How to find the best academic books on manga and anime

As the buzz around manga and anime subcultures deepens, more and more books are being published on these topics. Whether you want to learn more about culture to enrich your hobby or write an academic paper or article, the abundance of books available can be constructive for you. However, since manga and anime come from the realm of popular culture, not all books written about them are equally valuable or informative enough to be considered constructive. As in all popular media cases, the risk of finding a book full of nonsense and without useful content is high. Here are some criteria to help you identify the best academic books on anime and manga:

Check the author

The most reliable books are always those written by experts. The first step after choosing a topic and receiving a list of books is to check the history of their authors. Was the book written by a teacher or lecturer? If not, does he or she have a history of working in the manga or anime industry? The importance of the author’s background should not be taken lightly. It is always preferable to learn from a knowledgeable person on any subject and then quote them. Avoid books written by casual magazines, newsgroups, or enthusiasts. These tend to be superficial and lack relevant quotes to support their claims.

Avoid “picture books”

If possible, always flip through a book to see how the design and written content will appear. Some books on anime and manga are informative enough but have a lot of images. Books that are filled to the brim with pictures at the expense of text are very likely not to provide you with enough information and may be counterproductive.

Buy specialized encyclopedias

The only exceptions to the above rule are encyclopedias. There are encyclopedias created specifically for fans of anime, manga, and otaku. They often analyze certain products / phenomena at the same time that they provide images. Encyclopedias typically offer no more than a page or two on each topic, but they are great for discovering a new topic and broadening the scope of your research. They are also often expanded with rare interviews and will always have dates. They are your reference books and will point you to more detailed books on the subject you want to research. There are a surprising number of encyclopedias on Japan and Japanese culture, but your best bet would be to start reading the basic (but valuable) encyclopedias of manga, anime, and otaku.

Read in the native language

If you are fluent in the Japanese language and are writing an academic paper, you may choose to add a few Japanese books to your research pile. Japanese manga and anime experts have written many books on the subject and can provide invaluable information on how these trends operate in their native Japan. When writing about manga and anime, citations from Japanese books will greatly enhance the credibility of your work and give you priority over researchers who chose to include only books written by Western experts.

To conclude, to spot the best academic books on manga and anime, you should familiarize yourself with the names of the leading experts in the field and always check if the book just in case has enough text and a good amount of citations. Specialized encyclopedias tend to offer less information but broaden your horizon, while available and accessible books in Japanese can be wonderful resources and give you an important advantage.