A Temporary History Of Japanese Manga
Manga (pronounced maawng-guh) literally means "whimsical or impromptu pictures." Typically related with otaku "nerdy" culture, it has a deep and rich history in Japanese artwork that performs a significant position in Japanese tradition today.
However how did manga start? And how did it evolve to achieve the global affect it has right now?
Although there are clues that manga originated back to the twelfth century, we’re going to deal with hard information starting with the word "manga" itself.
The word "manga" was first coined in 1798 by Santō Kyōden’s Shiki no Yukikai (Seasonal Passers-by).
However in 1814, the artist Katsushika Hokusai (well-known for ukiyo-e and butt buddies with Santō Kyōden) was the first to use the word "manga" as the title for his sketchbooks titled "Hokusai Manga".
Through the rise of Japanese Imperialism, the Japanese empire used manga for spreading propaganda concerning the benefits of Japanese leadership. However after the war, everything changed.
The Turning Point
Following the end of World War II, Japan was occupied by the Allies which restricted any propaganda or Japanese militarism. This meant that Japanese artists had room to explore their artistic styles.
At the identical time, the United States introduced over their comics and cartoons. This closely influenced the fashion of manga at the time.
And with that allowed Tezuka Osamu (the God of Manga and Japanese equal to Walt Disney) to create one among Japan’s most iconic and influential characters — Astro Boy.
Another well-known stylistic innovator at the time was Machiko Hasegawa, creator Tokyo Manji Revengers of Sazae-san (in yonkoma format, 4-panel comic often found in newspapers).
Both Osamu Tezuka and Machiko Hasegawa’s modern methods paved the way for shōnen (for young boys) and shōjo (for young girls) manga. The former being the most well-liked genre manga genre today.
And so, manga’s standardity exploded and was destined to create otaku tradition within the 21st century.
Manga At this time
Closely influenced by American comics and deeply scarring publish-war depression, manga pivoted from its confident, serious tone to the "kawaii" (cute) style.
Thankabsolutely, it gave us One Piece, Dragon Ball, Pokemon, and many other titles which have introduced joy to millions of people around the world.