Are manga and anime the same thing?
Onmyō Taisenki
Even when the story of the Manga and Anime appears to be in the same universe there are some factual differences in the world of the anime and manga.
In the manga the names of the shikigamis are created by their Toujinshi at the time of the contract and in the anime the names of the shikigamis are always the same. For example, in the manga the name of the shikigami that once made a contract with Monju is revealed to be "Byakko no Akatsuki", and then it's revealed that is in fact the same shikigami as "Byakko no Kogenta", and the name Kogenta is the name that Yakumo gave him. In contrast the anime reveals that the name of Byakko no Kogenta has been always the same, as is revealed in the anime when the story of the contract between Byakko no Kogenta and Raihou is told. 
Also, in the manga, there are no factions between the Toujinshi, and every Toujinshi is independent.
Even when in the anime almost every Toujinshi uses a Drive, in the manga almost every Toujinshi uses a Toujinki, with the exception of Yakumo who gets his Zero Drive from the Naraku in the middle of Volume 2 in order to save Kogenta because Yakumo's Toujinki is destroyed, and Tsukuyomi that summons his shikigami with Toujin-fu.
It also is revealed in the manga that the Drive is in fact a Toujinki prototype.
In the anime when the Toujinshi shikigami is defeated the Toujinshi loses his/her memories as Toujinshi and he/she can no longer be a Toujinshi. In the manga the only consequence of a Shikigami defeat is that the Toujinshi can no longer make a contract with that shikigami.
Bishōnen
"Bishōjo" ('beautiful girl') is often mistakenly considered a parallel of "bishōnen", because of the similar construction of the terms. There are major differences between the two aesthetics. The "bishōjo" aesthetic is aimed at a male audience, and is typically centered on young girls, drawn in a cute, pretty style; and "bishōnen" is aimed at a female audience, centered on teenage boys, and drawn elegantly. Another common mistake is assuming that the female characters in "bishōnen" manga and anime are bishōjo. In truth, female characters in "bishōnen" manga are very different from those in "bishōjo"; "bishōjo" females are usually more petite and drawn in a style that is cute rather than beautiful, whereas "bishōnen" females exhibit the long limbs and elegance of the "bishōnen" themselves.
Flame of Recca
There are several notable differences between the anime and manga, such as the character designs (e.g. Fūko has purple-violet hair in the anime, but has brown hair in the manga) and in the storyline itself (e.g. In the anime, Yanagi's healing powers are first revealed when she heals Recca after he gets injured while protecting her and a child from being crushed under metal pipes, but in the manga, Yanagi heals Recca when he gets injured while protecting her from a group of male students who were forcing her to go with them). The anime was aired in the Philippines by GMA Network in 1999.
Anime
Anime differs greatly from other forms of animation by its diverse art styles, methods of animation, its production, and its process. Visually, anime is a diverse art form that contains a wide variety of art styles, differing from one creator, artist, and studio. While no one art style predominates anime as a whole, they do share some similar attributes in terms of animation technique and character design.
Glossary of comics terminology
Comics of non-English origin are often referred to by the terms used in those comics' language of origin. The most widespread example is when fans of Japanese comics use the term manga, which is also applied to non-Japanese comics done in a Japanese style. One also sees BD or bandes dessinées used to refer to Franco-Belgian comics, manhwa and manhua to refer to Korean and Chinese comics respectively, and fumetti to refer to Italian comics, although this term is also used in English to refer to comics whose graphics are made using photographs rather than illustrations.
Yakushiji Ryōko no Kaiki Jikenbo
Because the light novels, manga and the anime adaptations have different stories, paranormal events and creatures involved, their central plots are most of the time different from each other.
Manga
In Japan, people of all ages read manga. The medium includes works in a broad range of genres: action, adventure, business and commerce, comedy, detective, drama, historical, horror, mystery, romance, science fiction and fantasy, erotica, sports and games, and suspense, among others. Many manga are translated into other languages. Since the 1950s, manga has steadily become a major part of the Japanese publishing industry. By 1995, the manga market in Japan was valued at (), with annual sales of 1.9billion manga books and manga magazines in Japan (equivalent to 15issues per person). Manga have also gained a significant worldwide audience. In 2008, in the U.S. and Canada, the manga market was valued at $175 million. Manga represent 38% of the French comics market, which is equivalent to approximately ten times that of the United States. In France, the manga market was valued at about ($million) in 2005. In Europe and the Middle East, the market was valued at $250 million in 2012.
Japanese pop culture in the United States
Although anime can be considered by some as distinctly Japanese animation, some scholars and fans relate to them by their animated nature similar to the works of Walt Disney. Researchers found that this created a subset of people that distinguish themselves from the similar subculture of Japanophiles. The fandom originally proliferated using participatory media via the nature of fan-subbing anime, or the English subtitling of the original Japanese shows. This voluntary labor connects people on a global scale as fans from all over the world participate in and benefit from the collective community's work. During the 1990s, industry officials viewed fan-subtitlers as useful to the budding Anime industry, as they used fan production to see where potentially profitable markets might lie. Interviews from some of the earliest fansubbers reveal that most of them subscribed to an unspoken code that they should not make a profit from their illegal activities. However, most distributors do asked to be reimbursed for the cost of the tape and for shipping. Whether through fansubbing or professional industry translated anime and manga, the North American distribution of anime and manga has been primarily an import business for the Japanese produced content. However, due to the nature of its roots, the fandom is better thought of as a hybrid of American and Japanese cultural notes.
Manga outside Japan
In 2004, Mamoru Oshii's "" became the first animation finalist in the prestigious International Film Festival of Cannes, which demonstrates a radical perspective change and a social acceptance of Japanese "anime"/"manga". Since 2005, contemporary Japanese series such as "Naruto", "Initial D", "Great Teacher Onizuka", "Blue Gender" or "Gunslinger Girl" appeared on new, analog/digital terrestrial (public) and on satellite/broadband (private) channels. As the highly aggressive competition who raged once between, the sole two or three available channels no more exists in the new, vast, and segmented French TV offer, the "anime" is doing a revival in France. In 2011, 40% of the comics published in France were manga. In 2013, there were 41 publishers of manga in France and, together with other Asian comics, manga represented around 40% of new comics releases in the country, surpassing Franco-Belgian comics for the first time.
Anime
Anime's genre classification differs from other types of animation and does not lend itself to simple classification. Gilles Poitras compared the labeling "Gundam 0080" and its complex depiction of war as a "giant robot" anime akin to simply labeling "War and Peace" a "war novel". Science fiction is a major anime genre and includes important historical works like Tezuka's "Astro Boy" and Yokoyama's "Tetsujin 28-go". A major subgenre of science fiction is mecha, with the "Gundam" metaseries being iconic. The diverse fantasy genre includes works based on Asian and Western traditions and folklore; examples include the Japanese feudal fairytale "InuYasha", and the depiction of Scandinavian goddesses who move to Japan to maintain a computer called Yggdrasil in "Ah! My Goddess". Genre crossing in anime is also prevalent, such as the blend of fantasy and comedy in "Dragon Half", and the incorporation of slapstick humor in the crime anime film "Castle of Cagliostro". Other subgenres found in anime include magical girl, harem, sports, martial arts, literary adaptations, medievalism, and war.
Manga
In Japanese, "manga" refers to all kinds of cartooning, comics, and animation. Among English speakers, "manga" has the stricter meaning of "Japanese comics", in parallel to the usage of "anime" in and outside Japan. The term "ani-manga" is used to describe comics produced from animation cels.
