I went through this too earlier this year, kinda felt I was reading for the sake of reading. Honestly for me the best way to cure this is going outside of the medium and picking up some Manwha or Comics, or just stop reading for a couple of weeks, it will get you right back into the hobby.
Do something else for a while. I always skip between manga, novels, video games, anime, tv shows. I haven’t played video games in months cause I’ve been reading manga. Then I know when I get fed up of that I’ll spend months without reading manga while I’m busy playing a video game or watching some tv shows. Or I’ll just watch some anime instead and I keep rotating between hobbies
I totally get this, I used to only read manga and I started to feel the same way. But then around 2021 I discovered Indie comics, and from there I expanded to Marvel and DC omnibus. So now I've got a very nice range of reading material for when certain things start to feel stale, I can switch it up. For example this past year I read all of Ed brubaker's run of Captain America, a really great superhero series. Now I'm reading through the entirety of the Hellboy universe, once I finish that early next year I'm going to jump into another short omni before reading all of naruto, then by middle of 2025 I plan to start the journey of One Piece. As someone who has gone through all the feelings about manga, My personal solutions was to limit the manga intake and expand my reading range so that they feel fresh. Because Manga has things that are unique to it, as well as superhero and indie comics. Obviously this is what worked for me, you can be someone who doesn't like to read anything but manga. But that's what worked for me.
Man you do you, if you are feeling like that about manga just pause for a bit until you miss the hobby again. I never force myself to read manga or watch anime if i feel like it i do it if I'm a bit bored just stop for some weeks and then i want to do it again. By the way love your videos!!!😊
It sounds like its because youve turned your hobby into a job. Constantly chasing the next big thing to talk about. My advice is to take a break. I dropped out of reading manga for atleast 8 years before Dorohedoro brought me back in during lockdown. I think you should take a bigbreak from manga espescially in this current era where mangakas are rather similar.
While there are still a few notable series emerging from the current era of Shonen Jump, I believe the 90s and early 2000s marked the pinnacle of original manga. In recent years, the industry seems increasingly constrained by formulaic approaches, prioritizing marketability over creative freedom. Many series now aiming to differentiate themselves tend toward extremes in experimentation or edginess, yet this often feels shallow, providing entertainment that lacks a lasting impact on the reader’s spirit. It’s possible that after experiencing so much of what modern manga has to offer, some readers may feel a growing urge to create works that fill this perceived void. However, the shift in focus from quality storytelling to quantity-driven output has significantly altered the landscape, with many gatekeepers treating manga more as a product to be sold than as an expressive art form capable of uniting and uplifting people across cultures. At a fundamental level, I feel that a rising collectivist mindset has come to shape the Japanese manga scene, diminishing the pride in individualism that defined the 90s and 2000s. This cultural shift has arguably contributed to what we might call today’s Clonen Jump era, where innovation and individuality are often sacrificed in favor of formulaic, market-ready creations.
I know what you're feeling. Before I began buying physical copies of manga 2+ years ago I spent over 15 years reading and collecting superhero comics and I got burnt out on it. Nothing caught my interest anymore and slowly I stopped buying them and I still love superhero comics and what not but I'm no longer collecting them and a little before that really took hold I began my journey in buying manga and that sparked anew my appreciation for buying a new issue/volume and looking forward to that next series and after some time has passed by of buying manga and watching tons of anime slowly I regained my interest in superhero comics and even now as we speak I am slowly getting back into reading superhero comics. Like it feels like a brand new feeling and I think maybe thats what you're going through and you know taking a break isn't a bad thing. New titles come out all the time and eventually you come across a title that gets you excited again and it renews that feeling that youre missing when it comes to reading manga. Also I think building up a collection too quick isn't a good thing either because like you mentioned you buy things that didn't really fully catch your interest and now you have stuff taking up space, which im sure is something we all go through. I myself gave away tons of manga that I felt I bought on a whim, its a vicious cycle lol. But yeah I think maybe you probably need to step back and just rest a bit and come back to it all later when something that really gets you excited releases.
Take a break from manga. Try reading something else. Sometimes i take months off from manga. But also dont follow what's popular or recommended or new unkess it sounds interesting to you. Another thing i do that gets me excited is literally just watching videos of people talking about things that make them excited. Even if i dont want to read what they are, it still makes me want to read what i have or a favorite series again. It really motivates me. Maybe try something older too then your used to.
I totally get with you mean - getting to a point when we aren’t enjoying something that we always enjoyed before. I think that is normal. For me, there are times when I jumped into books that I was so sure I would love…. Only to not be gripped by them at the time. For me, sometimes it just comes down to when I attempt to jump into something - sometimes I attempt to read something, even though I end up not being in the specific mood for it. In those cases, I end up not reading it to the end… sometimes it comes down to time and life - maybe we aren’t in the right “place” to enjoy a specific series. And that is OKAY. I never went to force myself to read something if I am not enjoying it. If I find myself in that spot and I cannot find something new to read that latches on to me, I go back to read something that I know I love already- Something that feels nostalgic or something that already has a special place in my heart. Doing that helps me to still feel the love of books that I know I have, even if nothing new is catching my attention at the moment. And sometimes, I go back to a series that I tried before, and I end up loving it so much more than I did before. Again, sometimes it just comes down to time and place. Even if we don’t love something right away when we first give it a chance doesn’t mean that we won’t grow to enjoy it more later on, if we decide to give it a second chance at some later point. :)
I get the same feeling too, but my way of managing it is trying other forms of media which has been largely fantasy novels and light novels. For me nothing beats being able to appreciate another form of storytelling with a completely refreshing set of norms, style, and standards. And most times im most exited to read a series when i know i have someone to enthusiastically talk, discuss, and debate about them with. That kinda sums up my experience anyway.
