GypsySimbalaRae

Thats not completely true. Sure you might not see a bussiness man reading one of them, but plenty of people who don't watch anime read them(at least where I'm at)

tsurara

People who aren't (and have never been) into Japanese animation read manga in the states? O_o; Introduce me to one.

I'm sure they exist... but it seems to be an extremely rare exception. To the point that I honestly doubt you know one by name and could introduce me ^^;

__________________

Mechazawa

^ I can see that happening, most book stores I've ever been to here in the states put the manga right next to the comic books. So if you're a comic book geek and see one of those thick manga volumes. How could they resist. Thats how I started collecting manga, but I admit I watched anime before I went toward the manga light.

__________________

tsurara

operative word being "geek"...

Manga caters to geeks. Anime and comics are a gateway drug for manga... and those still only appeal to a relatively small, fringe and largely pre-teen-twentysomething audience.

MOST people in the United States could care less about comics or animation in general. They're considered to be "for children" or "dorks"... and while their target audience has a great deal of disposable income and can support a small industry: the industry is already reaching saturation with only a relative handful of publishers in the game.

In the US, we might have half an aisle of comics in a big bookstore. In Japan, there is an entire FLOOR or building devoted to comics. They're on sale at every news-stand, convenience store, grocery store and book store in the nation.

That's because "regular people": housewives, businessmen, small children, "cool" high school students, college students, etc. etc. all read comics. Ask any Japanese person "What's your favorite comic book?" and they'll probably have an answer for you. You can shout that question in a crowded mall in the United States and only a handful of people in the entire place could honestly answer.

__________________

Zeikku Shadow

I'm an American and I LOVE Manga & Anime! I think I disagree with the comment about Americans being to lazy too read. Most can read just fine, as long as it's something that they are interested in. I've seen people pick up thick mags about auto whatever, and read it through. I am sure I looked at them the same way they look at me.
Picture me sitting there (insert your fav. anime/manga character as me), carefully holding the right side of my manga opened just enough to see & read everything, but not crease the spine (I am such a geek). Brow creased with concentration, laughing at all the appropriate moments, (heavens help me) even tearing up at moments.
I do agree with the comment about, most Americans not liking to read. I have heard that comment many times. My favorite, "How can you JUST sit there reading, my G-d how many pages is that thing!" Granted most of the H.P. books were long, but I have read longer.
I agree with the comment about advertising. Manga is not promoted as much as Anime & Comics (here). I grew up drowning in comics (I still have my ElfQuest). I was watching Anime LONG before I had ever heard of Anime. I had heard of Manga, but never saw it, so I relay had no concept of what it was. Now the Borders book store near me is has it. The thing that relay sucked me into Manga was Shojo Beat. They draw you in with their addictive stories, get you hooked, and then BLAM! they yank your favorite stories, and make you buy them in the books. Then they introduce a new story line, and it starts all over again!

__________________
"You must give respect to get respect"

this was made by me, but I give animegalleriesdot net credit for the Naruto pic used

Sirhc

When I first learnt of the words Anime and Manga, I origionally thought they were one and the same :/ Anyways I see some, not lots, but some people who read manga but I don't think peopl truely reconize the difference between the origional culture/country that made the origional, and just understand: "Well, it's on TV" or "It's in our Bookstore" So they might sometimes read a 'comic book' that's actually an origional manga series from Japan.

Woot, I'm a dork!

__________________

atomik_sprout

WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU FROM??? I've got more manga than I do anime and I'm FROM USA!! Every otaku I know where I live reads manga, and probably has more manga than anime--for the sole purpose of being ahead of all the Cartoon Network junkies. The only American otaku that I know of who doesn't read manga live under rocks and don't see the light of day, which prevents them from reading in the first place.

"Americans don't read manga..." Don't make me laugh.

__________________


http://www.myspace.com/boondocksamurai

kamikazekrn

<- american, and i love to read, but i can't get into mangas for some reason and will always resort to anime versions...even though everyone tells me the mangas are much better and follow a better story line without fillers and unncessary dialogue.

I thought about it for a few hours one day and here's what i came up with.
Mangas don't show action as vividly as anime or books. Anime of course you can see it, and normal novels use as much description as they feel is necessary.

I'm not a huge action fan either, but mangas can't depict a punch or a playful slap on the shoulder as well as others.

__________________
"Friendship is unnecessary, like philosophy,...it has no survival value, rather is one of those things that gives value to survival."
C.S. Lewis

shippolovr1

Im american and african american at that...i read tons of manga and i do happen to agree with you though...but the minority of my friends and my family do read manga...and ritualistically too.

__________________

*New Shadow Thanks Ihauntforlust For the Creation*

xXxBloodlustxXx

I'm American, and I love anime and manga. However, I'm starting to like manga more than anime, for my own reasons.

aceman67

Do not post in dead topics.

Closing

__________________