Recs if you like Mushishi, Vol. 1...

Books that inspired or are similar to Studio Ghibli films

Manga isn't just for kids! These are titles intended for more mature audiences, including my personal recs and influential, well-known and bestselling titles that are available in English. Whether it's frank discussions of mental illness, abuse, LGBTQIA+ issues, violence, sexuality, horror or dark fantasy, these are manga that either originally ran in seinen (young adult men) or josei (young adult women) magazines, or I've otherwise broadly categorized through research as "not for for kids."

Inspiration: Toxic Tropics by J. Oublié. An ongoing list of comics and manga with nature or environmental focused plots. Nature may play a small but important role in some worlds or serve as the main point of a scary situation in others. Feel free to recommend books that you feel honor The Green. Think of books that spark thoughts like "wow pretty green things" or "humans are the disease".

Mangas where the main characters partake in their own epic journeys, where they travel far and wide. Whether it's to battle for the kingdom or forging their own path through their fantastical world, they take us along for the ride! ☆ "It's a dangerous business, Frodo, going out your door. You step onto the road, and if you don't keep your feet, there's no knowing where you might be swept off to."

• J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings

Inspired by the popular in the 00s list, I wanted to make a list cataloguing all the manga I owned in high school. Please read to the tune of Somebody That I Used to Know by Gotye.

Super cool and awesome comics/manga/graphic novels/etc that i love and think yall should read :3