What is Manga?
- Manga, or ‘whimsical drawings’ if literally translated, is an umbrella term for a wide variety of comic books and graphic novels originally produced and published in Japan.
- Just like Western graphic novels, Manga can be about anything from sports to history and from horror to sexual identity – there is a manga for everyone.
- The most noticeable feature that sets Manga apart is its monochrome format. While you sometimes find full-colour front covers, manga is almost universally published in black and white.
- In Japan, Manga are typically released on a monthly or a weekly chapter-by-chapter basis. If a series is popular enough, its chapters are then collected and published into volumes, which each usually feature just a few chapters of the overall story.
- As a result most Manga series are long-running and can span multiple volumes. This is something to keep in mind when starting a new series as it is imperative you read the volumes in the correct order. If shelf space becomes a problem you could suggest your Manga fans read online. Its not always easy to find Manga that you don’t have to pay for, but Lucas Maxwell has recommended 8 of the best Manga sites where you can actually legally read it for free!
- A Manga creator is known as a “mangaka,” but since a series can span years, if not decades, multiple mangakas often work on the same Manga
- Manga has a very specific drawing style .e.g. its characters are highly stylised – they almost always have large eyes and small mouths. They also show over exaggerated emotions e.g. when crying tears will pour out in buckets, when angry they will have rosy cheeks and steam rolling out from around their body.
- Traditionally Manga books are read Japanese style from back to front and from the upper right corner to the lower left corner of a page. Manga is produced in many different formats now, including those made for mobile devices, which lets you adapt how you wish to read it.
- Manga is loosely related to Anime because most of the mainstream anime series are adaptions from manga. Anime is the umbrella term for all forms of animation created and published in Japan. However, the two terms are not interchangeable. Anime is animation. Manga is print. There lies the difference!
- For the most part, Japanese Manga is marketed first by audience and gender, and then by genre. There are Manga series specifically aimed at teenage boys (known as shônen) whose storylines are typically action packed, and contain both humour and violence. The corresponding series for young teenage girls (shôjo) are more light hearted and will often focus on romance and relationships. You can usually identify them by their pretty pink, flowery covers, but don’t be fooled by the cutesy image, because the storylines are often totally unsuitable for our middle grade pupils! By the way, there is also Manga specifically for adults (aged 18+) – both men (seinen) and women (josei).
- Kodomomuke is the demographic of Manga intended for young children, who are not yet old enough for shôjo. and shônen Manga. These series will often be simple, moralistic, and fun. Pokemon is probably the best known example.
- As Prep School librarians we will mainly stock: kodomomuke, together with some carefully selected shônen and shôjo.
- Understanding Japanese words like ‘shôjo’ and ‘shônen’ will be helpful as you pick out the right titles for your library, but also understanding the Manga rating system could prove useful. In Manga, an ‘A’ rating means the comic is suitable for all ages, ‘Y’ is youth age 10+, ‘T’ is teens age 13+, ‘OT/T’+ is older teens age 16+, and ‘M’ is for mature adults age 18+.
Finally just a brief word of warning. A lot of Manga (specifically that targeted towards the male demographic) tends to feature a certain amount of violence, gore and oversexualized, stereotypical female characters and even nudity. It is not unusual for females in the stories, for example, to randomly lose their clothing or wear revealing clothing. For this reason, it is wise to double check and read through the Manga yourself before allowing your pupils access – especially young impressionable boys! However, there are plenty of thoughtful, well-developed series out there that are perfectly appropriate for our Prep School aged children.
