Gakuen Alice
I put off reading this for years as the art and the chibi-looking characters made me imagine it had to be a childish, feel-good type of manga, which I just am not into - I want josei and I want mature characters! Boy, was I wrong. Despite initially seeming like a product for children and having children as its main cast, this manga is as grown-up as it can be. It deals with issues of loss, trauma, shortened lifespans, abandonment, being an orphan, death, making sacrifices, making mistakes, retribution and forgiveness - and despite everything, putting on a smile and living on with endless hope for the future, putting love (not just romantic love but love of people) and forgiveness before anything else. It's incredible and if you like shoujo or josei mangas, you simply need to read this masterpiece.
Sakuran