Magnificent Manga: The Joy of Reading Studio Ghibli

Abstract

Enter any Barnes & Noble bookstore and chances are that you will see Japanese comic books (manga) prominently displayed, many of which have all the outward trappings of a fairy tale. It is not uncommon to see customers of various ages wearing clothing and carrying smartphone cases decorated with manga-related products, as even the most casual visitor to the bookstore can attest. Read from right to left, manga graphic novels encompass a wide range of genres. Even though they originate from Japan, many of them draw inspiration from a variety of sources that transcend geographic boundaries—such as the Studio Ghibli film comic The Secret World of Arriety, which is based on Mary Norton’s 1952 children’s novel The Borrowers.