All the time. I've gotten to a point where I can point out if something is crap just by looking at its cover. This doesn't mean that I'm not willing to check out the manga once it's out, and most of the time it only confirms what I originally thought. This would be my own standard of what's good, of course. However, I'm only talking about shoujo, since it's basically the only thing I read. I also buy original Japanese manga, so it helps to eliminate the stuff that will just be a waste of money.

Last edited by kuinni at 4:29 pm, Sep 3 2010

All the time. If you can't appeal a potential reader with a full-blown coloured cover, how does the mangaka expect to do so in the story? Unlike novels, manga is told by its visuals, so covers matter much more.

All that says is that mangas with better covers put more effort into marketing their product, not necessarily in writing it (or even drawing it...the cover can look much better or worse than the art inside)

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"It is those who know little, and not those who know much, who so positively assert that this or that problem will never be solved by science."

naturally, i judge by the cover
the art is 50% of book

I usually do, because i can't really read a manga with bad art. It's usually the thing that catches your eye from a manga, anyway. I always read the description afterwards, though. Good art doesn't substitute for a good story

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Yep, usually if the pictures aren't very good I don't bother with trying to read it.
Just makes me think that it will be bad, not saying that it is though.

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Since manga HAS ART and stuff, yes I do judge a manga by its cover though I also read the description of it which might be on its back cover! Good storyline + good art is essential for my manga reading

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Simply another normal human being...

Initiallly I do judge by the cover. And by cover, I mean the aesthetics of the artwork. I will however read manga with art I don't particularly like if the story/plot/character development is well done.

i was always scared to read it whenever i see a mizukami shin manga's cover. namely aigan shounen and rikugun renai shikan gakkou. at that time i thought it was some kind of scary shota story. then ignoring the cover picture and actually read it i became a mizukami shin fan. i read every mizukami shin story translated up-till now. so with every manga ignore the cover, read the first chapter or something. art or story, something will grab you.