まんが - Manga

I think the vast majority of the population is pretty suspicious of anime and manga (the comic book form.) I admit that I, too, shared this phobia until last week. I spent the better part of an hour inside Dragon's Lair. At first glance the layout is pretty intimidating; tons of comics with obscure, poorly translated names with art to match. But after sifting through fightermanchu and pikapedophile, I finally found the key: Death Note.

Manga is like any other genre; for every Harry Potter there's 100 other novels that were better off left unwritten. But if you follow a few easy steps, you can easily find a series that'll interest you.

1. Decide if you would rather read masculine or feminine - targeted stories. You can often tell by the cutesy artwork or pastel color scheme if you're in for a chick flick.
2. Keep a few key story elements in mind that interest you. For example, I wanted a mystery aspect set against a school backdrop.
3. Consider the amount of time and money you're willing to invest in the story. Mangas can end if a few volumes, or more typically continue for around 10-20 books. At an average of $10 each, a manga series is often viewed as an investment.
4. If you're having trouble deciding which manga to start reading, ask a friend. If you're a closet geek, there are many websites such as mangavolume and animeEDEN.
5. For a good deal, check out Shonen Jump, a 300 page monthly magazine with several mangas compiled inside for only $5 an issue.