I doubt you'll read this, since the original post was from over three years ago, but what the heck.
Quote:
Originally Posted by babybro
An excellent question I have is, is it possible to create a manga with strong emotional and personal ties like a comedy/drama/romance manga-anime, and yet still have a very strong plot theme like action-adventure/sci-fi/fighting anime-manga?
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Yes. See Elfen Lied or Neon Genesis Evangelion.
In fact, the best animes are like those two, in my opinion. Both have a tight, complex plot that's driven by the characters, and every detail is important and related to every other detail. Nearly everyone factors into both the plot and backstory, and they have multiple layers of interaction with each other (Shinji is related to Rei through their link as pilots, through their competition for Gendo's attention, through the fact that she's a freaking clone of his mom, etc.)
Humor is fine, but I see it as more a replacement for actual plot elements than anything else. Sometimes, humor will take the place of plot (comedies like Azumanga Daioh). Sometimes it will supplement it (Samurai Champloo, Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya). Sometimes it just won't be needed at all, because the plot can stand by itself (Akira). For what it's worth, I don't think the animes I've watched that have employed comedy would be worth watching without it.
As for the manga being personal, I wouldn't worry TOO much about that. Yes, there is an element of marketability that you can't ignore, but often our best work is done when it's from our hearts. Something can only be groundbreaking if it abandons the standard and the generic, after all.