# Manga's with great World Building ?



## The Bloody Nine (Mar 12, 2013)

In the what appeals to you about One Piece thread it became pretty clear that one of top reasons most fans appreciate one piece is due to its intricate world building. So i just want to know what other manga's out there are famous for their excellent world building and if anyone of them can compete with the better fantasy series' out there like Lord of the Rings, ASoIaF and Wheel of Time (when it comes to world building).


----------



## Bubyrd Ratcatcher (Mar 12, 2013)

There was already a thread like that months ago, you should find your answer there ()

My favourite is Dorohedoro.. its just mind blowing.





The Bloody Nine said:


> if anyone of them can compete with the better fantasy series' out there like Lord of the Rings, ASoIaF and _*Wheel of Time*_ (when it comes to world building).



Wheel of Time.. i dont want to go OT but man, the world building of the WoT is pretty lame.


----------



## Scratchy (Mar 12, 2013)

Tower of God



> Wheel of Time.. i dont want to go OT but man, the world building of the WoT is pretty lame.



Don't remember much, but it seemed to me like Jordan fleshed it out pretty well.


----------



## Mider T (Mar 12, 2013)

Why is it so hard for people to realize that manga is both plural and singular?


----------



## Akatora (Mar 12, 2013)

It depends on what exactly your seeking in the world.
Only seeking completely original stuff with little relation to reality or reality with a twist?


Anyway for Fantasy I suggest giving 12 kingdoms a look, It's originally a novel series but it got an anime.(The author also wrote Ghost Hunt and Shiki if those say you anything)
It's a fantasy world based on chinease mythology.

If you like a more real world I suggest Trinity Blood which has been made as a Novel a manga and an Anime(Novels are the original and the better of the 3 then manga and lastly the anime)

Trinity Blood is a mix of Vampires and Technology taking place a thousand years from now.


----------



## Mizura (Mar 12, 2013)

Damnit, lost my last post. Oh well, here we go again:

*Tower of God*: here's a description that others and I have made up to describe this series:

_What do you desire? Power? Glory? Fame? Wealth? Revenge? Or a night sky, full of stars?
In return, what are you willing to leave behind?
Who will you step on? Who will you betray? Who will you kill?

Everything you desire, all the answers you seek, can be found at the top of the Tower... And as the bodies pile higher, all you need to do is climb._

The Tower. Where Rachel trolls everywhere.

*Kubera*: Wow, how do I explain this one? The races and such are easy to categorize, but the way Currygom combines it all is astounding. 

8 Sura races divided into 4 generations/levels
3 types of Gods 
The humans, divided into Halfs, Quarters and Purebloods. 
3 realms, a bunch of planets. 
The races have different alliances and enmities, but individuals in all races have their own agendas. Currygom didn't just create a big number of races just to pile on the visuals, they all have their own roles throughout the story and history.
Then there's the way the first beings in the Universe are categorized:
- those who are strong but mortal
- and those who are weaker but will endlessly regenerate
I don't think I've seen such dynamics before. 

Some huge events have occurred in the recent history of the world, and we're only beginning to discover what it was (it includes some planets being blown up, Currygom still hasn't revealed the details of this event though). The mystery is how the human protagonist even begins to fit into all this. And then there's the characterization. Whoa, how does Currygom come up with such shitty lives? A line used at the beginning of the series describes the situation very well: "You're not the only one who's lost everything." But unlike other series where people become whiny brats, most of the people in this world continue to live on despite their losses, resulting in some fantastic personalities.

Oh, and a magic system that makes sense. Advanced mathematics for trajectory calculations, baby. Now that's badass.

*Dorohedoro* and *Leviathan*: Weird surreal worlds. Hard to describe. 

*Aria*: now, on the bright side! Aria's world isn't that complex, but despite its near fantasy setting, it focuses on appreciating the little things in life. It really brightens up your day.


----------



## Darth (Mar 12, 2013)

Really enjoyed Ao No Exorcist's setting. Thought it was really interesting. 

Pluto also had a great setting. 

As did Ga-Rei.


