Help A Bitch Out

Manga Manga Manga!

Michael from Aurora Publishing, producer of much manga, has a question for y’all, and has asked if I would query the Bitchery regarding a new project they’re working on. Aurora is looking into the possibility of taking romance novels and converting them to manga format:

However, there are limitations.  First of all, we wipe out the entirety of fiction and history.  [They] must be modern stories.  Second, no mystery novels (cop/suspect, murder scenes, etc).  I know that kicks out many, many, many, many, many (you get the point) romance novels, but those types are bad in the market right now. 

So, we are left with modern-day women going about their daily lives, encountering hot men and having their way with them, or being had… whichever. Great manga have big character development, like someone having a low in their life, then by the end of the story, things have perked up (in more ways than one).

So, if you have any suggestions that might fit in that narrow field, I would love to hear of them…. [O]ur first goal would be to sell in the Japan market to start things off, then bring to the American market.  For the latter, we would DEFINITELY broaden our horizons…

Now, I’ll be the first to admit I know diddly about manga – though Michael was kind enough to send me a sample so I’d at least somewhat know what I was talking about – so I asked how one goes about taking a romance novel and translating it into the visual feast of graphics that is manga, and what types of stories would work best.

(NOTE: Update below the fold)

What we would do is write a synopsis of the book, explaining the characters and their goals (the character has to have some kind of goal in life, or be so down that they think nothing is left, but then find a surprise that makes it all better).  I have to make a plot summary, including a more detailed description of the climax (not the sexual one) and the conclusion of the story. 

For the Japan side, it would be great to have a character start at a personal low, then their life improves during the novel, then move to a euphoric high at the end.  The bigger the gap in their personal growth and happiness, the more the Japanese like the story.  In Japan, there is an overabundance of shy girls, so they tend to relate to that character.  However, they also like to see the overly outgoing character, as it shows them something they wish they were.  They tend to like characters of those extremes.

I really appreciate your help with this, and kindly let me know what the American novel readers love, since I’m hoping to look into that as well.

So – what do you think? What American stories of low-to-high emotional and/or euphoria might work, in your opinion? What books do you love that you think would make great manga?

UPDATE: Michael contacted me to let me know he’s received a few inquiries asking how one might submit recommendations. He says:

First, please send an email to info @ aurora-publishing.com with the subject: Manga, Manga, Manga!

Basically, we want the following information.  It doesn’t have to be overly detailed, but the more so it is, the more serious of a recommendation we would consider it.

Hard Facts:
–  Top seller position
–  Good reviews
–  Official ratings

Intro:
–  Main Characters
–    Goals
–    Personality
– Plot summary
–  How character strives for goals
–  Brief list of accomplishments / failures
–  Brief synopsis of book

Climax
–  What is the high point of the story?

Conclusion

Thanks!

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Help a Bitch Out

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  1. Chrissy says:

    Do we really want to start deciding for others what art and literature are?

    Jesus.

    Knock it off or I’ll vote Democrat.  I’ll do it!  I’M NOT KIDDING!

    word: history89
    like Reagan is still in!

  2. Delia says:

    There’s been some brilliant graphic novels out there, and some of them do come from Japan.

    And you’ll notice that none of them are based on romance novels or put out by Aurora Publishing.

    Still, no one has decided to answer my original question of why turning an already short romance novel into an even shorter booklet of pictures is necessary.  Instead I’m called a philistine for thinking that this is just a waste of ISBNs and trees.  But of course, I’m the one insulting everyone for simply asking a question.

  3. Tina says:

    Also, sorry for straying off topic.

    shoujo manga isn’t romance manga?

    Hi Estera, there’s many kinds of shoujo stories: sci-fi, action, romance, horror, comedy; what makes them shoujo is that they’re written and drawn for a specific audience, mostly young women.  Saying shoujo is all romance would be, wrong—romance is just an aspect of much of the shoujo in Japan.  There’s romance in Seinen [mens comics] as well [Emma, for example, is serialized in a Japanese ‘mens’ comic magazine].  ^_^  Just because it’s shoujo doesn’t mean it’s romance—it does mean it’s likely to have romantic elements. ^_-

    Here’s a great post
    about how some of these ‘genre categories’ really shouldn’t/should apply to western graphic novel readers.

  4. Tina says:

    Still, no one has decided to answer my original question of why turning an already short romance novel into an even shorter booklet of pictures is necessary.

