The Insider Secrets Of Latest Manga Releases Discovered
As the buzz around the manga and anime subcultures deepens more and more books on the subjects are increasingly 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. In contrast, 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 that can help you spot the top academic books on anime and manga:
The most dependable books tend to be those authored 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 written by a professor or lecturer? If not does she or he has a history of doing work in the manga or anime industry? The importance of the author's background shouldn't be taken lightly. Learning from, and later quoting, a knowledgeable person on any subject will be preferable. Avoid books that were authored 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 find manga out how the layout and written content appears. Some books on anime and manga are informative enough but are picture-heavy. Books which are filled to the bream with pictures at the cost of text will most likely not supply you with enough information and also can prove counterproductive.
The only exceptions to the rule above are encyclopedias. There are 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 one or two 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 can always have citations. They are your reference books and may point you to more in-depth books on the subject you wish to research. You will find a surprising number 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 couple of Japanese books to your research 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 considerably 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, 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 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 vital edge.
