Intro to Manga

Manga:

Manga (pronounced with short "a"-- like mahn-guh), is the Japanese word for comic, and in the American understanding, has come to mean both comics that are originally produced in Japan and those produced elsewhere but still in the Japanese art style and format. As with American comic GNs by Marvel and DC, manga GNs are produced as series with multiple volumes (with many, but not all, as collections of previously published separate issues).

One of the main format differences between manga and American GNs is that manga are read from back-to-front and text and action frames are read from right-to-left. This follows the standard reading format of all traditional Japanese language texts. Though some very popular manga series and Western produced manga are reformatted/formated for Western front-to-back reading, back-to-front and right-to-left is considered more authentic by fans and not a drawback once one becomes used to it. Also unlike American GNs, manga by current publishers are by-and-large standard in size/dimensions (this uniformity can make for easily recognizable and visually appealing shelving in the library).

Manga art style itself is distinctive, the most commonly recognizable features being the "big eyes;" large heads, hands, and feet,;and slim bodies. Of course, as with all art styles, these are any number of distinctive differences or variations depending on the artist/author (often the same person, called a "mangaka"). The vast majority of manga titles' art is reproduced in black and white, with color art collections available for select series.

When adding mange to the YA collection, it is important to consider a series' genre and age/grade appropriateness. Some manga is produced for a strictly adult audience, often including explicit and even deviant sexual behavior. Such manga are called seijin ("adult") for men and josei ("woman") for women and are not usually available at major bookstore chains or library vendors, but are some are available though Amazon and other websites. Descriptions or titles should help tip you off
The following are some important manga terms to know for teen series:
shōnen manga--Targeted to boys up to 18 years old--Usually a combination of various "male" genres, including action/adventure, martial arts, military robots, space sci-fi, action fantasy, and characteristically includes slapstick comedy and "fan service" (gorgeous women with cleavage, tight outfits, and who flash their panties--ranging from very mild to strong based on the series--level will be indicated in reviews on this site).
shōjo manga--Targeted to girls up to 18 years old--Usually some a romantic version of fantasy, sci-fi, historical, and school-life, and characteristically includes beautiful, slightly feminine boys, gender-benders, and comedies of misunderstanding. Most are usually a mix of comedy and drama, some with a darker edge than others. Yaoi (pronounced “ya-oy”) is a sub-genre of shojo where boys love boys/boy love (BL).

Publishers' Ratings:
Though ratings are not yet standardized, most publishers now give some indication of age appropriateness of titles. The following are the most common:
A= All Ages
Y = Youth (10+)
T = Teen (13+)
T+= Older Teen (16+) or
OT = Older Teen (16+)
M= Mature (Adult, 18+)
Just like with MPAA movie ratings, there is a range of content within each rating bracket, so ratings alone should not be the soul factor used for collection development decisions.
Note: Though some series may carry one rating (say. OT), a particular volume may come with a "Parental Advisory" warning. This may be for mature theme (e.g. cutting, suicide), language, sexuality, or nudity. This a challenge because the questionable material may only in one volume, so it often is a choice by the librarian (especially school librarians) about just how objectionable the material is and to judge whether to not have the series at all, to not have that volume, or to circulate that volume with the series anyway.
If a series is know to have a volume with a Parental Advisory warning, it will be noted in its review on this site.