In Italian, manga does not have a native meaning, as it is a borrowed word from Japanese. Manga refers to Japanese comic books or graphic novels, which are highly popular worldwide. The term has been adopted into Italian (and many other languages) to specifically describe this unique style of illustrated storytelling.
In Italy, manga is widely recognized and used to refer to Japanese comics, with a strong fan base of readers and enthusiasts. These comics span various genres, appealing to both children and adults, and are often serialized in magazines before being published in book format.
For example:
Ho appena comprato un nuovo manga. – I just bought a new manga.
I manga giapponesi sono molto popolari in Italia. – Japanese manga are very popular in Italy.
While manga in Italian retains its Japanese origin and meaning, it is pronounced the same way as in Japanese, and its use is mostly limited to referring to Japanese comics or the genre itself.