So, I’ll be the first to say that I’m not keeping up with current manga and anime. The last thing I watched in full was Ascendance of a Bookworm and with good reason: I haven’t liked any of the new series enough to stick with them.
Which, is not to say there aren’t some decent series, it’s just that I’ve not found them and don’t like the rest. These days, a series has to be pretty spectacular for me to invest enough time to watch or read it all the way through, too.
So, I’m admittedly behind on recent releases, but all that seems to do is give me cause to reminiscence on ‘the good old days’. And in this reminiscing, I decided to create a list of some old, nostalgic reads to share with you. Not all of them are in the same genre, so you may not like all of them, but they were some very good reads that I still enjoy revisiting, even now.
If you’re in the throes of summer and you need something new to read, why not take a look at these old, finished series? They’re finished, so there’s no risk of getting stuck on a cliffhanger and they’re guaranteed to be different than the publishing trends of today.
For the five series I’m recommending, the criteria I’ve set are that they must be relatively old, they must have a manga, they must be something I doubt you’ve read or watched, and I must have enjoyed them.
Clay Lord
Clay Lord is actually the youngest title here. I found it in high school at the local Booksamillion and enjoyed both the content and the art enough to buy the first two books. The third wasn’t out yet. Regardless, I really enjoyed the story about an orphan boy being found to be the lost son of a near extinct magical family.
It’s heartwarming with an interesting magical system based around being able to bring clay constructs to life. The story touches on grief, personal growth, and what family and love really mean. It’s a three book series and is actually one of the books I find inspiration in, since it was the author’s first time being published. I can just imagine the shock and joy she must have felt, seeing her art professionally printed for the first time.
At any rate, these three volumes are a quick read into the story of a lost child finding his way home against all odds (both magical and not). It’s got plenty of action and feels to leave most readers satisfied. It is set for a younger teen audience but can touch on some pretty heavy topics (like grief and moving on). I hope you enjoy the story.
Beauty Pop
Beauty Pop is definitely super old. As in, I originally came across it online and have no idea where to find it now. I don’t think it’s in print anymore.
Well, if you find a set on Ebay, I will strongly recommend it. It’s written for preteen girls and young teenage girls and is probably written a lot better than the slush they make anime from now.
It’s a school shoujo that follows the adventures of Kiri, a high school student with an incredible talent for hair styling. While at school she comes into contact with the Scissor Project, a group of over-confident, arrogant aspiring stylists. She and the Scissors Project go head to head in this dramatic, fast paced series.
Despite being set on the premise of hair styling, this series contains incredibly well-written, dynamic characters who change and grow as you read. It’s got drama, a tiny bit of action, and hard lessons like overcoming trauma and what true beauty actually is.
This series is short, at only ten volumes, but it’s perfect for an easy summer read by the pool. I certainly enjoyed it.
DnAngel
DNAngel is a fantasy series focused on the story of Daisuke Niwa, a high school student with a crush on his classmate, Risa Harada. Unfortunately, not only is he rejected when he confesses, but he also finds out that his family’s secret magic is activated when boys in the family face unrequited love.
Turns out, he’s from a family of phantom thieves and his magic the charismatic persona, Phantom Thief Dark! At night, Daisuke finds himself stealing and sealing away dangerous, magical works of art with Dark. Meanwhile, in the daytime, Daisuke struggles to win the affections of his crush, the only way for him to gain control over his family’s magic.
In case you can’t tell from the description, I absolutely loved this series. I’ve watched it at lease three times, possibly four. The manga went through a few hiatuses, so it only finished in 2021 (I should go read the rest of it at some point, I never picked the manga version back up). The manga also diverges from the anime at one point, so watching it will not give the same ending as reading it.
It’s got the interesting phantom thief trope for a beginning ‘problem’ and then quickly moves on to a complex magical system and frenemy troubles. Meanwhile, readers have the privileged of watching Daisuke grow from a boy crying from a rejected crush into a young man, sure and confident in himself. By the end of it, you’ll be wishing for more.
Frankly, I loved it. And I always recommend it when I think of the ‘good old days’. It doesn’t matter if you’re a boy or a girl, this series is so-well written it can be enjoyed by both.
Angelic Layer
Angelic Layer was actually one of the very first anime I watched from start to finish. Then I continues on to the manga and loved that too. Though I’ve never gone back to rewatch it, I’ve always remembered the series fondly for it’s great (in my opinion).
Angelic Layer is a shoujo manga and anime series centered around a seventh-grade girl named Misaki Suzuhara. The story kickstarts when she ends up moving to Tokyo and comes into contact with a game called Angelic Layer. In Angelic Layer, players use mental interfaces to control mechanical dolls, called angels, in order to compete in duels against each other.
Very similar to the then popular Bakugon, YuGiOh!, and Beyblade series, this series follows Misaki as she competes with her angel, Hikaru. Each duel provides plenty of action and entertainment. That said, it’s not all about competition or fighting. Rather, the series also addresses complicated topics like forgiveness, physical disability, love, and growing up. The characters, especially Misaki, change and grow throughout the series, leading to a beautiful and heartfelt reunion between mother and daughter. It also features cameos from other Clamp series characters, with it being in the same universe as Chobits.
Flame of Recca
Flame of Recca was another manga that I binge read back in middle school. Truthfully, it’s been a really long time since I read it, and I don’t think I can do it justice. That said, it is a classic story for guys with a totally metal protagonist named Recca Hanabishi. I couldn’t leave it out of my classic manga list!
So, it’s been a really long time since I read it, but basically Recca discovers that he has supernatural fire abilities and is one of the very few madogo users, people who use supernatural items to supernatural effect. In order to protect his friend, Yanagi, Recca uses his powers of fire in battle, defeating foes and gaining allies.
Like many other manga of the time, the series features a martial arts tournament and dives deeper into Recca’s past (here’s a spoiler, his powers don’t come from just being the protagonist). It also has an evil antagonist who seeks after immortality, drawing him into conflict with Recca over his obsession with Yanagi’s healing powers.
Basically, it’s a solid shounen manga with lots of ninja escapades, explosive fire fights (literally), and a growing gaggle of friends for our dear Recca. It’s also really long, so this might be a series that takes a good chunk of the summer from you. Regardless, if you’re looking for a new read after finishing Naruto or Bleach, this oldie reads like their predecessor with many of the same tropes and tones.
So there you have it, five old manga that I’m pretty sure you’ve not read or heard of before (because while I read them in high school and middle school, most of them had LONG since finished their run). I hope you enjoy it while you wait for my next book!
Isekai Dragon 