Anime & Manga Class Blog

          I was always interested in Bakuman, the anime has been on my 'to watch' list for a few years but have yet to watch it. So having the opportunity to read some of the manga was perfect. One thing I loved about the series (hearing about it) was that the references made. For example, in the first volume alone one of the characters references the anime and manga series 'Death Note'. I have seen animes that mention manga or anime in general, but not specific references. The other anime references in the series are what piqued my interest in the first place.          I feel like the series, in general, can give the audience a sense of relatability. I believe every anime/manga fan at some point during their childhood considered becoming a mangaka. Whether it was a serious consideration or simply tried to create their own for a hobby. Whether someone is a writer or an artist if they enjoy anime/manga, they can relate to this series.

          Growing up I, like most kids, watched anime shows on tv on Saturday mornings. Of course, at the time, we simply thought they were just normal cartoons not knowing what 'anime' was. As a kid, I always watched Hamtaro, Yugio and of course Pokemon. However, it wasn't until middle school that I first really got into anime and learned about what it was. That being said, the first anime movie I've seen, knowing what it was, was a Studio Ghibli film. So reading manga from early Studio Ghibli, even before the company was the company, was almost nostalgic despite never reading this particular anime before. The art style alone is very recognizable and very few animes' looks similar to this style if any at all. The story and art alone are always so creative and perfected. All the movies made, even once Studio Ghibli was created are unique though they share the common theme of a strong female protagonist. All of the manga and films made by these creators are pheno

          Ouran High School Host Club takes typical shoujo tropes and does the reverse. The series is considered a shoujo, however, it makes fun of itself in a way and has many comedic moments. I have seen the anime countless times, but have never read the manga though I had planned to. The ending of the anime is often agreed upon that it seems rather abrupt. It isn't necessarily a 'bad ending'. Instead is more frustrating to many viewers because two of the main characters don't get together. However, the manga does continue the story way past the point the anime ends. This is why manga readers of this particular series are (jokingly) frustrated with the anime's ending because they know how the manga ends. The manga ends in a more fulfilling way which is why, including myself, are eagerly waiting for the second season of the show. After reading a bit of the manga for this week, the anime does a great job of staying very close to the manga. In fact, everything is e

         For this week, I decided to read the first volume of Blue Spring Ride. Simply looking at the first few panels it shows that it is a shoujo manga. In a majority of cases, shoujo manga/ anime have very little to no violence or fighting. Instead, it tends to be more romance based and this manga is no different. The first page alone suggests that the main character has a crush on a male character which puts this manga in the shoujo category. Shoujo manga/anime also tend to follow the story of a female character, though that is not always the case 100% of the time. I was only able to read the first volume of this manga but so far the ideals for the female character is a guy who is "not violent and doesn't have as deep of a voice as other males." The main character also seems to like him because he is "more down to earth, humble and sensitive." I decided to pick this manga because the characters looked familiar. I haven't read this particular manga be