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 the rest of the world uses 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 traditional superhero comics.
It’s important to remember that there is also Ameri-Manga. This kind of manga is written by Americans, but it has a style that is more Japanese. Most of the time, there aren’t many differences between these kinds of manga, but the background of the writers has a big effect on how they write.
How Do You Read Manga?
It is hard for Americans 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 before they start.
Here Are the Steps You Should Take to Correctly Read Manga:
1.) Selecting 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.
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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.
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3.) Right to Left Reading
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 go 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 tells what people are saying to each other, follows the same rules as the panels. So, to read what the characters are saying to each other, start with the bubble on the right in each panel.
Also, it’s important to know about some common writing styles. For example, if the background of a panel is black, it is often a flashback. Even though not all artists follow this rule, most manga writers tend to do it this way.
5.) Reading Characters’ Emotions
To enjoy manga, you need to know how to figure out how characters feel. You’ll learn as you go, but there are some things you need to know before you start.
Most of the time, a sigh bubble shows relief or irritation. The lines on a character’s face show that they are blushing or excited about something.
You shouldn’t take everything manga says at face value. For instance, a nosebleed doesn’t always mean that someone is bleeding from their nose. Most of the time, it’s a sign of lust. In the same way, sweat drops usually mean that someone is embarrassed.
