Nekojiru Udon
Cat Soup

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A selection of titles from the gekiga scene, a short-lived yet influential artistic movement that flourished during the 1960s to the 1970s and maintains a prominent underground presence today. While mostly known as a pioneer of cinematic paneling and close attention to realism, it would be more accurate to consider gekiga as a counterculture. Surrealistic, autobiographical, and experimental works emerged as an alternative to the Tezuka school of aesthetics and paved the way for other artists to different modes of expression.

This is in NO WAY a comprehensive list and should be treated more as a starting point for diving into this movement. There are so many more important artists and titles in the scene that MAL unfortunately does not have entries for, and probably never will. Since I can't speak Japanese, there may also be some titles that I am unfamiliar with. The 50-title limit doesn't help either, but I hope this gets you started in this often-unexplored side of manga.

Note: Not all of these titles are available in English.
11/04/2022 Updated to include more underground artists.

If you enjoyed this interest stack and want to learn more about gekiga, feel free to check these other outlets:
The MAL Gekiga Club
Taniguchi Scanlations
Habanero Scans
Illuminati-Manga
Hox Scanlations
Stinky Scans
Ryan Holmberg's translations
Star Fruit Books
Glacier Bay Books
Koenji Shawn Reviews
The Comics Journal
Breakdown Press
Drawn and Quarterly
New York Review Comics
AX Volume 1: A Collection of Alternative Manga

Mangas starring anthropomorphic animals.

One manga per author.

Manga that're strange, confusing, ridiculous, seem surreal, are overly silly, where the abnormal is normal, are very high paced, or may simply make you go "what?". Anything ranging from gag comedy to gore, all with various levels and types of absurdity.

Maximum of one title per author.

Stuff that made me feel weird

Heta-uma (ヘタウマ or ヘタうま) is a Japanese underground manga movement started in the 1970s with the magazine Garo. Heta-uma can be translated as "bad but good", designating a work which looks poorly drawn, but with an aesthetically conscious quality, opposed to the polished look of mainstream manga.

Some of heta-uma's main artists are Teruhiko Yumura (pen name "King Terry", not on MAL yet), Yoshikazu Ebisu and Takashi Nemoto.

This stack includes what are commonly seen as heta-uma works, as well as those I personally consider to be drawn with this sensibility.

From psychedelic/trippy stories to overall unique and bizarre reads, this stack definitely has the "wtf" factor. Read at your own discretion 🤓

manga that holds some mystery, grace, beauty, and/or surrealism.

in the vein of both my anime interest stack 'hauntingly gorgeous' and my manga interest stack 'ephemerality' (where they might not quite fit in).

be warned, this list can include more bizarre and subversive works.

All manga that was mentioned in Why Did We Like Elfen Lied? by hazel
https://youtu.be/trwdaJA-6z8

Anime companion stack: https://myanimelist.net/stacks/60629

Not on MAL: CLAMP IN WONDERLAND 1994 Summer


Below are all the non manga media that were brought up:

Invader Zim
Fahrenheit 9/11
Megg Mogg & Owlj
Nekojiru Udon
Dead Like Me
Metal Gear Solid 2
Metal Gear Solid 4
The Joy of Painting
Toki no Kuni No Elfenlied
Juno
Wizard of Gore
Suspiria (1977)
Senran Kagura Peach Beach Splash
Teenage Hooker Became Killing Machine
Final Fantasy VII Remake
Zootopia
Bioshock Infinite
Princess Maker 2
Wonder Project J
Nier
Nier:Automata
MapleStory
Mother 3
Crash (2004)
Silent Hill 3
Doukyuusei 2
Runaway City
School Days and Summer Days (psp)
Photo Genic
Nakayama Miho no Tokimeki High School
To Heart Portable
Higurashi No Naku Koro Ni
Daria
Breaking the Habit - Linkin Park (MV)
Emily the Strange
Night In The Woods
Adventure Time
Ginger Snaps
Helena - My Chemical Romance
Clone High
Ranma ½: Hard Battle
Starcraft
Age of Empires
It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown
Ed's World
Naruto Fan Flash 1
Dark Throne
Natalie Clifford Barney
Tim & Eric
Bowling for Columbine
Danny Phantom
Teen Titans
Johnny The Homicidal Maniac
Kanon
Evanescence
Scene Kid LOVE - Stevie Ryan
Halloween 1978
Carrie 1976
Twin Peaks
Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair
Joker 2019
Saya no Uta: The Song of Saya
Doki Doki Literature Club
Ninja Gaiden
The Goonies II
Batman the Video Game
Yo! Noid

pretty self-explanatory.
Manga from the legendary alternative manga magazine garo that have been officially published in English. it would be updated every time a new one is announced/comes out. Hope to update it as many times as possible!!
If I forgot something, please let me know.

If there are any other magazines you would like me to do this for, please let me know. Would love to know if you make some lists like this yourselves, I would add them to the links!

Links - Stacks for alt manga from other magazines:
AX - https://myanimelist.net/stacks/62676
Comic Beam - https://myanimelist.net/stacks/62679
Comic Cue - https://myanimelist.net/stacks/62678
Garo - https://myanimelist.net/stacks/62675
Ikki - https://myanimelist.net/stacks/62680
Manga Erotics F - https://myanimelist.net/stacks/62682
Torch - https://myanimelist.net/stacks/62677