While comic books are the gateway to a world of entertainment not many know of, Manga is an even more unique niche. Here’s why we believe Manga is better than comic books.
Manga Stories Feature Set Endings That Make Sense
People have grown sick of endless reboots and revivals. The same story being rehashed and told in a different fashion? No thanks we would rather watch a new experiment fail rather than looking at the same thing over and over again. Manga storylines are mostly finite. Superman, Batman, Iron man, and Spider-Man have been fighting crime for almost a century now. Manga protagonists do not return with open ended endings or bore us with villain of the day storylines. Their is a beginning, a mid-body character development and growth arc, and an eventual conclusion for the hero’s story.
Easier To Understand
If you are a newcomer, you will find a hard time becoming a comic book reader. Because there is so much lore and mythos around every character that it can be sometimes extremely intimidating. There are also multiple issues running simultaneously or pretty close to each other featuring the same character. Not exactly cost-effective we would say if you are a comic book fan. Manga on the other hand have no such issues. Their finite arcs mean everything can be condensed to a few chapter-wise volumes with a singular overall story line that goes chronologically.
It’s More than Just Superheroes & Supervillains
Granted there are comic books out there that have tried breaking that stereotype. But Manga stories have already pioneered the visual storytelling genre that does not involve capes and cowls. There is so much to explore in Manga that comic books cannot fathom to offer. and they have been at it since decades. You want a story about a young boy with a beast sealed inside him trying to make it big in a world of ninjas? Or maybe you like tales of young samurais slaying demons in Medieval Japan? Manga has got everything under the sun and some more.
Manga Artists Pride Themselves In Taking Risks
As an artist, he first and foremost aspect you look for while creating an artwork is trying to move people. It could be in a positive or negative way but evoking an emotion is the primary objective when they look at an art. Back then, with comic book greats like Jack Kirby and Alan Moore, Comics came pretty close to doing that. But Manga artists do it in almost every alternate title. Just take a look at Berserk, One Punch Man, or Attack On Titan and you would know how crazy risky that artwork is at times. And that’s why they are so successful.
It’s More Expressive
The one thing that stops people from switching over to Manga is the lack of color. Indeed seeing colors in a paper frame does make it look more attractive. But it does not necessarily mean the artwork quality skyrockets. There’s a saying in manga artist circles – ‘dynamism over believability’. By sacrificing the aspect of colors, Manga have embraced the concept to its fullest. Most of the drawings look supremely attractive and intimidating at the same time. And the reason is that they chose a different ballgame. Facial expressions, movement artwork, and page to page flow – that’s where the true magic of visual storytelling is.
Teaches You An Alternate, Unique Way Of Reading
People who are not Japanese may not know this but the Japanese have a different way of reading. The Japanese read from the last page, from right to left. The rest of the world reads from the first page, from left to right. So when you hold a Manga, you have to read the thought balloons and text boxes in a very different manner that would seem bizarre at first. But once you get the hang of it, you would absolutely fall in love.
