Book picks similar to
ICHI 1 by Shimozawa Kan


mangá
historical-fiction
manga-comics
seinen

Neon Genesis Evangelion, Vol. 1


Yoshiyuki Sadamoto - 1994
    1, contains a Japanese sound FX glossary plus special bonus commentary by series mecha designer Ikuto Yamashita, as well as the famous "confession letter" written by director Hideaki Anno in the months before the original TV series premiere that laid out his deeply personal motivations to make Evangelion.

Priestess


Yuu Watase - 1992
    Now, to escape schoolwork and family problems, Miaka flees to the parallel world, only to find a lot more danger and romance than she bargained for.

Naoki Urasawa's Monster, Volume 1: Herr Dr. Tenma


Naoki Urasawa - 1995
    Kenzo Tenma is the only one who can stop him! Conspiracies, serial murders, and a scathing indictment of hospital politics are all masterfully woven together in this compelling manga thriller. Tenma risks his promising medical career to save the life of a critically wounded young boy. Unbeknownst to him, this child is destined for a terrible fate. Who could have known that Tenma would create a monster!

Reborn! Vol. 01: Reborn Arrives!


Akira Amano - 2004
    He only attends school so he can stare at his beautiful classmate Kyoko from afar. But Tsuna's life takes a dramatic turn when Reborn, a suit-wearing, gun-toting baby who claims to be an Italian hit man, shows up at his house. Reborn was sent to Japan to groom Tsuna for his future life as a big Mafia boss. Tsuna doesn't believe this absurd story, so Reborn shoots Tsuna in the head with his gun. As Tsuna faces his own death, he's filled with regret that he never confessed his feelings to Kyoko...and suddenly he's overcome with supernatural powers that allow him to run off screaming to tell Kyoko how much he loves her. After five minutes, Tsuna goes back to normal. Reborn explains how his gun works: when he shoots a person in the head, if that person has regrets about her life, then she will die and be reborn, temporarily endowed with special powers that enable her to fix or solve whatever is the source of her regret. (If Reborn shoots someone who is free of regret, she would die.)Tsuna becomes Reborn's disciple, and because Reborn shoots Tsuna in the head all the time, he is constantly being reborn and growing into a stronger and better person, gradually impressing those around him and making friends.---Taken from back cover:HERE COMES REBORN!Junior high student Tsuna is a failure at school, sports, and social life. He needs a Mafia hit man tutor like he needs a hole in the head...and he's about to get both!When Reborn, a fedora-wearing, gun-toting toddler, arrives and says he's come to groom Tsuna for his future as boss of an Italian organized crime family, Tsuna is more than a little skeptical. But Reborn may have the "magic bullet" necessary to turn Tsuna's life around!

Ga-Rei


Hajime Segawa - 2006
    The two work together to find evil spirits and devour them with the Ga-Rei under the auspice of the Ministry of the Enviroment's Supernatural Countermeasure Division.

Gin Tama, Vol. 1


Hideaki Sorachi - 2004
    In his days, Gintoki is joined by Shinpachi Shimura, a teenager son of a samurai who wants to learn about him, and Kagura, an alien girl who went to Earth to earn money for her poor family, but is unable to return home and threatens Gintoki to let her live with him. While Kagura and Shinpachi live with Gintoki, they meet a terrorist named Kotaro Katsura who participated alongside Gintoki in the war between samurais and aliens, and lost. Odd Jobs is forced to help Katsura escape from the Shinsengumi, a police force working for the Bakufu, after they accidentally perform a terrorist attack. The volume ends with a one-shot from Sorachi named "Dandelion", which explores the work of a pair of exorcists.

Mushishi, Vol. 1


Yuki Urushibara - 2000
    Some eat silence. Some thoughtlessly kill. Some simply drive men mad. Shortly after life emerged from the primordial ooze, these deadly creatures, mushi, came into terrifying being. And they still exist and wreak havoc in the world today. Ginko, a young man with a sardonic smile, has the knowledge and skill to save those plagued by mushi . . . perhaps.

