TRENDING
Usotsuki Paradox
2014-02-04
The following content is intended for mature audiences and may contain sexual themes, gore, violence and/or strong language. Discretion is advised. Youkadou, a young man working at a certain office, is in love with Seiyuu, an extremely beautiful coworker of his. She is in a long-distance relationship with her boyfriend, but she agrees to go out with him with one condition: they'll never have sex.
Pet Diary
2011-03-22
In a dormitory where you are accepted if you adopt a companion animal, The fun story between four animals and four owners and their adventures!
Kono S o, Mi yo!
2011-04-17
The following content is intended for mature audiences and may contain sexual themes, gore, violence and/or strong language. Discretion is advised. 22-year-old Rin has two major problems: a complex about the tattoo-like birthmark on his butt and a crush on an older woman who thinks of him as her little brother. Rin hasn't allowed any woman to see his naked bottom since an incident when he was 7, which firmly entrenched his shame about his birthmark. When he finds his birthmark may grant him mystical powers over the opposite sex, will he finally be able to use his butt to his advantage?
Btooom!
2014-02-04
Sakamoto Ryuuta is an unemployed 22-year-old who lives with his mother. In the real world, there may be nothing really special about him, but online, he's one of the world's top players of the combat game "BTOOOM"!One day, he awakes in what appears to be a tropical island, though he has no memory of how or why he has come to be there. While wandering around, Ryuuta sees someone and calls out for help. The stranger responds by throwing a bomb at him! Now Ryuuta realizes both that his life is in danger and that he has somehow been trapped in a real-life version of his favorite game! Will Ryuuta be able to survive long enough to figure out how and why he ended up here?
Glass Mask
2011-01-14
Plot: Kitajima Maya loves acting with a passion. But the odds seem stacked against her--she's working as a delivery girl at a noodle shop and bogged down with school... Still, nothing could stop her love for drama... Will she ever get the chance to pursue her dreams?
Cyclops Shoujo Saipu
2011-03-25
When Fuuka hit her second year of middle school, puberty kicked in. Now she's really tall and has huge boobs. Due to her hairstyle, her classmates call her "Saipu," after the cyclops. Her affection for her older brother was cute when she was a little girl and said she wanted to marry him. Now it just freaks him out, since she's decided she's adult enough to follow through on her childish promises. This 4-koma style manga is the story of the life of this cyclops girl!
Gamble Fish
2011-01-14
The following content is intended for mature audiences and may contain sexual themes, gore, violence and/or strong language. Discretion is advised. Plot: The story is set at Shishidou, a school attended by rich and elite people. Tom Shirasagi, a gambler, is a mysterious new transfer student who has come from a public school (instead of a prestigious private one) and faces the elitist environment. There, he declares a challenge toward any student and claims he will bring to the ruin the whole school through a series of gambling matches. Nobody knows why he has come to that school or what the real motivations behind his actions are.During any match, Tom shows off all of his unique coolness and ability.He employs a wide range of tricks, both psychological and physical, to ensure his victory. In any game, you will constantly ask how he's planning to win, why he's really doing certain things, and what's really going on. At the end of the matches, the tricks are revealed, and they all work in real life, even if they do require one to be highly skilled or lucky in order to perform them.The story centers around the various matches he undertakes and the interactions between the various characters, like Mika Shishidou, the beautiful granddaughter of the school headmaster, who is highly intelligent but contemptuous and superb, or Abidani, the vampiric looking dorm superintendent and main villain (for now) in the series, who has a sadistic personality and whose goal is to make Tom leave his school (or to get him killed).As the story unfolds, more about Tom's past is revealed, leading to unpredictable turns of events.
