Manga 101

About Blog Post February 19, 2024 Michaela Huss headshot of post author Michaela Huss
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Maybe you love manga and anime, maybe your friends read manga, or maybe you’re not really sure what “manga” means. Manga, pronounced “MAHN-guh”, is a Japanese loanword for “comics”, although in English it has the inferred meaning of comics originating from Japan and Japanese artists, or otherwise showing similarities to the general styles or format of Japanese comics.

There's much more than one "type" of Manga, as with all comics. Manga has developed into its own stylized genre overtime, including many subgenres targeted at various audiences (like Shoujo, Shonen, Josei, Seinen, etc.) or consisting of shared themes (like Isekai/“Otherworldly” stories, Mahou-Shoujo/Magical Girls, or Slice-of-Life, etc.). From action-packed tournament arcs, to deep and thoughtful dramas, to laugh-out-loud comedies – whatever type of stories you prefer, there’s sure to be manga that peaks your interest! 

Oftentimes, you may find that popular manga are adapted into anime, (pronounced “AN-ih-may” or “AH-ni-may”) which is another Japanese loanword, short for “animation”. Sometimes it's the other way around, where an anime series/movie becomes so popular, it’s adapted or continued as written manga. If you’ve seen popular anime on TV or in theaters like My Hero Academia, Pokémon, or My Neighbor Totoro, you may already be familiar with their manga adaptations as well.

If you’re looking to try something new, here are a few favorite teen manga selections by genre from our current collection at CCJPL!

(Make sure to also check out our collection of digital manga on Libby!)

 

Action-Adventure

Claymore

Magus of the Library

One Piece

Sailor Moon

 

Comedy/Slice-of-Life

Heaven's Design Team

Kiniro Mosaic

Monthly Girls’ Nozaki-Kun

Wonder Cat Kyuu-Chan

 

Fantasy

Ascendance of a Bookworm

Cardcaptor Sakura

Frieren: Beyond Journey's End

Howl’s Moving Castle

Witch Hat Atelier

 

Mystery/Thriller/Drama

Beastars

Blue Period

Manga Classics: Romeo & Juliet

Manga Classics: The Stories of Edgar Allen Poe

 

Paranormal

Demon Slayer (Kimetsu no Yaiba)

Fruits Basket

Manga Classics: Frankenstein

Yokai Cats

 

Sports

Blue Lock

Haikyuu!!

Run On Your New Legs

 

Romance

A Sign of Affection

Horimiya

Kimi ni Todoke (From Me to You)

My Love Story!!

Skip & Loafer

 

Sci-Fi

Cells at Work

Land of the Lustrous

Orange