Manga: One Piece

Hi everybody,

         Once again I’m going to present you an interesting Asian Comic, the manga One Piece(ワンピス) by  Eiichiro Oda from Jump Comics. :D This is a Shounen manga, different from the ones I've present you before(those were Shoujo), so there's fights, friendship, blood, deaths, and maybe a little of romance. :B

         One Piece story is developed in a fantasy world that it's Mangaka created: OwO

         The "Pirate King" was the one who have conquered Greatness, Glory and Gold; just one man had achieved all this, Gold Roger. Twenty-two years ago, before he died executed by the Marine, as his last words he revealed the Legendary Treasure named "One Piece" which was hidden in the "Grand Line", since then the Pirate Age began. Now a boy named Monkey D. Luffy, inspired by his childhood hero Akagami (Red haired) Shanks, sailed to the oceans searching for adventures with one goal in mind to find One Piece and become the next Pirate King, after gaining the powers of the Gomu-Gomu (Gum-Gum) from the Akuma no Mi (Devil's Fruit).

To accomplish his goal, he must find reliable Nakama (colleagues/crew) in his journey to the most deadly and dangerous ocean, the Grand Line.

In their journey to the Grand Line and the New World, they get to be known as the Mugiwaras (Straw Hats, Luffy used a straw hat) after many battles and encounters with the Marine and other pirates, making the World Government put bounties over the head of each crewmember.

         One Piece is a really interesting story, not just because of their adventures, but also for the scenery that the Mangaka created based in places of real life (Example: Water 7 is like Venice, Arabasta is like the countries of the Middle East.) and cultural references (customs and games of pirates at the XVI until the XVII centuries as the Davy Back Fight, or traditions like the Carnival of Venice represented at Water 7). :D

         This manga makes me feel exited when I read about a fight of the Mugiwaras, or when Luffy shows how proud he is of his Nakama. This is a really good manga, even thou it's drawings are not that good, the story is very interesting, I JUST LOVE THIS MANGA, this is one of my most favorite Asian Comics. x3 If you want to read this manga you make take some weeks to read it, because it is really large by now, each chapter have from 10-30 pages, but by now there have been released 637 chapters, you may find it in almost every Manga Webpage because it is pretty famous, and also it has some special chapters like Romance Dawn, Green, Red, Wanted!, and some Crossovers(Toriko and Dragon Ball). The genres of this manga are Shounen, Adventure, Fantasy, Comedy, Drama, Mystery, Martial Arts, and Supernatural. :P

         Well, that's all for this week, I wish you could have a nice weekend(tomorrow is Friday!), GBU!       さようならみんな！　^.^　ありがとうございました！

How to Read Asian Comics

Hi everybody~! :D

Today I’m going to tell you how to read Asian comics correctly.

         You may say "Do you think I’m stupid and don't know how to read comics?" ¬¬ , but no, I don't think you might be stupid, because I guess most of the people that are reading this have at least read 1 comic in their lives. :3

         I'm writing this because Asian Comics have different ways of reading them, it doesn't mean you should know Chinese, Vietnamese, Tai, Korean, and Japanese languages. But you must know the correct way of reading them, because if not, you will not understand what are you reading, it has happened to me, and when you notice you've been reading in the wrong way, it may be bothersome. We'll be using the terminology from the first post.  
  So let's begin:

         Most of the Asian Comics are read from right to left, from up to down; just as how you read an Occidental comic, but flipped horizontally, as the picture up ⬆ show us. First what is in the boxes, then the dialogs, and sometimes it might include what some characters are thinking, or explaining their behavior, positions, and faces.

Most Japanese, Tai, and Chinese comics are read in this way, and some Korean and Vietnamese comics.

 

    But there are Asian comics that should be read as Occidental comics, most of the Manhwas are read in this way; also there are Mangas and Manhuas that can be confusing because they must be read complete vertically and then go up again from right to left, those kind of comics are not common to see, those are called "4 panel"(example: "Lucky Star", "Working!!” and some extras chapters of other comics as the "The Breaker" or "Shugo Chara!"), as the example of the picture at the left ⬅ . 

           And there might be sometimes that some Mangakas add their creativity to the comics, so it may change a little the way of reading some pages (principally in Mangas). 

          When you buy your Asian comics at the American continent and Europe, the publishing company that did translate the comic may have print it so it'll be read from left to right.

