The Ultimate Beginner’s Guide to Reading Manga: 5 Easy Steps
Manga is a Japanese comic book that is very popular among young people in the United States and Canada. People of all ages and interests like the stories and characters that are part of the pop culture trend. But you have to learn to read the manga. This article will help you figure out how to read Japanese manga panels correctly.
What Is Manga?
Manga is the English word that people in the west use to talk about Japanese comics in general. It has an artistic way of telling a story, like graphic novels like The Walking Dead, but it’s not like regular superhero comics.
It is important to remember that there is also Ameri-Manga. This kind of manga is written by Americans, but it looks like it was made in Japan. Most of the time, there aren’t a lot of differences between these types of manga. However, the background of the writers has a big impact on how they write.
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How Do You Read Manga?
It is hard for an American to pick up a Japanese manga book for the first time and read it correctly. They often have trouble reading the panels right, so it is important for them to know how to read the comic before they start.
Here Are the Steps You Should Follow to Read Manga Correctly
1.) Choosing a Manga
Before you start reading manga, you will need to choose a title from the many that are out there. Since there are so many options, we suggest you choose a genre that interests you. Once you know what kind of manga you want to read, you can look at the most popular volumes of that kind.
People who like fantasy, for example, want to read the digital version of Dragon Ball. If you like science fiction, you can check out Ghost in the Shell.
2.) Getting Started
When you find a manga you want to read, you can start it. But if you choose a book from a series, start with the first book to read the story in order. Most manga covers show the number of the issue, so you can figure out which volume comes first.
3.) Read From Right to Left
When you open a manga, it’s easy to see that you can’t just read it like an American book. The spine of a manga should be on the right side, which is different from graphic novels and books are written in the west.
Check that the title, author, and edition are on the front cover to make sure you start on the right page. In American books, you read from left to right, but in the manga, you read from right to left.
Many manga books printed in the United States have warnings on the left side so you don’t read them backward.
4.) Reading Panels
Keep in mind that manga is like graphic novels, so you will read panels instead of words. In most panels, there is a conversation, but there are also pictures and writing that goes across the page.
Read the panels from right to left and from top to bottom, starting in the upper right corner. First, read the right page, then the left one. If the panels are vertical, start with the panel on the right page that is closest to the top.
The text in dialogue bubbles, which shows what the characters are saying to each other, follows the same rules as the panels. So, to read what the characters are saying to each other, start at the rightmost bubble in each panel.
Also, it’s important to understand how certain styles work. For example, if the background of a panel is black, it’s usually a flashback. Even though not all artists follow this rule, most manga writers tend to do this.
5.) Figure Out How the Characters Feel
To enjoy manga, you need to know how to figure out how the characters feel. You will figure this out as you go, but there are some things you should know before you start.
A sigh bubble is usually a sign of relief or frustration. The lines on a person’s face show that they are blushing or excited about something.
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What Is the Best App to Use to Read Manga?
Here Are Some of The Best Apps You Can Use to Read Manga Online Legally and Enjoy Stories with Your Favorite Characters.
To Read Manga, What App Should You Use?
Here Are Some of The Best Manga Apps that You Can Use to Read Manga Online Legally and Enjoy Stories with Your Favorite Characters
Crunchyroll
The most popular place to find manga is on Crunchyroll. It gives you access to a lot of content, but it also has ads. It’s easy to use, though. It has a lot of free manga, but you have to subscribe to see other things. Because of licensing issues, you will need to buy a premium subscription to access some titles.
ComiXology
ComiXology is owned by Amazon, and you can buy a subscription to get access to their whole library. You can also buy individual titles that you will keep forever. Subscribers can also see content from Marvel and DC.
Viz Media
To read manga online legally, you need to make an account at Viz Media so you can get to the content. With a subscription, you can read different weekly comics every week. You can also buy individual titles through the app or website.
Book Walker
Users of the Book Walker app can buy several manga titles. To get the original copies, you have to use the Book Walker app and website. Make sure you use the international site so that you don’t have trouble with the translation.