Best Sites to read Manga online

Manga ( pronounced 'maw-nnn-gah' ) is a word in Japanese that is used to described the comic book series published to exemplify the culture of the Japanese and the component that made an integral part of the culture.

The term was conceived and created by a prominent and prolific artist called Hokusai, who lived between 1760 and 1849 and had over 30,000 works credited to his name among which is the woodblock "The Great Wave" which is one of his art that is closely matched with the traditional Japanese culture.

The pioneer examples of what was in the long run called "Manga" are the picture scrolls that are created and developed in the 6^th and the 7^th centuries by the Buddhist monks. The scrolls use common and well-known symbols such as cherry blossoms and the red leaves and ran continuously to signify and indicate the continual passage and fading of time.

The word "Manga" can itself be transliterated as "Humorous Pictures." And this style became very trendy in the mid-twentieth century when the laws against the publication of related materials were lifted, giving people that generous permission to express their creativity. As time goes on, it became a very huge and significant part of the culture of the Japanese. Just like literature and other literary works are appreciated in American Countries, so is Manga widely read, respected, and appreciated in amongst the Japanese. The artists and writers of Manga, in turn, become well respected in the society for the amount of creativity put into the production of Manga.

What makes Manga distinctive?

The prominent distinguishing feature of Manga is the numerous characteristics that form the art style. Most manga characters are known with the seeming abnormal features like the small mouths, the abnormal color of hair, and the large eyes. This is what gives the characters a very westernized touch.

Also, the emotions of the characters in Manga are often time exaggerated. For example, how buckets are placed when the character is crying and shedding tears. Another one is how the face is almost covered by the size of the mouth when they are laughing or the rosy cheeks and roiling steam around the body when the character is angry.

This distinctive feature has been a significant influence on different artists today, like Frank Miller, Ed McGuinness, and Fred Gallagher of Megatokyo.

With the advancement in time comes the evolution, which has led to how Manga has been given many names depending on the audience it addresses.

1. Shônen [pronounced show-nen ]: It means boys' Manga

2. Shôjo [pronounced show-joe ]: it means girls' Manga

3. Seinen [pronounced say-nen ]: it means men's Manga

4. Redikomi or Josei [pronounced joe-say ]: it means women's Manga

5. Kodomo [pronounced kow-dow-mow ]: this means children's Manga

Difference between Manga and Anime

Often time, Manga and anime are mixed up because they tend to be very close in many ways. But then, there are differences to pay attention to when it comes to comparing anime and Manga.

1. Manga is a name given to graphic novels and comic books, but anime is the term that is used to depict animation generally.

2. Manga is often published and printed in black and white, considering the constant need for it (weekly), while anime generally requires great attention and is produced most times in a colored form.

3. With the ways of producing a manga, the publishing is reasonably cheap compared to anime.

4. Anime is very distinct in visual features, and the styles used for depicting the movements are limited.

To pick which is better may outrightly be an issue because often time, most Manga is made into an anime. But the choice depends on the content of the story and the personal preferences of such individual choosing.

Summary of Best Sites to read Manga online

Here is a summary of the list of the best sites to read Manga online.

List of best sites for reading manga online

BookWalker - Manga Site

This is one of the tremendous one-stop sites for reading official and legal comics digitally in Japan. It all started from Kadokawa but has grown to include highly rated publishers like Kodansha, Viz, and Yen. Using this site is like using the kindle store.

This site is known as notable and famous titles like an overlord, No game No life, To All the Corners of The World, and Attack on the Titan. The site has a mobile app on both Android and iOS, and it can be used for free, but the book's cost is charged per book.

The contents on the site are neatly organized in categories, publishers, genres, and authors. Any manga picked and paid for are added to your catalog on BookWalker for life. And the cover of the Manga on the website has the original covers.

ComiXology - Manga Site

ComiXology is rated as one of Manga's best collections and sources on any platform ( web, iOS, Android). It works on either a pay per volume/issue or timed unlimited subscription service, which gives you access to the numerous collections of comics contents on the platform.

The diversity of access in terms of payment made it one of the best out of the many options that are available for reading Manga online.

It was recently announced that Amazon had bought ComiXology, which made it a more legal and assured site for accessing Manga online. Among the notable and famous titles, it has published is Sherlock Bones, Lone Wolf and Cub, Fairy Tale, Attack on Titan, The Seven Deadly Sins, and Love Hina.

Crunchyroll - Manga Site

A distinct feature made this site a very amazing one, amongst others, which made it a rare kind of site. And, this feature is that the contents on the site include both Manga and anime. So, to ensure diversity, this site will be the best option in all.

These run on a very cheap subscription of $7 per month, and it is entirely free of ad. It runs on a web, iOS, and Android platform, which is very popular because it is known as a site that publishes updated manga chapters as soon as its release in Japan.

The site also has a collection of notable and famous titles published on it like The Seven Deadly Sins and Attack on Titan.

Shonen Jump - Manga Site

On a typical day, WSJ will mean the Wall Street Journal, but it is not real, so when it comes to Manga, it means Weekly Shonen Jump. It is ancient and, with less controversy, belongs to the cadre of the best site for reading Manga online. It is known for the weekly manga magazines that are readily available on the site.

It is also a very cheap site that allows you access to over 10,000 chapters that cut across a wide range of titles and series with just $1.99. Shonen Jump has published great titles including the widely read and iconic Boruto and other Manga like Gin Tama, My Hero Academia, One Piece, Hunter x Hunter and World trigger.

This site runs on the web, iOS, and Android platforms.

ComicWalker - Manga Site

ComicWalker is a site that publishes Manga free from all charges in Japan. And, by this, it is among the biggest and largest publishers of Manga in Japan.

It is definitely not all the titles on ComicWalker that are popular probably because of the free issuance, but there are the highest-rated titles on the site. It can be used without having to sign up on the site. Still, there are unique benefits that accompany having an account on the site like getting a notification when a new chapter or issue or volume is published and the ability to create a collection of your favorite titles.

There is no mobile app for this site, but it works perfectly well on the web with any hassles whatsoever.

Conclusion

Above are the list made of the best sites to read Manga online. But it is to be noted that Manga comes in black and white, so there might not be a need for sophisticated gadgets to access these sites. However, devices with low memory can come with problems and obstructions to enjoying your favorite Manga.

Some other Manga sites that can be used include Mangago, Mangainn, AnimeNova, Manga Freak, ZingBox, Otaku Smash, Renta. A very significant and indispensable reason for using these sites is that it helps learn Japanese as a language and as a culture because of the story and the manga subtitles.