ABSTRACT

“ Manga” are Japanese comics which are growing popular all over the world. Many famous
cartoons ( known as anime) are growing equally popular not only in western countries but in
India too. Manga are said to have existed since a long time and have gained popularity amongst
tweens and teens alike in the recent years.
Through this dissertation, I wish to explore the history of manga, different types of manga and
the creators of these wonderful books which takes its reader to a variety of places and its
influence on modern cartoons.

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INTRODUCTION

A BRIEF HISTORY
The word “manga” in Japan is a word used to refer to comics and “manga-ka” are referred to
the people who create manga. “Manga” is said to originate from scrolls dating back to the 12th
century. During the Edo period(1603-1867), Toba Ehon embedded the concept of manga. The
word itself first came into common usage in 1798, with the publication of works such as Santō
Kyōden's picture book – “Shiji no yukikai” (1798), and in the early 19th century with such works
as Aikawa Minwa's Manga- “hyakujo”(1814). The celebrated Hokusai Manga books (1814–
1834) containing assorted drawings from the sketchbooks of the famous ukiyo-e artist Hokusai
who lived from 1760–1849. Rakuten Kitazawa (1876–1955) first used the word "manga" in the
modern sense. Though according to Adam L. Kern , picture books called “ kibyoshi” from the
late 18th century, may have been the world's first comic books.
Writers stress continuity of Japanese cultural and aesthetic traditions as central to the history
of manga. They include Frederik L. Schodt, Kinko Ito, Adam L. Kern, and Eric Peter Nash. Schodt
points to the existence in the 13th century of illustrated picture scrolls like Chōjū-jinbutsu-
giga that told stories in sequential images with humor and wit.[1] Schodt also stresses
continuities of aesthetic style and vision between ukiyo-e and shunga woodblock prints and
modern manga (all three fulfill Eisner's criteria for sequential art).[14] While there are disputes
over whether Chōjū-jinbutsu-giga or Shigisan-engi was the first manga, both scrolls date back to
about the same time period. However, others like Isao Takahata, Studio Ghibli co-founder and
director, contends there is no linkage with the scrolls and modern manga.

Eshinbun Nipponchi is credited as Chōjū-giga (12th century), traditionally attributed to

the first manga magazine ever made a monk artist Kakuyū (Toba Sojo)

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WORLD WAR II AND IT’S INFULENCE

During World War II the entire Japanese nation was mobilized and people were forced to
conform to the government's demands or pay the ultimate price. According to Frederik
Schodt's book, Manga Manga: The World of Japanese Comics, those who failed to cooperate
were punished by "preventive detention, bans on writing, and social ostracism, while those
who recanted were rewarded with rehabilitation programs and support from the community...
artists who had spent most of their lives criticizing the government did an about-face and
offered wholehearted support to the militarists".
After World War II, Japanese artists subsequently gave life to their own style during the
occupation (1945–1952) and post-occupation years (1952-early 1960s), when a previously
militaristic and ultranationalist Japan was rebuilding its political and economic
infrastructure. Although Allied occupation censorship policies specifically prohibited art and
writing that glorified war and Japanese militarism,[1] those policies did not prevent the
publication of other kinds of material, including manga. Furthermore, the 1947 Japanese
Constitution (Article 21) prohibited all forms of censorship.[26] One result was the growth of
artistic creativity in this period.[1] In the forefront of this period are two manga series and
characters that influenced much of the future history of manga. These are Osamu
Tezuka's Mighty Atom (Astro Boy in the United States; begun in 1951) and Machiko
Hasegawa's Sazae-san (begun in 1946).

Images from the manga “ Captain Atom”. We can see that Osamu Tezuka’s style of making comics is
deeply influenced by Walt Disney who was gaining popularity at that time.

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Between 1950 and 1969, increasingly large audiences for manga emerged in Japan with the
solidification of its two main marketing genres, shōnen manga aimed at boys
and shōjo manga aimed at girls. Up to 1969, shōjo manga was drawn primarily by adult men for
young female readers.
Two very popular and influential male-authored manga for girls from this period were Tezuka's
1953-1956 Ribon no Kishi (Princess Knight or Knight in Ribbons) and Mitsuteru
Yokoyama 1966 Mahōtsukai Sarii (Little Witch Sally). Ribon no Kishi dealt with the adventures
of Princess Sapphire of a fantasy kingdom who had been born with male and female souls, and
whose sword-swinging battles and romances blurred the boundaries of otherwise rigid gender
roles. Sarii, the pre-teen princess heroine of Mahōtsukai Sarii came from her home in the
magical lands to live on Earth, go to school, and perform a variety of magical good deeds for her
friends and schoolmates. Yokoyama's Mahōtsukai Sarii was influenced by the US TV
sitcom Bewitched, but unlike Samantha, the main character of Bewitched, a married woman
with her own daughter, Sarii is a pre-teenager who faces the problems of growing up and
mastering the responsibilities of forthcoming adulthood. Mahōtsukai Sarii helped create the
now very popular mahō shōjo or "magical girl" subgenre of later manga. Both series were and
still are very popular.

