Who here can't read japanese but buys Japanese manga?

[woosta0003]

Well, I don't do this with too many series, but I sometimes buy Japanese Manga even though I can't read it. Mostly just to see what happens more than anything else. Anyone else do this?

Oh mangas I do this with are:

Battle Angel Alita: Last Order (currently on 5 US release is upto 2 or 3) - These editions are slightly bigger, and I really love Yukito Kishiro's art...
Iron Wok Jan - Got these used tankoubons on sale for $1 a piece at bookoffs. Now I love the series even more...

[loplop]

I tend to buy some doujinshi that you cannot not buy in the States. However, I am using it along with some other media to improve my Japanese language skills. . . .

[Tamashii]

Buying doujinshi (based on other manga/anime) = So wrong.

Anyways, I don't have any yet, but I am planning to get Beck, VGD, and the recent goodies when I pick up some Japanese classes. Those probably won't get licensed for a while...

[silan]

I've bought a few manga in Japanese. I can understand part of it, and I can struggle through the rest with the help of a dictionary.

I usually buy them if it doesn't look like the series will be released domestically. Of course, without fail the day I receive them, imported straight from Japan, is the day that I hear they've been licensed for a NA release. That is my luck, right there in a nutshell.

[Hikaruotaku]

I do every once in a while. i still like to look at it, and make up my own story to go with the picture.

[Elric]

One of my biggest weaknesses is other languages, though I like to learn japanese despite its difficulty. Its just im lazy overall, and theres nothing that drives me to motivate myself to learn japanese right now.

Only way im acually knowing something some japanese, its lots of subs and songs. I picked up a few words, but took a while to remember. I guess its a start.

[Risen Hell Fire]

ME! i do it.

[soundchazer]

I read only the hiragana or katakana part of Japanese for the most part, and have several manga (tankobon):

Ranma 1/2 (full series)
Urusei Yatsura (full series)
Maison Ikkoku (Full series)
Ah my goddess (Vol 1 thru 11)
Video Girl Ai (full series)
D.N.A. ^2 (full series)
I''s (vol 1 thru 6)
Angel (full series)
3x3 eyes (vol 1 thru 7)
Vampire princess Miyu (full series)
Ghost Sweeper Mikami (1 thru 5)
Marionette Generation (first volume)

[woosta0003]

Heh - damn glad I ain't alone in this.

That said, I'd say we have a crapload of manga available now in the US that we did not before. Do you guys think the market will get oversaturated too quickly before developing a solid fan base??

[soundchazer]

I think it is oversaturated already. Some of those manga titles coming out are just crap.

[Tamashii]

The good thing about buying these tankoubon is that they're incredibly cheap. About 540 Yen each (roughly USD$5.50). The shipping might kill you, though. But if you have a sharp eye and frequent eBay or Japan's Yahoo auctions, you might just get lucky (heck, you can even give amazon.jp a shot).

[soundchazer]

You can always buy the tankoubon in places like Kinokuniya or Asahiya bookstores (here in the States). That's were I got 90% of the manga I own.

[DarkKanti]

I got some when I went to Japan this summer and I plan to get more when I go back there next year.

[Demonshadow9]

Why would I buy a book I cant read?

[Zushio]

I nearly bought Volume 1 of Monster a few weeks ago, but held off. Now its being released legally so me = happy.

[soundchazer]

Why would I buy a book I cant read?

If you seriously don't know the answer, then my friend, you lack either imagination and/or sense of wonder.

The answers are fairly simple:

1. Artwork
2. Chance to learn the language

Not everything in life was made for practical reasons.

[Tamashii]

Not everything in life was made for practical reasons.

Amen!

It really helps when you're taking Japanese classes and are trying to memorize some kanji or hiragana/katakana (some manga use this at times, like VGD or Beck, I believe, when they want to indicate that the character is speaking English).

My friend's elder brother has the entire Rurouni Kenshin tankoubon collection in Japanese and he can't even read a single kanji. He's a huge RK aficionado and looking at bunch of comic books he can't understand will further appease his voracity.

To each his own :)

[Djudge86]

Same deal here with me and Bleach for all the reasons why people who aren't proficient in Japanese yet still buy original tankoubons. I know just enough to understand the gist of simple lines here and there and also to gain the context of what a speaker is saying. But yeah, getting constantly bombarded with kanji definitely helps out with memorization. So if I ever get myself into a good Japanese course in college (sadly my high school's program was highly ineffective and was eventually dissolved last year), then I know I'll have some good, and entertaining to boot, reference to look back on.

[Bane the ECF]

I buy manga that I technically can't read (with kanji too difficult without furigana to properly read.) Does that count? :lol:


Bane

[Risen Hell Fire]

If you seriously don't know the answer, then my friend, you lack either imagination and/or sense of wonder.

The answers are fairly simple:

1. Artwork
2. Chance to learn the language

Not everything in life was made for practical reasons.
i mainly buy them for the artwork:rolleyes: and for the fact that i love japan. but how can we learn their language when it's all in symbols?

