Quality of Mangas?

[Puguni]

I remember way back when Fruits Basket still wasn't mainstream, and I had a copy of volume 4 in Japanese. Interested in buying a translation of the same volume later on, I looked for Tokyopop's version.

It was noticeably bigger than the Japanese printed one. It was thicker and bulkier. I can't quite explain it, but it really had that Americanized feel. The Japanese published version was small, the pages were thinner and slightly yellow in a good way.

[edit] I know that manga in Japan are meant to be disposable, I just don't understand why the U.S., the land of cheap mass production, didn't do that when it doesn't make sense to expensively make a book made to be cheap.[/edit]

[Bobtheduck]

Because Japanese Manga are built much more cheaply than American comics... They're designed to be disposable.

[Puguni]

Because Japanese Manga are built much more cheaply than American comics... They're designed to be disposable.

I'm well aware that they're made more cheaply, but, as I've now added in my edited post:

I just don't understand why the U.S., the land of cheap mass production, didn't do that when it doesn't make sense to expensively make a book originally made cheaply.

[jon_jinn]

the U.S. sells there mangas for much more money than Japan does. maybe they're trying to find a new way to make lots of money, as manga and anime is becoming more and more popular in America.

[MorwenLaicoriel]

I don't know about you, but I like to hang onto my manga and read it again and again. I'd be a little upset if my manga wasn't built to last.

[mai]

I agree with Morwen. Though it is always nice to pay less for something I don't consider my manga disposable.

[Debitt]

I don't know about you, but I like to hang onto my manga and read it again and again. I'd be a little upset if my manga wasn't built to last.

Thing is, I have fairly abused copies of Japanese manga that are maybe three years old and are still perfectly readable. o.o

I've always wondered why there's a difference between the printings of translated and untranslated manga. The bigger-ness, especially.

[Mr. SmartyPants]

Because asians have smaller eyes?

XDDD Kidding kidding.

[Kawaiikneko]

I have four volumes of DN in Japanese and I kinda like the smallness.... I guess it all comes down to the fact that we pay more. In Japan I've heard that a little manga book would cost what would be about $4. Since ours are made nicer, they can sell them for more. They might also be made nicer in order to appeal to the general public that these are not cheap little comics, but actually genuinely thought out stories.

[mai]

In Japan they are smaller? 0_o The standard size is already kind of small when compared to other comic issues...I've actually been hoping for bigger sizes. Do they ever print more than one size for a series in Japan?

[MyrrhLynn]

They might also be made nicer in order to appeal to the general public that these are not cheap little comics, but actually genuinely thought out stories.

I'm guessing that's the case. Way back before I started buying manga the American versions were supposedly even nicer (that was back when they used to always flip the pages too). I think Tokyopop was the first to start making the books on cheaper paper so they could sell for less.

I'm sure it's a marketing thing, to make them look nicer like that. I'm sure the thought is that way they appeal to a wider audience, and someone who has no clue what it is will be more likely to buy it.

I don't really think Japanese versions are that much smaller though (I'm talking about the height and width of the page). When I was in Japan they seemed pretty close to me. Maybe a little smaller, but not much. They are definately skinner though. You see lots of people reading manga on the subways or when waiting in line, and if the manga were thick (like in the US) they wouldn't be able to carry them around like that.

Oh and Mai, I think they only time manga is released in different sizes in Japan is if they decide to release a special edition or a hardcover version (which are bigger).

[Debitt]

In Japan they are smaller? 0_o The standard size is already kind of small when compared to other comic issues...I've actually been hoping for bigger sizes. Do they ever print more than one size for a series in Japan?

The size doesn't fluctuate within a series unless they put out a special edition, like MyrrhLynn said. Between series, the size depends on the company that's publishing the series, I think. My Japanese copies of Tactics and Matantei Loki Ragnarok are only a little smaller than the English. The Shounen Jump and Asuka manga I own are a good deal smaller than the English, and they don't feel as sturdy as my Tactics manga. :3