I came across blogger David Welsh's rant about NYT's Gift Guide (via Manga Blog). In case you were wondering, that Gift Guide was a 'Cool Comics You Can Buy a Geek' sort of guide. He was pointing out, and rightly so, that not a single manga made to that list. Oh no, they didn't! Well, I was inspired by his call to make a list and came up with my own manga gift guide. Here goes.

Bleach

Yes, the uber popular Burichi! I tried it out and I am hooked. And if you know anyone who loves an action-packed story filled with weird and wonderful fighter types, nab a few of this series for that lucky soul. It starts out as a rather typical story of an ordinary teen, Ichigo, accessing super-human powers (forget geography homework, who wouldn't want to don a cool robe and wield a sword as a soul reaper? No? Just me then). He comes across an injured reaper, Rukia, and absorbs her powers. The lanky lad has the weight of the world on his shoulders as he takes over her job of riding the world of evil ghosts (the aptly named Hollows with a gaping hole in the middle of their body). Soon, he is joined by school buddies (some fantastic characters like the bow-toting Ichida and some annoying tag-alongs like Inoue) who also discover powers of their own. And next thing you know everyone is getting caught up in weird afterworld situations and saving their hometown from evil forces. Think epic battles, nasty bad guys with amazing powers and of course, good guys with various skill specialties.

Kuroshitsuji

Now for something with a bit of supernatural undertones. This manga will appeal to a wide variety of readers. It has got mysterious characters (hello demon butler!) who have strange powers. If you prefer doses of mystery in the story itself, this has plenty of those as well. Thus, everyone, from young master Ciel to creepy noble Madam Red, have something to hide. Or at least something they would shuffle hastily into the dark corners of their attic/cellar/secret dungeon. Add to this the plot line itself; Ciel and his little group of servants must get to the bottom of scary paranormal activities that have been happening all over town. Admittedly, this manga has its fair share of emotional bits but you hardly notice that since the writer focuses strongly on the supernatural mystery theme.

Nana

Ah, this will be a tough one. This is one of my favorite mangas and one that I add to any must-have list. Problem is picking the right reader group. Yes, yes, contrary to what you've heard, it will definitely appeal to non-shoujo readers. After all, the story follows the rise to fame of a punk band, Black Stones. The lead singer, Nana O, is spunky, she has got attitude and she tries her hardest to make the band work. Her group of band members are eccentric folk, each with their own little idiosyncrasies. One's a lawyer, one has a part-time 'job' as a male escort and one is a rich boy hoping to make it big on his own. I should mention that their previous bassist went off to Tokyo and formed his own band. And that their band has made it big? Sounds good, so far doesn't it? Then there are the other elements of the manga, ones that are introduced via another equally important character, Nana K. She is akin to a roadie who is swept in the wake of Black Stones' journey to the top. Alright, so she is more than that. The girl is best friends with Nana O and other members of the band. Her decisions and life choices affect everyone in both bands and, to a large extent, influence both groups' decisions. This series will appeal to both teenage guys and girls (remember the gritty punk element) but I should warn you, it's probably more suited for older teens. You'll see why.

Trigun

This one's for both genders as well. Can I just add that this was one of those definitive works for me? I usually hate Westerns, be it graphic novels, TV series or books. The guns, the cowboy hats, the boots, it's just not for me. That is until I came across Trigun. This manga added oomph to the western story concept. It was a science fiction tale mingled with cowboy style elements. It came complete with ghost towns, scary bandits, evil tycoons, valiant heroes. Somehow the western scenario became the most ideal setting for this story. The story follows the footsteps of a mysterious character called Vash. Well, let's just say that it hops along a few bus stops behind him. There is a bounty on his head because wherever he drops by, trouble follows. And by trouble I mean utter devastation of whatever is in his path. Is he the bad guy everyone makes him out to be? Or is he just misunderstood? Those who love strong lead characters will love Vash. He's a snazzy sharp-shooter who hates to kill innocent folk. He has a soft heart and is, in his own way, rather flamboyant. Did I mention that he wears a disgustingly cool red overcoat that would make a Grammaton Cleric weep in envy? There are plenty of other likable characters including Meryl, Milly and my personal favorite, the traveling priest/gunman, Wolfwood.