How To Spot The Best Academic Books On Manga And AnimePosted by Jantzen Holloway on June 8th, 2021 As the buzz around the manga and anime subcultures deepens more and more books on the subjects are being published. Whether you want to learn more about the culture to enrich your hobby or write an academic work or article, the abundance of books available can prove constructive for you. However, since manga and anime come from the realm of popular culture not all books written about them are equally valuable or informative enough to be deemed constructive. As in all cases of popular media the risk of encountering a book full of fluff and lacking in useful content is high. Here are a few criteria that will help you spot the best academic books on anime and manga: Check the Author The most reliable books are always those written by experts. The first step after picking a subject and being presented with a list of books is to check their authors' history. Was the book written by a professor or lecturer? If not does he or she has a history of working in the manga or anime industry? The importance of the author's background should not be taken lightly. Learning from, and later quoting, a knowledgeable person on any subject is always preferable. Avoid books that were written by casual magazines, news groups or enthusiasts. These tend to be superficial and lack relevant citations to back their claims. Avoid "Picture Books" If possible always flip through a book to see how the layout and written content appears. Some books on anime and manga are informative enough but are picture-heavy. การ์ตูน อนิเมะ that are filled to the bream with pictures at the expense of text will most likely not provide you with enough information and can prove counterproductive. Buy Specialized Encyclopedias The only exceptions to the rule above are encyclopedias. There are encyclopedias created specifically to cater to anime, manga and otaku fans. They often analyse certain products/phenomena while also providing pictures. Encyclopedias usually don't offer more than one or two pages on each subject but are great for discovering new subject and expending your research scope. They are also often augmented with rare interviews and will always have citations. They are your reference books and will point you to more in-depth books on the subject you wish to research. There are a surprising number of encyclopedias about Japan and Japanese culture but your best bet would be to start reading the basic (yet valuable) manga, anime and otaku encyclopedias.Like it? Share it! More by this author |