Best Action Manga of 2003

Death City is home to the Death Weapon Meister Academy, established by Shinigami—the grim reaper himself. Created to maintain peace, the academy trains Meisters and Demon Weapons—people who take on the form of a weapon—to defend humanity against evil. The ultimate goal of a Meister is to create a "Death Scythe" worthy of being wielded by Shinigami. To do this, their weapon partner must consume the souls of 99 wicked humans and one witch. Maka Albarn and her partner Soul Eater "Soul" Evans are two students who hope to make a Death Scythe. They are joined by the boisterous Black☆Star and his partner Tsubaki Nakatsukasa, as well as the perfectionist Death the Kid—simply known as Kid—and his partners, the twins Patricia "Patty" and Elizabeth "Liz" Thompson. These ambitious students all work towards becoming the ultimate Meister and Demon Weapon team, through misadventures, missions, and many class trials. However, many mysteries surround them, and as new enemies are discovered and secrets are revealed, Maka, Soul, and their friends must fight to protect the academy, Death City, and the world itself from enemies far worse than humans.

Famous for his military service in the 39th Asian War, the legendary Swiss robot Montblanc is violently murdered. Humans and robots around the world mourn for the beloved celebrity. Montblanc's popularity only grew in the years following the war, thanks to his dedication to nature conservation and his loving personality. Fellow war veteran and robotic Europol detective Gesicht is sent to investigate Montblanc's tragic demise. In his pursuit, Gesicht uncovers evidence of a mysterious entity known only as "Pluto." He also learns of a conspiratorial plot to dismantle the eight specialized robots from around the world who participated in the war. Racing against time to save those who still remain, Gesicht grapples with his memory, morality, and a world full of hate, desperately attempting to defend the fragile coexistence of man and machine.

During the Edo period, Japan is suddenly invaded by alien creatures known as the Amanto. Despite the samurai's attempts to combat the extraterrestrial menace, the Shogun soon realizes that their efforts are futile and decides to surrender. This marks the beginning of an uneasy agreement between the Shogunate and Amanto, one that results in a countrywide sword ban and the disappearance of the samurai spirit. However, there exists one eccentric individual who wields a wooden sword and refuses to let his samurai status die. Now that his kind is no longer needed, Gintoki Sakata performs various odd jobs around town in order to make ends meet. Joined by his self-proclaimed disciple Shinpachi Shimura, the fearsome alien Kagura, and a giant dog named Sadaharu, they run the business known as Yorozuya, often getting caught up in all sorts of crazy and hilarious shenanigans.Included one-shots: Volume 1: Dandelion Volume 2: Shirokuro (Black and White) Volume 24: 13 Volume 38: Bankara-san ga Tooru

Warmhearted Syaoran has always been friends with Sakura—the princess of the Clow Kingdom who holds an extraordinary power capable of changing the world. When a mysterious man attempts to monopolize Sakura's ability, her memories scatter throughout different worlds in the form of feathers. To save Sakura, Syaoran seeks help from the Dimensional Witch and meets two other travelers—Kurogane and Fai D. Flourite. Kurogane, a capable fighter and ninja, has been banished from his homeworld and wishes to return. In contrast, Fai, a magician from Celes, wants to traverse different worlds to avoid his home and past. As the price to cross dimensions, each of the three must sacrifice their most valued possession. For Sakura's sake, Syaoran agrees to give away their relationship as payment to the Dimensional Witch. With firm determination, Syaoran, Kurogane, and Fai begin journeying through numerous worlds to fight against their ill-fated destinies.

Negi Springfield, a 10-year-old wizard who recently graduated from Merdiana Magic Academy in Wales, hopes to achieve two things—to find his missing father, who was once known as the Thousand Master, and to become a Magister Magi, someone who helps the everyday world through magic. To reach his latter goal, he is assigned one last task: to teach English at a middle school in Japan. Much to his surprise and dismay, he not only discovers that his homeroom class consists of 31 girls, but also ends up revealing his true identity as a magician to Asuna Kagurazaka, one of his new students. Negi must now negotiate with the girl and face his most difficult challenge yet—to keep his identity a secret as he tackles magical threats both from within and outside of Mahora Academy, all the while keeping a watchful eye out for his lost father.

Shiki Toono awakens in a hospital to find the walls and people around him covered in black lines. Unable to recall his past memories, Shiki is told that he survived a fatal car accident, which left a fragment lodged into his chest. His attraction to the lines lead him to trace over an object, revealing his ability to destroy it. After realizing only he is able to see these lines, Shiki is given a pair of glasses to mask them, before starting a new life with his relatives. Eight years later, the death of his father leads Shiki back to the Toono mansion, his childhood home. One day, leaving school due to anxiety, he passes by a mysterious woman. A sudden urge overtakes him, and once again, he uses his ability to trace the lines that cover her. Soon after, he wakes up in the mansion, questioning whether what had transpired was a dream or reality. Shingetsutan Tsukihime tells a tale enveloped in adventure, romance, and mystery. As Shiki begins to unveil his past, what lingers in the unknown soon comes back to haunt him.

