Well take it from a Wolf who has been a Manga fan mainly for around eleven years. There is manga and there IS MANGA!
If you want to find the good ones, check out creators like Masamune Shorow´s Akira (first one is a bit over the top, but the following series are reall good and a bit more to the truth of things. Pretty proportionate for characters and such). Also Masamunes Ghost in the Shell is IMHO still one of the best series ever done. The philosophy angles (where is Donut???
) are great. Also a favourite of mine is Yukito Kishiro´s Alitha Battle Angel. A bit more of the big swords but also a bit philosophical but also on the more proportionate side of things. Can´t remember who did it, but Ninja Scrolls is a must to see if you want lifelike swords and intense action! (Almost as good as Jackie Chan!!
)
For some info on Masamune..
http://www.asgard.gen.nz/anime/shirow/complete.html
For Yukito Kishiro
http://www.interq.or.jp/drums/tsutom...p/E-frame.html