Yeh dil Manga more

Indian bookstores are stacking up with graphic novels in the japanese genre.

The recently opened Landmark bookstore in Gurgaon is breathtaking on many counts, but there's one area it undoubtedly scores over any of its rivals in the National Capital Region. Placed in a high-visibility section of the shop "" near the very centre of its 20,000 sq ft space, in fact, and right next to the "New releases" section """ are four racks marked "Graphic novel".

Each of these stacks an eye-popping abundance of titles ranging from work by the American and British exponents of the form (Frank Miller, Alan Moore, Neil Gaiman) to a large selection of Japanese manga.

Landmark is the first bookstore in the NCR to grant the graphic novel so much space, and possibly the first to label a shelf with the term, but that's likely to change soon. Already, in a relatively short time, we've come a long way from the days when intricate (and often very adult) works by Moore and Gaiman were carelessly tossed into the children's section of a bookstore, next to the Archies and the Amar Chitra Kathas.

Today, most bookstores have learnt to distinguish these "mature comix", which appeal to a niche readership, from general-interest comics like Bill Waterson's Calvin and Hobbes series (a very complex work in its own right but still perceived as being child- and family-friendly).

But now it seems the next big leap in graphic novel retail in India is underway. And it's being led by the increasing profusion of manga titles. Manga, in case you're wondering, is the Japanese word for comics and print cartoons.

The form has pioneered many of the visual techniques used by Western artists today, and has led to the development of groundbreaking anime films by directors such as Hayao Miyozaki.

Most big Indian bookstores now retail many of the most popular manga titles, though there is still by and large a conservatism about stocking works that contain strong sexual content or extreme violence. Here are some recommendations:

AKIRA "" Katsuhiro Otomo

This science-fiction work about a dystopian future occupied by cyberpunks is regarded one of the most innovative and powerful works of graphic fiction ever produced; so much so that its title has become almost synonymous with the manga genre.

The collected Akira totals over 2,000 pages and has been released in six volumes. Book 1, which begins in the year 2030 in a Tokyo that has been rebuilt after being destroyed in World War III, is about two streetwise teenage friends, Tetsuo and Kaneda, whose lives change forever when the former acquires paranormal abilities.

Tetsuo now becomes a target for a shadowy agency that will stop at nothing to prevent another catastrophe like the one that leveled Tokyo in the past.

Price varies between $18-20 (Rs 800-950).

BUDDHA "" Osamu Tezuka

This eight-volume series has only recently made it to Indian stores (and, by all accounts, is selling hard and fast "" partly because of the familiar subject, partly because the pricing is much friendlier than for other graphic novels)s.

This interpretation of the life of Prince Siddhartha/Gautama Buddha is gritty, imaginative, beautifully illustrated and one of the landmarks in the graphic medium.

While sticking close to the Buddha's known life, the series also introduces many fictional characters, and expands upon historical figures of the period.

Purists won't be too pleased about the use of modern slang and the irreverent banter between characters, but in its essence this series is true to the great message of the Buddha's story "" that all life, right down to the smallest, most seemingly insignificant creature, is sacred.

The English translations are mirror images of Tezuka's original work so they can be read from left to right, rather than from right to left. The books are: Kapilavastu, The Four Encounters, Devadatta, The Forest of Uruvela, Deer Park, Ananda, Ajatasattu and Jetavana. Each volume is priced at Rs 295.

CRYING FREEMAN "" Kazuo Koike and Ryoichi Ikegami

At the opposite end of the spectrum from the gentle Siddhartha on his path to understanding and salvation is the story of Crying Freeman, an assassin who is given this nickname because he cries after he kills his targets.

This manga series (later turned into an anime for television) is renowned for its artwork and gratuitous graphic violence and eroticism, and it's somewhat surprising to find it in the Indian market. Do keep it far away from the kids!

LONE WOLF AND CUB "" Kazuo Koike and Goseki Kojima

This is the story of Ogami Itto, the Shogun's executioner who uses the Dotanuki battle sword. Disgraced by false accusations by the Yagyu clan, he has been forced to take the path of the assassin.

One of the most popular manga series ever produced, Lone Wolf and Cub has spawned six films, four plays, a television series and numerous other franchises. When it first came out in 1970, it became extremely popular for its epic samurai story. The story spanned 28 volumes of manga, with over 300 pages each (over 8,700 pages in all).

It was released in America in 1987, as a series of square-bound prestige-format black-and-white comics containing between 64 and 128 pages, with covers by Frank Miller.

OTHELLO "" Satomi Ikezawa

This story about a shy, naive Japanese teenager with an aggressive alter ego caters to younger readers and should resonate with anyone who has experienced the angst that comes with being an introverted youngster.

Yaya is a quiet girl with a passion for singing and J-rock, but when she looks into a mirror, or hits her head, her second personality Nana takes over her body and puts wrong-doers in their places, shouting her catchphrase, "Justice is done!" Meanwhile, Yaya becomes fearful that she may be going insane, because she is not aware of Nana's existence.