April Manga/Graphic Novel Genre Discussion

For April 2016, we will be reading Graphic Novel/Manga.
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kio
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April Manga/Graphic Novel Genre Discussion

Post by kio »

Did you know that your brain reads illustrations like they do sentences? (http://discovermagazine.com/2012/dec/29 ... LkMd4UX4cp). It also helps you to retain more information (http://www.comicsbeat.com/new-study-sho ... ple-learn/) as well as stimulate multiple parts of the brain (lost the info link on this one, sorry). Just some food for thought ;)

A graphic novel is a full-length book that is illustrated similar to a comic book. One’s classified by this genre are typically read left to right and are produced originally in a non-Japanese format. This may be one book or a series of books, but usually can stand on its own as a novel. There is no pre-determined setting. This style novel can fall into any category and is becoming more and more popular.

Manga is a graphic novel of Japanese origin. It is a serial story in which each book builds upon the other. It is typically read up to down, then right to left. Most books include a reading map at the beginning of the novel to instruct the reader on how to read it. The books usually take place in Japan or in a fantasy-based version of it. These also tend to have a lard fan base and some have continued for several books. Pokemon, for example, has been around at least 30 years and has had several spin-off shows(kids example). Inuyasha spanned to over 100 volumes (adult example). Books like Naruto and Bleach has expanded well into 60 volumes(teen examples).

Some questions for this month:

What did you think of the way you had to read both the illustrations and the text? Did you think they worked well together?

How might this way of telling the story differ from the traditional chapter book?

What was the book you read about? What genre would you say it falls under? Would you recommend it? Why or why not?

Would you read another book in this series or, if not a series, another graphic novel similar to it?

-- 04 Apr 2016, 20:04 --

Sorry for the late post, I had two really cute reasons why I promise (got some new golden lab puppies over the weekend)
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Post by katiesquilts »

Manga is totally my speed... Although I haven't indulged in a while. Maybe I'll get back into Vampire Knight, since it got a little weird in the middle. :eusa-think:
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Post by Gravy »

Currently reading the first in Bill Willingham's Fables!
I'll post about it when I finish.

Though I also plan to read V for Vendetta :D
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Post by Vermont Reviews »

I enjoy manga as I used to own a comic shop.
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Post by 1Bibliophile »

I just read the first book in the Amulet series by Kibuishi. I enjoyed both the dialogue and the illustrations. The arrangement of the frames was something I had to get used to. It's a little more challenging than say a Marvel comic which you follow row by row and the frame size is pretty consistent throughout. The thing that was surprising to me was how quick the read is. I'm used to regular novels so it was surprising to get to the end in a shorter time. I hope there will be a completion to the story eventually. I'm not sure I'd enjoy being left hanging for a gazillion episodes.
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Post by victoria48 »

I love graphic novels.
When the artist captures the writers story,magic happens.
She made broken look beautiful
and strong look invincible.
She walked with the Universe
on her shoulders and made it
look like a pair of wings.
Ariana Dancu
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Post by gali »

I have read awhile ago two great graphic books by Brian Selznick: "The Invention of Hugo Cabret", "Wonderstruck". The majority of the books consist of illustrations that compliment the narrative beautifully. Both books were magical and I loved them.
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Post by kio »

gali wrote:I have read awhile ago two great graphic books by Brian Selznick: "The Invention of Hugo Cabret", "Wonderstruck". The majority of the books consist of illustrations that compliment the narrative beautifully. Both books were magical and I loved them.
Great books, @gali. The illsutration really made the book for me as well :)
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Post by gali »

kio wrote:
gali wrote:I have read awhile ago two great graphic books by Brian Selznick: "The Invention of Hugo Cabret", "Wonderstruck". The majority of the books consist of illustrations that compliment the narrative beautifully. Both books were magical and I loved them.
Great books, @gali. The illsutration really made the book for me as well :)
The illustrations were awesome! :)
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Post by kio »

Another one I really like was Relish by Lucy Knisley. The food was so detailed, it made your mouth water. I think for me, the illustrations for graphic novels/manga can truly make or break the book. Which one did you like more @gali?
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Post by gali »

kio wrote:Another one I really like was Relish by Lucy Knisley. The food was so detailed, it made your mouth water. I think for me, the illustrations for graphic novels/manga can truly make or break the book. Which one did you like more @gali?
"The Invention of Hugo Cabret". Have you read both books?
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Post by Gravy »

I finished Legends in Exile, and rated it a three.

Fables is about a group of fabled characters; the three little pigs, the big bad wolf, Snow White (but don't bring up the dwarves!), etc, etc; living in New York after being chased from their homelands.

This is the first story arch of the series, and it's a mystery; Snow White's sister has gone missing, and her apartment is covered in blood.

Several characters are introduced, but were not really impactful to the story, which I don't tend to like...however, it actually made me look forward to reading more of the series, instead of being distracting or annoying.

One scene I felt was unneeded, and poorly handled, it felt out of place, and awkward, but it could be just my preference.

The illustrations are nice, and complex enough to keep you searching for things you might've missed.

The copy I read had the original cover art from the comics, and I love them! They're by a different artist than the illustrations, and they're quirky and fun.

A highlight for me was the very beginning. Beauty and Beast are being banished to The Farm because he's reverting to his Beast form:Image
But it was far from the only one.

Overall I enjoyed the whole thing, and can't wait to read more of the series!
I would definitely recommend this :lol:
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Post by Taylor Razzani »

I used to read Manga back in the day, Hana-Kimi, The Wallflower, and one I can't remember the name of...I think it was something like La Bijoux? It had something to do with jewels. I liked the merging of the illustrations with the words. It gives your imagination a little bit of a break but it is still stimulating. I feel like the manga I read would probably fit in the Young Adult category, but I always wanted to try others that might have been a little darker.

Side note, I loved reading from the other direction and the smell of them :lol:
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Post by katiesquilts »

Taylor Razzani wrote:I used to read Manga back in the day, Hana-Kimi, The Wallflower, and one I can't remember the name of...I think it was something like La Bijoux? It had something to do with jewels. I liked the merging of the illustrations with the words. It gives your imagination a little bit of a break but it is still stimulating. I feel like the manga I read would probably fit in the Young Adult category, but I always wanted to try others that might have been a little darker.
If you're looking for something a little darker, I would recommend you check out Parasyte or Shingeki no Kyojin!
They're both a little gruesome, but super popular! Also both have anime and live action movies. :D
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Post by Taylor Razzani »

katiesquilts wrote:
Taylor Razzani wrote:I used to read Manga back in the day, Hana-Kimi, The Wallflower, and one I can't remember the name of...I think it was something like La Bijoux? It had something to do with jewels. I liked the merging of the illustrations with the words. It gives your imagination a little bit of a break but it is still stimulating. I feel like the manga I read would probably fit in the Young Adult category, but I always wanted to try others that might have been a little darker.
If you're looking for something a little darker, I would recommend you check out Parasyte or Shingeki no Kyojin!
They're both a little gruesome, but super popular! Also both have anime and live action movies. :D
Thanks for the suggestion! I will check those out, there are so many out there I wouldn't have known where to start or what were good choices :)
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