Ubel Blatt
2011-01-24
The following content is intended for mature audiences and may contain sexual themes, gore, violence and/or strong language. Discretion is advised. When the Wischtech threatened to invade the fiefs of Szaalanden, the Emperor dispatched fourteen youths. Of these, the Seven Heroes halted the invasion to herald a time of prosperity while the four Lances of Betrayal were supposedly defeated.Two decades later, the Lances of Betrayal have reappeared and formed a bandit militia near the frontier fief Gormbark. A man with a black sword and a scar over his left eye slays an entire troop of that militia. He is identified as the boy, Kóinzell, and becomes as much an object of fear as of hope even as his own past, motivations, and purpose are a mystery to those he meets on his journey.From Volume 0's back cover (SBM's translation):"When the black sword roars, everything that stands before it is crushed . . . ! What is the purpose of a boy Kaintzel who possesses transcendent sword skills? The battle with the "Lances of Betrayal" that were supposed defeated by the 7 Heroes... And the astounding truth that is revealed after the battle."Volume 0 encompasses a plot arc which leads directly into the main plot of Übel Blatt in Volume 1. It also introduces and develops the attitudes and motives of a few other characters aside from Kóinzell.From Suvi of IIDX, Heartfang and Hinokaze20 years ago, 14 heroes set out on a journey to stop the Wischtech threat. Three perish along the way and four abandon their mission and are labeled hence forth as the Lances of Betrayal. The remaining seven heroes destroy the Wischtech, fulfill their sealing mission and rid the world of the Lances of Betrayal. They return and become the pillars of support for the rebuilding of the empire. So forth the prestigious era starts.Although the Lances of Betrayal were thought to have fallen, they return and begin forming a powerful army on the frontier. They pillage the towns, ravage the lands, and become the object of fear within the empire. Only a young man named "Koinzell", holder of the "Black Blade", has the power to annihilate these "Lances of Betrayal". Who is Koinzell? What is the object of his journey? Where did he come from? Could he be connected to the "Seven Heroes"?
Yaiba
2011-01-14
[From Toriyama's World]:Yaiba's whole life has been spent training to be a samurai and he doesn't know about anything else, not even girls. When he returns to Japan, a pair of cursed swords makes life even more exciting... and hilarious.Note: Starting at chapter 80, EMS Team started using bunko scans, so the voluming numbering is a little different.
Umi No Misaki
2011-01-14
The following content is intended for mature audiences and may contain sexual themes, gore, violence and/or strong language. Discretion is advised. Goto Nagi has travelled to the southern island of Okitsushima, and ventures out to see Umi no Misaki, a striking cape jutting out into the ocean. But when he arrives, he finds that there is much more to this cape than a wondrous view. There is something peculiar about the cape, and about the island's inhabitants.
Salad Days
2011-01-14
Love is something that is fresh...like salads. Days when people experience love are days that will never be forgotten... These precious memories are "salad days".Salad Days is a collection of one-shots about people and their first love, or finding new love.
Montage (WATANABE Jun)
2012-11-26
In a story that moves through different time periods, mostly between 1968 and the present day, two teenagers (cousins) in the present day are learning the truth about the deaths of their parents, which appear to be tied to a murderer who has been a fugitive for over 40 years…
Jitsu wa Watashi wa
2013-09-09
Meet Kuromine Asahi, "the man who can't lie". On the way home, he just learned an important secret. That his crush, Shiragami Youko, is actually a vampire!Can Asahi actually keep her secret?It's a fun, clumsy, one of a kind vampire romantic comedy!
Majin Tantei Nogami Neuro
2011-01-27
Plot: The Demon Neuro has a raging hunger for 'enigmas'. Being dissatisfied with his current regime in hell, he's come into the mortal realm in order to satiate his ever-growing appetite. The murder case of a young girl's father seems to be sufficiently enticing for the Demon's needs.. But what else might happen between these two? Find out in this disturbingly good murder-mystery series.
Zippy Ziggy
2011-01-14
Reputation is everything in a world of icons and popularity contests. So why not score some points here and there by being the nice guy? This is the way Shinghi Ghang legitimizes the fake personality he has everyone believing. Armed with his above average looks and a (completely false) angel-like personality, he has every girl in school head over heals, and all the guys looking to him for guidance. With the exception of having a screwed up cross-dressing devil for a dad, Shinghis life is absolute perfection (*cough* of lies) until one day, Sung-Hae transfers to his school.While being a complete martial artist freak, she also likes to fib just a little in front of those who know her.... you know, like acting like she is just a scared little girl who d play with kittens rather than break brick walls with her head~! After all, how can anything go wrong when you are as cute as Sung-Hae?Fate has brought these two masters of lies together and the two must battle it out to see who will be crowned the undefeated heavy-weight champion of fakeness!
