Forum Settings
Forums

Why do people think it's so hard to read 'backwards'?

New
May 9, 2016 12:43 PM
#1
Offline
Apr 2016
297
I've met a lot of people who aren't familiar with manga and they all seem to have the idea that it's difficult to read the pages from right to left. Why? Is it just because they aren't used to it?
May 9, 2016 12:46 PM
#2

Offline
Apr 2014
3009
Yes, that's exactly why.
A stupid thread deserves a stupid answer!
May 9, 2016 12:51 PM
#3
Offline
Jul 2018
561791
It's just something they might not be used to. I remember it was like that for me. By reading more I got over it.
May 9, 2016 12:53 PM
#4

Offline
Sep 2013
22817
Yes, they're too used to inferior comic books which have alot of action and simple paneling so they can't handle the sudden upgrade.
May 9, 2016 12:59 PM
#5

Offline
Feb 2011
1195
ƎTIЯ TI ИIOᗡ I MA
May 9, 2016 1:40 PM
#6
Offline
Apr 2016
297
Kittenpotpie said:
ƎTIЯ TI ИIOᗡ I MA


My favorite answer.
May 9, 2016 3:23 PM
#7

Offline
Jun 2015
289
The more you read the more you get used to the way you do it. I myself am sometimes confused while trying to read comic panels from right to left. :s
May 9, 2016 7:04 PM
#8
Is a Hidden Gem

Offline
Aug 2007
3027
The worst was when I worked at a comic book store and I would go back and forth between comics and manga. After a page or two of either I'd realize I was reading them backwards.

Someone mention the paneling in comics vs manga but I don't think that crosses most people's minds. Just the concept that they read the opposite way then English is enough to turn people off. There are a lot of people who can't even conceive that is a thing.

Also, a lot of people just won't read anything in black and white. Not just manga but America comics too. There was a dude who really wanted to read the Walking Dead but when he realized it was in black and white he balked. Finally after a few months he decided to give it a shot and in the end he said it didn't bother him at all while reading it. But he had to mentally get past it first.
May 9, 2016 10:18 PM
#9

Offline
Dec 2015
2420
People don't realize that after a few pages you're used to it already.
May 10, 2016 1:34 AM

Offline
Oct 2013
5174
they're morons who want to fuck with you, I had read western comics for years before even touching a jap comic and was able to read it just as good
May 10, 2016 3:53 PM

Offline
May 2016
92
I read a lot of american comics as well, and am constantly going back and forth between reading left to right and right to left. It's not super confusing, but occasionally I'll forget I'm reading a manga and try to read it from left to right. It usually only takes a few panels to realize I'm reading it backwards though.
May 10, 2016 3:54 PM
lagom
Offline
Jan 2009
107738
yes they are just not used to it
May 10, 2016 4:06 PM

Offline
Feb 2016
2673
I remember reading my first manga and it was really confusing. After a while along with some help from others telling me that it's read from right to left, I got the hang of it. It isn't a problem for me at all now

Although sometimes the mangaka is bad at transitioning dialogue from panel to panel, so that could be another reason.
May 18, 2016 7:51 AM

Offline
Jan 2014
84
Probably because it's a new aspect to them. It isn't hard if you're used to it.
BelleSadiqueJun 8, 2016 3:41 PM



"With all due respect, if you keep running your mouth, I'm gonna lose it."
May 18, 2016 9:49 PM

Offline
Apr 2010
3748
Guess so. I remember trying to read it from the left. I don't mind as I'm used to read fron right to left (my mother tongue is Hebrew). But there are some people who can't figure the order of squares.


May 18, 2016 9:51 PM

Offline
Dec 2014
12539
I guess when you are not used to it is... It is for the beginners... Yep that counts me as well
May 18, 2016 9:51 PM
Offline
Jan 2013
10764
Kittenpotpie said:
ƎTIЯ TI ИIOᗡ I MA
I DONT UNDERSTAND YOUR ASIAN JAPANESE LANGUAGE
THIS IS A ENGLISH FORUM PLEASE USE CORRECT LANGUAGE
gone bai bai
May 18, 2016 10:00 PM

