The Truth About New Manga Series In 3 Little Words
As the buzz around the manga and anime subcultures deepens an increasing number of books on the subjects are increasingly being published. Whether you want to get more information about the culture to enrich your hobby or write an academic work or article, the abundance of books available can prove constructive for you. However, 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 may help you spot the most effective academic books on anime and manga:
The most dependable books often be those authored by experts. The very first step after picking a subject and being presented with 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 operating in the manga or anime industry? The importance of the author's background must not be taken lightly. Learning from, and later quoting, a knowledgeable person on any subject is preferable. Avoid books that have been authored by casual magazines, news groups or enthusiasts. These often be superficial and lack relevant citations to back their claims.
If possible always flip through a book to view how the layout and written content appears. Some books on anime and manga are informative enough but are picture-heavy. Books that can be filled to the bream with pictures at the cost of text will most likely not supply you with enough information and can also prove counter-productive.
The only exceptions to the rule above are encyclopedias. There are actually 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 research scope. They're also often augmented with rare interviews and can always have citations. They can be your reference books and may point you to more in-depth books on the subject you wish to research. You'll find a surprising range of encyclopedias about Japan and Japanese culture but your best bet could be to start reading manga (More) the basic (yet valuable) manga, anime and otaku encyclopedias.
In the event that you are proficient enough within the Japanese language and also are writing an academic work you might opt to add several Japanese books to your research pile. Japanese experts on manga and anime have written many books on the subject and will 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 greatly enhance the credibility of your work and can give you priority over researchers who chose only to include books authored by Western experts.
To conclude, in order 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 quantity of citations. Specialized Encyclopedias often offer less information but broaden your horizon, while available and accessible books in Japanese may be wonderful resources and give you a significant edge.
