What is Manga? What are the different types of Manga?

Japan is the country that produces extremely famous manga and anime works, known and loved by many readers around the world. In the previous article, WebTech360 sent readers an article about anime , interesting Japanese animated films. In this article, we will learn about manga, a comic genre that is also extremely famous and attracts many fans around the world. So what is manga? How many genres of manga are there? Please read the article below to find out?

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Table of Contents

• 1. What is Manga?
• 2. History of the development of manga comics
• 3. Manga genres
• 4. Best Websites to Read Manga Online for Free
  • Shonen Jump 
  • Manga Plus
  • ComicWalker
  • BookWalker 
  • Crunchyroll 
  • ComiXology and ComiXology Unlimited
  • INKR Comics
  • Book Walker

1. What is Manga?

Manga (Japanese: kanji: 漫画, hiragana: まんが, katakana: マンガ, Sino-Vietnamese: man hoa) is a Japanese term for comics and cartoons. Manga is considered a special word for comics originating from Japan.

Manga has many different shades from adult genres to children's genres. It can be said that the manga world is something very magical, it marks and lays the foundation for the development of anime later.

Manga comics are associated with the childhood of many people, especially those of the 8x and 9x generations. When mentioning comics, readers will think of works that were once famous such as: Sailor Moon, One Piece, Dragon Ball, Dragon Seal, Conan, Maruko-chan, Crayon Shin-chan... Manga comics published on the market are not only for entertainment, they are also used for many purposes such as educating people.

Mangaka is a person who creates comics.

2. History of the development of manga comics

Manga appeared very early in Japan after World War II, originating from ukiyo-e in the style of paintings. This is why people here have been interested in this type of picture comics very early, it holds an important position throughout the history of Japanese art. Manga in this period was still a series of comic chapters, but its entertainment value was very high, this no one can deny.

3. Manga genres

Currently, Manga does not have clear boundaries between genres, it can only be divided into genre groups such as:

• Classified by readership, there are: Kodomo, Shounen, Shoujo, Seinen,...
• Classified by emotions: Comedy, Tragedy, Drama,...
• Some other genres are classified according to the content they show, it is more like a term than just a genre such as: Adventure, Mystery, Supernatural,...
• And some genres are not divided into any categories like Omake or Doujinshi,...

Below are the main contents of some manga comic genres.

• Shōnen: Manga chapters about healthy young men and boys: Sukedachi, fate, cultivators in another world
• Shoujo: Gentle stories about beautiful girls: Beloved wife, marry first, pamper later, Tien Nham Huu Doc
• Kodomo: A series of stories written for children
• Seinen: Manga suitable for adults and young people: Team Medical Dragon, Minamoto's Tale
• Josei or Redikomi: For adults (mainly women)
• Seijin: Similar to Redikomi but for men
• Yaoi: Gay Comics That Talk About Physical Relationships
• Shonen-ai: In contrast to Yaoi, Shonen-ai are also stories about gay love, but without physical relationships, only gentle emotions and feelings: The Waterfall of the Wealthy, The Curse of Cinderella
• Yuri: Stories about lesbian love and physical relationships:
• Shoujo-ai: Lesbian comics that don't talk about physical relationships but only feelings/emotions: Ano Ko ni Kiss to Shirayuri wo, Magan & Danai, The Legend of Fuyao
• Doujinshi: Like photo memes, comics also have stories made up by die-hard fans and the content is still based on the original: Getsuyobi No Tawawa Sono, Dragon Ball New Age
• Gekiga: Graphic novels
• Horror: These are comic chapters with deadly horror content, you should consider carefully before reading: Blood Demon, Flower of Heaven
• Martial arts: Martial arts fighting is the main content in the comic series Martial arts: General Asks to Go Out to War, Paper Knight G
• School life: These stories take place in school. These stories are suitable for the naive and dreamy age group: Peach Love, 999 Domineering Kisses of the Male God
• Comedy: Funny comics
• Ecchi: Usually has revealing scenes with the purpose of making readers laugh, especially no sex scenes: Amano Megumi wa Suki Darake!, Soma the Kitchen King
• Hentai: Comics about physical relationships between people of the opposite sex (18+)
• Fantasy: Fantasy story genre: From Now On, The King Will Not Go To Court Early, The Lion Is In The Sky
• Adventure: Adventure comic genre: The World of Warcraft, The World of Spirits

The difference between Manga and other genres is probably that the author tells the story to the readers with extremely vivid and interesting images. The special feature of the images in the story lies in the technique of dividing the frame, showing light, darkness, action, symbols of unexpected situations, movements, descriptions... to tell the most vivid story to send to the readers. This makes manga more similar to cinema. It can be said that manga is a "movie" on paper.

4. Best Websites to Read Manga Online for Free

Here are the best apps and websites that you can visit to read Manga online legally.

Shonen Jump

• Platform : Web, Android, iOS
• Cost : Free, $1.99/month
• Notable series : One Piece, My Hero Academia, One-Punch Man

In the world of comics, WSJ doesn't stand for Wall Street Journal, it stands for Weekly Shonen Jump. It's one of the oldest, most popular (and arguably best) weekly manga magazines out there.

Called Shonen Jump in the digital version, you can access 3 chapters of any ongoing series for free. Depending on the series, the 3 chapters you can read will be the first 3 chapters or the 3 most recently released chapters. If you want to continue reading more, you will need to subscribe to Shonen Jump.

For $1.99/month, you can unlock the Shonen Jump vault of over 10,000 chapters across a wide range of titles. WSJ is home to some of the most iconic manga in history, like Death Note, Naruto, and Bleach. The platform still publishes some classic series, like Hunter x Hunter, and you'll discover plenty of new gems.

