Words for Wednesday: K-On

I am not a big fan of manga.  However, it is impossible not to live in Japan without coming across it- especially when you work with kids.

I first came across K-On in advertisements at a convenience store.  I thought it was cute but average (the whole school girl thing is so cliche).  But, I started using it in example sentences when teaching (K- On is more popular than Naruto.  What comic books does she read?  She reads K-On. etc) and the students would get excited.

Next week I am going to help out at an English camp up north.  We will being doing workshop/discussion groups with a group of Jr High kids and one of the workshops is manga translated into English.  I decided that to be "up with it" I would buy and read the first two volumes of K-On.

I will also say that according to Wiki...

"The first volume of K-On! was the 30th highest-selling manga volume in Japan for the week of April 27 and May 3, 2009, having sold over 26,500 volumes that week.  The following week, the first and second manga volumes were the 19th and 20th highest-selling manga volumes in Japan, having sold 23,200 and 22,500 volumes each the week of May 4 and May 10, 2009. As of May 2009, the first two manga volumes each sold about 136,000 copies each.  The third volume sold over 120,000 copies the week of December 14–20, 2009, and became the 46th top-selling manga for the first half of 2010 in Japan (ending May 23), selling over 328,000 copies."

I should have remembered that while some adults buy and read manga, the majority of its customer base is in Jr High or lower.  I should have remembered Twilight...

K-On is cute.  And if you had never read a manga or if you had never been to Japan, it might be interesting.  But if you are the average adult, it is crap.  I am actually shocked at how crap it is and I hope that I am merely missing something in the translation.

The story does not flow.  Side stories and moments are picked up and dropped within a page, as if the book was merely serving as an outline for a book or cliff notes.  Also, for a book about a band we barely see any scenes of them performing (as opposed to Nana).  We also don't meet any other members besides the band, their club teacher, one other friend and a little sister.

And there seems to be a lot of inappropriate material- like the teacher forcing one girl to cosplay (wear a costume in a sexual way).  Seriously has a picture of the student in a bra trying to run away.  The teacher is female, but still....

I guess I just warned anyone from buying it, not that you would anyway... I definitely recommend One Piece or Nana over it.

I just hope I can keep my thoughts to myself at the English camp...