Manga for a 13 year old girl

[lj1958]

My 13 year old daughter has suddenly become VERY interested in manga. Although I love anime, I'm really not into manga.

Anyone have some recommendations for some manga that would be especially appealing to her and be age-appropriate? I notice a lot of manga has a 13-up rating and so it seems like that might be borderline in a lot of cases.

We were looking at the bookstore yesterday, and she seemed to like mystery/action/suspense more then purely relationshp focused titles. Needs to have strong female characters though.

[Tommy]

Strong FEMALE character?
I was going to recommend Naruto until you said that.

Leaves thread.

[termyt]

I would recommend Yotsubato. It's a story about the mis-adventures of a ten year old girl and is seriously one of the best manga I have read in a long time.

Kodocha (Sana's Story) is a great story about tween girl who is a school student and a pop star. It's really cute and clean.

Another good title is Azumanga Daioh. It's very funny and very clean, but it's about high school girls, so you may not want to go there, yet.

Chiyo Misaki has been a good title so far, but it is rated 16+. I haven't seen anything that warrants that rating, but there could be something later in the manga, so maybe that's not a good recommendation, either.

I hope this post is followed by some of our resident manga experts (*cough Kisa and Osaka cough*). I didn't want Tom's post to be the last one you see for a while.

[Tenshi no Ai]

Well Tokyo Mew Mew is a fun series that is rated Y for "Youth" but I'd say it has a strong female character in both it and the sequel, A La Mode. If she's into cute stuff like that, doesn't mind typical magical girl battles and up to a bit of romance, I'd say it's a good pick (heck, I'm 18 and I love it!)

I also suggest the Magic Knight Rayearth series. VERY strong female characters in there. I think it's also rated "Y" but I'd say it's a tiny step above from Mew Mew with violence.

Fruits Basket I'll suggest too. Once again, a strong main character girl. Buut the other two titles above are pretty clean, this one has a few questionable parts in it (rated "T" this one) but great plot and everything.

Just suggesting to look into them before buying

[Zilch]

Angelic Layer would be an excellent choice. Here's a link to the review for the anime, which follows the same plotline as the manga.

http://www.christiananime.net/reviews.php?display=43

[Lady Macbeth]

I also suggest the Magic Knight Rayearth series. VERY strong female characters in there. I think it's also rated "Y" but I'd say it's a tiny step above from Mew Mew with violence.

I agree with this, with one tiny exception - the story in "Magic Knight Rayearth" doesn't leave a very satisfying ending]Baby and Me[/B]" by Marimo Ragawa (currently serialized in Shojo Beat, expected to be released in February as Graphic Novel Vol. 1). It's a very cute story about a 10/11 year old boy who is left to care for his baby brother after their mother is killed in a car accident. Their father is an overworked salaryman, and thus doesn't have the time to devote to raising the baby as "Mother" would. The interesting thing about this story is that there are very few girls actually present - the story is around the two little boys.

Also of interest would be "Bishoujo Senshi Sailormoon" by Naoko Takeuchi (again, potentially objectionable material in the manga that isn't present in the anime, and some that is present in the Japanese anime but isn't in the butchered American anime).

If you're interested in "Naruto", there is absolutely nothing wrong with the female characters in that series. I think they're pretty much all wonderful examples of strong young women, especially given the age that they are at physically and the environment they're growing up in.

"Tokyo Mew Mew" was also mentioned, and though it borders on cheesy magical girl action, it's still a fairly good series.

"Rurouni Kenshin" is fairly popular with women, and Kamiya Kaoru is an excellent role model for young girls. That series contains a decent amount of violence and bloodshed, however.

Other titles I have in mind with strong female characters might exceed your/her comfort level due to their advanced age rating/content:

"Hellsing" (Sir Integra Hellsing) - Couldn't find a rating on my Darkhorse release, but I would be surprised if it was not rated R (17+) for violence and other objectionable content.

"Dragon Ball" (Bulma Briefs) - Bulma plays a much larger and much stronger role in the first series than she does in Dragonball Z; also in this series we get to see ChiChi at her strongest. Warnings for violence, crude humor and occasional nudity.

