Buzz
Manga is a unique genre of Japanese comics. Reading manga is distinct from reading English comics, books, or magazines. To master manga reading, you need to follow the right-to-left and top-to-bottom sequence, accurately analyze elements within the panels, and explore character emotions by familiarizing yourself with common emotional symbols. This will enhance your enjoyment of manga.
Steps
Choose a manga genre
Learn about different types of manga. There are five main categories. Seinen targets adult men, Josei is for women, Shojo is aimed at young girls, Shonen is for boys, and Kodomo is designed for children.
Explore various manga genres. Japanese comics encompass a wide range of genres, covering diverse themes and topics. Some of the most popular manga genres include action, mystery, adventure, romance, comedy, slice of life, science fiction, fantasy, gender bender, historical, harem (a romantic genre where multiple female characters are interested in one male protagonist), and mecha (featuring piloted robots).
Familiarize yourself with some renowned Japanese comic series. Before diving into your first manga, take time to explore some trending series. For science fiction, consider Ghost in the Shell and Akira. Popular fantasy-themed series include Dragon Ball and Pokemon Adventures. Love Hina is often recommended for slice-of-life themes, while Mobile Suit Gundam 0079 blends mecha (piloted robots) with science fiction.
Get Started
Select manga based on your interests and personality. After exploring different manga genres and familiarizing yourself with popular series, it's time to decide which type of manga to read. Trust your instincts and pick a series that genuinely excites you!
Begin with the first volume of the series. Manga is always divided into series, each containing multiple stories. Ensure you start with the first volume and continue reading the series in chronological order. For popular series, volumes are often published together as a complete set. The volume number and series title are typically printed on the cover.
Place the manga on the table with the spine on the right. When reading manga, ensure the spine is positioned to the right. When the book is on the table, the last page should be on the left, and the spine should be on the right. This method is the opposite of reading English books.
Start from the side with the title, author's name, and edition. It's crucial to begin reading manga from the correct direction. The front cover typically displays the title and the name of one or more authors. Flip the book if you see a warning saying, “You’re reading the wrong way!”
Reading the Panels
Read the panels from right to left and top to bottom. Similar to reading the pages, you should read the panels from right to left. Start each page by reading the panel in the top-right corner. Move from right to left, and when you reach the edge of the page, continue with the top-right panel of the next row.
- If all panels are arranged vertically, start with the topmost panel.
- Even if the panels are not aligned, follow the right-to-left rule. Begin with the highest row or column and proceed—right to left—to the lowest row or column.
Read speech bubbles from right to left and top to bottom. Dialogue bubbles containing character conversations should be read from right to left. Start with the top-right panel and read the speech bubbles from right to left, moving downward as you go.
Analyze panels with black backgrounds as flashback scenes. Panels featuring black backgrounds often depict events that occurred before the main story of the manga. The black background signifies a flashback to a previous event or time period.
Understand panels with blurred backgrounds as transitions from past to present. A manga page containing a black panel at the top, followed by a gray panel, and ending with a white panel illustrates a time transition from the past (black panel) to the present (white panel).
Expressing Character Emotions
A sighing illustration represents a character's relief or sadness. In Japanese comics, characters are often depicted with empty speech bubbles near or below their mouths. This indicates that the character is sighing, which can be interpreted as them feeling relieved or weary.
Lines on a character's face signify embarrassment. Characters in Japanese comics are often shown with horizontal lines across their noses or cheeks to depict confusion. These expressions are used to convey embarrassment, excitement, or even romantic feelings toward another character.
A character's nosebleed signifies excitement or desire, not injury. When a manga character is depicted with a nosebleed, it typically indicates they are feeling intense attraction or lust toward another character, often a beautiful woman.
Sweat drops illustrate panic or nervousness. Occasionally, sweat drops are drawn near a character's head. This usually signifies that the character is flustered or feeling stuck in a particular situation. It is generally less severe than the embarrassment shown by lines on the face.
Shadows or dark patches on a character's face represent anger, irritation, or depression. When a character appears in a panel with purple, gray, black, or dark shadows in the background, it often conveys negative energy surrounding the character.