Manga (disambiguation)
Manga refers to Japanese comic books or comic strip.
Crash B-Daman
The anime and manga follows a different storyline.
List of video games based on anime or manga
Also known as anime-based games, this is a list of computer and video games that are based on manga or anime properties.
History of comics
In Japan, a country with a long tradition for illustration, comics were hugely popular. Referred to as manga, the Japanese form was established after World War II by Osamu Tezuka, who expanded the page count of a work to number in the hundreds, and who developed a filmic style, heavily influenced by the Disney animations of the time. The Japanese market expanded its range to cover works in many genres, from juvenile fantasy through romance to adult fantasies. Japanese manga is typically published in large anthologies, containing several hundred pages, and the stories told have long been used as sources for adaptation into animated film. In Japan, such films are referred to as anime, and many creators work in both forms simultaneously, leading to an intrinsic linking of the two forms.
Glossary of anime and manga
This is a list of terms that are specific to anime and manga.
Manga
Manga for male readers sub-divides according to the age of its intended readership: boys up to 18 years old ("shōnen" manga) and young men 18 to 30 years old ("seinen" manga); as well as by content, including action-adventure often involving male heroes, slapstick humor, themes of honor, and sometimes explicit sex. The Japanese use different kanji for two closely allied meanings of "seinen"— for "youth, young man" and for "adult, majority"—the second referring to pornographic manga aimed at grown men and also called "seijin" ("adult" ) manga. "Shōnen", "seinen", and "seijin" manga share a number of features in common.
Anime-influenced animation
"", and its sequel series "The Legend of Korra" are other examples of Western anime so heavily influenced by Japanese anime that they started discussions among fans and viewers about what is an Anime and should a non-Japanese animation be called an Anime. "Avatar" creators Bryan Konietzko and Michael Dante DiMartino confirmed a particular Japanese anime influence in a magazine interview; that of "Hayao Miyazaki, especially "Spirited Away" and "Princess Mononoke"" as well as "My Neighbor Totoro". Other studios from which inspiration was drawn include Studio 4°C, Production I.G, Polygon Pictures and Studio Ghibli.
Kappa Mikey
"Kappa Mikey" was marketed as "the first anime to be produced entirely in the United States", according to press releases from MTV, Nicktoons Network and various other sources, as the term "anime" in English is generally reserved for animation originally produced for the Japanese market. It uses Japanese animation and culture as inspiration for its concept, rather than being "true" anime. As a matter of fact, the series is a homage/parody of Japanese anime.
Kujibiki Unbalance
"Kujibiki Unbalance" was originally a comic within a comic in the "Genshiken" manga, which also had an anime adaptation (which was sometimes discussed). When part of the manga of "Genshiken" was adapted to anime, the anime version of "Kujibiki Unbalance" was given greater emphasis though the manga is still the original work (the "Genshiken" members sometimes argue over the "Kuji-Un" anime's faithfulness to the manga). The version of "Kujibiki Unbalance" as it appeared in the "Genshiken" anime was made into a three episode OVA released to DVD along with "Genshiken", allowing for a small glimpse of what those within "Genshiken" are almost always watching on television.
Film comic
A or are Japanese manga volumes which use illustrated images from an anime series, film, or video release, rather than original custom art. They generally contain the full dialog from the anime from which they are adapted. While usually published in book form, they are also sometimes released electronically as e-books, occasionally called "e-manga". Companies such as Tokyopop and Viz release film comics under the trademarks Cine-manga and Ani-manga, respectively.
Japanification
This temporary increase in Japanese language learners in the early years of the 21st century was unusual given Japan’s economic gloom and turmoil in the last two decades, but then again it might not be that surprising due to the rising popularity of manga and anime around 2009. Manga and anime was seen by some as a leading factor in reasons why the number of Japanese language learners was increasing, “Over 50% of Japanese language learners surveyed by the Japan Foundation in 2009 cited wanting to learn how to read manga and anime as a key reason for studying Japanese.” Today, we see what many consider is a rapid decline in the global popularity of Japanese manga and anime. Some praise the 10% of high quality manga and anime for its initial popularity, and blame its recent decline in popularity on the 90% of low quality material that has been released in recent years. Another possible reason for the decline in sales could be the increase in "Scanlations" which are described in a statement by Japan's Digital Comic Association: "The 36 publishers in Japan’s Digital Comic Association and several American publishers are forming a coalition to combat the “rampant and growing problem” of scanlations — illicit digital copies of manga either translated by fans or scanned directly from legitimate English releases".
Shot-for-shot
Many Japanese anime series that are based on a preceding manga series strive to adapt the story without many changes. If the anime and manga are being produced concurrently, however, and should the anime overtake the release of new source material, the producers might then be forced to create their own new ending to the story, go on hiatus, or create a "filler arc" with an original story arc that non-canonically continues the story until more material has been created.
Anime and manga fandom
One major appeal of anime is its artwork; some fans claim that its visual quality is superior to that found in most animated series made in the United States and many ignore all non-Japanese animation. One fan described enjoying anime because "there is no dividing line between special effects and what is real...it's just the way somebody imagined it". The content editor of "Anime Fringe", Holly Kolodziejczak, described being amazed by anime's depth that was unlike the cartoons she had seen before: "the characters had real personalities, their own feelings and motivations for their actions, strengths and flaws that enhanced their characters. They were more like real people, and thus people could much more readily identify with them." Larry Green of Nausicaa.net agreed and added that anime discusses subjects for both adults and children whereas in the United States animation is traditionally for children. He also stated that any viewer would be able to find something to their liking due to anime's large scale of production.
Manga
The term "manga" (kanji: ; hiragana: ; katakana: ; ; or ) in Japan is a word used to refer to both comics and cartooning. "Manga" as a term used outside Japan refers to comics originally published in Japan.
Anime
Anime are often classified by target demographic, including , , and a diverse range of genres targeting an adult audience. Shoujo and shounen anime sometimes contain elements popular with children of both sexes in an attempt to gain crossover appeal. Adult anime may feature a slower pace or greater plot complexity that younger audiences may typically find unappealing, as well as adult themes and situations. A subset of adult anime works featuring pornographic elements are labeled "R18" in Japan, and are internationally known as "hentai" (originating from ). By contrast, some anime subgenres incorporate "ecchi", sexual themes or undertones without depictions of sexual intercourse, as typified in the comedic or harem genres; due to its popularity among adolescent and adult anime enthusiasts, the inclusion of such elements is considered a form of fan service. Some genres explore homosexual romances, such as "yaoi" (male homosexuality) and "yuri" (female homosexuality). While often used in a pornographic context, the terms can also be used broadly in a wider context to describe or focus on the themes or the development of the relationships themselves.
History of manga
For manga critics Koji Aihara and Kentaro Takekuma, such battle stories endlessly repeat the same mindless themes of violence, which they sardonically label the "Shonen Manga Plot Shish Kebob", where fights follow fights like meat skewered on a stick. Other commentators suggest that fight sequences and violence in comics serve as a social outlet for otherwise dangerous impulses. Shōnen manga and its extreme warriorship have been parodied, for example, in Mine Yoshizaki's screwball comedy "Sgt. Frog" ("Keroro Gunso"), about a platoon of slacker alien frogs who invade the Earth and end up free-loading off the Hinata family in Tokyo.
Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (manga)
Eriko Ogihara-Schuck, lecturer in American studies at the Technical University of Dortmund, conducted a comparative analysis of the Japanese-language manga and anime with their English translations, and demonstrates that American translations have resulted in the “Christianizing of Miyazaki's animism”. She indicates that this was probably done inadvertently in the case of the manga translation, which retains animistic elements and contains pantheistic phrases, but may have been more deliberate in the translation of dialogue and narration for Disney's release of the film. In the case of the manga she attributes this "Christianizing" to the limitations of the languages involved, particularly the absence of precise English equivalents for Japanese words and concepts such as "kami", "oni" and "kishin" and honorific titles such as "sama". As another explanation, she offers that translators of both the manga and the film work from a Judeo-Christian background, in a language suffused with Judeo-Christian idioms not found in Japanese, which they introduce to the text, and she indicates that the translators work for an audience more accustomed to, and with the expectation of, the Judeo-Christian religions' dualistic, good versus evil worldview in fictional narratives. Ogihara-Schuck concludes that particularly the film translation erased animistic motifs completely but that the manga translations, "by enveloping the text in a dualistic world view", also implicitly reintroduced this dualistic, good versus evil, worldview, absent in the original Japanese language manga, which she presumes to have been a strategy to make the works more accessible to the American audience.
Mangaka
A mangaka may both write and illustrate a series of their own creation, or may work in collaboration with an author. The mangaka typically has a strong influence on dialog even when paired with a writer, as any conversation must fit within the physical constraints imposed by the art. Takeshi Obata of "Death Note", Tetsuo Hara of "Fist of the North Star", Ryoichi Ikegami of "Sanctuary", Aki Shirou and Hajime Kamoshida of "Sakura-sō no Pet na Kanojo" are all successful manga artists who have worked with writers through the majority of their careers.
Manga
Writers on manga history have described two broad and complementary processes shaping modern manga. One view represented by other writers such as Frederik L. Schodt, Kinko Ito, and Adam L. Kern, stress continuity of Japanese cultural and aesthetic traditions, including pre-war, Meiji, and pre-Meiji culture and art. The other view, emphasizes events occurring during and after the Allied occupation of Japan (1945–1952), and stresses U.S. cultural influences, including U.S. comics (brought to Japan by the GIs) and images and themes from U.S. television, film, and cartoons (especially Disney).
Saint Young Men
Comics writer Paul Gravett chose it as one of the best comics of Japan in 2008, while writers Shaenon Garrity and Jason Thompson elected it as one of the most wanted titles for licensing in 2010. Japanese manga critic Kaoru Nagayama has noted that the manga is "fun to read" and commended Arakawa for keeping Jesus and Buddha faithful to their real character—of kindness—even when confronted by evil. Carlo Santos from Anime News Network criticized it for its art and questioned its capacity to evolve into something other than "Jesus and Buddha hanging out, while normal people do embarrassing things to them". Santos complained that Jesus' and Buddha's philosophical differences and personalities are not explored. However, Santos praised the series' comedy, noting its simplicity and saying, "its brilliance comes not from purposely trivializing two of the world's great religions, but by highlighting the quirks of the secular world when these famous religious figures are placed in it". According to him, the series does not lose its capacity of making readers laugh as it progresses, unlike other manga. Jolyon Baraka Thomas of "The Guardian" praised the constancy of "visual gags and puns", and wrote: "Her story is not an introduction to abstruse religious doctrines, nor does it feature much overt commentary on the role of religions in contemporary society."
Anime
The word "anime" is the Japanese term for "animation", which means all forms of animated media. Outside Japan, "anime" refers specifically to animation from Japan or as a Japanese-disseminated animation style often characterized by colorful graphics, vibrant characters and fantastical themes. The culturally abstract approach to the word's meaning may open up the possibility of anime produced in countries other than Japan. For simplicity, many Westerners strictly view anime as a Japanese animation product. Some scholars suggest defining anime as specifically or quintessentially Japanese may be related to a new form of Orientalism.
Japanese popular culture
Anime (Japanese: アニメ) is a movie or television episode of sorts which utilizes animation as an art style iconic to Japan in order to convey a story. Unlike western cartoons, anime can be distinguished by its detail in character design, large array of facial expressions, in-depth character development, wide target audience and rare use of talking animals. These traits are used in order to better the connection between a viewer and the characters. Most of the time, anime is based on animated comics called manga, which is an ancient form of comic writing which dates back to the 12th century.
Horizontal and vertical writing in East Asian scripts
Japanese comics, also known as manga, tend to use vertical direction for text. Manga frames tend to flow in right-to-left horizontal direction. Frames in yonkoma manga tend to flow in a vertical direction. Page ordering is the same as books that use vertical direction: from right to left. Frames that are chronologically before or after each other use less spacing in between as a visual cue.
History of manga
Kern has suggested that "kibyoshi", picture books from the late 18th century, may have been the world's first comic books. These graphical narratives share with modern manga humorous, satirical, and romantic themes. Although Kern does not believe that "kibyoshi" were a direct forerunner of manga, for Kern the existence of "kibyoshi" nonetheless points to a Japanese willingness to mix words and pictures in a popular story-telling medium. The first recorded use of the term "manga" to mean "whimsical or impromptu pictures" comes from this tradition in 1798, which, Kern points out, predates Katsushika Hokusai's better known "Hokusai Manga" usage by several decades.
Adult comics
In Japan, comic books (manga) intended for adults are usually divided into 'seinen manga' (青年漫画　comics for men) and 'josei manga' (女性漫画　comics for women). Erotic comics aimed at men are referred to as 'seijin-muke manga' (成人向け漫画) or 'ero manga' and those aimed at women are called 'ladies comics' (レーディーズ・コミック) (see also the English loanword 'hentai'). Shonen manga for boys tend to outsell seinen manga which in turn outsell seijin-muke manga.
History of manga
In early "shōnen" manga, men and boys played all the major roles, with women and girls having only auxiliary places as sisters, mothers, and occasionally girlfriends. Of the nine cyborgs in Shotaro Ishinomori's 1964 "Cyborg 009", only one is female, and she soon vanishes from the action. Some recent "shōnen" manga virtually omit women, e.g., the martial arts story "Baki the Grappler" by Itagaki Keisuke and the supernatural fantasy "Sand Land" by Akira Toriyama. However, by the 1980s, girls and women began to play increasingly important roles in "shōnen" manga, for example, Toriyama's 1980 "Dr. Slump", whose main character is the mischievous and powerful girl robot Arale Norimaki.
The role of girls and women in manga for male readers has evolved considerably since Arale. One class is the pretty girl ("bishōjo"). Sometimes the woman is unattainable, but she is generally an object of the hero's emotional and sexual interest, like Belldandy from "Oh My Goddess!" by Kōsuke Fujishima and Shao-lin from "Guardian Angel Getten" by Minene Sakurano. In other stories, the hero is surrounded by such girls and women, as in "" by Ken Akamatsu and "Hanaukyo Maid Team" by Morishige. The male protagonist does not always succeed in forming a relationship with the woman, for example when Bright Honda and Aimi Komori fail to bond in "Shadow Lady" by Masakazu Katsura. In other cases, a successful couple's sexual activities are depicted or implied, like "Outlanders" by Johji Manabe. Other stories feature an initially naive hero subsequently learning how to deal and live with women emotionally and sexually, like Yota in "Video Girl Ai" by Masakazu Katsura, Train Man in "" by Hidenori Hara, and Makoto in "Futari Ecchi" by Katsu Aki. In erotic manga ("seijin" manga), often called "hentai" manga in the US, a sexual relationship is taken for granted and depicted explicitly, as in work by Toshiki Yui and in "Were-Slut" by Jiro Chiba and "Slut Girl" by Isutoshi. The result is a range of depictions of boys and men from naive to very sexually accustomed.