  

Well everybody, that's all for today, i wish you have understand, and that you'll read lot's of Asian comics. Probably in future I'll make articles about the most famous Manga and Manhwa publishing companies.  :P

       Good bye~, have a nice day! GBU!

The pictures were taken from Working!! manga and modified by me with PaintBrush Mac program, and from Manga for Kids: How to Read Manga

Manga: Hadashi de Bara wo Fume

Hello everyone!   :3

All for Money. 裸足でバラを踏め Volume 1

        Today I'm going to present you another manga, this one is Hadashi de Bara wo Fume(裸足でバラを踏め; literally Barefoot Stepping on Roses, but better known as Stepping on Roses) created by Rinko Ueda, this is other of my favorite mangas; I recommend it because it have a beautiful story, at first is just the sad story about a poor girl, but then it becomes a dramatic and romantic story.  ❦

      This manga about a girl that lived at the Meiji Era(at the time of the imperial restoration of Japan, when the country started to open up to the rest of the world) named Kitamura Sumi with her non-blood-related sisters and brothers. Her older brother always left her with the children to go to work(most of the times he lose the money at bets), also they have a huge debts and one of her little brothers got sick recently. On day, in order to get money and protect her brothers, she went wandering on the streets trying to sell herself for 2 thousand yen(actually ¥3 million) to pay all the debts, but nobody seemed to want to buy her at that price. She was going to get hit by a drunk man when a young rich man appeared and saved her, accepting to pay the 2 thousand yen. Both of them rode a taxi to his house, where he proposed her to be his wife, but he would not love her nor she was to fall in love with him, he asked her "Are you willing to throw all your love away for money?", "I'll throw it all away!". ❀

        I liked it because the heroine shows strength, not just that time, even a lot of times more, she suffered and threw everything away just to protect the people dear to her. The manga have really good drawings, and as you keep reading the story becomes and more interesting. It's genres are Shoujo, Romance, Historical, Drama, Psychological, and Slice of Life. Each chapter have more than twenty pages and have less than 80 chapters released by now, so you can read it fast.   :D

It is all for today, have a nice day, good-bye, GBU.　さようならみんな！　^_^ 

Definition of Manga, Manhwa, and Manhua(Wikipedia)

Definitions:

Manga (漫画; まんが; マンガ)is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons (sometimes also called komikku コミック). In the west, the term "Manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th century.

Manhwa  is the general Korean term for comics and print cartoons (common usage also includes animated cartoons). Outside of Korea, the term usually refers specifically to South Korean comics. The term, along with manga, is a cognate of the Chinese manhua. Manhwa were inspired by classic Asian arts, especially Chinese.

Manhua (simplified Chinese: 漫画; traditional Chinese: 漫畫) are Chinese comics originally produced in China. Possibly due to their greater degree of artistic freedom of expression and closer international ties with Japan, Hong Kong and Taiwan (Republic of China) have been the places of publication of most manhua thus far, often including Chinese translations of Japanese manga.

Information from Wikipedia®, the free encyclopedia  :D

and picture from Drawing Manga Art Tutorials :3

PD: Wikipedia is not always a reliable information resource

Manhwa: Lingerie

Hi everybody,

I wish you do remember the terminology, and if you are thinking “wut u talkin’ about?” then please read the preview post :D , sorry if I’m being a bit rude :P

Today, I am going to present you the manhwa Lingerie created by Seo Yoon Young, it’s genres are Shoujo, Fantasy, Historical, and Romance. This is one of my favorites manhwas, even thou is short, it is really cool and interesting, sadly it is new and just have a few chapters T.T

Lingerie’s background is of Korea in the past. It is about lingerie designers. The father owns the shop, his daughter is the principal character(the girl in the picture), there’s a little cute brother(really he was a teenager), and the rest of the employers, models, also a hot guy that works for the family as servant :B

The plot begins just as you could see a common shop, selling their products, a crowd of customers, the store trying to get famous and gain lots of money; but as the story is developing it introduce you the characters personal life and past, that’s what makes it interesting, some internal problems in the shop, and also there’s romance(it includes the main and external characters). I can’t say more about the story, because it is still short, and if I tell you more things, then I’ll be telling you everything. :D

The manhwa story is cool, and also the drawings are good, the enviroment of the story is nice, and the structure of the story is also well done. The beginning wasn’t really interesting, but as I continued to read it I was fascinated. I recommend it.