Wangan Midnight
2011-01-14
The story gets its roots from the actual street racing that occurs on Tokyo's Shuto Expressway, one stretch of which is known as the "Wangan", literally meaning "bay side" (although it is generally used to refer to the freeway), the longest, straightest r
Kyou Kara Maoh
2011-01-14
Taken from Baka-updates:Yuri Shibuya was living a pretty normal life. That changed the day he was dunked into a toilet after an attempt to save a classmate from a gang of bullies. Instead of just getting a good soaking, he's pulled in. The next thing he knows, he's in a world that vaguely resembles medieval Europe. If that's not odd enough, he's told that he is to be the next Maoh, just because he has black hair and black eyes. The Maoh is the King of the Mazoku, who are coexisting not-so-peacefully with the humans in this world. Much to his subject's dismay, he's totally different from the rulers they're accustomed to. He's kind, considerate, a believer in justice, and not willing to use violence to solve conflicts. Not exactly someone they want running a country on the very brink of war. Now, Yuri has to deal with trying to become a good Maoh, while at the same time attempting to adapt to this land's customs and culture, all in a world where the tension between the humans and Mazoku is reaching its peak.
Kenji
2011-01-14
Kenji is a manga about a Japanese teenager named Kenji, who practices the martial art Bajiquan, and his encounters with other martial artists, some of which are from real life, e.g. Adam Hsu and Liu Chia-Liang. This series primarily features Baji Quan, but also gets into Praying Mantis Kung Fu, Bagua Zhang, Chen Taiji Quan, Pi Quan, Xingyi Quan, Xin Yi Liu He Quan, Shaolin Quan, Hung Ga, Daito Ryu Aikijujutsu, Shotokan Karate and numerous other styles. Kenji`s nemesis is a gangster named Tony Tan who practices Hung Gar and later Xinyiliuhequan. (Source: M-U)
Natsume Yuujinchou
2011-01-14
Natsume is just an ordinary kid, except he can see spirits, just like his grandma Reiko could. Reiko, though, used to bully the spirits, and bound them to her will in the Book of Friends. Now that Natsume has inherited this book, a never-ending stream of spirits is coming after him. With the help of a spirit cat; (who really just wants Natsume to die so he can have the book), Natsume spends his days dissolving the contracts that bind the spirits and trying not to get killed.
Hotman
2011-01-14
Enzo Takaya, character inspired by Jean Reno, is a teacher and the oldest son of his family, as such, he takes care of his siblings like a father. One day, a 5 year-old girl is found on their doorstep with a note: she is the result of Enzo's former life o
Okusama Wa Joshi Kousei
2011-01-20
The following content is intended for mature audiences and may contain sexual themes, gore, violence and/or strong language. Discretion is advised. Onohara Asami is a cute, 17 year-old, 2nd year high school student. What nobody knows is that she's actually already married, to her physics teacher.Besides her responsibility as a student, she now has to take care of the household and keep the marriage a secret in school. Will she be able to do all of this and will she succeed in making her danna-sama (husband) interested in her?
Michelin Star
2015-03-10
From Tapastic:Only a handful of restaurants have the honor of being awarded a Michelin Star. Does our up and coming chef have the courage and the skills to overcome all obstacles? Rivalries and Romance, are they an obstacle or a catalyst to become the first chef to receive a Michelin Star in Korea?Original webtoonEnglish language version available at Tapastic
Nononono
2011-01-14
Nonomiya Yuuta, a Skii Jumper aiming for Olympic Gold, bursts onto stage with his exceptional skills. However, his biggest problem is that he is not really a HE;... This Yuuta is actually Nonomiya Yuutas twin sister, Nonomiya Nono... And with Womens Skii Jump not being an Olympic catagory, hiding her true identity is the only way for her to achieve the dreams of her father and brother.
Magnolia
2011-01-27
Crown "Prince" Ayato is neither male or female, but at the age of 16 must choose a gender. Why does Ayato have a pair of "wings" on "his" back and what will "he" lose when "he" falls in love?
Mahou Shoujo Site
2015-01-18
Asagiri Aya, a girl bullied at school and at home. One day, an eerie website, Mahou Shoujo Site, flashes on her computer screen and welcomes her to the Mahou Shoujo World.
Suicide Island
2011-01-24
The following content is intended for mature audiences and may contain sexual themes, gore, violence and/or strong language. Discretion is advised. Treating non-successful suicidal patients requires a lot of money and resources. With low budget and a personal respect argumentation, a doctor will ask a non-successful suicidal patient if he/she still wants to live on or not. If not the government will respect his/her wish. However, the government doesn't just simply kill them.
