BookDragon Japanese

Kurozakuro (vols. 1-2) by Yoshinori Natsume, translated by Camellia Nieh

05 Mar, by Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center in Adult Readers, Fiction, Graphic Title/Manga/Manwha, Japanese, Translation, Young Adult Readers

Here's a 21st-century spin on the 90-pound weakling who wakes up one day admirably transformed, complete with bulging muscles and confident attitude. That said, check out these covers: this version is not without some menacing twists. "There's something called a 'food chain' in this world....

Heart of a Samurai by Margi Preus

03 Mar, by Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center in Fiction, Japanese, Middle Grade Readers, Nonethnic-specific, Young Adult Readers

It's been awhile since I carried a book around all day because I couldn't put it down, reading even in two-minute snatches while waiting at those loooonnnng red lights! So I'm not at all surprised that Margi Preus's debut novel (she already has numerous children's picture books...

Genkaku Picasso (vol. 1) by Usamaru Furuya, translated by John Werry

02 Mar, by Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center in Adult Readers, Fiction, Graphic Title/Manga/Manwha, Japanese, Translation, Young Adult Readers

High school student Hikari Hamura was supposed to die young. But thanks to the fervent intervention with the gods by his best friend Chiaki, who actually did die that day, Chiaki was able "to save [Hamura] and [his] incredible talent." Hamura's nickname, by the way,...

Cross Game 2 (vols. 4-5) by Mitsuru Adachi, translated by Lillian Olsen

27 Feb, by Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center in Fiction, Graphic Title/Manga/Manwha, Japanese, Middle Grade Readers, Translation, Young Adult Readers

You can't just jump in midway with this manga ...

Saturn Apartments (vol. 2) by Hisae Iwaoka, translated by Matt Thorn and Tomo Kimura

24 Jan, by Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center in Fiction, Graphic Title/Manga/Manwha, Japanese, Middle Grade Readers, Translation, Young Adult Readers

Wherever the ALA – the American Library Association, the mother of all library associations in the world! – leaves its stamp of approval, you're guaranteed some great reads. In 2007, the ALA even hopped on the manga bandwagon when their young adult division, YALSA (Young Adult...

Bakuman 2 by Tsugumi Ohba, art by Takeshi Obata, translated by Tetsuichiro Miyaki

20 Jan, by Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center in Fiction, Graphic Title/Manga/Manwha, Japanese, Middle Grade Readers, Translation, Young Adult Readers

The Three (teenage) Musketeers from Bakuman 1 are back: writer Takagi, artist Mashiro, and voice actress Azuki. They're even more determined that they become a successful manga team (Takagi and Mashiro), with characters that Azuki can someday (soon!) bring to life with her voiceovers. As young...

Real (vol. 1) by Takehiko Inoue, translated by IT Planning, Inc.

16 Jan, by Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center in Adult Readers, Fiction, Graphic Title/Manga/Manwha, Japanese, Translation, Young Adult Readers

Let the weekend games continue: if yesterday's basketball story was a (mostly) feel-good, rah-rah fest, today's post is definitely more somber. The kids in this game are older, harder, more cynical ...

March Story (vol. 1) by Hyung Min Kim, art by Kyung Il Yang, translated by Camellia Nieh

11 Jan, by Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center in Adult Readers, Fiction, Graphic Title/Manga/Manwha, Japanese, Korean, Translation

I admit it: Reading this put me in freak-out mode. Do NOT leave it lying around for your young kiddies to find ...

The Story of Saiunkoku (vol. 1) by Sai Yukino, art by Kairi Yura, translated by Sun Mon Han

07 Jan, by Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center in Fiction, Graphic Title/Manga/Manwha, Japanese, Middle Grade Readers, Young Adult Readers

Long, long ago, the Eight Noble Sages helped a noble warrior found the ancient great nation of Saiunkoku, "the country of the coloured clouds," and eventually "brought about the dawning of the Age of Man." Therein lies the problem, of course ...

The 14th Dalai Lama: A Manga Biography by Tetsu Saiwai

01 Jan, by Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center in Adult Readers, Biography, Graphic Title/Manga/Manwha, Japanese, Middle Grade Readers, Nonfiction, Tibetan, Young Adult Readers

Every new year seems to begin with a fervent prayer/wish/hope for true PEACE. So far in my own lifetime, worldwide peace hasn't been achieved. Still, I have a few more years left in me and surely enough stubbornness to believe peace can truly happen before...

