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How Manga Took Over American Bookshelves

It’s Lit! is a series of smart, funny video essays about our favorite books and why we love to read. Hosted by Lindsay Ellis and Princess Weekes, the series delves into topics like the evolution of YA, how science fiction mirrors our own anxieties, and why the book is sometimes just a _bit_ better than the movie.

How Manga Took Over American Bookshelves

Season 2 Episode 18 | 14m 17s

Manga, by its most simplistic definition, are comics or graphic novels originating from Japan, which became extremely popular in the United States starting in the 80s and 90s. We’ve already touched on Western Graphic Novels and Comics, but you know we couldn’t just leave it at that. So today we’re discussing manga as its own rich literature, reflecting the complicated political history of Japan.

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Made possible in part by the National Endowment for the Humanities.