How to Learn About Anime & Manga
Anime and manga are Japanese or Japanese-influenced cartoons and comic books. In the simplest sense, any comic book or cartoon created in Japan can be considered manga or anime, respectively; however, many anime and manga share common features, such as the heavily exaggerated features of some characters or the "super deformed" chibi drawings used for comedic effect. Anyone can learn about anime and manga, and with proper preparation you will be able to not only understand the current fascination with this unique art form, but fully enjoy it.
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Instructions
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Know your preferred demographic. As with media like television and film, manga and anime are vastly different depending on what demographic they are targeting. A sports manga is usually targeting males, while a romance manga is aimed at females. Gender is not the only thing that is targeted, however; age, race, education and even current employment are all things that manga publishers and anime producers take into account when promoting their material.
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Choose a genre. There are as many genre of manga and anime as there are of television shows, video games, books and any other form of entertainment. While common genres like action, adventure, mystery, comedy and romance are preserved, there are some more uncommon ones, like mecha (which involves super-advanced humanoid robots) and Shonen (which describes a demographic, really, and includes themes enjoyed by most young boys).
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Find a series. Using the appropriate genre and demographic, find a series that you believe will interest you. You are of course free to travel outside these guidelines if you think, for instance, a series about romance is more interesting than the mecha that fits your demographic and chosen genre. Often manga and anime will be multi-genre, anyway, and you never have to stop at just one.
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Decide on a format. With some series, you will be able to choose whether to follow the series in manga or anime format. For example, as of March 2011, the manga series "Bleach" has about 440 chapters (republished in about 40 bound graphic novels) and more than 300 episodes. The storyline remains mostly unchanged between formats. This is common practice, which may mean you can follow your series as a manga or anime. If only an anime is available, you can still decide on whether to follow the series with subtitles or with dialogue dubbed over into your preferred language.
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Join a club. If you want more information on anime and manga, whether in general or on specific series, you can often find it by joining an anime or manga club. Many public universities have anime and manga clubs where individuals can go to simply talk about their enjoyment of a series and watch it with friends. Sometimes club members even dress up as anime/manga characters (cosplay) and attend events. You can find clubs in your area by using search engines or asking friends, or you could even start your own.
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