"Nana" (Nana and Nana) - This series was wildly popular when it first debuted in the United States, particularly with teenage girls. Overall, it seems to be a good coming-of-age story, but there are some more adult situations involved, including figuring out romantic relationships and living with boyfriends.

[Tarnish]

Angelic Layer is VERY good. Very clean, too. I whole-heartedly recommend that.

[Shao Feng-Li]

Nausicaa of the Valley of Wind

Fruits Basket

Naruto

Kimi Shika Iranai>
>relationship focused, but still good reads. Kimi Shika's only two volumes
Maramalade Boy>

Beet the Vandel Buster has a good female lead role.

Maybe when she's older:

Kaze Hikaru

Rurouni Kenshin

Othello

[lj1958]

Talking to my daughter more after church today, it turns out that manga has hit really, really big at her middle school.

My older daughter, 16, thinks that only geeks, nerds, and goths read manga and watch anime, so while she likes anime a lot and likes manga somewhat, she doesn't want anyone to know she likes it!

It's interesting the timing of the trend here has been somewhat behind the larger citites, although SOMEONE's been buying that maga in the sections in all the big bookstores for the last couple of years.

[Mangafanatic]

Could you possibly clarify exactly what you mean by "strong female characters?" To you mean physically, mentally, or emotionally? Could you, perhaps, give me an example of a character from another movie or book that typifies the kind of female character you would consider "strong?"

Off the top of my head, I would suggest the following for a 13 year old girl:

I second the suggestion of Yotsuba&! . It's clean and very funny. The female characters may be a little quirky, but they're still very admirable.

Next, you should check into Pretear. This series is one of the cleaner I've read and it features a female protaganist who I can admire for her courage and resolve. There is complete review of this series, written by me, in the manga review section which you can access at the top of the page (http://www.christiananime.net/manga_rev ... isplay=173 .)

I wish you could get a hold of the manga Saint Tail. It's out of print now, but it's an absolutely wondeful little manga about a theif who plays the modern, female equivelant or Robin Hood, stealing back things that have been stolen from the innocent. It was a great manga with a very wonderful female lead. (Check e-bay for this one. It's a keeper.)

Another clean, appropriate series for young girls is "Ultra Maniac," the story of a middle girl who is an exchange student from a magical land (aptly called the "Magic Kindgom"). It is about relationships, but it's still very innocent and fun. The females are, of course, middle school students, and, for that reason, I can't particularly say that they're bastions of female strength. Still, they're far from weak, and they make for fun characters to get to know.

In a few years, she MUST read Fruits Basket, which features some of the most admirable female characters in all of manga, in my opinion, but, because of a few issues, I don't think it's appropriate for a girl her age to read yet. It's is an essential, but it's one I would hold back for a few years.

I hope that helps!

[christianfriend]

Just like Tenshi no Ai I also recommend Magic Knight Ray Earth. It was my very first manga series, and I was about 11 when I first started reading manga. Its the best series I've ever read! ^-^ im sure your daughter would like it a lot! It has a lot of action in it.

[yukinon]

I second Azumanga Daioh as a good title, though, as I believe it says in the review on this site, it does include 'slumber party conversations'.

Di Gi Charat can also be a fun title.

[Lady Macbeth]

Talking to my daughter more after church today, it turns out that manga has hit really, really big at her middle school.

My older daughter, 16, thinks that only geeks, nerds, and goths read manga and watch anime, so while she likes anime a lot and likes manga somewhat, she doesn't want anyone to know she likes it!

It's interesting the timing of the trend here has been somewhat behind the larger citites, although SOMEONE's been buying that maga in the sections in all the big bookstores for the last couple of years.

Manga and anime in general are expected to be the hot item for teenagers for the rest of this year and into next year. That is why SO many new titles are hitting the shelves all at once, and why so many new companies are jumping into the market - they want to rake in the profits while it's still the "in" thing, like Pokemon was a few years ago.

