Beck

Mangaka: Harold Sakuishi
Category: shounen

"A guitar is the human soul, speaking with just six strings."

Summary: Koyuki is a nobody until he goes on-stage, guitar on hand, and sings with his incredibly moving voice as vocalist for a band called Beck. Beck -- composed of Koyuki, Ryusuke (guitar-god), Taira (funky bassist), Chiba (rapper/vocalist with attitude), and Saku (friendly drummer) -- amasses fans and foes alike with its powerful music. This is the story of a small band's arduous and perilous ascent to fame.

Comments: Beck is one of my favorite mangas :). You don't have to actually hear them play to know that Beck is good, just looking at the audience' reactions make me wish I could see the band live, too. The story begins at a turtle's pace and the art is nothing out of the ordinary but as the manga progresses, the story gets exciting. Whenever they find new opportunities, opposition arises. One moment the band is on cloud nine; they're in the pits the next. Such is the fate of many bands who dream of making it big. But do dreams actually come true? Will it, for Beck? We'll see.

Scanlator: Mangascreener