The Ten Best Things About Manga Content Websites
As the buzz around the manga and anime subcultures deepens more and more books on the subjects are being published. Whether you want to know 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. Alternatively, 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 most 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 which will help you spot the very best academic books on anime and manga:
The most dependable books often be those written by experts. The very first step after picking a subject and being presented with a number 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 operating in the manga or anime industry? The significance of the author's background should not be taken lightly. Learning from, and later quoting, a knowledgeable person on any subject will be preferable. Avoid books which were authored by casual magazines, news groups or enthusiasts. These often be superficial and lack relevant citations to back their claims.
If possible always flip by way of a book to determine how the layout and written content appears. Some books on anime and manga are informative enough but are picture-heavy. Books that will be filled to the bream with pictures at the cost of text will almost certainly not give you enough information and will prove counter-productive.
The only exceptions to the rule above are encyclopedias. There are 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 manga releases subject and expending your investigation scope. They may be also often augmented with rare interviews and may always have citations. They're your reference books and can point you to more in-depth books on the topic you wish to research. You will discover a surprising range of encyclopedias about Japan and Japanese culture but your very best bet could be to start reading the basic (yet valuable) manga, anime and otaku encyclopedias.
If you are proficient enough in the Japanese language and are writing an academic work you could choose to add a few Japanese books to your investigation pile. Japanese experts on manga and anime have written many books on the topic as well as can provide invaluable information on how these trends operate within their native country of Japan. When writing about manga and anime citations from Japanese books will significantly enhance the credibility of your work and may give you priority over researchers who chose only to include books written by Western experts.
To conclude, so that you can spot the most effective 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 as well as 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 a significant edge.