I'm not sure about where you're from, but around here the 16-ish crowd is only "cool" if they're into InuYasha. It is just SO cool, and SO in, and they SO have to have the latest volume...it made me want to puke listening to it in Waldenbooks yesterday.

Fortunately, the one thing I can say about manga is it is relatively cheap (compared to anime - usually 5-8 chapters for $10 or less, as opposed to 3 episodes for $30) and there is a wide variety of titles to choose from. There is literally something for just about everyone, and every age group.

[DaughterOfZion]

what termyt said. id probably go with yotsuba its funny cute and clean

[Tommy]

Well, others recommended Naruto so you can go with that one.
I would not recommend R. Kenshin though since it is targeted for much older teens.

I would recommend Fruits Basket. It is a manga made for girls and guys and Tohru (the main female character) is a perfect strong character.

As a matter of fact, i would recommend Fruits Basket over all of the others pther people requested.
The story does deal with the chinese zodiac and magic but none of it is negative.
Look at the manga reviews of "Fruits Basket" and see if it will be suitable.

[Tommy]

In a few years, she MUST read Fruits Basket, which features some of the most admirable female characters in all of manga, in my opinion, but, because of a few issues, I don't think it's appropriate for a girl her age to read yet. It's is an essential, but it's one I would hold back for a few years.

I hope that helps!

Um....there is very little content that a 13 year old can handle.
Well, depending on how strong their walk is and how mature they are.

[yukinon]

I myself, despite being an avid Kenshin fan, definitely think it's a bit much for a 13 year old.

...there's no sarcasm in your post, is there Lady Macbeth?

And Saint Tail!! *_* I love that series so much but I find it really hard to find any of Tachikawa's works. It's some of that sweet wonderful completely untrendy manga that you just can't find anymore.

[Lady Macbeth]

...there's no sarcasm in your post, is there Lady Macbeth?

Only in the fact that I'm not that big of a fan of InuYasha. It really is "all that" with the local teenagers.

Personally, the overabundance of teenage hormone fest in InuYasha fan fiction is enough to make me gag.

[jon_jinn]

If your daughter likes basketball, then you could try "Girl Got Game". It's pretty good but there's some cross dressing and some other objectionable content in it. But since she's 13, she should be able to handle it.

[Mangafanatic]

Um....there is very little content that a 13 year old can handle.
Well, depending on how strong their walk is and how mature they are.

Which is precisely why I was very careful about what titles I recommended. There are titles appropriate for this age group (I have to find them for my 14 year old sister very frequently), but Fruits Basket, which contains homosexual jokes and innuuendos as well as some nudity and a rumored sex scene is, in my opinion probably not the thing.

Oh, and, coincidentally, since Fruits Basket is on-going, there is no review of the series here on CAA.

[jon_jinn]

I only read up to like volume 8 so I didn't see any nudity in it or sex. There was some very pointless and disturbing cross dressing in it. Some of the characters are just plain dumb and do dumb things and it gets pretty annoying after a while.

[Lady Macbeth]

Which is precisely why I was very careful about what titles I recommended. There are titles appropriate for this age group (I have to find them for my 14 year old sister very frequently), but Fruits Basket, which contains homosexual jokes and innuuendos as well as some nudity and a rumored sex scene is, in my opinion probably not the thing.

It depends on the 13 year old.

I handle a lot of the banned user reports on MediaMiner, and we were quite surprised to find that people banned for violating our rule against "Insert You" fiction (also called Choose Your Own Adventure, even though that's not really what the fics are) were 13 and 14 year olds writing explicit sex between "You" or "______" and their favorite anime guy. That not only violates the Interactive Fiction ban, it also clearly violates the rules against under 18's reading hentai fiction on the site - because they're writing it and sharing it with their same-age friends.

That doesn't mean that I at all approve of it, or even find it acceptable. It just means there is a wide range in what a 13-year-old can read, what they should read, what their parents want them to read and what they will read anyway.

[Tommy]

Fruits Basket contains homosexual jokes and innuuendos as well as some nudity and a rumored sex scene is, in my opinion probably not the thing.

