The Things They Didn t Tell You About Manga Content Websites
As the buzz around the manga and anime subcultures deepens more and more books on the subjects will 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. Alternatively, since manga and anime come from the arena of popular culture not all books written about them are equally valuable or informative enough to be deemed constructive. As in all of the 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 very best academic books on anime and manga:
The most reliable books often be those written by experts. The 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 working in the manga or anime industry? The significance of the author's background shouldn't be taken lightly. Learning from, and later quoting, a knowledgeable person on any subject is definitely preferable. Avoid books that were written by casual magazines, news groups or enthusiasts. These usually 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 latest manga series - the original source - are informative enough but are picture-heavy. Books that can be filled to the bream with pictures at the cost of text will probably not give you enough information and may prove counterproductive.
The only exceptions to the rule above are encyclopedias. You'll find encyclopedias created specifically to cater to anime, manga and otaku fans. They often analyse certain products/phenomena while also providing pictures. Encyclopedias usually don't offer more than 1 or 2 pages on each subject but are great for discovering new subject and expending your investigation scope. They can be also often augmented with rare interviews and also will always have citations. They may be your reference books and also will 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.
In the event you are proficient enough within the Japanese language and also are writing an academic work you could opt to add a couple of Japanese books to your research pile. Japanese experts on manga and anime have written many books on the subject and can also 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 significantly enhance the credibility of your work and will 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 in the field, and always check if the book in the event that has sufficient text and also a good amount of citations. Specialized Encyclopedias have a tendency to offer less information but broaden your horizon, while available and accessible books in Japanese can be wonderful resources and give you an essential edge.
