, 2004

Is Aqua available in US distribution? I thought I saw a copy at the local bookstore once, but I haven't been able to locate it recently.

I have the first two volumes of Aria, and I'm very impressed with the artwork and story.

- kawaiiguy
Friday, August 13, 2004

Just checked, it's only Aria that is from ADV at the moment. I'll have to import Aqua from the usual sources. (I should take the opportunity to import the rest of YKK that I haven't got yet as well :)

- PC
Friday, August 13, 2004

I would have to say Ai-ren manga carries plenty of similarities to YKK. In fact I think it is a combination of YKK + Haibane Renmei + a little horror. Now it doesn't mean it's better than either of them, which it isn't.

There are certainly many things in that world that are just downright identical to YKK.

It is however very different from YKK, plot wise. Its story is pretty dark. There is too much ecchiness for my taste, but it gets better in the later series (ie, less of that now). But I think at the core of it there's a similar message and mood to YKK and Haibane Renmei. If you're a mature reader, this may be for you.

Anyways if you have read it, pls post back because I would like to hear what you think of it.

- Malchiel
Sunday, August 29, 2004

Where can I get manga similar to YKK?
Aruku Hito was mentioned but I can't find that anywhere on the web..
If somebody had some links, that would be great. Also via MSN, IRC, or BT, doesn't matter how.

- newgohan
Tuesday, August 31, 2004

Aruko Hito is available as a scanalation.
http://www.manga-sketchbook.org/projects.php

- Loran
Tuesday, August 31, 2004

Another one of Jiro Taniguchi's works besides Aruku Hito worth looking at is Harukana Machi-E.

- nekointhehat
Thursday, June 16, 2005

yeah, spirit of wonder is good. if you know how 2 use mirc, u can get it from #lurk @ irc.irchighway.com, under the bot neverwhere, if yer managed to get to the chatroom but ur stuck, u can ask the ppl there for direction. mostly nice ppl.

- Myst44...
Thursday, June 16, 2005

I found that Yesterday wo Utatte (Sing Yesterday for Me) by Toume Kei is quite relaxing.

- painsama
Thursday, June 16, 2005

Just want to add the list :
Shirley (from manga author of victorian romance emma), you can find the torent in http://cerealandmilk.net/iichan , it's another slice of life story, but this time about a maid in 19th century england.

- Kuswardhana
Friday, June 17, 2005

Living Game by Hoshisato Mochiru. It's a very nice slice of live like manga. I think anyone who likes ykk has a good chance of liking this one.


Best,

Alan

- Alan
Saturday, June 25, 2005

Yotsubato! is a slice-of-life manga by the same artist who did Azumanga Daioh. Imagine YKK as seen from a very young Makki's point of view -- Yotsuba is a six-year-old girl meeting new people and making new friends all the time coupled with a six-year-old's view of the world. Very funny manga drawn in a minimalist style. Scanlations are available through Manganews.com.

- Robert Sneddon
Monday, June 27, 2005

Yotsubato is by far the funniest and cutest manga i have ever read, and i dare say ever written. Its just pure awesome condensed into even more awesome then spread over OMGWTF awesome cake.

- MasterN64
Monday, June 27, 2005

If you look for something similar in the atmosphere of loss but with no despair, I guess Niea_7 might fit in. It was an anime but I am not sure if it also was available as manga.

- C_P
Monday, July 25, 2005

Niea_7 is one of my favorite animes. There are two volumes of Niea manga, and an artbook called Niea_7 Scrap. Tokyo Pop announced that they were going to publish an English version of the manga, but they never did.

There is also a Niea/Haibane Renmei/Lain doujinshi called "Ganbare Rakkatan" which has been translated and should be available on the Web somewhere.

- Steve
Thursday, July 28, 2005

I gotta rec Tezuka's Buddha manga series: http://vertical-inc.com/buddha_top.html

Tezuka takes quite a bit of artistic license with the story, but it's a good read.

- Hekima
Wednesday, August 24, 2005

Earlier, people recommended Aruku Hito (this was almost a year ago, I think), and I'd like to read this. I went to mangasketchbook, and it's listed under the completed projects, but it doesn't link to a way to dl it. Is it available only through irc? (a whole thing I really havent' gotten into yet) Or is there a way for me to dl/view somewhere?

Thanks.

- Steve Berry
Sunday, September 4, 2005

If you will permit a slight widening of scope, I came across a very strange Shockwave Flash (swf) story that I just cannot quite make sense of. On the surface everything seems happy but I have the strangest feeling there is something more than a little sinister behind it. I hope the good people of this forum might crack this nut. Since it shares the same odd mix of happiness and horror I thought this might be a good place to ask.

The file is called "Natsumi Step":
http://koshiandoh.com/flash-gallery01/natsumi-step/index.html

Some interpretations (that I cannot quite parse) are here:
http://f19.aaa.livedoor.jp/~takappe/natsumi-step/index2.html
http://f19.aaa.livedoor.jp/~takappe/natsumi-step/

- C_P
Saturday, September 17, 2005

Hey, Steve!
If you use eMule or somethimg like this check this site:
http://www.mangareactor.tk/
Aruku Hito is there. :)

- Elefant
Sunday, September 18, 2005

Yotsubato! Yotsubato...the first Alpha type model? Has a mysterious past, a father/guardian/boss/master figure, carefree and an eagerness to travel/wonder. And green hair.

Looks to me Yotsubato! is licensed, I think i saw it on Amazon.com. But they have changed the title to Yotsuba&, wonder whatelse they made changes to. Let hope they didn't mess it up. I hated when people get creative with someone else's creation.

