I originally posted this idea and I think it got lost in the Springfest madness, as no one payed it much attention. *chuckles*

I've been mulling over the idea for a semi-scholarly group involved in the discussions of manga, and I was wondering if anyone else was interested. I've read manga for years, back when they were just called "graphic novels" and were printed with the artwork flipped to read left to right. Now, shelves in bookstores are filled with it!

I thought of questions that I always get asked whenever someone catches me reading manga, like "Why don't the people look Japanese?" -- I get asked that alot and I'm not quite sure how to respond. I also get asked about the types of stories or more simply "Why the heck are you reading that book backwards?!"

I wanted to form a group to discuss the history of manga, how it developed and became the phenom that it is today. Some ideas I had for threads were ones that discussed elements in "boys" manga and "girls" managa, why does manga look the way it does and what are the influences, the development of manga from a historical perspective (I have read several different theories of this and would be interested to learn more about it), manga in contemporary Japan and how it crossed over to the US, the complexities of translation (according to my Japanese friends, subtle nuances are lost in translation) and manga done by non-Japanese artists. I'm starting to see some Korean stuff now which is really beautifully done.

I don't really want this to be like a fan site. I don't think AW is the best place for "DRAGONBALL Z RULEZ!!!" *laughs* Although, I guess there could be a chatty thread about what manga are you reading now, what do you like etc. I'd like this not to be the primary focus of the group, though.

I'd be interested in any ideas that anyone out there has to offer, especially if you all think this is an appropriate group for AW. Please don't leave me in here with the crickets again! *laughs*