The One Manhua
2011-01-14
The following content is intended for mature audiences and may contain sexual themes, gore, violence and/or strong language. Discretion is advised. From ShoujoMagic:Lele was born into the fashion industry. Both her parents were models, and they both die in a tragic airplane crash leaving a 5-year-old Lele orphaned. Therefore, it is no surprise that Lele hates the industry, thinking it’s superficial and unnecessary!Raised by her maternal grandmother, Lele reaches seventeen years of age before she is sucked in when her mother's sister – a fashion model agent and former model, convinces the reluctant Lele to model. Lele had been adverse to the whole idea, until she sees a photo shoot of popular American model Angus Lanson, and she begins to see modeling as an art form.When Aunt Fei's magazine editor invites Angus Lanson to a meeting of all the top fashion ambassadors, a curious Lele is invited to meet him. She does not know that Angus' twin elder brother, Eros Lanson, is secretly accompanying his brother. This obviously leads to confusion and is the start of a charming story of Lele's goals: fashion in NYC, becoming a top model, and…love???
Nodame Cantabile
2011-01-14
The son of a famous pianist, music student Shinichi Chiaki dreams of studying abroad and becoming a conductor like his mentor. Unfortunately, his fear of flying grounds his lofty plans! As he watches other classmates achieve what he has always wanted, Shinichi wonders if he should quit music altogether.Then one day he meets fellow student Megumi Noda, also known as Nodame. This oddball girl cannot cook, clean, or even read a music score, but she can play the piano in incomparable Cantabile style. And she teaches Chiaki something that he has forgotten: to enjoy his music, no matter where he is.
DEAD Tube
2014-10-14
The following content is intended for mature audiences and may contain sexual themes, gore, violence and/or strong language. Discretion is advised. not found...
Yotsubato!
2011-01-24
Yotsuba is a strange little girl with a big personality! Even in the most trivial, unremarkable encounters, Yotsuba’s curiosity and enthusiasm quickly turns the everyday into the extraordinary!Yotsuba&! received an Excellence Award for Manga at the 2006 Japan Media Arts Festival. In 2008 Yotsuba&! was nominated for the 12th Osamu Tezuka Culture Award and the Eisner Award "Best Publication for Kids" category, but did not win either, and was runner-up for the first annual Manga Taish? award.
All Rounder Meguru
2011-01-14
New Series by Hiroki Endo, about a young man training in Shooto style MMA.
Rengoku ni Warau
2014-07-28
The story is set 300 years before Donten ni Warau, during the Tensho Period. At Lake Biwa, the largest lake in Japan, the battle with Orochi ensued.Sequel:> Donten ni Warau( http://www.mangago.com/read-manga/donten-ni-warau/ )
Haruka 17
2011-01-14
Haruka is about to graduate from a first-rate college and is looking for work but no one wants to hire her. Faced with the prospect of becoming a "shuushoku rounin" she finally lowers her expectations and decides to apply at a tiny talent agency for a job as an agent. When she shows up for the interview however, it's like no interview she's ever had before. She's asked all sorts of embarrasing questions and asked to say lines in front of a camera.Later she finds out that they thought she was interviewing to become a talent, and the agent position she wanted has already been given away. However, they think she has that special quality that can make someone a star. She refuses at first, but finally gives in. Thus starts Haruka's career in the entertainment industry.
Yongbi Manhwa
2011-09-01
From CPM:A mysterious stranger rides into town. The peaceful village of Gang-Ho is disturbed when Yongbi, a seemingly foolish bounty hunter, comes to town looking to claim the bounty for the leader of Gang-Ho's deadliest clan of assassins. Will Yongbi collect the bounty unscathed, or will he fall victim to a vengeful pack of assassins hell-bent on retribution for their captured leader?
Bio-Meat: Nectar
2011-01-14
The basic idea is that man is having a hard time finding food and getting rid of their trash, so science comes up with a bio-engineered animal that survives by eating trash, and is then killed to feed humanity. You can guess what may happen if a self-replicating, endlessly hungry killing machine got loose in Tokyo.
