<p>You would typically read it in a S shape from one row to the next, always returning far right panel when you start a new row.</p>

<pre><code>+-------------------+
|    2    |   1     |
+-------------------+
|  6  | 5 | 4 |  3  |
+-------------------+
|    8    |    7    |
+-------------------+
</code></pre>

<p>So on the first row, start from the far right and you hit the far left panel of the first row, move to the far right panel of the second row. Then at the far left panel of the second row, move onto the far right of third row and finish the page.</p>

<p>However because of the flow of action in this particular page the order of panels goes more like this:</p>

<pre><code>+-------------------+
|    2    |   1     |
+-------------------+
|  3  | 4 | 4 |  3  |  &lt;-- the 2nd and the 4th Hokage are acting simultaneously
+-------------------+
|    6    |    5    |
+-------------------+
</code></pre>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-08-01T03:57:16.433Z
So is there a general rule of thumb I can follow when dealing with crazy multipane stuff like this?
yuritsuki
CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-08-01T04:07:58.580Z
The general rule of thumb is the first example, because it should work in 99% of cases, including the one example you gave, because this is the way of reading most readers are accustomed with . It's up to the author to direct the flow of the action. For the example you noted, notice the how the top and bottom rows (particularly the right most panels) mirror each other. The idea here is probably to illustrate the split-second swap in a more dynamic way.
кяαzєя
CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-08-01T03:01:27.020Z
2013-08-01T15:08:56.603Z
2013-08-01T15:08:56.603Z
кяαzєя
<p><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/riYOv.png" alt="Naruto 2-page spread"></p>

<p>Taking this double-page spread for example. There are total of 8 panels, but it's divided into three different segments from the top to the bottom.</p>

<p>I've tried reading from the top-right, to the bottom-right, then starting with the next pane downwards. I know Japanese manga is read right-to-left, and I'm having some trouble reading this particular part.</p>

<p>As a rule of thumb, how do I properly read manga with multiple panels like this?</p>

<naruto><panel-arrangement>
How do I read manga with multiple panels?
# How do I read manga with multiple panels?
Posted by: username_0 on 2013-08-01
![Naruto 2-page spread](https://i.sstatic.net/riYOv.png)

Taking this double-page spread for example. There are total of 8 panels, but it's divided into three different segments from the top to the bottom.

I've tried reading from the top-right, to the bottom-right, then starting with the next pane downwards. I know Japanese manga is read right-to-left, and I'm having some trouble reading this particular part.

As a rule of thumb, how do I properly read manga with multiple panels like this?
**Tags:** naruto panel-arrangement
---
## 1 answers
### Answer by username_1 on 2013-08-01. Score: 21 | Accepted answer
You would typically read it in a S shape from one row to the next, always returning far right panel when you start a new row.
+-------------------+
|    2    |   1     |
+-------------------+
|  6  | 5 | 4 |  3  |
+-------------------+
|    8    |    7    |
+-------------------+

So on the first row, start from the far right and you hit the far left panel of the first row, move to the far right panel of the second row. Then at the far left panel of the second row, move onto the far right of third row and finish the page.
However because of the flow of action in this particular page the order of panels goes more like this:
+-------------------+
|    2    |   1     |
+-------------------+
|  3  | 4 | 4 |  3  |  <-- the 2nd and the 4th Hokage are acting simultaneously
+-------------------+
|    6    |    5    |
+-------------------+
> **Comments:**
> **username_0** (2013-08-01): So is there a general rule of thumb I can follow when dealing with crazy multipane stuff like this?  
> **username_1** (2013-08-01): The general rule of thumb is the first example, because it should work in 99% of cases, including the one example you gave, because this is the way of reading most readers are accustomed with . It's up to the author to direct the flow of the action. For the example you noted, notice the how the top and bottom rows (particularly the right most panels) mirror each other. The idea here is probably to illustrate the split-second swap in a more dynamic way.  
---