Sweet Blue Flowers
Erica Friedman, the president of Yuricon and ALC Publishing, reviewed the "Sweet Blue Flowers" anime and manga, praising Takako Shimura's original cover and interior art from the manga, and how that art style is "captured in the anime through crisp, realistic art." The story is also lauded for "far surpassing most Yuri in general" by its strength in a "character-driven" story, which is described as being both "aesthetically appealing" and "simple". Friedman cites that "Sweet Blue Flowers" could easily be compared to a Jane Austen story, and feels that the story is not "a melodrama or a parody, like "Strawberry Panic!"." Friedman later called "Sweet Blue Flowers" the best yuri anime of 2009, where she wrote how the series was one of the "most realistic portrayals of a young woman in love with another woman ever seen in an anime." Friedman also praised the faithful adaptation from manga to anime, including parts that she felt were done better animated.
Animax Taishō
Held annually since 2002, the competition awards the best original anime scripts submitted across Japan, judged by a panel of noted manga artists, animators and anime creators, which has included Ryōsuke Takahashi and Kaiji Kawaguchi among others, and which subsequently gets animated into an anime by a noted Japanese animation studio for broadcast on Animax's networks the following year. Winners of the Animax Award have gone on to forge successful careers in the anime and manga industry, with the second award winner, Yūko Kawabe going on to co-write "Ergo Proxy" and "Tweeny Witches", among others, while the fourth winner, Ikuko Yoshinari, went on to publish a shōjo manga for "Ribon".
A Girl on the Shore
Rebecca Silverman of Anime News Network found the manga's depiction of adolescent relationships to be realistic and Asano's treatment of the characters respectful, saying that it "doesn't shy away from its emotional issues", concluding that the manga lingers in the mind after finishing it. Gabe Peralta of "The Fandom Post" said that the manga "is an emotional ride about emotionally broken children" which is accompanied by "beautiful visuals". Amanda Vail of "Otaku USA" praised Asano's art, calling it gorgeous and detailed, and said that its contrast with Koume and Keisuke's relationship forms a "poignant, almost painful ennui". Ash Brown of Manga Bookshelf called the manga's depictions of teenage sex "frank", but "integral to the story" because they "carr[y] meaning beyond titillation." He also called the manga "brutally unsettling and hard-hitting", concluding that its themes of loneliness and isolation are emphasized by Asano's "detailed backgrounds, dramatic perspectives, layout and use of space". Shea Hennum of "The A.V. Club" complimented the writing in its "ability to obtusely render complex relationships," saying that rather than descending into nihilism, Asano maintains a balance of melancholy and idealism. Hennum concludes that the manga is "buoyed by Asano's insightful observation of human emotion and his confrontational and beautiful rendering of it." Sean Rogers of "The Globe and Mail" compared the manga to the films "Fat Girl" and "Kids" in how it "deals explicitly and honestly with its young characters' sexuality", calling Asano's approach "raw and unblinking, but never salacious". He also called the protagonists' relationship "intense" and complimented the art's "expressive force". Elliot Page of the UK Anime Network podcast called the manga haunting and dense, saying that the manga "goes places with such care and respect and intellect into the characters and their plight". He also called the art gorgeous and complimented the backgrounds, comparing the way the manga creates a "pocket dimension" to "The Flowers of Evil".
History of manga
Schodt and Nash also see a particularly significant role for "kamishibai", a form of street theater where itinerant artists displayed pictures in a light box while narrating the story to audiences in the street. Torrance has pointed to similarities between modern manga and the Osaka popular novel between the 1890s and 1940, and argues that the development of widespread literacy in Meiji and post-Meiji Japan helped create audiences for stories told in words and pictures. Kinko Ito also roots manga historically in aesthetic continuity with pre-Meiji art, but she sees its post-WWII history as driven in part by consumer enthusiasm for the rich imagery and narrative of the newly developing manga tradition. Ito describes how this tradition has steadily produced new genres and markets, e.g., for girls' ("shōjo") manga in the late 1960s and for Ladies Comics ("redisu") in the 1980s.
Bokurano: Ours
Regarding differences between the stories in the manga and in the anime, Hiroyuki Morita, who directed the anime, wrote in his blog that he dislikes the original story and has, in some ways, been making changes to the plot for that reason. He also wrote that, at one point early in the development of the show, he asked manga author Mohiro Kitoh if he could find some way to save the main characters — the kids who must pilot Zearth. He wrote that Kitoh responded that his choice was fine as long as the changes did not involve "magical solutions" to the story. Morita closed out the blog entry with the statement "The director of the animated version of "Bokurano" dislikes the original manga. From here on out, you can't expect the animated version to expand on what you might find appealing in the original. So, fans of the original, please do not watch the animated version from now on".
Fandom
Anime and manga fandom began in the 1970s in Japan. In America, the fandom also began as an offshoot of science fiction fandom, with fans bringing imported copies of Japanese manga to conventions. Before anime began to be licensed in the U.S., fans who wanted to get a hold of anime would leak copies of anime movies and subtitle them to exchange with friends in the community, thus marking the start of fansubs.
Mecha
In Japan, "robot anime" (known as "mecha anime" outside Japan) is one of the oldest genres in anime. Robot anime is often tied in with toy manufacturers. Large franchises such as Zoids and Gundam have hundreds of different model kits.
Akira (manga)
An animated film adaptation (anime) was released in 1988 that shortened the plot considerably while retaining many of the manga's primary characters and plot elements alongside additional scenes, settings and motifs. The manga takes place in a longer time frame than the film, and involves a much wider array of characters and subplots. Otomo's "Akira" anime marked his transition from a career primarily in manga, to one almost exclusively in anime.
Anime music video
An anime music video (AMV), known in wasei-eigo as MAD (music anime douga), typically is a fan-made music video consisting of clips from one or more Japanese animated shows or movies set to an audio track, often songs or promotional trailer audio. The term is generally specific to Japanese anime, however, it can occasionally include American animation footage or video game footage. AMVs are not official music videos released by the musicians, they are fan compositions which synchronize edited video clips with an audio track. AMVs are most commonly posted and distributed over the Internet through AnimeMusicVideos.org or YouTube. Anime conventions frequently run AMV contests who usually show the finalists/winner's AMVs.
Kodomo anime and manga
The second category consists of adaptations of Japanese media and original works. They use linguistic gags, contain references to Japanese society, and may be harder to understand for non-Japanese audiences. They are in some ways similar to American animation. An example is "Doraemon". These works often contain shōnen elements.
Tenjho Tenge
The "Tenjho Tenge" anime is described as a significantly toned down version of the Japanese manga, but still retains most of the spirit of its predecessor. Much of the nudity was removed by the animators, but was made up in the way of sexual innuendos, gratuitous cleavage, and panty shots. Since the anime is a close adaptation of the manga, critique of the plot is comparable to the manga's. Some reviewers felt that the anime was handled in a frantic and ill-planned manner that made the conclusion not satisfactory even with the original video animation. The animation done by Madhouse is considered to be well done. They used bright vibrant colors, solid backgrounds, and plenty of visible detail with very little pixelation or jagged movement, but at times used repeated character shots and animations. The animation done during the fight scenes is done in real time and is done as close to reality as possible while still bending, and often violating, the laws of physics. The early fight scenes are thought to be the "most intense seen in recent anime" by Kevin Gilvear of DVD Times. Carlo Santos of Anime News Network affirmed the quality of animation in these scenes does drop somewhat over time, but the action still looks better than the average fighting anime. Both the Japanese and English voice acting are considered to be good, but the English dub at times can be a little uneven. The English dub on occasion has poor dialogue, according to Anime News Network's Patrick King, which causes it to lose much of the anime's sincerity. Overall, the anime is considered to be above average, but suffers from a lack of a good ending, mainly because the anime only covered the first arc of the story.
