The Manga Graphic Novel: A Primer

There are many genres of writing that a lot of people don't know about; not even those who are dedicated to literature of all forms. Different cultures have different writing styles that help make literature what its and as vast as it is. The Japanese culture has its own take on the comics we Americans are so accustoms to. Japanese Mangas are an adaptation of the comic books we see every day, and remember from our youth. Many Japanese Manga story lines have been turned into anime such as Inuyasha. There are a lot of similarities, but mangas, and comics do differ a great deal.

Mangas are typically printed in black and white, instead of the colored images we are used to seeing. They cover a wide range of topics from romance and sex, to business and the economy. The manga usually come in phone book sized books with several stories in one book. A single episode appears in each issue, and continues on to the next. They didn't appear until after World War Two. It is possible that comics brought over by U.S GI's, U.S film and television helped influence the beginning of manga. Manga are an expression of Japanese culture and ascetics. The style is crucial to the manga history. A manga series can go on for many years. One issue is at least two hundred pages and can continue for more than eight hundred. They are also written from top to bottom and right to left which is the traditional reading pattern in Japan.

There are different types of manga, the gekiga is a single book style of manga. This book appeared in the 1960's or 1970's. The gekiga is more non cartoon like as the manga may seem. Akira is the most famous gekiga. Manga is more pulp fiction than American comics are. There is a lot of violence and nudity. They are generally geared towards boys and men, unlike American comics which are suitable for anyone of any age. Mangas are classified by age and gender. The mangas that are aimed at boys have different cover art and are located on different shelves.

Manga are a good example of Japanese culture and shows a difference in writing style. They express more in however many pages the story can go on that many stories express. They can show the difference in American and Japanese culture in reading just one series. Sometimes as I stated the manga is turned into a television series or movie, Akira was one of them.