Until Death Do Us Part
2011-01-14
The future is a great unknown. Throughout history, those who have been graced with the power to read it have been sought by many. In this day and age, the term "prophet" is outdated. "Precog," as in precognition, is the modern term.Yet when the powers of precognition is graced upon a young girl named Tohyama Haruka, she is sought after by a powerful organization. Utilizing her powers, Haruka makes contact with Hijikata Mamoru, a blind swordsman. When cornered by her captors, Haruka proposes an outrageous condition to Mamoru. Haruka wants Mamoru to protect her until death do they part.[Song Ji-Hyoung is the real name of the artist who uses the pen name Double S]
Hajimete No Aku
2011-01-14
In the spring of Kyoko's first year in high school, Eiko, a girl like a sister to her, returns with her younger brother, Jiro.The return isn't that big of a deal, but Jiro (self proclaimed super mad scientist) has it in his head that he wants to operate on Kyoko!And, what's even more, the two of them are actually high ranking members of an Evil organization at the run from the heroes of justice!(well not as much as you would think)So high school and her daily life is about to become a bit more exciting as these two begun living with her.
Blade of the Immortal
2011-01-24
Manji is an immortal swordsman, who has been cursed with eternal life. He has grown tired of living with all the death he has created. He has no skills other then those of killing, thus he forms a plan to regain his mortality: he shall kill one hundred evil men for each good one he has killed. The old witch who afflicted Manji with immortality agrees to Manji's proposition and Manji is set on his path to kill one thousand evil men. On his journey he meets a young girl, Rin, who has her own vengeance to seek against the sword school whose members slaughtered Rin's family. Rin and Manji journey together, each hoping to find some kind of peace. In their way are many varied enemies. Rin and Manji are almost constantly under attack and must learn to live their lives, avoiding being consumed by revenge.
Soul Eater
2011-01-14
In a world where technicians wield the select humans who can turn into weapons, Shinigami-sama created a school to teach young technicians and their shape shifting partners what it means to be a just death god. In order to make there weapons the proud of the school, a death scyth, the students of the school must collect the souls of 99 evil humans and 1 witch.
Cage Of Eden
2011-01-24
The following content is intended for mature audiences and may contain sexual themes, gore, violence and/or strong language. Discretion is advised. Akira and his classmates are travelling on a plane when it crashes onto an island inhabited by species thought to have been extinct. The situation becomes increasingly desperate as some of Akira's classmates are eaten alive, while some kill others in desperation. Now Akira and a few other survivors are trying to survive what seems to be a horrible nightmare.
Darwin's Game
2015-02-03
Sudo Kaname suddenly gets involved in a death game through the mysterious mobile app "Darwin's Game."
Youkai Apato no Yuuga na Nichijou
2012-02-21
From MangaHelpers:Inaba Yuushi's parents died in his first year of middle school, and he moved in with his relatives. Though they did care for him, he could tell he was a burden. After he graduated, he happily prepared to move to a high school with a dormitory. Unfortunately, the dormitory burned to the ground before he could move in! Yuushi doesn't want to live with his grudging relatives, but it's rough finding lodging as an orphaned student with little money. He finally finds a room in a nice old building which seems too good to be true.The catch is that it is a Monster House, a place where humans and supernatural creatures--ghosts, mononoke, etc.-- live together. Another high schooler lives there, a cute girl named Akine, and she's completely unfazed by the monsters. In fact, she can even exorcise evil spirits! Yuushi's high school life just got much stranger than he ever bargained for! [tethysdust]
7 Seeds
2011-01-14
Scientists had predicted this disaster, and in response, the leaders of every country met to develop a plan for human survival before the meteor hit. The Seven Seeds project was developed out of this meeting. Each country froze a number of young healthy people, which allowed them to survive the meteor. After the computer determined that Earth was once again safe for human life, it released them into the world.The Japanese government created five groups of survivors: Winter group, Spring group, Summer group A, Summer group B, and Fall group. Each group consisted of seven members and one guide. The guide carried small tubes of poison on their necks to allow them to end their lives if their situation became unbearable. The Japanese government prepared seven Fuji as refuges for the groups. In each Fuji, the group would find seeds and numerous books instructing them on survival in the wilderness.
