Japanese Manga Art
What is Manga?
Manga is Japanese comics, and graphics, in newspapers, magazines and books, that emerged in the 1920s. The word consists of ‘man’, ‘whimsical’ and ‘pictures. Manga demonstrates stories of characters through pictures and expressive lines. It is usually printed in black and white due to cost savings; however special editions are printed in colour.
Manga comic at Merchiston Library
History:
Although Manga emerged during the 20th century, the earliest association was found on scrolls created by Japanese, Buddhist monks in the 12th century. They depicted chapters of animals mirroring human gestures. Printing techniques flourished in the 19th century and Manga focused on politics, although the government censored artists and even closed publishers.
Post-World War II, American occupation of Japan influenced the style, so it became more animated and entertaining for readers. These were called ‘Red Books’ and have influenced more contemporary pictures and stories today that suggest emotions and actions.
Manga Genres:
The Manga sub-genres consist of romance, fantasy, horror, and adventure. The most popular and modern classics are Naruto, Sailor Moon, Dragon Ball Z, Fruit Basket, and Bleach. A lot of other Manga has been satirical and can focus on darker areas like corruption and injustices.
As Manga is mainly comic books, they have also become ‘anime’ meaning animations in Japanese. Anime uses movement to explain complex stories.
Bleach
So, if you are ready to read Manga, you may find that the print copies are not your usual way of reading as traditionally it is read back to front, from the top right to the left!
You can find Manga resources from how to master the art of drawing Manga to Bleach via the Library Search.
We even have clips available on the Library’s Box of Broadcasts.
Please let us know if you have any recommendations for the library!
Other resources:
