Manga
From Japan Legend
Manga is a Huge form of entertainment in Japan.
Many people might compare it to western comic books at first glance, but it is more readily compared to the every day book. There is Manga for all ages, all demographics. There is Manga equivalent to Soap Operas, Sports, Romantic Novels, Action movies, Cookery shows, etc. Manga is usually in black and white and is produced at a mass scale. The style of the artwork is very simple so that it can be produced very quickly.
[edit] Serialization
Mangas go through different stages of release and serialization. Most mangas are often submitted by the author to specialized manga magazines that are produced either monthly or weekly. These telephone book sized compilations include many different series, often of the same genre. These magazines are of very low quality, with cheap paper and poor print. They are simply considered as disposable entertainment.
After a certain amount of chapters have been reached in the serialized manga, the author releases a TankÅbon. These are smaller print paperback books that compile roughly 7-10 chapters in a single release. They are printed on much higher quality paper and often contain touched up artwork and sometimes re-arrangement of certain story points as the author sees fit.
Sometimes after a series is complete, a Kanzenban is released. These are releases of the manga which are more expensive because of the fact they are printed on larger paper and brandished with special covers and usually other extras in the book. Generally, only popular series are released in the form of Kanzenban, such as Dragon Ball
