Do Manga/Web Novels deserve literary recognition?

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sockweather
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Do Manga/Web Novels deserve literary recognition?

Post by sockweather »

I consider them new literature formats that deserve as much recognition and acknowledgement as traditional books. Lots of people in the literature community consider these mediums as juvenile and not as noteworthy as traditional forms. What do you think?
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Post by SaraHysaro »

I think every form of literary media should be worthy of consideration, regardless of its presented form. A good story is a good story, and it'd be a shame to overlook a masterpiece just because it's different. Each medium has its own strengths and weaknesses, and we ought to praise those that attempt to push their medium's strengths to the absolute limit.
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Post by SarahTheReader »

I think that these new formats of literature are just as worthy of recognition as traditional formats. Not only do mangas and web novels take talent to complete but the addition of illustrations also make for a more inclusive and accessible experience for all audiences. For instance, within the past few years of mangas becoming increasingly popular, the classics have been adapted to the format and been used to introduce young audiences to the beautiful works of Austen, Hugo, Shakespeare, etc..
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Noe Nae
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Post by Noe Nae »

Yes. It should be recognized as much as any other classic form of literature. Mangas tell good stories and have art for those who cannot invision the scenario in their heads. Usually this form of literature is dismissed as childish and for not having depth to their story. If you think this you probably haven't read alot of mangas.Yes there are tons of bad mangas out there but there are also tons of bad literature work. So I definitely believe Mangas should get literary recognition.
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Post by Bigwig1973 »

So, I grew up reading classics and regular library material. I think the first comic reference I ever ran into (that I was aware of) was in the a-ha video "Take On Me" which I thought had something to do with Alice in Wonderland - "take on me" meaning "follow me" (or someone) which is kind of like following the white rabbit down the hole and mirrored in the Crystal Method song "Trip Like I Do" which was on the film "Spawn" (a comic, I think) soundtrack. But manga is often Asian in origin, isn't it? Is it the same thing as "anime" that is mentioned in the "Barenaked Ladies" song "One Week" when they talk about "getting in tune with Sailor Moon" and talking about the anime girls that make one think the wrong thing.

And, what is a web novel? A book that is not available on paper?
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Post by GwendolynSmith »

Yes, they deserve to be recognise. I think books no matter in what form they come in will bring valuable lesson. There are certain parts or scenarios in novel and manga that make people feel related to it. I would even like to say that some novel or manga might change people's perspective especially in the younger generation. They might read manga like academia no hero and learn positive attitude from the characters in it.
Its true there are manga or novels that fully written to satisfy human violences outbreak, erotic etc. However, classic literature are the same too. There are bad and good sides in everything.
It depends on how we take it. Still, I strongly believe that novel and manga should be recognise
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Post by billday10 »

I think they should be recognized; some do go overboard with tropes and embody the worst of the 'weeaboo' mentality but others can be quite deep and thought provoking. The issue I think is they aren't that popular compared to more traditional literary works and well edited translations aren't always available.
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Post by Wesusa »

I would be inclined to say yes, although I cannot recall many books I would consider to fit in this category. Not many manga or web novels are trying to tell a coherent story and often fade into a never-ending cycle of attempting to keep longevity with nothing to keep it with. Dragon Ball Z is one of my favorite manga of all time, however even I can admit that past Frieza and Cell arcs, a large amount of it didn't feel like they were telling an epic story anymore.
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Post by Krishnajee100 »

Yes, they should be recognised. Although not every book will be in this category but a great story, be in any format, should not be ignored just because it's different.
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Post by Khaiden T »

They most certainly should be recognized if they aren't already. There are full-length novels that never see a physical release and original literature that remains available in websites, blogs and such, and their quality is still on the same level as something formally printed and published in a traditional manner.

It's all part of the evolution of things. Comic books got to the point where they could be considered literature, (and the term "graphic novel" was born) and now there are versions that are digital-only and many of them tend to be exclusive to a website and even available for free.

It's funny timing that I'm seeing this topic now, as I read a complete web graphic novel a couple days ago. I actually rarely ever touch web comics. The novel is Power Nap by Maritza Campos & Bachan.
You can look it up online.
It's about what society would be like if there was a pill that gave you the effects of a completely healthy sleep and thus there was no longer a need to do it. The protagonist is one of the few in the world who is allergic to it and still has to sleep and function in a world that doesn't accomodate him. Things go quite crazy and continue escalating from there. It's a complete work; it's not one of those that eternally gets a new page every week or so.

Oh, and I was just talking about graphic novels in those past paragraphs. Manga being recognized as literature? Absolutely. It's not up to discussion.
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Post by Wildflowertheorist »

Mangas, manwas, comic books, graphic novels they all are amazing. And they should be recognised as real works.
They can't be dismissed simple because they involve animation or cartoons. Once people realise that there are a gazillion genres in these, perhaps more people will pick em' up and understand how amazing they can be.
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Post by TopaAzul062 »

They definitely need more recognition. Most tend to think of the mainstream titles as being the status quo when there are whole other genres. Some years ago, I was only familiar with Dragon Ball, Sailor Moon, Ranma 1/2 and Pokemon manga.

After getting the Manga: Masters of the Art book from the library, I saw there were genre I never heard of before along with different art styles. The same goes from graphic novels and comics. A lot of these so called juvenile readings aren't suitable kids which prompted one parent, who also created comics for mature audiences, to create a series that his daughters could enjoy without worry.
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Post by Suzer6440 xyz »

I don’t think it matters because it is all about personal preference. Any piece of literature should be recognized. Even if they are not popular, it should be considered a different type of genre
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Post by Reader Chavez »

I think any form of literature deserves recognition. A good story can be presented in different ways, and it should be recognized because of it. I think manga and comic books are different, but not because of it they deserve any less recognition.
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Pham Reader
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Post by Pham Reader »

If there is anyone tell me manga is not literature, I would give them a list of masterpice base on their literature preferrences that will blow them away.
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