WHIMSICAL STORIES:
CRAFT
&
COALITION
In this study, I will recite the history of Manga and explain the impact that a few sketches and some words can achieve while sharing my insight into the current everyday perception of Manga.
I will also analyse works from two of the most famous mangakas from the 20th to 21st century.
(Manga authors)
What is Manga exactly?
A standard definition used:
Manga is a comic from Japan.
Which is true. However, I don't see it that way.
Manga is an artefact, from both the past and present, a complex yet straightforward storytelling method, and a way to express your ideas through narrative drawings with minimal dialogue. It is one of the most neutral forms of storytelling without leaning too far to one side.
Split into five main genres: Shonen, Shojo, Seinen, Josei, and Kodomomuke.
Manga is flexible enough to entertain, educate, and enlighten all audiences of all genders and age groups.
In actuality, Manga is an umbrella term for a wide variety of comic and graphic novel stories developed through many cultures published through Japan.
Not just a comic.
Unlike Western comics such as Marvel, DC, Charlton, and Fawcett comics, Manga is read from right to left. While Western comics are printed in full colour, Manga is almost always printed in monochrome black and white.
To be blunt, Not just a comic.
Origins
The earliest form of Manga dates back to 700 CE when obscene doodles were drawn on ceiling beams of the Horyu-Ji temple in Nara by a group of workmen assigned to rebuild the temple. Probably the longest pre-publication in history.
Of course, stunts like that were given severe punishment in that day and age but it was overlooked since the doodles were so amusing. The doodles were quickly covered up by a new roof and stayed hidden until 1,200 years later.
The workers were probably poking fun at their bosses and letting off some steam; they never intended to create an entirely new art form that continued for centuries.
So, in short, the origins of Manga were simply accidental, right?
In some cases, yes.
The Japanese word for Manga consists of two kanji ideograms: Man & Ga.
"Man (漫)" is an adjective that translates to "unplanned" or "impromptu," used to describe something that was not supposed to happen.
"Ga (画)" is a noun for "painting" or "picture," a common method used in art that tells a story.
Do you see where I'm going with this?
Essentially, "Manga (漫画)" is the Japanese word for "Whimsical stories." The same term is used in Korean (Manhwa, 만화) and Chinese (Manhuas, 漫畫).
In the 1930s, while the Horyu-Ji temple was under renovation, the doodles were uncovered. However, Manga and its art style did not just appear in the 20th century.
In the 12th century, a high-ranking Buddhist, Toba Sojo, made a series of cartoon pictures drawn on scrolls. The pictures showed humanoid frogs, rats, and other non-human mammals mimicking human activity to ridicule non-believers.
The main idea Sojo had when producing these drawings was to spread the teachings of Buddhism to younger audiences.
Yet, the drawings were so popular that they created a category for amusing pictures called "Toba-e" or "Toba pictures," they even sold just as well as ukiyo-e which was considered more artistic during that era.
Cartoons, puzzle pictures, and satirical images stayed popular throughout multiple centuries. They soon appeared as popular illustrated novels narrating romances, horror stories, and action-packed adventures in the late 18th century; the term Manga was first used to describe the works of poet/author/artist Santō Kyōden in 1798 (the first mangaka, in a sense).
Though the idea of narrating stories through a collage of illustrations and in-frame dialogue was still an unestablished concept.
Although Manga's method of storytelling has always been popular, even to this day.
The Storyteller
A great example of storytelling is a man I idolise in terms of artistic knowledge. He has shared all his techniques of Manga storytelling that made him a successful mangaka:
Araki Hirohiko.
Araki is one of the greatest Manga artists from the 20th century, born in 1960. Now aged 61, Araki has sold over 100 million copies from his first debut in 1987 to 2016 in Japan alone.
His first Manga among the Tezuka Awards selected works was Poker Under Arms, a one-shot shonen Manga with a Wild West setting.
Since his debut as a mangaka, Araki has created a list full of works; he even has illustrated and written Manga while partnered with famous designer brands like GUCCI.
Araki's most excellent and Shueisha's most extended ongoing Manga series by volume count, with its chapters collected in 130 volumes and nine-story arcs called JoJo's Bizzare Adventure (ジョジョの奇妙な冒険) (JoJo no Kimyō na Bōken) is a sensational series and undoubtedly one of the most popular Manga as of May 2021, also with six adapted animated television series with the sixth (JoJo's Bizzare Adventure: Stone Ocean) currently airing worldwide.
In short, JJBA is a prime example of Manga taking influence from various other countries and cultures.
Manga's British Ancestor
This trend of Manga being influenced by other countries and cultures started way back when Japan was forced to open its borders in the mid 19th century via the Treaty of Peace & Amity.
