We return one more week with one of those surveys carried out in the country of the rising sun that arouses so many opinions both in Japan and abroad.
On this occasion, 502 Japanese have voted on the eBookJapan website for those manga that every young person should read. This survey has been carried out in honor of Children’s Day to be celebrated on May 5th.
Life at sea, life on the farm, life focused on sports… there are many records and genres that appear on the list and that surely will not leave you indifferent. Without further ado, these are the results:
1.- One Piece
Not tired of taking first place in each ranking of “best sellers” or “most loved”, Eiichiro Oda’s manga once again hangs the gold medal in the “children’s manga” category. And it is that all those who have voted for One Piece have claimed that the series is full of adventures and that it shows the importance of compassion and kindness towards other people.
2.- Doraemon
You always win, Doraemon. In this case, what he has won is the second place in this list of the most voted. This work, which is now forty-five years old, has passed (and will pass) through the lives of many children who want to live a good time watching this cosmic cat addicted to dorayakis help Nobita’s child.
3.- Silver Spoon
Life on the farm is not always easy. That is what is living in his skin Yūgo Hachiken, the protagonist of the Silver Spoon manga, by the author Hiromu Arakawa (Fullmetal Alchemist). From the most humorous point of view, Arakawa masterfully narrates everything related to the countryside and daily chores on a farm. Thus, among many funny moments, the little ones learn the value of garden products and everything that comes with obtaining them.
4.- Dragon Ball
What to say about a series about which practically everything has already been said? Akira Toriyama’s work is considered by many to be one of the best in history, so it is not surprising that those who have voted want future generations to also enjoy Goku and his friends’ journey in search of the legendary Balls of Fire. Dragon.
Despite the fact that at first it seems like just a series of blows, the truth is that Dragon Ball extols certain values such as friendship, love for the family, sacrifice for the common good, etc. The story was not only about looking for the magic balls, but about looking for oneself. And it seems that Goku found what he wanted plus a few bonuses that made him even bigger. Will the kids of now be able to enjoy Dragon Ball? Only time and the insistence of family and friends will tell.
5.- Phoenix
One of the plots most remembered by most otakus is Phoenix, by Osamu Tezuka. Ambition and the desire to achieve something valuable is the cornerstone of this story that already has a reserved place within the category of “sleeves to remember.” From ancient Japan to the future, each era shows us how the human being has not changed one iota despite the many better ones around him.
With a drawing “made in Tezuka”, Fénix is an essential series for lovers of good manga. Of course, perhaps for a child it may not be a recommended reading, but that is how the Japanese have voted for it… Do you agree?
6.- Hadashi no Gen
The late Keiji Nakazawa signs this autobiographical work that is already a classic in the world of manganime. With a very high emotional charge for all that it implies, Hadashi no Gen (Barefoot Gen) tells the story of a boy who lived in Hiroshima in 1945 and who experienced first-hand the horrors of the atomic bomb that exploded on August 6. of that year.
With impressive drawing quality and something gloomy, this manga can help kids understand from another point of view a historical event that forever marked the history of Japan. The older ones, on the other hand, will find a great plot that reaches your soul from the first moment you start reading it (or seeing it, since it has been made into a movie up to five times).
7.- Uchū Kyōda
One of the best projects of 2012 has slipped in among all these recommendations. Uchū Kyōda, better known as Space Brothers, is a manga by Chūya Koyama that has managed to captivate a large majority thanks to the story of these two brothers who dream of being able to go into space and discover all the ins and outs of the universe.
An alternative, different and fresh plot in which the love that these two protagonists have for each other is higher than the planet Mars itself.
8.- Slam Dunk
The basketball manga by the author Takehiko Inoue is one of those stories full of passion and dedication to the sport. That is why it is not surprising to see Hanamichi Sakuragi’s experiences on such a list. The effort to improve, to become champions and teamwork are some of the things that can be seen (and read) in the work. All this, of course, seasoned with Inoue’s best own drawing. Everything in Slam Dunk is worthy of being recommended.
On the other hand, the attitude of its protagonist, who despite reforming a bit is still a neighborhood macarrilla, shows that we can all be better people if we are given a second chance along the way. It is there when one must show that it is worth, and Sakuragi fully complies with that.