I've come to realize that all the worst stuff I've seen invariably starts out as a light novel, which is apparently the Japanese definition of a novella that couldn't quite cut it as manga. It's basically written by a person who cannot write (because if he could he'd write a novel) and also cannot draw, since if you can draw you can already get serialized regardless of plot (see Bleach for example). The result is some kind of unholy alliance of suckiness that goes far beyond what normal manga is capable of. Yes there are exception, like Fullmetal Alchemist which actually had an okay story and the guy can draw passably, but that's about the only exception and I think Bleach still made more money overall. Even if you take something that didn't suck like Haruhi Suzumiya, the characters are so forgettable in terms of look it's always relegated to an obscure corner of the bookstore. Sure the people who read it might say it's actually good but you won't even find a site that's willing to pirate it because it would be a waste of time to pirate something with such low circulation, and ultimately the problem is that Haruhi Suzumiya and everyone else in the story is completely uninteresting in terms of looks. I mean if you want to read a manga for enlightenment on life you should read the Bible or Lord of the Rings or anything else. Even most fanfiction would offer better insight to the meaning of life compared to the average manga.
There's one rare example I can think of that works, when you've a guy who can sort of write partner up with a guy who can draw but cannot write at all. Namely, Hikaru no Go and Death Note. While the two didn't start as light novel they might as well be one, and both partnered up with the guy who taught the guy who draw Kenshin how to draw. The end result is that you've something that's good enough to be manga in terms of drawing ability and the story or may or may not be good, not that it matters very much because if you can draw you'll definitely succeed (unless you're the guy who draw HNG/DN, who apparently cannot).
Unrelated to this, but I saw the title of a new manga called "Darwin Game". I was hoping it'd be a game that details the exploits of those who won the Darwin Award but it turns out to be just another 'hardcore real life gaming' genre. But then I realized that a game that just relives the details of the Darwin Award would be awesome. It'd be funny by definition, and it probably has a better point to the story compared to most manga anyway. Why no one's thought of doing a manga like that is beyond me. You only need to be able to draw, as the plot can be found by just looking it up online.
There's one rare example I can think of that works, when you've a guy who can sort of write partner up with a guy who can draw but cannot write at all. Namely, Hikaru no Go and Death Note. While the two didn't start as light novel they might as well be one, and both partnered up with the guy who taught the guy who draw Kenshin how to draw. The end result is that you've something that's good enough to be manga in terms of drawing ability and the story or may or may not be good, not that it matters very much because if you can draw you'll definitely succeed (unless you're the guy who draw HNG/DN, who apparently cannot).
Unrelated to this, but I saw the title of a new manga called "Darwin Game". I was hoping it'd be a game that details the exploits of those who won the Darwin Award but it turns out to be just another 'hardcore real life gaming' genre. But then I realized that a game that just relives the details of the Darwin Award would be awesome. It'd be funny by definition, and it probably has a better point to the story compared to most manga anyway. Why no one's thought of doing a manga like that is beyond me. You only need to be able to draw, as the plot can be found by just looking it up online.