I totally get it. I’ve been experiencing something similar especially when it comes to reading stuff online. The easiest way for me is to step away from manga. Give myself a break and find something else that interests me like music or American comic books?(Recommend Energon Universe Transformers btw). It’s not a perfect solution but it helps a lot
I totally feel you on that feeling of just turning the pages man. Honestly I think it's mostly down to luck how long that lasts. How I see manga and anime is that it's an extremely hit or miss kind of media. If a series connects with you it will hit like no other and get you REALLY excited, and if it doesn't it most likely will be really forgettable even if it was an alright series, and it's all about hoping you land on those unicorns next and that the high it gives you will last long enough for you not to burn out before you find the next one. That kinda makes me sound like a junkie 😂 but that's how I see my journey with manga and anime looking back ahah. You touched on it becoming routine and most likely that plays a part in it too. Maybe if instead of reading a bit every night you don't read every day and try to keep it for a weekend where you can binge a series or a chunk of a series it might feel a little bit more refreshing too. Hopefully you find that unicorn soon man!
my advice would be to try different forms of media. I started reading books, when I got kind of bored by manga stories. That was when I realized that I do not only love manga, but story telling in general, I just prefer certain types of media. It switched up my perspective on different approaches to stories and how they can be told-
Hmm 🤔 you probably just need a break. Not every manga is a banger. I'm pretty selective with my reads. Until I find that series that hits for me again. You probably need to also read new things other than Shonen, seinen, and the "popular series" For example I recently started reading Hirayasumi which looks like maybe it would be boring but it actually is one of the most funny and heart warming series I've read in a long time which made me want more and more asap. Then same with "smoking Behind the supermarket with you" loved it. Can't wait for more. Kowloon: generic romance, banger. Great mystery. Can't wait to read more. These are quite different stories from the ones I'd been following before such as DanDaDan, JJK, and Chojin X. Series that I still really enjoy (especially dandadan) but have kind of started to lose their luster. Another couple that were surprising reads that pulled at my heart strings are A Man & His Cat, Yowamushi Pedal, and A Bride's Tale. All ones that I now love. So branch out. Find the thing that resonates with you. But take it slow to find it. And enjoy the journey on the way there and don't chase the destination of that high you get from the "peak" series like One Piece and Urasawa's works. Good luck. Have fun.
You could make a discord server and create discussion rooms for various things. Having somebody to talk to about a series can help you and other people to enjoy them more.
When I start feeling how you’re feeling I stop reading for a while. I know that’s hard with the kind of content you make but you might need a breather. This may make things feel fresh again
I feel ya, brother! I’ve been through this kind of thing before. I’m not sure what the real fix is other than time. You might even be suffering from a little bit of depression? It might be helpful to talk to an objective person. I’m not sure if you’re religious, but I have a group of guys from my church that I get together with on the regular. Maybe try experiencing something outside of the comfort zone? I live in Colorado and there’s no end to the amount of outdoor activities that can be done. Worst case scenario you find a new hobby and start a second channel about kayaking (I’d watch that too), but the goal is just to “reset” a little; shift your frame or point of view. Regardless, and I can’t speak for all your other subscribers, but I’m here for the ride regardless. Stay strong!
Recently Ive been going through a similar experience youve explained. I can’t find myself immersed in manga anymore. I know I’ve not lost interest, I still have to urge to collect, to read more, to add things to my list. Then when it comes to me reading, I feel numb. I could feel like the manga is good, but I feel no immersion, no real enjoyment or excitement. Im just turning the pages, reading for the sake of it. Yet I still have the interest manga, just like you said. I felt like this was such a silly and stupid issue but through this video I can peacefully say im not alone on this, and I can maybe get through it.
I think for me liking the style of it was a phase, I’m still into it just not as hardcore as before. I feel like the peak has passed since whenever I read manga I don’t get that same spark as before
I was just dealing with this! Last month I literally read so little manga, and the ones I did pick up I felt nothing. Like they were good, but I was turning the pages to get to the end and be finished. I genuinely though there was something wrong with me or I was growing out of manga lol. It started to break when I started reading the Apothecary Diaries light novel (which is a series I love & wanted to get into the LN's as well) which helped me find that enthusiasm again.
great conversation and the quality of your videos is a PLUS! bless my man im not feeling to enthusiastic in reading my collection about a while now.. i dont know but i really love my collection i hope next year my love for read come back =)
After seeing this it was a nice thing to hear someone feels the same way about this topic. I have already went through my collection and started the purge. What I have found to help me is I read different mediums of stories. I have a decent collection of comics, manga, and novels. What has also help is just having breaks from reading for a bit. Because you can’t miss something if you never let it go. With that it helps me kinda miss those same tropes and things that kinda made it just feel all so similar. They’re good but just similar. Hope you can get out of this personal rut with manga and can’t wait for your next video man!
i think a lot of people can relate to this! i am currently in a similar position of feeling burnt out. what i do is i rotate between western comics and manga. so recently, i’ve been diving into what’s going on with modern comics. looking forward to going to the comic book store enjoying the different tropes etc etc. in a bit i know ill be excited to have manga my main focus again but i enjoy cycling between to the two to keep things fresh. it’s nice because western comics aren’t something too far off from manga but it’s just different enough that you feel you are appreciating different things.
Have you thought about reading graphic novels from other countries outside of Japan. I personally had this problem and no matter how much other manga i read the feeling relatively stayed but reading other comics outside of Japan is such a breath of fresh air that when i return to manga i love it even more because i can apricate what makes it different and unique from the rest of the world. The independent comic scene is pretty big and very good (of course marvel and dc also have good books which i love), but i can highly recommend reading some more comic from other countries
I have been re reading some personal favorites just to switch it up which is Brian K Vaughn’s Y the Last Man and Alan Moore’s Swamp Thing but it’s probably been 7+ years since I’ve kept up with comics
@@DanielPeppers for me personally rereading stuff doesn't work to get me out of a slump (even though i love both books you mentioned ;p ) but reading something new does and hey you have some amazing comics you can read as i think the last 7 years have been incredible and if i could give 1 recommendation to try out it would be Saga by Brain k Vaughn, it reads incredibly well (or do a powerbomb by daniel warren johnson)
@@DanielPeppers no problem, its the least i can do after you gave me so many recommendations. Hit me up if you want more recommendations i love talking about it graphic novel
Honestly the pressure of having to find something entertaining/good can sometimes take the fun out of things. We are people emotions fluctuate,let yourself not enjoy certain stories - it is fine. You can even make a video of volume 1s that did not grab your attention, whatever you are experiencing I am sure many people are experiencing too and as you said sometimes it can be a smack into the face when you feel like something hyped is a letdown, so giving a perspective why you didnt enjoy a certain story could be helpful to others. My friend was reading through Kagurabachi and she truly does not enjoy it, I told her to drop it since she started forcing herself to keep up as she was on the search for the new good shounen. Now that she dropped it , she randomly picked up My Dress Up Darsing and is enjoying manga again, but keeping up with something she was not excited about was taking all of her joy from manga.
