Indy comics and mainstream manga have alot in common

[Thudpucker]

I've been wanting to read more manga lately. I used to enjoy it years ago but for some reason I read very little now so I decided to spend a few hours in Barnes and Noble really looking at what is out there.

I noticed something I never had before. Most of the manga I tried reads almost exactly like the indy comics I see alot (especially the slice of life, angsty kind).

Most manga I read thru have tremendous amounts of dialogue, page after page of characters just hanging out and talking. They are packed with angst, lots of shy characters finding the courage to confess thier love only to be humiliated in the most emotionally painful ways. If you love uncomfortable emotional exploration manga really delivers. Even the most popular and mainstream titles have strong emotional elements that are suprising, people who enjoy stories that are heavily emotional would find alot of manga they would like I think.

The only real difference I notice between most indy comics and popular manga is the conclusion of the stories. In Manga main character, starting out as a loser, works to improve thier lives and often, after 20 or 30 volumes of pain, succeeds and has a happy ending. With many Indy comics the loser often fails uttery as the story goes down dark paths and often even dies. Other than that I think alot of manga would appeal to indy comic fans, definately worth checking out if you havn't.

(edited down to more clearly express my point, I did a poor job initially)

[Ben Rosen]

based on what you wrote here, i think you have a pretty ill-informed view of indy comics. but i'd say the reason a lot of indie fans don't go for manga has more to do with a distaste for the artistic and storytelling conventions of manga. it's the reason for me at least.

[Kefky]

I don't think shonen and shoujo manga have anything at all do with indie comics. They're a lot more like the spandex stuff.

[Kody]

I've been wanting to read more manga lately. I used to enjoy it years ago but for some reason I read very little now so I decided to spend a few hours in Barnes and Noble really looking at what is out there.

I noticed something I never had before. Most of the manga I tried reads almost exactly like the indy comics I see alot (the slice of life, angsty 'my life sucks' kind).

The heroes in mainstream manga's are almost always unpopular and nerdy, aqward guys with poor social skills. They often can't get dates and have crappy jobs, they often fail at most of what they try. They also often have a diverse group of stereotypical friends like alot of indy comics do (the loudmouth fat friend, the cool rocker friend, the friend somehow more of a loser than even they are, ect).

Most mangas I read thru have tremendous amounts of dialogue, page after page of characters just hanging out and talking. They are packed with angst, tons of shy guys finding the courage to confess thier love to beautiful women only to be humiliated in the most emotionally painful ways. If you love uncomfortable emotional exploration manga really delivers.

The only real difference I notice between most indy comics and popular manga is the conclusion of the stories. In Manga the loser works to improve thier lives and often, after 20 or 30 volumes of pain, succeeds and has a happy ending. With Indy comics the loser often fails uttery as the story goes down the darkest possible path and often even dies. Other than that I think alot of manga would appeal to indy comic fans, definately worth checking out if you havn't.

Obviously your pull list of indy comics is WAY different than mine.

What exactly are you reading?

[Thudpucker]

based on what you wrote here, i think you have a pretty ill-informed view of indy comics. but i'd say the reason a lot of indie fans don't go for manga has more to do with a distaste for the artistic and storytelling conventions of manga. it's the reason for me at least.

I thought the main appeal of indy comics is that they explore the human condition, telling slices of peoples lives at points where they are in emotional turmoil (first love, death of a family member, ect)

Obviously there is more than one aspect to slice of life stories that appeal to people but isn't the main thing?

[Kody]

I thought the main appeal of indy comics is that they explore the human condition, telling slices of peoples lives at points where they are in emotional turmoil (first love, death of a family member, ect)

Obviously there is more than one aspect to slice of life stories that appeal to people but isn't the main thing?

Slice of life is more like a genre or sub-genre than a summary of indy comics. There's plenty of action adventure, horror, crime, romance, westerns, comedy, etc.

[Thudpucker]

Obviously your pull list of indy comics is WAY different than mine.

What exactly are you reading?

I read the lighthearted fantasy ones, like Usagi Yojimbo or Bone personally. Occasionally some of the relationship books like SiP.

I'm thinking more slice of life stuff like Blankets with this line of thought, I saw alot in common with popular manga titles and books like that. Just wondered if people who liked those kind of stories are reading them because if not there is a goldmine out there for them.

[Ben Rosen]

I thought the main appeal of indy comics is that they explore the human condition, telling slices of peoples lives at points where they are in emotional turmoil (first love, death of a family member, ect)

Obviously there is more than one aspect to slice of life stories that appeal to people but isn't the main thing?

it's more just that they are stories about real people, whether they are happy or they are sad. "my life sucks" is a motiff that's rare in most of these books, even when they're in emotional turmoil. i'd say "my life sucks" is far less common than emotional detatchment, which i think is a more reasonable common thread in many of these "slice of life" comics.

but still, it's more that these are about real people.

another factor, for me, is a lack of the supernatural. i like characters or settings that you find in, of all things, mainstream TV shows or movies that don't feature anything the least bit superpowered.

but i guess thats something i wonder about: you wouldn't call a sitcom slice of life. you wouldnt call a romantic comedy or a straight relationship drama slice of life, but just about every non-supernatural, non-crime story gets lumped in this character.

i forget your question. i'm babbling. hopefully that made sense.

[Thudpucker]

Slice of life is more like a genre or sub-genre than a summary of indy comics. There's plenty of action adventure, horror, crime, romance, westerns, comedy, etc.

Sure. Manga is also a blanket term, it describes any type of story too. Typing all of that into a thread title wouldn't work so well though.

[Corey]

The heroes in mainstream manga's are almost always unpopular and nerdy, aqward guys with poor social skills. They often can't get dates and have crappy jobs, they often fail at most of what they try. They also often have a diverse group of stereotypical friends like alot of indy comics do (the loudmouth fat friend, the cool rocker friend, the friend somehow more of a loser than even they are, ect).

Sounds like early Amazing Spider-Man.