Are you into anime and Japanese manga? I know a lot of people who are into it and I’m no exception. I’m not really a hardcore anime fan but there are certain aspects of it that I appreciate. I like the illustrations, some are really cute, some are really out of this world. I am particularly drawn to the very distinct way they illustrate the eyes.

When I was a teenager I was so hooked into drawing “anime-ish” characters but I think I overcame this semi-obsession when I was introduced to crushes and teenage infatuations. I just stopped drawing but at times I still watch animes and read mangas.

Boys over Flowers

Anime is animation in Japan and its surprising to note that it dates back to 1917. Wikipedia describes anime illustrations to be either drawn by hand or computer-assisted and it can be used in a lot of mediums like tv, films, video games and the like. “As a visual medium, it naturally places a large emphasis towards visual styles. Generally, the most common form of anime drawings are “exaggerated physical features such as large eyes, big hair and elongated limbs… and dramatically shaped speech bubbles, speed lines and onomatopoeic, exclamatory typography. “

Itazura na kiss

Among many anime series, I like Doraemon, Pokemon, Detective Conan, Sailor Moon, Naruto and Prince of Tennis. They have good illustrations and entertaining stories too.

Manga on the other hand, is the Japanese version of comics and print cartoons. The word “manga” literally means “whimsical pictures”. There are lots of popular and mangas considered to be “good-reads”. They actually encompass a broad range of topics like but I p

articularly like those about adventures, romance, comedy, and sci-fi. A good number of mangas has also been animated or made into television series. So if you are into Asian dramas, there is a good chance that tv drama is a manga adaptation.

One of my favorite Taiwanese drama, It Started With a Kiss was adapted from Itazurana Kiss Japanese manga. Some popular Asian dramas like Full House (based on a Korean manhwa, Fullhouse), Hana Yori Dango and Meteor Garden (adapted from Japanese manga, Boys over Flowers) are examples of tv soaps based on manga’s.

Interested about anime’s and manga’s? Check out this anime/manga list categorized by genre.