Have you considered doing a manga book club? I joined one recently and found that it reinvigorated my excitement to read. I get to read stuff I never would have considered picking up, and even if I dislike what I read, I look forward to talking with my friends about it. I would totally tune into a livestream or podcast if you made one, it would be a good opportunity to bring in other creators too. I think it would be fun and engaging if we got to read what you’re reading at the same time.
I dunno, I'm in the same situation, reading a bunch of stuff that can be hit or miss. And I read through entire series, even if they aren't hitting for me. But I get excited when I can get stuff off of the shelves. When I read something that's not for me that means I have x amount of space that I can now fill with something else. I don't have enough shelf space and many books, so clearing out a series I didn't like means I get to go through my other books and find out what I want to put on the shelves next and that makes it exciting again. Haha. Not encouraging anyone to over-collect like I have.
@DanielPeppers hey man I appreciate the honesty and sentiment in your video. Aside from the great recommendations from the rest of the community, I'd suggest maybe watching an anime of a manga you'd like to read? I've been watching Ranma and Orb: on the movements of the earth on netflix weekly. Maybe you'll feel inclined to check out the manga. Or something that's not based on manga. Samurai champloo comes to mind, it's great! I recently picked up Blade of the moon princess by the mangaka of Spy family, at 5 volumes it's a short series which I enjoyed. Also Hinamatsuri, don't remember if you have it, it really made me laugh. Versus by ONE is phenomenal, personally it blew my mind, I hope you enjoy it as well if you read it, volume 1 is out. I hope these suggestions help and you find a manga to enjoy. I'll be looking forward to your next video, whenever that may be. You do you man, take care of yourself! 😊
When I am lost on what to read, I often try to follow where my natural interests are at the moment. For example, I am obsessed with the Yugioh TCG, so I read all the manga past the OG series. I am reading Arc V, and it's been a blast. I also tend to find when I watch TH-cam videos about either the artist or what the story is influenced by, it re-ignites my interests.
This happened This year actually for me And to extent last year, I would take a break personally. For me when it happened I went back to my roots to remember why I love reading manga
Daniel for the last few weeks after work I've sat down to read and my brain just trails off and I can't focus on what I'm reading. I love manga but I've been going through the same thing. I think you just need a break to fall in love again. That's what I keep telling myself anyway.
I tried to have a balance where if I don’t feel like reading after work then I don’t force myself. It’s feel refreshing after a couple days not reading and get back on it.
frist time watcher from algorithm, would love to see you get into covering comics, thousands of comics available through marvel/or dc subscription because keeping up with current stuff is expensive
I feel that man I think the Shonen side of manga hasn’t come out with some really good stuff for a little. it’s all the same. I’m waiting for a new series to come out that when you read it you know it’s special. Ps if you haven’t finished aot read that you will fall in love
I’ve been reading a lot of weekly series and noticed that I get less enjoyment from trying to keep up with so many. So I’ve started to lessen the amount I’m reading both in number and time. I try to give each new chapter its own time and not immediately jumping to the next series and I think it’s helped me enjoy them all more.
reading a book for a change always calms me when I feel burnout, or just go for a drink tell your worries to your buddy make a joke about it laugh it out, manga is a great medium you will pick it up when the time is right sometimes slowing down and just breathe is the solution, would recommend you to read : There Is Never Anything but the Present by Alan watts a quick read but its wholesome
I have to agree with you on this.. I'm currently reading through Bleach and am at volume 35, and it's good, but.. it doesn't feel like when I first started reading manga, like when I got hooked onto manga, it was almost 1.5 years ago, just when Summer started and I bought Kaiju No 8 volume 1 blindly, and I loved it so much that it bascily started my entire manga journey, but lately with Bleach especially, it feels very... I'm not too sure how to put it.. maybe dull? Like the fights are good, but it's just fighting, I've read so many fighting manga as of late that it's just boring. Bascily what I'm trying to get at is I also recently started reading Bakuman (same author as Death Note) and it's a really good change of pace, it's really funny and I really love it, I think you would too. Also if you haven't read it, Alice In Borderland is very very good too, it's my favorite manga right now.
I haven’t read Alice in borderlands, I watch the live action when it came out, but I’ll definitely give the manga a chance, I’ve always really liked the covers and I’m glad you’re liking Bakuman i remember that was one of the first series that started my love of this hobby, I still read through parts every once in awhile, it’s a fantastic series
@@DanielPeppers I'm still reading Bakuman right now, I'm midway through volume 7 and right now Trap got axed and I want see what happens so much! I haven't watched Alice In Borderland live actions but the manga is genuinely incredible, BTW it has the same author as Zom 100
Why not do a recommendations video? Take recommendations from the community and commit to read the first 5-10 chapters to see if it’s for you and give your opinion. You can probably find a bunch of new series that might grab you that way.
Man, I've been going through the same shit for so long now (losing passion for manga, that is), and we've talked here in your comments about it in the past, but something I've really latched onto lately is Western comics. If you like manga and the format but want something different, I recommend you check out some comics. Even if you're not a fan of superheroes, there's so much good indie shit out there that's not that. Stuff like Hellboy or Invincible (which, I'll admit, is superheroes but its such an awesome and different take on it.) Or, if you are a fan of supes, there are so many takes, variations, and stories of characters that keeps them fresh and original. I highly recommend you look into some stuff that's out there, and as a newbie myself, I can help you navigate if you'd like. 👍
I know you said you're not exactly "burned out" with manga, but I guess what I'm trying to say is that there are so many stories out there that aren't strictly manga that could help simultaneously introduce you to something new and reinvigorate your passion for manga stories because they follow a similar format.
You know it’s funny I use to read western comics a lot feel out of it maybe 7-8 years ago but since hitting this slump, I’ve picked up my two personal favorites Y the Last Man and Alan Moore’s Swamp Thing and really been enjoying them, I’m definitely not looking for superhero just because you can now find it in a lot of different media but yeah it’s been really fun revisiting those two series
@TheMLGman Yeah it’s really good, touches on some tough subjects that might turn some people off of it, but definitely think it’s worth reading a little bit just because of the history and Alan Moore being a legend in comics, hopefully when you read it, you enjoy as much as I do
@ Sounds good, brother. Thanks for the rec. I’m really intrigued by Alan Moore and I plan on checking out his other stuff too, like Watchmen and V For Vendetta, namely.
