Masaharu Takemura

This is a graphic novel I ordered for use in my secondary science classes. There is no manga guide to biology or chemistry, but this work (and the guide to biochemistry) come closest. This text covers topics which are addressed in secondary biology more than chemistry. The book covers cells, proteins and DNA, DNA replication, protein formation, and genetic technology.

At the beginning of the book, Ami and Rin are sent to summer school for skipping almost all of their molecular biology classes. This summer school takes place on the professor's island, but he is busy so he asks his assistant Marcus to teach them. Reminiscent of The Magic School Bus, the girls enter their professor's "Dream Machine," a VR device that lets them experience the microscopic world. As the popularity of that TV show demonstrates, this is an engaging way to teach science. Like the other manga guides, the book contains a combination of manga plot and textbook-like explanation.

My main concern with the text is the fact that, like all of the magna guides, only female characters ever struggle to understand science, and only male characters explain the topics. Also, it isn't really necessary for the female protagonist to become infatuated with their male instructor in every book. While this may increase the investment of some students, it detracts from the story for others.… (altro)

This is a graphic novel I ordered for use in my secondary science classes. There is no manga guide to biology or chemistry, but this work (and the guide to molecular biology) come closest. At the secondary level, I would argue that this book covers biology more than chemistry. The chapter topics are: cells, photosynthesis, respiration, enzymes, DNA and RNA, applied biochemistry (ex: why does fruit get sweeter as it ripens?), and the job of a biochemist. The fact that chemical reactions take place is addressed superficially, and chemical structure drawings sometimes appear, but chemistry topics from junior high and high school are not really addressed in the text.

Like the other manga guides, in addition to manga, the book also contains some textbook-like material that explains what the characters learned in more detail.

At the beginning of the book, Kumi is struggling with her goal to lose weight (although she is already a healthy weight), so her friend Nemoto explains how the human body works. The science topics in the book are accurate, and Kumi's struggle is probably relatable for many teenage girls. However, I wish the authors had chosen another entry point for biology that wouldn't subtly reinforce body image issues that are already too prevalent in our society. In addition, the manga guides all feature a knowledgeable male who rescues a struggling girl from her lack of knowledge, which isn't the message I want to convey to my female students. This book partly remedies this fact by introducing Nemoto's female biochemistry professor. But it would be better if sometimes a struggling male student were helped by a knowledgeable female student.… (altro)

“The Manga Guide to Molecular Biology” is an excellent teaching tool to the intimidating concepts of Molecular Biology. The guide is written and illustrated in the fun Manga comic format, breaking complex ideas down in to small pieces, and explaining every concept with practical examples.
The cool thing about the book is that it starts as a fiction story of two college girls, Rin and Ami, who went to an isolated island to take a molecular biology make-up class with Professor Moro. There, through the use of Moro's virtual reality machine, they travel inside the human body and learn about the world of molecular biology.
To my surprise, I found this book very interesting and useful. The wonderful scenarios and illustrations transformed a complex world of molecules, DNA, and cell division into a simple visually stimulating world of animation.
I could never imagine that the manga books can teach any serious scientific subjects. Now, that I have discovered these books in my library, I am going to recommend them to my teachers, who are struggling with finding the ways to get students interested in teaching certain concepts. Hopefully, they will find these books useful and will be able to implement them in teaching different subjects in a less intimidating and fun way or at least recommend them to their students. Highly recommend for students studying biology.… (altro)