Original net animation
An original net animation (ONA), known in Japan as , is an anime that is directly released onto the Internet. ONAs may also have been aired on television if they were first directly released on the Internet. The name mirrors original video animation, a term that has been used in the anime industry for straight-to-video animation since the early 1980s. The Internet is a relatively new outlet for animation distribution that has been made viable by the increasing number of streaming media websites in Japan.
Anime-influenced animation
Although outside Japan, "anime" is specifically used to mean animation from Japan or as a Japanese-disseminated animation style often characterized by colorful graphics, vibrant characters and fantastical themes, there is a debate over whether the culturally abstract approach to the word's meaning may open up the possibility of anime produced in countries other than Japan. While some Westerners strictly view anime as a Japanese animation product, some scholars suggest defining anime as specifically or quintessentially Japanese may be related to a new form of orientalism.
Anime and manga fandom
According to Mike Tatsugawa, the founder and CEO of the Society for the Promotion of Japanese Animation, the first milestone for anime in the U.S. was in the 1980s with the advent of the Internet. With the Internet, fans were able to more easily communicate with each other and thus better able to exchange fan-subtitled tapes and higher quality versions of anime. Some experts, such as Susan Napier, a Professor of Japanese Language and Literature, say that "Akira" marked the first milestone. However, most experts agree that the next milestone was in 1992 when U.S. Renditions, a film importer, released the first English-subtitled anime videotape that year, entitled "Gunbuster". According to Tatsugawa, the success of "Gunbuster" triggered a flurry of releases.
Original English-language manga
However the original parent loan word, manga, is still used by publishers such as Tokyopop, Harper Collins, and various small presses as a blanket term for all of their bound graphic novels—without reference to origin or location of its creator(s). The significance of the word, however, has mutated outside Japan as a reference to comics originally published in Japan, regardless of style or language. Merriam-Webster's dictionary defines the word manga as meaning "a Japanese comic or graphic novel", reflecting the change of the meaning this word has had once used outside Japan.
Cliffhanger
Cliffhangers are commonly used in Japanese manga and anime. In contrast to American superhero comics, Japanese manga are much more frequently written with cliffhangers, often with each volume or issue. This is particularly the case with shōnen manga, especially those published by "Weekly Shōnen Jump", such as "Dragon Ball", "Shaman King", and "One Piece".
Anime
Anime clubs gave rise to anime conventions in the 1990s with the "anime boom", a period marked by increased popularity of anime. These conventions are dedicated to anime and manga and include elements like cosplay contests and industry talk panels. Cosplay, a portmanteau for "costume play", is not unique to anime and has become popular in contests and masquerades at anime conventions. Japanese culture and words have entered English usage through the popularity of the medium, including "otaku", an unflattering Japanese term commonly used in English to denote a fan of anime and manga. Another word that has arisen describing fans in the United States is "wapanese" meaning White individuals who desire to be Japanese, or later known as "weeaboo" for individuals who demonstrate a strong interest in Japanese anime subculture, which is a term that originated from abusive content posted on the popular bulletin board website 4chan.org. Anime enthusiasts have produced fan fiction and fan art, including computer wallpaper and anime music videos.
Manga
Manga has influenced European cartooning in a way that is somewhat different from in the U.S. Broadcast anime in France and Italy opened the European market to manga during the 1970s. French art has borrowed from Japan since the 19th century (Japonism) and has its own highly developed tradition of bande dessinée cartooning. In France, beginning in the mid-1990s, manga has proven very popular to a wide readership, accounting for about one-third of comics sales in France since 2004. According to the Japan External Trade Organization, sales of manga reached $212.6 million within France and Germany alone in 2006. France represents about 50% of the European market and is the second worldwide market, behind Japan. In 2013, there were 41 publishers of manga in France and, together with other Asian comics, manga represented around 40% of new comics releases in the country, surpassing Franco-Belgian comics for the first time. European publishers marketing manga translated into French include Asuka, Casterman, Glénat, Kana, and Pika Édition, among others. European publishers also translate manga into Dutch, German, Italian, and other languages. In 2007, about 70% of all comics sold in Germany were manga.
Mecha
Robot/mecha anime and manga differ vastly in storytelling and animation quality from title to title, and content ranges all the way from children's shows to ones intended for an older teen or adult audience.
RWBY
Reaction to Matt Hullum's statement made on August 15, 2014, about "RWBY" being anime has been mixed. Lindsay Jones said "Funnily enough, we showed our Japanese cohorts "RWBY" and they started arguing about whether it was anime or not! But seeing the reception from audiences is so surreal, and we never expected it." A Movie Pilot blog listed the "RWBY" as anime topic among its "flame wars you don't want to be part of". Anime News Network writers Paul Jensen and James Beckett wrote: "We don't have any formal reviews of RWBY here on ANN, but it is kind of cool to see an American production make it to the release encyclopedia." Michael Mauer of "The Cornell Daily Sun" wrote that the issue was still being debated among the anime community, while Sabrina Pyun of ComicsVerse wrote "The show is known for many things, from its dubious status as an anime to its unique 3D animation style." However, mainstream news articles dated after Hullum's statement and previewing later seasons and the franchise have referred to "RWBY" as an American anime, including "Variety", Collider, iDigitalTimes, "Entertainment Weekly", "Adweek", and "Deadline Hollywood".
Cobra (manga)
In Japan, the "Cobra" manga has sold 40 million copies, making it one of "Weekly Shōnen Jump"s best-selling manga series of all time. Publications for manga, anime and other media have compared the series to "Star Wars" and "Barbarella", and the main character's attitude to James Bond. Its film adaptation received mixed reviews, and the original anime series as well as "Cobra the Animation" has been well received by reviewers.
Anime-influenced animation
These anime-influenced animations have become defined as "anime", in an attempt to classify all Japanese-anime styled works of non-Japanese origin. The web-based series "RWBY" is produced using an anime art style and has been declared to be anime. In addition, the series was released in Japan, under the label of "anime" per the Japanese definition of the term and referenced as an "American-made anime". Netflix declared the company's intention to produce anime. In doing so, the company is offering a more accessible channel for distribution to Western markets.
Manga
Manga made their way only gradually into U.S. markets, first in association with anime and then independently. Some U.S. fans became aware of manga in the 1970s and early 1980s. However, anime was initially more accessible than manga to U.S. fans, many of whom were college-age young people who found it easier to obtain, subtitle, and exhibit video tapes of anime than translate, reproduce, and distribute "tankōbon"-style manga books. One of the first manga translated into English and marketed in the U.S. was Keiji Nakazawa's "Barefoot Gen", an autobiographical story of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima issued by Leonard Rifas and Educomics (1980–1982). More manga were translated between the mid-1980s and 1990s, including "Golgo 13" in 1986, "Lone Wolf and Cub" from First Comics in 1987, and "Kamui", "Area 88", and "Mai the Psychic Girl", also in 1987 and all from Viz Media-Eclipse Comics. Others soon followed, including "Akira" from Marvel Comics' Epic Comics imprint, "Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind" from Viz Media, and "Appleseed" from Eclipse Comics in 1988, and later "Iczer-1" (Antarctic Press, 1994) and Ippongi Bang's "F-111 Bandit" (Antarctic Press, 1995).