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DIFFERENT GENRES
Manga have different kinds of genres each targeting different age groups from young children
to tweens/teens to much older readers interested in various topics. The following list describes
each manga genre:

 Kodomo Manga: Comics for little kids ( typically comics teaching kids about

values,friendship etc)

Some of the popular manga under this category are

-Doremon by Fujiko F. Fujio

-Anpanman by Takashi Yanase

- Beyblade by Takao Aoki

-Duel-Masters by Shigenobu Matsumoto etc

 Shōnen Manga: Comics for young teenage boys ( action comics)

Some of the popular manga under this category are

- One piece by Eiichiro Oda

- Dragon ball Z by Akira Toriyama

- Hunter X Hunter by Yoshihiro Togashi

- Death Note by Tsugumi Ohba etc

 Shōjo Manga: Comics for young teenage girls ( rom-com comics dealing with issues like

teeanage love and issues)

Popular manga under this category are

- Kaichou wa Maid-Sama by Hiro Fujiwara

- Ao Haru Ride by Io Sakisaka

- Fruits basket by Natsuki Takaya

- Dengeki Daisy by Kyousuke Motomi etc

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 Seinen Manga: Comics for young adult males ( made for males in their 20s, usually more

gruesome than Shōnen Manga )

Popular manga under this category are

- Vagabond by Takehiko Inoue

- Vinland Saga by Makoto Yukimura

- Akira by Katsuhiro Otomo

- Blade Of the Immortal by Hiroaki Samura etc

 Seijin Manga: Adult comics for males ( also know as Hentai, these are usually erotica)

Popular manga under this category are

- Henshin by Shindo and L

- Power Play by Yamatogawa

- Boy Meets Harem by Tachibana Omina etc

 Redisu (Ladies) Manga: Also called “Josei” and comics for young adult females who can

read kanji without the aid of furigana.

Popular manga under this category are (artists not known)

- You

- Be Love

- Kiss etc

 Dōjinshi Manga: Comic publication that’s written by and for amateurs. Often created for

self-promotion and usually try to emulate mainstream manga styles.

 Yonkoma Manga: Four-panel comics (usually published in newspaper as just for gags)

For example -

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 Gekiga Manga: Comics focusing on serious topics geared toward mature audiences

( have dramatic and detailed artwork)

Popular manga under this category are

- Lone wolf and cub by Kazuo Koike and Goseki Kojima

- A drifting life by Yoshihiro Tatsumi

- Phoenix by Osamu Tezuka etc.

POPULAR MANGA-KA AND THEIR MANGA

There are plenty of manga-ka in japan but only a few of them are able to gain popularity
worldwide.
Some of the popular manga-ka, according to various articles and votes are listed below:

1. CLAMP

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From left to right- Satsuki Igarashi, Nanase Ohkawa,
Mick Nekoi, Mokona Apapa.

CLAMP is one of the leading group of manga authors in the world of manga. CLAMP was
established in 1989. It consisted of 12 girls drawing doujinshi and by 1990, they only had 7
members left. The group's best known manga include Cardcaptor Sakura, Tsubasa Reservoir
Chronicle, xxxHolic, Chobits, Kobato etc. CLAMP's style focuses on the Shoujo genre with
smooth drawing, along with detailed characterization, "beautiful girls" and splendid love affair
many readers know and love. In addition, the highlight in the stories of CLAMP are their
interesting storyline.

Pages from the manga “Cardcaptor Sakura

”

2. Oda Eiichiro

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Hearing the name of Oda Eiichiro, many readers would undoubtedly have One Piece pop up in
their heads. With only one series, he brought his name around the world and became one of
the mangaka with the most manga fans today. One Piece is the highest-selling comic of all time
with 320,866,000 copies to date and is listed on the Guinness Book of Records. Despite his
success and reputation, he does not disregard but instead value the love for his fans.

Cover page of one of the manga Pages from the manga

3. Naoki Urasawa

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"Who is the best in the detective-genre in manga?" Most likely, the majority will immediately
answer that it is Naoki Urasawa. His story is always new and fresh, making viewers constantly
attracted to his stories, sometimes even giving them goosebumps. Urasawa takes the reader to
every frame of emotion: the extreme excitement of the 20th Century Boys is full of creativity,
style and depth, endlessly attracted by artful boldness and shivers of darkness. With talent and
hard work, mangaka Naoki Urasawa has won many renowned awards. Some of his famous
works are “Monster” , “Pluto” , “20th century boys” etc .

