Manga

Brief Overview of Manga (Japanese Comic)

Naruto illust

“Manga” became Globally Popular Term
Today, the word "Manga" which refer to Japanese comics and Japanese style comics are widespread all over the world. Compared to foreign comics such as American comics and bande dessinee in the French-speaking countries, Japanese comics have different characteristics like monochrome expression, distinctive deformation and well-written plot. Thus, Japanese comics draw great deal of global attention recently and they are translated and published in various countries. Previously, Japanese comics such as international version of "AKIRA" were often reconstructed and colored based on the form of American comics, but recently, the characteristics of Japanese comics are accentuated and published in the form which is closed to original. On the other hand, it is hard to translate them because of Japanese unique culture and verbal expressions.

Manga has 3 Guinness World Records
“Kochira Katsushika-ku Kameari Kōen Mae Hashutsujo”, often shortened to “Kochikame” is a manga series which is in the Guinness Book of World Records as the longest running serial comic. “One Piece” had set the Guinness World Record for the most published comic book series by a single author. Also, famous comic author “Shotaro Ishinomori” is awarded the Guinness World Record for the most comics published by one author with 500 comics of 128,000 pages.

Once the term “Manga” included the “Anime”
One PieceBefore the word "anime" (Japanese Animation) became popular in the late 1970, people called all of animated works, TV cartoons, animated films and dramas for children (including special effects works) "manga". In the business world like publishing companies, cartoon is often called "ponchi-e." The origin of this word was the first published comic magazine in Japan, "The Japan Punch" which was made based on the British magazine of caricatures called Punch.

“Manga” plays Main Roll in Japanese Publishing Industry
Professionals' works are often published as a book after serialized in a comic magazine. There are various kinds of comics. There is no separation between the comics for kids and those for adults and there are no generations left behind in the comic market except the elderly. All Japan Magazine and Book Publisher's and Editor's Association says the number of comic books sold in Japan in 2013 was 435,840,000 and that of comic magazines was 483,030,000. And the sales figures of comic books and comic magazines accounted for more than 3,600,000,000 dollars, which is more than 22% of the total sales figure of all publications in 2013. Every year, more than 8,000 Manga titles are published in Japan.

Bleach
Manga Art of "BLEACH"
One piece
Manga Art of "ONE PIECE"
Manga Art of 'Dragon Ball'
Manga Art of "Dragon Ball"
Must See Videos
Video Contents
1. Drawing of Famous Manga Artists (7:12)
2. Documentary of Manga Artist (4:48)

Expression Form of Manga

How to drow Manga

Distinctive Characteristics of Japanese Manga
Japanese comics generally consist of 'frame, character, background, speech balloon, onomatopoeia, manpu (signs, symbols and characters used in manga to represent actions, emotions, etc.), dialogue and other techniques.' Firstly, the expression form and technique used for common story manga are described below. A space is divided by frames and each frame shows a scene. Readers should guess the following frame after reading a frame, in many cases, the order of reading is not specified and it is an unspoken understanding. Although there is an exception, the basic way to read frames is as follows.

Read from the Right Page to the Left Page
In the same page, read from the top column to the bottom column.
If there are several frames on the same column, read from right to left.
If there is a visible difference in the clearance from the neighboring frame, read the closer frame.
A frame straddles the next page should be read at the end of the page.
If the frames are numbered (found in some four-frame cartoon and early comics), read in numerical order.

Techniques of Manga
The dialogue and thought are written in a frame called speech balloon. The tone of the words is expressed by the shape of speech balloon and character style. Onomatopoeia is written by hand in a picture. Sometimes, small-sized lines of dialogue is written by hand. A kind of code called manpu is used to express the feeling and motion of a character and the movement of things clearly.

All Famous Characters of Jump Comic Magazine
All Famous Characters of Jump Comic Magazine
Manga Art of NARUTO
Manga Art of "NARUTO"

Etymology of term “Manga”

Two Theories for Etymology of Manga
The word 'manga' literally means 'drawing a picture at will.' There is a theory that the word 'manpitsu (漫筆)' meaning an essay which is 'writing (a sentence) at will' became 'manpitsu-ga (a picture painted at will)', then 'manga', also there is another theory that a type of spoonbill called 'mankaku (漫画)' which 'looks for various things' was the origin. Both theories explain that a word meaning texts changed to mean pictures.

"Hokusai Manga" which was painted by Famous Hokusai Katsushika
Hokusai MangaIn the preface of a picture book "Shiishikoka (四時交加) " which was published in 1798, Kyoden SANTO uses a word 'manga' as the meaning of 'drawing (a picture) at will.'
The word 'manga' was spread as a word meaning a sketch like a caricature by Hokusai Manga (Hokusai's sketches) which was painted by Hokusai KATSUSHIKA in 1814. Though "Hokusai Manga" was a etehon (art manuals) (book of sketches), there were caricatures and cartoons. As shown by "Hokusai Manga", the word 'manga' has existed since the Edo period, but the 'manga' carried a strong sense of 'a picture like a caricature' and 'an essay with pictures.' Hokusai Manga became a long-selling book which was published after World War II and it had been read by a wide range of people.
Under the influence of this fact, some books containing several pictures like caricatures are titled 'something manga' such as "Korin Manga" (Korin's sketches) (1817) written by Korin OGATA. The tradition of 'something manga' such as "Yoshitoshi Manga" (Yoshitoshi's sketches) (1885) written by Yoshitoshi TSUKIOKA continued into the Meiji period. However, these were more like 'manpitsu-ga' and it did not have the same meaning as 'manga' in the modern language.

TThe Word “Manga” became Common in Meiji Period
It was the Showa period that the word 'manga' started to be used as the daily language and it had been called such as 'ponchi', 'tobae', 'kyoga' and 'caricature' before that. It was Ippyo IMAIZUMI who lived in the Meiji period and started to use the word 'manga' in the same meaning as people nowadays use it. Ippyo published "Ippyo manga shu (Ippyo's collection of manga illustrations), first edition" which mainly contained caricatures on October 31, 1895 and used the word 'manga' as a translation of caricature or cartoon in the book. Rakuten KITAZAWA was the first person who used the word 'manga' as a translation of cartoon and comic that are imported into Japan during the Meiji period and this meaning of 'manga' became established as manga in the modern period. The word 'manga' was exported to China during the Taisho period and the spelling of manga became one of the popular Japanese used in European countries. In western countries, the word 'manga' means only Japanese comics.

Manga Art of NARUTO
Manga Art of "NARUTO"
Manga Art of Air Gear
Manga Art of " Air Gear"

History of Manga

Chojuga

From the Medieval Period through the Early-Modern Times
It is said that the oldest 'manga' in the sense of comical pictures in Japan was an emakimono (an illustrated scroll) called "Choju Jinbutsu Giga (caricatures of frolicking birds, animals and humans)" painted in the Heian period(794-1185). Emakimono (old Japanese document of rolled paper) also shows expressions like comics and has some elements which are similar to modern comics.
Then, caricatures and ukiyoe (Japanese woodblock prints) grew out in the Edo period against the backdrop of the development of printing techniques and the flowering of townsmen culture. A best-selling book at the end of Edo period "Hokusai Manga" was particularly famous and it contained the old form of 'manpu' such as a line depicting nasal breathing and caricatures of court nobles and samurai. These caricatures grew out because of that period and led to latter-day cartoons.

From the End of the Edo Period through the Taisho Period
rakutenIn 1862, a comic magazine "The Japan Punch" was published in Yokohama City's Enclave for foreign residents and gained popularity. Due to this, Japanese newspapers also started to place comics and the word 'ponchi' meaning the comics which deal with topical themes became a vogue word. Western satire magazines became available afterJapan marked the end of a long period of isolation and Japanese comics developed by imitating them. In 1877, a comic magazine representing the Meiji period "Marumaru Chinbun" was first launched. Japan's first serial comic was "A Tall Man and a Short Man Make a Trip to Enoshima and Kamakura" (1896) by Beisaku TAGUCHI serialized in "Marumaru Chinbun" and it was the first comic that describes a coherent story with specific characters. Rakuten KITAZAWA showed great dedication to the development of Japanese cartoons by launching "Tokyo Puck" in 1905 and so on. Also, "Tonda Haneko (Miss Haneko Tonda)" serialized in "Jiji Manga" by Rakuten from 1928 was Japan's first serial comic starring a girl and it was a pioneering girls' comic. Ippei OKAMOTO established the first cartoonist organization in Japan called Tokyo manga kai (latter-day Nihon manga kai) in 1915. Okamoto serialized a manga prose such as "Hito no Issho (A life of a man)"(1921) in Tokyo Asahi Shinbun and constructed a prototype of Japanese story manga later. Okamoto's activity played a large role in the process that comics which were considered to be solely as a means of satire became recognized as popular entertainment. Since the publication of "Adventures of Sho-chan" written by Nobutsune ODA and illustrated by Katsuichi KABASHIMA and "Nonki na Tosan (Easygoing Daddy)" written by Yutaka ASO in 1923, the modern expressions such as layout of frames and speech balloons started to have popular usage.

Japan PonchFrom the before War Period through the Post War Period in the Showa Period
In 1932, Shin Manga ha Shudan (New Manga Group) was formed by young cartoonists in their 20s including Hidezo KONDO, Ryuichi YOKOYAMA and Yukio SUGIURA. The members of Shin Manga ha Shudan were characterized by drawing not with a brush but with a pen and their style was mainly Japan's own nonsense comics which was inspired by western nonsense comics. Shin Manga ha Shudan achieved so much popularity as to surpass Rakuten, Ippei and their disciples and the members of Shin Manga ha Shudan became core cartoonists in the comic world post World War II. In the 1930s, popular children's comics such as "Norakuro", "Tanku Tankuro" and "The Adventures of Dankichi " which were serialized in "Shonen Club (Boys' club)" published by Kodansha Ltd. and other children's magazines became bestselling books. Aside from these mainstream comics which were serialized in newspapers and magazines, there were thin and two or three colored comic books sold at mom-and-pop candy stores and toy stores. These cheap and rough comic books were called akahon (a book for boys) due to heavy use of red ink. For these akahon, cartoonists such as Masao HAGA (芳賀まさを) and Gajo SAKAMOTO, in the early years, produced the manuscript. When Japan joined World War II, Japanese comic industry was temporarily forced to decline due to the regulation by intelligence bureau and lack of paper. After World War II, Osamu TEZUKA who was inspired by Walt Disney and Fleischer Studios, Inc. established the expression technique in "Shin Takarazima" combining cinematic composition with symbolism specific to the comic, and his technique became the de facto standard of Japanese comics.

The Post War Period in the Showa Period
AKIRAAfter the war, rental comic became established as one of the inexpensive supply systems of comics and it was a mainstream until the 1950s. In 1595, the first ever weekly comic magazine "Weekly Shonen Sunday" and "Weekly Shonen Magazine" were launched, followed by "Weekly Shonen King" in 1963, "Weekly Shonen Jump" in 1968 and "Weekly Shonen Champion" in 1969, then it entered the five boys' magazines period. Around that time, a lot of new comic magazines were launched and the rental comic system rapidly declined. In the 1950s, many cartoonists who were inspired by the story manga developed by Osamu TEZUKA appeared one after another and in 1960s, the works of Shotaro ISHINOMORI, Fujio AKATSUKA and Fujio FUJIKO became big hits. Also, the works for adults like gekiga (graphic novel) which was created by Takao SAITO appeared as a type of comics which had been considered as reading for children and it led to the expansion of the market. Japanese comic started to be exported around the 1980s and it gained new fans. The fact that Japanese animations had already been broadcasted abroad and gained high popularity made a major contribution to this. In addition, major publishing companies which didn't have a comic department such as Kadokawa Group Publishing Co., Ltd., Tokuma Shoten Publishing Co., Ltd. and Gakushu Kenkyusha also entered into the comic market at the end of the Showa period (from the end of the 70s to the 80s), then so called 'geeky' comic books and comic magazines appeared.

Death NoteSince the Heisei Period
Genre of comics expanded in keeping with changes of the times and the number of magazine publication rose drastically, also comic magazines in complex with information magazines appeared. In the early 90s, Enix Corporation and MediaWorks, Inc. entered into the market and they created different works than major magazines. Since the 2000s, the culture of dojinshi (publication aimed at a particular hobby group), derivative work, anthology and web comic (a comic published on the Internet) developed further and the number of comic magazines continued to increase. Also, the relations with media franchise is being strengthened. On the one hand, the sales of boys' magazines and girls' magazines have been decreasing as a result of the increasing number of children who are not interested in or do not read comics due to the aliterates in earlier age group and other entertainments such as portable game machines and mobile phones and the low birthrate, then the number of defunct magazines is increasing. On the other hand, Japanese comics are translated into many languages and gained worldwide popularity. However, in recent years, it has been commercially struggling because the comics are downloaded into personal computers and delivered domestically and internationally via P2P and so on due to the development of the Internet.

Ukiyo-e from samurai period
Ukiyo-e from Samurai Period
Manga Art of ONE PIECE
Manga Art of "ONE PIECE"
Manga Art of Vagabond
Manga Art of Vagabond

World Ranking of Comic Sales Over 40 Millions

Manga Ranking

Representative Japanese Manga

ONE PIECE

ONE PIECE

GOLGO 13

GOLGO 13

Dragon Ball

Dragon Ball

Kochikame

Kochikame

Detective Conan

Detective Conan

NARUTO

NARUTO

Kindaichi Case Files

Kindaichi Case Files

JoJo's Adventure

JoJo's Adventure

SLAM DUNK

SLAM DUNK

Doraemon

Doraemon

Astroboy

Astroboy

Touch

Touch

Sazae-san

Sazae-san

BLEACH

BLEACH

Fighting Spirit

Fighting Spirit

Captain Tsubasa

Captain Tsubasa

HUNTER HUNTER

HUNTER HUNTER

Fist of the North Star

Fist of the North Star

Kinnikuman

Kinnikuman

Hana yori Dango

Hana yori Dango

Rurouni Kenshin

Rurouni Kenshin

Death Note

Death Note

Ranma

Ranma

Fullmetal Alchemist

Fullmetal Alchemist

Grappler Baki

Grappler Baki

GTO

GTO

Yu Yu Hakusho

Yu Yu Hakusho

Initial D

Initial D

Black Jack

Black Jack

Gintama

Gintama

Prince of Tennis

Prince of Tennis

NANA

NANA

Crayon Shinchan

Crayon Shinchan

Attack on Titan

Attack on Titan

VAGABOND

VAGABOND

MAJOR

MAJOR

Inuyasha

Inuyasha

Yu-Gi-Oh!

Yu-Gi-Oh!

20th Century Boy

20th Century Boy

Dr.Slump

Dr.Slump

Lamu

Lamu

Bastard!!

Bastard!!

Kuroko's Basketball

Kuroko's Basketball

SHAMAN KING

SHAMAN KING

Nodame Cantabille

Nodame Cantabille

FAIRYTAIL

FAIRYTAIL

Hikaru no Go

Hikaru no Go

ROOKIES

ROOKIES

GANTZ

GANTZ

Magister Negi Magi

Magister Negi Magi

D.Grayman

D.Grayman

Ace of Diamond

Ace of Diamond

Rave

Rave

Blue Sky Route

Blue Sky Route

The Tale of Genji

The Tale of Genji

Soul Eater

Soul Eater

KINGDOM

KINGDOM

MAGI

MAGI

Black Butler

Black Butler

Space Brothers

Space Brothers

To Love Ru

To Love Ru

Parasitic Beast

Parasitic Beast

Chiharafuru

Chiharafuru

Mago

Mago

Sgt. Frog

Sgt. Frog

Assassination Classroom

Assassination Classroom

Terra Formers

Terra Formers

Yowamushi Pedal

Yowamushi Pedal

Natsume's book of Friends

Natsume's book of Friends

Silver Spoon

Silver Spoon

Yotsubato

Yotsubato

SKET DANCE

SKET DANCE

Haikyu!!

Haikyu!!

St. Older Brothers

St. Older Brothers

Kekkai Sensen

Kekkai Sensen

Tokyo Ghoul

Tokyo Ghoul

AJIN

AJIN

Berserk

Berserk

The Seven Deadly Sins

The Seven Deadly Sins

Otoyome Gatari

Otoyome Gatari

Umimachi Diary

Umimachi Diary

I am a Hero

I am a Hero

Lion of March

Lion of March

Thermae Romae

Thermae Romae

Kimi ni Todoke

Kimi ni Todoke

Ooku

Ooku

Kuragehime

Kuragehime

Sakamoto Desuga

Sakamoto Desuga

One Punch Man

One Punch Man

Shokugeki bo Soma

Shokugeki bo Soma
Must Visit Spots

For More Information
Tweet
facebook
google plus
See Also
Encyclopedia of Japan