Akira is considered a legendary work of comic art, referred to by many as a masterpiece of manga, or Japanese graphic novel. Copies of this creation by Katsuhiro Otomo can be found sitting benignly in the graphic novel section of public libraries, where youth often gather in packs to devour the hot new medium. But the casual reader of Akira might be shocked by the extremely violent nature of the images and wonder why librarians put it in reach of children.
The Motion Picture Association of America and the Entertainment Software Rating Board provide ratings for movies and video games, respectively. Yet, graphic novels do not have an equivalent organization.
Enter Jason Thompson, author of the new Manga: The Complete Guide, filled with everything you need to know about Japanese graphic novels, including reviews and ratings of all Japanese manga already translated into English. It also contains descriptions of manga genres and articles on news and issues related to the medium and its industry.
Johnson, who served as manga editor at multimedia publisher Viz Media for 10 years before becoming editor of Otaku USA magazine, wrote The Complete Guide “to show people that there is a huge amount of manga available in translation, and that there’s so much variety, almost anyone can find a manga they might like.”
The publishing of his book is a testament to the state and evolution of the American manga industry. “It’s an enormously successful market, and it’s changed the way that all comics — including American comics — are represented in bookstores,” Johnson explained, noting that the American manga market in 2006 was a $200 million industry, up from $60 million in 2002.
Johnson added that the manga craze has “certainly familiarized Americans with Japanese culture, even to the point of accepting titles printed right-to-left, which was once considered an insurmountable obstacle.”
For new manga readers, Johnson recommends checking out genres of interest. Fans of science fiction should look up Ghost in the Shell, comedy lovers have Cromartie High School, and romance fans can try Maison Ikkoku. Seasoned manga readers should add Black Jack, The Lone Wolf and Cub, and The Walking Man to their reading diet.