In this evaluative paper I will choose to evaluate two mangas by the same author.

The comparison and contrast method will be used. Many people do not know what manga are. They are a form of Japanese comic book. Most manga are based on previous books and short stories created from the Japanese culture; they are also sometimes based off video games and anime. An anime is what American's would refer to as a Japanese cartoon. Many Japanese, Taiwanese, and Korean drama television shows are commonly based off manga. Manga range from a variety of genres that include action-adventure, romance, sports and games, historical drama, comedy, science fiction and fantasy, mystery, horror, and the list goes on (animenewsnetwork, 2010). The two manga I will be comparing are called Tokyo crazy paradise and Skip Beat. These two manga are the best manga I have read, but it is hard to say which one is better. The criteria I choose to compare and contrast the two manga will determine which one is best. Both of these manga will be compared and contrast based on ratings, productions and advertisement, and reviews given by the average manga reader. Tokyo Crazy Paradise is a manga cast in the setting of Tokyo, 2020 AD. This manga tells a story of how Tokyo is infested with crime and women are unable to step outside without being victimized; because of this, Tsukasa Kozuki's cop parents wish to change their daughters fate of suffering by raising her as a boy with her 3 brothers. Later on in Tsukasa Kozuki's life, her parents die and she along with her three brothers are left orphaned on the streets of Tokyo. Expressionless, Ryuji Shirogami, is the only person left Tsukasa believes can help with her predicament. Ryuji is Tsukasa's classmate of 8 years and also the head leader of the powerful yakuza group. Ryuji's father also died and became a victim of the same yakuza fight. With feelings of sympathy he agrees to take her on as his personal bodyguard. As they set out to find their enemy, Ryuji slaps on an increasing amount of debt onto Tsukasa using all manners of tricks necessary to keep the reluctant Tsukasa by his side (mangatraders, 2010). Skip Beat is about Kyoko Mogami, a sixteen year-old girl who loves her childhood friend, Sho Fuwa, but is betrayed him. After Mogami follows Sho to Tokyo and helps him accomplish his dream of becoming a musician is abandoned. Shocked and enraged by his betrayal she sets out for revenge by competing in the show biz world with him. She discovers her true self through her accomplishments in the show biz world, but it may not be enough to help her get over her hatred of Fuwa Sho. Tokyo crazy paradise is a highly unrecognized manga, because while it is well liked by many, only few know of its existence. In contrast to this, Skip Beat is known by many, but also well liked by manga readers. The author of both manga is Nakamura Yoshiki, a great manga artist and writer. According to mangafox, her manga series skip beat was judged 4.88 out of 5.0 based on a survey of 5,000 readers. Tokyo Crazy Paradise was judged 4.94 on a scale of 5.0 based off 753 readers (mangafox, 2010). The difference in reader popularity is drastic, but Tokyo Crazy Paradise is still well liked by the few who have read this manga. Now I'll refer to the production and advertisement of this manga. This is important because usually when a manga is very well liked it receives more fan fare. Unfortunately, Tokyo Crazy Paradise has received very little in advertisement. It was never made into an anime or drama. The little advertisement this manga did receive is simply the title of being put down on print. The majority of mangas produced do not get put into print in the United States, but

instead are delivered through websites or Japanese magazines only established in Japan. Tokyo Crazy Paradise is one of the unfortunate mangas never licensed into the United States, but only in Japan. This is why few know of its existence. The better advertised manga are licensed in the United States and sold at book stores worldwide. Skip Beat is an example of such a manga. Not only has Skip Beat been licensed and put down on print in the United States to be sold at book stores, but was also turned into an anime in the year 2009 (anime news network, 2010). Future plans of creating a Taiwanese drama of Skip Beat have also been scheduled. Only the best manga receive the honor of being turned into a television series. The last criteria offered is the reader review. A popular online community that gives reviews specifically for manga is Lovely Duckie Reviews. The review given for Tokyo Crazy Paradise explains why this manga is typically avoided for Skip Beat readers. "Ive been reading manga for many years now, and Ive often found that when I love one series, and go to read another series by that same mangaka, I end up feeling disappointed by it. Nakamura and Skip Beat! meant so much to me that I couldnt bear the thought of being completely disappointed with her other series. Most of the time when Im disappointed by how similar the characters/plot are to the original story I loved, its like the same main characters have been copied and pasted into a different environment with different hair styles.When I see that I allow it to affect my image of the characters from that first series, they suddenly seem a lot less unique and it lessens my love of the series. Pluswhy isnt Tokyo Crazy Paradise being released officially in the US? That particular detail nagged at me the most, it seemed like it was almost sayingthis series isnt so great (Lovely Duckie, 2009)." The reviewers who have read Tokyo Crazy Paradise before Skip generally said the opposite. "I was a Nakamura-sensei fan because of this series, and started reading Skip Beat when it first started. The artwork from TCP evolved into what you see in Skip Beat, which is why I faithfully followed. ^_^ Unlike you, whod read Skip Beat first and didnt think TCP would measure up, Id initially feared that Skip Beat wouldnt be as captivating as TCP, but Nakamurasensei never let me down. Kyouko is amusing and Ren is soooo awesome. *__* And even Shoutarou has a special place in my heart." Overall, it seems that Tokyo Crazy Paradise and Skip Beat match up well with the readers who have read both manga. However, since fewer people know about Tokyo Crazy Paradise and not licensed in the United States the majority of manga fans will agree to Skip Beat being the better manga. Of course, this isn't known for certain. The best thing to do is grab a copy of Skip Beat from the book stores and read Tokyo Crazy Paradise online to judge for yourself. I strongly urge anyone who hasn't experienced the wonder of being able to read either of these manga to do so right away. Many book readers feel it is degrading and embarrassing to read a comic book, but readers who feel this way will definitely be missing out.