Not sure wether that's helpfull but I've been a bookworm since I was 7 and in my early twenties I felt the same way about novels you feel about manga right now. What got me out of it was getting into manga actually. They're such a radically different medium there was no chance for my brain to write them of as just more of the same old. Through that my excitment for novels came back as well. So maybe try to go for a different medium if that is not to far out of your comfort zone.
Quality over Quantity it helps I read opposite titles at the same time. Helps from getting bored. Currently reading Berserk, Blood on the tracks Vagabond, and Slam Dunk. Dark fantasy, insane drama, A life meditation and Coming of age sports. If you want a remedy try that it's a fresh rotation.
I got burnout from anime & manga from time to time. I usually find something else to interest me. i got back into reading and collecting Western comic books and loving it again. while still reading manga, just not as much as before
Reading manga for content can also have sometimes negative effects, that's why manga hero quit and i assume other mangatubers have as well, it's like you can't enjoy it on your own, hopefully you find that spark again, even if you're not super excited, also don't actively try to seek out new series, the dopamine receptors can only handle so much new stuff, just read what's in your collection first
Its kind of like wrestling if youve seen a lot of something or read a lot of something youve seen it all or have read it all before. As much as i wnjoy reading ghost fixers and 100 days escape get away it still becomes nore boring the longer i read. Also, you getting older brother.
Can you please make a video of the purging of TBR. I think that would be very interesting. I had purchased the Gundam Origin and found that, although the books as art were beautiful, I hated the story. I purged it immediately. It helped me to understand more about myself and what I really want to read.
That is definitely on my list of videos to make, I just want to have my thoughts together when talking about why I don’t like a series and give it some thought
lol i have that shirt hahahaha yahooooooooooooooo i try other series that i read but i just cant leave this hooby even if i get tried all these new seris trying crazy new thing that feel old in new twist is cool but i no what you mean. or what i do i just go back to series i havent read in long time but mostly just try other things what also keep me exciting in my series some people reacted to them weekly but not all.
If you've read 2 series in every genre, you've read every story you're ever going to read in the medium, the same is true for Young Adult novels and big epic grand fantasy. The creme of the crop is few and far between, I think manga/anime people burn themselves out by highschool, they grow up on their main intro show, Dragon Ball, Naruto, Bleach, One Piece etc, then they get to highschool, they pirate better, they're talking online and finding seemingly a new 'best thing I've ever read' every single day because they're reading things from 4 different decades. Then you're done, if nothing better than your top 5 faves comes out in 2024, 2024 feels like a letdown, books exist, comics exist, you might like Neil Gaimans Sandman or diving into The Wheel of Time or catching up on an entire game franchise like Mass Effects legendary edition
take a break do something else when I got bored of manga I started collecting colognes And was into that for a couple of months then I got back into manga and the excitement back it takes longer for some people but it will come back to you if you take a break
There’s nothing you can do about it you keep reading and suddenly something really good appears out of nowhere. I feel like it’s the same thing with anime where you can watch 10-20 new anime but only 1 or 2 of them will be a mob psycho or a soul eater.
Yeah I think you're starting to slowly get burnout for manga because you keep trying to find good series rather than just enjoying what you truly want or find interesting. With buying manga the feeling of needing to like what you buy can lead to this imo. What I'd recommemd is a break and come back when you truly want to read something and maybe stop buying for a while. Just my thoughts, no real answers here.
Burn out isn't always you falling out of love. I was burned out DMing D&D for a while. I still kept doing it and it felt fun at the moment, but outside of those short moments I just wanted to stop. Try something different for a while. A completely different hobby. Maybe it will help.
Maybe take a break from manga and if reading is still something you enjoy doing start picking up some Brandon Sanderson novels. That might reinvigorate your imagination creativity. Merphy Napier on TH-cam her channel was all about books and within the past year or so she gave manga a chance and it was a pivot that completely changed everything she does she still does books but now she has an entire manga Channel maybe you can make the same pivot except at books and authors to your list.
If you wanna switch over to light novels it's great over here 😆 No, but really maybe considering a different form of manga-like content may blow you away again. It did for me and certain series have made me want to do those backflips 🥲 Here are three with differebt genres if you do want to give any of them a try: Sci-fi/Mystery: Your Forma Action/Adventure: The Kept Man of the Princess Knight Romance: Wait for me Yesterday in Spring
Read a series that you really really love. Don't read a series because everybody else is reading it. That always helps for me.
I went through this too earlier this year, kinda felt I was reading for the sake of reading. Honestly for me the best way to cure this is going outside of the medium and picking up some Manwha or Comics, or just stop reading for a couple of weeks, it will get you right back into the hobby.
Yeah I definitely think a little break and not actively trying to chase that feeling will help me get excited about it again, I appreciate it! Thanks!
I stop doing the stuff, put my hobby on hold. And then I am excited again
Do something else for a while. I always skip between manga, novels, video games, anime, tv shows. I haven’t played video games in months cause I’ve been reading manga. Then I know when I get fed up of that I’ll spend months without reading manga while I’m busy playing a video game or watching some tv shows. Or I’ll just watch some anime instead and I keep rotating between hobbies
I totally get this, I used to only read manga and I started to feel the same way. But then around 2021 I discovered Indie comics, and from there I expanded to Marvel and DC omnibus. So now I've got a very nice range of reading material for when certain things start to feel stale, I can switch it up. For example this past year I read all of Ed brubaker's run of Captain America, a really great superhero series. Now I'm reading through the entirety of the Hellboy universe, once I finish that early next year I'm going to jump into another short omni before reading all of naruto, then by middle of 2025 I plan to start the journey of One Piece. As someone who has gone through all the feelings about manga, My personal solutions was to limit the manga intake and expand my reading range so that they feel fresh. Because Manga has things that are unique to it, as well as superhero and indie comics. Obviously this is what worked for me, you can be someone who doesn't like to read anything but manga. But that's what worked for me.
