100 Lessons Learned From People About Manga Content Websites
As the buzz around the manga and anime subcultures deepens a growing number of books on the subjects are going to be published. Whether you want to learn more about the culture to enrich your hobby or write an academic work or article, the abundance of books available can prove constructive for you. Conversely, since manga and anime come from the arena of popular culture not all books written about them are equally valuable or informative sufficient to be deemed constructive. As in all cases of popular media the risk of encountering a book full of fluff and lacking in useful content is high. Here are a few criteria that can help you spot the best academic books on anime and manga:
The most reliable books will almost always be those authored by experts. The first step after picking a subject and being given a list of books is to check their authors' history. Was the book authored by a professor or lecturer? If not does he or she has a history of working in the manga content websites; Suggested Internet site, or anime industry? The importance of the author's background must not be taken lightly. Gaining knowledge from, and later quoting, a knowledgeable person on any subject is always preferable. Avoid books which were authored by casual magazines, news groups or enthusiasts. These tend to be superficial and lack relevant citations to back their claims.
If possible always flip through a book to see how the layout and written content appears. Some books on anime and manga are informative enough but are picture-heavy. Books that are filled to the bream with pictures at the expense of text will most likely not present you with enough information and also can prove counter-productive.
The only exceptions to the rule above are encyclopedias. There are actually encyclopedias created specifically to appeal to anime, manga and otaku fans. They frequently analyse certain products/phenomena while also providing pictures. Encyclopedias usually do not offer more than 1 or 2 pages on each subject but are great for discovering new subject and expending your investigation scope. They are also often augmented with rare interviews and also will always have citations. They are your reference books and will point you to more in-depth books on the subject you wish to research. You can find a surprising number of encyclopedias about Japan and Japanese culture but your best bet would be to start reading the basic (yet valuable) manga, anime and otaku encyclopedias.
In the event you are proficient enough within the Japanese language and also are writing an academic work you could opt to add a number of Japanese books to your investigation pile. Japanese experts on manga and anime have written many books on the subject and also can provide invaluable information on how these trends operate in their native country of Japan. When writing about manga and anime citations from Japanese books will substantially enhance the credibility of your work and also will give you priority over researchers who chose only to include books authored by Western experts.
To conclude, as a way to spot the top academic books on manga and anime you should get familiar with the names of the leading experts within the field, and always check if the book in the event has sufficient text and also a good amount of citations. Specialized Encyclopedias tend to offer less information but broaden your horizon, while available and accessible books in Japanese may be wonderful resources and give you an important edge.
