Life: Two "cancer report" mangas from Japan (Why there is no such useful/educational essay mangas in the US?)

 I picked up two "cancer report" mangas in Japanese Amazon.

[By Hirunama (left) and by Ruri Fujikawa (right)]

Many mangas are "graphic novels" that tell long fictions, like Naruto, Dragon Ball, Demon slayer (Japanese), or Marvel comics (US). But there is a category in manga called "essay manga". The two mangas I picked up are by two mangakas each of whom got cancer in her 30's (one stage 4 colon, one stage 1b ovarian), went through surgery and chemo, and is alive to tell her own cancer story in essay manga format. 

I found them quite informative in terms of what happens in cancer treatment from the standpoint of a patient. Also, they can be quite real and emotional.

In an episode, the mangaka befriended with a roommate (Mrs. A) in her hospital. Later, Mrs. A let her know that she would stop treatment, implying that her cancer is beyond treatment. Two months later, Mrs. A's husband let the mangaka know about Mrs. A's passing. 

The mangaka brought some sweets to Mrs. A's altar. Mrs. A's diet was restricted due to GI tract obstruction. They talked about the sweets to have, once their cancer treatments are done.

Sometimes, it is something "real" like this that hits you. We don't always need an outrageous Hollywood epic story to feel it.

In the US, this kind of manga seems non-existent, while I found at least several of this kind of manga in Japanese Amazon.  

Maybe because manga is not as common in the US as in Japan. Maybe the number of mangaka is much less in the US than in Japan. Maybe just "essay manga" format is less known.

Cancer patients are there both in the US and in Japan. But not everyone can report their experience in the manga format. Of course, there are publications on survivors' recounts and advices for cancer patients in the US. As a person, US patients may be using blog or other ways (or not to talk about "the c-word" at all).

As a format, manga has to be visual. The format is naturally presented objectively, if not theatrically. Professional mangakas are trained to tell stories in the format.

While, writing on survivors' recounts tend to be narratives or train of thoughts, with less consideration for how they look. Not everyone is trained to talk about their experience in an objective manner, anyway.

Real stories told by professional narrators with communication in mind (mangakas). No wonder these essay mangas are so effective. 

Someone in publication business in the US should consider publishing this kind of essay mangas for medical education or liaison to public.

I picked them up thinking that they may help my professional learning on how cancer treatments are done in clinic and how they are perceived by patients in real world. 

I got to admit, my reading motivation is not always from pure curiosity. But I've learned a lot. 

They were actually entertaining in an unorthodox way, too. I enjoyed reading them both.