Hello, I'm writing a manga story that I want it to be a real manga when I'm in college (I'm currently in high school in the 11th grade). My story is about samurais and spirit dragons but it takes place in modern Japan which the year is 2015. The main protagonists are 15 year old twin brothers named Sakuri and Sukari Keneiyu (Keneiyu meaning hero with sword) who were chosen by spritual dragons who slept for 1000 years from fedual Japan to help Japan recover from the disaster 3 years earlier along with 7 other spirit dragons who chosed the twins' 7 closest friends to help. The 7 friends were granted 7 elementals each to use for helping Japan and the people to able to live normal lives again, with the twins can use all 7 elementals but were assigned a task which they have to learn to become samurais as they feel danger from a faraway country which is America, which the military have started recruiting young American boys to become genetically enhanced soldiers known as Genhancers to end all conflict around the world and bring democracy to war-filled countries. However, about 1/3 of the Genhancer soldiers in the present have defected from America led by two unknown elite soldiers to create their own way of bring peace to the countries: By killing and causing destruction in countries who won't accept democracy but for an unknown reason, they have attacked Japan which is already a democracy country, this calls for the twins and their friends to reawaken the legend of the samurai as they become the modern samurais of Japan. This story is called Twin Samurai Dragon Keneiyu.

http://forums.mangaraiders.com/index.php/topic,5575.0.html

....what exzactly is your intended theme?
And are you going to draw and write it? And by real manga do you mean as in an actual serialization or just a doujinshi?

A serialization, I'm really careful of having my story not to have any mistakes.

.....and this is in english....?

Well I'm studying Japanese, I also want it to be a hit in America as Americans are a part of the main cast.

>>5.....but is it in english? Or japanese? And in which country?

It sound interesting, I'd read it! Military-messing-up-civilian-life stories can be interesting and tense. The Genhancers sound good too, a sci-fi element there is cool. One thing to make sure of, though, is that your characters have human emotions. Too many stories/mangas/etc are horrible at this, and I wouldn't want a common flaw to mess up what sounds so interesting. From the website in the link, it sounds like you're keeping an eye on this, but can't be sure enough. Nice idea!

Do you plan on putting this on the internet? I think that you think getting into a magazine is easier than it is.

And how many Americans are you going to put into a manga that takes place in Japan?

>>8 and to go on. A real manga is from a a real manga publishing magazine. And to that.....well you should probably move to Japan for a larger demographics. Then again you're a gaijin, a foreigner, so also highly unlikely. The "manga/anime" situation in the American publishing world is also at best obscure. There is a doubtful possibilty for you succeed in a comic american world whose targt audience is exclusivly children to teens. And on to that. Is your story going to be a shounen....josei? You're storyline sounds like it would be viable as a shounen as long you don't put in too many poltiical, symbolic, yo know "mature" stuff.
And are you going to actualyl draw and write this thing? You have to consider it.
As a final note....you should probably listen to Bunny. You will NOT be a real mangaka as a college student in America or Japan. There is simply too much work you have to do if you even manage to get serialized and jugggling college. Do a simple webcomic.

/)o-o/) cause this is thriller /)o-o／)
(＼o-o(＼ thriller night

I want my story to be very emotional, the soldier part of my story wil be similar to the Metal Gear series, in terms of storylines, also, the females in the story won't be annoying (unlike Sakura and Orihime), but most of them won't fight, they want to live in peace, for one, a girl named Kokoro Inoru, who is years older than Sakuri, will be his main motivation to fight against the soldiers as they develop a strong bond togther.

Hi. I am currently working on a graphc novel with a friend (I won't say manga, because unfortunately, she dislikes that...) and I am also currently in grade 11. Do you know how you will go about creating your manga? I have to say that although I am the creator of all characters and the storyline in my own, my drawing talent is minimal (hence my friend) Would you be doing your own art, or will you have others to do that for you? (It has taken us 30-40 minutes to create a single drawing of one character, it seems to be a very lengthy process) I am asking out of personal interest, as I don't know any people our age under-taking a similar task.
Anyway, good luck to you!!!

Also, you may want to look into university/college (not sure how it works overseas; I am Australian) courses involving the study of manga. They do exist. And another thing is research. I consider myself an amateur writer and one of the things I dislike are when people don't look up some facts. For example, I have had to do research into time zones, flight lengths, various martial arts, weapons and mythical creatures. (the last you can't find real facts on of course, but more of a generalised opinion)
I wish you the best for both your manga and Japanese studies. Kanji is horrible.
It looks like an amazing project :)

Good luck. I'm trying to write a manga too, but I'm only 12. So yeah.... I also don't live in Japan and so far my Japanese fails. I'll keep trying though.

You know what, you remind me of Bakuman. But with a younger protagonist.

