Introduction
Japan is known as a leading nation in the production of comic books, graphic narrations and video games. There are numerous categories of such publications and productions available on the market. This presentation will examine Manga, which involve a set of comics that conforms to a style of comics which became popular in Japan in the late 19th Century. This is a period known as the Meiji period where the Japanese were defining their self-expression and formulating a culture that could be used to preserve their national identity and also tell their stories in different forms. This presentation will examine the nature, features and publications in the general sense. It will culminate in discussions relating to the application of manga within the context of modern contemporary society both in Asia and in other developed countries around the world.
Origins and Cultural Evolution
The term “manga” is usually defined as a Japanese style of graphic novels being somewhat similar to both ordinary comic strips and anime. Manga comes from two Japanese words “man” which means impromptu or whimsical and “-ga” which means pictures. This goes to explain the fact that it is a form of art and comics that are based on rough sketches which gradually became a popular genre of comic books that were commercialized. However, in the past, it was just a set of comics that were presented by people who just did rough sketches that told a story.
Manga has already become a worldwide trend originated initially in Japan and impacting markets in the United States, Europe, Asian countries, and the Middle East. The popularity of this kind of graphic novels is all about the versatility of themes directed to both children and adults. Therefore, manga as a Japanese graphic novel represents the cultural wealth associated with this country making everyone excited of its content, development of themes, concepts, and characters.
It is vital to note that manga is primordially referred to the Japanese readership. It is characterized by specific terms, heroes, and events associated with Japan. One of the peculiarities of its modern development is that manga appeared to be popular with Japanese readers in the postwar period after tragic events in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. However, in the aftermath, the variety of topics has been enriched significantly. Astro Boy and Sailor Moon are among the most recognizable manga novels being interesting to modern readers as well. On the other hand, manga is usually in black and white making a reader imagine appropriate colors pursuant to a particular event in the story. It is a wonderful trip into the author’s design of the story supported by expressive and impressive visual aids.
Internationalization of the Manga – the Asian Context
Manga is popular due to its particular similarity to the graphic novels produced in different countries. Its nature is such that a writer and a comic book creator can easily define a theme and use that theme to form characters and other parties in the story. Through this, the production could commence and this would be done within the dominant culture and traditions of the society or community within which it is being produced. Also, it has to meet the unique needs, desires and expectations of the targeted consumers. This has made it something that can be easily internationalized and presented into other cultures through various forms of adjustments and modifications of storylines, themes and content.
Japan is a developed country with its unique culture and arts. Thus, western people are likely to delve into Manga because it gives them the chance to express their unique views of daily life and other activities through storytelling and pictures. By contrast, readers from China, South Korea, and other Asian countries tend to search for more cultural expression seen in each and every manga. Anime is more about cartooning, while manga refers to literature. This makes it a dual-purpose thing – in Asia, it could be seen as a continuation of an Asian identity whilst in the west, it manga could give room for the creation of a completely new framework for presenting literature and cultural practices in a different context that fit the local conditions and circumstances.
Application of Manga in the Global Context
In the United States, manga novels are popular because of their different topics, plot development, and associated visual aids in black and white. Americans seem to have a taste for diversity. However, certain things in the United States become too popular and too mundane. Manga gives the average American an escape from the dominant literature and television shows that are seen all over the media. This makes manga a positive tool that can be used as a means of showing ingenuity and novelty in the American public.
Manga gives an opportunity to also extend aspects of American culture through a different perspective and approach. This is because manga incorporates the richness and difference of the Japanese style included in graphic novels. Moreover, manga are also associated with dark, highly emotional, and violent gekiga novels. Movies by Quentin Tarantino are all about this genre. For instance, Kill Bill and Kill Bill 2 are based on gekiga as a ‘radical’ form of manga. On the other hand, manga may include sexually explicit content related to the so-called hentai novels. In this respect, it is becoming popular with the adult audience of readers, especially for those who want to mix anime cartoons with the textual materials of the same kind and originally created in Japan.
With the liberation of media supported by significant sociopolitical changes in the late 20th century, manga has become a source of passion for the audience of readers living in the West. It is a way of sharing diversity within the society. It is also a medium to unite individuals going to school, studying in college, or working together. Manga incorporates Japanese vision and description of characters along with their emotions, intentions, and way of thinking in a peculiar way. It is exactly what makes it popular today.
Therefore, manga as a Japanese graphic novel represents the cultural wealth associated with this country making everyone excited of its content, development of themes, concepts, and characters. To date, there are many anime cartoons and even movies representing the style of manga. Plot development, specific characters, events, and uncensored visual aids make manga novels popular among readers worldwide. It is a different medium for them to get and further share their emotions and impressions.
Conclusion
Manga is an art-form that was popular and known only in Japan. It brings out the unprepared and unpruned form of an artist’s expressions and desires. Since it was developed in the late 19th Century, manga has been a form of self-expression for the Japanese culture. This research has identified that the Manga system could be preserved in Japan and the Asian context as a way of telling the story of the local culture within a framework that locals can understand and appreciate. This could help to build and reinforce a Pan-Asian culture and identity. On the other hand, Manga provides an opportunity for people in other developed countries to get new ways of telling their stories and expressing their various art forms. And this includes the United States which has a culture that is based on some dominant approaches and methods. Manga could be an opportunity to get the average American to move out of the normal mold of the media. It could also create an opportunity for American themes to be adapted to the Manga culture and this will help to make Manga a popular method and approach for the presentation of information and entertainment to various parties in the United States and other developed countries.
References
Dahl, R. (2015). Roger Dahl's Comic Japan: Best of Zero Gravity Cartoons from The Japan Times. North Clarendon, VT: Tuttle Publishing.
Toku, M. (2015). International Perspectives on Shojo and Shojo Manga. New York: Routledge.
Webb, M. (2006, May 28). Manga by any other name is . . . Retrieved from Japan Times: http://www.japantimes.co.jp/life/2006/05/28/life/manga-by-any-other-name-is/#.V8asw5grLIU
