Difference between revisions of "Manga"
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− | '''Manga''' | + | '''Manga''' are graphic novels from Japan. Compared to American comic books, they employ more dynamic layouts, make heavy use of tones, follow cinematic pacing, and emphasize character development. Manga enjoys widespread popularity throughout age groups, and this demand has lowered publishing standards. Nearly all manga are published in black and white, and many on newspaper quality paper, especially for serial manga. Popular manga are usually compiled in higher-quality ''tankoubon'' (単行本) editions. |
− | + | Like Japanese books, manga are read from right to left. | |
− | + | ==History== | |
− | + | Manga was born in the 19th century with the inspiration of western political cartoons. The first artists to use the term - roughly "whimsical pictures" - were unpopular and shunned in traditional art circles. They borrowed both from European art and from 18th century Japan's woodblock kibyôshi, a printing block artform with genres such as humor, drama, fantasy, and even pornography. Government censorship and moving picture technology all but killed kibyôshi, but manga artists resurrected it and created the unique Japanese comic style of today. | |
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+ | Manga gained popularity and its focus on storytelling after World War II. Manga with plots such as Tezuka Osamu's ''Diary of Ma-chan'' sold well, and while light manga and comic strips called ''yonkoma'' (よんこま) continued to exist, graphic novels became the norm. | ||
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{{Quote | {{Quote | ||
− | |quote= | + | |quote=I thought the potential of manga was more than getting a laugh; using themes of tears and sorrow, anger and hatred, I made stories that didn't always have happy endings. |
− | |who= | + | |who=''Tezuka Osamu (手塚治虫)''}} |
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+ | Modernly, advances in printing and illustration technology have led to higher-quality art and the [[doujinshi]] phenomenon. Manga and [[anime]] have become closely twined mediums, and have blended in style and content to the point where nearly all popular manga become anime, and vice versa. | ||
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+ | ==Art Style== | ||
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+ | Manga artistic style has gone through many stages in its history. In the present day, it is defined by varied and expressive eyes, detailed backgrounds, and the contrast between realistic and [[chibi]] segments. | ||
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+ | ==Manga throughout the world== | ||
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+ | Manga became popular outside Japan just as the internet was developing. Since the small market size didn't attract many western publishers, fans were forced to import manga. Eventually, some began scanning their purchases and uploading it on the internet. With this and improvements in image-editing software, the [[scanlation]] community was born. | ||
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+ | The manga fanbase grew, and several publishers like Viz Media appeared. Manga fans, used to free, high-quality releases on the internet, resented these publishers' pricing strategies and unfaithful translations. To this day, the western manga market only adds up to several million dollars, a drop in the bucket compared to the multi-billion dollar Japanese industry. | ||
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+ | Due to widespread piracy and the popularity of [[conventions]], it can be assumed the manga fanbase is much larger than this figure suggests. | ||
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+ | ==Hentai== | ||
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+ | ''[[Hentai | See main article: Hentai]]'' |