Category: Manga
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How a Manga, a Middle School Friendship, and a Global Perspective Shaped My Vision
Read more: How a Manga, a Middle School Friendship, and a Global Perspective Shaped My VisionMy short trip to Paris to visit my dad also gave me the chance to reconnect with my best friend from middle school. We met at a prestigious middle school in Paris, located near the Eiffel Tower, surrounded by stereotypically wealthy French students. He comes from Algerian ancestry, and I am of Chinese descent, which…
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Chihayafuru: A Tale of Friendship, Growth, and Brain-Boosting Lessons
Read more: Chihayafuru: A Tale of Friendship, Growth, and Brain-Boosting LessonsWe recently watched the live-action movie series Chihayafuru (a trilogy) with my wife. She asked me if I had heard of Carta before seeing it. Surprisingly, I hadn’t even come across the name. Carta is a Japanese game where two participants duel on a tatami floor, aiming to be faster than their opponent in finding…
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Ranma ½: A Nostalgic Dive into Identity and Society’s Evolving Norms
Read more: Ranma ½: A Nostalgic Dive into Identity and Society’s Evolving NormsI recently discovered that Netflix has released a new version of the anime Ranma ½, created by Rumiko Takahashi. It brought back memories of watching the original series on French TV through the iconic program “Club Dorothée.” France was ahead of its time in importing and broadcasting Japanese animation, giving us the privilege of experiencing…
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Lessons from Kimba the White Lion: A Call for Mutual Understanding and Global Citizenship
Read more: Lessons from Kimba the White Lion: A Call for Mutual Understanding and Global CitizenshipI watched the anime version of Kimba the White Lion on French TV as a child. The manga, written by Osamu Tezuka, the creator of Astro Boy and Black Jack, dates back to the early 1950s. Though Disney has never officially confirmed it, many striking similarities exist between Kimba the White Lion and their iconic…
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From the Rose of Versailles to a Vision for Global Equality
Read more: From the Rose of Versailles to a Vision for Global EqualityThe Rose of Versailles is a classic shojo manga written by Riyoko Ikeda, which I first encountered as the anime adaptation, Lady Oscar, on French TV during my childhood. As a boy, enjoying a show targeted toward girls meant keeping it somewhat secret. The weight of peer and societal pressure was astonishing, even as a…
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The Impact of Media on Children: Why We Must Rethink Screen Time
Read more: The Impact of Media on Children: Why We Must Rethink Screen TimeI first heard of Kinnikuman, written by Yudetamago, from my brother. We were reminiscing about the anime we watched on French TV as kids in the late 80s and 90s, and he brought up one called Muscleman in French (Kinniku meaning “muscle”). He recounted a particularly traumatizing scene where a character, after winning a battle,…
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The Promised Neverland: A Tale of Awareness and the Brain’s Infinite Potential
Read more: The Promised Neverland: A Tale of Awareness and the Brain’s Infinite PotentialI was introduced to the anime adaptation of The Promised Neverland by Kaiu Shirai through my wife, who thought I would find it intriguing. Intrigued by her recommendation, we dove into the series together. The narrative proved to be utterly captivating. Set in what initially seems to be a serene and idealistic orphanage, the story…
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Dandadan: A Shift in Tone and a Reflection on Society
Read more: Dandadan: A Shift in Tone and a Reflection on SocietyThe anime Dandadan by Yukinobu Tatsu was recently released in October, and after hearing about the buzz surrounding Episode 7, my wife and I decided to give it a try. Neither of us knew anything about the series beforehand, and to be honest, the first four episodes were difficult to sit through. While she decided…
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Hokuto no Ken: Lessons in Resilience and Cultural Impact
Read more: Hokuto no Ken: Lessons in Resilience and Cultural ImpactHokuto no Ken, created by Tetsuo Hara and Buronson, is one of the most iconic and influential manga of all time. Set in a post-apocalyptic world inspired by Mad Max, the story follows Kenshiro, the successor of a deadly martial art, as he navigates a lawless society devastated by nuclear war. With resources like water…
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GTO: A Wake-Up Call for Change in Education and Society
Read more: GTO: A Wake-Up Call for Change in Education and SocietyGreat Teacher Onizuka (GTO) is a manga that follows Eikichi Onizuka, an ex-gang member who becomes a teacher in a prestigious school, only to find himself in charge of a notoriously difficult class. His unorthodox personality and teaching methods challenge the conventional approach, gradually winning over the students who initially resist him. Onizuka’s mission is…