Five Reasons To: Read Manga
Five Reasons To is basically my way of convincing you to love the same things I do. Because I love a lot of things for a lot of reasons. Hopefully my powers of persuasion will work their magic on you, and you can find new things to love!
Today, I am going to give you five reasons to:
Read Manga
1. The Art
Just look at it. Isn’t it just BEAUTIFUL? This happens to be my favourite cover from my favourite manga series – Full Moon o Sagashite. I discovered this manga series (and manga in general) because I’d bought these cute AF stickers from a market, and then saw the same art in the library on the first volume of Full Moon. And then I loved the series, and fell in love with manga in general.
ALL of Arina Tanemura’s art is flipping gorgeous, which is why I used hers to make my point here. But there is beautiful art in A LOT of manga series. You can just stare at the pretty. And then cry over your lack of artistic ability.
2. The Stories
The stories that you can find in manga are pretty awesome. For example, in Fruits Basket there are people that turn into animals from the zodiac. Which sounds very weird, but is actually all kinds of awesome. I don’t think I know anyone who has read Fruits Basket and not adored it. It’s usually the one I recommend to manga newcomers because it’s cute and fun to read.
But there are SO many different stories out there. There are Alice in Wonderland retellings, there are different dimensions, there are people who get trapped in games, there are fantasy stories. There are just SO MANY. It’s amazing.
3. They can be SUPER LONG
If you’ve ever bemoaned the fact that your favourite series only has a small number of books, then manga is for you! There are a vast number of series that have a shit tonne of volumes. Like Vampire Knight – which has nineteen, and then two books, and then a short manga bind-up coming soon. I think this is wonderful, because it allows for the character and relationship development, as well as the world building, to be fully explored. And your favourites also go forever, which is nice.
4. They are Super Quick to Read
For me, reading a volume of manga takes between 20 and 30 minutes. Which is NOTHING. I know that there are other readers out there who can take about 45 minutes to an hour to read a volume of manga, but even that is relatively short when you compare it to the hours it takes to read a book! So when I have NO IDEA what to read, and I don’t feel like really settling down into anything, picking up a volume of manga is perfect. It also means that binge reading a series doesn’t take very long ;D
There’s no particular reason why I used Wandering Son for this point, except that it is lovely, and I recommend it.
5. The Shipping
Oh dear LORD. If you want shipping feels, then manga is most definitely for you. For example: Pandora Hearts. I don’t think I have ever been so slayed by shipping feels. And since this isn’t a shojo manga (which are generally romantic), there are only the TINIEST of moments to go on. Like when Gil threads his fingers through Oz’s hair *dies shipping death* There are so many ships to ship, and so many shipping feels to feel. It is one of the reasons I love manga so much.
Let us all take a moment to remember 2015 Chiara who wrote a Pandora Hearts fic every day for a month.
So these are five reasons for you to read manga! I hope I have convinced you. If you already read manga, what are some of your faves?
Ta ta for now,
What an awesome writeup, not often you see bookish types talking about manga! I’d like to read more manga, but my personal favorites are Fullmetal Alchemist and Death Note. FMA was part of what inspired me to become an author thanks to its story.
> There are a vast number of series that have a shit tonne of volumes.
> Like Vampire Knight – which has nineteen
How cute. Bleach is up to, what? About 70 I think? And One Piece just hit 81 – Naruto I don’t even want to think about. It’s amazing how long-running those series are and how their arcs span so many literal years; it’s something you don’t really see in Western media. One day when I’m insanely rich I’ll have a library dedicated to manga I think!
Awesome post!
Thanks! I don’t see enough people writing about manga, so I thought I’d give it a little shout-out. I have watched FMA, and Death Note, but haven’t read much of either of them. It’s awesome that FMA inspired you to write, though!
Ah, yeah. I was mainly going on shojo manga series, which are not as long as shonen ones, haha. I don’t think I could ever commit to a series so long, but it’s awesome for people who love them! I would love a manga library, as well. It would be so beautiful *.*
Thanks for stopping by, Brett!
Okay, I’ll admit I’ve only read a few mangas — but I’ve watched a lot of anime films and movies, so I know what’s up! I read the first two volumes of Maid Sama, and I’ve seen the entire Maid Sama anime — which was hilarious. And I’ve read the Manga Classics of Pride and Prejudice and Les Miserables, which were surprisingly pretty great.
For years, since I was in middle school, I’ve wanted to get into manga, except the sheer number of books in some popular series intimidated/s me (and my mom couldn’t justify paying for so many books that could be read in under an hour). My library doesn’t have the greatest selection of manga so I’m a bit limited, but I really want to read more of it!
