Shadows House
Warning: currently reading
Pros:
+ Very atypical in both story and style
+ Great atmosphere that manages to blend cuteness and creepyness in a very convincing way
+ Despite the childish looks, it features very mature themes with clear hints of social critique
Cons:
Temporary rating: 8/9 (great/masterpiece)
Kuro
Pros:
+ Very atypical in both story and style
+ Great atmosphere that manages to blend cuteness and creepyness in a very convincing way
+ Clever integration of lore and plot development into slice-of-life moments
Cons:
- Physically speaking, the volumes are too small; it would've deserved much larger ones in order to better appreciate the art and plot details
Rating: 7/8 (good/great)
Deadman Wonderland
Warning: dropped
Pros:
+ Very good premise
+ very nice drawings
Cons:
- Does not really develop its own premise and quickly devolves into your average battle shonen
Partial rating: 6 (acceptable)
Dance in the Vampire Bund
Warning: dropped
Pros:
+ Very good premise
+ very nice drawings
Cons:
- Does not really develop its own premise and quickly devolves into your average battle shonen
Partial rating: 6 (acceptable)
Pandora Hearts
Pros:
+ Very well written characters; every single one of them will get their fair share of development and its moment to shine
+ Incredibly complex and well constructed plot that will eventually climax into a continuous stream of flawless genius
Cons:
- Because of the way the baloons are drawn is often difficult to tell who's talking/thinking
- The story might seem aimlessly written and confusing to follow before reaching the climax... and it takes a lot of time before getting there
Rating: 8 (great)
Mirai Nikki
Pros:
+ Story that constantly keeps you on your toes with lots of clever twists, and evolves in a very creative and unpredictable way
+ Memorable cast of highly charismatic characters (with very few exceptions)
+ Very good scene "directing" and drawing of facial expressions
Cons:
- Uneven drawing quality, with frequent noticeable falls
- It completely breaks the suspension of disbelief in several occasions
- A couple really forced character "development" moments
Rating: 7/8 (good/great)
The Five Star Stories
Pros:
+ Huge, epic and incredibly detailed setting
+ Excellent mecha and clothes design
Cons:
- Horrendous character design
- The weird narrative structure makes the plot feel so chaotic and disjointed to be almost unreadable
Rating: 5 (meh)
Phoenix
Pros:
+ A incredibly complex narrative timeline of several masterfully interwined stories that are enjoyable both as stand-alones and as parts of a greater whole
+ The author's original thoughts and theories are cleverly integrated within the plot, and makes some sections feel like a philosophical treatise without ever breaking the pace or feeling pedantic
Cons:
- The childish artstyle, though not bad in itself, feels quite unfitting for the seriousness of the themes
- Occasional jokes and modern references that feel decisely out of place
Rating: 9 (masterpiece)