- NA
Monday, September 19, 2005

"Yotsubato!" and "Yotsuba&!" means essentially the same thing, as "to" in Japanese means "and." Even for the Japanese releases of the manga or related merchandise, the English name sticks to the format of "Yotsuba&(insert whatever symbol)." Therefore it is probably the original author's intention to present the English title in this way. Frankly, if the official English name was "Yotsubato!" instead, people would just be confused with what the term really meant and how it related to the story of Yotsuba.

http://image.www.rakuten.co.jp/asahi-record/img10501797564.jpeg

Recently I found volume 4 of the manga in a Japanese book store and bought it. It turns out to be very funny and charming. Structually it is a little bit like YKK, with a relaxed mood and not much happenings. Yet YKK is something that gradually penetrates you with pathos, while Yotsuba&! is the kind that bursts you into instant and hysterical laughter. The Japanese used is also quite simple, which is great for the beginners of the language (like me) who would like to read something interesting to expand their vocabulary. I have ordered the first three volumes and hopefully they will arrive soon. (^_^)

P.S. does anyone has any idea of what the Yotsuba& CD is about?

- Doraneko
Monday, September 19, 2005

Does anyone know how to use eMule or Ircc??

Or, perhaps even better-

Does anyone have a good webpage they can refer me to for these applications? I don't know what I need to dl and how to use it.... etc. etc. I figure there must be a page out there that can help guide me through the process.

Thanks.

- Steve Berry
Wednesday, September 21, 2005

Doraneko, you're right about Yotsubato! and Yotsuba&. The English title is correct. I've reviewed volume 1 for animeondvd.com, and I've got it in Japanese as well. I think the translation was well handled, and the unique humor came across very well. Yotsuba fans should have no complaints about how ADV has handled it.

- martialstax
Thursday, September 22, 2005

I have the Yotsubato! English releases, and they are pretty well done --- effectively the same as the Japanese original.

To the topic of the title, it is perhaps worth mentioning that even in the Japanese the individual chapters titles were written as `Yotsuba & ...', so making it Yotsuba&! on the English covers was probably pretty good all in all.

- Elric of Grans
Thursday, September 22, 2005

One anime with a very similar tone to YKK I've seen recently has been Windy Tales. It's almost completely different in art style (very odd, Picassolike), setting (modern day Japan) etc, but it is a slowmoving slice-of-life show with heavy emphasis on character interaction and such. it's certainly the show I've enjoyed most since Haibane Renmei, which is high praise indeed. I think most YKK fans would like it so far (only six episodes are currently available).

It can be Bittorrented off Animesuki.com.

http://www.animesuki.com/series.php/482.html

- Akkur
Sunday, September 25, 2005

Yeah, seen a couple of windy tales. Very distinctive. Oddly similar to the "Courtney Crumrin" comic books by Ted Naifeh. And it has flying cats.

- Andy Tucker
Friday, September 30, 2005

That's in the design style of the main characters, not content mind you.

Also there's a new art collection by Kozue Amano (Aria, Aqua) called Stella. Very nice (if *ing expensive).

- Andy Tucker
Friday, September 30, 2005

I am a little uncertain here but I think also the manga "Dark Green" could qualify for this list. All I know about it is a review in EX: http://www.ex.org/2.7/26-manga_darkgreen.html

- C_P
Saturday, October 1, 2005

I've just been reading some stories by urushibara yuuki, whose style reminds me very much of ykk, especially the short-story "she got off the bus at the peninsula," translated by kotonoha. her (his?) series mushishi (translated by mangascreener) is also very good. the artistic and storytelling style will probably appeal to people who like ykk, though the subject matter has a darker feel. anyway, some of you might enjoy checking it out.

- anitra
Wednesday, October 19, 2005

Howdy,

Mushishi is also published in Afternoon along with YKK.

Best,

Dave

- dDave
Wednesday, October 19, 2005

That "She Got Off the Bus at the Peninsula" thing is the first in a short story collection called Filament, which I suppose would appeal to people here.

There's also a (very short) short called "The Labyrinth Cat" out from MS, from that same collection.
You can get it here, if you can stand the probably ultra-slow speed: http://pnyxtr.b33r.net/MS/Filament_c02(The_Labyrinth_Cat)[MS].zip

- pnyxtr
Friday, October 21, 2005

so afternoon must be a pretty good magazine, huh? is there anything else inside that's also really good?

- anitra
Saturday, October 22, 2005

Oh My Goddess! is probably the best-known Afternoon series over here, but it also has Love Roma, Genshinken, Gunsmith Cats ~Burst~, and Gankutsuou, among others. animeten.com sells Afternoon, and their catalog webpage has a more extensive list.

- MadL
Saturday, October 22, 2005

Howdy,

Don't forget Blade of the Immortal. Eden and Seraphic Feather are also popular.

Best,

Dave

- dDave
Saturday, October 22, 2005

Earlier someone complained about how in ARIA the mystery of how Aqua's gravity is 1g is not explained. Actually, it IS explained, in the second novel. I don't want to give anything away, but it is manipulated underground by people with the title of "knome" using "gravity stones." Maybe it isn't too logical, or maybe just to big to grasp, but it IS explained. Now if only someone would come out with a scanlation for ARIA and AQUA, I'd be happy. :'-(

- Jen
Monday, May 1, 2006

Howdy,

Aria is licensed. Aqua has been done already, I believe.

Best,

Dave

- dDave
Monday, May 1, 2006

ARIA is translated only up to volume 3. AQUA is not translated at all. Darn ye dratted ADV Manga. Darn ye to HECK!!

- Jen
Monday, May 1, 2006

ARIA is translated only up to volume 3. AQUA is not translated at all. Darn ye dratted ADV Manga. Darn ye to HECK!!

- Jen
Monday, May 1, 2006

Howdy,

>AQUA is not translated at all

Officially, that is.

Best,

Dave

- dDave
Monday, May 1, 2006

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