Exploring Manga with Your Child

Maybe you’ve heard of Sailor Moon or One Punch Man. Maybe your child is into all things kawaii. Maybe you’re looking to learn more about Japanese culture or maybe you’re just looking for an absorbing new series for your kids to delve into. No matter the curiosity, manga has something to offer for everyone. But where do you start?

Manga is the Japanese word for “comics” and refers in English to Japanese graphic novels and comics. In keeping with the original Japanese format, manga pages are read from right to left—so action, sound effects, and word balloons are completely reversed compared with traditional Western comics. This preserves the orientation of the original artwork as intended by the creators.

Manga also comes with its own vocabulary, which can seem daunting, but fear not. Here are a few helpful terms to know when looking at what manga to choose:

• Kodomomuke: for kids; usually features animals as characters and are episodic in nature
  •  Examples: Pokemon, Yo-kai Watch, BeybladeX
• Shōnen: targeted to young boys; typically features magic, action, and a hero’s journey towards overcoming adversity.
  • Examples: My Hero Academia, Naruto, Bleach
• Shojo: targeted to young girls; typically romance-focused, and feature coming-of-age and personal development stories
  • Examples: Fruits Basket, Yoisuba
• Seinen: targeted to adult males; typically darker, with more mature themes and varies wildly in subject matter
  • Examples: Berserk, Chainsaw Man, Battle Royale
• Josei: targeted to adult females; typically delves into more mature and realistic depictions of life, including work life and relationships
  • Examples: Nana, Princess Jellyfish

Most manga also comes with an age rating on the back of the book:

• E/A: Appropriate for readers of any age. No swearing or suggestive themes/sexual content. May include mild fantasy action/violence.
• Y: Youth; intended for readers aged 10 years and older. May include mild action/comedic violence, mildly crude humor, or mild tobacco/alcohol use.
• T: Teen; intended for readers aged 13 years and older. May include mild swearing, mild suggestive themes, moderate violence, and/or tobacco, alcohol, or other substance use.
• OT: Older Teen; intended for readers aged 15 years and older. May include moderate swearing, mild suggestive themes/sexual content, partial nudity, violence, and/or tobacco, alcohol, or other substance use.
• OT (17+): Older Teen; intended for readers aged 17 years and older. May include frequent swearing, intense violence, nudity, sexual content, and/or tobacco, alcohol, or other substance use.
• M: Mature; intended for readers aged 18 years and older. May include intense language, nudity, sexual content, extreme violence, and/or other mature themes.

These are helpful guidelines, but each series should be considered independently. It is up to parents to decide what is acceptable for their children.

In the youth services department, we’ve pulled our manga out to create its own section, which is located by the youth video games. Need some title suggestions? Don’t be afraid to ask the nearest librarian! We’re here to help.