From the New York Public Library, "Manga is an umbrella term for a wide variety of comic books and graphic novels originally produced and published in Japan. Unlike American comic books, which are usually printed in full color, Japanese manga are almost always published in black and white. Full-color prints are often only used for special releases." (see the article here)
As for how to literally read Manga, it can cause some mild confusion to new readers. Japanese manga's are written and read right to left, instead of the Western left to right format. This includes the text boxes and speech bubbles inside art panels--all read in order of right to left.
From a creative side, OtakuLounge writes, "This is the major difference between manga and comics: on one hand, manga feature the vision of a single mangaka or team. On the other hand, comics are published as “runs”, or separate narrative arcs, that permit different creative teams to work with their own interpretations of the characters" Meaning, in short, a manga series has a single creator or creative team for it's entire release. Often times, manga series' are written and drawn by a single person.
There are also differences in the publishing format of manga.
From that same New York Public Library article: "In Japan, manga are typically released on a monthly or a weekly chapter-by-chapter basis through manga magazines such as Weekly Shōnen Jump, (which has been in circulation since 1968). If a series is popular enough, its chapters are then collected and published into volumes called tankōbon volumes, which usually feature a few chapters of the overall story.
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. This might be easier for small series, such as Naoko Takeuchi's Sailor Moon, which only has about 12 volumes, versus longer-running series such as Akira Toriyama's Dragon Ball, which has 42 volumes. "
From that same New York Public Library article: "In Japan, manga are typically released on a monthly or a weekly chapter-by-chapter basis through manga magazines such as Weekly Shōnen Jump, (which has been in circulation since 1968). If a series is popular enough, its chapters are then collected and published into volumes called tankōbon volumes, which usually feature a few chapters of the overall story.
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. This might be easier for small series, such as Naoko Takeuchi's Sailor Moon, which only has about 12 volumes, versus longer-running series such as Akira Toriyama's Dragon Ball, which has 42 volumes. "
Manga has five primary genres, each with their own target demographics:
1. Shonen: Manga targeted at tween and teen boys.
2. Shojo: Manga targeted at tween and teen girls.
3. Seinen: Manga targeted at adult men (18+).
4. Josei: Manga targeted at adult women (18+).
5. Kodomomuke: Manga targeted at young children.
Here is a full list of genres in manga.
1. Shonen: Manga targeted at tween and teen boys.
2. Shojo: Manga targeted at tween and teen girls.
3. Seinen: Manga targeted at adult men (18+).
4. Josei: Manga targeted at adult women (18+).
5. Kodomomuke: Manga targeted at young children.
Here is a full list of genres in manga.
While I am a firm believer that comics, and manga, should be open to everyone, manga, like comics, is an industry full of it's own problematic factors, some more harmful than others. So while you're being careful of the target age of a manga for you or your child, also be aware of racist, sexist, homophobic, and more patterns that tend to rear their ugly heads there.
Manga's are often translated into animated movies and/or TV, called anime, but that's a whole other discussion for a different time.
My Favorite Mangas:
Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid |
Wotakoi |
Boys Over FlowersCat + GamerThe Great Jahy Will Not Be DefeatedChi's Sweet Home |
Demon SlayerKomi Can't ComunicateMy Dress-Up DarlingDeadpool Samurai |
Anime Adaptations
Sailor Moon
Demon Slayer
Chainsaw Man
Kaiju No. 8
Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid
Komi Can't Communicate
The Great Jahy Will Not Be Defeated
My Dress-Up Darling