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Description
The Rough Guide to Mangais the ultimate handbook for exploring the world of Japanese comics. Features include- The story- From manga's twelfth-century roots to the rise of English-language manga, with profiles of influential creators like Leifi Matsumoto and CLAMP. The primer- Manga's unique styles, techniques and genres decoded, along with a glossary of terms. The canon- Fifty must-read manga, including the iconic Astro Boy, global hits Fruits Basket and Battle Royale, plus less well-known show more works like Please Save My Earth. The links- Manga publishers detailed, with reviews and recommendations, plus listings for manga magazines and websites, as well as a chapter on the anime connection. show lessTags
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Member Reviews
Much as the [b:The Rough Guide to Anime 1|6444768|The Rough Guide to Anime|Simon Richmond|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1392427131s/6444768.jpg|6634821] was an excellent primer on anime as a medium, so the Rough Guide to Manga is to manga. The book does an excellent job giving a brief history of manga, both in Japan and in the US, and giving a good rundown of useful terminology for the beginner before getting into the "Manga Canon".
Further, the 50 volumes in the Manga Canon are books that I can't really argue with, covering books both recent and past, and books which I'd consider significant to the medium, whether through their influence on other works, or due to their popularity. If I was to give one criticism to the canon, in the show more Rough Guide to Anime there were more than a few works of anime that I had never heard of before, that the book introduced me to, notably "Night on the Galactic Railroad". The Rough Guide to Manga doesn't have as much of that.
Were it not for the fact that Penguin Books has discontinued their Rough Guides series and is going to let the books go out of print, I'd consider this the perfect book to give to someone who was new to manga and was looking for a place to start. As it is, this book is still a good gift to give, and worth recommending.
EDIT (7/17/2015): I've recently re-read the book, and while the manga canon and the history of manga sections are still incredibly useful, there are some portions that have become unfortunately (and in one case, fortunately) dated.
The good news - As of this writing, the manga "Rose of Versailles" has been licensed for an English language release!
The bad news - CPM Manga, ADV Manga, and Del Rey Manga have stopped operations. Some of Del Rey's stuff has been picked up by Kodansha USA, but not all of it. Further, Anime Vice has basically become just a YouTube channel, with Gia Manry having started working in the industry instead of covering it, and Tom Pinchuck taking over hosting duties for the channel. Finally, the magazine Protoculture Addicts has stopped publication. show less
Further, the 50 volumes in the Manga Canon are books that I can't really argue with, covering books both recent and past, and books which I'd consider significant to the medium, whether through their influence on other works, or due to their popularity. If I was to give one criticism to the canon, in the show more Rough Guide to Anime there were more than a few works of anime that I had never heard of before, that the book introduced me to, notably "Night on the Galactic Railroad". The Rough Guide to Manga doesn't have as much of that.
Were it not for the fact that Penguin Books has discontinued their Rough Guides series and is going to let the books go out of print, I'd consider this the perfect book to give to someone who was new to manga and was looking for a place to start. As it is, this book is still a good gift to give, and worth recommending.
EDIT (7/17/2015): I've recently re-read the book, and while the manga canon and the history of manga sections are still incredibly useful, there are some portions that have become unfortunately (and in one case, fortunately) dated.
The good news - As of this writing, the manga "Rose of Versailles" has been licensed for an English language release!
The bad news - CPM Manga, ADV Manga, and Del Rey Manga have stopped operations. Some of Del Rey's stuff has been picked up by Kodansha USA, but not all of it. Further, Anime Vice has basically become just a YouTube channel, with Gia Manry having started working in the industry instead of covering it, and Tom Pinchuck taking over hosting duties for the channel. Finally, the magazine Protoculture Addicts has stopped publication. show less
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Anime/Manga Studies
111 works; 3 members
Author Information
1 Work 23 Members
Series
Common Knowledge
- Canonical title
- The Rough Guide to Manga
- Original language
- English
Classifications
- Genre
- Graphic Novels & Comics
- DDC/MDS
- 741.5 — Arts & recreation Drawing & decorative arts Drawing Comic books, graphic novels, fotonovelas, cartoons, caricatures, comic strips
- LCC
- PN6710 .Y33 — Language and Literature Literature (General) Literature (General) Collections of general literature Comic books, strips, etc.
- BISAC
Statistics
- Members
- 23
- Popularity
- 1,153,990
- Reviews
- 1
- Rating
- (3.25)
- Languages
- English
- Media
- Paper, Ebook
- ISBNs
- 2