I’ve actually watched the first season and then half of the second season of Vampire Knight, which I quit because the characters were really getting on my nerves. I’ll probably skip the manga, haha. But Fruits Basket is definitely one I want to check out. I also want to read Ouran High School Host Club because that’s my favorite anime ever, and I know it’ll be hilarious, so why not relive all the crazy shenanigans?
What a great post, Chiara! You’ve convinced me to make a trip to the library’s manga section and see what books they have stocked on the shelves. (I’m also behind my Goodreads reading challenge so whizzing through some manga volumes sounds like a great plan right now, haha.)
I haven’t read or watched Maid Sama, but I really want to read the manga classics! They look so lovely.
Yeah, the price is always something that makes me pause, especially if it’s a new series that I’m not sure about. I’m lucky that my library has most of the manga series I want to read! They aren’t too expensive on The Book Depository, though! And you could always start out with a small series :D
Ah, the angst in Vampire Knight is intense, but I can’t help but love it, haha XD Fruits Basket is super cute, and practically everyone loves it. I read the first few volumes of Ouran, but I wasn’t really sold. A friend has said it’s her favourite though, so I think I have to give it another go.
Thank you so much! I hope they have a somewhat good selection :D And yes, that is a super good plan, haha!
RIP 2015 Chiara, may her writings be remembered for centuries. To be honest, I’m not a big manga reader but I have a weakness for shoujo manga. They’re just so cute and fluffy! I cringe at every page but that’s all part of the fun ;)
It was a special time for me, haha XD Oh, I loooove shojo manga. They are the kind of manga that I read the most because they are so cute and fun ;D
You might have just convinced me to read Manga! I haven’t read a Manga book before (I haven’t even read a Graphic Novel, though I do own one), so it’s a little intimidating for me. I don’t know where to start! I love the idea of them being quick to read though, because they seem perfect for school. When I’m tired, I don’t want to commit to a really long book, so these seem perfect. It might be a little disappointing though, if I’ve just spend £9 or whatever on a book, to read it in an hour!
Thanks for sharing this! I’ll have to look into picking up a manga book! :D
Denise | The Bibliolater
Ah, yay! That makes me so happy :D I think start with a small series, or probably Fruits Basket (that’s the one that I usually recommend to first time manga readers). They are definitely great to read during the school semester, because you still get your reading time, but it doesn’t take so long! Yeah, the price is a bit of a put-off, but I re-read most of mine because they’re so lovely. You could always see if there’s a library near you that has any!
No problem :D
Ooh! I agree with you! I’ve read some manga but most of them are not so well known. But really, I can’t believe how beautiful the art is! It’s just so complex and take so much time to create every single page!
Yay! I am so envious of the art in some of the manga I read! I can’t even imagine how long it must take them to draw each panel :O
This is super awesome Chiara! Being an advocate of reading manga myself, I want people to try it too! Since this is Japanese in origin, we’ll get to know their culture especially the historical ones (which I unabashedly love!) so that’s a plus! But yes to all five!!! xD You guys should read manga. There’s so many genre to choose from & demographics too (from kids to adults!!!)
I’m glad you liked it, Mitchii! :D I don’t see enough manga love around the place, so I thought I would try to convince people to give it a go. It’s awesome how much you can learn of Japanese culture through manga – even the contemporary ones (especially their school system). I love that there are so many different audiences for manga, as well!
I’ve actually just started reading manga again! I’d never read much before apart from back when I borrowed Lovely Complex from a friend when I was younger and really enjoyed it. I’m currently reading Tokyo Mew Mew because I loved the anime so much when I was younger – it’s about 5 girls who have powers based on endangered animals and there’s aliens and I love it because it’s kinda dumb and cutesy (although I like the anime more). I think you might’ve persuaded me to read more, so thanks!
Yay! I generally go through phases with manga where I’ll read HEAPS, and then I won’t read any for ages, haha. Ohmygosh, I LOVED Tokyo Mew Mew! I read the manga and watched the anime. It’s such an adorable story ^.^ Yay, I hope you do read more, Helia!
I’ve only read one manga and I did like it, though it took a bit to get used to the “backward” reading. haha Thanks for these suggestions. I do love that manga (and many graphic novels too) are quick reads!
-lauren
Oh, yes! I had a friend who I introduced to manga, and she found it hard, too. It gets easier the more you read, though! I love that they’re quick reads, too. Perfect for a small bit of reading time :D
This is such a cute post – I adore that you share things you love with your readers! I used to read a bit, mostly borrowed from friends who had seemingly vast libraries of manga. I feel pretty nostalgic about it now!