The sadistic daimyo Tadanaga Tokugawa has decreed Japan's first martial arts competition with real swords, appalling even the most loyal of his retainers. However, when the spectators realize that the first match pits the one-armed Gennosuke Fujiki against the blind and lame Seigen Irako, even those with the most forceful objections declare the match to be a farce and the combatants' deformities an affront to their station. Most of the attendees are unaware of the deep-seated hatred Gennosuke and Seigen hold for each other, which stems from their struggle to become the heir to the insane samurai Kogan Iwamoto, leader of the notorious Kogan-ryuu dojo. Their once-cordial rivalry for Kogan-ryuu and the hand of Kogan's daughter Mie quickly turns violent when one of the young warriors angers the master, causing a chain of events that eventually leads to their severe injuries. Shigurui chronicles the decisions that led Gennosuke and Seigen to this desperate point, as well as the many lives ruined by the brutality of samurai culture.

44 years old, single, working in a construction company for his entire life. All Kurosawa wants is a little respect from his co-workers. And a little popularity won't hurt. Unfortunately Kurosawa's plans fail miserably from time to time and one day, he finds himself right in the middle of a fight against...delinquent middle schoolers?

Alexander the Great is a name known around the world as belonging to one of the greatest military commanders in history. But due to the grandeur of his name and enormity of his achievements, his right-hand man Eumenes remains a lesser-known historical figure. Eumenes led a turbulent life, overcoming numerous struggles and traveling great distances to meet and befriend many of the most influential names of his time. One does not become the right hand of Alexander the Great by mere birth. Eumenes fought for his position with fierce talent, intellect, and confidence. This is his story.

The year is 2013 in the city of No. 6, the city that embodies the highest ideals of humankind. Shion has been raised here as a high-ranking elite since the age of two, but on the night of his twelfth birthday his fate is turned upside-down when he meets a boy who calls himself Nezumi. "Why did I open the window that night? If I had not, I'd never have needed to know what it is like to fight, starve, or suffer in anguish...."

Aboard the Advenna Avis in 1711, a group of alchemists summon a demon in the hopes of gaining eternal life. The demon gives them an elixir of immortality and the method of ending their existence by "devouring" one another. Soon after, one among them begins to devour his companions. Realizing the danger posed by staying together, they scatter across the globe. Centuries later in 1930's America, a certain federal investigator tries his best to combat the rise of organized crime during Prohibition, send a particularly infuriating terrorist to Alcatraz, and catch an outrageous thief duo. Meanwhile, the transcontinental train, the Flying Pussyfoot, begins its trail of blood across the country. In 2002, a small group of the original Advenna Avis alchemists are on a journey to find the rest of their fellow immortals. However, there is one companion they did not expect to meet again. Seemingly unrelated events, from a sleepy Italian city in the early 1700's to a modern luxury cruise ship traveling across the Pacific, reveal themselves to be far more connected than anyone could imagine...

In the distant future, Armageddon has caused the appearance of a second "Vampire's" moon. This sparks the beginning of a war between humans and "Methuselah," the vampires that feed on their blood. Esther Blanchett is an orphan who was raised in the Church of St. Matthias in the city of Istvan. One day, she meets Abel Nightroad, a priest sent to subdue any threats to the Vatican, an organization allied with humanity. Beneath Abel's meek facade hides his real identity as "The Crusnik": vampire who preys on the blood of his own kind and the Vatican's greatest weapon. Esther's peaceful times are cut short when the church is bombed and she is betrayed by her only friend Dietrich. With nowhere else to go, she teams up with Abel and Tres Iqus, a machine disguised as a human, to travel to Rome and look for answers behind the devastation of her home. However, their journey will not be easy, as they will have to battle various obstacles as well as discover the secrets of Abel's past.

Year 2130 -- after the third world war, large contaminated areas known as "Blackspots" formed all over Japan. Large Walls were used to quarantine off these "Blackspots". In time, signs of inhabitance appeared within these wastelands. Among the survivors who had been abandoned inside the Blackspots, labeled as "those who were unneeded", came forth possessors of uncanny abilities -- Fire, wind, brute strength...they were defined by their supernatural abilities. Others, fearful of their powers, expelled them and named them --- Needless!

Compilation book featuring all of Ryūhei Tamura's early oneshots illustrated before he started on Beelzebub. The compilation also includes the Beelzebub Pilot Chapter and an extra chapter. Contains: - Beelzebub - Oumiya Jet - Nirai Kanai Yori - URA BEAT - Beelzebub Extra

Tesshō is a high school juvenile delinquent. He has a special ability of perfect pitch. He saves a wild dog with the help of Kashu, a veterinarian. He later names the wild dog inu (Japanese for "dog"). He then finds his purpose in life: to become a veterinarian.

The world once fought a war with ten other worlds that exist alongside ours. That war was known as the Concept War and sixty years have passed since it was won. It was all kept secret and time has passed to the present without the ordinary people knowing. After the death of his grandfather, the high school student Sayama Mikoto is suddenly summoned by the giant corporation IAI. He learns this world is headed for destruction due to the acceleration of the Minus Concepts. To prevent this, negotiations must be undertaken with the survivors of the other parallel worlds so their ten concepts can be released. And so Sayama is caught up in the final battle to clean up after the Concept War which left behind so much enmity.