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The words "anime" and "manga" both originate from Japanese, and have no
English roots (though "anime" comes from French). To me, it doesn't make sense
for an "s" to be attached ("animes" and "mangas"). However, I still see people
do this quite frequently, so it's hard to tell for sure.

What is the correct way to pluralize the words "anime" and "manga"?


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japanese-language
What is the proper pluralization of "anime" and "manga"?


They would probably be "anime" and "manga," just like the plural of Pokémon is
Pokémon.

Most nouns in Japanese have no plual form, so you use the same word whether
you're using a singular noun or a plural noun.

There are rare exceptions when a noun does have a plural form, but usually the
plural form simply repeats the word using a "repeater" sound for the first
consonant.

E.g. _hito_ (人 [ひと], person) becomes _hitobito_ (人々 [ひとびと], people) and _kami_
(神 [かみ], god) would be _kamigami_ (神々 [かみがみ], gods).


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It depends.

If you want to go based off of Japanese, then the plural would just be "anime"
and "manga". There is no normal way to pluralize these words in Japanese;
rather, you would say something similar to "anime shows" instead of
specifically multiple anime.

> My #1 favorite anime is Pokemon.
>
> My two favorite anime are Pokemon and Digimon.

If you want to go based off of English, then the plural would be "animes" and
"mangas". This is how most pluralization occurs in English.

> My #1 favorite anime is Pokemon.
>
> My two favorite animes are Boku no Pico and Digimon.

Even though they are Japanese words, if you are using them in English
sentences, it's not all that weird to pluralize them like an English word.
Café comes from the Romance languages, but would you be all that irked if
someone said "There are two cafés on that street"?

It's really a preference. Your message will probably be properly conveyed
either way. Whichever one you pick, _someone_ will think it's wrong, so you
might as well go with the one you prefer. I've seen both pluralization methods
used quite often, so I wouldn't be greatly shocked by either.


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As far as the "English" language is concerned, from the [Wiktionary entry
about "anime"](http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/anime):

* * *

Noun: **anime** (countable and uncountable; plural _anime_ or (proscribed)
_animes_ )

  1. (uncountable) An artistic style heavily used in, and associated with, Japanese animation, and that has also been adopted by a comparatively low number of animated works from other countries

> I can draw an anime version of you, if you want.

  2. (countable) An animated work originated in Japan, regardless of the artistic style.

    * 2005, Peter J. Katzenstein, A World of Regions, page 165,

> After three months of successful sales in manga form, it was made into an
> anime for television.

    * 2005, Joan D. Vinge, in The Year's Best Fantasy and Horror: Eighteenth Annual Collection, page cix,

> Usually the manga comes first, though it may be an offshoot of a novel, and
> an anime may be inspired by a video game.

    * 2006, Thomas LaMarre, in Japan After Japan (Tomiko Yoda & Harry D. Harootunian, eds.), page 363,

> These anime prepared the way for Otaku no video, a two-part Original Video
> Animation (OVA).

  3. (rare, countable, chiefly proscribed) An animated work in anime style, regardless of the country of origin.

* * *

Likewise, from the [Wiktionary entry about
"manga"](http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/manga), it's handled a bit differently:

* * *

Noun: **manga** (countable and uncountable; plural _manga_ or _mangas_ )

  1. (uncountable) An artistic style heavily used in, and associated with, Japanese comics, and that has also been adopted by a comparatively low number of comics from other countries.
  2. (countable) A comic originating in Japan, regardless of the artistic style.
  3. (rare, countable, chiefly proscribed by fandom slang) A comic in manga style, regardless of the country of origin.

> Lately I've been reading a Brazilian manga.
>

>
> * * *

_(Note that 2 of the examples from the countable plural of "anime" also apply
to "manga")_

So in the case of anime, the non-proscribed (or exclusionary) plural is
unchanged, but the rarer proscribed plural can be used with an "s". The case
with manga seems to be either way as far as Wiktionary is concerned.

The [Collins
Dictionary](http://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/manga), the
[New World Dictionary](http://www.yourdictionary.com/manga), [Oxford
Dictionary](http://oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/manga) all say
that **manga** is also the plural form. Horever, the [Macmillan
Dictionary](http://www.macmillandictionary.com/dictionary/british/manga) says
that **mangas** is the plural form (need to click on " _Word Forms_ ").

If you're using it as a Japanese borrowed word (either "manga" or "anime"), it
isn't incorrect to use the same form as singular and plural, like the Japanese
words themselves.


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It's mainly just preference. Since the Japanese language does not have a way
of pluralizing that applies to most of their words (like adding an 's' to the
end of words in English), it is usually left to preferences.

Some people like to say 'manga' and 'anime' as the plural form of the words
since it sounds more "correct" and is similar to the way the plural version of
'deer' is 'deer'.

Other people prefer to say 'mangas' and 'animes' because in English it is
common to add 's' to the end of words to pluralize them.

Since there is no definite way of pluralizing these words, you can just pick
whether or not you want to say the words with a 's' or not.


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