----------



## The Bloody Nine (Mar 12, 2013)

Akatora said:


> It depends on what exactly your seeking in the world.
> 
> Only seeking completely original stuff with little relation to reality or reality with a twist?



Nope just a broad, intricate world. For instance I see HxH mentioned but IMO it has pretty bad world building. The author keeps adding things but it doesn't really make sense how they link to one another. At least that's how i remember thinking about it when i read it months ago.  



Bubi said:


> There was already a thread like that months ago, you should find your answer there ()
> 
> My favourite is Dorohedoro.. its just mind blowing.
> 
> ...



Thanks for your link man, and all your answers. I might go with Tower of God or Kubera, Doro seems a bit weird and i hate plotless stories. 

As for WoT, it has alot alot of problems but World Building definitely isn't one of them.


----------



## Shin Kouji (Mar 12, 2013)

I will just name you some series with great world building:

Magi
Rave Master
Shin Angyo Onshi  
Toriko
Shingeki no Kyojin


----------



## EVERY SINGLE DAY!!! (Mar 12, 2013)

Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind. 

It's the only manga that really made me recalll ASOIAFs world building. With all the different cultures, beliefs, rituals, stigmas, fears, and ways of life - more than any other manga I've read, you can really feel that a lot of thought and heart went into making these truly part of the way the people within the story live.


----------



## Powerful Lord (Mar 12, 2013)

Magi's world building isn't that amazing, it's basically how Naruto's was during Part I. Then again what should we classify as good world building? Does it have to be a series where the characters basically travel around the world and we get a full map like in One Piece and Toriko, or can it be contained to a smaller region like with Fullmetal Alchemist, Magi or Naruto?


----------



## Donquixote Doflamingo (Mar 12, 2013)

^thats a good question.

Tower of god and toriko instantly come to mind. Toriko I believe the op has already read though not sure about ToG.


----------



## Lucaniel (Mar 12, 2013)

Bubi said:


> Wheel of Time.. i dont want to go OT but man, the world building of the WoT is pretty lame.



i'm not sure that's the case

i think it's fairer to say that jordan created a detailed, strongly realised, concrete world, which (with the exception of the aiel) simply wasn't that interesting


----------



## Razzzz (Mar 12, 2013)

World building isn't really a mangaka's strong suit, but if I had to pick a setting that's well established and feels lived-in, I would pick Miyazaki's Nausicaa as my favorite example.


----------



## MrCinos (Mar 12, 2013)

The Bloody Nine said:


> Doro seems a bit weird and i hate plotless stories.


Dorohedoro has a good well-planned plot from what I can remember. Plot progression (from multiple POV's) as well as character development is also a strong side of the manga. And while being weird, it's still easily understandable and not over-the-top surrealistic.


----------



## Samavarti (Mar 12, 2013)

Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind has the best World Building i have ever seen in manga, followed by Dorohedoro which has a completly nuts but very well developed and complex world.


----------



## Powerful Lord (Mar 12, 2013)

Lucaniel said:


> i'm not sure that's the case
> 
> i think it's fairer to say that jordan created a detailed, strongly realised, concrete world, which (with the exception of the aiel) simply wasn't that interesting



I know this has nothing to do with manga but are the Wheel of time book series good? I've been interested in getting into those after a song of ice and fire, is the world building and plot as good? From the few things i read from the wikia many elements seemed taked straight from Lord of the rings


----------



## Stannis (Mar 12, 2013)

Tower of god easily.


----------



## Toriko (Mar 12, 2013)

Toriko without a doubt, as others have said.


----------



## Imagine (Mar 12, 2013)

Razzzz said:


> World building isn't really a mangaka's strong suit, but if I had to pick a setting that's well established and feels lived-in, I would pick Miyazaki's Nausicaa as my favorite example.





Samavarti said:


> Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind has the best World Building i have ever seen in manga, followed by Dorohedoro which has a completly nuts but very well developed and complex world.


I've been hearing crazy good things about this manga. I might have to pick it up.


