Manga Mania, Week 3

Manga is a term used to describe comics and graphic novels created in Japan.  Since the boom of the United States' manga distribution in the mid to late 2000s, many series have found their home on our shelves.  And with so many titles to go through, Manga Mania is a 4-part series of articles where we go through a few titles for different age groups!  This week, we're continuing to cover titles aimed towards teen readers.  This week's list features stories that focus on action, high-stakes, and mystery.

A couple things to consider when looking for the right manga--
1) Most manga titles are published in the original Japanese orientation.  What this means is the story will read right-to-left instead of left-to-right.  The best indicator of this is if the book looks "backwards," or if the cover is printed on what we would consider the back of a book.  Volumes will usually have a reading guide located in the back of the book (what we would consider to be the front) in case a reader needs assistance on where to begin reading.

2) Many publishing companies will include a rating on the back of the book to indicate the minimum age group a series would appeal to and reasons for the rating if needed.  It's like MPAA ratings, but for books.

Attack on Titan
Humanity has spent the past century secluded in a walled city and retaliating against man-eating giants called "titans."  This high-action survival story, with a touch of horror, keeps you on your toes with its wide cast of characters, all of whom are potential targets of the titans' voracity.

Fullmetal Alchemist
In a world where alchemy is possible, the Elric brothers embark on a journey to undo a tragic mistake from their past. A fantastic manga with action, drama, and comedy.

Naruto
A cursed boy strives to become the best ninja in his village--maybe even become their leader!  But he's gonna need to rely on his teammates and control the power within himself if he wants a shot at that dream.  Focusing on camaraderie, perseverance, and forgiveness, Naruto's journey is an amazing trip to check out.

One Piece
The Golden Age of Pirates has begun, and the young Luffy wants to become King of the Pirates!  He's gonna need a crew first and there are some nasty people with crazy powers out there who also want the title of King... When the going gets tough, will he be able to bounce back?  A story full of adventure, fantasy, drama and comedy, One Piece is definitely a treasure to uncover.

Tokyo Ghoul
A drama-filled horror.   After surviving a gruesome attack from a flesh-eating ghoul, college student Ken becomes the first human-ghoul hybrid.  Now he needs to find his footing in a new society, new rules, and suppress his new, monstrous cravings.

Are there any titles that interested you?  Are there others that you would want to add to the list?  Let us know in the comments, and join us next week when we conclude this series with other recommended titles.

Thank you for reading!