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Most "best battle manga" lists mix ongoing series in with completed ones and never say which is which. These five are done — Naruto, Dragon Ball, Yu Yu Hakusho, Bleach and Fullmetal Alchemist — with volume counts, completion years, and what Japanese readers actually say about them.
Japanese things, reviewed by someone who lives here. Written by atman-33, one person living in Japan, with a background in manufacturing and software.
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Manga
Body horror, slow dread, or something you can finish in one night — "horror" is not one thing. Five manga that are finished and readable end to end in English, sorted by which kind of fear you are in the mood for. Start with Uzumaki; start with Tomie if this is your first.
For: Anyone picking a horror manga to start tonight, whether or not they have read horror manga before.
Manga
Five sports manga that are complete in Japanese and complete in English — every volume, available today. Start with Haikyu!! if you want one. Start with Hikaru no Go if you want it short.
For: Anyone choosing tonight's sports manga who wants to reach the last page without the English edition running out.
Watches
The same G-SHOCK shows up twice, once as a "Shipped from Japan" import and once on the US line. Here is what the model-number suffix actually encodes, why radio reception is identical either way, and the one real difference — which is the warranty.
For: Anyone about to buy a G-SHOCK on Amazon.com who has stopped at the choice between a "Shipped from Japan" listing and the US-line one.
Bath
The word "Certified" in a listing title is an unverifiable claim by the seller. Exactly one listing prints a certification number you can match against the trade association's own records — and it is not the one with "Certified" in the title.
For: Someone buying one set of Imabari towels who wants to know what to look at on the listing page to tell a certified towel from a towel merely made in Imabari — and what will surprise them when the box arrives.
Grooming
Japanese buying guides pick a nipper by the shape of the blade and the state of your nails. English pages tell you the brand story instead. Here is the choice the Japanese sources actually make, plus the two drawbacks nobody in English mentions.
For: Someone who has decided on a nipper-style clipper and is stuck between Classic and Soft, L and S — and does not yet know that hands and feet call for different tools.
Manga
Five mystery manga that are finished, available in English, and worth the shelf space. Start with Monster if you want one great book; start with Death Note if this is your first manga. Chosen by what you are actually in the mood for.
For: Anyone deciding today which mystery manga to buy next, whether or not they have read manga before.
Kitchen
I have used the same white ceramic santoku almost every day for ten years and never sharpened it once. It also chipped on frozen meat. Here is what it is good at, what it cannot touch, and which one to buy.
For: Anyone thinking about a second knife for the kitchen who wants to know what it looks like after a decade.
Manga
Three finished series I have read in Japanese and reread more than once, chosen for whether they hold up the second time. All three are complete — but only one of them comes in a single box set. No spoilers.
For: Anyone picking one finished series to buy, who does not want to get stuck working out how to get all the volumes.
Japan Reviewed