There are many comics that attract you at the first reading, but the ones that have you feel like returning are fewer. The titles below are some examples of “the rest of them”. They are enjoyable, or at least not bad, to read once, but I have not felt like picking them up again for years.
Go! Hiromi, Go! by ASO Mikoto
A contemporary comedy about an odd girl student at Tokyo University, the most prestigeous academy in Japan, who struggles her way to find her real goal in the life. I really thought that it had a good tempo and wit when my friend lent it to me, but didn’t get into the mood to buy it myself to keep on my side.
Candy Candy by IGARASHI Yumiko and MIZUKI Kyoko
A classic. I felt its art and expression too girly even when it was really popular in my childhood, but there were a few scenes that were not so bad.
Berusaiyu no Bara (Rose of Versaille) by IKEDA Riyoko
A classic masterpiece. But I’ve already read it twice, or perhaps three times, in my life. It is enough. Embarrassingly dramatic.
Juoh-sei by ITSUKI Natumi
SF. The characters were not felt close, and so the excitement while reading vanished in closing the book.
Oz by ITSUKI Natsumi
Same as Juoh-sei.
Wata no Kuni Boshi by OSHIMA Yumiko
Another classic. It was taken as a must-read shoujo in ’80s. It is good, but I didn’t well get the reason of such a high esteem even at that time.
Sora wa Akai Kawa no Hotori (Red River) by SHINOHARA Chie
Historical fantasy. It seems all male characters fall in love with the heroine. That’s too much, isn’t it?
Utsuho Soshi by SUWA Midori
A historical fantasy about a mysterious biwa, the Japanese classic guitar. The unique story with a style is worthy reading once. But it didn’t come close enough.
Kaze to Ki no Uta
A classic that is sometimes dubbed a precursor of BL comics. While I pay a certain respect to this epoch-maker, some side characters are too perverted to read about more than once.
Hi Izuru Tokoro no Tenshi by YAMAGISHI Ryoko
A famous classic. Historical fantasy. I was following the serial on time of its first publishing in the monthly magazine, and was tired in the middle.
Haikara-san ga Toru by YAMATO Waki
A classic of shojo manga. Historical love comedy. The gag there seemed quite old-fashioned even when I read this in 1970’s.
Banana Fish by YOSHIDA Akimi
Another famous classic. It looks like a sharp criminal story at first, but in reality it seems to me a melodrama after all.
The following are the relatively well-known comics that I started to read with quite an interest in the past but lost the energy to continue in the middle. Reasons are various. I might be able to reevaluate them if only I picked them up again…
Kisu (Kiss) by MATSUMOTO Tomo
Sukippu Bito (Skip Beat) by NAKAMURA Yoshiki
Saifa (Cypher) by NARITA Minako
Tsuki no Ko by SHIMIZU Reiko
Furutsu Basuketto (Fruit Basket) by TAKAYA Natsuki
Hajime-chan ga Ichiban by WATANABE Taeko
Asaki Yume Mishi by YAMATO Waki
This is a great list. I often have that experience too: people tell me something is a “classic”, but when I read it, I’m not entirely sure why.