manga
Contrary to what most people in the West think,
manga (both the singular and plural form are the same) have NOTHING to do with pronorgraphy. Some manga are pornographic, but that's just a small percentage of manga.
Manga, in Japanese, means "flowing words" or "Undisciplined words". It is an ancient art that has been used for centuries as a form of entertainment. It's basicallt Japanese
comic books, which can be easily translated to English. However, just saying manga are
comics from Japan is wrong.First of all, in the US and in Europe, most comics are addressed to young children between the ages of 9 and 13. That is not the case of manga. There are
6-7 major types of manga, each having its own audience. Kodomo manga is for children.
Shonen manga is for boys ages 12-18 ,
Shoujo manga is for gilrs age 12-18.
Josei manga is for adult ladies above the age of 20, mainly working women.
Seinen manga is for young men between the ages of 18 and 30, and
Hentai manga is pornographic, adult manga.
As you can see, saying "comics from Japan" is wrong. Another difference between manga and Western comics is that each comics volume has its own plot, while manga volumes all follow the same plot. The
artwork is VERY different. Manga has its own particular artwork, especially when it comes to human faces, particularly the eyes, chin, nose, mouth, forehead... Manga is also read from RIGHT to LEFT. (Yes, even the English ones).In Japan, 40% of all book & magazine sales are manga. That's a huge number, considering the Japanese read A LOT. In 1998, about 3 billion manga volumes were printed in Japan, I'm sure that number is higher now.Many manga have been translated to English and are sold everywhere.
manga
by Stephanie M. on Jul 02, 2003 15:53:46
"Manga" are Japanese
comic books/graphic novels. The word literally means "
whimsical pictures" in Japanese.
Manga is different from American comic books in many ways, which is why it is sometimes translated as graphic novels.
Comic books in America tend to be colored, sold in thin booklets, and written for a teenage male audience. Manga is almost always black and white, serialized in manga collections before being sold in bound books, and has many different genres appealing to many different audiences. There are romantic manga for adult women, mob
dramas for older men, cute fantasy comedies for young girls, and much, much more. Just about everyone in Japan reads manga, and there is something to suit every taste.
Manga series are often animated into television shows and movies. See anime.
Example:
"Have you
read Yuu Watase's latest manga?"
manga
by A. Coleman on Dec 20, 2007 05:38:37
In the west, Manga are defined as Comic Books of Japanese origin. As a medium, there isn't a difference between Manga and American comic books because they both follow them same method of sequential art. However, there are cultural differences in the way they are presented to the consumer.
In Japan, various Manga stories are printed in
anthology magazines (like the
Shonen Jump) on cheap paper with no color. Eventually, the individual stories will be reissued in their own digest style collections and resold directly to the consumer.
On the other hand English language comic books are usually given their own individual pamplet that includes color and are reprinted in
trade paperback forms.
In Japan, comic books are very popular (the most popular mangas, like One Piece and
Dragonball, often sell into the millions) and are more respected as an art because of the various genres that are on the market. While English comic books have a very limited readership and are still looked down upon by many as a worthless art-form and mos of the comics found in comic shops derive from the superhero market. One week sales of a manga in japan outsells the entire yearly American comics market.
The vast majority of
Manga's success can be traced to Osama
Tezuka, the man often considered to be the father of Japanese comics. In his lifetime he created
Astro Boy, the Buddha series, and the Phoenix collections (which is often considered by critics as his defining work).
manga
by Ruben 'H Hog' van Ophuizen on Mar 25, 2003 02:47:54
A Japan-based style of art, often used in comics or cartoons.
The cartoons of this variety are often called
Animé.
Manga drawings are often recognized by rather large eyes, small noses, and spiky-looking
hairdo's.
A combination of above with any of the characteristics left out is not
out of the question, however; there are also Manga characters that do
not have eyes that take up half a person's skull.
Example: