Hello Manga!

This month’s Hello Japan! Mini Challenge is Manga, write anything we know that related to Manga.

First, let me tell you what Manga is! Manga is often pronounced wrong in Indonesian Bahasa. Indonesian People loves to pronounce it manga (-ga sounds like -nga), but in truth, it is pronounced as Mang-Ga , like mango. In English, you have to pronounce Mang with the same ‘a’ as in March. Manga is known as Japanese Comic Book. I only write a brief because you can read all about it in Tanabata’s Post

My first experience in reading comic book was, of course, reading western comic…there was no other choice but Tintin, Lucky Luke, and girl’s comics (it I’m not mistaken, it was called Nina), and DC superheroes comic. I still like Tintin and Lucky Luke till today, tho I hardly re-read them anymore. As for DC comic, I dislike it from the moment I read it…it was just too make-believe.

Fortunately, when I was in Junior High school, a new breed of comic book hit Indonesia, it was Manga. I was blown by how normal the flow of the stories go, how incredible the character in it, and how amazing their imagination is. After Tokusatsu and Anime, Manga can be considered as my 3rd introduction toward Japan Culture (with J-Dorama as the fourth and J-Music as the fifth). After discovering Manga, I completely ignore Western Comic.

Let me count the years first….It was somewhere around 1991 when I first discovered Manga, and now it’s 2010 and I still eager to read Manga…this means I have been reading Manga for 19 years. I love Manga as much as I love thick Novel.

However, I do not read Manga as much as I used to due to the fact that I often borrowed them and only bought the one I like the most. Now, all my friends that loved Manga are nowhere to be found. The increasing price on Manga is also another reason for it. To collect a long volume Manga  will definitely rip-of my saving account (Onepiece by Eiichiro Oda is the only long volume Manga that I collect…and I still wish that Oda won’t finish it anytime sooner).

I will try to recollect my thought now. Hmmmm… *sounds of a ticking brain*

My first Manga was Shoujo Manga (Manga for Girls) called Popcorn – Indonesian Translation -, it is called Seito Shokun –in Japanese– by Yoko Shoji . It’s about the life of a group of junior high school students who kept in touch even after all of them had turned into grownups.

There were lots of Shoujo Manga, we Indonesian called it Serial Cantik (pretty series), at my school-time era, from single book to long volume books. Most of them were about love. I enjoy reading them but I do not fall in love with such a story. Well, at least I’m still willing to read Love Story, I never read any Love Story in form of Novel…so, that gives an extra point for Manga . But I love Shoujo Manga that has conflict beyond love such as Manga by Kyoko Hikawa and Michiyo Akaishi

My love toward Manga happened when I read Dragon Ball by Akira Toriyama, a legendary Shounen Manga (Manga for boys). Dragon Ball was the one that re-shaped my perception of Superhero, I said before that I don’t like DC Comic because it is too make believe, but Akira Toriyama presented a new kind of Superhero that seems acceptable and loveable.

Dragon Ball is the beginning of my addiction toward Manga, Shounen Manga to be exact.

Beside Shoujo Manga and Shounen Manga, there is also Manga that can be classified as both (at least in my opinion), it is Mystery and Horror Manga. I love this genre too. My favorite Horror Mangaka is Chie Watari. I’m going to review one of her Manga this month.

Those are my 1st Manga experience. As time goes, I found more and more genre of Manga, including the funny Shinchan, Ninja Rantaro, Hagemaru, etc.

And then…I found the one Manga that I love so much, I love it above other Manga I’ve ever read in my entire 19years of Manga Loving life…That Manga is Onepiece by Eiichiro Oda. I have already written what I need to say about the greatness of Onepiece here.

Tanabata is absolutely right in saying that I ADORE ONEPIECE

I want to write down all Manga I’ve read before, but I’m so sure I will forget most of them…but at least, I’ve tried (^_^)v

1. Onepiece by Eiichiro Oda
2. Deathnote by Ooba Tsugumi and Obata Takeshi
3. Dragon Ball by Akira Toriyama
4. Popcorn by Yoko Shoji
5. Hikaru no Go (my first Japanese Manga – hasn’t been translated yet)
6. Pandemic
7. Chibi Marukochan
8. Shinchan
9. Ninja Rantaro
10. Getbackers
11. Many Manga by Kyoko Hikawa
12. Many Manga by Chie Watari
13. Few Manga by Michiyo Akaishi (One of them is Sora Yori Mo Hoshi Yori Mo)
14. Rose of Versailles
15. The Orpheus Window
16. Hagemaru
17. Clamp
18. Meitantei Conan
19. Naruto
20. Garasu no Kamen
21. Doraemon
    
22. and so on ….

…because I’m making my head dizzy for trying to remember all the Manga I had read, I think it’s time for me to end this post.

I hope I can write 2 or 3 more posts for this challenge, but I can’t guarantee it because there are so many things I want to write this month.

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