There will be also two protagonists on the soldier part who are still on the good side but is more darker than the samurai part as the two soldiers don't care who they kill, even killing their own comrades who 'betrayed' America.

It's look very good.. GOOD LUCK !

I've only had a VERY quick look at it but i'll suggest if you have Deviantart go talk to this guy..
http://esvandetta.deviantart.com/
He's an admin of a group called Manga Art Improvement. These guys really helped me when I started my writing and with my manga i'm currently developing with a friend...
Good luck in the future
Zuke (ZukeSangue) ^-^

I want my story to be the best in Japan when it gets published, I have American characters to have Western culture in Japan be more notable.

I'll be one of your readers!!! :D It sounds great! Can't wait for it to come out~

Some new themes for the story, it shows a close friendship between one of the samurai, Sakuri Keneiyu, and his American friend, 'Cherrie Erica'.

Two very different people, like the moon (Sakuri) and the sun (Cherrie), they have a wish they hoped for it to come true, for their people, the Japanese and the 'white Americans' to co-exist as one so they can become truely understand each other and later fall in love with each other

Hey there, are you not Japanese? Because if you're seriously wanting to do this and you're not, Queenie Chan always replies on Twitter. She gives fantastic advice, especially on passing topics. She gave me a heap too. Good luck!

No I'm not, I'm American. Thanks for the tip BlueFlower

Seriously, no worries. It's on her website too.
I think your main problem will be having Japanese content. As they've got plenty of that there. Shell explain if you ask.

Posted another chapter for the Soldier arc, I'll work my butt off to show more chapters.

This sounds so cool! I would definitely read it. One thing, are there going to be any comic relief? Maybe you could have one of the samurais as someone the protagonists finds annoying, fights with. You could play with teamwork and over coming that pride (idk). You could also explore the idea of "good", "bad" and "grey". Do the soldiers think they are doing the right thing and that everyone else is evil? Oopps, that was a bit more then one, but this is really interesting. I look forward to hearing any future ideas. And Good luck! (⌒▽⌒)☆

do what you want for humor...just try to balance that out with the seriousnesses of the politics and peacemaking of this quite depressing new country.....don't want it to be too funny. You have a good premise for some detailed, deep social commentary.

There will be humor and one of the samurai who wields the power of fire acts like a tough guy, annoys his friends a lot. I changed the soldiers' goals, they want to not only want to free themselves from the government who were using them as tools of war, also try to convice their people, the Americans, to rebel against the government, had enough of the government causing more problems to the country.

And them attacking many countries was to show how strong they are, as a warning. They try to fight them, they'll be wiped out quickly. There will be various "antagonist" soldiers who acts as the arc's main villains, one of the samurai, named Soyoka Hairokashi, wielding the power of wind, face against a powerful Genhancer soldier, named Zack Madison, codenamed 'Desert Eagle', rank of Colonel, the Colonel-class soldiers are the strongest of the Genhancer army.

Another plot that it will have Chirstinality be involved in the next arc and a backstory setting 500 years back in Japan where samurai under the command of their lords were ordered to kill all of the visiting Christians who wanted to spread their religion in Japan which the lords forbids foreign cultures. There will be tragic romance, forbidden love between one of the Keneiyu clan, an 18 year old samurai named Sakita and a 15 year old Christian girl named Merri who's family were killed by the samurai.

Consider Sakuri Keneiyu as the 'true' main character of the story, he'll have the most plot development than the other main characters. Being born in a loving family of parents and a 'older' brother, Sakuri has always stay the same, being very kind, caring and sweet, even as 15 years old, he still acts childish. But he has one serious trait of him, he have respect and defended Americans ever since he met an white American girl named Cherrie Erica who influenced him and his life, later he became close to Cherrie. After receving the power of Genso by spirtual dragons of the ancient past along with his friends and older brother, unlike them, he only fights when he has no other options to reason with the people he battled. As the story goes on, Sakuri will grow to be more serious and determined, away from the once-childish side of his but his heart remains pure,

Another pliot, Sakuri, after facing and defeating a villian named King Leo, which he undergoes a transformation to defeat him, the transformation used up too much of his Genso powers, which renders him unable to use Genso anymore, becoming a normal human. However, the loss of his Genso have unlocked another power within him, called Mythos, which he can summon mythological creatures and even gods of ancient European, Greek, and Roman 'mythos'

It sounds like a good story.. I just feel like I have seen it somewhere. keep working on it :)

Thanks, I'm recently busy on school but will find time to write more chapters. Also, a backstory will be coming in the future, telling about a great war between samurai of fedual Japan and knights of medieval Europe 1000 years ago, caused by the knights which they want to destroy Japan, their gods being dragons which they considered them demons as in their beliefs that their God want all demons purged from the world.