MDN presents 'Manglish - Manga in English'

Mainichi Daily News writes "Japan's leading English news site revolutionizes manga -- Manga lovers rejoice! A never-seen-before approach to manga made its debut on the Mainichi Daily News on Monday, July 3, 2006. Manglish takes some of Japan's hottest young manga talents -- showcased in the Mainichi's MangaTown site -- and places their creations on the MDN in their original Japanese format. However, cool thing is that while it appears on the site in the original Japanese, but if you run your mouse over it you get the translation in English.

What's the point?

[Bill Wong]

Uh... There are only two pages so far?
Kinda pointless to release something like this with so little content...

Re:Manga and real literature

[Da Rabid Duckie]

It's likely just a youth thing, I mean when's the last time you saw the average American young person reading Hemingway or Faulkner? Nope, they're reading the text of the newest Pokemon game from the screen of their Game Boys.

Besides, the last remaining member of the sole Japanese Literary Club left in Japan was assimilated by Haruhi Suzumiya [animenfo.com] anyway...

Re:Manga and real literature

[JanneM]

For the most part, the Japanese ryugakusei seem to prefer second-rate books by hacks.

Well, you look at the book top lists in any country and you'll find the same thing. "real" literature is not normally popular - and it has never been. That is usually a fairly small insider group writing to each other. And to at least some of the practicioners and followers, the lack of popular appeal is part of the draw; it's another way to be a member of a club, something we humans seem irresistable drawn to in whatever way we can.

Re:What's the point?

[InsaneLampshade]

Umm... i thought it was kinda obvious, but i guess not.

It's news because they're launching a *daily* webcomic type thing. It gets updated daily with the next page.

Of course they're not gonna have volumes and volumes of stuff available, since it's only launched.