----------



## Stilzkin (Mar 12, 2013)

Powerful Lord said:


> Magi's world building isn't that amazing, it's basically how Naruto's was during Part I. Then again what should we classify as good world building? Does it have to be a series where the characters basically travel around the world and we get a full map like in One Piece and Toriko, or can it be contained to a smaller region like with Fullmetal Alchemist, Magi or Naruto?



Not true. 

Naruto and Magi have had very different world building.

Naruto had multiple villages but we saw very little of them or their people. In the end Kishi did not do anything substantial with the idea of multiple villages, I would even go as far as saying that they don't really exist.

He also started building up a system for the ninja, explaining to us how jobs are given out, how ranks are acquired, and there was some degree hierarchy of abilities. This was part of what Kishi too from Togashi and Kishi's straight forwardness actually promised what could have been superior world building but Kishi eventually drops it by the end of part 1.

Magi doesn't have a complex system for things. Ruhk and djinns are not systematic. What it does have is locations. It has different kingdoms and peoples. While part 1 of Naruto gave the impression that in time it could grow in this regard Magi has actually been doing so.


About Tower of God; I never know how to feel about the manhwa. The author clearly wants to create his own world but I really hate the fact that a lot of it is actually outside the actual work. It makes it feel kind of cheap that there is an external paragraph explaining who so and so are instead of it fitting in naturally with the story. I feel that if you can't explain it within the work itself perhaps it should either be left out or the story changed so that it does fit in. I also get that some people must love all that background stuff.



> I've been interested in getting into those after a song of ice and fire, is the world building and plot as good? From the few things i read from the wikia many elements seemed taked straight from Lord of the rings



Not that big on LotR mythos but SoIF isn't really like it other than their fantasy settings. SoIF's world building is primarily done through its huge cast of characters. There is a ton of families and each family has its members and histories with other families. SoIF isn't really all that fantastical and it doesn't go for the epical route LotR goes for. You won't find stories of creation, or gods, or gods against men in SoIF. 

The actual story of SoIF reminds me a bit of Berserk. I guess it might a spoiler how the two are connected so I will spoiler the following, but it is not a huge reveal:


*Spoiler*: __ 





Both follow the idea that fantastical elements start to enter more and more as the story goes on. As fantasy starts entering into their world we and the characters begin to learn about it.


----------



## Razzzz (Mar 12, 2013)

Imagine said:


> I've been hearing crazy good things about this manga. I might have to pick it up.



One of the best manga ever written, so yes.


----------



## Rax (Mar 12, 2013)

The Toriko world makes me very angry though


----------



## Mizura (Mar 12, 2013)

> About Tower of God; I never know how to feel about the manhwa. The author clearly wants to create his own world but I really hate the fact that a lot of it is actually outside the actual work.


Huh, that's true. He did say that Tower of God is just part of the Talse Uzer universe he created. I guess it's a matter of taste: some of us Like it when there's additional info on the world to be found, some prefer everything to be in the actual story.

I'll also second Nausicaa as a very in-depth world. It isn't huge, but it packs a lot of emotions. I also like Toriko for the fun factor: the power levels are ridiculous, but man are those world settings fun to read. It makes you feel sorry you don't get to explore some of the areas more. And food, lots of food. 

Naruto had a lot of potential in Part I, believe it or not. I used to love it. It had so much potential, if only it'd have explored the history more as well as the other villages. Instead most of Part II was wasted in some cave or some forest, and when the other villages show up, it's to fight a zombie army and then to worship some loudmouth brat. 

I have a problem taking a world setting seriously if all it takes is one loud-mouth brat beating one person up to change the world.  The protagonist of Kubera is also a brat too, but she's treated like one. The protagonist of Tower of God is also young, but he's manipulated left and right by the entrenched political factions.


----------



## Badalight (Mar 12, 2013)

Toriko and Dorohedoro for sure.


----------



## lesa (Mar 12, 2013)

Shingeki no Kyojin has a lot of potential in this area as well but it's still fairly new.


----------



## dream (Mar 12, 2013)

Tower of God, Nausicaa of the Valley, and Toriko are some mangas that come to mind when I think of good world building. 

Blame! deserves a special mention as well.  I absolutely adore the world that was created.


