December is the month when all us aspiring pundits do something particularly obnoxious: we compile “best of” lists summarizing our favorite (fill in the blank) of the waning year. These lists are calculated to show just how well-rounded we are, with nods to the most popular stuff and plenty of space devoted to titles that found only a niche following. I’m not immune to the charms of such list-making exercises, so I’m throwing my hat in the ring and naming my favorites. (Notice I say “favorites.” I make no claims for the excellence or importance of these titles.) I had a hard time limiting myself to ten, so here are 20 manga that rocked my world in 2006—and yes, the list includes manwha, OEL/OGM, re-issues, and an indie comic with crossover appeal.

20. Trinity Blood, Vol. 1 (Tokyopop)
19. Kurosagi Corpse Delivery Service, Vol. 1 (Dark Horse)
18. Bring It On!, Vol. 3 (ICE Kunion)
17. Cantarella, Vol. 4 (Go! Comi)
16. Mitsukazu Mihara: The Embalmer, Vol. 1 (Tokyopop)
15. Kurogane, Vol. 1 (Del Rey)
14. Real Lies (ICE Kunion)
13. The Antique Bakery, Vol. 4 (DMP)
12. The Dreaming, Vol. 2 (Tokyopop)
11. Satsuma Gishiden, Vol. 1 (Dark Horse)
10. Banya the Explosive Delivery Man, Vol. 1 (Dark Horse)
9. Ode to Kirihito (Vertical)
8. Scott Pilgrim and the Infinite Sadness (Oni Press)
7. Old Boy, Vol. 2 (Dark Horse)
6. Kekkaishi, Volume 6 (Viz)
5. xxxHolic, Vol. 7 (Del Rey)
4. Dokebi Bride, Vol. 1 (Net Comics)
3. Lady Snowblood, Vol. 3 (Dark Horse)
2. Monster, Vol. 5 (Viz)
1. Phoenix, Vols. 7-8 (Viz)

A few titles that didn’t make the cut but are worth mentioning include Rumiko Takahashi’s long-running crowd-pleaser InuYasha (Viz); Takahashi passed the 450 episode mark this year, with no signs of Naraku’s imminent defeat or artist fatigue. Two Tokyopop titles—Amy Kim Ganter’s Sorcerers & Secretaries and June Kim’s 12 Days—won me over with their appealing characters, distinctive artwork, and skillful storytelling. And Go! Comi continues to impress me with the quality of the projects they pick. At the moment, Cantarella is my favorite, but I’m also enjoying Her Majesty’s Dog, Night of the Beasts, and After School Nightmare.

On a few titles, I find myself at odds with the manga mainstream. I may be one of three readers who didn’t adore Nodame Cantabile (Del Rey); chalk it up to all those years of playing in orchestras and chamber music groups. (In all fairness to Nodame, I didn’t like Immortal Beloved or Amadeus, either. About the only music-themed stories I’ve ever enjoyed were School of Rock, The Commitments, and Doktor Faustus. So Tomoko Ninomiya, you have some illustrious company on my reject list.) Yoki Koto Kiku (Broccoli Books) was another one that found me at odds with the mangasphere. Connie of Slightly Biased Manga summarized her objection to Yoki more eloquently than I could:

My main problem with this title was that it was a straight-up parody of the Inugami Clan [a Japanese detective story], and I hate parodies of things that I am not familiar with because I know I’m missing out on all the jokes. Granted, we got a good amount of background material, but it’s just not the same as reading the book.

And if you’re wondering why Death Note (Viz) and Eternal Sabbath (Del Rey) didn’t make the cut, the answer is simple: I haven’t read them. Yet.

The biggest surprise of the year has been the sheer number of great manwha titles, from NETCOMICS’s‘ widely praised Dokebi Bride to Dark Horse’s shamelessly entertaining Banya the Explosive Delivery Man. Thanks to a contest organized by David Taylor (formerly of LoveManga fame, now of MangaCast renown), I discovered the ICE Kunion catalog, enjoying the tomboy escapades of Bring It On!, the supernatural shojo of The Antique Gift Shop, and the cyberpunk stories of Real Lies. With superior production values and an interesting assortment of titles, ICE Kunion seems like a publisher to watch in 2007. And don’t count NETCOMICS out, either. Though their catalog is hit-or-miss, their inexpensive pay-per-view system is a great way to find the diamonds in the dross; without it, I might have overlooked such gems as Madtown Hospital and Let Dai. More publishers ought to follow their model, as it encourages the kind of behavior that makes MBAs jump for joy: repeat site visits, spontaneous blog endorsements, and fierce brand loyalty.