Monthly Archives: March 2005

For those new to manga, Joanna Draper Carlson of Comics Worth Reading offers her recommendations, which include “Hikaru no Go,” “Hot Gimmick,” and a favorite of mine, “The Kindaichi Case Files.” This story is a sidebar to a longer article … Continue reading →

Josie and the Pussycats are going manga, following in the footsteps of their cousin, Sabrina the Teenage Witch. Can Archie and the Riverdale gang be far behind? Actually, the art in the preview pages doesn’t look particularly Japanese. It looks … Continue reading →

They have one in Chapel Hill. It’s not a bad idea. One of the reasons I have seen why manga appeals to girls is that manga are marketed in bookstores, where the girls go anyway—and where they feel comfortable. There … Continue reading →

Nice story in the Chicago Tribune about teenagers getting into Japanese culture in general. I like the kid who says sushi is “the gateway drug to Japan.” As my kids are younger, they are more into the kawaii (cute) stuff—not … Continue reading →

Lots of interesting commentary on the comics blogs over the past few days about She Was Asking For It,by Lianne and NotHayama, which critiques the submissive female characters in some shoujo manga aimed at older teens. These series feature possessive … Continue reading →

Art history and theater professor Robert Peterson lectured on manga to a packed house on Friday at Eastern Illinois University. Peterson said the image of manga as porn is flawed, noting that “Japan has very strict censorship laws” and asserting … Continue reading →