Tag: kamisama hajimemashita

A Quick and Easy Break Down of Manga Genres

by admin

As a young excessively nerdy middle schooler, it took me a while to figure out exactly what all of the different genres of manga meant.  It really wasn’t until I started reading scanlations instead of buying books (I apologize greatly for that, but I have bills to pay you know) that I really became acquainted with the genres.  It is overwhelming at first, but after a while they are incredibly helpful.  Wrote a post earlier that helps identify whether or not you’re reading a Shoujo or a Shonen manga, and this one will go much more in depth.  Some of the genres like ‘comedy’ and ‘mystery’ are easy to figure out what they are all about, but some are a little bit more difficult.  I will try to organize this as easily as possible, and will attempt to find recommendations or examples of each genre.

Break Down By Age Groups:

Shoujo: These mangas are the ones that I read most.  They are geared towards younger girls from the ages of 13-18, sometimes younger depending on the maturity rating given.  They could have a wide range of settings, but most often deal with romantic themes.

Shonen: The male counterpart to Shoujo.  They are generally more action packed, and because it is geared towards boys, the focus is less on romance and more on kicking ass.

 

Josei: A more grown up version of Shoujo.  They often deal with more difficult/ mature themes and the characters are often older as well, set in a work place instead of a school setting.

 

Seinen: The male counterpart to Josei.  Made for an older male audience.  I do not have much experience with this, perhaps I should start looking around for some good ones.

Break Down by What Characters/Themes You Will Find Inside:

School Life: Like the name suggests, this genre will primarily take place in a scholastic setting.

 

Magical Girl: The main character [s] is a girl and has magical abilities.  They often transform in elaborate sequences.  The most popular example of this would be Sailor Moon.

 

Gender Bender: I love this genre just because of the fact that it is one and you can pick up mangas that deal with gender identity that are not sexually charged.  I most often see it with males being dressed as females, but there are a few notable ones with females being disguised as a male.

 

Harem: This is one where I was unsure as to whether or not I should put it in the naughty category or not, but I have seen ones that are not explicit that have this genre.  It is when a male character is surrounded/lives by multiple/many female characters.

Slice of Life: This one is self explanatory to me now that I have read a few.  It is a manga is rooted in reality.  It deals with normal every day experiences and issues.

Mecha: Basically big machines, or in a world where it is technologically advanced.

 

Break Down by Naughty

(I am not going to recommend these, I am including them so that way you are aware of what they are, and are not surprised if you pick up a manga labeled ‘Yaoi’ and don’t know what to expect.):

Hentai: Porn in manga form with attempts at strange and elaborate plots to get characters into bed with each other.

Ecchi: This not quite hentai, but definitely not okay for younger audiences.  It’s that weird in between, and half the time you will just be wishing it is hentai.

Yaoi:  Man on man love.

Shonen-ai: Younger version of Yaoi, with young boys as the main characters, not as graphically sexual.

Yuri: Woman on woman love.

Shoujo-ai: Female version of Shonen-ai

Futanari: Love with a female character with male genitalia.

Shotacon: Love between an adult and a young boy.

Lolicon: Love between an adult and a young girl

QUICK NOTE: In manga genres mature does not mean that there is a hentai.  It could have sexual themes, but if you are specifically looking for or looking to rule out anything overtly sexual, the term most commonly used is smut.

Break Down by Whatever Else Is Left:

Doujinshi: I didn’t know what to do with this, but it is basically manga that takes an existing story that they enjoy, and creates their own.  It’s the fan fiction of manga.

Manga: Japenese comics, read right to left.

Manhwa: Korean comics, read left to right.

Manhua: Taiwanese or Chinese comics, read left to right. [Editors Note: Thank you!]

WHEWWW!  That is over with.  Now I send you off into the world of manga, educated, and ready to go!  Remember to read many different kinds to find out what you like, unlike me who continues to read the same ones over and over again.  Hope this was helpful.