20th Century Boys (vol. 12) by Naoki Urasawa, with the cooperation of Takashi Nagasaki, English adaptation by Akemi Wegmüller

31 Dec, by Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center in Adult Readers, Fiction, Graphic Title/Manga/Manwha, Japanese, Translation, Young Adult Readers

It's New Year's Eve 2014 ...

Death Note (vol. 1) by Tsugumi Ohba, art by Takeshi Obata, translated by Tetsuichiro Miyaki

21 Dec, by Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center in Adult Readers, Fiction, Graphic Title/Manga/Manwha, Japanese, Translation, Young Adult Readers

As my children get more tech-savvy which means I become more of a Luddite, their favorite exasperated phrase seems to be "Maaaah-ahm, you just do this!" So in one of my son's 'just' moments, I...

Itsuwaribito (vol. 1) by Yuuki Iinuma

14 Dec, by Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center in Fiction, Graphic Title/Manga/Manwha, Japanese, Middle Grade Readers, Translation, Young Adult Readers

Living in the "Village of Orphans," Utsuho is constantly in trouble. He doesn't do his chores, he disappears when needed, but worst of all, he lies. "Lying is the worst thing ...

MAOH: Juvenile Remix (vol. 1) original story by Kotaro Isaka, story and art by Megumi Osuga, translated by Stephen Paul

26 Nov, by Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center in Fiction, Graphic Title/Manga/Manwha, Japanese, Translation, Young Adult Readers

Ando, now in 11th grade, is more or less going through the motions of fitting in: "If I said I didn't feel empty inside for putting up an act ...

Toriko (vol. 1) by Mitsutoshi Shimabukuro, translated by Christine Dashiell, adapted by Hope Donovan

21 Nov, by Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center in Fiction, Graphic Title/Manga/Manwha, Japanese, Middle Grade Readers, Translation, Young Adult Readers

We've all heard the stories of palate-adventurers willing to go to extreme lengths to try some of the most ...

Bakuman 1 by Tsugumi Ohba, art by Takeshi Obata, translated by Tetsuichiro Miyaki

18 Nov, by Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center in Fiction, Graphic Title/Manga/Manwha, Japanese, Middle Grade Readers, Translation, Young Adult Readers

At 14, Moritaka Mashiro figures he's "just going to live a normal life." For a teenager, that translates into "getting into a good high school, a good college and a good company to work...

Dengeki Daisy (vol. 1) by Kyousuke Motomi, translated by JN Productions

10 Nov, by Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center in Fiction, Graphic Title/Manga/Manwha, Japanese, Translation, Young Adult Readers

Teru Kurebayashi is pretty much all alone in the world. Her parents are gone, and her beloved older brother is dead … but before his tragic too-early passing, he left her with a...

Tears in the Darkness: The Story of the Bataan Death March and Its Aftermath by Michael Norman and Elizabeth Norman

08 Nov, by Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center in Adult Readers, Audio, Filipina/o, Japanese, Nonethnic-specific, Nonfiction, Southeast Asian

In the book’s opening pages, the “Authors’ Note,” explains the title – ‘tears in the darkness’ is a literal translation of the Japanese kanji for anrui, “the kind of pain and sorrow...

Taro and the Magic Pencil by Sango Morimoto, translated by Katherine Schilling

02 Nov, by Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center in Fiction, Graphic Title/Manga/Manwha, Japanese, Middle Grade Readers, Translation

Parents might recognize (and appreciate) the derivative homage to children's classic Harold and the Purple Crayon, Hayao Miyazaki/Studio Ghibli's animated Howl's Moving Castle, and more ...

Saturn Apartments (vol. 1) by Hisae Iwaoka, translated by Matt Thorn

25 Oct, by Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center in Fiction, Graphic Title/Manga/Manwha, Japanese, Middle Grade Readers, Translation, Young Adult Readers

Since all of earth has been declared a nature preserve, mankind now inhabits a "giant apartment complex," which orbits 35,000 meters above the deserted planet. Society is literally stratified, with the upper level residents afforded greater privileges while the basement dwellers live with limited resources. Five...