Offline
Feb 2011
1195
-̂̆̌͗͘͢҉͘-̶̨̧͐͛̋̓̄̌̌̍̒̈ͤͮ-̴̡ͥ̉̒̂̏ͤ̈͐͋ͮ̌ͧ͑̂̎̇͆̽̑͠҉́-̸̷̸̨̓ͧ̔̏ͫ̑͘-ͯ̽ͨ͊̓ͩͦͨ̆̾͆́̄̿͌̀͡͏̷̨͜-̍̇͌ͭ̂͗́̚͜͞͠͡-̷̶̌ͧ̎ͬ̾̓̓-̌ͦ̆̈̎̿ͦ̀͞-̴ͯͯͮ̂̋̾̂ͬ̎̃͂͗ͪͤ̎̊̈̚͢͢͜-̡̆̋ͪ̉̎̈́̾̏̚͜͡-̡́̂͋ͬ̓ͪ͐̂̀̚͡

WOИ TUOᙠWOH
May 18, 2016 10:10 PM
Offline
Jan 2013
10764
Kittenpotpie said:
[size=9SCREW YOURZALGO 99][color=white]-̂̆̌͗͘͢҉͘-̶̨̧͐͛̋̓̄̌̌̍̒̈ͤͮ-̴̡ͥ̉̒̂̏ͤ̈͐͋ͮ̌ͧ͑̂̎̇͆̽̑͠҉́-̸̷̸̨̓ͧ̔̏ͫ̑͘-ͯ̽ͨ͊̓ͩͦͨ̆̾͆́̄̿͌̀͡͏̷̨͜-̍̇͌ͭ̂͗́̚͜͞͠͡-̷̶̌ͧ̎ͬ̾̓̓-̌ͦ̆̈̎̿ͦ̀͞-̴ͯͯͮ̂̋̾̂ͬ̎̃͂͗ͪͤ̎̊̈̚͢͢͜-̡̆̋ͪ̉̎̈́̾̏̚͜͡-̡́̂͋ͬ̓ͪ͐̂̀̚͡[/colgrgrgrgor][/sgrstrgrze]

WOИ TUOᙠWOH

THINGS WERE SLIGHTLY BETTER UNTIL YOU STARTED YOUR ASIANESE LANGUAGING ALL OVER AGAIN



GET IT TOGETHER
gone bai bai
May 22, 2016 3:01 AM

Offline
Feb 2015
78
ichii_1 said:
Yes, they're too used to inferior comic books which have alot of action and simple paneling so they can't handle the sudden upgrade.
lol this guy... 'Inferior comic books'
May 22, 2016 6:41 AM
Offline
Feb 2014
738
Lol it's totally easy. It even feels better doing right to left eye movements. It may be cause I'm used to reading l to r so this feels adventurous :D Don't know but maybe everything would be better right to left.
May 22, 2016 11:01 AM
Offline
May 2016
3
To be honest I never really read manga until less than 2 weeks ago. It took me less than 15 minutes to "get used to it." It's not hard at all.
May 22, 2016 11:52 AM
Offline
May 2016
91
Different minds work differently-personally for me it's not hard because I studied Arabic at a young age and got used to reading R to L.
Yeah I guess it's just something to get used to-but I know some people that can't read in any other way than L to R and actually struggle really hard to read "backwards".
What is the question of if one lives to watch anime or if one watches anime to live?
They both mean that anime controls most of your life.

(Made this just to have a signature)
May 24, 2016 12:27 AM

Offline
May 2010
6723
I've never understood it either, honestly speaking. People are always surprised when they see manga in my home for the first time, and usually are like, "wow, and you seriously read it backwards??", like it's something absolutely unbelievable.

And it takes literally two seconds while reading first page to get a grasp of it, lulz.
Jun 4, 2016 8:32 PM
Offline
Jun 2016
57
I admit that when I first started reading manga for the first time, I didn't realize at first that I was supposed to read right to left until I happen to notice the instructions at the beginning of the books clearly stating how to do it. Since then, I've been reading manga with little to no trouble at all. It does mess with me when I switch to Western comic books due to them being left to right, but I fix it right away. :P

More topics from this board

» Do you prefer reading Light Novels or Manga?

Duado - Oct 12

15 by StarlaFox »»
11 minutes ago

» Do you watch voice comics?

Maou_heika - Yesterday

7 by GinIonSui »»
10 hours ago

» Manga not found!

GabrielSGI - Yesterday

1 by Retro8bit »»
Yesterday, 8:17 PM

» Recently Bought Manga, Mahnwa, Manhua, or Light Novels. ( 1 2 3 4 5 ... Last Page )

Maora - Oct 24, 2008

6154 by Maou_heika »»
Yesterday, 8:18 AM

» A silly theory I just had about romance shounens that look like shoujos

Absurdo_N - Oct 14

9 by Lucifrost »»
Yesterday, 7:34 AM
It’s time to ditch the text file.
Keep track of your anime easily by creating your own list.
Sign Up Login