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At this point I think that just about anyone can safely assume that this guide is a continuation of the last three of the same title (So You'd Like To Buy The Best Viz Manga Parts 1. - 3.). Similar to the last guide the main purpose of this one is to provide enough space to accomodate the enormous number of volumes each series contains, but I will also try to introduce at least three new series per list. This list actually starts with Bastard!!, but the three series I would like this guide to focus on are Black Cat, Gin Tama, and Naruto.
The first "chapter" of Black Cat was published in the February 2006 issue of the American version of Shonen Jump magazine. Being a subscriber, I read it and immediately wanted to buy the first volume. Unfortunately I had to wait for the next month, but almost as soon as it came out I bought it, and became a fan. The story is not one that you can easily leave for months, and pick up again. This can be bad for someone like me, who is collecting fifteen series at once, and doesn't have the money to buy one of each, every month. Despite that, if you're new to manga, and would prefer to collect one series at a time, this would be a good place to start. It's quite serious (though it does have humor in it), has very good artwork, and some people will like the fact that the story is relatively unkown in America, which keeps fans wondering what will happen next. Finally the series is fairly short, with only twenty volumes in total, though not all of them are available in English yet.
What drew me to Gin Tama was not the artwork, nor the characters, but the unusual premise. The story is what would happen if aliens invaded Earth, during the Edo Period in Japan. What results is a cross between life in the Meiji Era, and modern times in Japan. It is not my favorite series, but the premise is not to be overlooked. This type of series is not one I would reccomend for new manga readers, for two reasons. Reason 1: the plot is disconnected (like Lone Wolf And Cub), and not well known to American audiences. Someone new to manga may read the series, think that all manga is similar, and thus be disappointed. Reason 2: in general Gin Tama is very Japanese, and in order to understand many of the aspects the reader would have to be familiar with Japanese history, and humor. For more experience manga fans, however the series is funny, interesting, and the premise allows anything to happen.
Here is where I start to talk about Naruto. Like Dragonball/Dragonball Z before it, Naruto is the current Manga to Anime favorite, among young and old alike. Surprisingly I didn't like the anime, when it first came out, but though I still prefer the manga, I too have been lured into regularly watching the show. The manga is much more mature in its content, which is obvious from the first few pages. For those people who have seen the anime, they will already know the story, and won't be surprised by anything, but as with all manga there are many minor differences that can completely change your view. The series is still being published in Japan, and is up to its thirty-seventh volume, but only fourteen are currently available in English.
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