Where to Read Manga in Japan

Manga, or Japanese comics and print cartoons, is very popular among the people of Japan.  It can be a form of entertainment and also a form of art.  Manga can convey a number of things, such as action-adventure, comedy, science-fiction, sports, fantasy, history, business, horror or even romance.  Whatever your mood may be, you can find something in manga for you.

Manga, which can literally be translated to “whimsical drawing,” can be found in several places .  The most popular places in Japan to find manga are called manga kissa, or manga cafes.  There you will be able to browse different genres of manga by different artists and also be able to purchase drinks such a coffee.  There are even those who love manga so much, they browse, read and drink coffee all night.

There is also a very large selection of web manga.  Web manga is where artists put their work on the internet which is solely viewable online.  It is at the discretion of the artist whether they choose to allow print of their work.  However, if the artist does allow print, you will be able to purchase their manga in graphic novel form.

Another place to read manga is in magazines such as, “Newtype” and “Nakayoshi”.  There are magazines dedicated mainly to manga and its artwork.  Inside a manga magazine there may be a continuation of a series, a behind the scenes of an artist, or even “one-shot” comics, where unknown artists try to get their names out into the manga world.

Manga has become a culture in itself and it has spread through the world like a wild fire.  It’s being used for movies, cartoons and publications.  It is loved by people of all ages and fans of all genres.

Types of Anime – Mecha

Japanese Anime comes in all shapes and size, it covers a huge number of subjects and genres. From fantasy, sci-fi , comedy, romance to cooking and almost anything else you can imagine.

One of the genres that captured my imagination the most was the “Giant Robot” or “Mecha” anime.

The idea of huge robotic battle suits always seemed incredibly cool to me. I grew up watching transformers in the 80′s so I guess its always been part of my “things that are awesome” genetic makeup.

Let me give you a brief overview of some mecha anime series and movies that I think are worth checking out.

Patlabor The Movie- Released in 1989 the film is set in a near future Tokyo, were the city is undergoing a huge redevelopment project using “labours” robots that are either controlled by pilots or automatic. As you and probably guess it all goes a bit wrong and the labours go on the rampage. Its a classic that you should check out for sure.

Neon Genesis Evangelion – What starts off as a fairly simply boy in giant robot fights evil giant aliens before they can destroy futuristic Tokyo. The series becomes quite complicated and in depth and at times very weird. Fear not however there is still plenty of giant robots shooting each other for those who don’t care so much about the plot

The Vision of Escaflowne – One of the few things I enjoy more than giant robots, is giant robots with swords and Escaflowne is perfect for that. The story is centred around a girl call Hitomi Kanzaki who is transported to a strange planet on which she can see the earth and its moon in the sky. Being on this planet unleashes her latent psychic powers as she is drawn into a war brought about by an empire searching for the power of Atlantis….You’ve got to love the insane drama of these stories.

Transformers – Special mention must go to what is my all time favourite cartoon. Perhaps not strictly speaking anime, though its roots do lie in Japan. Everything about the original Transformers series is amazing to me. I used to run around with my friends pretending to transform while making the ccheeeechooocchhaaachaaaa noise. If you have only ever seen the hideous Michael Bay movies please watch the originals and see what transformers is supposed to be.

Picture Sources: Here Here Here Here

The History of Cosplay

When most people hear the term Cosplay, they automatically think of Japan. After all, the term was coined by Nobuyuki Takahashi of the Japanese studio, “Studio Hard” after attending the Science Fiction Worldcon in 1984.He wrote about the event and the people that turned up in costume. Though, the “tradition” of dressing up at such events is even older. In 1939 at the First World Science Fiction Convention in New York, the future editor of “Famous Monsters of Filmland”, Forrest J Ackerman, appeared dressed as a rugged star pilot.

His female companion, Myrtle R. Jones, was adorned in a dress based on an outfit from the classic 1933 film “Things to Come”. They caused quite a stir amongst the rather somber gathering of writers, artists and fans, and injected a much needed air of the imaginative spirit of science fiction into the overtly serious nature of the convention.

Author Frederik Pohl, published in his book “The Way The Future Was”, described the fancifully garbed pair as “stylishly dressed in the fashions of the 25th century” but feared that they may have begun an ominous new trend. How right he was! So successful was their costumed appearance that the following year, a dozen or so fans turned out in their own “scientifiction” apparel. After the release of Nobuyuki Takahashi’s article, the idea of dressing up as much beloved characters began to take hold in Japan, and fans would turn up to sci-fi and comic events dressed as their favourite manga and anime characters.

As manga/anime’s popularity began to swell in the mid-90’s so did the desire to dress up for events. Becoming more popular than ever before, the term“cosplay” is now broadly used. It was seen (somewhat unfairly) as being invented by the Japanese. The fundamental difference in cosplay in the East versus the West is that in Japan, fully taking on the role of the character you are portraying is very important. Also, it is rare for Japanese cosplayers to dress in or make costumes that are not of a well known character.


In the West (Northern America mostly) fans are slightly more free with their designs. Characters are often designed from scratch and dress in costumes both for comedic effect and to look cool.

Another important difference to note is that cosplay in Japan is mostly an interest for young women. In the west, however,  there is no limit to the age range and kind of people who take part.

Reference: Japan cosplay costume shop

http://www.costume-shop.jp/

Powered by WordPress | Designed by: Free MMO | Thanks to Social Games, Game Music Soundtracks and MMORPG Wallpapers