Wang Yuanyuan

    THE generation of Chinese born in the 1980s are the first generation to have grown up with manga (also called Japanese comics). Although many have reached their 30s, they refuse to grow out of the hobby, maintaining large collections of books and related products.

    The word “manga” roughly translates as “comic book” in Japanese. A single manga volume is around the size of a paperback novel and a single manga series can extend for many volumes. While manga is generally associated with children and teens, many are in fact geared towards adults.

    There are different types of manga made for different groups of people. “They can be divided by age, gender and content,” said Luo Yanhua, 30, a manga lover in Shenzhen.

    Luo, who works for a Japanese company in Shenzhen, has been collecting manga books since she was in Grade 4 in primary school. She now has some 300 manga books with a collection of toys at home.

    Broadly speaking, there are two main types, shojo manga and shonen manga, according to Luo.

    Shojo manga is mainly for girls, incorporating popular series from the fantasy “Sailor Moon” to the sophisticated “Nana,” while shonen manga is mostly for teen and young adult males, such as “Naruto,” “Bleach” and “One Piece,” which capture readers’ attention with exciting stories and dynamic characters.

    Shonen manga is more popular around the world because most of the stories are inspiring ones about the successful pursuit of dreams.

    For example, Luo’s favorite manga is “One Piece,” which is about groups and individuals competing to find lost treasure.

    “They all have different backgrounds and reasons for wanting to succeed. It is suspenseful, moving and funny. It takes place in an excitingly different world to our own, so it can provide escape. There is some form of manga for everyone,” said Luo.

    Collecting related products and playing cosplay (costume playing) are also popular with manga fans. “It has become an internationally popular pastime. Every year, fans fly to the Tokyo International Anima Fair from around the world. When I was studying in Japan, I went to the fair and saw a lot of Westerners dressing up as manga characters,” she said.

    However, Luo said it was not easy to buy manga in Japanese or English in Shenzhen.

    “The best place to buy manga in Shenzhen is Animation City in Dongmen, Luohu District, but most collections are Hong Kong and Taiwanese editions,” she said.

    Luo often goes to Hong Kong to buy manga. “There are many manga stores in Mongkok, such as Sino Center, where you can find manga in both Cantonese and Japanese. Some English editions can also be found at English book stores in Hong Kong as Japanese pop culture is popular with expats in Hong Kong,” she said.