What’s the very first thing that comes to your mind when you hear the words “manga” and “anime”? Is it over-exaggerated poses or speed lines Many Western comic book readers, perhaps because of their big round eyes, avoid the manga industry like the Black Plague.Now what if I told you that the manga industry is publishing some of the best comics that you haven’t read that neglecting this
A massively popular enterprise So, without further delay,[Music] [Music] “No longer” is a Japanese term that means
Today, there are many whimsical pictures that can be translated into comics. The modern age of manga started during and after the occupation of Japan in World War Two. When GIS brought comics over, during this boom of American influence, style books, one manga was born, one that will eventually be established as the grandfather of the industry. Astro Boy, or as he is known in Japan, the Mighty Atom, quickly became a cultural icon and it’s grown to be celebrated by many as the
Their culture’s Mickey MouseFor a few years, manga and anime have been everywhere. Series like Dragon Ball V number two, Bleach, and more recently, Attack on Titan have infiltrated or pop-culture manga has boomed in the West with John Roos, ranging from cooking to sports to the popular Shonen Spell, which leads me to my first point, the different genres. If you have a hobby, if you have a passion, whether it’s a particular sport or you’re a foodie, manga has the book
For you, take, for example, the popular sports manga Slam Dunk in Slam Dunk Saga. Ravi is a troubled teen who’s on the lettuce and leads him to join the show In a sports coming-of-age drama, the Coco basketball team is equal parts Rocky and the Rocky Story.Slam Dunk is well-known as a must-read for sports fans and is known for having some of the best art in manga today. Not a sports fan but enjoy cooking? You may be surprised to learn that over 40% of people enjoy cooking.
Today’s manga is dedicated to food, the most popular of which is Food Wars, centering around Soma Kajita. This spiky-haired, redheaded boy works at his father’s restaurant, with his goal being to be the greatest chef ever and surpass his father in culinary skills His father eventually enrolls him in Japan’s top culinary school, where he must constantly compete against his classmates in food-based trials to keep his place in the school food service.
For good reason, the depictions of the food will make your mouth water and they’ll make you instantly want to try either being a chef or going out and trying to buy some of the food that’s shown in this anime. Let’s say that none of these appeal to you and you’re into something that’s a bit more well, darker [Music] Have you ever wondered where Miyazaki got his inspiration for Dark Souls?
Some of his monster creature designs, well, berserk is the model for you, centering around the characters of Guts and his never-ending quest for vengeance against the Godhand desert, features some of the most gruesome creatures ever placed into a medieval setting.
As a whole, one of the common complaints that I hear from fans is that the series just keeps going and they have no way to end it. I always find this complaint interesting when we know that traditional Western comics like that man, Spider-man, and Superman will never end because they are keen icons of a much bigger machine, which leads me to my next point. Most manga have a definitive ending. For example, the classic dystopian sci-fi manga Kiera is only 6 volumes long and
It has a solid beginning, middle, and an ending One of my favorite manga series, 20th Century Boys, is only 22 volumes long with the two epilogue volumes. 21st Century Boys closes out the series in a way that left me with tears in my eyes and the realization of the journey that I had been on. Endings are said to be the hardest thing to do as a writer, but there’s something about the structure of a manga that really lends itself to having a beginning, a middle, and an ending
And this kind of structure also allows it to be very much accessible to the common man I’ve spoken about accessibility before and how crucial it is to most readers and like I mentioned in other videos Marvel and DC comics have had over 50 plus years of continuity, which can lead to a sense of being a bit overwhelmed when you’re starting out with manga It’s a bit easier than that. Find a particular genre that you are interested in and start
At the end of the day, there’s just one one-punch man, one full metal alchemist, one attack on Titan and so on and so on. The accessibility with manga is there, it’s just a bit intimidating when focusing on a series like Bleach that has over 71 volumes out. My recommendation for you is to start with something smaller like the aforementioned 20th century boys or no Akira Salle’s non-volume run Pluto reflecting on the rise of technology in
Japan and what it means to be a human The last thing that I’m going to touch on is just how much manga can expand your horizons. With manga’s roots firmly planted in Japan, it makes for an interesting look at a country that few of us will ever get to experience firsthand I can’t count the amount of times that people in my life told me that they would love to visit and experience the culture of Japan but finances being what they are I don’t
Do you think it will ever happen? With many manga titles set in Japan and telling everyday stories of what it’s like to live in that culture, it’s easy to get a sense of everyday life there. The manga industry is vast and wide and while to some it may be a bit intimidating, taking the plunge into these books is well worth the time and investment. You’ll be discovering new worlds, characters, and genres that you never knew about all while expanding your understanding of a
In the end, the choice is yours and trust me when I say that if you do decide to take the leap, it will be a ride worth taking. Hey guys, thanks for checking out this video and if you liked it, hit the like button down below. If you want to follow me on Facebook and Twitter, that’s going to be found in the description. If you want to support this channel and everything that I do
With that said, let me know what you think in the comments section below, and have a wonderful week.