1. History of the manga, for those who have not read
Manga is Japanese comics. Very often, this definition can be heard in response to the question “what is manga?”. The explanation is capacious and understandable, but, unfortunately, superficial and unsuccessful, because it discourages the desire to understand further. In fact, manga is much more than that, it is not for nothing that it is the only type of comic book that has its own name, known throughout the world. This article is for those who want to know what manga really is.
What is the main difference between manga and Western comics?
- Color palette;
- Manga, like any other Japanese literature, should be read from right to left;
- Manga is an exclusively personal work on which one author is working;
- Sometimes working on a manga series turns into a life’s work.
Almost all manga is black and white, and even with modern printing capabilities, the tradition is not violated. But you must admit, these black and white drawings have their own charm.”
Roy Fowler
2. Manga plots captivate us today
For all its originality, today manga cannot avoid the influence of Western culture, and sometimes the imagination of Japanese comics artists is captured by the traditional theme for their colleagues from the United States – superheroics. The most prominent representatives of this genre were Boku no Hero Academia and One-Punch Man. And if the first tells a familiar story about teenagers with superpowers studying in a special institution, then the second is much more original.
One-Punch Man is not a story about a schoolboy, but about an office worker who one day decides to end the routine and become a hero. But the guy was so overtrained that he began to cut down any enemy with one blow, from which he even yearned for a worthy opponent. Distinctive features of this manga are bright, comical images of heroes and a light, kind satire on the genre.
3. So the manga is only for the Japanese?
It’s not just the West that influences manga, the opposite is also true! Manga and its on-screen incarnation – anime – have long been super popular in the US and Europe.
The most successful manga is published in other languages, and the largest streaming service Netflix has long filmed it, releasing full-length films Bleach, Death Note and Fullmetal Alchemist, and is even preparing a TV series based on the One Piece manga.
As you can see, manga is an inexhaustible source of original stories. Hollywood has been releasing blockbusters based on popular manga for a long time. Recently, a lot of money has been invested in such projects and famous actors are invited.
The most popular manga today:
- One Piece.
- Fullmetal Alchemist.
- One-Punch Man.