The age of their love interests can vary between being near their own age or in their 20s.
On average, most shojo romances focus on characters either in their last year of middle school (around age 14) or first year of high school. There is also a tendency within manga love stories to pair teen girls with much older men. Like with western romance novels, shojo romances can vary in terms of how sexually explicit they are. While shojo manga is known for its cutesy, fun, and light-hearted presentation of romance, please do not be fooled into thinking you can give your middle schooler any title.
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However, that series features an excessive amount of gore and violence, so it is not recommended for young children. Kaiu Shirai's The Promised Neverland is one of the few instances of a modern shonen manga with a female protagonist. but is pretty consistent across the shonen genre. The role of female characters varies by manga, but they are generally relegated to love interest or platonic friend status whose entire existence revolves around the male protagonist. There will be little to no romance as the focus is on the hero's journey. There will be a big focus on the power of friendship and comraderie, physical strength, fighting, violence, etc. Storylines for shonen titles typically follow a young male protagonist as he faces off against evil villains or rivals in his pursuit of greatness. Shonen manga is aimed primarily at young boys, however, there is nothing stopping anyone else from reading them. Kodomomuke is marketed to young children with titles such as Pokemon or Yo-Kai Watch-but these might not satisfy middle schoolers who are looking to read more mature storylines. Middle-school children typically fall somewhere between shonen/shojo manga and a genre called kodomomuke manga, depending on their emotional maturity level. Keep in mind the recommendations listed within the Beginner’s Guide are meant for teens and older the list below is specifically geared towards middle schoolers ages 10 and up.
Likewise, there are series marketed separately to adult men ( seinen) and women ( josei).įor a more in-depth explanation on the differences, please check out this handy Beginner’s Guide to Manga. While American graphic novels, and fiction for teens and children, are marketed as simply "teens and children," Japanese manga is split along gender lines: There are manga series specifically marketed towards young boys (known as shonen) and series marketed to young girls ( shojo). Just because a manga features illustrations or childish and cutesy characters does not mean it is appropriate for children.įor the most part, Japanese manga is marketed first by audience and gender, and then by genre. Like all forms of fiction, manga titles range from kid-friendly narratives to more sexually or violently explicit material. The biggest mistake most people make in regards to Japanese manga (and graphic novels/comic books in general) is assuming all illustrated novels are meant for children.
Here's a brief explanation on what you need to know. Whether you are a parent, guardian, educator, or librarian, you might find yourself at a loss when a middle grader asks for a manga recommendation if you have never read a manga before.
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