Thank you! :D I never had many friends who had manga collections, so the library has always been the perfect place for me. You should get back into read it, Annika!
Ahhh okay, so I don’t read manga for two reasons:
1-THEY’RE SO ADDICTIVE
2-THEY’RE SO LONG.
One summer, I got into this manga that had like 300 volumes, and I kid you not, read them in like a week…. So yeah, I don’t read much manga now because I’m terrified that I’ll get sucked into it again haha.
But amazing reasons to read them and I totally agree with you!
Haha, ohmygosh! You should look up some of the shorter ones! My favourite only has seven volumes :D
Ohhhwhich ones is that?
Full Moon! :D
Agree, agree and agree! The art in some manga is just like, woah! I could stare at it for hours and hours! But I am quite scared of super long manga, like Naruto and Fairy Tail, even though I’m curious about them. ?
Now that you mentioned Pandora Hearts (the only one I’ve read on that list)…I feel like crying all over again. I’m an unfeeling Vulcan and character deaths usually evoke anger and endless ranting at the author (I’m looking at you, James Dashner), this one made me cry for the first time. And the ships daaaammmn! I shipped Oz and Gil so much!
I know, right? I love how beautiful the art can be. And when authors release art books, my heart is SO happy. I don’t think I could ever commit to the really long ones XD
EEP. Pandora Hearts is perfection! I can’t believe I haven’t finished it yet – I’m two volumes away from it >.< But the ships are so on point. Ozbert is LIFE.
So I totally watched the anime for most of these, BUT I WANT TO PICK UP THE MANGA. Like I heard that Pandora Hearts is 100% better manga wise, because the anime was just not….good. And I’ve been wanting to read Full Moon as well! I did start the anime for that one but just never finished it. The art was too weird for me.
YES EVERYONE SHOULD GO READ MANGA. My personal faves have been +Anima and Akagami no Shirayuki-hime :)
*whispers* Manga is better than anime most of the time, especially when the anime is based off a manga series ;D
Pandora Hearts is pretty much my favourite manga series ever, and I have heard so many negative things about the anime that I am 99% certain I will never touch it. Same goes for Full Moon.
I haven’t read those! I must go have a look on Goodreads :D
Omg yasss Chiara this is a post after my own heart, I love manga sfm and I’ve been wanting to do a rec post of my own but you’ve already covered some of my faves here. Fruits Basket will always make me all emotional, Tohru gets flak for being a Mary Sue but NOOO she’s just real perfection. I also love VK for not being afraid to go to really dark places emotion-wise and omg the art is perfection.
My favourite manga is Petshop of Horror (episodic, features a kickass protagonist), Pluto, Monster, Basara, omg I could literally go on forever XD
Ah, I’m so glad you love manga as well, Aentee! Fruits Basket is so cute, and Tohru is not a Mary Sue D: She is an adorable cupcake. And yes, the art in Vampire Knight is just too ridiculous.
I haven’t heard of any of your favourites :O I need to up my manga game, obviously!
Manga is so glorious and I’m so glad we get a fair amount published in Australia and the US, so we get to fall in love with characters like Tamaki and Haruhi and Torhu and Kyo and MOMIJI and almost every character in Wandering Son, tbh. Also Kitchen Princess. My life and my passion for stories and the way they can be told would be so different without the experience of manga and sharing the love of it. It’s something I’m so happy I can experience.
I love the different art styles you come across in manga, and the fact you get to see it change from volume 1, and how you get to be a small part of that unique experience. And I think that goes for the stories too, like you say. Reading my two favourites from start to finish, it carried me through their stories over the course of a year each and I got to know those characters and really form bonds to them, in a way I often don’t when it comes to novels- and even series. I guess when you go through all the drama, heartbreak, challenges and changes beside them, and those span such a long time, in some cases, and years of work by the author and artist, you have a chance to build a unique bond to the story. I adore that.
OH. Do I get to read those Pandora Hearts fics when I eventually find a way to read the series? DO I?
I am so glad that there are English publishers of manga, because it is such am amazing storytelling platform, and it would be quite terrible if we had never been able to read it, and find these amazing characters.
I love the different art styles, as well. It’s like different writing styles, and it’s awesome to love all different kinds of them. And watching an artist grow over the years, either in the same series, or as you follow their different series is all kinds of amazing. And you’re totally right about the connection to the story. Especially when they’re long ones!
Yes. All FORTY ONE OF THEM