A guide to Manga

When you read a comic that you have bought from a local shop, certainly there are other people in the whole world that do the same thing; people from France, Italy, the US, Japan; but what would you do if you saw someone reading a comic the wrong way round (right to left)? Either that person is a little troubled or maybe the cover is back to front. Confused? Look again and you are entering the world of manga!

Manga is Japanese for “comics” or “whimsical images” and can be easily recognized by the style of drawings by Japanese artists and the Japanese dialogue and sound effects. Manga has become increasingly popular world wide and translated into several languages, including English. When used outside of Japan, the term manga refers to comics originally published in Japan. Japanese manga is traditionally printed in black and white although it can be found in colour.

Manga greatly developed after World War II, when there was an increase in creativity from artists. After Japan surrendered, the US occupied Japan and US culture (e.g. magazines and cartoons) influenced many Japanese artists; they started creating manga that included US culture and this is still seen in many manga books today. In fact, many manga artists use cultures from all over the world after visiting places where they have gained inspiration. However, there are a lot of manga artists that use their own Japanese culture within their work.

In Japan, manga is published into weekly or monthly magazines (e.g. Shonen Jump and Shojo Beat) and if proven to be a success by fans, the stories are collected together and published into book-sized volumes called tankobon; these are called graphic novels in the US and UK. Normally, a manga artist will continue releasing chapters while previous chapters are collected and published into volumes. Published manga is easily identified by the “backward” covers and the title, volume number and manga artist/writer printed on the spine of the book. The front covers of manga books are often drawings of the characters involved in the story.

If a manga series is popular enough, it can be developed into an anime; a very popular example known worldwide is Naruto. Anime is Japanese animation which is watched worldwide translated or subbed and can be found on DVD’s in shops such as HMV. However, some people can get confused as to which one is manga and which one is anime. A very easy way to remember is the word anime can be easily related to “animation.”

Manga is traditionally written from top to bottom, right to left because it is the traditional reading pattern of the Japanese language. Most publishers maintain this format to give foreign readers the experience of reading opposite to what they normally would. Some publishers use “flipping” which means the pages are flipped horizontally so that it can be read left to right, in order not to confuse foreign readers. However, flipping can cause printing errors that can be against the original intentions of the manga artist for example, a person wearing a shirt that reads PAM is flipped to read MAP instead. A diagram on how to read manga is usually found at the back of manga books, as that is where new readers may try to start.

Japanese manga has influenced many different parts of the world, particularly the US and even manga readers. Many US artists have drawn comics and cartoons influenced by manga and some manga readers learn and practice developing their own manga artist style and story lines. Manga was originally hard to come by when first introduced until more publishing contracts were founded. This allowed Japanese manga to be translated into English and distributed by publishing companies including Dark Horse, Marvel Comics and Viz Media.

There are plenty of different categories for manga to make it suitable for all ages and tastes such as romance, violence, the supernatural and action-adventure. There are names for categories that are directed at a certain audience for example, Shojo. Shojo manga is intended for teenage girls, focusing on romantic relationships and emotions; examples are Fruits Basket, Ouran High School Host Club and Full Moon. Another category is Shonen, which is aimed at teenage males and often involves high-action humorous plots featuring male heroes. Bleach, Naruto and One Piece fall into Shonen manga; other categories are Kodomo (children), Seinen (young men) and Josei (young females). However, all categories of manga can be enjoyed by everyone and are only intended as a guide; I read Shonen manga which is definitely suitable for everyone to read.

Since manga has become more popular, it is easier to find and purchase. If you go to your high street, you are bound to find manga somewhere. Manga is very common in Waterstones and Borders and a very reliable shop for manga is Forbidden Planet. An even easier way to access manga is via Amazon. If you search for the manga you are trying to find, it is bound to be there and in stock, unless there is an awaiting date for it to be published and then you can reserve it.

Events known as anime recons are held all over the country; previous anime recons have been held at Leicester City Library and Waterstones on Church Gate in Leicester City Centre. Anime recons are where people can “cos play” (dress up as their favourite anime/manga characters), exhibit their art work and have fun with fellow fans with quizzes, drawing competitions and cos play contests.

So next time you see a person reading a book back to front, it is bound to be manga. If you’re up to it, ask them if they attend manga café at Enderby library. Manga café is where manga and anime fans meet up to discuss their favourite series, latest news etc and everyone is welcome to attend.

Useful links:

Manga Cafe at Enderby Library 

Alcon - a popular anime recon that is held every year for a weekend at De Monfort University in Leicester.