A middle-aged British foreigner and sketch artist for the Illustrated London News, Charles Wirgman, stepped foot in Yokohama.
Wirgman began several business ventures centred around teaching Japanese citizens about British culture via English tuition courses.
Most of his business ventures were art-related, like founding a photography studio and tutoring art classes. He also founded the first illustrated magazine in Japan called Japan Punch.
Japan Punch was similar to London's Punch magazine series and illustrated current events accompanied by witty banter.
The magazine's quirky British humour with open-minded statements about real-life events and people broadened Japan's perspective while educating something new to the post-Sakoku citizens.
It was a breath of fresh air for Japan.
That's an understatement.
Japan Punch was revolutionary, considering the country was isolated and banned international trade with western countries for 264 years.
Japanese artists began to imitate the British arts, inspiring the first authentic form of political cartoons to appear in Japan. Later on, in 1868, prints were being developed that commented on the government, businesses, and other public influences. The images were referred to as ponchi-e or "Ponchi pictures."
In summary of the post-Sakoku era of Japan, I believe you can see how Manga is responsible for bringing together countries, cultures, communities, dare I say the world. Just from a bright and ambitious British correspondent by displaying a few sketches here and there with some witty text to accompany it.
There are still Japanese traditions that honour Wirgman, in which he introduced the form of in-frame dialogue and Western-style art, and he briefly taught English to one of Japan's heroes known to be Admiral Togo.
His name is immortalised in the Foreign Cemetary at Yokohama with the title "Forefather of Manga and Western-style Japanese art."
Coincidentally enough, JJBA's first story arc (JoJo's Bizzare Adventure: Phantom Blood) is set in late 19th century Britain.
Araki described the themes of the story arc as "being alive" and "an affirmation that humanity is wonderful", with characters growing and overcoming problems through their own actions.
I'm sure you realise something about Manga now.
Not just a comic.
Quite Bizzare
I will now analyse a page spread from one of Araki's works.
The manga spread here is from JoJo's Bizzare Adventure: Stardust Crusaders (Chapter 143 - DIO's World: Volume 10)
The panels on this page show irregular shapes and positions, a unique style that some would not expect a typical comic to take.
Remember.
Not just a comic.
This creates a sense of urgency while reading the page, as the polygonal shapes have sharp edges.
Stardust Crusaders is the third season/part of JoJo's Bizzare Adventure, set in 1988. The story narrates an action-packed journey from Tokyo to Cairo with Jotaro Kujo as the main protagonist and his associates, Mohammed Avdol, Noriaki Kakyoin, Joseph Joestar, and Jean-Pierre Polnareff.
This adventure started with Jotaro jailing himself, believing an evil spirit had possessed him; Joseph Joestar (Jotaro's grandfather) and his associate, Mohammed Avdol, arrive to explain that this "evil spirit" is a manifestation of Jotaro's will called a "Stand" and reveal that both have a Stand as well.
Joseph continues to explain that the sudden appearance of their Stand is caused by the nemesis of Joseph's grandfather: Dio Brando.
Jotaro's mother, Holly, becomes deathly ill due to a Stand manifesting within her, slowly killing her because of her reserved personality.
They set off to Cairo to eliminate Dio Brando, meeting Kakyoin and Jean-Pierre along the way.
The page shows DIO and Jotaro approaching each other, foreshadowing a battle.
The colour palette of DIO (gold, green, and black) shows his narcissistic personality and evil nature.
The dramatic storytelling is shown in the images within each panel, as it is read from right to left. You can see an intense close-up of half of Jotaro's face in the top right panel.
You can also see on his face that Jotaro is angry with something, as the shadows that cast from his hat covered his face, meaning his head is slightly lowered, as well as the position of his eyebrow and especially his mouth, which you can also tell that he is gritting his teeth.
The typical comic "sound effects" and visual effects are drawn too. However, these sound effects are in Japanese, but you can tell what sound they make when you read them. The effects in the panels of the left section of the page mean "rumble." This sound effect can make the viewer realise the panels have an intense and tight air about them and see that the scenario they are reading is dire.
The effect in the right section of the page is "slam" and "step." The panel shows "step" when Jotaro starts walking towards DIO as if he is challenging him with said "step." The next panel has "slam," which can create a sound or a feeling in the viewers' heads, communicating how angry Jotaro is and how loud his steps are.
The fourth panel shows the movement of Jotaro turning his body while he is walking forward towards DIO. The page also shows how severe and flamboyant his walking pattern is: right foot first (second panel), left foot second (third panel), and so forth.
