September 10, 2004

Curious George: Manga for Kids & Grown-ups Together My 7 year old son reads to me for 20 minutes each night as homework. I'm looking for suggestions on Manga titles that would be appropriate for him, but that I would also enjoy.

My son is a great reader (well above grade level), but he finds reading dull. He likes video games, and is currently reading me the Manga serialization of one of his favorites, Suikoden III. I'm looking for other titles we might both like. Books meant for a teenage or adult audience are fine, as long as they are not too graphically violent and/or sexual. A little mild, not-very-graphic violence is okay. Occasional cursing is okay. I prefer well-rounded characterization and complex plotting. We are reading together, so if it gets confusing, I can explain it to him. He prefers lots of swords and fighting. Any suggestions?

posted by krebs cycle 20 years ago
  • Hikaru no Go! Manga about Go -- what could be better?
  • Amazing. Scartol, that was the first title that came to mind for me as well!
  • Are you open to North American comics as well? Because Jeff Smith's Bone series is very good.
  • I know bugger all about Manga, but our 9 year-old loves collections of comic strips like Baby Blues, Foxtrot, Garfield (yeah, I know, but the old jokes are new to him), Calvin and Hobbes, etc etc. Another big hit has been the Series of Unfortunate Events books. 7 might be a bit young for them yet, but with the movie coming out soon, he might be motivated to stick with them.
  • Oh, try The Alchemist also. There's an edition which has pictures on almost every other page. It's a lovely read, visually and aurally.
  • Yes, I'm open to North American comics too. North American superheroes tend to leave a bad taste in my mouth for reasons that aren't entirely clear to me. But I certainly wouldn't rule out North American comics altogether, and I'm always willing to experiment.
  • If he gets into Series of Unfortunate Events, the Spiderwick Chronicles will also be popular.
  • Krebs - No, I wouldn't reccomend super hero comics, unless your son was really into them. But there are some good non-super hero titles (most independent) appropriate for all ages around, like Bone. It's been a few years since I read it, but what I remember was silly and fun, but intelligent, and with very good art. Thieves and Kings is another good fantasy series, a mixture of prose and comic-style. I've only read the first few issues of that one, so I don't know how it ends, but I think what I did read was appropriate for kids, though maybe a bit too complex right now.
  • (But if you are there to explain it, then that would probably be okay - All I know is that I got a bit lost at first :)
  • Hmm, that's a tough category. Most young boy (shounen) manga is utter nonsense (but great when you're that age!). I tried to think back to what I enjoyed in my early teens, so the following are a bit dated. First of all—and it goes without saying—anything by Hayao Miyazaki is good. Kaze no tani no naushika (Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind) is an original manga, and many of his movies, particularly Sen to chihiro no kamikakushi (Spirited Away), have been mangafied. Some others off the top of my head: One Piece is a super long and somewhat unusual series about a bunch of pirates. I've read only some of it, as an adult, and it was enjoyable. Silent Moebius: demonfighting in modern Tokyo. Juuni kokki ("Chronicles of the 12 Kingdoms") is one of my all-time favourites. Meitantei konan (Detective Conan) has entertaining detective stories. Anything by Rumiko Takahashi (Maison ikkoku, Inuyasha, etc.) should be fun, but a boy might not enjoy them so much. Nijuu seiki shounen ("20th century boys" I believe is the English title) by Naoki Urasawa is recent, dark, and entertaining without being ultraviolent. Another series by the same author, Monster, has a more gripping storyline, but might be unsuitable for your son at his age. Still, it is easily the best psychological thriller in manga form. Mugen no junin (Immortal Blade) series has some of the best fighting artwork around if you're into that sort of thing. Story is average. Koko wa guriin'uddo ("This is Greenwood"): how weird can a school dormitory get? Kokaku kidoutai (Ghost In The Shell) by Masamune Shirow (a crazy, crazy name) has some nudity, but the stories remind of Philip K. Dick's novels. Was made into a fairly influential movie which I've never gotten around to seeing. *sigh* For swordfighting Rurouni Kenshin (has a billion variations on English names, but look for "Kenshin") is about the best there is. Funny, serious, tear-jerking at times. Can get overbearing with its morals. Unfortunately, some of the best manga I've read isn't available in English as far as I know, but my information could be outdated. In case you find them: Kiseijuu ("Parasite beasts") by Hitoshi Iwaaki, published c. 1990. Mysterious spores come to earth and our 17 year old hero must somehow protect the earth, but the story twists a lot. Kujaku ou ("Peacock King") by Makoto Ogino is full of occultism. Lots of fantasy violence, but some of the best artwork of this genre. Sayounara nippon ("Goodbye Japan") by Katsuhiro Otomo. A Judo artist and a guitar player move to the US. Old, and the mangaka is more famous for SF, but this is cute and quirky. FLASH by Masagi Tanaka is almost entirely without words! Bounty hunter in the wild west with a... pet dinosaur?? Dororo by mangaka Osamu Tezuka (of Astroboy and Kimba the White Lion fame) is less well known, but I liked it. Kid whose body parts are promised to 1000 demons must win them back piece by piece by defeating the demons. Tezuka also wrote a manga version of Dosteovsky's Crime and Punishment.
  • Nausicaä - of the Valley of the Wind strikes me as satisfying for all ages and kid safe. It's an environmentalist tale featuring a young girl who saves her kingdom from conquest without getting typically manga-violent.
  • Thank you everyone so far! How silly of me not to think of Miyazaki. My son and I both love his anime. We also both enjoyed the Tenchi Muyo anime. A bit risque at times for a kid, but silly fun, and easily explainable with "She's in love with Tenchi" and other non-explicit vagueness. Is the Manga good? fuyugare, wow, you win the prize. That should keep us busy for about six years! ;) jb, thanks, I will check those out. Hikaru no go looks like a definite too.