    LOL!  Didn’t see your question Delia, sorry.  🙂

    It’s all about acquiring new readers.  Manga isn’t mainstream, not yet—and this would be a great coup [MONEY-MAKER] if Aurora can be the pub who gets in the door with all those Romance novel readers.  Personally, I think only fans of ‘romance manga’ will benefit from exporting great western novel plots.  🙂

  5. Mollyscribbles says:

    Why are we even considering crossing a perfectly respectable genre with such a horrible, immature genre?  Sure, there’s some horribly bad examples out there, but that’s hardly demonstrative of everything that’s published. There’s some real gems, with countless different themes, that tend to get overlooked.  I could give you a list as long as my arm of horrible pieces of dreck, thinly-veiled porn that claims to be literature.

    . . .

    Care to guess which genre I’m referring to in each position?  The argument can be switched around wiht surprising ease.  Both manga and romance are viewed poorly by those who don’t know what they’re talking about; not all romance follows a formula and not all manga is drawn like the characters are children with large breasts.

    Also, my manga tends to be closer to 120-150 pages, rather than 50.  Why so short?

  6. Aceyn says:

    The manga I read tends to be a 160-200+ pages per volume. A single chapter or one-shot comic might be 20 to 50 pages, but a whole volume? Unlikely for a professional manga.

    Delia, there’s nothing insulting about your question. I’m not interested in reading manga-adapted romance novels either. I’m quite happy with the original romance manga that’s out there already.
    However, your implication that comic readers are simply too lazy to read a book is pretty insulting.
    I happen to be a great lover of both manga and books (even the ones without pictures).

    It’s okay to admire a drawing. That’s art.
    It’s okay to enjoy a written story. That’s literature.
    Bring the two mediums together and suddenly all artistic and literary value is lost. That’s just stupid.

  7. K says:

    As someone who actually lives in Japan and reads “Ladies comics”, I would like to clear up some misconceptions in this thread.  Ladies comics (as opposed to “shoujo comics”) have been around for ages in Japan.  There are tens of comic publications other than Harlequin (which still exists in Japan) which are essentially very similar to the “trashy” romance novels of the west: loaded with beautiful characters and plenty of passionate love scenes.  Most of these stories are written in the short story format, but a few are several volumes long.  Many of these publications also include written stories inside that have no comic accompaniment. In regards to the original post, it’s a very possible idea, but do realize that there’s an established market already that is probably pretty competitive.

  8. Lisa says:

    I have to say that no matter what you do, it still won’t replace the feeling you get from reading a novel.  Christine Feehan has released “Dark Hunger” in Mnaga format but it really seems to be no more than another comic book.  I know this is probably very controversial but to me Manga books are no more than comic books for those who can’t be bothered to read.

    Don’t get me wrong, the genre at least reaches and hopefully prods people into “real” reading, but apart from some enjoyable movies I personally can’t be bothered with Manga books.

  9. TRaNNy WHoRE says:

    manga is good for smexy boox
    put in lotsa tits or gtfo

    and penii to go into the tits

    and tentacle monster

    and rape

    and more rape

    and aggravated sexual assault

    and a 40lbs box of rape

    and a situation in which a person of the male gender might later be asking forgiveness from a person of the female gender because, previous to the current situation, he did not ask permission to…
        .
        .
        .
          .
          .
          RAPE her

  10. Mickle says:

    It’s all about acquiring new readers.

    Sort of.  See: other’s people comments about movies.

    In this particular case however, it seems more like the publishers are doing sort of a double cultural translation.  They aren’t just translating the language, they are also translating the dominant art form used for this length of story.  In America it’s text, in Japan it’s manga.  It’s a decision that makes a lot of sense in terms of marketing.

    But you’re going to have a fun time explaining to me why Dragon Ball Z is art, why Yu Gi Oh is literature,

    I just gave you four award winning graphic novels – three of which happen to be for teens or younger – and you come back with once again equating an entire art form with it’s version of dime novels?  That’s like arguing that there shouldn’t be a Oscar for best animated feature by pointing the the Care Bears movies.

    I have to say that no matter what you do, it still won’t replace the feeling you get from reading a novel.

    Well, no.  But no one is asking it to.  And reading a novel won’t replace what it felt like to watch Star Wars in the theatre, nor would listening to an audiobook version of The Invention of Hugo Cabret replace reading the graphic novel.

    NHS – I didn’t mean to imply that, but obviously the way I worded my comment did imply that.  Sorry.  (Art history minors unite!)  Although, may I suggest the middle two books I mentioned earlier?  (ducks)  Seriously though, I think a part of the dislike for graphic novels from many people who like art comes from the cartoonish style that most graphic novels use.  These aren’t very cartoonish looking.  Not saying that you have to like them, just that you might.

    Noah –  But…but..but….I like the Babysitter’s Club graphic novels!  🙂

  11. Pine says:

    Who would have thought that readers of this excellent site would be so culturally narrow minded.

    The manga in production are firstly for the Japanese market – why are so many of you commenting on how you are not interested since you “gave up comics/picture books as a kid”?

    That’s pretty ignorant to say, since manga is not comics or childrens picture books.

