Where To Read Raw Manga (And Learn Japanese)

If you’re a fan of manga, then you may have seen some hardcore manga fans talking about reading raw manga. Does that interest you as well?

If you’re sort of new to manga, then you might not be familiar with this. You may even be wondering what it is – and if it’s NSFW.

What Is Raw Manga

Don’t worry, you’re not going to get any sideways looks from people if they see you reading this on your laptop or phone.

Though they might be curious about it being in a foreign language!

You see, raw manga is the original, non-translated story. So, you need to be able to read Japanese in order to understand and enjoy it.

It’s a great way to practice the language if you’re studying it and want to further those studies. (Once I had a dream that I could speak Japanese after I spent an entire evening looking at raw manga!)

Places To Read Raw Manga Online For Free (and Paid)

Assuming that you don’t want to pay to read it, there are a few places online where you can find and read raw manga at no cost.

We’ve also found some places where you can pay a small fee to do the reading.

Here’s a list of sites online for you to try:

• https://tonarinoyj.jp/ (free)
• https://comic-days.com/
• https://raw.senmanga.com/ (free)
• https://bilingualmanga.com/ (free)
• https://manga-host.com/ (free)
• https://ebookjapan.yahoo.co.jp/
• https://www.mangaz.com/ (free)
• https://www.sukima.me/book/search/?free=1 (free)
• http://seiga.nicovideo.jp/ (free)
• https://urasunday.com/
• https://www.ganganonline.com/
• https://www.comico.jp/ (free)
• https://www.comic-clear.jp/ (free)
• https://www.alphapolis.co.jp/ (free?)
• https://comic.pixiv.net/ (free)
• https://comic-walker.com/ (free)
• https://www.mangabox.me/ (free?)

Do you know of some other sites where we can read raw manga for free? If so, let us know in the comments so fellow fans can enjoy them as well.

How Do You Read Japanese Manga?

If this is going to be your first time reading your manga in Japanese, then you first need to know how to read Japanese. It’s not quite the same as reading English.

You need to know that traditional Japanese manga reads from right to left, which is the reverse of English, which reads from left to right.

In original manga-style books, the action, the word bubbles, and sound effects are all written in this direction. So make sure when you read that you do it from right to left.

This resource from Walker Books should help you visualize it –

Walker Books actually sells books, so if you’re looking to buy it’s a place for you to consider shopping at for your manga.

Can You Learn Japanese From Manga?

If you’re interested learning the Japanese language, then you might be wondering if you can use manga to teach yourself the language.

Yes, you can use manga to learn Japanese!

Using manga to learn Japanese is actually a really easy and effective way to learn the language. Here’s why: There aren’t a lot of words in the dialogue.

5 Steps To Successfully Use Manga To Learn Japanese

Now that you’ve decided to use manga to further your language learning, let us break down the steps for you to successfully make the most of this experience.

1. Get the book in English first

This allows you to familiarize yourself with the story before you give it a try in Japanese. The English version is also a handy reference you can refer to as you’re trying to read it in the original form.

2. Use the internet to look up what you don’t know

As you come across vocabulary that you don’t know, then you should look it up online to get the understanding that you need.

3. Scribble notes in the margins

As you learn new stuff, just make notes in the margins (use a pencil!) to remind yourself what the vocabulary means. Then, re-read the book again with all of your notes in the margin. This helps you gain greater understanding.

4. Remove the notes

Erase the notes and try re-reading again without the assistance of the notes. You’ll likely discover that you’ve learned and retained a lot since the previous readings.

5. Schedule regular re-readings

To test your retention, plan on re-reading the book again in a few weeks to a month. Doing this regularly helps you to retain what you’ve learned, which means that you can further grow your Japanese language competency.

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Have you found any other places to read raw manage? If so, drop it in the comments so your fellow enthusiasts can check it out!