Manga and anime have a long, revered history in Japan, but it’s important to make sure that what your kid is reading, playing, and watching is appropriate for her age. She or he will get much more out of it and will avoid some of the more mature topics manga and anime can include.
Manga — highly stylized Japanese comics — and anime — cartoons of the same style — are pretty popular with kids. Nearly all manga and anime feature characters with large, rounded eyes, and they cover a wide range of genres, from action-adventure to science fiction to romance.
The stories often feature aspects of Japanese culture, such as martial arts, nature, and early Japanese art and history. They also can feature strong female characters, metaphysical events, and a Godzilla-like monster. The books, video games, TV shows, and movies in this style are designed for a wide range of ages. The stories are often serialized, and kids enjoy waiting for the next installment.
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10 APPS AND SITES THAT TURN KIDS INTO COMIC-CREATORS
Turn comic fans into comic-creators with these 10 sites and apps, and empower kids as they learn art, storytelling, and digital creation skills.
—Superhero Comic Book Maker — by Duck Duck Moose
Engaging way to make stories with great graphics and audio.
Recommended for ages 5 and older
Quality: 4 out of 5
Learning: 3 out of 5
Available on iOS
—Seedling Comic Studio
Photo effects enhance cool comic-maker.
Recommended for ages 7 and older
Quality: 4 out of 5
Learning: 3 out of 5
Available on iOS
—Make Beliefs Comix
Nifty comic-creation tool offers positive, upbeat messages.
Recommended for ages 8 and older
Quality: 4 out of 5
Learning: 4 out of 5
www.makebeliefscomix.com/
—Strip Designer
Simple, exciting way to create comic books using own photos.
Recommended for ages 8 and older
Quality: 5 out of 5
Learning: 3 out of 5
Available on iOS
—Big Nate: Comix By U!
Bright, creative app will inspire kids’ inner cartoonist.
Recommended for ages 9 and older
Quality: 4 out of 5
Learning: 3 out of 5
Available on iOS
—Comic Life
Fun way to turn your own images into realistic cartoons.
Recommended for ages 9 and older
Quality: 4 out of 5
Learning: 3 out of 5
http://comiclife.com/
—Creaza Cartoonist
Create kooky comic-style stories with pretty intuitive tool.
Recommended for ages 10 and older
Quality: 4 out of 5
Learning: 3 out of 5
http://www.creazaeducation.com/this-is-creaza/Cartoonist
—Halftone 2 — Comic Book Creator
Easy photo-based comics creator makes building stories fun.
Recommended for ages 11 and older
Quality: 3 out of 5
Learning: 3 out of 5
Available on iOS
—Pixton
Create impressive comics with simple click-and-drag tools.
Recommended for ages 12 and older
Quality: 5 out of 5
Learning: 4 out of 5
—ToonDoo
Free reign for kids’ creativity — browse with caution.
Recommended for ages 12 and older
Quality: 4 out of 5
Learning: 3 out of 5
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Common Sense Media is an independent nonprofit organization offering unbiased ratings and trusted advice to help families make smart media and technology choices. Check out our ratings and recommendations at www.commonsense.org.
