Manga in libraries causes more controversy

After the knee-jerk debate caused by the news that UK libraries were being offered recommended (and screened) Japanese manga graphic novels to encourage reading amongst adolescents and teenagers, a similar argument has now cropped up in the United States.

The article, titled “Racy fluff or reading aid?” was posted by the Portland Press Herald and looks at the idea of manga in libraries from several varied viewpoints. “It’s gratuitous and very sexist,” says one concerned mother, whose 12-year-old son is a heavy reader of manga. “They have 12-year-old girls who look like 25-year-old strippers.” Some of this article is, if anything, typical of the ignorant opinions held by those who have only learnt of Japanese manga by it’s (popular) ‘infamous’ reputation rather than having actual first hand experience with it. As always, this makes for very interesting (if not highly frustrating) reading.