As with classic WSJ, new chapters of a number of manga (usually over 20) will be posted on the site weekly. Shonen Jump has also announced that English translations will be made available at the same time as the Japanese chapters.

Manga Plus

• Platform : Android, iOS, Web
• Cost : Free, $1.99/month (Standard), $4.99/month (Premium)
• Notable series : Luffy, Goku, Naruto, Deku, Tanjiro

Manga Plus is one of the popular websites where you can read manga legally for free. While the platform is not completely free, you can read multiple chapters of any series for free. It offers an extensive library of titles from Japan and even offers some titles in languages ​​other than English and Japanese.

Additionally, Manga Plus guarantees to release titles in English and other languages ​​on the same day they are released in Japan. It offers the first 3 chapters and the latest 3 chapters of any title for free.

This site works directly with authors and publishes their work on the platform. The site offers an easy way to read manga, but you can also download Android and iOS apps to read on the go. It also lets you read free chapters of any title without signing up.

Manga Plus comes in two packages: Standard ($1.99/month) and Deluxe ($4.99/month). Standard gives you access to all ongoing titles, while Deluxe unlocks all titles, including completed classics like Naruto, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba, and Death Note.

ComicWalker

• Platform : Web
• Cost : Free
• Notable series : Neon Genesis Evangelion, High School DxD, Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin

Kadokawa is one of the largest manga publishers in Japan. Fed up with scanlation, the company launched its own official service to read manga online for free.

Not all of Kadokawa’s popular titles are available here, but there’s still a lot to choose from. Unlike most alternatives, you can actually use the service without signing up. However, signing up for an account does bring with it some cool features, like creating a favorites library and getting notified when new series are published.

ComicWalker is notable for its simple, easy approach. It's a good choice if all you want to do is read manga. Plus, since ComicWalker works in your browser, you can also read manga right at the office during your break.

BookWalker

• Platform : Web, Android, iOS
• Cost : Free or pay per item
• Notable series : Attack on Titan, No Game No Life, Re: ZERO - Starting Life in Another World

Also run by Kadokawa, BookWalker is a one-stop shop for legal, official digital comics from Japan. The service currently covers all the major publishers, including Viz, Kodansha, and Yen. BookWalker is like shopping on the Kindle store, except it focuses on manga.

BookWalker offers a variety of free titles every month, but sadly, most of the content requires a subscription. You can download the BookWalker app on your mobile device or visit the website on your PC browser. You can browse by category, genre, publisher, or author.

When you make a purchase on BookWalker, it is added to your permanent catalog and you earn coins to use towards future purchases. There are also membership ranks, which are determined by how much you spend. The higher your rank, the more coins you can earn per purchase.

Crunchyroll

• Platform : Web, Android, iOS
• Cost : $6.95/month, 14-day free trial
• Notable series : Attack on Titan, Genshin Impact, Orange

Anime and manga often go hand in hand. Now, there are websites to watch anime legally and for free. But how do you get both in one package? Enter Crunchyroll.

In addition to some major anime, you also get a ton of manga titles. It's very affordable at just $7/month. Crunchyroll is completely ad-free, and manga chapters are available as soon as they're published in Japan.

Crunchyroll is one of the most widely recommended services for manga lovers.

ComiXology and ComiXology Unlimited

• Platforms : Web, Android, iOS, Windows, macOS
• Cost : $5.99/month or pay per release
• Notable series : Lone Wolf and Cub, Attack on Titan, Fairy Tail, The Seven Deadly Sins, Love Hina, Sherlock Bones

ComiXology is currently the best source for reading digital comics on any platform. Its ComiXology Unlimited subscription service gives you access to a large collection of comics for a one-time flat fee, much like Crunchyroll.

As a one-stop shop for all your manga needs, ComiXology is probably your best bet. It offers both a subscription model and individual purchase options that aren't included in the subscription. Plus, since Amazon bought ComiXology, you can rest assured that the subscription won't end without notice.

So should you download ComiXology Unlimited or buy individual releases? Check out the full list of ComiXology Unlimited titles and see if it's worth $6 a month to you. Remember, you also get access to a huge collection of other comics from DC, Marvel, and more.

INKR Comics

Since manga, comics, webtoons, and manhua go hand in hand, INKR Comics covers all four genres. The library has over 1,000 titles across a variety of genres, including action, romance, comedy, horror, and more. Overall, INKR Comics is a great choice for Japanophiles.

Using the app is a seamless experience and the app provides notifications so you can easily keep track of new releases of your favorite titles. Since the site is more than just a place to read manga online, it can be a bit overwhelming for beginners, but the categorization makes it easy to find manga in a variety of genres.

INKR Comics includes a $4.99/month subscription that gives you access to all of the titles on the platform. However, if you want to own specific titles, the app offers a coin system that you can purchase to unlock any chapter. But before you pay for any title on the platform, INKR Comics gives you the chance to read multiple chapters for free to get a feel for the title before making the decision to pay.

Book Walker

Book Walker is a store that offers legal, official digital comics from Japan. The service covers all the major publishers, including Viz, Kodansha, and Yen. It's like shopping on the Kindle store, except it specializes in manga.

Book Walker offers a variety of free titles each month, but sadly there is more paid content than free content. However, you can download the Book Walker app on your mobile device or visit the website on your PC browser. You can browse by category, genre, publisher, or author.

Once you purchase Book Walker, it will be added to your catalog forever and you will earn coins that can be used for future purchases. There is also a membership ranking, which is determined by how much you spend. The higher your ranking, the more coins you earn per purchase.

The sites above are some of the best places to read manga online today. But it all comes down to how you want to read your favorite books. Manga are generally in black and white, so you don’t need a color screen to get the most out of the art. This makes the Kindle an ideal device, but low storage can be an issue, so consider this when choosing your favorite.

Hopefully our article above has helped you understand more about what manga is.