Man you do you, if you are feeling like that about manga just pause for a bit until you miss the hobby again. I never force myself to read manga or watch anime if i feel like it i do it if I'm a bit bored just stop for some weeks and then i want to do it again. By the way love your videos!!!😊
I really appreciate it! Thank you! Yeah a little break sounds like exactly what I need
It sounds like its because youve turned your hobby into a job. Constantly chasing the next big thing to talk about. My advice is to take a break. I dropped out of reading manga for atleast 8 years before Dorohedoro brought me back in during lockdown. I think you should take a bigbreak from manga espescially in this current era where mangakas are rather similar.
While there are still a few notable series emerging from the current era of Shonen Jump, I believe the 90s and early 2000s marked the pinnacle of original manga. In recent years, the industry seems increasingly constrained by formulaic approaches, prioritizing marketability over creative freedom. Many series now aiming to differentiate themselves tend toward extremes in experimentation or edginess, yet this often feels shallow, providing entertainment that lacks a lasting impact on the reader’s spirit.
It’s possible that after experiencing so much of what modern manga has to offer, some readers may feel a growing urge to create works that fill this perceived void. However, the shift in focus from quality storytelling to quantity-driven output has significantly altered the landscape, with many gatekeepers treating manga more as a product to be sold than as an expressive art form capable of uniting and uplifting people across cultures.
At a fundamental level, I feel that a rising collectivist mindset has come to shape the Japanese manga scene, diminishing the pride in individualism that defined the 90s and 2000s. This cultural shift has arguably contributed to what we might call today’s Clonen Jump era, where innovation and individuality are often sacrificed in favor of formulaic, market-ready creations.
Bound to happen no matter whether it's manga or something else, give it a few months (or 2 years for my case 😭) and then come back!
I know what you're feeling. Before I began buying physical copies of manga 2+ years ago I spent over 15 years reading and collecting superhero comics and I got burnt out on it. Nothing caught my interest anymore and slowly I stopped buying them and I still love superhero comics and what not but I'm no longer collecting them and a little before that really took hold I began my journey in buying manga and that sparked anew my appreciation for buying a new issue/volume and looking forward to that next series and after some time has passed by of buying manga and watching tons of anime slowly I regained my interest in superhero comics and even now as we speak I am slowly getting back into reading superhero comics. Like it feels like a brand new feeling and I think maybe thats what you're going through and you know taking a break isn't a bad thing. New titles come out all the time and eventually you come across a title that gets you excited again and it renews that feeling that youre missing when it comes to reading manga. Also I think building up a collection too quick isn't a good thing either because like you mentioned you buy things that didn't really fully catch your interest and now you have stuff taking up space, which im sure is something we all go through. I myself gave away tons of manga that I felt I bought on a whim, its a vicious cycle lol. But yeah I think maybe you probably need to step back and just rest a bit and come back to it all later when something that really gets you excited releases.
Take a break from manga. Try reading something else. Sometimes i take months off from manga. But also dont follow what's popular or recommended or new unkess it sounds interesting to you. Another thing i do that gets me excited is literally just watching videos of people talking about things that make them excited. Even if i dont want to read what they are, it still makes me want to read what i have or a favorite series again. It really motivates me. Maybe try something older too then your used to.
I totally get with you mean - getting to a point when we aren’t enjoying something that we always enjoyed before. I think that is normal. For me, there are times when I jumped into books that I was so sure I would love…. Only to not be gripped by them at the time.
For me, sometimes it just comes down to when I attempt to jump into something - sometimes I attempt to read something, even though I end up not being in the specific mood for it. In those cases, I end up not reading it to the end… sometimes it comes down to time and life - maybe we aren’t in the right “place” to enjoy a specific series. And that is OKAY. I never went to force myself to read something if I am not enjoying it. If I find myself in that spot and I cannot find something new to read that latches on to me, I go back to read something that I know I love already- Something that feels nostalgic or something that already has a special place in my heart. Doing that helps me to still feel the love of books that I know I have, even if nothing new is catching my attention at the moment.
And sometimes, I go back to a series that I tried before, and I end up loving it so much more than I did before. Again, sometimes it just comes down to time and place. Even if we don’t love something right away when we first give it a chance doesn’t mean that we won’t grow to enjoy it more later on, if we decide to give it a second chance at some later point. :)
I absolutely agree with this! That’s how I’ve been thinking about it lately too.
I get the same feeling too, but my way of managing it is trying other forms of media which has been largely fantasy novels and light novels. For me nothing beats being able to appreciate another form of storytelling with a completely refreshing set of norms, style, and standards. And most times im most exited to read a series when i know i have someone to enthusiastically talk, discuss, and debate about them with. That kinda sums up my experience anyway.
I totally get it. I’ve been experiencing something similar especially when it comes to reading stuff online. The easiest way for me is to step away from manga. Give myself a break and find something else that interests me like music or American comic books?(Recommend Energon Universe Transformers btw). It’s not a perfect solution but it helps a lot
the last manga that i truly enjoyed and couldn't wait to read the next volume was the promised neverland, it was amazing
I totally feel you on that feeling of just turning the pages man. Honestly I think it's mostly down to luck how long that lasts. How I see manga and anime is that it's an extremely hit or miss kind of media. If a series connects with you it will hit like no other and get you REALLY excited, and if it doesn't it most likely will be really forgettable even if it was an alright series, and it's all about hoping you land on those unicorns next and that the high it gives you will last long enough for you not to burn out before you find the next one. That kinda makes me sound like a junkie 😂 but that's how I see my journey with manga and anime looking back ahah.
You touched on it becoming routine and most likely that plays a part in it too. Maybe if instead of reading a bit every night you don't read every day and try to keep it for a weekend where you can binge a series or a chunk of a series it might feel a little bit more refreshing too.
Hopefully you find that unicorn soon man!
my advice would be to try different forms of media. I started reading books, when I got kind of bored by manga stories. That was when I realized that I do not only love manga, but story telling in general, I just prefer certain types of media. It switched up my perspective on different approaches to stories and how they can be told-
Hmm 🤔 you probably just need a break. Not every manga is a banger. I'm pretty selective with my reads. Until I find that series that hits for me again. You probably need to also read new things other than Shonen, seinen, and the "popular series"
For example I recently started reading Hirayasumi which looks like maybe it would be boring but it actually is one of the most funny and heart warming series I've read in a long time which made me want more and more asap. Then same with "smoking Behind the supermarket with you" loved it. Can't wait for more. Kowloon: generic romance, banger. Great mystery. Can't wait to read more. These are quite different stories from the ones I'd been following before such as DanDaDan, JJK, and Chojin X. Series that I still really enjoy (especially dandadan) but have kind of started to lose their luster.
