If you’re new to the world of Pokemon or if you have been a Poke-fanatic because of the cuteness of the “anime”, then you’ll probably love the manga (Japanese comics) version of the same title as well. Why? Simple: Because they are loosely based on the fluffy creatures and their similar cartoonish masters you have loved.

If you don’t already know, Pokemon is about humans and their possession of friendly creatures called Pokemons. They’re pretty cute, some of which are animal-like, while others have robotic natures. The Pokemon manga may have borrowed heavily from the anime plotlines, and yet it never seems redundant.

The manga itself is drawn quite nicely. I like the playful style of shonen manga (comics for kids, specifically boys) compared to the other serious genres. It manages to find that lost child inside myself, a part of me which always needs rekindling. Pokemon is pretty much an enjoyable adventure and I think because of the universality of this theme, it shall transcend all ages. Come on, I’m already 22 and I still read this! That should tell you how good it is, right?

There’s just something more enjoyable about reading and seeing Pikachu’s latest adventure on paper than just watching it on TV. I know I don’t speak for the majority, but I’m going to firm about this. Sometimes, people fail to see what I see in manga when I compare it to its animated counterpart. That’s the distinct advantage of comic books (be it Japanese or American types), the dynamism is never lost like when you watch cartoons. You see, sometimes the animation takes away a lot of things and it’s the same case with Pokemon.

Most people would think that colors and movement is tantamount to an automatic two-thumbs up, but for any fan of Japanese culture or comic book culture for that matter would disagree.

You see, in Pokemon (the anime) you will see Ash, Misty, Brock and all their beloved Pokefriends in full action. Sure, it may seem to look a lot better at first glance because of the nice colors and effects but what differs from the manga itself that sets it way above the anime version is what I have stated before: the presense of dynamism. Where am I going here? Well you have to see it for yourself. Buy a Pokemon manga and watch an episode of the anime right after. You’ll notice that in the comics, every flick of a page ends with some sort of cliffhanger. Like Pikachu in the verge of danger or a new and fascinating Pokemon encounter. You only see that rarely in the cartoon though and sometimes, it does fall short. In a nutshell, Pokemon the manga gives a little more depth and credibility to what is perceived by many as a sellout commercial franchise.