Mecha anime and manga
Mecha anime and manga, known in Japan as and , are anime and manga that feature robots (mecha) in battle. The genre is broken down into two subcategories; "super robot", featuring super-sized, implausible robots, and "real robot", where robots are governed by realistic physics and technological limitations.
Anime Insider
Offering a listing of English releases and publishing news, the segment included What's the Difference (comparison of titles in both anime and manga forms), Must Read (new manga recommendation), and Read on Arrival (manga not available in English).
Dragon Ball (manga)
Carlo Santos of the Anime News Network described "Dragon Ball"s setting as "a melting pot of sci-fi, fantasy, and folklore". Santos praised its quick development of new characters and storylines, and claimed that the series' crowning achievement is in its dynamic fight scenes. However, he did not enjoy the cliché training and tournament segments, nor its crude humor. His colleague Allen Divers praised the manga's story and humor as being very good at conveying all the characters' personalities. Divers also called Viz's translation one of the best of all the English editions of the series due to its faithfulness to the original Japanese. "Animerica" felt the series had "worldwide appeal," using dramatic pacing and over-the-top martial arts action to "maintain tension levels and keep a crippler crossface hold on the audience's attention spans". Comic Book Bin's Leroy Douresseaux described Toriyama as a "super-cartoonist," a blend of Carl Barks, Jack Kirby, and Peyo. He gave "Dragon Ball" a perfect rating and called it one of the best manga and comic books he has ever read. Ridwan Khan of Animefringe.com commented that the manga had a "chubby" art style, but as the series continued the characters became more refined, leaner, and more muscular. He cited one slight problem in Viz's release; the translation uses informal language to capture Goku's country accent, but it ends up feeling "forced and odd". Khan prefers the manga over the slow pacing of the anime adaptations. Ollie Barber writing for "Forbes" echoed Khan stating with a lot less padding, the manga's "pacing is a lot tighter and makes you realize how talented Dragon Ball's creator Akira Toriyama truly is when he chooses to flex his storytelling muscles". Including it on a list of "10 Essential Manga That Should Belong in Every Comic Collection", Matthew Meylikhov of "Paste" also praised the manga over the anime as an entirely different and more "involved experience." He wrote that "You come to know and care for the characters more intimately, and the joy and wonder of watching them fight, learn and grow throughout the series improves tenfold."
Aim for the Ace!
The manga was a hit, having sold approximately 15 million copies, which makes it one of the best-selling "shōjo" manga series of all time. Although the television series initially received low ratings, reruns were more positively received by fans, as well as the second series. The anime is considered a hit on Japanese television and though aimed toward schoolgirls it was popular among people of both sexes, and was also popular in Europe. In 2001, the anime magazine "Animage" ranked the 1979 anime television as the twenty-second of the Top 100 anime productions of all time. In 2005, TV Asahi conducted a "Top 100" online web poll and nationwide survey asking viewers for the best anime television series; "Aim for the Ace!" was placed fourteenth in the online poll and thirty-fourth in the survey. Responsible for a tennis boom among high school students in the 1970s, the series was still popular as of 2015 appearing in several online web polls of most influential sports anime.
Manga outside Japan
Since its introduction in the 1990s, "manga" publishing and "anime" broadcasting have become intertwined in France, where the most popular and exploited "shōnen", "shōjo" and "seinen" TV series were imported in their paper version. Therefore, Japanese books ("manga") were naturally and readily accepted by a large juvenile public who was already familiar with the series and received the "manga" as part of their own culture. A strong parallel backup was the emergence of Japanese video games, Nintendo/Sega, which were mostly based on "manga" and "anime" series.
Hero Tales
There are some differences between the plot of the manga and the anime, including which characters live or die, who fights when and where, and how the final battles play out. For example, in the anime, Keiro actually manages to absorb Shimei inside of himself, and gains supernatural powers, controlling Ryuukou against his will and turning some people into demons. Although the overall impact of the battle between Keiro and Taitou is largely the same in both the manga and the anime, the fine details are not. Also, in the manga, there appears to be seven years between the end of the battle between Keiro and Taitou and the final scenes. In the anime, there's an unspecified time skip, but the characters don't appear to have aged significantly, so it wouldn't seem to be as long as seven years.
History of manga
Manga is said to originate from scrolls dating back to the 12th and 13th centuries. During the Edo period (1603-1867), another book of drawings, "Toba Ehon", embedded the concept of manga. The word first came into common usage in the late 18th century with the publication of such works as Santō Kyōden's picturebook "Shiji no yukikai" (1798), and in the early 19th century with such works as Aikawa Minwa's "Manga hyakujo" (1814) and 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.
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. 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). 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.
Anime and manga fandom
Anime and manga have also inspired many young people to learn about Japanese culture, and the anime fan community in fact encourages people to do so. Fans often learn about Japanese honorifics from anime and manga. Companies such as Del Rey Manga and GoComi add explanatory notes describing honorifics and other words and concepts that do not translate well between languages.
Alternative manga
In 1958 an author named Yoshihiro Tatsumi decided to create comics that had a darker and more realistic tone. Rejecting the title of "manga", which in Japanese means "frivolous pictures", Tatsumi instead called these comics "gekiga", meaning "dramatic pictures". This was similar to the way in which the term "graphic novel" was advocated by American alternative cartoonists, over the term "comics".
List of anime distributed in the United States
The 1990s, was the period in which anime reached mainstream popularity in the U.S. market and the terms "anime" and "manga" became commonly well known (ultimately replacing the former majorly known term "Japanimation"). Companies such as FUNimation Productions, Bandai Entertainment, 4Kids Entertainment, Central Park Media, Media Blasters, Saban Entertainment, Viz Video, Pioneer LDC and ADV Films began licensing anime in the United States.
Anime and manga fandom
series banded together to get "Space Battleship Yamato" back on the air after it stopped airing on Japanese television. In Japan, anime and manga are referred to collectively as the content industry: anime, video games, manga, and other related merchandise are different types of media focused around the same content.
Negima! Magister Negi Magi
The anime began airing in Japan on January 6, 2005 and ended June 29, 2005. The anime follows the story of the manga to a certain degree but also creates its own reasons for certain events happening - most of which take place towards the end of the series - which differ from the original story, as the situations addressed had yet to occur in the source material. The differences between the manga and anime are significant, and most events in the manga never occur in the anime, again due in part to the manga being incomplete during the series' production. Starting in episode 22 and continuing until the end of the series, original work was created so the series would have a conclusion. At one time it aired as part of the Funimation programming block on CoLours TV.
Shōnen manga
None of these listed characteristics are a requirement, as seen in shōnen manga like "Yotsuba&!", which features a female lead and almost no fan service or action; what defines whether or not a series is shōnen is the official classification of the magazine it is serialized in. After the arrest and trial of serial killer Tsutomu Miyazaki, depictions of violence and sexual matters became more highly regulated in manga in general, but especially in shōnen manga. The art style of shōnen is generally less "flowery" than that of shōjo manga, although this varies greatly from artist to artist, and some artists draw both shōnen and shōjo manga.
