Manga takes over bookshelves at Southwest High School
EL CENTRO —The Southwest High School library offers students a lot of reading choices, and one category of books that has become a fan-favorite is something called “manga.”
Manga is a form of comic book that originated in Japan. The genre caters to all age groups.
David Henderson is the head librarian at Southwest and is responsible for acquiring the school’s popular manga collection
He attributed manga’s popularity in part to the similarity it bears to the novelas that are common in Mexico.
“Consider a story that does not end at the end of the book, a serial,” he explained. “In the same way, the novelas are like manga, you may read many books in the serial before coming to the end of the story. The pictures help show the story better, each page has beautiful artwork that can grab the reader’s attention. The anime programs help enhance the stories being told by the manga. It can bring satisfaction reading a story you are already familiar with.”
Danna Garcia, 14, said she enjoys the work that goes into manga and visits the library to indulge in some of the manga that is available there. She said manga applies a new perspective to stories that can’t be fully expressed through other forms of media.
“The creative freedom intrigues me. It can create a world with a diverse cast and a twist of reality that doesn’t really work well with live-action,” said Garcia. “The library covers a lot of already mainstream anime, so it allows fans of a series to explore that specific domain more. There’s a lot of things that the anime could skip over that are vital to the story, but it would be in the manga.”
Garcia said that manga can be something everyone could find enjoyable. The stories aren’t limited, and most readers should be able find something that piques their interest.
“There are different genres of anime that suit different tastes, so if you don’t like the action-related content, there are other things like romance and thriller,” she said.
Eric Salorio, 14, is a frequent visitor to the library. He said he is captivated by the manga collection.
“I appreciate how well the creators are able to make such detailed drawings. It really allows me to sink into the world more than I would with other books,” said Salorio.
Salorio’s enjoyment of shonen makes him want to return to the library more and more to read new stories. The shonen genre of manga is very action-heavy and has a long plot with many arcs. One example would be the “Naruto” series.
“The wide array of shonen manga brings me back to the library all the time so I can check out more,” said Salorio. “The compelling action scenes really make me excited to turn the pages.”
Salorio said manga can open doors for readers of all ages.
“Manga is important because many students can explore new stories and could be a big step into appreciating new cultures,” he said.
Henderson said he intends to continue building the library’s manga collection. Providing the titles and genres students ask for increases the readership at the library.
“The popularity is important. Due to the continuous popularity among students,” he said. “It brings traffic and new readers.”