-Eastyn

Manga Recommendation: Kamisama Hajimemashita

by admin

It has been a while since I have brought you kind readers my latest favorite Shoujo manga, but today, you folks are in luck.  When I first discovered the beautiful piece of artwork that was Kamisama Hajimemashita [or Kamisama Kiss depending on where you’re looking], I was flippantly browsing through the manga section of my local book store while waiting for Matt to finish work so we could go home and read comics and interview people and other things we comic people do. I picked up Kamisama Hajimemashita and started reading.  Three volumes later Matt showed up and informed me it was time to go but I merely hissed at him and backed farther into the corner hugging the 4th volume as though if it were to be removed from my grasp I would die instantly.

Why is this manga so good you ask?

For multiple reasons.  Let’s do an overview of the story first.  Not only is it a creative new twist on a Shoujo that I had not seen in a long time, it was my first introduction to Japanese mythology. It is the story of a young homeless girl Nanami who, through a series of events, becomes the land goddess of a local shrine.  Tomoe, a fox yokai, is the guardian of the shrine and begrudgingly helps Nanami bring the shrine back to it’s former glory all while attending class and helping other gods.  This story seamlessly integrates the complex ideas of Japanese mythology into an easy to read and beautiful story.  It does take a minute to  get used to all of the new names, however once you get used to it, the read is easy.  Although it may seem like a lot of work, I would keep a list or Wikipedia handy to do a little research on what you are dealing with.  It opens up a whole new world of demons, monsters and deities that you can put in your list of information you really don’t need to know but can definitely impress others in the right circumstance.

Now onto things like the artwork and the characters.  The artwork is wonderful in this.  It has a kind of whimsical organic quality fitting of a story that has the fantasy that Kamisama Hajimemashita has.  The characters are all complex with a good amount of comedy running through them.  You can feel for each and every one of the characters.  From the deep dark past of the committed but fiery Tomoe to the happy go lucky but equally hard working Nanami.

I highly recommend this manga.  Every time a new chapter is released and I finish it, I table flip all the things that could possibly be table flipped and sit in a corner just waiting for my email alert to let me know the next chapter has been released.

Manga Recommendation: Kamisama Hajimemashita

by admin

It has been a while since I have brought you kind readers my latest favorite Shoujo manga, but today, you folks are in luck.  When I first discovered the beautiful piece of artwork that was Kamisama Hajimemashita [or Kamisama Kiss depending on where you’re looking], I was flippantly browsing through the manga section of my local book store while waiting for Matt to finish work so we could go home and read comics and interview people and other things we comic people do. I picked up Kamisama Hajimemashita and started reading.  Three volumes later Matt showed up and informed me it was time to go but I merely hissed at him and backed farther into the corner hugging the 4th volume as though if it were to be removed from my grasp I would die instantly.

Why is this manga so good you ask?

For multiple reasons.  Let’s do an overview of the story first.  Not only is it a creative new twist on a Shoujo that I had not seen in a long time, it was my first introduction to Japanese mythology. It is the story of a young homeless girl Nanami who, through a series of events, becomes the land goddess of a local shrine.  Tomoe, a fox yokai, is the guardian of the shrine and begrudgingly helps Nanami bring the shrine back to it’s former glory all while attending class and helping other gods.  This story seamlessly integrates the complex ideas of Japanese mythology into an easy to read and beautiful story.  It does take a minute to  get used to all of the new names, however once you get used to it, the read is easy.  Although it may seem like a lot of work, I would keep a list or Wikipedia handy to do a little research on what you are dealing with.  It opens up a whole new world of demons, monsters and deities that you can put in your list of information you really don’t need to know but can definitely impress others in the right circumstance.

Now onto things like the artwork and the characters.  The artwork is wonderful in this.  It has a kind of whimsical organic quality fitting of a story that has the fantasy that Kamisama Hajimemashita has.  The characters are all complex with a good amount of comedy running through them.  You can feel for each and every one of the characters.  From the deep dark past of the committed but fiery Tomoe to the happy go lucky but equally hard working Nanami.

I highly recommend this manga.  Every time a new chapter is released and I finish it, I table flip all the things that could possibly be table flipped and sit in a corner just waiting for my email alert to let me know the next chapter has been released.