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ぶんか プロジェクト:まんが By リア・マ
Commonly Used Terms • manga (漫画／まんが): literally means “whimsical pictures” or “whimsical sketches”; refers to Japanese comics drawn in a cartoon style. Modern manga (and anime) characters are often, but not always, portrayed with large eyes, small noses and mouths, and unrealistic hair. • mangaka (漫画家／まんがか): refers to an artist or artists who draw manga • shounen (少年／しょうねん): manga intended for boys of about 10-18 years, hence the meaning of shounen (young boy). Shounen series typically feature male protagonists and have a large focus on fighting and action. • seinen (青年／せいねん): means "young man", indicating that this kind of manga is aimed toward males in their late teens and up. Because of the older target audience, seinen titles are more graphic in nature than shounen (and shoujo). • shoujo (少女／しょうじょ): manga intended for girls of about 10-18 years, hence the meaning of shoujo (young girl). Shoujo manga are usually idealized romantic comedies, with the protagonist being female. • doujnshi (同人誌／どうじんし): self-published manga, often being fan comics by amateurs. “Doujinshi” is a portmanteau of the words “どうじん” (same person) and “ざっし” (magazine). • furigana (ふりがな): kana characters to help read kanji. For horizontal text, the furigana goes above the kanji; for vertical text, the furigana is placed to the right.
History of Manga in Japan • the term “manga” was first coined by うきよえwoodblock printmaker かつしか ほくさい(better known simply as ほくさい) in the 1800s • modern manga refers to manga from after World War II and beyond • during the U.S. occupation of Japan (1945-1952), manga was influenced by American culture, particularly Disney • てずか おさむwas the “Father/God of Manga”. He was a major contributor in shaping the style and the modern definition of manga, and is well-known for creating the children‘s series てつわんアトム (known as "Astro Boy" in North America). • in 1947, all forms of censorship had been banned in Japan; this led to much experimentation by artists • from 1950-1969 was when manga started to become solidly categorized into two main target audience groups: shounen and shoujo • manga was originally mostly targeted at boys and young men, and shounen manga initially had few female characters playing very minor roles. This began to change in the 1980s, but sexism is still present in manga today
Two pages from the ほくさい まんが depicting bathers. てつわんアトム／Astro Boy.
How Manga is Read • the panels in Japanese manga go from right to left • Japanese text is traditionally read vertically • furigana helps younger readers with kanji, but is typically not present in seinen or 女性／じょせい (manga for older female teens and up). • when translations of manga are published, they are now usually kept in the original right-to-left form • flipping the art can distort the original meaning of some images (e.g. an image of a shirt that originally says “MAY” on it would read “YAM” when flipped)
Manga Outside of Japan • the Chinese, Hong Kong, and Taiwanese equivalent of manga is "manhua” • the Korean equivalent in "mahna” • French artists of the 19th century were influenced by Japanese art and culture. This influence was known as “Japonism(e)”. • manga was introduced to the U.S. in the 1970s, but it was little-known at that time • manga was made popular in Western countries in the mid-1990s by the titles Ghost in the Shell, Sailor Moon, and Magic Knight Rayearth • the U.S. has been influenced by modern manga and anime more than any other Western country; Americans have created manga/anime-inspired works such as Usagi Yojimbo and Avatar: The Last Airbender
The influence of manga on different countries (France, Hong Kong, Korea, U.S.A.).
Quiz • What does “manga” literally mean, and who created the term? A: Whimsical pictures/sketches. The term “manga” was created by Hokusai. • Where is furigana placed for vertical kanji? A: To the right of the kanji. • When the U.S. occupied Japan, which company was a great influence on manga? A: Disney. • Why is Osamu Tezuka an important part of the history of manga? A: He shaped the style and definition of modern manga. • What is Japonism(e)? A: The influence of Japanese art and culture on French artists in the 1800s. • Why are manga often kept in the original right-to-left orientation when being published in other languages? A: By keeping the original orientation, the original meanings of the images are retained. • How many pages are in a volume of manga, and how many are in an American comic? A: Around 200 pages or more, as opposed to 20-30 pages.
