Manga - Case Study

Manga

The name Manga is usually used interference to the style of comic that is native to Japan. Mangas tend to read from left to right and follow a design pattern, usually highlighted by the design of the character's eyes. However, this is not particular to every manga and the medium tends to vary drastically, while still showing popular styles dependant on the time they were drawn.

'Yu Yu Hakusho' being a prime example of the  '90s style manga

The birth of manga, as we know it today, is surrounded in controversy. Some argue that manga was something that was birthed from ancient Japanese art, that followed a similar formatting. Others debate it was the influence of American art which developed manga into the style we recognise with the large eyes (developing from characters such as Betty Boop).

Examples of 12th century Japanese scrolls, believed to be early examples of the manga concept

1980 'Hiatari Ryoukou'

2011 'A Silent Voice'

Osamu Tezuka - Case Study

Osamu Tezuka

Popular Works:

Astroboy (1952)

Black jack (1973)

Phoenix (1967)

Nicknamed 'The Godfather of Manga', Osamu Tezuka developed becoming a mangaka, or working in the anime industry, into a profitable and well respected position. After being a teenager through World War 2, he found there to be a limitation in manga at the time and felt that manga was drawn more as if "seated in an audience viewing from a stage" making it impossible to create "dramatic or psychological effects". With this, he decided to incorporate cinematic techniques (inspired by French and German filmmaking) into his manga and made the content more enriching and heavy, rather than only trying to earn a cheap laugh. The signs of this appreciation for a more developed plot is made evident by his care of taking several frames/panels just depict one movement or facial expressions, leading his comics to have pages in the late hundreds or even thousands. 

                              

Tezuka's influence on manga is still present until this day. Not only did he bring it to the status it is now, his style of large eyes (drawn from influences of Betty Boop and Bambi) because the style that manga is recognised for. His introduction of more cinematic action to manga helped revitalise the industry in post-war Japan.