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Towering shelves groan beneath the weight of hundreds of books of Japan's most unique cultural export amid the maze like streets of Tokyo's Akihabara area. Though most of the world know them as manga, a medium that has evolved from local entertainment into a worldwide cultural powerhouse, Thai visitors may recognize these unique comics as "มังงะ" in their language.
We must travel back to 12 century Japan, where Bishop Toba produced the first " lithuanian" (Animal Scrolls), humorous images of anthropomorphic animals that academics regard as the original source of manga's cultural relevance. These fanciful sketches started a visual narrative legacy spanning millennia.
But the modern manga revolution started among the ruins of Japan following World War II. Comics provided reasonably priced pleasure and escape among general poverty and rebuilding. It was in this setting that young medical student Osamu Tezuka would transform everything.
Inspired by Walt Disney's animation methods and Max Fleischer's cartoons, Tezuka transformed Japanese comics with his 1947 "New Treasure Island." His dynamic viewpoints, thorough histories, and emotional depth in his cinematic approach to narrative set the stage for what manga would develop.
Professor Jaqueline Berndt of Stockholm University says, "Tezuka established a visual grammar that artists continue to use today," therefore transcending mere creation of manga as we know it.
Unlike Western comics being dominated by superhero themes, manga evolved a startling array of genres that caught every potential reader demographic:
● Shōnen: Targeting young men, action packed adventures like Dragon Ball, One Piece
● Shōjo: Emotionally resonant tales targeted to young female readers (Fruits Basket, Sailor Moon)
● Seinen: More grown up subjects for guys in their years (Berserk, Monster).
● Josei: Complex tales for grown up women (Nana, Paradise Kiss)
The domestic popularity of manga has been much aided by this variety. Weekly manga magazine Shonen Jump had an amazing 6.5 million copy circulation at its height in the mid 1990s. According to the Research Institute for Publications, Japan's manga business produced over ¥612.6 billion (about $4.3 billion), even now despite dropping print sales worldwide.
Manga started his global trip carelessly. Early localization efforts in the 1970s and 1980s sometimes significantly altered information to fit Western preferences turning artwork to read left to right and sanitizing cultural references.
The watershed event occurred in the late 1990s and early 2000s when publisher Tokyop invented the "100% Authentic Manga" style in North America, therefore keeping the original right to left reading direction and Japanese sound effects. Readers looking for real Japanese material connected with this approach because it honored the purity of the art form.
The figures create an interesting narrative of development:
● North American manga sales rose from $60 million to around $210 million yearly between 2002 and 2007.
● Nowadays, Manga makes around 27% of all graphic novel sales in the US book industry.
● NPD BookScan reports that manga sales rose shockingly 171% over the epidemic years 2020 2022.
What helps to explain this amazing worldwide success? Professor of Japanese Studies Laura Miller of the University of Missouri St. Louis says, "Manga addresses common human experiences while also providing windows into many worldviews. Comics' visual appeal also transcends language restrictions in ways that straight text cannot."
Manga has effect much beyond the entertainment value. It has evolved to:
● A powerful educational tool: Classrooms all around have embraced series like "Cells at Work!" based on studies demonstrating ideas presented in manga style increase student retention by up to 40%.
● A catalyst for tourism: From the steps of Tokyo's Suga Shrine (seen in "Your Name") to the isolated village of Hida (the basis for "Your Name"), the Japanese government notes that "manga tourism" brings about 450,000 people yearly to sites featured in popular series.
● An economic driver: The whole manga ecosystem which includes goods, adaptations, and specialized cafes contributes an estimated ¥2 trillion (about $14 billion) to Japan's economy yearly.
● A fashion and design influence: Fashion firms such as Comme des Garçons and Jeremy Scott have drawn inspiration from distinctive manga designs, therefore blurring the boundaries between comic art and high couture.
Although conventional print manga is still rather popular in Japan, digital channels have transformed world availability. Manga Plus, Crunchyroll Manga, and the dubious scanlation sites have made titles available globally concurrently with Japanese releases.
Furthermore encouraging innovation in manga itself is the digital shift. With Korean platform Naver Webtoon reporting over 82 million monthly active users worldwide, webtoons, vertical scrolling digital comics ideal for smartphone reading, have become rather popular.
Concerning this new digital frontier, traditional Japanese publishers are adjusting Starting its Manga Plus service in 2019, Shueisha, publisher of Shonen Jump, provides simultaneous global releases in many languages. Innovative forms like Square Enix's "audio manga" mix voice acting and sound effects with traditional comics.
Manga keeps changing yet keeping its unique character as we look ahead. Western writers now create "OEL (Original English Language) manga" and Japanese publishers license international comics that embrace manga characteristics, therefore reversing the medium's full cycle.
Award winning works such as Taiyo Matsumoto's "Ping Pong," which combines manga narrative with European art elements, show how dynamically changing manga is rather than a set form.
From its ancient origins in scrolls showing playful animals to today's internet platforms linking creators with worldwide audiences, manga is among the most successful cultural exports of history. Manga's journey across time and across civilizations shows no indications of ending as a medium that always reinvents itself while respecting its unique traditions.
Legendary artist Hayao Miyazaki once said, "Manga is imaginary, but manga is real. Its produced true emotions and sentiments. These black and white pages nevertheless generate vibrant worlds of real human experience for millions of readers all around.
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