Academic Resources & Further Reading

Annual Bibliography of Anime and Manga Studies

Comprehensive bibliography continuously updated. Last update: August 2025. Includes monographs, essays, book chapters, and journal articles.

Coverage: 2000-present, with selected earlier works

Japan Knowledge (ジャパンナレッジ)

Comprehensive Japanese reference database including dictionaries, encyclopedias, and terminology resources.

Access: Through university libraries

CiNii Research

Japanese academic database providing access to research articles, many with English abstracts.

Glossary of Anime and Manga - Wikipedia

Comprehensive glossary with etymologies and usage notes. Regularly updated by community scholars.

Tofugu - Japanese Language & Culture

In-depth articles on Japanese terminology, including historical context. Features articles on shunga, Osamu Tezuka, and cultural terms.

Merriam-Webster - Japanese Loanwords

Authoritative definitions of Japanese terms in English, including "otaku," "fan service," and related terminology.

Japanese Visual Language Research

Neil Cohn's academic research on the visual grammar of manga, including structural analysis and terminology.

The British Museum - Manga Exhibition

Major manga exhibition resources including educational materials and historical context. Online resources available.

Features: Virtual tours, educational videos, curator insights

Kyoto International Manga Museum

World's first comprehensive manga museum with 300,000+ items. Research center and educational programs.

Collections: Historical manga, international editions, academic archives

Tokyo National Museum

Collections include historical art that influenced manga, including ukiyo-e and shunga (presented academically).

Japan Foundation

Promotes Japanese culture globally. Provides educational resources and supports academic research.

JAMS@AX Symposium 2025

Partnership between Anime Expo and Journal of Anime and Manga Studies. Academic panels alongside convention.

Topics: Current research, terminology evolution, cultural studies

Queer and Feminist Perspectives on Japanese Popular Cultures

International symposium exploring diverse perspectives in manga and anime studies.

Focus: Gender studies, representation, terminology analysis

Association for Asian Studies Annual Conference

Major academic conference with panels on Japanese popular culture, manga studies, and media analysis.

Popular Culture Association Conference

International conference featuring manga and anime studies tracks.

Understanding Anime - edX

Introduction to anime history, terminology, and cultural context. Offered by Japanese universities.

Japanese Culture Through Rare Books - FutureLearn

Keio University course including historical manga and art that influenced the medium.

College Classes Directory (Spring 2024)

Comprehensive list of U.S. college courses on anime and manga, with syllabi and reading lists.

Citation Guide for Manga Studies

How to properly cite manga in MLA, APA, and Chicago styles. Includes examples for various formats.

Manga Research Methodology

Academic approaches to analyzing manga including visual analysis, cultural studies, and linguistic methods.

Digital Humanities Tools for Manga

Software and platforms for digital analysis of manga including image analysis and text mining tools.

Japanese Studies Research Guide

Comprehensive guide to researching Japanese culture, including manga and popular media.

Ukiyo-e and Shunga Collections

Academic collections of Edo-period art that influenced manga. Presented in scholarly context only.

Institutions: Metropolitan Museum, British Museum, Tokyo National Museum

Prewar Manga Digital Archive

Digitized collections of early 20th century manga showing evolution of the medium.

Osamu Tezuka Official Website

Comprehensive resource on the "God of Manga" including biography, works, and influence.

Gordon W. Prange Collection

University of Maryland collection of Japanese publications 1945-1949, including early postwar manga.

Association of Japanese Animations (AJA)

Annual reports on anime industry including market size, demographics, and international expansion.

All Japan Magazine and Book Publisher's Association

Publishing statistics including manga sales data and demographic information.

JETRO - Japan Anime Industry Report

Government reports on Japanese content industries including manga and anime exports.

GlobalEDGE - Japanese Animation Impact

Economic and cultural impact analysis of Japanese animation globally.

Key Characteristics of Manga Illustration

Detailed examination of manga visual style including expressive eyes, panel layouts, and symbolic conventions.

Understanding Manga Panel Transitions

Scott McCloud's analysis adapted for manga, exploring unique aspects of Japanese sequential art.

Manga Drawing Technique Archives

Academic analysis of drawing techniques without explicit content. Focus on proportion, expression, and style.

Comparative Manga Art Studies

Cross-cultural comparison of manga art styles with Western comics and other sequential art forms.