Manga - Ranma ½ and Phoenix

Among the various forms of comic books, I find Japanese Manga to be some of my absolute favorites for numerous reasons. For example, unlike American comics, there are almost no forms of reboots, there is generally  just one main story and one origin story. They are different from American comics like Batman or Superman where we basically have over a hundred retellings of the exact same story. Manga generally don't do any form of reboots, and instead, a story will often get either a direct sequel or a comedic spinoff. This way characters and stories can continue to develop, and the reader can become more interested without causing boredom. Manga are also read from right to left instead of the traditional western left to right. Surprisingly, many non-Japanese readers actually find it easier to read this way.

This week, I read multiple chapters and manga series of various genres. Particularly, I focused on two specific classic works, Ranma ½ by Rumiko Takahashi and Phoenix by Osamu Tezuka.

Rumiko Takahashi is considered to be one of Japan's most affluential manga artists and is the best selling female comic artist in history. She has won numerous awards for her works, such as Urusei Yatsura and Inuyasha and, of course, Ranma ½. Ranma ½ is a martial arts/ romantic comedy that follows the life of the teenage Ranma after his return from training in China with his father and his adjustment to a new school and a new fiancé. However, it turns out that Ranma has been afflicted by an ancient Chinese curse, which causes him to instantly switch genders into a female whenever he is splashed with cold water, with hot water reversing him back. As the series goes on, Ranma encounters others with the same curse as him, who either turn into various different animals or genders depending on that particular individual's variation of the curse, as well as numerous other female suitors.

Phoenix is the life's work of Osamu Tezuka, the godfather of anime and Japan's equivalent to Walt Disney, who was also a major inspiration to the artist. He is known for many series such as Astro Boy, Black Jack, Kimba the White Lion, and many, many more. However, he considered Phoenix to be his magna opus. Sadly, Osamu Tezuak passed away from stomach cancer in 1989, leaving Phoenix unfinished. Phoenix is a beautiful piece, with each volume focusing on a different story in either the distant past or the far future. However, each story is connected by their various themes of life, death, and rebirth, as well as the inclusion of the god-like Phoenix, who appears in every story.

Overall, I personally love manga and how they handle their characters and stories, as well as the vast amount of genres they cover. There is literally a manga for everyone, and I encourage anyone to give it a try and read some such as Ranma ½ and definitely Phoenix. Both are some of the world's best manga, and they both can leave a deep, emotional impact on the reader.