Everybody have a Nice Day, and good-bye, GBU. :3

Terminology and Introduction

Hi everybody,
this is the first post of all, xD
here I’m just going to introduce myself and give you some important terminologies for read Asian comics, specially Japanese(that are the most popular) and Korean(also popular); Chinese, Thai, and Vietnamese comics are not often seen so there's no exactly terminology for those.

I'm Berenice Milán, Mexican,
I am not otaku, but I like it, and I understand the otaku obsession for 2D.
I have been called otaku by some friends, but I think I am not, that I still have long way to go :)
I don't usually watch anime because I don't really like TV, but I love to read, so I am a manga, manhwa, and manhua fan.
I don't like hentai, yaoi and yuri, I think my mind could become scum. I usually read Shounen, Shoujo, Gore(I’m a sadist), and Koma, I think those are cool(specially gore :B ).
I’m a Lolita fan, but I’m not Lolita, I think it doesn't fit me, also I’m not that feminine.

However, I wish you could like my blog, and the things I’m going to post on it. :3

Have a nice day everybody, and good-bye. :D GBU !!!

if there was something you didn’t understand here is the terminology:

Japanese Terminology:

Otaku: a person obsessed with something, but we use it to refer just to Anime and Manga fans

Anime: from animation, we use it to refer to Japanese animations(cartoons)

Manga: Literally Comic, but we use it to refer to Japanese comics

Mangaka: a person who works in drawing manga

Shoujo: young girl(also referring to the genre)

Shounen: young boy(also referring to the genre)
Josei: a sub-genre of Shoujo, targeted to the young female adult readers/audience.
Seinen: a sub-genre of Shounen, targeted to the young male adult readers/audience.

Mecha: the mechanical genre

Koma: is the humorist genre(there's also the 4-Koma)

Kodomo: Kids(also referring to the genre)

Mahou-Shoujo: Magical girl(also referring to the genre)

Gore/Guro: bloody(also referring to the genre)

Nakama: Mates, Friends, Comrade.

Tomodachi: Friend

Bishounen: pretty boy

Bishoujo: pretty girl

Ecchi: Erotic(also referring to the genre), in mangas or anime it can be used also Ero.

Hentai: Pervert(also referring to the genre)

Yaoi: love between man-man, Gay(also referring to the genre)

Yuri: Lilium, love between woman-woman, Lesbian(also referring to the genre)

Nihon/Nippon: Japan

Sayounara: Good Bye

Konnichiwa: Good Evening/Hello

Ohayou: Good Morning

Konbanwa: Good Night/Late Evening

Baka: stupid/idiot

Akuma: Devil
Doijinshi: is the Japanese term for self-published works, usually magazines, manga or novels; they are often works of amateurs. 

(name)-san: it could be Mrs., Mr., or miss

(name)-chan: it is used to refer to a person you're familiar with, it is more used referring to children and girls(it could also be (name)-chi)

(name)-kun: it is used to refer a person whom you know, but not very close to you, it is more used on boys.

(name)-sensei: sensei is teacher

(name)-senpai/sempai: someone older than you or with more experienced in something than you, whom you respect.

(name)-dono: an authority with whom you're subjected or that you just simply respect and is not married.

(name)-sama: is an authority like a chief, a president, gods. also fans call their idol -sama.

onee-san: older sister

onii-san: older brother

imouto: younger sister

itouto: younger brother

Kawaii: pretty, cute, adorable, or dear.

Ganbaru: A word of encouragement: Hang in There!, Go! (it may also be in other verb tense: ganbatte, ganbatta, ganbare)

Gomen/gomenasai: sorry/I’m sorry

Etto: is like saying "mmmm…." in a conversation when you think or are in blank.

Sake: rice wine

Hime: Princess

Ojou: young master

Onegai: Please

Youkai: Monster or demon(reffering to supernatural like vampires, werewolves, sirens, etc.)

BARATIJAS BLOG- WE ROCK YOUR WORLD

Artículo original: The 100 most essential words in anime.

Korean Terminology:

Oppa: Older Brother, Used only by girls

Hyung: Older brother, Used only by boys

Unnie: Older Sister, used only by girls

Noona: Older Sister, used only by boys
(name)-ssi: is like using -san in japanese

Hyungnim: Gang members use it to refer to their Gang leader

Sunbae: used in both genders as a term of respect for upperclassmen

Sunsengnim: teacher
Ahjussi: Old Man 
Ahjuma: Old Woman

http://www.mangahere.com/manga/love_in_the_mask/v14/c103/