What manga changed you the most?

[amplifiez]

Did any mangas change the way you view life or anything else? For me, I'd say Berserk made me realize what true terror is.... If there is a Hell, the world of Berserk comes pretty close to it. Anyone have any brighter examples? Lol.

[goldenspines]

Tegami Bachi, I think (it's still ongoing, but I speak from what I've read). It made me realize the importance of taking the time to see things how other people see them; and seeing their feelings. Plus, it's a beautiful looking manga and the main character, despite all the terrible things that happen to him, remains optimistic throughout.

[SierraLea]

I think the ending of Angel Beats made me a more consistant and dedicated blood donor. Imagine if what happened to the main happens to me, and I get to meet someone I saved or helped in heaven.

[amplifiez]

This forum is bumping lol.

@SierraLea: That's cool that you're a blood donor. If I didn't pass out every time I saw a needle, I'd probably give blood too. I ask for the butterfly needle when I get blood taken... It's the one they use for senior citizens...lol.

@Goldie: I tried reading Tegami Bachi a while back, but the scans were kinda fuzzed so I passed on it. I'll have to give it another shot soon. PS: I'm at work right now and someone ate all the Almond Joys out of the candy jar. All that remains are melted Reeses cups and regular M&Ms. Ughhh...

[SierraLea]

That sounds like a gooey but delicious mess. Can I have some?

[the_wolfs_howl]

Full Metal Alchemist changed my life.

The anime made me appreciate my brother more, encouraged me to persevere to reach my goals, and enabled me to meet two of my very best friends.

The manga actually taught me a lot about writing. Even though I have no desire to write a manga, Arakawa-san is so good at weaving stories that I learned a lot just from soaking in this masterpiece of a story. I learned about pacing, cliff-hangers, foreshadowing, tension, secrets, plot twists, character development (which, in Ed's case, was visual as well as internal), and the balance of the serious and the humorous. Perhaps most importantly, I learned how to do romance right. Watching the way she handled various pairings in her manga, and writing fanfics that attempted to stay true to her characters, made me see how if you understate things and just give subtle hints, it's ten times more powerful than if you describe in gushing detail everything they do or think or feel. That's extended beyond just romance and into many aspects of my writing.

So I guess, in a nutshell, the FMA manga has taught me the value of understatement.