O-O

[lj1958]

Could you possibly clarify exactly what you mean by "strong female characters?" To you mean physically, mentally, or emotionally? Could you, perhaps, give me an example of a character from another movie or book that typifies the kind of female character you would consider "strong?"

Stong...I'd say more mentally/emotionally then necessarily physically. But what I really intended was that a female character either be the lead of the series or a very strong second.

Next, you should check into Pretear. This series is one of the cleaner I've read and it features a female protaganist who I can admire for her courage and resolve. There is complete review of this series, written by me, in the manga review section which you can access at the top of the page (http://www.christiananime.net/manga_reviews.php?display=173 .)

Both girls and I love the anime series so this might be a good choice.

Another clean, appropriate series for young girls is "Ultra Maniac," the story of a middle girl who is an exchange student from a magical land (aptly called the "Magic Kindgom"). It is about relationships, but it's still very innocent and fun. The females are, of course, middle school students, and, for that reason, I can't particularly say that they're bastions of female strength. Still, they're far from weak, and they make for fun characters to get to know.

This sounds like another possibility.

In a few years, she MUST read Fruits Basket, which features some of the most admirable female characters in all of manga, in my opinion, but, because of a few issues, I don't think it's appropriate for a girl her age to read yet. It's is an essential, but it's one I would hold back for a few years.

I actually suggested Fruits Basket to her, but I think she wanted to shy away from the more relationship-focused series (from seeing some of the anime I get the impression that although there's magical tranformations in Fruits Basket, it's primarily about the relationships).

I understand there's a few issues with Fruits Basket.

Her older sister has seen His & Her Circumstances (which I think is rather admirable except for the extent to which the primary relationship goes), and has read Alice 19 and some of Boys Over Flowers. I pretty much know that none of those would be age-appropriate for my 13 year old.

Anime that the 13 year old has liked: Pretear, Princess Nine, Kaleido Star, Spiral, most of the Ghibli films. She was very dissappointed in how Sprial ended as an anime series so I doubt she'd be enthuiastic about picking up the manga.

As far as controversial content, I don't think I'm going to have to be too concerned about most of the 13 & up rated mangas. We've been navigating the waters of Young Adult fiction for a while, since she moved into that category at about age 11 because she is such an avid reader. With an older daughter as well, I've had a lot of expereience with the issues concering books in the YA sections of the bookstores.

[termyt]

Talking to my daughter more after church today, it turns out that manga has hit really, really big at her middle school.

My older daughter, 16, thinks that only geeks, nerds, and goths read manga and watch anime, so while she likes anime a lot and likes manga somewhat, she doesn't want anyone to know she likes it!

It's interesting the timing of the trend here has been somewhat behind the larger citites, although SOMEONE's been buying that maga in the sections in all the big bookstores for the last couple of years.

Yeah, geeks, nerds, and goths.

*Qualifies for two out of three*

[EricTheFred]

One thing to bear in mind is that the age ratings tend to be "conservative", in the sense that, as a parent myself, I tend to see them as two to three years higher than the point at which I myself am concerned about the kids seeing it. Others probably disagree, but I tend to shelter my children less, and teach them more.

After watching the example of two nieces (now adults) on their path through high school, I have concluded that a 13 year old probably needs to be exposed to as much as possible, for her/his own good. My own kids are getting less sheltering and more open discussion then they did. So I believe it isn't the content that you have to be concerned about as much as how it is treated. Luckily, Manga comes from a land where many people still have good moral values (by their own lights) and so there are some remarkably good titles that can be found with a little searching.

One that has had a lot of press here is Fruits Basket. I absolutely agree, to both positive and negative posts. I would recommend it to the RIGHT 13-year-old, it would be a real judgement call. The Manga is probably better than the Anime for this (the Anime plays up some of the perverted aspects of certain characters more than the manga.) Another I strongly recommend is Kare Kano (in Anime land, that's "His and Her Circumstances previously mentioned) which is probably specifically written with your daughter's age in mind, although it`s great material for us reminiscing oldsters, too. Both of these have "issues" that they deal with, but I think the attitudes, the treatments, are in the right place. Again, there are specifics that a 13-year-old may or may not be ready for, but would certainly be close to ready for.

