Do you prefer it have really cool pics and interesting illustrations or a very well developed storyline?

Personally, I choose both, as I'm sure most would.
But if I had to, I'd go for storyline. This is all due to experience.
While flicking around, trying to find some good mangas, I tend to always choose the one that has the better drawings. But I found half the time, the drawings were about as good as the manga got.

I find, if the storyling is good, the drawings would eventually grow on you. Of course, it's got to be somewhat decent but doesn't half to be like "Woah!" type.

I was just wandering how others feel about it. I'm really interested in finding out.

thank you!

Hmm... this is an interesting topic. I'm going to use a lot of anime examples in my post since I think the topic applies to anime just as much as manga.

First of all, I agree with you that mediocre drawings will grow on you if the storyline is good. For instance, Tenshi na Konamaiki has really ugly art (sorry animators & mangaka!), but the storyline and humor is well done. The show is addicting and I simply couldn't stop watching after I started it. After a few episodes, I didn't care about the art at all. A recent anime, Eureka 7, on the other hand, may have great animation (Studio BONES, I believe), but many people are dropping it since it's unbearingly boring. While we're all attracted to pretty images at first, I'm certain that the storyline is what draws us into a series in the end.

At least most of the time. O.o;;

A long time ago, I read the One Piece manga and I put it down since the art made me cringe. Later, I downloaded the fansubs from Kaizoku-Fansubs and found that I really enjoyed the show. When I caught up to their most recently released episode, I wanted to see more and decided to go back and read the manga. But I couldn't. I really don't like the art in One Piece and while I'm hooked on the story, I can't bring myself to read the manga. Under most circumstances, I can overlook bad art as long as I enjoy the story, but in some cases (such as with One Piece) the art can drive me away from the manga.

Shounen series are more popular than shoujo series. We can argue whether or not this is true, but for the sake of my argument, they're simply more popular. I mean, look at the popularity of Naruto, Bleach, Detective Conan and One Piece compared to Aishiteruze Baby, Ultra Maniac, DNAngel and Daa! Daa! Daa! (Card Captor Sakura and Sailormoon never happened, dammit! xb) The art in most shoujo series is more detailed and nicer than art in shounen series. However, shounen manga's popularity is a result of their stories which tend to be more exciting and creative than shoujo manga.

The most popular shows and manga, on the most part, manage to have good storylines coupled with good art. However, more manga series succeed with great storylines rather than good art. I think this is why Sailormoon and Card Captor Sakura were so successful actually. They weren't the prototype shoujo series and romance often took a backseat to action. Something actually happened during both of those series other than breaking up with a boyfriend or getting into a fight with a best friend. ¬_¬

In the end, I believe that the story is the most important part of a series or manga. Pretty art can help, but it won't save a boring show. On the other hand, gorgeous art alone won't keep anyone's attention long enough for a solid fanbase to form. A storyline is what captures our attention and has us eagerly anticipating the next chapter or episode.

I agree. I also feel like the quality of shounen manga is better than shoujou. But there are sucky shounen manga, and really good shoujou manga. It also depends on what kind of manga I feel like reading at the moment aswell.
I occasionally get a craving for shoujou manga xD At times like that it's the only sort of manga I read.

But for me, I need both story and art to be able to enjoy a manga, the manga that sticks with me though, are the ones with a great story. I can't take a manga that only fulfills one of those requirements...

BOTH... >_>

Both is the ideal... But i think that the art just have a minimal quality... I rejected varios mangas because the poor art... The art help you to read it...
But, the story is fundamental for i continue to reading the manga :)

The art and the history is really importan to me o_o .

I agree. I also feel like the quality of shounen manga is better than shoujou. But there are sucky shounen manga, and really good shoujou manga. It also depends on what kind of manga I feel like reading at the moment aswell.
I occasionally get a craving for shoujou manga xD At times like that it's the only sort of manga I read.

I pretty much share the same views... after spending many years reading shoujo, I gave it up because of the inane storylines :P

Inane storyline or not... I actually prefer STORY over art. grudgesoul, you made me cry about what you said about OP j/k :) One Piece art did make me relunctant to try the manga... but after reading it, I liked the story and that's why I've stuck to it ever since.

Sure, sometimes the art can be damned GOOD but when the story doesn't grab me... I feel very bored to continue. That's what happened with Vagabond.. it's drawn by Inoue Takehiko (HE IS GOD I TELL U) but I found out I was just collecting it for the art, not the story. So I dropped it. Same thing with Getbackers too. I felt the story was just heading nowhere/lost its fizzle after a few vols.

grudgesoul, you made me cry about what you said about OP j/k :) One Piece art did make me relunctant to try the manga... but after reading it, I liked the story and that's why I've stuck to it ever since.