Another couple that were surprising reads that pulled at my heart strings are A Man & His Cat, Yowamushi Pedal, and A Bride's Tale. All ones that I now love.
So branch out. Find the thing that resonates with you. But take it slow to find it. And enjoy the journey on the way there and don't chase the destination of that high you get from the "peak" series like One Piece and Urasawa's works. Good luck. Have fun.
im making my own manga right now, hoping that ur gonna like it(wait 1 year and it will be out :D trust the process)
You could make a discord server and create discussion rooms for various things. Having somebody to talk to about a series can help you and other people to enjoy them more.
When I start feeling how you’re feeling I stop reading for a while. I know that’s hard with the kind of content you make but you might need a breather. This may make things feel fresh again
I feel ya, brother! I’ve been through this kind of thing before. I’m not sure what the real fix is other than time. You might even be suffering from a little bit of depression? It might be helpful to talk to an objective person. I’m not sure if you’re religious, but I have a group of guys from my church that I get together with on the regular. Maybe try experiencing something outside of the comfort zone? I live in Colorado and there’s no end to the amount of outdoor activities that can be done. Worst case scenario you find a new hobby and start a second channel about kayaking (I’d watch that too), but the goal is just to “reset” a little; shift your frame or point of view. Regardless, and I can’t speak for all your other subscribers, but I’m here for the ride regardless. Stay strong!
Recently Ive been going through a similar experience youve explained. I can’t find myself immersed in manga anymore. I know I’ve not lost interest, I still have to urge to collect, to read more, to add things to my list. Then when it comes to me reading, I feel numb. I could feel like the manga is good, but I feel no immersion, no real enjoyment or excitement. Im just turning the pages, reading for the sake of it. Yet I still have the interest manga, just like you said. I felt like this was such a silly and stupid issue but through this video I can peacefully say im not alone on this, and I can maybe get through it.
I would highly recommend reading and watching demon slayer if you haven’t already😊
I think for me liking the style of it was a phase, I’m still into it just not as hardcore as before. I feel like the peak has passed since whenever I read manga I don’t get that same spark as before
I was just dealing with this! Last month I literally read so little manga, and the ones I did pick up I felt nothing. Like they were good, but I was turning the pages to get to the end and be finished. I genuinely though there was something wrong with me or I was growing out of manga lol. It started to break when I started reading the Apothecary Diaries light novel (which is a series I love & wanted to get into the LN's as well) which helped me find that enthusiasm again.
great conversation and the quality of your videos is a PLUS!
bless my man
im not feeling to enthusiastic in reading my collection about a while now.. i dont know
but i really love my collection
i hope next year my love for read come back =)
After seeing this it was a nice thing to hear someone feels the same way about this topic. I have already went through my collection and started the purge. What I have found to help me is I read different mediums of stories. I have a decent collection of comics, manga, and novels. What has also help is just having breaks from reading for a bit. Because you can’t miss something if you never let it go. With that it helps me kinda miss those same tropes and things that kinda made it just feel all so similar. They’re good but just similar. Hope you can get out of this personal rut with manga and can’t wait for your next video man!
i think a lot of people can relate to this! i am currently in a similar position of feeling burnt out. what i do is i rotate between western comics and manga. so recently, i’ve been diving into what’s going on with modern comics. looking forward to going to the comic book store enjoying the different tropes etc etc. in a bit i know ill be excited to have manga my main focus again but i enjoy cycling between to the two to keep things fresh. it’s nice because western comics aren’t something too far off from manga but it’s just different enough that you feel you are appreciating different things.
Have you thought about reading graphic novels from other countries outside of Japan.
I personally had this problem and no matter how much other manga i read the feeling relatively stayed but reading other comics outside of Japan is such a breath of fresh air that when i return to manga i love it even more because i can apricate what makes it different and unique from the rest of the world.
The independent comic scene is pretty big and very good (of course marvel and dc also have good books which i love), but i can highly recommend reading some more comic from other countries
I have been re reading some personal favorites just to switch it up which is Brian K Vaughn’s Y the Last Man and Alan Moore’s Swamp Thing but it’s probably been 7+ years since I’ve kept up with comics
@@DanielPeppers for me personally rereading stuff doesn't work to get me out of a slump (even though i love both books you mentioned ;p ) but reading something new does and hey you have some amazing comics you can read as i think the last 7 years have been incredible and if i could give 1 recommendation to try out it would be Saga by Brain k Vaughn, it reads incredibly well (or do a powerbomb by daniel warren johnson)
I’ll definitely give those a read Thanks for giving me the recommendations !
@@DanielPeppers no problem, its the least i can do after you gave me so many recommendations. Hit me up if you want more recommendations i love talking about it graphic novel
Honestly the pressure of having to find something entertaining/good can sometimes take the fun out of things. We are people emotions fluctuate,let yourself not enjoy certain stories - it is fine. You can even make a video of volume 1s that did not grab your attention, whatever you are experiencing I am sure many people are experiencing too and as you said sometimes it can be a smack into the face when you feel like something hyped is a letdown, so giving a perspective why you didnt enjoy a certain story could be helpful to others. My friend was reading through Kagurabachi and she truly does not enjoy it, I told her to drop it since she started forcing herself to keep up as she was on the search for the new good shounen. Now that she dropped it , she randomly picked up My Dress Up Darsing and is enjoying manga again, but keeping up with something she was not excited about was taking all of her joy from manga.
I only tend to read obscure retro manga
Have you considered doing a manga book club? I joined one recently and found that it reinvigorated my excitement to read. I get to read stuff I never would have considered picking up, and even if I dislike what I read, I look forward to talking with my friends about it. I would totally tune into a livestream or podcast if you made one, it would be a good opportunity to bring in other creators too. I think it would be fun and engaging if we got to read what you’re reading at the same time.
thank you, you kinda help me put a word to something I am feeling.
