Rating: 
Summary: The shame to the "How to Draw Manga" series
Review: I feel that I'm a decent manga artist, but unfortunely I am unable to link to my artwork as a demonstration due to guidelines. I have 3 other books which are How to Draw manga for Male Characters, Female Characters, and Bishoujo Around the World. I was impress with all three of them, but with Bodies and Anatomy I was extremely disappointed.First of all, other than a very few anime pictures, it does not even feel like an manga book at all. Like what someone else mentioned, it doesn't even have manga proportions. The book might as well not have manga in the title and I still wouldn't be able to tell that this was a manga book. I was completely fooled by the cover of the book. The drawings inside do not even match the quality of the cover. The bodies on the cover are manga, the bodies within the book are not! Previous How to Draw Manga books had similarities with the cover and the content inside. At the end of the book, there is also no individual drawings from various artist. The written information provided with the drawings are subpar when compared to the other 3 Manga books that I've mentioned earlier. Sometimes it goes into useless details and other times, it there isn't enough description. For example, it throws a few pictures of the ear and then the nose, but never says a single word about it. I would have liked for it to at least mentioned how it compare and contrast from human to anime form. Again, the other manga books mentioned the difference and similarities. Also I have to question the source of the book as well. Almost every other How to Draw Manga book has a japanese author, but this one does not. It's source is 'The Society for the Study of Manga Techniques'. I can only guess that its origin is nonjapanese and it shows just like every other nonjapanese How to Draw Anime type book out there. Something is wrong if an amateur artist like myself can draw equal or better than what is provided in the book. I would have returned the book the same day I received it if it weren't for the fact that the shipping to return it is almost half the cost of the book. In the end, I feel very cheated and do not want others to be fooled in the same way. An unforunate lesson I learn from this is that you can't judge a book by its cover.
Rating:
Summary: Anatomically, not politically, correct.
Review: I found this book to be helpful only in its images of the human body and skeletal/muscular structures. Through these pictures I was able to improve my ability to accurately depict the human body knowing where certain bones and muscles are located.
HOWEVER, once you turn past the pages depicting the basics of human anatomy, the book goes rotten. I know from reading both manga and 'how to draw manga' books that often the focus is placed more on the female body in Japanese cartoons. In this volume, I found the focus despicable. My biggest problem with this is that the male body is ALWAYS shown wearing a pair of shorts, whereas the author of this book feels it completely unnecessary to provide images of the female body at all clothed. There is an incredible gap between the amount of female and male depictions in this book, the former being more abundant. If you are looking for pictures of women naked in all positions, including splits and other acrobatic poses, then read away. However I found this book sexist- I don't have a problem with naked people, but if you're going to do that then at least do it with equality and provide images of both the female AND male bodies in the nude. At points it felt like I was reading a pornographic magazine! I'm even thinking of writing a letter to the Society for the Study of Manga Techniques.
Overall, the book was slightly helpful but mostly disgusting. I'd recommend looking through it at a bookstore before purchasing.
Rating:
Summary: Anatomically, not politically, correct.
Review: I found this book to be helpful only in its images of the human body and skeletal/muscular structures. Through these pictures I was able to improve my ability to accurately depict the human body knowing where certain bones and muscles are located.
HOWEVER, once you turn past the pages depicting the basics of human anatomy, the book goes rotten. I know from reading both manga and 'how to draw manga' books that often the focus is placed more on the female body in Japanese cartoons. In this volume, I found the focus despicable. My biggest problem with this is that the male body is ALWAYS shown wearing a pair of shorts, whereas the author of this book feels it completely unnecessary to provide images of the female body at all clothed. There is an incredible gap between the amount of female and male depictions in this book, the former being more abundant. If you are looking for pictures of women naked in all positions, including splits and other acrobatic poses, then read away. However I found this book sexist- I don't have a problem with naked people, but if you're going to do that then at least do it with equality and provide images of both the female AND male bodies in the nude. At points it felt like I was reading a pornographic magazine! I'm even thinking of writing a letter to the Society for the Study of Manga Techniques.
