Manga Mania

Walk into any bookstore and you’ll likely see shelves lined with colorful volumes of Japanese stories with panels that read from right to left. These stories are called manga.

Manga has been a part of Japanese culture for centuries. Early Japanese authors drew stories on scrolls starting in the 12th century. Modern manga like Astro Boy in the 1950s and Sailor Moon in the 1990s exploded in popularity in Japan. But it wasn’t until the 2000s that this style of storytelling became widely popular in the U.S.

One of Japan’s largest manga publishers, Kodansha, expanded to the U.S. in 2008. Kodansha USA publishes about 350 manga titles every year, all translated from Japanese to English.

If you walk into a bookstore, you might see Japanese stories on the shelves. These books are colorful. They have illustrated pages that you read from right to left. These stories are called manga.

Manga has been a part of Japanese culture for centuries. In the 12th century, Japanese authors drew stories on scrolls. In the 1950s, Astro Boy was a popular manga in Japan. In the 1990s, many Japanese children read Sailor Moon. But it wasn’t until the 2000s that manga became popular in the U.S.

Kodansha is one of Japan’s largest manga publishers. The company expanded to the U.S. in 2008. Kodansha USA publishes about 350 manga titles every year. All of these books are translated from Japanese to English.

The team at Kodansha USA continually reviews new Japanese manga series to decide whether they think U.S. readers will enjoy them. They design a brand-new cover for each volume chosen and hire a translator to switch the text from Japanese to English. “Translation can be very much like a puzzle,” TJ Ferentini says. They edit manga translations for Kodansha USA. Editors like Ferentini make sure the translation communicates the same emotions and complex meanings of the original story. “I’ll think, ‘I know what this means in Japanese. But what’s the best way to say it in English?’” Ferentini adds.

Manga covers a wide range of genres, from action and suspense to comedy and romance. “Manga is booming in popularity now more than ever,” Ferentini says. “I hope to see more people discover it and become new readers of manga.”

The team at Kodansha USA reviews new Japanese manga series. They decide whether they think U.S. readers will enjoy them. When they choose a story to publish, they design a brand-new cover for it. They also hire a translator to switch the text from Japanese to English.

“Translation can be very much like a puzzle,” TJ Ferentini says. Ferentini edits manga translations for Kodansha USA. Editors like Ferentini make sure that the translated books have the same emotions and meanings as the original stories. “I’ll think, ‘I know what this means in Japanese. But what’s the best way to say it in English?’” Ferentini adds.

Manga covers a wide range of genres. There are action stories in manga. You can also find comedy and romance manga. “Manga is booming in popularity now more than ever,” Ferentini says. “I hope to see more people discover it and become new readers of manga.”

This panel from Yuzu the Pet Vet contains polygons. Use the image to answer the questions.

This panel from Yuzu the Pet Vet contains polygons. Use the image to answer the questions.