Do you guys have any particular memories of your first manga experience(s)? I remember walking into Barnes and Nobles as a wee little lad, and asking one of the kind store ladies where the “anime” section as. She told me that it was called manga, and guided me to the proper section. I still remember going every so often with my mom, it was magical every time. I can’t even remember how many times I re-read the first volume of One Piece.
In my middle school library, a small shelf of graphic novels was placed in the reference section, far away from the regular young adult fiction. I spotted them when I was browsing encyclopedias, and the cover that caught my eye first was volume one of Aqua by Amano Kozue. Picked it up and immediately fell in love with the idyllic world and gorgeous art. I’ve reread Aqua/Aria a few times now and despite having read thousands of manga at this point, it’s still my top favorite today.