It’s all about mixing together the old and the new and that’s the theme of this month DFTG April 2018 manga recommendation segment! If you avidly watched anime and/or read manga during the 1990s and early 2000s, it was rife with classics like Cowboy Bebop, Yu Yu Hakusho, Record of Lodoss War, and so much more. Whether you were the early bird that caught the latest episodes or stayed up late to watch the Toonami specials, there was a showing for you. I’m pretty sure these was the golden years for anime loving millennials.

This month I’ve got two fresh new series in progress and translated by online groups and a couple oldies to add including 86, Samurai Champloo, Black Jack, Yoshka Space Program and a bonus anime recommendation – Record of Lodoss War. It has been years since I’ve even laid my eyes on the latter, but this anime will always have a special place in my heart; just like Cardcaptor Sakura, Tenchi Muyo, Chobits (or anything by CLAMP ), Cowboy Bebop, and so on. You catch the drift. Admittedly, it’s hard to confess that some of these mentions are even “old”, but there it is.

As for the month’s DFTG manga recommendations, check them out below. If none of these tickle your fancy, there’s over a years worth of monthly reviews to sift through. So don’t be afraid to check these bad boys out too!

Title: 86
Author: Asato Asato (author), Shirabi (illustrator)
Genre: Action, Drama, Tragedy

A country ravaged by war, the Republic of San Magnolia, scraped by for years under siege by its neighbor, the Empire. Thanks to innovations in cutting-edge artificial intelligence and technology, the Empire created a line of automated war machines called Legion to implement flurries of relentless assault on San Magnolia. Desperate for a way to fight back and survive, they did what they could to create their own version of defense, but their resources were limited. In the end, as the war continued to rage on, sacrifices are always made.

Eighty-six is an action-packed and story driven manga series about the structures of a class system, socioeconomic disparities, war, and political subterfuge. The main characters are Vladilena Mirize and Shinei Nouzen – one a “handler” who remotely commands a group of soldiers and the other who directs squadron of suicide bombers respectively. The two are on seemingly opposite sides of the political and military spectrum in terms of perspective, and both their stories tell of tragic beginnings.

This work is currently being translated by Hellping and is a graphic novel adaptation, which is based on a novel by Asato Asato.

Title: Samurai Champloo
Author: Gotsubo (author), Masaru (illustrator)
Genre: Action, Comedy, Adventure

Samurai Champloo tells the story of a trio of characters – Mugen, Jin, and Fuu – one a mercenary samurai, the other a wandering swordsman, and the last a charismatic young woman and formerly a waitress. The first two are rather competitive and after a certain mishap, their disagreement results in the death of a migistrate’s son and heir heads are wanted for murder. In order to escape, Fuu offers to help the pair of newly turned convicts on one condition. So long as they help her seek out a “samurai who smells of sunflowers”, they’ll continue to live as convicts instead! This action, comedy series is light-hearted for the most part, but there are moments of darkness as the series dives into each character’s story.

Both the graphic novel and the anime are worth watching for a casual and short series to pass the time. It’s hilariously chaotic goodness. This series was published under licensing company Tokyopop for the West and a series that is near and dear to my heart, and it will always bring back memories of the genius music production of the late Nujabes (Jun Seba).

Title: Black Jack
Author: Tezuka, Osamu
Genre: Mystery, Drama

It’s an oldie, but a goodie. Black Jack tells a take of a mysterious doctor named Kuroo Hazama, who goes by the eponymous nickname. Recognized in the medical industry as a genius beyond compare, he and his assistant Pinoko take on odd cases where no other doctor could help. Unfortunately, his expertise comes at exorbitant prices, but as long as the patient is willing to pay, the doctor is willing to do whatever it takes to solve their problem. Law and order or not. The visuals are rather dark, given the illustration style of the

There were a few animated film and series adaptations for Black Jack in the early 2000s all the way up to 2011 even. It took the graphic novel to a whole new level in visual artistry and storytelling that was equally as enjoyable of a read. It was published by Viz Media for the West. It’s a good read and watch for those of whom enjoy a slow-paced mystery.

Title: Yoshka Space Program
Author: Fasai, Kamidaze
Genre: Comedy, Adventure

Yoshka is a young girl with a knack for creating peculiar inventions and a ceaseless imagination to boot. Though her ideas are often fantastic, they’re just a tad bit unstable. Despite obvious design flaws and ridiculous prices she charges for her inventions, Yoshka has a mission to be the first person to reach the moon. In order to do that, she needs to figure out how to bring in the money and the parts to build a functional rocket ship. With the help of unlikely folks and her undying determination, this young lady is hell-bent on fulfilling this dream. After all, her estranged mother living on the moon awaits.

This is an original manga series hosted on KP Comic. It is illustrated in full color and an adorable art style to match perfectly. It’s an extremely fun read!