Look forward to a vast collection of manga books, as well as digital manga on e-Reads screens, and discover more about the Singapore comics scene at the exhibition space.
Venue: Level 4, City Square Mall
Date: from 20 Feb 2023 for the next six months
NLB’s First Manga Library
The National Library Board (NLB) will launch a library of Japanese graphic books and comics popularly known as manga, in a fully self-service Grab-n-Go library at City Square Mall. Available from 20 Feb 2023 for the next six months, families can check out this pop-up Manga Library at Level 4 of the mall, and also have fun with a Mr Kiasu robot onsite that can offer book recommendations, guide them in using Grab-n-Go, among other services!
As NLB’s first manga library, patrons can borrow from a colourful and vast collection of 5,000 manga books, enjoy a wide variety of creative digital manga on e-Reads screens, discover more about the Singapore comics scene at the exhibition space, and more!
Here's taking a closer look at what you and your little ones can look forward to at NLB's first ever pop-up Grab-n-Go Manga Library:
Popular Manga Titles
Dragon Ball Z by Akira Toriyama
In Akira Toriyama’s Dragon Ball Z, Goku and friends battle intergalactic evil in a series that will please fans of action, adventure, fantasy and comedy!
Cells at Work! by Akane Shimizu
Delve into the human body in Akane Shimizu’s series – Cells at Work! – featuring a red blood cell (who often gets lost during deliveries) and a white blood cell (always hard at work fighting germs) keeping a human body running.
Spy x Family by Tatsuya Endo
In Tatsuya Endo’s Spy x Family, follow a spy who has to build a “family” to execute a mission, but soon finds that his new “family” members have a wide range of skills.
Bleach by Tite Kubo
Tite Kubo’s manga series Bleach, also adapted into a popular anime series, follows the adventures of a teenager who obtains the powers of a Soul Reaper, along with the duty of defending humans from evil spirits and guiding departed souls to the afterlife.
Fairy Tail by Hiro Mashima
Fairy Tail, created by Hiro Mashima, follows the adventures of Natsu Dragneel, a member of the popular wizard guild Fairy Tail, as he searches the fictional world of Earth-land for the dragon Igneel.
Manga Titles Donated by Japanese Publisher Shogakukan Asia
Close to 1,000 out of the 5,000 titles are donated by Japanese publisher Shogakukan Asia. They will donate more copies as more titles in the donated series are published.
Beyblade Burst by Hiro Morita
Beyblade Burst by Hiro Morita is the new generation of Beyblade based on the popular Beyblade toy franchise by Takara Tomy.
Assassin’s Creed Chronicles: China by Minoji Kurata
Based on the popular game Assassin’s Creed Chronicles: China, Minoji Kurata’s manga follows Shao Jun, China’s last assassin, as she returns to her homeland for vengeance.
Detective Conan by Gosho Aoyama
In the popular Detective Conan series by Gosho Aoyama, which has been adapted into video games, live-action dramas, movies, and anime, Ace high school detective Shinichi Kudo was ambushed by a mysterious syndicate and fed a substance that shrunk him into a kid! Follow him on his adventure to find a cure, all while solving cases along the way.
Pokémon Adventures
Based on the iconic Pokémon video games, Pokémon Adventures is the best-selling children’s manga in Singapore. In this issue, Red doesn’t just want to train Pokémon, he wants to be their friend too, but he has to convince Pikachu!
Showcase Of Singapore Comics Donated by Local Collectors
Families can also discover more about Singapore’s own rich comic culture at the showcase wall featuring local comics donated by local comic collectors from their personal collection. This showcase aims to draw attention to Singapore’s own strong culture of comics, and features comics that are now hard to find in Singapore. These comics will also be added to the National Library’s collection of heritage materials subsequently. This special showcased collection will not be available for loan, and serves as a permanent display for all to enjoy.
Bookworm Gang Adventures
Bookworm Gang Adventures will bring back a sense of nostalgia for Singapore’s comic lovers. Smarty and gang enchanted thousands of Singaporean kids with their playful adventures when it was still in publication. The Bookworm book fairs were a hit in schools, with children scraping every last cent they had to buy the books.
The Amazing Adventures of Captain V by Siva Choy
The Amazing Adventures of Captain V by Siva Choy, was Singapore’s very first full-colour comic, published in 1987. Captain V was originally a mascot for the Singapore Police Force’s National Crime Prevention Programme, and was eventually immortalized in comic form, fighting against Dr Evil.
Medium Rare by Johnny Lau
Medium Rare by Johnny Lau, published in 1991, was a comic book of many firsts. It was Singapore’s first novel-length full colour English comic book that was done in the style of a graphic novel. This was also the first comic book adaptation of a film in Singapore. The film that it was based on, also named Medium Rare, was Singapore’s very firstfeature-length English-language movie. The movie was loosely based on the Adrian Lim ritual murders in the early 1980s.
eManga Collection
All titles (apart from the Singapore Comics Manga Covers) in the Grab-n-Go manga library will be available for browsing and borrowing. Library patrons may also borrow digital copies from the eManga collection on the NLB Mobile app and eResources website.
Mr Kiasu Robot Concierge
Photo Credits: The National Library Board
Families can also look out for the Mr Kiasu robot concierge, based on the lead character in the popular local comic series. Created specially by NLB in collaboration with partners DexLab, a local social robotics company, and one of the co-creators of Mr Kiasu, Johnny Lau, the Mr Kiasu robot concierge, programmed with an AI-generated voice, will recommend books and provide basic instructions on using Grab-n-Go.
