Euro Comics: Freaks delight!

French comics inspired by the manga style have constantly impressed me in the past. Having a rich comic book tradition has created in the country a fertile ground for budding young artists who are emerging and presenting some very impressive work. I have already written about Dreamland another French comic in the manga style I really like. And here I am with another one for you.

This one, is the real deal.

Tada!

Freaks Squeele is Harry Potter given a shot of epinephrine.

Bambi and her Pink Gun

A page from out of pulp for a change.

I came across this manga recently and cursed the manifold fates that had kept me away from a gem such as this for so long. Bambi and her Pink Gun is almost not a manga. The artwork is distinctly un-manga-like and shifts closer to the Paul Pope style, the story is bizarre and erratic. Few explanations and fewer conclusions. But there is a chase to the manga, a pace inherent within these pages that drives along at breakneck speeds.

Crashing from one adventure straight through onward into the next, Bambi is a sixteen year old girl with devastating instincts and a bad attitude. She is out on a mission see, and no one is getting in the way.

Cyborg 009! No school like the old school!

Cyborg 009 is a name that should ring familiar to many manga/anime fans across the country. A long time ago, when I was considerably younger, I was enthralled by the anime for Cyborg 009 when it was aired on television. I was of course new to anime in general so many of the things that caught my eye were the standard anime styling and fluid action. But there was something to the story and the characters in this cartoon were surprisingly tragic for, you know, a cartoon.

MONDAY MANGA: Blast from the Past!

The number of manga's with a black guy as a protagonist are few enough that they can be counted on your fingers. This is not due to any outward bias, in all probability a mangaka suffer from the same prejudices that mire the rest of us men. But those few manga heroes that do break the mold and venture through are bound by none of the tropes and stereotypes that bind and chain down the Hollywood black hero. Creating something unique and worthy of study. And most importantly, something that is all out bizarre fun.

The man with no name aint even a thang!

Manga Review: Gun Frontier

Guns akimbo!

There are truly few settings with such potential for horror, fantasy, mystery and action as the Wild West of long ago. The very words "Wild West" are synonymous with the garish imagery of gunfighters and gamblers, of harlots and heart-breakers and the eternal war of the "Indian" against the White Man.

Time and again the Wild West has been masterfully explored through films, initially in spaghetti westerns famous for their hammed acting and bad dialogue dubs, and then by mainstream Hollywood cinema. Most famously this was done of course by Clint Eastwoood, the veritable Spirit of the West himself.
But films are not the only medium of entertainment to have embraced this style. Manga has time and time again found its way to the bleak deserts and ghost towns of the Wild West. There are many gems in this particular genre and indeed I intend to touch upon them all. But today, we begin with a series that is unique even within this limited style of manga.

Men of Strategy

Not often will you come across comics of this style. Even in manga, this particular type of manga is rare. I have encountered very few of its ilk, and have greedily sought out other works which I might consider similar. The reason for my vagueness shall be made clear, for this style of manga that I am talking of is not really an existing genre. The artwork is unique, in its duplication of the real world. Not a manga of handsome heroes then. Come on, take a walk down any street. How many movie star beautiful people will you see out there?

Read more »

The Beautiful People...Beautiful people...aaaaAAA

Humans are many, and not all get to be pretty. The main protagonist of this manga looks a beggar monk. And not a handsome young man clad in a beggar monks clothes, no. An actual beggar monk. It deals with the warring states period in China's history. A time which is fascinating to me, it was the kind of conflict that breeds a lasting Empire. And it did. The story deals with the Qin (Pronounced Shin I think) Emperor, founder of the Qin dynasty. And it deals mostly with the time he was just another king amongst many. Ruler of the state of Qin. All the kingdoms of the time were at war with each other, competing for supremacy. However Qin revolutionized the war, and conquered one kingdom after the other.

Locust style

It deals with a fictional (Or possibly derived from folk tales) clan of martial artists/scholars. I say scholars cause thats pretty much what they are, some are scientists and yet deadly assassins, Inventors are also killers and the main protagonist is deadly in all arts of war, yet looks a Buddhist monk. These deadly skills however have been accrued for one reason only. To prevent war. They are the Clan of Bokk. And they have just agreed to aid the tiny city of Ryo from an invading army of the Zhao empire. The army sets up camp across the river from the city and begins to amass. With no standing army and only peasant conscripts to rely on, the King of Ryo is left clueless. The Bokk send one man to aid the city. Kakuri the Sage of War. But what can one man do against an entire army? Can sheer intellect and the power of strategy truly turn the tides in a war already lost? Well, you will have to read it to find out.

Click and be amazed. Also gasp, spoiler!!!

The arts style is monstrous in its detailing, reminding me in some panels of early Berserk. Some pages will simply hypnotize the reader with the level of detailing, as the mangaka strives to display war in all its glory. Nothing is spared to the imagination. Blood and gore, are clear and present although never used as a crutch. The storyline is topnotch and filled with quite a few twist and turn. And the manga itself runs short enough to be completely satisfying by the time it ends.

And I mean completely satisfied.

So indeed, lovers of stratagems and the many arts of war, brothers and sisters sworn to the Red God, manga lovers from all walks, and just anyone who likes comic books. Read Bokko, its a classic manga from start to finish. It will change some of your pre set notions about manga. History buffs will have gala time, and once you have read it. You will be searching for more manga of its type. Same ugly faces, realistic yet highly detailed art. Art you can get lost in, and a storyline that is tight and complete. You wont find many like it. Cause as I said before, its not really a genre. They are mostly historical, though some like in fantasy, others in horror. You will have to do some looking.