Starting/developing a Manga collection
To the uninitiated the Manga market is a complete minefield, but this is where long term Manga enthusiast Scott Hulme can offer help, advice and guidance! Scott, is a dyslexic and discovered Manga books at school. The fact that they radically improved his reading, inspired him to create the Otaku Project, a small, community based, colourful bookshop in Wales. His website Otaku Books is an important part of Otaku Project and aims to help and guide readers to find the right Manga book or series whether they’re new to this growing genre or already a fan. Scott believes that the massive mix means there’s always going to be something for every age and interest! The website includes useful book lists and Scott also offers bespoke book club packages, and half-termly newsletters. By the way, ‘Otaku’, in Japanese, is the word for ‘Geek’, but don’t be put off! Lots of people, including Scott, carry it off with pride, a sign that they’re true fans of Manga and Anime!
Further sources of Manga
Comics for kids: Manga – although Manga is increasing in popularity with young people, there is not much published for children under the age of 10, so this is a really useful list to start you off
A Kid’s Guide to Anime & Manga: Exploring the History of Japanese Animation and Comics by Samuel Sattin and Patrick Macias. Hodder Children’s Books, Nov 2023. A comprehensive, accessible handbook for children, complete with a history of anime and manga, inspiring interviews, pro tips on what to watch and read and ideas for kickstarting their own creativity (Cost £9.19)
Manga Arts & Crafts Experts – compiled by the UK Japan Society, this is a list of professionals willing to visit schools and conduct workshops on kite making, origami, Japanese painting, Manga artwork etc
Manga for Middle-Schoolers – middle-grade school children typically fall somewhere between shôjo/shônen and kodomomuke Manga, depending on their emotional maturity level. This list contains titles that are not only totally age appropriate but also exhibit the variety of storylines available to middle grade readers. Titles have been organized by age rather than by gender too, so that readers can make their own decisions based on the content and their own interests rather than their gender identity.
Manga in Libraries – this is the website belonging to the organisation set up by US “Manga Maven” and school librarian Jillian Rudes to promote Manga. It provides tons of useful resources including book lists and free webinars.
Top ten mangas for children – a great list from Toppsta which includes some favourite classics
US librarian Ashley Hawkins (AKA The Manga Librarian) has collated a list of Manga Children’s Titles age-relevant to children in US grades K-5 (UK equivalent Years 1-6). Just click on each cover for more information about the content.
The Value of Manga in School Libraries – a very useful resource put together by the ALA which includes book lists and various introductory articles to the medium
What are Manhwa and Webtoons?
Manhwa and Webtoons are, ostensibly, the same thing. They are comics. Manhwa is the Korean word for comics, so it’s the term used for comics created by Korean creators. Webtoon is simply the term for a comic that originates online and is produced in a format most suitable for online viewing on smartphones, so chapters are long and scrolling and are not broken into pages. This format distinguishes the Webtoon from Webcomics, which are also designed for the online format but unfold over several pages rather than one long strip as is the case with Webtoons. Webtoons will often also be accompanied by music. These days, Webtoons are the most popular form of Manhwa, as the traditional in-print Manhwa is mostly reserved for serious collectors. Manhwa is different from Manga because it is read from left to right just like English language comics and graphic novels and it features more realistic-looking characters Another key difference is that unlike Manga, Manhwa is often produced in full color, especially when it’s published online as a Webtoon (which is more often than not). Click here if you would like to find out more about Manhwa and Webtoons.
Manhwa and Webtoons – further reading
Christine Ro wrote this great introduction on Manhwa and Webtoons for Book Riot
6 places where you can read Manhwa
What are Manhua?
These are comics created exclusively in China, Taiwan, or Hong Kong. Manhua comics and graphic novels can be read from either left to right or right to left, depending on where they come from. Generally speaking, Manhua produced in mainland China is read from left to right, and those hailing from Hong Kong or Taiwan are read from right to left. Manhua comics also tend to be produced in full color rather than black and white, especially in their more popular digitized formats. Manhua is becoming more and more popular by the day, and there’s a growing demand for these comics and graphic novels around the world. But unlike the diverse themes of Manga and Manhwa, Manhua generally falls into one of just four categories; politics, comedy, action, and kids, so whether it will ever rival the success of Manga remains to be seen.
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