Kind of Like Reading

Manga, like anime, is a word that is coming to fairly common use in the English language, despite its Japanese roots. Note that it is pronounced with a soft "a" sound, not a hard one (in English phonetics, mahn-ga). Strangely, I actually knew someone else that was studying in Japan who pronounced it with a hard sound, which for a student of Japanese is kind of embarrassing. Some of you may know, as well, that manga is read from right to left, rather than left to right. Early on, US publishers were mirroring it for Western audiences, but I think they have all switched to the authentic direction now. You might be thinking that is a little awkward, but it comes quite naturally since (most) books and magazines are read in the opposite direction (as in, the binding is opposite side). Anyway, rather than shower you with a continuation of cuteness fixation (which obviously is quite possible), I thought I would talk about its popularity in Japan.

Huge. It really is. I have heard it accounts for 40% of all book and magazine sales in Japan, and I don't find that surprising. It literally cannot be compared to the US comic industry. In the US, comics (and "graphic novels) have long been the domain of the young and a niche group of adults. In Japan, however, it is not uncommon to see grown businessmen reading manga on the train. Not just businessmen either. Young or old, manga is a popular way to pass the time in transit. There are some conservative Japanese who find it distasteful to see businessmen reading racy manga on a crowded train, but I can't help but grin.

There are a great many types of manga, aimed at all manner of audiences. Boys', girls', mens', womens', various fetishes in between...it's all there. They also come in various mediums, such as magazines (of varying frequency: weekly, monthly, etc) as well as books. Actually, oftentimes Japanese bookstores will offer free covers for your books, so you could look like you're reading a book in public, when it actually is manga. There is also a sizable segment of fan-made manga called "doujin". These are infamous for often being pornographic, though there are exceptions. Growing in popularity now are manga (and other books) which you can download to your cellphone. These have the added bonus of only displaying on frame at a time, so you don't have to worry about spoiling a surprise by glancing at the next page. On top of that, some even take advantage of the light and vibration functions.

At least it gets people reading. Sort of.

Since I've gotten into the habit of posting videos now, here's something or other: