Manga
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Wikipedia-Article "Manga"
- This article is about the Japanese medium. For other uses see Manga (disambiguation)
| English | Manga |
|---|---|
| Kanji | 漫画 |
| Kana | まんが |
| Rōmaji | manga |
Manga (漫画) is the Japanese word for comics and/or cartoons (not necessarily animated, this includes print cartoons); outside of Japan, it usually refers specifically to Japanese comics. Manga developed from a mixture of ukiyo-e and Western styles of drawing, and took its current form shortly after World War II. It comes mainly in black and white, except for the covers and maybe the first few pages.
A small amount of the total manga output of Japan is adapted into anime, which is usually created afterwards, once a market interest has been established. Stories are often modified to appeal to a more mainstream market or meet broadcast regulations.
Origins
Literally translated, manga means "random (or whimsical) pictures". The word first came into common usage after the publication of the 19th century Hokusai Manga, containing assorted drawings from the sketchbook of the famous ukiyo-e artist Hokusai. However, gi-ga (lit. "funny pictures") drawn in the 12th century by various artists contain many manga-like qualities such as emphasis on story and simple, artistic lines.
Manga developed from a mixture of ukiyo-e and Western art movements. When the United States began trading with Japan, Japan tried to modernise itself and catch up with the rest of the world. Thus, they imported Western artists to teach their students things such as line, form and colour (things which were never concentrated on in ukiyo-e as the idea behind the picture was normally considered more important). Manga as people know it in the 20th and 21st centuries only really came into being after World War II when government bans on non-propaganda were lifted and many publishers sprang up.
In the 20th century, manga came to refer to comics, though in Japan, the word is more commonly used to describe children's animation; the English word (comic) is actually the main term in use. Though roughly equivalent to the American comic book, manga holds more importance in Japanese culture than comics do in American culture. Manga is well respected both as an art form and as a form of popular literature. Like its American counterpart, manga has been criticized for being violent and sexual; however, there have been no official inquiries or laws that have tried to limit what can be drawn in manga, except for vague decency laws that apply to all published materials, stating that "overly indecent materials should not be sold." This freedom has allowed artists to draw manga for every age group and about every topic.
Manga format
Manga magazines usually have many series running concurrently with approximately 20–40 pages allocated to each series per issue. These manga magazines, or "anthology magazines", as they are also known, are usually printed on low-quality newsprint and can be anywhere from 200 to more than 850 pages long. Manga magazines also contain one-shot comics and various four-panel yonkoma (equivalent to comic strips). Manga series can run for many years if they are successful. Manga artists sometimes start out with a few "one-shot" manga projects just to try to get their name out. If these are successful and receive good reviews, they are continued.
When a series has been running for a while, the stories are usually collected together and printed in dedicated book-sized volumes, called tankōbon. These volumes use higher-quality paper, and are useful to those who want to "catch up" with a series so they can follow it in the magazines or if they find the cost of the weeklies or monthlies to be prohibitive. Recently, "deluxe" versions have also been printed as readers have gotten older and the need for something special grew. Old manga have also been reprinted using somewhat lesser quality paper and sold for 100 yen each to compete with the used book market.
Manga are primarily classified by the age and gender of the target audience. In particular, books and magazines sold to boys (shōnen) and girls (shōjo) have distinctive cover art and are placed on different shelves in most bookstores.
Japan also has manga cafés, or manga kissaten. At a manga kissaten, people drink coffee and read manga.
Many things appear in manga format, including wanted posters for criminals.
Traditionally, manga are written from right to left. Some publishers of translated manga keep that format, but some switch the direction to left to right, so as not to confuse Western readers.
Manga outside Japan
Manga has been translated into many different languages in different countries including Korea, China, France, Germany, Italy, and many more. In the USA, manga is still a rather small industry, especially when compared to the inroads that Japanese animation has made in the USA. An example of a manga publisher in the United States is VIZ Media, the American affiliate of publishers Shogakukan (小学館 Shōgakukan) and Shueisha (集英社 Shūeisha). They have many popular titles such as Neon Genesis Evangelion, Dragon Ball Z, Tenchi Muyō!, Rurouni Kenshin, YuYu Hakusho, (Yūyū Hakusho), Yu-Gi-Oh! (Yūgiō) and the various works of Rumiko Takahashi. The UK has fewer manga publishers than the U.S.
Since Japanese is usually written from right to left in works of fiction, manga is drawn and published this way in Japan. When various titles were first translated to other languages, the artwork and layouts were flipped and reversed in a process known as "flopping", so that the book may be read from left-to-right. However, various creators (such as Akira Toriyama) did not approve of their work being modified this way, and requested that foreign versions retain the right-to-left format of the originals. Soon, due to both fan demand and the requests of creators, more publishers began offering the option of right-to-left formatting, which has now become commonplace in North America. Left-to-right formatting has gone from the rule to the exception.
Translated manga often includes cultural notes for details of Japanese culture that may not be familiar to foreign audiences.
Another company, TOKYOPOP, is producing manga widely in the United States, with the right-to-left format as a highly publicized point. They are widely credited with starting the current boom in manga sales, particularly amongst teenage girls. Some critics have complained that their aggressive publishing schedule emphasizes quantity over quality, and might be responsible for translations which many feel to be of sub-optimal quality. Many also frown upon the company for their frequent localization changes, including additions such as American slang, excessive swearing that is not to be found in the Japanese originals of the same titles, and joke rewrites, among others. However, even their critics tend to admit that their contributions to the success of manga in America have been considerable.
France is noted for having a particularly strong and diverse manga market. Many works that are published in France fall into genres that aren't well represented outside of Japan, such as adult oriented drama, or experimental and avant garde works. Authors such as Jiro Taniguchi who are relatively unknown in other western countries have received much acclaim in France. Part of the reason for the sheer popularity and diversity of manga in this country is due to it having a well established and respected comics market of its own (see Franco-Belgian comics).
The company Chuang Yi publishes manga in English and Chinese in Singapore; some of Chuang Yi's English-language titles are imported to Australia and New Zealand.
In Indonesia, manga has quickly become one of fastest growing consumer industries, and Indonesia has become one of the biggest manga markets outside of Japan. Manga in Indonesia is published by Elex Media Komputindo, Acolyte, Gramedia. Manga has greatly influenced Indonesia's original comic industry.
In Australia, many popular Japanese and Chinese language manga and anime are distributed by Madman Entertainment.
Another popular form of manga distribution outside of Japan is through the Internet as (mostly illegal) scanlations, also known as scanslations. Typically, a small group of people scan the original version of a series with no current license in the language which they wish to translate it to, translate it, and freely distribute; usually through the use of IRC or BitTorrent. Most scanlation groups request that downloaders cease distribution and purchase official copies in the event that their projects become licensed, though it is a common concern that readers will continue to use these unauthorized copies. Many readers prefer scanslations due to the frequent changes found in official translations, though scanslations are more likely to have some unintentional mistakes due to the varying degrees of skill employed by the unpaid translators. Some scanslators do make edits, though it is rare, especially compared to the official manga translation industry.
In Korea, manga can be found in most bookstores. However it is also common to read manga online for a much cheaper price than a concrete copy of the comic. Publishers such as Daiwon and Seoul Munhwasa give out most of the popular manga in Korea.
In Thailand before 1992–1995 almost all available manga was fast, unlicensed, poor quality bootlegs. More recently, licensed translations have begun to appear, but are still inexpensive compared to other countries. Thailand's manga publishers include Vibunkij, Siam Inter Comics, Nation Edutainment, and Bongkouh.
Manga has proved so popular that it has led to other companies such as Antarctic Press, Oni Press, Seven Seas Entertainment, TOKYOPOP and even Archie Comics to release their own manga-inspired works that apply the same artist stylings and story pacing commonly seen in Japanese manga. The first of these such works came in 1985 when Ben Dunn, founder of Antarctic Press, released Mangazine and Ninja High School.
While Antarctic Press actively refers to its works as "American Manga", not all of these manga-inspired works are made by Americans. Many of the artists working on Seven Seas Entertainment series such as Last Hope and Amazing Agent Luna are Filipino and TOKYOPOP has hired a variety of Korean and Japanese artists to work on titles such as Warcraft and Princess Ai.
The manga style
The most popular and recognizable style of manga is very distinctive. Emphasis is often placed on line over form, and the storytelling and panel placement differ from those in Western comics. Panels and pages are typically read from right to left, consistent with traditional Japanese writing. While the art can be incredibly realistic or cartoonish, it is often noted that the characters look "Western", or have large eyes. Large eyes have become a permanent fixture in manga and anime since the 1960s when Osamu Tezuka, creator of Astro Boy and considered the father of modern manga, started drawing them that way, mimicking the style of Disney cartoons from the United States. Being a very diverse artform, however, not all manga artists adhere to the conventions most popularized in the west through anime such as Akira, Sailor Moon, Dragon Ball Z, and Ranma ½.
A fair number of manga artists do not feel that their stories and characters are set in stone. So a set of characters may build relationships, jobs, etc. in one set of stories ("story arc") only to have another story arc run where the same characters do not know each other. The Tenchi series in particular is known for this; there are more than thirteen different pretty-much unrelated story arcs based around Tenchi and his friends.
International influence
Manga has long had an influence on international comics and animation the world over. American alternative comics artists such as Frank Miller and Scott McCloud were somewhat influenced by manga in a few of their works.
Other artists such as Americans Brian Wood and Becky Cloonan (Demo) and Canadian Bryan Lee O'Malley (Lost At Sea) are heavily influenced by the mainstream manga style and have received acclaim for their work outside of anime/manga fan circles. These artists have many other influences that make their work more palatable to non-manga readers. These artists have their roots in the anime/manga subculture of their particular regions.
American artist Paul Pope worked in Japan for Kodansha on the manga anthology Afternoon. Before he was fired (due to an editorial change at Kodansha) he was developing many ideas for the anthology that he would later publish in the U.S. as Heavy Liquid. As a result his work features a strong influence from manga without influences from international otaku culture.
In France there is a "Nouvelle Manga" movement started by Frédéric Boilet which seeks to combine mature sophisticated daily life manga with the artistic style of traditional Franco-Belgian comics. While the movement also involves Japanese artists, a handful of French cartoonists other than Boilet have decided to embrace its ideal.
In addition, there are many amateur artists who are influenced exclusively by the manga style. Many of these have their own small publishing houses, and some webcomics and webmanga in this style have become very popular (see Megatokyo). For the most part, these artists are not yet recognized outside of the anime and manga fan community. Many people outside of those circles view those works as being too focused on the American anime subculture, and not focused enough on telling stories that resonate with a wider audience.
Off the main path
Some manga artists will produce extra, sometimes unrelated material, which are known as omake (lit. "bonus" or "extra"). They might also publish their unfinished drawings or sketches, known as oekaki (lit. "sketches").
Unofficial fan made comics are called dōjinshi. Some dōjinshi continue with a series' story or write an entirely new one using its characters, much like fan fiction. In addition other dōjinshi is produced by small amateur publishers outside of the mainstream commercial market in a similar fashion to small-press independently published comic books in the United States. Comiket, the largest comic book convention in the world with over 400,000 gathering in 3 days, is devoted to dōjinshi.
Types of manga
Many of these genres apply equally well to anime (which very often includes adaptations of manga) and Japanese computer games (some of which are also adaptations of manga).
By target audience
- Josei (or redikomi) women
- Kodomo children
- Seinen men
- Shōjo young and teenage girls
- Shōnen young and teenage boys
Genres
- Alternative (See also: Garo)
- Gekiga (dramatic pictures)
- La nouvelle manga (Franco-Belgian/Japanese artistic movement)
- Semi-alternative (popular publication individualistic style)
- Battling companion (not an official name)
- Magical girl (mahō shōjo)
- Mecha (giant robots)
- Moé (also mahō kanojo or magical girlfriend)
- Shōjo-ai (or Yuri, lesbian romance)
- Shōnen-ai (or Yaoi, gay romance)
- Dōjinshi Fan-art or self-published manga
Popular shōnen manga series
- Bleach (manga) (Spiritualism/Action/Adventure/Comedy)
- Fullmetal Alchemist (Action/Adventure/Comedy)
- Naruto (Fantasy/Ninja)
- Rurouni Kenshin (Samurai Epic)
- One Piece
- Dragonball
- Shaman King
- InuYasha
- Death Note
Popular shōjo manga series
- Nana (Drama/Romance)
- Ceres, Celestial Legend (Ayashi no Ceres) (Paranormal/Romance)
- Boys Over Flowers (Hana Yori Dango) (Drama/Romance)
- Fruits Basket (Comedy/Romance/Paranormal)
- Hana-Kimi (Hanazakari no Kimi-tachi e) (Comedy/Romance/Drama)
- Kare Kano (His and Her Circumstances a.k.a. Kareshi Kanojo no Jijō) (Comedy/Romance/Drama)
- Marmalade Boy (Comedy/Romance/Drama)
- Please Save My Earth (Sci-fi/Drama)
- Revolutionary Girl Utena (Action/Drama)
- X/1999 (Paranormal)
Popular seinen manga series
- 3x3 Eyes (Mythology/Comedy/Horror)
- Akira (Sci-Fi)
- Angel Densetsu (Drama)
- Berserk (Medieval/Fantasy)
- Blade of the Immortal (Samurai Drama)
- Ghost in the Shell (Sci-Fi)
- Lone Wolf and Cub (Samurai Drama)
- MONSTER (Horror/Drama)
- Hellsing (Action/Horror)
Distributors of manga
Major Japanese distributors
- Akita Publishing Co., Ltd.
- Chuokoron Shinsha
- Hakusensha
- Kadokawa Shoten
- Hayakawa Publishing
- Kodansha
- Shodensha
- Shogakukan
- Shonen Gahosha
- Shueisha
Major English-language distributors
- ADV Manga
- CMX (an imprint of American comic book company DC Comics)
- CPM Manga
- Dark Horse Comics
- Del Rey Manga
- DrMaster
- TOKYOPOP
- VIZ Media (formerly Viz, LLC)
Other English-language distributors
- Blast Books
- BLU (an imprint of Tokyopop)
- Broccoli Books
- ChuangYi Publishing (Singapore) [1]
- ComicsOne (defunct)
- DH Publishing
- Digital Manga Publishing
- eigoMANGA
- NitenKyoso
- Kodansha (Once published bilingual editions of manga)
- Ponent Mon/Fanfare
- Raijin Comics (defunct)
- Seven Seas Entertainment
- Studio Ironcat (defunct)
- Vertical Publishing
- Madman Entertainment
Major Chinese-language distributors
Traditional Chinese
- Daran Books (Taiwan)
- Tong Li (Taiwan) [2]
- Ever Glory Publishing egmanga (Taiwan) [3]
- Sharp Poing Publishing (Taiwan) [4]
- King Comics (Hong Kong)
- Culturecom Comics (Hong Kong) [5]
- Comicsworld (Hong Kong) [6]
- Jade Dynasty Publications Ltd
- Jonesky Limited
- Kwong's Creations Co Ltd
- Rightman Publishing Ltd
Simplified Chinese
Major French-language distributors
- Asuka
- Casterman
- Delcourt
- Génération comics
- Glénat
- J'ai lu
- Kana
- Kabuto
- Pika Édition
- Tonkam
- Végétal Manga
Major German-language distributors
Major Indonesian-language distributors
Major Spanish-language distributors
Major Italian-language distributors
Major Polish language distributors
Major Brazilian Portuguese-language distributors
- JBC - Japan Brazil Communication
- Conrad Editora
- Editora Animangá
- Panini Comics Brasil
- Editora Escala
- Editora Talismã
Major Vietnamese-language distributors
Major Malay-language distributors
- Art Square creation (under the label Gempak Starz)
- Comics House
- Tora Aman
List of manga magazines
Language notes
Because nouns in Japanese don't change based on pluralization, manga is the form for both plural and singular. It is also commonly called コミックス(comics) in Japanese.
Mangaka (漫画家) is the corresponding Japanese word for a manga author/artist.
See also
For an extensive list of Japanese manga and Webmanga, see List of manga, List of manga by Japanese title, and List of dōjinshi (manga). For a list of Manga artists (or Japanese Cartoonists), see Mangaka. For an international list of manga magazines see List of manga magazines. For a list of pornographic manga, see List of H manga, and List of H dōjinshi (manga). See also: List of anime games.
- Dōjinshi
- Anime game
- Anime
- Dorama
- Gashapon
- Hentai
- Weekly Shonen Jump
- Manhua (Sinosphere)
- Manhwa (South Korea)
References
- Gravett, Paul. Manga: 60 Years of Japanese Comics. New York: Collins Design, 2004. ISBN 1856693910.
- Schodt, Frederik L. Dreamland Japan: Writings on Modern Manga. Berkeley, Calif.: Stone Bridge Press, 1996. ISBN 188065623X.
- Schodt, Frederik L. Manga! Manga!: The World of Japanese Comics. New York: Kodansha International, 1983. ISBN 870117521, ISBN 4770023057.
External links
Websites with descriptions and informations:
- Anime News Network- A huge database of information on anime as well as manga.
- Anime University - History of Manga History of Manga article from AnimeInfo.
- Manganews.net - Contains a large database of manga titles with useful descriptions, and also lists recently scanlated manga, with manga news and reviews updated daily.
- Baka-Updates Manga Lists manga title and author information, and has information pertaining to manga scanlations.
- U.S. Papers Adding Japanese-Style Comics
Websites of News:
- Manga Life- Manga reviews, news, and information updated daily.
- Manga Jouhou- Manga news
- Manga.3Yen - Daily news and info on Manga from Japan.
- Manga Reviewer - Reviews, previews and mangaka bios.
Websites with illustrations:
- Mangallery- A big Manga and Anime Gallery in Poland.
- Lyhana8- Huge database of pics, able to illustrate this article.
- How to draw manga - A popular series of art instruction books. Here the tutorial page.
Others websites:
- IMAF - International Manga and Anime Festival, County Hall, London
- Fansubbers.com Online Manga Manga online by Fansubbers
- Mangaka.co.za A South African manga community site with artist profiles, video manga tutorials & forum discussions.
- Noated: Very active community forum, including anime/manga db, book store, and site directory.
- The gioi Manga - Community forum on Manga and Anime of Hong Bang University - Vietnam.