Ranma ½
In an overview of the series, Jason Thompson called "Ranma ½" "the direct ancestor of all comedy-action manga, like "Sumomomo Momomo" and "History's Strongest Disciple Kenichi"", although noted that it was not the first, but only spanned the period when manga and anime sales were at their height. Relating it to Takahashi's other works, he summed the series up as "At the start, the fighting is minimal and it's almost a semi-serious relationship comedy, like "Maison Ikkoku"; then it turns completely ridiculous; and by the climax, when Ranma fights the evil bird-people of Phoenix Mountain in an excessively long and un-funny shonen fight scene, it's like a warmup for "Inuyasha"." He states that "Eventually Takahashi adds too many characters, and the manga starts repeating itself. Because of the lack of a strong story arc, a lot of people stop reading "Ranma ½" at some point in the middle". Reviewing Viz Media's final English volume of the manga, Anime News Network remarked that "Every dimension of Rumiko Takahashi's storytelling skills come into play here: comedy, romance and introspection, and of course, high-flying fantasy martial-arts action." However, they felt some of the action scenes were hard to follow and noted that the mirroring to left-to-right format caused errors with the art.
Superpower (ability)
Superpowers are a commonly used concept in manga and anime, particularly in the shonen genre. They are often featured in popular manga and anime such as Attack on Titan, My Hero Academia, HunterxHunter, Naruto, and Code Geass. The types of powers featured vary from anime to anime. Some anime, such as Dragon Ball Z, feature many different characters who have the same types of powers; others, such as One Piece, feature characters with a wide range of different powers, with many powers being unique to only one or a few characters.
Lelouch Lamperouge
The "Code Geass" manga follows the same basic plot as the anime, but with several differences. Knightmares do not exist. As for Lelouch's character, he is still the same as he was in the anime. He takes on the identity Zero, but largely focuses on his activities with the Black Knights.
Elfen Lied
Because the manga was in production by the time the TV series began broadcasting, the manga and anime have several significant plot differences. While the manga covers 107 chapters, the anime was condensed into 13 episodes and director Mamoru Kanbe said that he intended to feature much more of the original story. The anime only follows events roughly up to about halfway through the manga, and it has its own self-contained ending. As a result, several of the characters' pasts and details of the Diclonius are not featured in the anime. In 2005, a special original video animation (OVA), written to occur between the tenth and eleventh episodes of the anime, was released.
Anime and manga fandom
Several online communities have been formed where fans can come together to share and interact. Sites that offer file sharing services are popular and influential where people can gain easy access to anime and manga. Fandom has also resulted in the creation of anime and manga fan communities on sites where people can share fan art, one of the most common ways for fans to express their love of anime. These communities tend to do more than just share files. Like most forums on the Internet, they discuss topics that they are interested in and want to know more about. These anime forums are becoming places for people to discuss the plot, characters, and styles of anime and manga.
Anime
Some sources claim that "anime" derives from the French term for animation "dessin animé", but others believe this to be a myth derived from the French popularity of the medium in the late 1970s and 1980s. In English, "anime"—when used as a common noun—normally functions as a mass noun. (For example: "Do you watch anime?" or "How much anime have you collected?") Prior to the widespread use of "anime", the term "Japanimation" was prevalent throughout the 1970s and 1980s. In the mid-1980s, the term "anime" began to supplant "Japanimation". In general, the latter term now only appears in period works where it is used to distinguish and identify Japanese animation.
Yume Tsukai
Unlike the anime, the manga is a lot more in-depth with the cases, for example, the first case takes up the entire first three volumes. Also, they don't just pacify nightmares and expel them from the real world, but instead they take all sorts of cases, where no dreaming is involved, but their power is required.
Top Cow Productions
In 2004 Japanese animation studio GONZO announced an anime version of "Witchblade", with a subsequent manga adaptation. The anime version is considered controversial by some because GONZO has announced that the main character of the anime is of Japanese ethnicity but is not Itagaki, one of the previous bearers of the Witchblade. Instead it is a new character named Masane. Although this series sets up an entire new story with all new characters, it is set in the same continuity as the comic book.
Alternative manga
Alternative manga are Japanese comics that are published outside the more commercial manga market, or which have different art styles, themes, and narratives to those found in the more popular manga magazines.
Battle Royale (manga)
The English adaptation of the manga makes several changes to the plot, such as claiming that "[The] Program" is a reality TV show and changing the time setting of the story by almost 10 years; both changes are contradicted in later volumes.At first the creators of the original version of the "Battle Royale" manga kept the story close to the original Japanese novel. As publication increased, Taguchi took increasing liberties with the story. Takami said that he looked forward to new installments of Taguchi's story and Taguchi said that he more strongly cared about the characters. Takami liked how Taguchi distributed the time among characters; Takami said that in the manga the characters changed and grew as the story progressed, unlike in the original novel. Taguchi said that in the manga version he modeled most of Takami's characters after people he personally knew. Takami describes Taguchi's stance as closer to his own than the stance of Kinji Fukasaku, the director of the film. Takami describes the manga as containing the feeling of "a general, nonjudgmental love for humans."
Kodomo anime and manga
Kodomo anime and manga can be divided into four categories. The first category consists of anime and manga adaptations of Western stories, such as "World Masterpiece Theater". Most of them are TV series. Despite being popular, they are less representative of traditional Japanese anime. Instead, they are modeled after classical American or Soviet cartoons.
Mangaka
The manga corresponds to the medium of art the artist uses: comics, or Japanese comics, depending on how the term is used inside or outside Japan.
History of manga
The history of manga is said to originate from scrolls dating back to the 12th century, and it is believed they represent the basis for the right-to-left reading style. The word first came into common usage in the late 18th century. Manga is a Japanese term that can be translated as "comic"; Historians and writers on manga history have described two broad and complementary processes shaping modern manga. Their views differ in the relative importance they attribute to the role of cultural and historical events following World War II versus the role of pre-war, Meiji, and pre-Meiji Japanese culture and art.
Bishōjo
"Bishōjo" characters are seen in almost all genres of anime and manga, especially in dating sims and visual novels (also known as "bishōjo" games), and harem anime and manga. It is sometimes confused with the similar-sounding "shōjo" demographic, but "bishōjo" refers to the gender and traits of the characters whereas "shōjo" refers to the audience. Although "bishōjo" is not a genre but a character design, series which predominantly feature such characters, such as harem anime and visual novels, are sometimes informally called "bishōjo" series. Since one of the main draws of these series is typically the art and the attractive female characters, the term is occasionally perceived negatively, as a genre which is solely dependent on the marketability of cute characters rather than content or plot.
Manga
Marketeers primarily classify manga by the age and gender of the target readership. In particular, books and magazines sold to boys ("shōnen") and girls ("shōjo") have distinctive cover-art, and most bookstores place them on different shelves. Due to cross-readership, consumer response is not limited by demographics. For example, male readers may subscribe to a series intended for female readers, and so on. Japan has manga cafés, or "manga kissa" ("kissa" is an abbreviation of "kissaten"). At a "manga kissa", people drink coffee, read manga and sometimes stay overnight.
Anime
The cinematic effects of anime differentiates itself from the stage plays found in American animation. Anime is cinematically shot as if by camera, including panning, zooming, distance and angle shots to more complex dynamic shots that would be difficult to produce in reality. In anime, the animation is produced before the voice acting, contrary to American animation which does the voice acting first; this can cause lip sync errors in the Japanese version.
