Comics Crux

 

Ninja Scroll, Sailor Moon, and Dragonball Z. Those were the first anime films and TV series that introduced me to the world of anime which then in turn introduced me to manga.  That was fourteen years ago. Now fast forward to a few weeks ago-Memorial Day weekend to be exact-and here I was attending my second anime convention called the FloridaAnimeExperience. I attended two out of the three days-you can read about the  convention here. I had a great time at the convention, but I was somewhat lost. 

You see, I hadn’t watched an anime in a long time and my manga title list wasn’t very long, so when I attended panels at the convention and I heard other convention attendees mention Durarara!! or Homestuck, all I could do is smile and say “What the heck are you talking about?” in my head. Even my knowledge of older anime and manga was limited. I had never heard of Robotech or Graves of the Fireflies before the convention, so as you can see, I was somewhat lost and personally felt out of place. I didn’t feel comfortable talking to other folks about anime or manga, and I would ask about comics and The Avengers film instead.

After the convention, I began to think about how I could learn more about anime and manga. I also thought about one of my coworkers who was trying to get into anime and that’s how this column was born. If you’ve ever been interested in anime and manga or you’ve been out of the loop, this column is for you! There’s no “I’m better than you and you’re not a true anime fan” crap here. This column is a place for all of us to learn more about anime and manga and to have fun while doing so. So I want to welcome all you anime/manga newbies and returnees to this column.

In this entry, I wanted to share a little bit about myself and the limited anime/manga background I have, as well as give you an outline of what’s going to be featured in this column. To start things off, my name is Talisha (tah-lee-shah), I also go by Tali, and I’ll answer to either one.  I’m thirty years old and I was introduced to the world of manga and anime during my high school years.  As I said previously, Ninja Scroll was my first anime film while Dragon Ball Z and Sailor Moon were my first anime TV series. When I watched these three, I was hooked! My very first manga was the English translation of the Sailor Moon series. I received it as a birthday present and I will always be grateful to my friend Amanda for opening the doorway into the world of manga with that gift.

I’ve been out of the anime/manga loop for a while but I have seen and read all or part of  the following: Sailor Moon, Dragon Ball Z, Ninja Scroll, Tenchi Muyo, FLCL, Cowboy Bebop, Witch Hunter Robin, Wolf’s Rain, Lupin III, Inuyasha, Blue Gender, Outlaw Star, Trigun, Naruto, Bleach, MARS, Yu Yu Hakusho, Ranama ½, Pokemon, Yu-Gi-Oh!, Cardcaptor Sakura, Big O, Dragonball, Dragonball GT, Gundam Wing, Rurouni Kenshin, Saiyuki, Samurai Champloo, Samurai Deeper, Afro Samurai, Case Closed, Akira, Spirited Away, Ponyo, Parasyte, Armitage, Shaman King, and…I believe that’s it.

This list might seem like a lot, but it’s really not. Of what’s on the list, the majority of it I haven’t finished watching or reading. So I’ve got a long way to go, and that’s okay! I’ve got you guys to accompany me on this journey and we’re going to learn as much as we can and have an awesome time doing so.

So here’s what you can expect to be featured in this column:

The Basics:

These first couple of articles will cover some basic information about manga and anime. Topics such as the history of manga & anime, the types of genres, important info and terms that fans should know, etc. will be covered.

Each week, the column will feature two spotlight articles:

1. Mite Kudasai! (Watch!) Yonde Kudasai! (Read!)

I pick two anime series or films for fans to watch and I give my reasons why. One pick will be a classic anime and the other will be a series that’s currently popular. I’ll also pick a manga that fans should read and give my reasons why.

2. Manga & Anime Showcase

This article will feature my favorite art, cosplay and AMV (anime music video) from around the web each week.

Finally, each month, the column will showcase the following:

1. The Top ____

This will be a list of my top picks. Ex: The top ten anime-manga/anime-manga genre.

2. Resources

Here I will give my picks for the best resources (Japan, books, clubs, conventions, podcasts, music etc) for anime/manga fans.

And there you have it folks! We’re about to begin an excellent adventure into two cool and interesting aspects of Japanese culture, where it will lead to nobody knows.  So get your pens and paper ready, open your mind and let your imagination flow as this journey into manga and anime starts now…