I dunno, I'm in the same situation, reading a bunch of stuff that can be hit or miss. And I read through entire series, even if they aren't hitting for me. But I get excited when I can get stuff off of the shelves. When I read something that's not for me that means I have x amount of space that I can now fill with something else. I don't have enough shelf space and many books, so clearing out a series I didn't like means I get to go through my other books and find out what I want to put on the shelves next and that makes it exciting again. Haha. Not encouraging anyone to over-collect like I have.
@DanielPeppers hey man I appreciate the honesty and sentiment in your video. Aside from the great recommendations from the rest of the community, I'd suggest maybe watching an anime of a manga you'd like to read? I've been watching Ranma and Orb: on the movements of the earth on netflix weekly. Maybe you'll feel inclined to check out the manga. Or something that's not based on manga. Samurai champloo comes to mind, it's great! I recently picked up Blade of the moon princess by the mangaka of Spy family, at 5 volumes it's a short series which I enjoyed. Also Hinamatsuri, don't remember if you have it, it really made me laugh. Versus by ONE is phenomenal, personally it blew my mind, I hope you enjoy it as well if you read it, volume 1 is out. I hope these suggestions help and you find a manga to enjoy. I'll be looking forward to your next video, whenever that may be. You do you man, take care of yourself! 😊
When I am lost on what to read, I often try to follow where my natural interests are at the moment. For example, I am obsessed with the Yugioh TCG, so I read all the manga past the OG series. I am reading Arc V, and it's been a blast. I also tend to find when I watch TH-cam videos about either the artist or what the story is influenced by, it re-ignites my interests.
This happened This year actually for me And to extent last year, I would take a break personally. For me when it happened I went back to my roots to remember why I love reading manga
Daniel for the last few weeks after work I've sat down to read and my brain just trails off and I can't focus on what I'm reading. I love manga but I've been going through the same thing. I think you just need a break to fall in love again. That's what I keep telling myself anyway.
I tried to have a balance where if I don’t feel like reading after work then I don’t force myself. It’s feel refreshing after a couple days not reading and get back on it.
frist time watcher from algorithm, would love to see you get into covering comics, thousands of comics available through marvel/or dc subscription because keeping up with current stuff is expensive
I feel that man I think the Shonen side of manga hasn’t come out with some really good stuff for a little. it’s all the same. I’m waiting for a new series to come out that when you read it you know it’s special. Ps if you haven’t finished aot read that you will fall in love
I’ve been reading a lot of weekly series and noticed that I get less enjoyment from trying to keep up with so many. So I’ve started to lessen the amount I’m reading both in number and time. I try to give each new chapter its own time and not immediately jumping to the next series and I think it’s helped me enjoy them all more.
Im just reading 2 ongoing manga currently and one thats every few months which helps me not be bored of it
reading a book for a change always calms me when I feel burnout, or just go for a drink tell your worries to your buddy make a joke about it laugh it out, manga is a great medium you will pick it up when the time is right sometimes slowing down and just breathe is the solution, would recommend you to read : There Is Never Anything but the Present by Alan watts a quick read but its wholesome
I have to agree with you on this.. I'm currently reading through Bleach and am at volume 35, and it's good, but.. it doesn't feel like when I first started reading manga, like when I got hooked onto manga, it was almost 1.5 years ago, just when Summer started and I bought Kaiju No 8 volume 1 blindly, and I loved it so much that it bascily started my entire manga journey, but lately with Bleach especially, it feels very... I'm not too sure how to put it.. maybe dull? Like the fights are good, but it's just fighting, I've read so many fighting manga as of late that it's just boring. Bascily what I'm trying to get at is I also recently started reading Bakuman (same author as Death Note) and it's a really good change of pace, it's really funny and I really love it, I think you would too. Also if you haven't read it, Alice In Borderland is very very good too, it's my favorite manga right now.
I haven’t read Alice in borderlands, I watch the live action when it came out, but I’ll definitely give the manga a chance, I’ve always really liked the covers and I’m glad you’re liking Bakuman i remember that was one of the first series that started my love of this hobby, I still read through parts every once in awhile, it’s a fantastic series
@@DanielPeppers I'm still reading Bakuman right now, I'm midway through volume 7 and right now Trap got axed and I want see what happens so much! I haven't watched Alice In Borderland live actions but the manga is genuinely incredible, BTW it has the same author as Zom 100
Why not do a recommendations video? Take recommendations from the community and commit to read the first 5-10 chapters to see if it’s for you and give your opinion. You can probably find a bunch of new series that might grab you that way.
That’s a great idea! I’ll definitely work on a video like that, Thanks!
Man, I've been going through the same shit for so long now (losing passion for manga, that is), and we've talked here in your comments about it in the past, but something I've really latched onto lately is Western comics. If you like manga and the format but want something different, I recommend you check out some comics. Even if you're not a fan of superheroes, there's so much good indie shit out there that's not that. Stuff like Hellboy or Invincible (which, I'll admit, is superheroes but its such an awesome and different take on it.) Or, if you are a fan of supes, there are so many takes, variations, and stories of characters that keeps them fresh and original. I highly recommend you look into some stuff that's out there, and as a newbie myself, I can help you navigate if you'd like. 👍
I know you said you're not exactly "burned out" with manga, but I guess what I'm trying to say is that there are so many stories out there that aren't strictly manga that could help simultaneously introduce you to something new and reinvigorate your passion for manga stories because they follow a similar format.
You know it’s funny I use to read western comics a lot feel out of it maybe 7-8 years ago but since hitting this slump, I’ve picked up my two personal favorites Y the Last Man and Alan Moore’s Swamp Thing and really been enjoying them, I’m definitely not looking for superhero just because you can now find it in a lot of different media but yeah it’s been really fun revisiting those two series
@ That’s what’s up! I’m glad to hear it. I’ve heard great things about Swamp Thing in particular. That one’s on my radar for sure.
@TheMLGman Yeah it’s really good, touches on some tough subjects that might turn some people off of it, but definitely think it’s worth reading a little bit just because of the history and Alan Moore being a legend in comics, hopefully when you read it, you enjoy as much as I do
@ Sounds good, brother. Thanks for the rec. I’m really intrigued by Alan Moore and I plan on checking out his other stuff too, like Watchmen and V For Vendetta, namely.
