Ask Manga Mom: The “Are These Safe?” Edition
A Mom writes: Hello, I have learned that my daughter is getting on a site and reading manga when she is on the computer. She is almost 13, and I need to please know that the manga that she is reading is not sexually explicit. I just really want to know how far they go and I have a list for you. Legendary Kang Do Gekkano Kimi Innocent World Kindai Renai Mahou Sensei Wegima! The Prince Who Fell In Love Full Contact Psychic Academy Mucha Kucha Daisuki Prism Palette She was on some of these for many pages, and others just for one or two. Please let me know if there are specific ones she should not be reading. … Read entire article »
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Ask Manga Mom: The Raw Edition
Labo asks: I’ve been wondering for a while now, but you say that you are learning Japanese characters to read more Japanese manga not yet translated for the public audience and I was wondering, that is you achieve that goal exactly how or where would you get the Japanese manga to put your skills to use. Seeing as few internet sites like Jbox.com offer a limited selection that are usually popular series, that have their own animes already. Well Labo, I’m fortunate to live in an area of the US where I’m 45 minutes more or less to several Japanese bookstores, including, but not limited to, Kinokuniya and used bookstore Book Off. But as you note, their selection will be mostly for newer titles, and used bookstores inventory is always fluctuating. So … Read entire article »
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Ask Manga Mom: The Library Edition
Gareth writes: Hi, I am a library assistant from the UK (Liverpool), and I would be very happy if you could answer a quick question for me. I had a couple of ten year olds playing in the library yesterday, and one of them, a young girl, said she only reads comics. My question is, is all ages Manga suitable for a 10 year old, or if not could you perhaps recommend some graphic novels and comics for 10 year olds. Having read the recent Carol L. Tilley study finding that comics have no disadvantage compared to traditional prose, I am really keen to develop Manga and graphic novel ressources especially for younger children. … Read entire article »
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Ask Manga Mom: The Taboo Edition
Static writes: Is Taboo considered a genre that should be used as a general description for manga sites that contained taboo typed manga books? Also, could you give me a perfect but brief (short) definition of the “TABOO” that I cold use to describe the genre if it were to be used as a general – common – genre type. This isn’t my area of expertise, but I thought I’d weigh in anyway. A taboo is a strong social prohibition on activities or customs that are considered sacred or forbidden. The term comes from Polynesia where it’s context was religious. Most taboos have a religious connotations, they can affect dietary restrictions, sexual activities and/or relations, bodily functions, exposure of body parts or offensive language. Taboos are not universal, but many cultures may share … Read entire article »
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Ask Manga Mom: The “Just Say No” Edition
This question came in from Kyle just this week: where can i download manga directly and for free xcept for (stoptazmo & animea)….. where can i download pig bride manhwa & captive heart for free???? pls. help me Um…no Kyle. Just….no. Pig Bride and Captive Hearts are licensed titles in the US. If you can not find scanalations to download, that is a good thing. If you want to read these titles you need to either buy the books, or borrow them from a friend or the library. Many public and even school libraries are adding and building up collections of manga and graphic novels. The value of these books is finally being recognized, not just for stories, but because they also help encourage reading. If your local library doesn’t have the books you … Read entire article »
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Ask Manga Mom: Manga as Literature
Nikkita asks: I am Nikkita Bechdel and a senior at Bald Eagle Area high School in Central Pennsylvania. For the final in my Advanced Placement English class, I must write a research paper on any topic relating to literature. I chose to prove the literacy value of manga. I am having difficulties finding sources on sections such as why Japan considers it literature. If you could please help me, it would mean a lot to me. Wow, this is a tough one. A bit of a lofty goal, but a worthwhile one. When I was in Jr. College, I did a sociology study on anime fans, so I can relate on the difficulty in finding sources. There hasn’t been a lot of analysis of manga in english, but there are a few books … Read entire article »
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Ask Manga Mom: Romance Complex
Stacymay asks: Do manga have to have a complex plot? If someone is trying to write a romance manga, does there have to be fantasy and stuff in it or can it just be a love story? Thanks! That’s a great question! When looking at shojo or romance manga, there does seem to be a lot of fantasy themed stories. But they aren’t all like that. There are plenty of titles that are based in reality. Nana, Sand Chronicles, and Honey and Clover for older readers and Monkey High and High School Debut for teens are some examples. A well written love story is a perfect theme for a manga. As for how complex the plot is, well, that up to the writer and the plot. A story can have several … Read entire article »
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Ask Manga Mom: Drawing Manga Edition
Trinity writes: How can we make a manga online? And is there any deccent free things that teaches you how to draw at your best? Thanks for the question Trinity! It’s not exactly my area of expertise, but I’ll do my best. To get your manga online, you first need to make it digital, so that means that you either drawn it and scan it in, or you draw it on the computer. Let’s assume it’s already in files on your computer. Now, where do you upload it? Well, if you have your own website, you can post it there. But if you don’t, there are plenty of places you can go to get it online. Tokyopop.com is free, and lets its users post their own manga that is easily searched on the site. … Read entire article »
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Ask Manga Mom – Peach Fuzz Edition
Jay Karlson writes: First, a comment: THANK YOU for adding an “All Ages” section. My 8 year old daughter loves Manga, but they can get really dirty. Would she like “Peach Fuzz”? She already has read Sugar Princess and Cardcaptor Sakura. She LOVED Suihilibe. Keep up the good work! Thanks for the words of encouragement Jay! I found it frustrating trying to find appropriate manga for my girls, so I decided to make the page myself! Though I do have to update it for all the new titles coming out lately. But, that’s a good thing! Peach Fuzz, one of the first OEL manga Tokyopop published, is definitely written for a girl about your daughter’s age. Amanda, the lead character is in the 4th grade. Her new pet, Peach the ferret, thinks she is a … Read entire article »
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New Viz Chapter Books
I guess Viz has faith in their chapter books line. In the Naruto line, they already have 4 books out with more scheduled for release. And honestly, as reading material for young ages 5-8, the books haven’t been bad. They have stayed true to the manga, adding embellishments that are appropriate for young ages and uses panels from the manga for illustrations. I know this probably irks older readers who don’t like to see their favorite stories “dumbed down”, but with Naruto, and now this new series I’ve found, I don’t think it’s bad, especially as a parent. As I was searching Amazon for links for my previous post, I found this listing. Dragon Ball (the first, actually good, half of the series) is getting made into … Read entire article »
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Get Over Yourself
You know, I am really getting tired of these parents “outraged” by things they find in their kids’ rooms and feel the need to blame someone else for it. The latest is, of course, the man in Oregon who found his 12 year old son had checked out some mature rated manga from a public library. My question about all this, as a parent myself, is this; why is he blaming the library and not his son? In the news report, he said he went to the library to find answers and demanded that the library “enforce” the adult section. Why didn’t he ask his son why he checked them out? Just like he said, it plainly says on the cover “Mature 18+“. Surely if the kid can read the manga, … Read entire article »
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All Ages Manga Page
I’ve added a new page to help parents (or anyone else interested) in finding all ages manga from all the manga publishers available. Publishers don’t make it very obvious which of their books are for everyone. Sometimes I had to dig two or three pages deep to find it. So, I decided to make this page so that there’s all in one place. Keep checking the page, as I will update it as I find more new manga. I’ll also let you know of any updates here. So click the link above, or check the Pages in the sidebar or on top the site. Viz will have a lot coming out in 2009, which is nice to here. It would be nice to see publishers like Del Rey and Yen Press, … Read entire article »
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