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Rating: 
Summary: An excellent introduction to manga for the beginner....
Review: ....and absolute gravy for the connoisseur. Actually, for the veteran manga fan, the return of Frederik Schodt in Dreamland Japan is a delight. His first book Manga! Manga! was for many of us the first scholarly recognition of the genre (which is not to say it was boring, either). His new book provides a tour of the huge variety of manga available in Japan today, from old favorites like Shonen Jump (where many of my favorite manga series, including Dragon Ball Z were first published) to the explosion of shojo (girl) manga following the success of Sailor Moon, to the more esoteric genres of hentai (pervert, or pornographic) and pachinko manga. The writing is lucid, as before, and has a sympathetic yet cool view of Japanese pop culture. There could be more illustrations (what's a book about manga without the pictures?) and a more comprehensive list of manga sources, artists, and publishers, but this is the kvetching of a longtime manga fan. Readers new to the world of manga will be surprised and enlightened.
Rating:
Summary: entertaining and informational
Review: a great introduction into the confusing world of manga (and anime by extension) this book allowed me for the first time to direct my search for great titles and artists in the sea of incoherent bubble that overflows the genre. contains some very interesting and new to me thoughts on the nature and implications of the abundance of erotocism and violence that characterize the genre to much surprise of the general american audience.being an aspiring manga artist myself i found the book very inspirational. it was while reading this book when i realized what is it my upcoming great graphic novel is going to be about. :)
Rating:
Summary: A great book by a great author.
Review: I have yet to read Manga! Manga!- this was what I was able to get my hands on first, but with enough background info, it is a great read. And as Schodt says in his intro, one can read Dreamland without Manga!Manga! but it is meant to be a sequel of sorts. The most useful part of the book, as a researcher, was the section with descriptions of individual artists and their works. Basically, Schodt takes you through the world around manga, the different kinds of publications, then the individual artists within those publications, and then on top of that, leaves you with some thoughts on manga in the context of art and literature in both Japan and the US. The most useful part of the book is in the back where Schodt offers some helpful resources for the English reader of manga as well as internet resources (although, no fault of the author, many of these sites are changing all the time!). All in all, a worthwhile read for many different purposes.
Rating:
Summary: getting more specific
Review: I have yet to read Manga! Manga!- this was what I was able to get my hands on first, but with enough background info, it is a great read. And as Schodt says in his intro, one can read Dreamland without Manga!Manga! but it is meant to be a sequel of sorts. The most useful part of the book, as a researcher, was the section with descriptions of individual artists and their works. Basically, Schodt takes you through the world around manga, the different kinds of publications, then the individual artists within those publications, and then on top of that, leaves you with some thoughts on manga in the context of art and literature in both Japan and the US. The most useful part of the book is in the back where Schodt offers some helpful resources for the English reader of manga as well as internet resources (although, no fault of the author, many of these sites are changing all the time!). All in all, a worthwhile read for many different purposes.
Rating: 
Summary: Schodt introduced me to Shojo manga
Review: In some ways this book was even better than Manga, Manga, although I missed the manga chapters from the first book, and most of his recommended mangaka's stories are out of print. But over all it was more informative than the first book.
Rating:
Summary: A major resource on MANGA
Review: It tops Mr. Schodts original look at manga, which I didn't think was possible. Well researched, but at the same time engaging and easy going. Gives insight into how the Japanese people think, feel, and behave. Now if only someone would write a book on French comics and Graphic Albums.
Rating:
Summary: Fantastic source on manga
Review: This book is absolutely fantastic. Many of us know about numerous anime, or "Japanimation" series like Sailor Moon, Dragon Ball Z, Neon Genesis Evangelion, and others like that. But few people know much about the roots of anime, MANGA. This book is a fantastic source on modern manga in Japan. It goes over conventions, the doujinshi scene, the current state of manga, the more popular manga magazines in Japan, popular artists and their work (featuring tons of B&W illustrations), and a section devoted to Osamu Tezuka (the Manga no Kamisama, or God of Manga). Each section is well written and interesting to read. The different artists work range from romance stories to action stories to the fascinatingly grotesque works of Suehiro Maruo. This book reaffirmed my love for manga, and I'm now snapping up all the collections translated into English that I can find. The only reason it failed to get five stars is because while it is an awesome book, it's predecessor, "Manga! Manga!" is even better!
Rating:
Summary: A very shrewd observing of the whole manga culture
Review: This handy little book explains it all: why the unexplainable boom of girlie-girly obsession especially with much older males, all the different levels of manga readership ranging from boy's and girl's comics to instructive comics for young mothers who were once street punks to very cynical workplace comics for middle-aged salarymen which are not at all unlike the American comic strip "Dilbert". And you are also introduced to a great variety of Japanese comics, well-known or not - including the perverted, gross-out, and graphically violent ones that no American page will ever accept! You will personally witness the very evolution of the medium all the way from the prints of feudal days to a whole cultural spawn of both manga and anime alike that frequently (for some reason) feature the usual skinny, wide-eyed high-schooler, but not quite always. In addition, we learn all about the very surprising consquences caused by the very creation of manga, including the tragic incident of tear-gas bombing in the Toyko subways; women already into their 30s trying to look like little girls in sailor uniforms; and the massive censorship of the most offending manga. A very fascinating and educational read as well as a entertaining one all about the immensely popular work from The Far East. And if you want to learn some more, try "The Anime Companion" as well!
Rating:
Summary: A great book by a great author.
Review: What a relief to find such a well written book after having read so much poorly written trash lately. The author clearly knows his topic, its historical and cultural context, and its impact on modern society. Oh, and did I mention, he is a great writer! The style suggests that the author is well versed in both western and eastern classical literature. Indeed, his insightful observation that manga can be both "trash" and "great literature" provides a hint of breadth and scope of this book. I highly recommend it to anyone interested in comics, animation, or Japanese culture and history.
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