Not sure wether that's helpfull but I've been a bookworm since I was 7 and in my early twenties I felt the same way about novels you feel about manga right now. What got me out of it was getting into manga actually. They're such a radically different medium there was no chance for my brain to write them of as just more of the same old. Through that my excitment for novels came back as well. So maybe try to go for a different medium if that is not to far out of your comfort zone.
Dude, read Daisuki Na Tsuma Datta, it's only 40 pages long and made me cru, beats out a lot of series I read with just such quality
I haven’t heard of it, I’ll definitely give a read, Thanks for the recommendation!
@DanielPeppers Yeah I was really surprised when I first read it, hope you like it!
Quality over Quantity it helps I read opposite titles at the same time. Helps from getting bored. Currently reading Berserk, Blood on the tracks Vagabond, and Slam Dunk. Dark fantasy, insane drama, A life meditation and Coming of age sports. If you want a remedy try that it's a fresh rotation.
I recommend tower of god and black lagoon if you want a manga that will be exciting.
Bro take time off reading manga, it happens withe everyone. You’ll naturally start missing it more and more and the excitement will be back
Your ego is flipping through the pages...find the one who can observe your ego...KENSHO!
If you are not aware, Kensho is the first stop on the train of it doesn't matter.
I was kinda in that feel, check out The Bugle Call: Song of War, it’s what turned it around for me, the most fun read I’ve had this year
I’ll definitely have to check it out, I believe a physical edition is coming out…I think?
@@DanielPeppers yea physical coming out in June, but I read it on Mangadex 23 chapters out so far
Sounds like me with finding anime. It gets tiring wading through all the absolute garbage and the middest of mid anime to find the "next" frieren
I got burnout from anime & manga from time to time. I usually find something else to interest me. i got back into reading and collecting Western comic books and loving it again. while still reading manga, just not as much as before
Reading manga for content can also have sometimes negative effects, that's why manga hero quit and i assume other mangatubers have as well, it's like you can't enjoy it on your own, hopefully you find that spark again, even if you're not super excited, also don't actively try to seek out new series, the dopamine receptors can only handle so much new stuff, just read what's in your collection first
Read usogui and you will experience one of the most best manga oat
Its kind of like wrestling if youve seen a lot of something or read a lot of something youve seen it all or have read it all before. As much as i wnjoy reading ghost fixers and 100 days escape get away it still becomes nore boring the longer i read. Also, you getting older brother.
Can’t even comprehend reading so much manga. To me, it sounds more like a burnout on manga because you read so much.
Can you please make a video of the purging of TBR. I think that would be very interesting. I had purchased the Gundam Origin and found that, although the books as art were beautiful, I hated the story. I purged it immediately. It helped me to understand more about myself and what I really want to read.
That is definitely on my list of videos to make, I just want to have my thoughts together when talking about why I don’t like a series and give it some thought
You should look into making videos about anime! Cover anime’s
lol i have that shirt hahahaha yahooooooooooooooo i try other series that i read but i just cant leave this hooby even if i get tried all these new seris trying crazy new thing that feel old in new twist is cool but i no what you mean. or what i do i just go back to series i havent read in long time but mostly just try other things what also keep me exciting in my series some people reacted to them weekly but not all.
If you've read 2 series in every genre, you've read every story you're ever going to read in the medium, the same is true for Young Adult novels and big epic grand fantasy.
The creme of the crop is few and far between, I think manga/anime people burn themselves out by highschool, they grow up on their main intro show, Dragon Ball, Naruto, Bleach, One Piece etc, then they get to highschool, they pirate better, they're talking online and finding seemingly a new 'best thing I've ever read' every single day because they're reading things from 4 different decades.
Then you're done, if nothing better than your top 5 faves comes out in 2024, 2024 feels like a letdown, books exist, comics exist, you might like Neil Gaimans Sandman or diving into The Wheel of Time or catching up on an entire game franchise like Mass Effects legendary edition
How about manga from the 1970s or 80s?
Light novels are definitely better at getting information out, and much quicker. Just don't get the visual storytelling, which is alright i guess.
take a break do something else when I got bored of manga I started collecting colognes And was into that for a couple of months then I got back into manga and the excitement back it takes longer for some people but it will come back to you if you take a break
There’s nothing you can do about it you keep reading and suddenly something really good appears out of nowhere. I feel like it’s the same thing with anime where you can watch 10-20 new anime but only 1 or 2 of them will be a mob psycho or a soul eater.
Wassuuup
Yeah I think you're starting to slowly get burnout for manga because you keep trying to find good series rather than just enjoying what you truly want or find interesting. With buying manga the feeling of needing to like what you buy can lead to this imo. What I'd recommemd is a break and come back when you truly want to read something and maybe stop buying for a while. Just my thoughts, no real answers here.
Same.
Burn out isn't always you falling out of love. I was burned out DMing D&D for a while. I still kept doing it and it felt fun at the moment, but outside of those short moments I just wanted to stop. Try something different for a while. A completely different hobby. Maybe it will help.
I appreciate that, yeah I think you’re right, It’s definitely on my mind to take a little break and hopefully it’ll bring the excitement back
@@DanielPeppers Hopefully a break will do you good. And maybe sharing whatever else you've chosen to do might be interesting to watch ;)
Maybe take a break from manga and if reading is still something you enjoy doing start picking up some Brandon Sanderson novels. That might reinvigorate your imagination creativity. Merphy Napier on TH-cam her channel was all about books and within the past year or so she gave manga a chance and it was a pivot that completely changed everything she does she still does books but now she has an entire manga Channel maybe you can make the same pivot except at books and authors to your list.
Just take a break for a month
maybe read some american comics?
Maybe you need a break from shonen
read usogui
漫画は楽しむ為にあるので、気が乗らない時は読むのを止めれば良いと思います。
義務感で読んでも楽しくないです。
漫画を止めて、自国の小説を読むのも良いと思います。
Read Invincible. It's so good. It's an American comic series, and i give it a 10/10. There's so many twists. It's great
Read Fire Punch. Problem solved!
If you wanna switch over to light novels it's great over here 😆
No, but really maybe considering a different form of manga-like content may blow you away again. It did for me and certain series have made me want to do those backflips 🥲
Here are three with differebt genres if you do want to give any of them a try:
Sci-fi/Mystery: Your Forma
Action/Adventure: The Kept Man of the Princess Knight
Romance: Wait for me Yesterday in Spring