Others to look at:
Despite occasional questionable content, and a premise that was probably aimed at boys rather than girls, "Oh, My Goddess" is a wonderful series, full of fantasy and fun, which has (very strangely for a story written from a shintoistic point of view and drawing its ideas loosely from Norse mythology and other pagan sources) a thread running throughout it generally approving of moral behavior, monogamy, trust in your partner, and trust in God.

I think "Azumanga Daioh" is an excellent choice, because it tends to treat "adult" subjects delecately and roughly on the level your 13 year old is beginning to encounter them in life, and it is simply a lot of fun. "Yotsuba&" (aka Yotsubato) is the same mangaka, with less exposure. (And if I ever ran into Yotsuba in real life, I would adopt her on the spot!)

There are a lot of other Manga with good innerly strong female characters, but sadly they are often in stories with very dodgy circumstances. Coming first immediately to mind are "Midori's Days", and "Cheeky Angel." Also Manga with stories about women with depth and character, but with moral or ethical shades that are probably not "good role model" material, such as "Battle Angel Alita." (THE PRECEDING WERE NOT RECOMMENDATIONS! ed.) Your best bet is to read a new title first before bringing it to your child's attention.

A tip over on the Anime side, as I don't think there is a Manga version of this. "SuperGALS" has a wonderfully strong female lead, who may not be entirely the best role model in things like academic achievement, but who has a really clear concept of Right and Wrong and personal responsibility. And although they have a tendency to brush up on some dodgy subjects, they do so with a clear understanding of where the right path lays. The first one they hit is prostitution, in a watered-down Japanese version known as "subsi-dating." The lead has an essentially Christian response to the affected girl, with a lecture straight out of the Epistles on how you can't separate what happens to your body from your soul, and with the warm welcoming arms of a friend to draw her back "over the line". This is not the last redemption-through-forgiveness storyline you will run across in this Anime, enough so that I sometimes wonder if there isn't a Christian or two on the writing staff.

[Kisa]

-Yotsuba: little girl doing random things. good clean and soo funny!
-Tokyo Mew Mew: a team of girls fighting to save the earth, very cute and the relationships are good and its fun
-Dream Saga: a girl has to save another world and she gathers friends to help her. Cute and good relationships.
-Pretear: another girl saves world type story with the main character being a very strong personality. cute and full of relationships.
-In a few years... Magic Knight Rayearth, DNAngel, Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle, Full Mooo wo Sagashite, Kamikaze Kaitou Jeanne, and Fruits Basket, these are great stories full of relationships and emotions and strong characters ^^

[Lynx]

No one's said "man of many faces" yet. It may be too relationship focused for her, but I thought it was an adorable romance comedy, and it's quite clean.

[Yumie]

Full Moon Wo Sagashite is really good, but I would wait a few years to get her into that. It's a little dark at some places because some of the main characters are "shinigami," death gods who became what they are because they commited suicide. Some of the ways that some of them committed suicide is sad, and it might just be a little too depressing for a 13 year old. Also, there is a character who is involved in a relationship with a married man. (My little sis is 14 and I still don't let her read them. She can start them when she's 15.) But it's a really well told story with deep characters and a great female role model. If you think she might be interested in reading them, you might want to check them out yourself. I have a hard time suggesting things because I don't know her, and I don't know your standards. Me for instance, I see myself as my younger siblings guardian, and thus I would much rather be too far on the safe side than too lenient, so just because I wouldn't let my sister read them doesn't mean that you might not think differently.

[teen4truth]

YAAAAAY a thread for me to get in on!!! Except really my question is, gimme a list of Christian manga. Like Mave's super-awesome comic-like-manga-jig 'Kingdome Come.' I love it so so so much, but of all the time I've been here, from the first time I first asked someone what manga even was to the time a posted a thread about clean mangas, NOBODY even hinted at it util just last week >.<