Manga Content Websites Expertise
As the buzz around the manga and anime subcultures deepens increasingly more books on the subjects are now being published. Whether you want to find out 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. On the contrary, 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 may help you spot the most effective academic books on anime and manga:
The most reliable books are always those written by experts. The very first step after picking a subject and being given a list 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 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 preferable. Avoid books that were authored by casual magazines, news groups or enthusiasts. These have a tendency to 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 will be filled to the bream with pictures at the expense of text will almost certainly not provide you with enough information as well as can prove counterproductive.
The only exceptions to the rule above are encyclopedias. You will discover encyclopedias created specifically to appeal to anime, manga and otaku fans. They frequently 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 manga series subject and expending your investigation scope. They can be also often augmented with rare interviews and also will always have citations. They're your reference books and can point you to more in-depth books on the subject you wish to research. There are actually a surprising range of encyclopedias about Japan and Japanese culture but your best bet would be to start reading the fundamental (yet valuable) manga, anime and otaku encyclopedias.
If you are proficient enough within the Japanese language and also are writing an academic work you could choose to add a number of Japanese books to your research pile. Japanese experts on manga and anime have written many books on the topic and may 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 also will give you priority over researchers who chose only to include books authored by Western experts.
To conclude, so that you can 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 often offer less information but broaden your horizon, while available and accessible books in Japanese may be wonderful resources and provide you a vital edge.