----------



## Impact (Mar 12, 2013)

Toriko and magi comes to mind although I just started it magi yesterday I really like what I read so far with the dungeons and kingdoms.


----------



## Lucaniel (Mar 12, 2013)

Powerful Lord said:


> I know this has nothing to do with manga but are the Wheel of time book series good? I've been interested in getting into those after a song of ice and fire, is the world building and plot as good? From the few things i read from the wikia many elements seemed taked straight from Lord of the rings



well, some things to clear up before i launch into this: i have seen no jarring copying from LOTR in the books. i don't think it has any more in common with LOTR than the average modern fantasy series. possibly less.

it's also not as good as ASoIaF, i'm afraid.

anyways, one thing to note about WoT that you will find extremely jarring is that it's basically an inverted world in terms of gender politics. women have the upper hand in, more or less, all social interactions from top to bottom. to the extent that it can become genuinely frustrating, but still interesting as an examination of privilege. so be prepared for that.

anyways, it's a series that you will probably get into pretty strongly, and have a lot of very strong opinions about, and be _emotionally involved_ in, which is a good mark of dramatic success. it's a huge series, so i guess it kind of needs that. 

i don't think the plot is as good as ASoIaF. neither's the characterisation. it's not productive to compare the two in general because WoT is much more pure fantasy and much less concerned with the mechanisms of power and politics than the former. but, if you get into it after the first two or three books, then you'll probably stay with it till the end.

i should warn you though, after it finished...i was super underwhelmed by the experience, and in retrospect, i kinda tend to see it as rather more minor, in literary terms, than i felt when reading it. so there's that.


----------



## Danchou (Mar 12, 2013)

Berserk is an obvious choice.

Eden: It's an Endless World!

Hunter x Hunter, Psyren and D. Gray-man also have decent world building.


----------



## Black Mirror (Mar 13, 2013)

Mizura said:


> Huh, that's true. He did say that Tower of God is just part of the Talse Uzer universe he created. I guess it's a matter of taste: some of us Like it when there's additional info on the world to be found, some prefer everything to be in the actual story.
> 
> I'll also second Nausicaa as a very in-depth world. It isn't huge, but it packs a lot of emotions. I also like Toriko for the fun factor: the power levels are ridiculous, but man are those world settings fun to read. It makes you feel sorry you don't get to explore some of the areas more. And food, lots of food.
> 
> ...



We all did and that's why we hate the manga now.  Also slowly starting to hate togashi since it seems like he cancelled HxH.

I'd add Magician to the list. The world is getting bigger and most things are a mystery. The world resembles LotR a little.


----------



## Powerful Lord (Mar 13, 2013)

Stilzkin said:


> Not that big on LotR mythos but SoIF isn't really like it other than their fantasy settings. SoIF's world building is primarily done through its huge cast of characters. There is a ton of families and each family has its members and histories with other families. SoIF isn't really all that fantastical and it doesn't go for the epical route LotR goes for. You won't find stories of creation, or gods, or gods against men in SoIF.
> 
> The actual story of SoIF reminds me a bit of Berserk. I guess it might a spoiler how the two are connected so I will spoiler the following, but it is not a huge reveal:
> 
> ...



Yeah, i follow Game of Thrones and am reading A storm of swords, i allways knew WoT has nothing to do with it escept being a fantasy too, which is why i'm interested in it.



Lucaniel said:


> well, some things to clear up before i launch into this: i have seen no jarring copying from LOTR in the books. i don't think it has any more in common with LOTR than the average modern fantasy series. possibly less.
> 
> it's also not as good as ASoIaF, i'm afraid.
> 
> ...



One thing i heard about WoT is its complex esplanation of magic, is it as thoughtful or complex as most ability mangas nowadays? (Hunter X Hunter for example)


----------



## Hatifnatten (Mar 13, 2013)

> one piece





> intricate world building.


----------



## Hatifnatten (Mar 13, 2013)

Something deep, mature and acclaimed of course.


----------



## God Movement (Mar 13, 2013)

Danchou said:


> Berserk is an obvious choice.
> 
> Eden: It's an Endless World!
> 
> Hunter x Hunter, Psyren and *D. Gray-man* also have decent world building.