Saiyuki, Vol. 1


Kazuya Minekura - 1997
    The foundations of civilization and religion were raised and reinforced in this land of Togenkyo, the paradise known as Shangri-la.But now, a great evil threatens harmony in this great land. Far to the West, in India, someone is attempting to resurrect the youkai lord Gyumaoh by mixing human science with youkai magic. This forbidden practice has created a Minus Wave of negative energy that is spreading across Shangri-la, poisoning the souls of the youkai and turning them into mindless monsters. The only hope lies in four legendary heroes: Genjyo Sanzo, a high priest with low morals; Son Goku, the hungry and mischievous Monkey King, just released from 500 years imprisonment; Sha Gojyo, a water sprite with an addiction for good smokes and bad women; Cho Hakkai, the legendary demon slayer, and his transforming dragon Hakuryu. To save Shangri-la, these unlikely companions, united by fate, must travel together ... INTO THE WEST! Having been assigned by the human elders the mission of stopping a mystical plague that has afflicted the Youkai with madness, Genjyo Sanzo assembles his team of Youkai warriors, desperately hoping that the disease will not affect them. He sets up qualifying tests that will help him determine the loyalty and worth of Cho Hakkai, Son Goku and Sha Gojyo. The team then journeys west to rid the land of madness.

Blue Exorcist, Vol. 1


Kazue Kato - 2009
    One day a fateful argument with Father Fujimoto forces Rin to face a terrible truth – the blood of the demon lord Satan runs in Rin's veins! Rin swears to defeat Satan, but doing that means entering the mysterious True Cross Academy and becoming an exorcist himself. Can Rin fight demons and keep his infernal bloodline a secret? It won't be easy, especially when drawing his father's sword releases the demonic power within him!Reads R to L (Japanese Style) for audiences T+.

Bleach, Vol. 1


Tite Kubo - 2002
    When his family is attacked by a Hollow—a malevolent lost soul—Ichigo becomes a Soul Reaper, dedicating his life to protecting the innocent and helping the tortured spirits themselves find peace. Find out why Tite Kubo’s Bleach has become an international manga smash-hit!Ichigo Kurosaki has always been able to see ghosts, but this ability doesn't change his life nearly as much as his close encounter with Rukia Kuchiki, a Soul Reaper and member of the mysterious Soul Society. While fighting a Hollow, an evil spirit that preys on humans who display psychic energy, Rukia attempts to lend Ichigo some of her powers so that he can save his family; but much to her surprise, Ichigo absorbs every last drop of her energy. Now a full-fledged Soul Reaper himself, Ichigo quickly learns that the world he inhabits is one full of dangerous spirits and, along with Rukia--who is slowly regaining her powers--it's Ichigo's job to protect the innocent from Hollows and help the spirits themselves find peace.

Blade of the Immortal, Volume 1: Blood of a Thousand


Hiroaki Samura - 1994
    1- Blood of a Thousand by Samura,Hiroaki. [2010] Paperback

Lone Wolf and Cub, Vol. 1: The Assassin's Road


Kazuo Koike - 2000
    Creating unforgettable imagery of stark beauty, kinetic fury, and visceral thematic power, the epic samurai adventure has influenced a generation of visual storytellers both in Japan and in the West.

xxxHolic, Vol. 1


CLAMP - 2003
    Seemingly by chance, he encounters a mysterious witch named Yuuko, who claims she can help. In desperation, he accepts, but realizes that he's just been tricked into working for Yuuko in order to pay off the cost of her services. Soon he's employed in her little shop--a job which turns out to be nothing like his previous work experience Most of Yuuko's customers live in Japan, but Yuko and Watanuki are about to have some unusual visitors named Sakura and Syaoran from a land called Clow. . . . XXXHolic volume one "crosses over with "Tsubasa volume one "Don't miss it "Includes special extras after the story Includes chapters 1-8

D.N.Angel, Vol. 1


Yukiru Sugisaki - 1997
    Daisuke Niwa is an ordinary middle school student who has inherited an interesting family condition, where the sight of the girl he adores transforms him into a phantom thief.

Yu-Gi-Oh!, Vol. 1: The Millenium Puzzle


Kazuki Takahashi - 1997
    until he solved the Millennium Puzzle, a mysterious Egyptian artifact! Possessed by the puzzle, Yugi becomes Yu-Gi-Oh, the King of Games, and challenges evildoers to the Shadow Games... weird games with high stakes and high risks! These graphic novels contain new stories not seen in the anime, including the origin of Yugi and his friends!