Haha... even I feel bad about not liking the manga since I'm in love with the storyline. I can only image the pain I've caused to a fellow forum member who's apparently obsessed with the manga (and has pirate king written on her avatar). xD;;

xXxXxXxXxXxXx

Now I know I'm generalizing, but it seems like Japanese manga readers are less concerned with bad art (and more inclined to like a manga because of its storyline) than American readers. For instance, the One Piece manga isn't doing too well in America, especially if you compare it with its sales in Japan. On the other hand, Naruto is doing very well. Like most people here, I've read both of those series and I don't think there's a contest as to which art is better. Both have storylines however, that are excellent.

Now I know I'm getting slightly off topic here, but do you guys think American readers are generally more inclined to stay away from manga with bad art than Japanese readers?

And yes, I know that almost everyone who agrees with me and responds to this will say that he or she agrees but is not part of that generalization. Just so that I don't put anyone on the spot, I'd like to mention that I'm one of those horrible Americans who ignores most series with bad art. x)

Usually, as many people say here, I want a manga with both a good story and good art, that's what my favourite mangas have. But it's not as simple as it seems. Slam Dunk does not have good drawings but I like the story. In the other side, there's He is my master, which does not have a really good story -__- but awesome drawings. Heheh. I cannot really say I prefer one over the other but both the same.

grudgesoul

Now I know I'm getting slightly off topic here, but do you guys think American readers are generally more inclined to stay away from manga with bad art than Japanese readers?

im american and i tend to stay away from manga with bad art. haha. but i dont know about the other people. im really big on the art cause i like looking at it than reading for story lines. that was one of the reasons why i liked manga in the first place--the art. but if i come across something that has a really good storyline (usually someone recommends it) then ill go read it or watch it. but if i can't tolerate the drawings, then i cant bring myself to go through with it. same with the story line...if the art is good but i cant tolerate the story line..cant go through with it, ill just stare at the pretty pictures. but im still the one that judges things by the cover (same with regular books, which is horrible..but cant help it). and plus, i dont feel like im missing out on anything if i havnt read it or something. i dont know how great it is, and i dont care. so its fine with me.

I would prefer to have both since it's interesting and visually pleasing at the same time. Though there's not many that would have both. I agree the a storyline would be better because there a re many timees where the artwork is so beautiful but the story is so confusing or hard to understand. I've recently read Alchino and I really love the artwork but the staryline doesn't really capture my attention. I would just read it because of the the pretty art. One Piece is a good example of an awesome storyline but when you first pick it up, you would put it back down. But what was mentioned is true: That you grow to like the artwork if the story is good.

The art catches my eye and if the story is good I will finish reading the series. Its only if a manga is recommended do I chose art over story. But I do have to say tho that most manga, at least in my opinion has pretty good art in it, not always but a lot of the time.

The Art. Even if the story is good, I will not like it if the drawing are not good.
On what I judge a manga beautiful or uggly ?
This is very personal but I'll say.
1- Characters
1-a. girls cute
1-b. Main guy cool
1-c. Well done skins
1-c. Line, body not overdone (too long nose, watermelons on the chest or long necks)
2- Beautiful cities
3- (optional) Good artbooks ^^

It's all. The story is secondary. When I start a well done manga, if the story is not funny, original, or simply good :p, I will not buy it.
There are exceptions : Ah my goddess. The first tomes are very uggly but since the first, Fujishima improve a lot.

I'd have to say art is most important to me. Being a bit of a perfectionist artist, I can't stand art that looks sloppily done... or just plain bad. Since I generally buy manga in the original Japanese form, and I'm nowhere near fluent, I depend a lot on the art to help me with the story. So... if I can't stand the art, then, bye bye manga.

Hrm... i would have to say both...

afterall i am a picky reader =)

when people say they don't like the art of one piece, its really a style of the mangaka and how he chose to draw it
take hunter x hunter for example, if you have read the latest chapters, you'll understand sometimes artwork isn't all to the manga :P ( that ******* sketches in chapters and leaves redrawings to his underlings for tank releases )
and also some people say shoujo aren't for guys, let me tell you that sometimes shoujo ( no gay yaoi, shounen ai kthanks ) can be interesting. i wouldn't reccomend shitty triangle love story ones tho. those manga tend to piss people off rather then making them enjoy reading. but overall i read shounen ( for guys ie the all famouse ichigo 100%, OP, HxH ) mangas

=)