You what mate?


----------



## Bubyrd Ratcatcher (Mar 13, 2013)

Powerful Lord said:


> One thing i heard about WoT is its complex esplanation of magic, is it as thoughtful or complex as most ability mangas nowadays? (Hunter X Hunter for example)



No i dont think that is that complex. At least not in its description.
The magic is a weaving of the classical elements and some weaves are intriguing in the making. I would say that the mechanic is solid.
But its nothing like HxH. There is some glimmer of tactic here and there but mostly they just use the same pattern of attacks everytime. Still better than Harry Potter "just avada kedavra everything" duels.

Magic into WoT is more a natural gift, that is divided into a sort of Ying and Yang that in its balance sustain all the creation. So the philosophy behind the powers has complexity
As Lucaniel properly said, its a series that will get you emotionally involved. Although at the end i wasnt only underwhelmed, i was pretty butthurt. 

I would reccomend you the Malazan series by Steven Erikson(first book is  convoluted, hard to get into) or The Prince of Nothing by Scott Bakker. Some people dont like them, so it is a hit or miss i fear. End OT.


----------



## Mizura (Mar 13, 2013)

Black Mirror said:


> We all did and that's why we hate the manga now.


It had So much potential! A complex ninja world with conflicting villages with unique history and complex attack systems. Then it became a competition of who has the biggest (energy) balls. And Naruto spent most of Part II in some cave or some forest.

Would it have killed the author to make Naruto spend a few chapters in the other villages, getting a better grasp of differing systems and history, and thus show some budding leadership abilities (like figuring out ways that could improve his village)? I'm sure most viewers wouldn't mind if in exchange, Kishimoto made some battles a Tad bit shorter (to say nothing of the gazillion training sessions). I swear, Twilight Sparkle has shown more leadership abilities than Naruto at this point. 

I haven't watched GoT and such. Ironically I'm too lazy to watch most TV shows. :S I like the manga format, where I can just read back on crucial chapters and pages.

Imo, a series doesn't have to be too big or too complex to have "good world-building", by the way. I really liked the world in Aqua, for example, or at least the way it was shown through the protagonists. Some worlds can be big and filled with visuals but still feel empty.


----------



## Scratchy (Mar 13, 2013)

Stilzkin said:


> About Tower of God; I never know how to feel about the manhwa. The author clearly wants to create his own world but I really hate the fact that a lot of it is actually outside the actual work. It makes it feel kind of cheap that there is an external paragraph explaining who so and so are instead of it fitting in naturally with the story. I feel that if you can't explain it within the work itself perhaps it should either be left out or the story changed so that it does fit in. I also get that some people must love all that background stuff.



Note that all that stuff is subject to change, until he implements it into the story. It's also just an extra for fans who want (and can't wait) to read more about the Tower (and what's already in the manwha is plenty).


----------



## Black Mirror (Mar 13, 2013)

Mizura said:


> It had So much potential! A complex ninja world with conflicting villages with unique history and complex attack systems. Then it became a competition of who has the biggest (energy) balls. And Naruto spent most of Part II in some cave or some forest.
> 
> Would it have killed the author to make Naruto spend a few chapters in the other villages, getting a better grasp of differing systems and history, and thus show some budding leadership abilities (like figuring out ways that could improve his village)? I'm sure most viewers wouldn't mind if in exchange, Kishimoto made some battles a Tad bit shorter (to say nothing of the gazillion training sessions). I swear, Twilight Sparkle has shown more leadership abilities than Naruto at this point.
> 
> ...



oO GoT is not like most TV shows  You should go and watch it now. It's something you'd regret not to watch before death


----------



## Lucaniel (Mar 13, 2013)

Powerful Lord said:


> One thing i heard about WoT is its complex esplanation of magic, is it as thoughtful or complex as most ability mangas nowadays? (Hunter X Hunter for example)



well, yeah, because most ability mangas reeeaaally aren't that 'complex'. i personally don't put much stock in magic systems as long as they're sufficiently interesting (it takes really shitty ones like the one in trudi canavan's magician's guild series to bother me) - WoT doesn't stand out to me in that respect. the magic system is...fine. it's basically simple but allows sufficient room for expansion, combination, and experimentation to make it a solid one

if you want a fantasy series where the magic system is developed enough to the point where it's actually a standout aspect, then try malazan


----------



## CandyCocaine (Mar 13, 2013)

One Piece has amazing world building(arguably my favorite thing about the manga) . 
Part I Naruto's world building was great as well. I don't understand why he took the route he did with Part II.