[woosta0003]

I buy manga that I technically can't read (with kanji too difficult without furigana to properly read.) Does that count? :lol:


Bane

Yes, Bane. That counts. :D

Basically, I wanted to see where things went plotwise. Even if I can't read it, I can ogle the art, and do so a LOT earlier than waiting for it to come out in english. Not to mention in general it's cheaper. Which is why I got Gunnm: Last Order (still on #5, sad to say - Kino hasn't gotten a new one in yet) and Iron Wok Jan (at $1 a piece why not?).

[Bane the ECF]

Yes, Bane. That counts. :D

Basically, I wanted to see where things went plotwise. Even if I can't read it, I can ogle the art, and do so a LOT earlier than waiting for it to come out in english. Not to mention in general it's cheaper. Which is why I got Gunnm: Last Order (still on #5, sad to say - Kino hasn't gotten a new one in yet) and Iron Wok Jan (at $1 a piece why not?).
It's actually quite funny when I buy seinen manga without any furigana. Although you couldn't ask me to write 90% of the kanji in the manga, I can read almost all of it, thanks to my fluency in Japanese and by the context of the sentences.

Oh, and the other advantages to buying Japanese version manga are:

1) Price (cheaper)
2) Time (faster, no waiting for licensing and/or translations)


Bane

[mantha]

i do. ^-^ basically, i copy the art as best as i can and make up the story as i go. XD

and well, it helps me hone my nonverbal communication studies. usually, i let someone translate it for me to check whether i got it right. ^-^

the power of pictures. XD

[KiraraKim]

I buy all the Japanese version of Fullmetal Alchemist. I buy them for collection reasons only. Fullmetal Alchemist is my favorite series and I like having the original version of the manga. And now that Viz has edited images of the English version (which I also buy) I am extra glad that I bought the Japanese version.

When I am at a convention I also sometimes pick up random tankoubon of other series I enjoy but Fullmetal Alchemist is the only series where I collect every volume of the Japanese release as it comes out.

To tell you the truth I've even picked up Italian versions of manga when I was in Italy because I think it is neat to have.

I guess you can say I am fascinated with the global appeal of anime and manga.

Though with the exception of Fullmetal Alchemist I only buy volumes or series that are not out in the States yet.

[Akito]

Why would I buy a book I cant read?

There are quite a few manga translations written in scripture form out there.

EDIT: However, I have to admit that it is annoying to always have to take your eyes off the comic to check out what the hell the characters are saying.

[Minnie]

I bought a few volumes of chinese and japanese Angel Sanctuary before it got licenced. I knew someone online who did the text translations so I could keep up and all that. I wasn't really worried about awkwardly going back and forth between my print-outs and the manga because I was really into the series. I also thought that it may be a long time until it does get licenced in North America because of the controversial subject matter in the manga. Well, I was proven wrong when it did get licenced. By then, any idea what else to do with my purchases was beyond me, so I kept them, sometimes flipping through the pages just to admire the artwork.

Other than Angel Sanctuary, I also bought a volume of these CLAMP titles: RG Veda (I oggled the artwork), X (Viz was really slow at translating this series at the time I bought it) and Shirahime-Syo. (Again, for the artwork; the whole thing was done in ink so I thought it was an interesting find)

I just really happy to look through them so I never mind that I didn't understand japanese. It's like purchasing a painting or a print to me--it's art. They're appreciated within my possession just like how an art book would be.

[Raiden]

I’ve got a few, I get them usually to check out the art work then buy the licensed version if I like it and it ever comes out.

[ant]

I will buy a Shounen Jump or Sunday Jump toki doki, but only to follow up on certain titles. They run for 230 yen a manga so its not so bad. Still regret not picking up the 20th Century Boys with Friend on the cover. Translate them via dictonary or student help. Quite fun actually.

[laffinizluv]

OMG, I do this all the time and people think I'm so crazy! I have so much of my manga in Japanese that it's ridiculous.

[IceDemon]

I got a few of the manga that i didn't want to wait to be translated into English.

by the way laffinizluv this made me laugh a lot:
Biography:
My name is Evyn... yeah, it's a boy's name so step-off

Incase your wondering why i even checked your profile its becuase i was bored right now and have nothing better to do than look at people's profiles.

[laffinizluv]

haha, I'm glad someone enjoyed my humor =D

I look at random profiles all the time... really just experimenting, you know?


Sorry to take up the space responding everyone else, but this isn't a hardcore thread anyway.

[Mana]

Personal conversations? That's what the Private Message function is for. Let's keep the thread on topic, shall we?

[LadyYuina]

I would buy some if I did not think it was a waste of my money, just because I can barely understand anything on each page. (Which blows though, when I really think about it :( )

[laborpilot86]

me me me me me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (laborpilot jumps up and down like sugared up 10-year-old) I watch all my anime in Japanese with subtitles though.

[kyubichan]

I have those. I can read some Japanese though, but not Kanji... damned squiggly lines. I also have an original Korean manga/manwha but I can't read Korean at all XD