Overall, the book was slightly helpful but mostly disgusting. I'd recommend looking through it at a bookstore before purchasing.
Rating: 
Summary: Good, but not the best
Review: If you are looking into learning the actual ANATOMY of the human body, this is the book for you. Much less anime/manga and very much more of just body shape and form.
Rating: 
Summary: It's better then you think
Review: Ok, so this isn't the best How to Draw Manga book in the series, but I found it very useful. Sure you won't find any fancy tips on inking with your pens, or how to draw costumes. What you will get is some great poses and gestures. It is an Anatomy and Body book. It helps explain the placement of all the major muscle groups, and how they affect the body when in certain stances and poses. This is great for things like action sequenses, building up that tension in the bicep and tricep as the character strikes the opponent. Good reference for drawing that perfect body shape in proportion and in gestures. Perfect for action Manga type artists.
Rating:
Summary: An excellent anatomy book
Review: People have reviewed this book already, saying that it is not a book for drawing manga. I have to agree with them--while this book has great drawings, very detailed (especially the girls, so if nude women bother you, don't buy this book), they are more lifelike than manga-like. However, that is the only reason I give this book four, not five, stars. If you're looking for a strictly manga book, this may not be for you. But if you're looking for excellently-drawn bodies to help you with the human form, definitely buy this book.
Rating:
Summary: NOT for beginners.
Review: Skipping past the complaints of nudity (or not) between genders, or just how "manga" the style is, this is a great reference book for bone and muscle structure. I suppose it helps that I'm not seriously into manga; honestly, most manga characters have about as much muscle definition as a 14-year-old, and the level of body structure in here is almost geared for superhero comics.
The majority of the book shows a fairly equal amount of males and females in action poses. The overarching lesson is where the muscles and bones connect and overlap, and relatedly how the surface of the body changes during movement, but you also learn a good bit about foreshortening and overlap. Most of the pictures first show a more geometric anatomical view, emphasizing the joints and bones and major muscle groups, and then next to it is the same pose shown as a surface drawing, with only light shading. The artist makes an effort to pick unusual angles and poses, ones most other books don't show--overhead views, reclining, mid-throw, etc--so it's decent reference. There is a lot of focus on the back, something very neglected. I will note if you're looking for different body types, not much help here, you've got the usual 36-24-36 anime hottie and a guy who looks like an olympic swimmer. And the book falls down when it tries to show "real" facial anatomy using the typical oversized eye/forehead manga face...stick with the body lessons.
I must reiterate, it's not for beginners. If you're just learning to draw, go far, far elsewhere. But, this is a good book for someone who is comfortable drawing the body as a whole, and just wants a little tweaking on particularly difficult poses--especially if you've got a well-built character. Can't get the neck tendons to look right on someone looking up and back? Try this.
Rating:
Summary: Anatomy guides
Review: This book is about Anatomy but specifically tailored for Manga style.
I have read this book & I will say it does show some nudity.
BUT THAT IS WHAT ANATOMY IS ABOUT - BODY SHAPES.
- To show body shapes it has to be done nude.
ALL anatomy, how to books show you NUDE figures!!
You can't add clothes till you get the general shape done!
(General shape doesn't have to include the underwear lines either,as other review referance, general means basic sketch, or base line), (base lines are drawing term & you erase them later)
There are other books in this series (as well as many other books just for cloths).
If you want cloths buy the "costume guide" from this series.
If you want Manga Anatomy buy this book; if you want more realistic Anatomy then get a book about that.
I don't know why people are griping about the fact that everyone is in there underwear.
This book is not about cloths; as I feel is clear in the title!
Rating: 
Summary: Not really a good choice
Review: This book really isn't that much of a help. They just show nude figures! Use Christopher Hart books or something else less pointless. Whatever the book is really about, it focuses more on the "main" parts. It's a big piece of junk. That's my main point.
Rating:
Summary: Not really a good choice
Review: This book really isn't that much of a help. They just show nude figures! Use Christopher Hart books or something else less pointless. Whatever the book is really about, it focuses more on the "main" parts. It's a big piece of junk. That's my main point.
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