Anime and Manga Gifts

Whether they’re manga maniacs or a newbie just testing the waters, these gifts will help them explore the world of Japanese-inspired animation.

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Origins

Many anime fans are on the hunt for a new manga to devour. If you know a fan who’s been eyeing the genre for some time but just hasn’t made the leap, this is an excellent opportunity to give them the push they need.

In Japanese, the word “manga” comes from kanji for informal or whimsical (man) and drawing (ga). The art form has been around in Japan for centuries. The first mention of manga appeared in a book of drawings by ukiyo-e artist Katsushika Hokusai—who also created the famous Great Wave off Kanagawa print—in 1814.

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Formats

Anime fans will appreciate gifts that reflect their favorite shows. Backpacks, pitanui (sweatshirts), stickers, keychains and hats with popular show characters are available at places like Hot Topic. Nendoroids, plush toys and figurines of their favorite ninjas, pirates, samurai warriors and ghosts can be found at specialty stores or online.

Manga starts out serialized in chapters in weekly or monthly anthologies such as Weekly Shonen Jump. Later, a series may be collected into omnibus editions or special graphic novels. For example, the 35th anniversary box set of Akira includes all six volumes in a beautiful hardcover book.

Light novels are also popular and expand on the background story of a specific anime or manga. Akira is a great example with the original Japanese text and right-to-left reading format.

Characters

If you’re looking for manga cadeaux for an anime fan, you should first figure out their interests. For instance, a fan of shonen like One Piece might enjoy gift ideas that tell the story of pirates sailing the high seas, while a fan of shounen like Sailor Moon might prefer kawaii-themed options or art books on drawing manga characters.

A fan of the hit show Attack on Titan might appreciate this unique wargame that recreates some of their favorite battle scenes from the show. Alternatively, you could give your anime fan a physical copy of the series. For example, a box set like this one from Viz Media collects whole arcs of the manga in special boxes that make great collector’s items. This is a perfect gift for an anime fan who loves to read!

Genres

The world of anime and manga is so vast that zeroing in on what will delight your friend or family member can feel like an impossible task. To help narrow things down, try asking your loved one about their favorite genres.

Shonen manga are geared towards boys and tweens with stories that often revolve around action, adventure, fighting evil, or the power of friendship. There are also shojo and josei, which are meant for younger girls and teen women. These genres have their own conventions with shojo focusing on romance and josei being grittier with darker plots.

Then there are seinen series like Attack on Titan that tackle very mature topics and themes like eugenics, anti-natalism, and various shades of moral grey. And there are shoujo titles like Pusheen and Sailor Moon that are a little lighter but still have a lot of heart.

Adaptations

A great many of the most popular anime ever made are based on manga. Usually the more well-known a manga series is, the more likely it is to be adapted into an anime. While some of the adaptations may not be as good as the original, there are also some excellent ones, like the Fist of the North Star franchise.

One of the most acclaimed manga adaptations ever made is Akira, which continues to hold the high esteem that it has long held with many fans. The way that it combines political commentary, sci-fi smarts, brutal action, and deep characterization is truly remarkable.

Another outstanding manga adaptation is Black Butler, which has taken the US otaku fandom by storm and has been a huge success for Netflix. It is a compelling story about a young nobleman named Ciel Phantomhive and his exceptional butler Sebastian, who is actually inhuman.