    And really those of you worried about Japanese literacy rate is very high, nothing to do with reading less or more manga compared to text books.

    Please think about you comments are going to be culturally offensive before posting

  12. Delia says:

    I thought it was just the internet, but apparently comic books are SERIOUS BUSINESS too!

    Chill out, guys.  Not everyone is going to agree that Harlequin-with-pictures is Pulitzer-worthy, just like not everyone is going to agree that plain-old-Harlequin is Pulitzer-worthy.

  13. Julie L. says:

    If anything, I’m wondering whether the conversion of individual romance novels into manga would fail because the results would be too *short*. Successful manga series routinely run more than ten or twenty volumes, each one of which collects ~10 weekly installments of ~20 pages each. I have no idea how well individual standalone volumes are likely to sell.

    It seems to me that the logical step would be to convert the romances into the Japanese “light novel” format instead: mostly text, but with some full-page illustrations scattered through. Among other things, this would require much less artwork, at least at first; some light novels have done well enough to spawn numerous sequels and multimedia franchises in their own right.

  14. Julie L.: True; most manga do run for many volumes. But there are also many single volume stories, and short stories (LOTS of them) that run for a single chapter. My favourite romance (and science-fiction) manga is A,A’ (pronounced A, A Prime), now sadly out of print, and that’s three interconnected short stories collected in a single volume.

  15. Jenny Islander says:

    Morning Glory by LaVyrle Spencer includes lots of gorgeous visuals of rural Georgia, many of which move the plot along (the rescue and rebirth of a dilapidated farm).  The hero and heroine meet when neither of them has anywhere to go but up.  And there are lots of visually interesting characters throughout the story—Miyazaki would enjoy animating them, although none of them can fly (grin).  The spicy bits move the book up to an R rating, I think—but people who don’t like those visuals can flip past them without hurting the plot.  There’s a murder, a near-miscarriage of justice, some cute children, a strong woman giving birth, tender scenes of breastfeeding, cowboys, animal characters, and more.  But it’s set just before and during World War II (although the Japanese aren’t even mentioned IIRC).

  16. Poison Ivy says:

    I find the disdain expressed here about storytelling in a visual medium pretty insular. I wonder who complained when Shakespeare took some old prose story and repurposed it in a nasty, dirty, visual medium? Like Romeo and Juliet? He actually has them in bed together! Eek! And that nurse was really vulgar. Horrors! And there’s blood. And dead bodies, too.

    And who complained when somebody else turned them into operas, ballets, oil paintings, music boxes, movies, cartoons, musicals, and more?

    If you don’t want to give any respect to another art form, how are you going to win any respect for your own?

  17. Elektra says:

    Whatever you do, please God, get Colleen Doran to draw it.

    http://www.adistantsoil.com
    http://www.colleendoran.com

    She’s one of the few artists with a manga flavor to her work whose characters aren’t grotesque parodies of Japanese comics. She draws the hottest men, ever.

    Please, please please, get her. An artist who draws majorly hot men. Please. I’m begging you.

  18. Zubon says:

    I’m a bit disappointed at the dearth of knowledge about manga, here. Some of the sniping levelled at manga really resembles the sniping oftne levelled at romance novels – i.e. it’s all silly fluff, all crap, all for juveniles, on and on and on.

    Neil Gaiman has more than proved that a visual-textual medium can tell a fantastic story; as for fantastic manga stories, let’s see. There’s Osamu Tezuka’s Buddha. There’s the damned untouchable Lone Wolf and Cub. For romance in girls’ manga (shoujo) genre, Hana Yori Dango is really darn good. The heroine takes crap from no one, knocks sense into a sometimes-immature love interest without the ‘i must chaaange youuu’ routine, and even under duress never falls into the nauseatingly-noble victorian-trope suffering heroine nonsense.

    As for ‘all the men are femme’ – not so much. CLAMP’s Tokyo Babylon (doomed romance) features a broad-shouldered magnificent bastard by the name of Seishirou. Sure, there are superfemme manga guys as surely as there’s mantitty, but it’s not all sparkles and flower petals.

    What else is good? Rose of Versailles for historical romance (Lady Oscar is amazing), Revolutionary Girl Utena for modern, trippy historical romance flavor with a supernatural sprinkle (the anime adaptation for this is beyond excellent), Saiyuki for a crunchy, gritty, FUN retelling of Journey to the West… That’s all I can think of right now. They might not be everyone’s cup of tea, YMMV, etc.

    oh hello, confirm-post word: served91, as in ‘i am about to get…’ Pardon the impetuous newbie; I simply have a slight twitch about the disdain for comics and graphic novels as storytelling media, and a more-than-slight twitch at the colonialist/slightly-xenophobic bent that the disdain for manga often takes on.

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