I'd like to recommend three manga series that hit nearly all of your likes! Pandora Hearts by Jun Mochizuki takes place in a fantasy world where magic users are hunted and sent into the "Abyss". Main character, Oz Vesallius, gets snatched by witch hunters during his coming of age ceremony. While in Abyss, Oz makes contract with Alice, a monster in the form of young girl, and the two escape. However, they find out that ten years have already passed in the outside world. This is a series where nothing is what it appears to be, and unfortunately no character has a happy ending. The series has about the same amount of torture, gore and body horror as Modaozushi. There’s an anime, but it ends just before the first plot twist of the manga. Madoka Magica by Gen Urobuchi and Hanokage is a franchise where girls can become magical girls and have their wishes granted – however, not only are the enemies they fight very dangerous, but also being a magical girl is not what it seems to be. The franchise follows Madoka Kaname as she discovers more and more truths about the setting, and the story is made of several miniseries. The suggested reading order is as follows: Madoka Magica (you should start here as all the following works reveal spoilers very early on)(3 volumes) The Different Story (gives backstory and more importance to Mami and Kyouko)(3 volumes) Sadness Prayer + Oriko Magica + Oriko: Extra Story (introduces four new magical girls) (7 volumes) Wraith Arc (directly follows the end of the main storyline)(3 volumes) Rebellion (directly follows Wraith Arc)(3 volumes) It also has several spin-offs, out of which I find three of particular interest. Homura’s Revenge (follows a different ending to the main story) (2 volumes) Taruto Magica: The Legend of Jeanne d’Arc (follows the titular historical character as a magical girl) (5 volumes) Magia Record (originally a cellphone game, this story is centered around a cult of magical girls who found a way to prevent witches from ever appearing and girls who oppose them – the manga and anime only follow the slow-paced beginnings of the game, which is available only in Japanese)(3+ volumes) Warnings: The manga has about the same amount of torture, gore and body horror as Modaozushi has. There’s an anime adaptation of main story and anime film adapting Rebellion. Black Butler by Yana Toboso is a really weird manga. Nominally set in 1880s, the technology level, characters’ world views and some elements of fashion resemble 1960s more than the supposed setting. A supernatural detective story, it follows Ciel Phantomhive, a 12 year old orphaned aristocrat, and Sebastian Michaelis, a demon who made contract with Ciel and masquarades as his butler, in solving supernatural crime in Victorian Britain. The series’ appeal depends on whether the reader is able to wade through lots of nonsense to enjoy the good parts. The manga offers surprisingly deep portrayal of trauma and its effects on people, sympathetic characters with tragic backstories who nonetheless do awful things while remaining at least somehow good at heart, and many plot twists. There are two different anime series, but the older one goes its own way after a few episodes and is not nearly as complex as the manga. The other anime series adapts some arcs faithfully. Warnings: The manga has about the same amount of torture, gore and body horror as Modaozushi has, and furthermore second flashback arc (nestled within Blue Cult arc) features scenes of child abuse, including a fade-to-black rape scene. Furthermore, there’s a transgender recurring character who is misgendered by all other characters, including a non-major character who is openly transphobic towards her.
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timeasmymeasure
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Date: 2020-11-11 10:52 am (UTC)Pandora Hearts by Jun Mochizuki takes place in a fantasy world where magic users are hunted and sent into the "Abyss". Main character, Oz Vesallius, gets snatched by witch hunters during his coming of age ceremony. While in Abyss, Oz makes contract with Alice, a monster in the form of young girl, and the two escape. However, they find out that ten years have already passed in the outside world. This is a series where nothing is what it appears to be, and unfortunately no character has a happy ending. The series has about the same amount of torture, gore and body horror as Modaozushi. There’s an anime, but it ends just before the first plot twist of the manga.
Madoka Magica by Gen Urobuchi and Hanokage is a franchise where girls can become magical girls and have their wishes granted – however, not only are the enemies they fight very dangerous, but also being a magical girl is not what it seems to be. The franchise follows Madoka Kaname as she discovers more and more truths about the setting, and the story is made of several miniseries. The suggested reading order is as follows:
Madoka Magica (you should start here as all the following works reveal spoilers very early on)(3 volumes)
The Different Story (gives backstory and more importance to Mami and Kyouko)(3 volumes)
Sadness Prayer + Oriko Magica + Oriko: Extra Story (introduces four new magical girls) (7 volumes)
Wraith Arc (directly follows the end of the main storyline)(3 volumes)
Rebellion (directly follows Wraith Arc)(3 volumes)
It also has several spin-offs, out of which I find three of particular interest.
Homura’s Revenge (follows a different ending to the main story) (2 volumes)
Taruto Magica: The Legend of Jeanne d’Arc (follows the titular historical character as a magical girl) (5 volumes)
Magia Record (originally a cellphone game, this story is centered around a cult of magical girls who found a way to prevent witches from ever appearing and girls who oppose them – the manga and anime only follow the slow-paced beginnings of the game, which is available only in Japanese)(3+ volumes)
Warnings: The manga has about the same amount of torture, gore and body horror as Modaozushi has. There’s an anime adaptation of main story and anime film adapting Rebellion.
Black Butler by Yana Toboso is a really weird manga. Nominally set in 1880s, the technology level, characters’ world views and some elements of fashion resemble 1960s more than the supposed setting. A supernatural detective story, it follows Ciel Phantomhive, a 12 year old orphaned aristocrat, and Sebastian Michaelis, a demon who made contract with Ciel and masquarades as his butler, in solving supernatural crime in Victorian Britain. The series’ appeal depends on whether the reader is able to wade through lots of nonsense to enjoy the good parts. The manga offers surprisingly deep portrayal of trauma and its effects on people, sympathetic characters with tragic backstories who nonetheless do awful things while remaining at least somehow good at heart, and many plot twists. There are two different anime series, but the older one goes its own way after a few episodes and is not nearly as complex as the manga. The other anime series adapts some arcs faithfully.
Warnings: The manga has about the same amount of torture, gore and body horror as Modaozushi has, and furthermore second flashback arc (nestled within Blue Cult arc) features scenes of child abuse, including a fade-to-black rape scene. Furthermore, there’s a transgender recurring character who is misgendered by all other characters, including a non-major character who is openly transphobic towards her.