Anime
One of the key points that made anime different from a handful of the Western cartoons is the potential for visceral content. Once the expectation that the aspects of visual intrigue or animation being just for children is put aside, the audience can realize that themes involving violence, suffering, sexuality, pain, and death can all be storytelling elements utilized in anime as much as other types of media. However, as anime itself became increasingly popular, its styling has been inevitably the subject of both satire and serious creative productions. "South Park"s "Chinpokomon" and "Good Times with Weapons" episodes, Adult Swim's "Perfect Hair Forever", and Nickelodeon's "Kappa Mikey" are examples of satirical depictions of Japanese culture and anime. Some works have sparked debate for blurring the lines between satire and serious "anime style" productions, such as the American anime style production "". These anime styled works have become defined as anime-influenced animation, in an attempt to classify all anime styled works of non-Japanese origin. Some creators of these works cite anime as a source of inspiration and like the French production team for "Ōban Star-Racers" moved to Tokyo to collaborate with a Japanese production team. When anime is defined as a "style" rather than as a national product it leaves open the possibility of anime being produced in other countries. A U.A.E.-Filipino produced TV series called "Torkaizer" is dubbed as the "Middle East's First Anime Show", and is currently in production, which is currently looking for funding. The web-based series "RWBY" is produced using an anime art style and has been declared to be anime. In addition, the series will be released in Japan, under the label of "anime" per the Japanese definition of the term and referenced as an "American-made anime". Netflix declared the company's intention to produce anime. In doing so, the company is offering a more accessible channel for distribution to Western markets. Defining anime as style has been contentious amongst fans, with John Oppliger stating, "The insistence on referring to original American art as Japanese "anime" or "manga" robs the work of its cultural identity."
Original English-language manga
An original English-language manga or OEL manga is a comic book or graphic novel originally published in English. The term "international manga", as used by the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, encompasses all foreign comics which draw inspiration from the "form of presentation and expression" found in Japanese manga.
Masao Takiyama
A noted anime producer and production designer, Takiyama first began his career in anime with Fuji Creative Corporation, a subsidiary of Fuji Television, where he was influential for producing numerous noted anime series and licensing them for release across several overseas and international markets, including Europe. He first joined Sony Pictures Entertainment Japan in 1998, being influential in launching Animax, which became the first ever television network dedicated solely to anime. He also produced the acclaimed Satoshi Kon-directed films "Tokyo Godfathers" and "Paprika", and has sat on numerous well-known summits on Japanese animation. In addition to his management and production responsibilities, Takiyama has also sat on the panels of numerous Animax events. He has received a bachelor of arts degree of the Department of Literature of Kokugakuin University in 1973.
Mecha anime and manga
In 1972, Go Nagai, another of Japan's greatest manga creators, defined the super robot genre with "Mazinger Z", which was directly inspired by the former series. He had the revolutionary idea to create a mecha that people could control like a car, while waiting to cross a busy street. The concept became "explosively popular", making the manga and anime into a success. The series also was the genesis for different tropes of the genre, such as the idea of a robot as a "dynamic entity" that could join with other machines or humans to become unstoppable. Anime critic Fred Patten wrote that almost all mecha anime plots, such as monster of the week shows, were actually metaphors for re-fighting World War II, and defending Japan and its culture from Western encroachment.
Anime from Akira to Princess Mononoke
There are some factual errors in the book when describing plot summaries and descriptions of series. The book does not engage with the history of anime, or attempt to discern why anime is a distinct medium, or discuss the hallmarks of different formats of anime, such as TV series as opposed to OVAs or animated movies.
Shōjo manga
As shōjo literally means 'girl' in Japanese, the equivalent of the western usage will generally include the term: girls' manga (少女漫画 "shōjo manga"), or anime for girls ( "shōjo-muke anime"). The parallel terms shōnen, seinen, and josei also occur in the categorisation of manga and anime, with similar qualification. Though the terminology originates with the Japanese publishers and advertisers, cultural differences with the West mean that labelling in English tends to vary wildly, with the types often confused and mis-applied.
Manga
In recent years, there has been a recent rise in manga released digitally. Web manga, as it's known in Japan, has a seen an increase thanks in part to image hosting websites where anyone can upload pages from their works for free. Although released digitally, almost all web manga stick to the conventional black-and-white format despite some never getting physical publications. Pixiv is the most popular site where a host of amateur and professional works get published on the site. It has grown to be the most visited site for artwork in Japan. Twitter has also become a popular place for web manga with many artists releasing pages weekly on their accounts in the hopes of their works getting picked up or published professionally. One of the best examples of an amateur work becoming professional is One-Punch Man which was released online and later got a professional remake released digitally and an anime adaptation soon there after.
Anime and manga fandom
In the United States, the fan community began as an offshoot of science fiction fan community, with fans bringing imported copies of Japanese manga to conventions. Before anime began to be licensed in the U.S., fans who wanted to get a hold of anime would leak copies of anime movies and subtitle them, thus marking the start of fansubs. By 1994, anime had become more common in the U.S., and had begun being translated into English and shown on television, most commonly shōnen series such as Pokémon and Astro Boy.
Otaku
Otaku often participate in self-mocking through the production or interest in humor directed at their subculture. Anime and manga otaku are the subject of numerous self-critical works, such as Otaku no Video, which contains a live-interview mockumentary that pokes fun at the otaku subculture and includes Gainax's own staff as the interviewees. Other works depict otaku subculture less critically, such as "Genshiken" and "Comic Party". A well-known novel-come-manga-come-anime is "Welcome to the N.H.K.", which focuses on the subcultures popular with otaku and highlights other social outcasts such as the hikikomori and NEETs. Works that focus on an otaku character include "WataMote", the story of an unattractive and unsociable otome game otaku who exhibits delusions about her social status. Watamote is a self-mocking insight that follows the heroine's delusion and attempts to reform herself only by facing reality with comedic results on the path to popularity. An American documentary, "Otaku Unite!", focuses on the American side of the otaku culture.
Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters
Another notable change is that unlike the manga, the "Duel Monsters" anime, as the title suggests, focuses almost exclusively on the Duel Monsters card game. Many Duel Monsters scenes that were not in the original manga itself are added, often changing parts of the plot to fit around added duels. The Duelist Kingdom, Dungeon Dice Monsters, and the Millennium World arcs of the anime feature heavy differences from their manga counterparts, often to the point where the plots are completely distinct between the two mediums. Certain aspects of the plot that were considered disturbing in the manga were also toned down for television.
MANGA.TOKYO
MANGA.TOKYO is a Japanese website focused on publishing news and content about anime, manga, light novels, live action adaptations, and games from Japan. It was established in December 2015 by the Japanese company DONIKA Co. Ltd. MANGA.TOKYO offers a variety of articles, including interviews with anime producers, voice actors, Japanese musicians, and pop culture celebrities, event coverage, reports on otaku events and concerts, anime travel reports, otaku culture features, cosplay galleries, video content, and anime and manga reviews. MANGA.TOKYO also manages Otsukai, a proxy shipping service/second-hand store for Western anime fans, providing access to hard-to-find Japanese anime merchandise with fellow Japanese friends. It is currently in cooperation with various Japanese anime and manga websites such as Anime! Anime!, Comic Natalie, and KAI-YOU.
Manhwa
Linguistically, (manga), (manhua), and 만화 (漫畫 manhwa) all mean comics in Japanese, Chinese, and Korean respectively. The Korean term 만화 (漫畫 manhwa), along with Japanese term (manga), is a cognate of the Chinese phrase manhua (literally:"impromptu sketches"). Their current use is largely explained by the international success of the Japanese manga. Although in a traditional sense, in these languages the terms manga/manhua/manhwa had a similar meaning of comical drawing in a broad way, nowadays the term generally designate the manga-inspired comic strips. The author or artist of a manhwa is called a manhwaga (만화가).