Pages from the manga “monster”

4. Toriyama Akira

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Like Oda Eiichiro, Toriyama Akira's name has been and will always be associated with Dragon
Ball - the childhood manga of many readers in the world. During the time of Dragon Ball, the
manga contributed to a golden age for manga in general. In addition, the story was adapted
and released in other mediums such as anime, merchandises, games ... which are still very
popular to this day. The most obvious evidence comes from the fact that in the 2020 Olympics,
the protagonist of the story - Son Goku will become Japan's ambassador. Not only that, Dr.
Slump is also another of Toriyama Akira’s famous series.

Pages from the manga “ Dragon Ball Z “

5. Takahashi Rumiko

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In terms of love and attachment to comics, one cannot fail to mention the manga princess
Takahashi Rumiko, the nickname given to her by her dear fans. Rumiko's most famous manga
include InuYasha, Urusei Yatsura, Maison Ikkoku, Ranma ½, Kyoukai no Rinne, Ningyo series,
Rumic World etc. She is a once-a-century icon and has great influence on the next-generation
manga. Her manga marks the beginning of the harem, tsundere genres. Rumiko Takahashi's
love for manga is has given her many awards and respect from readers.

A page from the manga “InuYasha ”

6. Fujiko F. Fujio

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Fujiko F. Fujio is no stranger to manga readers, who is also called the "one who draws children’s
dreams". This great mangaka painted the childhood of millions of readers around the world. His
biggest work - Doraemon - has sold over 100 million and has had a tremendous impact on all
aspects of manga. In addition, Fujiko F. Fujio has also left many other childhood manga such as
Kiteretsu, Daihyakka, Perman, and Esper Mami.

Pages from “Doraemon”

WHAT MAKES MANGA SO POPULAR?

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Mangas are nothing but plain black and white comics. So what makes them so popular and sets
them apart from western comics?
The answer is probably the fact that despite being a comic book, manga-ka have not let go of
their rich culture. They make sure to include their unique culture into their manga which gives
it a unique twist. Not only that, another reason is the art style. Manga have clearly various
styles with comics from other countries like the United States. Most of their works are more
elegant and the characters have more slimmer figures. This special drawing style really
captivate many readers and transports them to an alternative world where they experience
things the may not experience otherwise in their own life. Another major factor could be the
fact that these comics are not made for only particular group of people but for almost
everyone. Almost every person can find at least one manga in his/her lifetime that they can
relate to.
T.V adaptations or cartoons based on manga are usually know as anime. These anime have
gained such popularity in the western countries due to the fact that it, like manga, doesn’t only
target one group of people but instead, it showcases real life problems, fights, stories on love
etc which is not the case in majority on western cartoons.
A few of the common anime watched widely are-
-Doremon
-Beyblade
- Dragon Ball Z
- Naruto and many more

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LIFE OF A MANGA-KA
Despite manga and anime gaining rapid population worldwide, life of a manga-ka is not so
easy. Some mangaka undergo a lot of study to obtain the information necessary to the plot.
Hiroshi Fujimoto, one of the creators of Doraemon, studied a great diversity of subjects to
include all sorts of teaching in his manga and later on his anime. CLAM - The creators of Sailor
Moon, Naoko Takeuchi, studied astronomy, mythology and the position of miko (巫女) in Shinto
tradition to give depth to her story.
Other manga artists gain the knowledge for their work from difficult life experiences. Shigeru
Mizuki, known as the master of yokai manga (妖怪漫画), suffered a great deal while serving the
Imperial Japanese Army. He watched friends die, lost his left arm in an explosion and
contracted malaria. All these horrid experiences influenced the artist greatly, serving as
inspiration to his horror stories.
A major problem that these artists face are rampant manga piracy that is making it increasingly
difficult for manga artists (mangaka) to earn a living from their work. Many rely on royalty
payments to survive. These are modest at the best of times, especially for new artists, and are
generally insufficient for most to make ends meet. Of Japan’s estimated 3,000 professional
mangaka, only around 10 percent earn enough to be able to devote all of their time and energy
to their art. The simple truth is that if manga artists cannot earn a living from their art, there
will be no manga.

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CONCLUSION
With a long history deeply rooted in the rich Japanese art, manga are one of the most
fascinating phenomena in Japan and the whole world. Part of the “otaku” (“nerd”) culture,
these comics have been a major player in the country’s publishing industry, creating a robust
market, reaching millions of readers of all ages and influencing a number of works of comic
book art in a variety of other nations.
From history and teenage romance to futuristic science fiction and profound themes of life,
manga became an important, almost inevitable aspect of Japan’s identity and they helped
spread knowledge and understanding of it across the planet.
Manga have evolved a lot throughout the years without letting go of its traditions. Manga-kas
work really hard , like any other artists or maybe even more , to bring their stories to life so that
the reader can experience many emotions and events that he/she may not experience in their
life.
These comics not only inspire people, but also gave birth to various other creative fields like
cosplaying , where people dress up as their favorite manga character. These are not only
famous in Japan, but have gained rapid population in western countries alike just as anime has
taken over modern cartoon.

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