The essays are not a proving ground for how artsy or sophisticated you are (or can appear to be) or an exercise in showing whether you can make your way through dense material. Admissions is just giving you an opportunity to write about a novel, book, song, etc. that had an impact on you or sparked a reaction. As with all college essays, the readers just hope to read something fun, interesting or thoughtful to use in answering the question “would this student be a good fit, get involved in our clubs and activities, and contribute to making UVA an interesting, lively, enjoyable, diverse, or supportive place?” In our family, successful essays for this question focused on one student’s appreciation of an alternative rock band and another student’s liking of a non-fiction book that he didn’t expect to enjoy because he doesn’t generally like non-fiction. Both were well-written and genuine, but no major life lessons were learned or daunting material tackled. So, sure, if manga is something you enjoy, write about it.