----------



## Succubus (Mar 13, 2013)

Blame,  biomega,  berserk,  ?bel blatt,  akame ga kiru,  FMA,  magi,  nanatsu no taizai &  evangelion


----------



## Akatora (Mar 13, 2013)

The Bloody Nine said:


> Nope just a broad, intricate world. For instance I see HxH mentioned but IMO it has pretty bad world building. The author keeps adding things but it doesn't really make sense how they link to one another. At least that's how i remember thinking about it when i read it months ago.





Well to give you some exsamples on what I find interesting about the world of 12 kingdoms:


*An ocean unlike any normal one*, none who have tried to cross it has ever returned, none who have tried to reach the lights of it's depth have ever been able to reach the light.
The Ocean is pretty much a reflection of the sky of our world with Galaxies stars etc all moving around in this wast seemingly endless ocean)

*A Sea of clouds*, creatures are living in the clouds and the clouds make up a kind of sea to those living above the clouds(THe Gods)

*People and animals* are not born but *grow on trees*.

Gods are in generally not born to be *gods* but *elected* by a divine being to be emperors(and the beings master)

Divine beings that are the *holiest creature* of their world make *contracts with demons* as part of their function.

The fact you see *consequences of decisions* and power also makes it worth a read imo.

Wast world
*12 kingdoms each the size of China* + a 13'th holy one(I recall how lost i felt when the main character of the anime asked in the books where she were, got some 7-8 chinease words back from town to region, to prefecture to country etc)


----------



## egressmadara (Mar 13, 2013)

One Piece, Berserk, Hokuto no Ken, FMA, and Vinland Saga.


----------



## OtherGalaxy (Mar 13, 2013)

> About Tower of God; I never know how to feel about the manhwa. The author clearly wants to create his own world but I really hate the fact that a lot of it is actually outside the actual work. It makes it feel kind of cheap that there is an external paragraph explaining who so and so are instead of it fitting in naturally with the story. I feel that if you can't explain it within the work itself perhaps it should either be left out or the story changed so that it does fit in. I also get that some people must love all that background stuff.



That can be annoying especially at the beginning. Made getting into it rather confusing at the start. Luckily later on they become less about crucial details and more teasers of future characters, often with less serious content (Loserek Mazino Comics for example).

That said, ToG gets my vote as far as worldbuilding.


----------



## Danchou (Mar 13, 2013)

God Movement said:


> You what mate?


I like the world of DGM.

You have the Order, a worldwide operating exorcist organization, fighting the Noah and the Akuma in every corner of the world.

Especially early DGM was interesting.


----------



## Mizura (Mar 13, 2013)

Black Mirror said:


> oO GoT is not like most TV shows  You should go and watch it now. It's something you'd regret not to watch before death


That's just it. I like being able to read back on pages to see what I missed or to confirm a scene. Doing that with a TV show is much more awkward. Doing it with a -complex- TV show where I'd have to try to find back multiple scenes at a time is something that I'm not looking forward to. I mean, I've re-read most of Kubera's chapters a good half-dozen times (the series is shaped like a mystery, it's easy to find half a dozen things you've missed upon a first re-read). But the thought of re-watching episodes that many times? Ugh.

... wait, it's based on a book. I should just read the book. That'd solve the problem. Eh-heheh.


----------



## Dream Brother (Mar 14, 2013)

The _Ice and Fire_ books are indeed worth reading. The first three books in particular are very good. 

As for _Kubera_, I caught up with the latest chapter -- such a great series. An interesting world with interesting characters.


----------



## Mongoloid Gnome (Mar 14, 2013)

Tower. Of. God.


----------