Aka Chan To Boku
2011-01-14
Young Takuya has it tough. After his mother passed away it has been his job to take care of his baby brother Minoru while their father, Harumi, works the long hours of the Japanese "salaryman." Takuya must sacrifice the playtime usually associated with childhood for the responsibilities of an adult. Cooking, cleaning, sewing and scolding are all now an integral part of the young boy's life. "All work and no play" has Takuya incredibly frustrated and resentful of his little brother. Will Takuya find it in his heart to love the brother who is causing him so much grief?!Baby and Me received the 40th Shogakukan Manga Award for sh?jo in 1995.Included one-shots:Volume 2: Time LimitVolume 4: Secret Boy ni Tee Dasuna!!Volume 6: Baka de Karukete Wagamama deVolume 15: Natsu to Kimi no Irradiation
Gakuen Alice
2011-01-14
Mikan Sakura is an orphan who lives in the country side of Japan. When her best friend, Hotaru, transfers away to a prestigious school in Tokyo, Mikan follows her. The school is actually an elite academy for the gifted people with “alicesâ€. When Mikan arrives to the gates of the school, she encounters a teacher and gets enrolled due to a series of events. She is told that she has a unique, rare “aliceâ€. There, she immediately meets Natsume, a moody boy who constantly gets abused by the school. They get along like fire and water, yet they are undeniably attracted to one another. She also gets the chance to meet other people; like Natsume’s caring best friend Ruka, or Iinchou, the class rep. Despite her initial view of the so-called greatness of the school, she slowly finds out that beneath the grand facade of the academy, there is a never-ending stream of lies and buried secrets. The school’s increasingly manipulative and sinister actions towards her make it a dangerous place to be. Little does she know, her enrollment in the school set the gears in motion to an even greater tragedy.From Tokyopop:Young Mikan runs away to Tokyo to follow her best friend, Hotaru, who has been enrolled in an exclusive, secretive private school for geniuses. But it turns out that Alice Academy is a lot more than meets the eye. If Mikan wants to stay by Hotaru's side, she has to both pass the strange "entrance exam" and face the even greater challenge of befriending her very odd new classmates. Whether it's Hotaru's gift for inventing gadgets, the cranky Natsume's fire-casting ability, or Professor Narumi's control of human pheromones, everyone at the school has some sort of special talent. But what ability, if any, does Mikan possess? Mikan is going to have to rely on her courage and spunk if she's going to stay in school, or even stay alive!
Okane Ga Nai (Yaoi)
2011-01-14
The following content is intended for mature audiences and may contain sexual themes, gore, violence and/or strong language. Discretion is advised. Ayase Yukiya is a university student whose cousin Tetsuo Ishii betrays him and sells him in an auction to settle his heavy debts. Ayase is bought by Somuku Kanou for 1.2 billion yen. The reason behind Kanou doing this is Kanou remembers Ayase from four years ago, when Ayase, a stranger, helped him. Now Kanou wants to keep Ayase close to him in order to protect him, and uses the 1.2 billion debt to force Ayase to live with him. As Ayase is still a student and does not have a job, he is forced to sell his body to Kanou for 500 000 yen a time.
Snailogy
2015-02-11
Fantasies inspired by reality. With a pen, I can make you laugh, cry or inspire you. Maybe. My misery will be your company.
New Game!
2015-01-13
Follow Aoba Suzukaze, a fresh high-school graduate that is easily mistaken as a middle school student, as she joins the game company that produced her favorite game as an artist, and her cute antics in this story told through 4-koma.
Fujimura-kun Meitsu
2011-05-04
Fujimura is a loner delinquent at his school. Feared by his classmates since the first day of high school, he's had no friends and usually ditches class. But even his standoffish nature can't hold up when a class representative with a few screws loose comes after him! And two more class representative. They're a few cards short of a full deck too. (Actually, he's more like the tsukkomi in a world of boke.)
Dolly Kill Kill
2014-08-18
Humanity's peaceful days all at once transform into an unspeakably odious hell. The sudden invasion of wasp-like insects, along with gargantuan "dolls" wielding their enormous alien weapons, annihilating everyone in their path. In the middle of the chaos, high school first-year, Iruma Ikaruga, fights to save his best friend and his beloved senpai from the dolls' assault with an unyielding spirit. However, all that awaits him is despair. Just what are the enormous puppets known as "Dolly"after? What fate awaits Iruma? The curtain has risen on humanity's "puppet show" of unimaginable despair, and the battle for survival has begun.