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. Thanks so very much. Mom. Thanks for the question Mom! A cursory glance at the list of titles says that most of these are not officially licensed, but that these are scanlations, fan created scans that your daughter is reading. These have been a gray-area for a long time, but are not technically legal in the US. But, information about these titles can be found online. Legendary Kang Do-Young – This is a Korean manhwa. It’s a romantic comedy about a…
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 to find some specific titles, I will have to go online. There are several online bookstores, the most obvious being Amazon.co.jp, the Japanese arm of Amazon.com. A query of the hive mind that is Twitter got me several other suggestions. Kinokuniya also has an online book store. It has stores in both the US and Japan. The Japanese store probably has a better selection. BK1 is an online…
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 some, such as cannibalism and incest. Taboos can change over time, as a society or culture changes.
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 want, ask about inter-library loan. Get your friends to ask too. The more interest librarians see in a type of book, the more likely they are to add them. If you want to read manga online, then check out Viz’s Shonen Sunday website, where new chapters of mang are put up weekly. Or you can read some new titles straight from Japan with Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen…
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 you can look at that may have the information you’re looking for. Adult Manga: Culture and Power in Contemporary Japanese Society by Sharon Kinsella. It provides, among other things “a detailed analysis of manga for adults.” (quote via Books on Japan) Manga! Manga! World of Japanese Comics and Dreamland Japan: Writings on Modern Manga by Fred Schodt. Manga! Manga! was first published in the 1980’s and can…
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 twists and turns to keep the reader engaged, but if there are too many, the story can become too confusing. A frustrated reader will not continue reading the story. It’s best to keep the story relatively simple with just a twist or turn here and there to keep the reader interested enough to read the end. Keep those questions coming!
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 princess, royalty among ferrets. Most of the conflicts come from Amanda and Peach learning to get along and live with each other. I think it’s definitely something an 8 year old girl would like, and a parent would have no problem with their daughter reading. If you’re still not sure though, you and she can go here to read the first three chapters of the…