A Beginner's Guide to Manga

Or: This is What I Do Now

It’s everywhere, and it’s huge. If you’ve been into Waterstones Piccadilly recently, you can see it for yourself: the popularity and exponential growth of Manga are quite spectacular.

And, as this what I do now, I thought I’d write a bit about it. So…

Manga (duh) is the term for Japanese comics and GNs, printed in black and white (or sometimes in full colour for collected editions) and read right-to-left, both through the book and on the page. This can seem strange, at first, but it’s very easy to pick up and follow.

Beginning as serialised comics in magazines such as Shonen Jump (in print since ’68), its popularity was massively boosted, particularly in the West, by the arrival of Anime. If you’ve never seen the ‘88 CyberPunk classic Akira, it was (and is) both sensational and ground-breaking, and it shattered the boundaries of traditional animation. And in the 90s, Anime arrived through tat shattering.

These days, with Anime all over Netflix and rising in popularity all the time, it’s interesting to note that the conversion rate from Anime to Manga (people watching the show, then buying the books), is masively larger than that from Superhero movie to graphic novel or comic. And the same is true of its webtoons - look at the imminent release of the BTS Manga 7Fates: Chahko.

Manga is also much more clearly delineated, both by audience and genre, than Western comics. There are five main categories (but oodles of sub-categories), and I’ve listed them here:

Shonen: Manga targeted at t(w)een boys. This features action, adventure, friendship and coming-of-age, and includes some of the biggest and most well-known titles, such as DragonBall, Naruto, My Hero Academia, FullMetal Alchemist and The Promised Neverland. These usually have the Shonen Jump logo and feature a male protagonist in a heroic pose.

(I’m not going to link to all of these, btw, but have made some recommendations below!)

Shoujo: Manga targeted at t(w)een girls, This features drama, emotion, coming-of-age and idealised romance, and includes Sailor Moon, Fruits Basket, Say I Love You, Skip Beat! and Weathering With You.

Seinen: Manga targeted at adult men (18+). This has hardcore (and occasionally unsavoury, so be wary if you’re selling or buying it ) content, featuring action, (graphic) violence, sex and sexual tension, very adult themes and much darker tones. It includes Akira, Berserk, Vagabond and Monster. There are few shining heroes, here.

Josei: Manga targeted at adult women (18+). This features drama, (highly explicit) sex and in-depth romance and includes Loveless, Midnight Secretary, Karneval, Paradise Kiss and Honey and Clover. Its covers vary (look out for the shrink-wraps!) and its protagonists are frequently young gay men, in search of love/satisfaction.

Kodomumuke: Manga targeted at younger children. This includes titles like Pokémon and Chi’s Sweet Home and is pretty easy to identify.

Some of the biggest sellers include Demon Slayer, Jujustu Kaisen, and Chainsaw Man, all Shonen, though Chainsaw Man can appear Seinen on first look. Below, though, are some recommendations of my own:

One-Piece: just released in (excellent) live action, and good piratical fun. Look out though, as it’s 103 volumes and still going.

Akira: Hard-core violence and horror, and a classic for a reason.

Uzumaki: Another huge seller, Junji Ito is leading the rise of Horror Manga. Everything he does is amazing, all very adult and beautifully, darkly twisted.

Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation: The recent flood of Manhua (Chinese, rather than Japanese) light novels are also hugely popular, particularly with young women, telling tales of love, ghosts and Chinese magic.

Attack on Titan: Action, adventure, horror and I can’t recommend this enough. If you’ve never watched the Anime, it’s honestly stunning (and the gateway drug that got me hooked in the first place). It’s also entering its final chapter, and I can’t wait!

My Brother’s Husband: A close and insightful look at Japan’s still-closeted gay culture.

Skull-Face Bookseller Honda-San: Hilarious (and quite topical) look at front-line life in a bookstore.

Cat + Gamer: There’s a lot of kitty Manga, and this is a personal fave, telling the tale of a Japanese businesswoman who uses her gaming skills to ‘level up’ a new furry friend.

The Way of The Househusband: The best of the crime comedy sub-genre, wonderfully funny and also a personal fave, this features ex-Yakuza hitman The Immortal Dragon now turning his attention (and his skill-base) to urban domesticity.

Do come and see the new section at Piccadilly, and join us this Wednesday, 25th October, 12 - 6pm, for our MANGA DAY, and freebies galore!

Reading: Not Manga, in fact, but Jaine Fenn’s Hidden Sun, which I’m thoroughly enjoying.

Watching: Isaac and I are watching Star Trek TNG and dear gods, it has NOT aged well. With its treatment of women (and their outfits, certainly at the beginning), its Styrofoam sets and the occasional ‘alien’ culture that’s just ‘gentlemen of colour with spears’, it’s frequently making us both gawp and cringe. Data’s still fabulous, though, as is Patrick Stewart. Of course.

Playing: Reaching Moonrise Towers in Baldur’s Gate. Definitely got the hang of it, at last, and am now enjoying it thoroughly. Amused by the on-going romantic undertones between my ‘Tav’ (a half-wood-elf Druid called Haarl) and ALL of his companions. But who will stroll off into the sunset with him (assuming they all survive)?

Time, I guess, will tell…