UNDERSTANDING MANGA

A manga guide for beginners and fans alike.

This compact volume filled with ample color photographs supports readers with the context they need to appreciate manga and develop deeper knowledge of it. Bolte begins by offering historical and cultural information, diving right into manga’s origins, the growth in the market, and its recent boom in popularity. She explains that reading manga engages the brain because readers employ multimodal learning (reading, looking at illustrations, and “pairing the actions with sound effects”). Its impact can be measured by the significant percentage of the print and digital publishing sales it represents, both in Asia (where most manga is sold) and elsewhere (France is the next largest market). Teaching readers how the industry works, this guide explains the grueling hustle of the mangaka (the creators behind beloved series); Eiichiro Oda, the author and illustrator of ONE PIECE, faces fan criticism when he takes breaks. The first AI-generated manga was published in 2023, using art created by an author who had never done any drawing and revealing the technology’s shortcomings. The book covers some non-Japanese mangaka—for example, Odunze Whyte Oguguo from Nigeria and Peppe from Italy—as well as cultural influences on manga (such as Buddhist elements) and manga’s influence on fashion (including cosplay). The conversational tone, short chapters, and bright visuals will appeal to those interested in a jumping-off point for learning more about this topic.

A brief but entertaining and informative overview.