• Essence_of_Meh@lemmy.world
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      9 months ago
      1. A little vague and hard to approach. Manga, just like western comics/books/movies/etc is such a broad medium you’ll always find something you won’t like. It’s pretty much a case of learning what to avoid.
      2. Following from above, why? Because like in other types of media you can find some fantastic stories that might resonate with you. Or to engage with topics approached from a different cultural point of view. Or maybe just to enjoy the art. There are many reasons people love manga (and yes, stupid and/or fetishistic series are what some people look for).
      3. I’d be lying if I said I’m knowledgeable enough to suggest some older classics. I’ll leave this one to the veterans.

      Now onto suggestions…

      I’m not familiar with Hoopla but here are two series found from a quick glance:

      • A Silent Voice - story about bullying, repentance and healing. Can be pretty rough.
      • Blame! - is a sci-fi series consisting of a lot of wordless walking through a deserted mega structure punctured by occasional fight scene. I don’t remember it being too edgy but it’s been a while since I touched it.

      If you’re willing to check elsewhere, whether it would be on Mangadex or official apps, I could also suggest:

      • Girls’ Last Tour - a post post post apocalyptic story about two girls traveling through ruins of a dying world. It’s a slower, contemplative series about existence and various mundane things humans don’t think about.
      • Sousou no Frieren (Frieren at the Funeral) - one of the big ongoing series at the moment. A more… thoughtful (?) take on fantasy with focus on human relations. Limited action, big on joy of adventure and nostalgia.
      • The Girl From the Other Side: Siúil, a Rún - story about a young girl living with a wendigo-like caretaker. Pretty unique art style.

      I think these should be relatively safe to try out.

      Edit: I’ve seen you mention being a christian and disliking some themes because of that. Is there anything specific you’d like to avoid?

        • Essence_of_Meh@lemmy.world
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          9 months ago

          OK, in that case I don’t think stuff from my post will be a problem - especially considering titles you mentioned (thanks for that btw, I’ll have more things to check out myself).

          I forgot to ask but what phone system are we talking about? I use Mihon with this extension file (basically, content sources), but it’s Android only.

          Most of the things I read aren’t licensed in English but the official apps I know about are:

          • Manga Plus
          • Viz
          • Shonen Jump (already mentioned)

          Can’t say too much about them unfortunately, as my main combo consists of Mihon + physical copies.

            • Essence_of_Meh@lemmy.world
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              8 months ago

              I’ve seen a question about iOS apps some time ago and if I remember correctly there’s no great choice beyond the official apps. The poster asking last time ended up using Mangadex website as PWA (“installing” site as an app from the browser menu). Depending on where you are this could be an option, though I think Apple decided to screw with that functionality in EU recently.

              • VanHalbgott@lemmus.orgOP
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                8 months ago

                I’m actually in the USA, but I prefer to read and support the creators myself, or the library and/or bookstore in my opinion.

                Are you referring to just manga websites where you read manga on your computer instead?

                • Essence_of_Meh@lemmy.world
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                  8 months ago

                  For licensed series, physical copies or official app will obviously be the most fair option to support the authors and I absolutely I agree it should be used when possible.

                  Otherwise, websites yes - specifically Mangadex since it’s the most popular website of this kind. I suggested the PWA route (i.e. using “add to home screen” option in mobile browser) since that can be a simpler or preferred solution for some.