Two Reads for Manga Newbies
Okay, Friends…I’m putting this out there: I’m new to manga. I’m imagining you’re having one of two reactions right now. Either you’re completely aghast that my introduction to manga is fairly new or you’re saying, “What’s manga?” Let me answer that possible question. Manga is a style of Japanese comic books/graphic novels. I’ve never been extremely interested in comic books, so I thought manga wasn’t for me. Wow, was I wrong! So what changed for me?
My favorite BookTuber, Merphy Napier, started sharing manga recommendations, and I became intrigued. She always has fantastic recommendations, and I soon wanted to understand the manga world. Thus my journey of reading manga began! It’s been a lovely discovery. I have found manga to be extremely character-driven, which is one of the most important things to me when it comes to reads. They tackle a wide variety of issues and are filled with compelling narratives and people. There are so many manga out there, which is so amazing, because there’s truly something for everyone! If you’re anything like me and have wanted to dive into manga but aren’t sure where to begin, I’m suggesting two mangas that I’m absolutely loving.
YONA OF THE DAWN
YA fantasy novels are my top favorite reads. Yona of the Dawn has the feel of a YA fantasy novel. It follows a princess, Yona, whose world is shattered once she loses someone she loves. The story brims over with adventure, romance, drama, and excitement. I am still early into the series, but I can’t wait to see how the story progresses!
A SILENT VOICE
Mangas tend to have numerous volumes. If you’re overwhelmed by that and/or wanting something more contemporary than Yona of the Dawn, A Silent Voice might be the perfect fit for you. Over this six volume series, A Silent Voice tackles difficult issues, most notably bullying. You will come to deeply care about and root for the characters. It’s a heart wrenching, powerful read.
As I’ve admitted, I’m still very new to manga. So if you’re a fan of manga, please send ALL the manga recommendations my way! And if you’re not too sure about manga, maybe give it a shot! Also check out Merphy Napier because she’s awesome and so are her reading recommendations.
Meanwhile, I’ll just be over here waiting for the next volumes of Yona of the Dawn to appear at the library…I’m not impatient or anything…
Your friend with a pen,
Kaitlyn