The medium of comics is one of the most widespread and popular mediums of print and art in the world. An entire industry has sprung up in recent decades around imported comics, particularly from Japan, called manga.
Japanese manga has enjoyed explosive success in the United States, and has helped spread cultural diversity throughout the world. Though the style originated in Japan, and while most manga do include notable local references and customs, manga itself covers a huge variety of locales and cultures.
While you can import just about any manga if you're willing to pay for it, there is a large selection of manga that is translated into English (and other languages) and available through local vendors.... and your local library!
In fact, the St. Tammany Parish Library has an extensive collection in our catalog. Here are a few choice selections, geared toward Young Adult audiences:
The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess is the latest manga based off of the popular video game series. Fans of the game will be doubly impressed by the detailed art style, emotional dialogue, and careful adherence to the game.
InuYasha gained popularity in the late 90s and early 00s not only for its fantastical portrayal of the Japanese Feudal Era, but also for featuring both strong male and female protagonists. There is also a popular anime series, of which our library system has several items!
One of the most popular manga of the last decade, Naruto tells the adventure of a ninja-in-training, in a world where ninjas have incredible magical abilities. The art is impressive, but the explanations of how various skills and tests work is utterly engrossing!
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There are many other popular series, for kids, teens, and even adults! Feel free to check out the online catalog and search for " manga, opens a new window " to see what items are available near you!
Want some more graphic novel suggestions? STPLBloggerMadisonville has several articles covering graphic novels and comics; here is her latest one, on STEM in Teen and Adult Comics. If you would like to see some more of my suggestions, feel free to check out my list, opens a new window right here!
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