Japanese comics, known as manga, are a fascinating medium for storytelling. Not only does manga tell original Japanese stories but also ones based on tales familiar to Western readers, such as Disney characters. There are a surprising number of Disney manga available to English speakers. Some are good and others… well, they’re not for everyone. We’ll take a look at a handful of the titles currently available. Which Disney manga are worth a read? Let’s find out!
Pirates of the Caribbean: The Adventures of Jack Sparrow – Story by Rob Kidd and Art by Kabocha
This manga rewinds to Jack Sparrow’s teen years, before he was the infamous scalawag seen in the Pirates of the Caribbean movies. Over the course of the book’s 384 pages, Jack will be joined by two original characters, Arabella and Fitzwilliam, and with their help, our young rogue sets out to find the Sword of Cortés, a magical pirate artifact (because every Pirates of the Caribbean needs one, right?). In addition to Arabella and Fitzwilliam, fans of the movies will recognize Tia Dalma and the mermaids, key characters in one of the chapters. The art style is a tad on the rough side in the beginning chapters but soon after things are much smoother. The story does a good job of balancing a serious adventure with Jack’s humor, mostly seen in his facial reactions to events or comments. I think fans of the movies, or lovers of not-so serious adventure manga will get the most out of this one.
The Pirates of the Caribbean manga is available in print ($19.99) and digital ($9.99)
Frozen 2: The Manga – Adapted by Arina Tanemura
This manga has quite a pedigree. Aside from having the plot of Frozen 2 to work with, it was adapted by Arina Tanemura, who is well-known for manga series such as Full Moon, Time Stranger Kyoko, and Sakura Hime: The Legend of Princess Sakura, among others. And being a fan of Tanemura-sensei’s work, I really, really wanted to like this one . . . unfortunately, it has some major flaws. The book is indeed pretty to look at, but content-wise… Well, imagine watching the movie on fast-forward and that is what this manga is. The end result isn’t terribly surprising, given the whole thing is only 160 pages long, but I feel like that someone somewhere in the process should have made the decision to stretch the story into more than one volume.
Alice in Wonderland, Volume 1 – Adapted by Jun Abe
This Alice in Wonderland adaption is based on Tim Burton’s live-action film and it spans two volumes. Much like the Frozen 2 manga, it follows the plot of the movie and even takes its dialogue from the script. However, it does feel substantially more fleshed out than the Frozen II manga. Giving the first volume 190 pages to work with (the second has 154) allows more of the story to be seen. It stops shortly after the audience is introduced to the White Queen in present day (as opposed to Hatter’s flashback). Are some scenes abbreviated? Yes, but they are few and barely noticeable. Despite my hearing not such great reviews of this series (most people took issue with the art style), I actually enjoyed this one. I will note that I am probably a tad biased since it is Alice In Wonderland and I love nearly anything Wonderland-related.
The Alice In Wonderland manga is available in digital form ($6.99). Additionally, there is a collector’s edition hardcover print version ($19.99) containing both volumes
Miriya and Marie – Story and Art by MAYA
I was pleasantly surprised by Miriya and Marie. In fact, this manga turned out to be my favorite of the six from this list. In the story, you follow along with a young Japanese girl named Miriya who learns she is a witch after meeting a talking cat named Marie, who then transports her to 1910’s Paris for training. The premise is an odd one to be sure but works well in practice. And while fans of The Aristocats might be put off at first that this isn’t exactly the same Marie as shown in the classic film (although she looks and behaves similarly), I think the sugary sweet story will win many of them over. Let’s talk about the art for a moment. Every page in this 144-page manga is in full-color, with beautifully detailed characters and backgrounds. In certain chapters, there are even little items to find or puzzles to solve, hidden in the panels. The entire book looked like a lot of thought and love went into it and think readers will appreciate that.
The Miriya and Marie manga comes in print ($12.99) and digital ($9.99) edition
Stitch and the Samurai, Volume 1 – Story and Art by Hiroto Wada
With a plot surrounding a Samurai warlord’s fateful (and fluffy) encounter with Stitch, I was hoping for a quirky, comedy manga series. And that is what you get, perhaps overly so. The juxtaposition of an intimidating warrior and this adorable alien showed plenty of promise but I think what put me off was mostly the art style. Combining the realistic art of the samurai with Stitch’s cartoony look was quite jarring. However, the story does have its moments. I particularly liked how Yamato, the titular samurai, decided upon Stitch’s name (no, I won’t spoil it). I am sure there are Disney manga fans that will be entertained by this series. I was just not one of them.
The Stitch manga is available in print ($10.99) and digital ($6.99) editions
Magical Dance, Volume 1 – Story and Art by Nao Kodaka
This manga was a big disappointment. It follows the a girl named Rin, who dreams of being a good dancer, even though she isn’t all that talented. But, Tinker Bell magically appears after an especially bad training session and grants Rin the ability to magically summon Disney characters to teach her various dance steps and inspire her to continue on the road to her dreams. The overall plot sounds a little strange and, to be truthful, it is. Additionally, the characters summoned, aside from the hula-dancing Stitch (who is inexplicably referred to as a female), don’t make sense. Aside from Stitch, in this volume, we meet Mickey Mouse, Chip ‘n Dale, Ariel, and Lilo. And the introductions of these Disney characters into Rin’s world feels forced, like the story outside of the character interaction is simply a vehicle to generate an encounter and doesn’t feel fleshed out at all. It’s shame, really. I had hoped for a story akin to Kilala Princess, which follows a similar formula but does a much better job. Nao Kodaka illustrated that series as well, however, the story was written by Rika Tanaka. And, boy, do I wish Rika Tanaka wrote this one, too. As it stands, I can’t recommend this one.
The Magical Dance manga is available in print ($10.99) and digital ($6.99) versions
Hungry for More Books?
If you are looking for American comics (okay, one manga is also included), this compilation of lesser-known comics will scratch that itch:
Read my thoughts on a special compilation of manga that recounts previously untold tales of Luke Skywalker’s intergalactic adventures:
And you can even make a trip to Disneyland with the help of your imagination and these new Golden Books inspired by it’s a small world, Jungle Cruise, and The Haunted Mansion:
Let’s Hear from You
Have you read any of these Disney manga? If so, what did you think of them? And are there any other Disney manga titles that you would recommend? Let us know in the comments!