Who knows they might make a genre out of it soon.

Blame!Blame!Blame!

BLAME!

As in, the sound effect accompanied with the thought of a gun being fired off. Not blame. Today we go for an acknowledged classic. Tsutomu Nihei’s masterwork, Blame!. Although it ties into a whole lot of side stories and even a One shot or Two, I still like to consider the series itself as stand alone. Allows the story a lot of legroom, space to breathe. Leaves a whole lot of questions unanswered. And you know what? I kinda like it that way. Blame!, or Adventure seeker Killy in the Cyber Dungeon Quest if you prefer is a story told in stark monochromes. Not just in the color scheme. Which yes, indeed is monochrome.

The protagonist wakes up somewhere in an endless dungeon known only as 'The City'. Endless or at least so massive, so as to seem endless. A focus is granted to the story by means of a search, a quest if you may. Killy as our hero is known, is searching for someone. He has been searching for so long that perhaps he has even forgotten what it is he searches for. Yet he continues. His search is for Net Terminal Genes, a possibly extinct genetic marker that will allow humans access to the Netsphere again. In a world where most humanity has regressed to neo tribal structure his search is almost hopeless.

Read more »

This City itself is divided into compartments that are completely sealed from each other. These Megastructures house entire civilization remnants isolated from each other. The only weapon powerful enough to break through is Killy's Gravitational Beam Emitter, or the Gravity Gun as I like to call it. It is clear that the protagonist himself is not really human, being closer in fact to the Safeguard, the defense mechanism of the City itself who endlessly hunt Killy. The story is revealed at a breathtaking pace, the reader will surely be hooked until the final page is turned. For the story is made even more intriguing by the fact that it raises more questions with each answered one. The artwork is stark, high contrast is used to dizzying effect. Some of the panels are moving in their simplicity and directness. Others can strike a chord deep within by their subtle imagery. Either way you look at it, Blame! is a trip. It spirals at breakneck speed, sometimes even out of control but winds down to an exhilarating climax. One you will have to read yourself to find out.

Oh special mention is the level of sophistication provided by the mangaka to the Sci Fi world inhabited by Killy. From the weaponry, to the uber powerful Gravity Gun, to the all encompassing, all consuming AI, to the Netsphere to the very concept of Net Terminal Genes. Also many of the minor characters Killy meets along the way are well developed enough to be called major characters of the series in their own right. A feat only someone of Tsutomou Neihei could have accomplished. The Sci Fi world created here is rich and diverse and scarily believable. It is not hard to imagine a future existing as provided for in the manga. A bleak future to be sure, but a future all the same.

Manga Madness and the Big Cats.

Woah trippy. I hope this isnt yaoi.

Far away, across mists of time and space. Perhaps in a different world or simply in a different time there exists a land of golden Savannah. It is flanked by a dense forest, but its plains are vast and glow with the warmth of the sun. Proud are the lions who call this place their home. Humans and cats alike. Welcome to the Land of Lions, home to a proud warrior race. A lion is fierce and strong and defiant till the last, few can look a lion straight in the eye and hold its predator's gaze. Fewer still can walk away to tell the tale.

Read more »

I smell yaoi... -_-

Cassandra Jean's delightful fantasy webocomic/webmanga series caught my eye quite a while back actually. However on finding only three chapters available I simply filed it away as interesting in my memory and moved on. I recently rediscovered this gem and was greatly pleased to find stoic progress in the storyline. The story itself is the tale of the Knight Errant retold in the artist's own delightful mystical cloud. The lions are tall and strong, their hair golden and air proud. The Panthers who are their neighbors are dark haired with a thirst for knowledge. And surrounding these nations are other animal kingdoms. Gators and Crows, Oxes and Jackals and many more. The narrative follows Faris, First Knight of the Lions and his companions. They seek the Cup of the Gods to heal their king. Sound familiar?

Indeed good sirs and ladies it should. A tale of the round table is redrawn and reborn. However as I often say it is in the telling of tales that true magic lives. And in this telling Cassandra Jean excels. The neo tribal style and innate psychedelia of her art shines out, does wonders for the telling. Allowing for a vivid narrative with a deep flow. Although not proper manga this particular series is comic book brilliance and deserves to be recognized as such. You will be hooked, you will be wanting for more. And at the end of the day, that is what makes a true manga.

YAY no yaoi! (So far)

It is a combination of many things that make this comic worth your time. Its the tribal take on humanity's many conflicts, it is the simple tale of a Knight Errant made rich and complex by the sheer variety in characters possible. There are even Snails in the this land, short in stature and bad at fighting yet excellent at music. Inadvertently the mangaka has given birth to vast world limited only by the reader's imagination. For we know nothing of the Falcons or the Rhinos and the mysterious Tigers with their tattooed faces. We know nothing of the spirits that guide our heroes.

We know not what lies beyond the land of Crows? And we have yet to see the Ocean.

Oh and its not a scanlation, Land of Lions is a webcomic and is available in ebook format on Amazon.com. So those of us lacking a pirate's black hearted soul may rest easy. A great series, highly recommended to all Otakus. Land of Lions and everything else by Cassandra Jean, find it, read it, buy it.

The death and life of Anime Con 2011

From CALF Short Films

The second animation convention organized by The Japan Foundation was held at Marwah Studios, in the heart of Film City, Noida. Of course, where this is anime aplenty and the promise of manga and much more, Comic Addicts were bound to be present in force. 

My initial taste of the Anime-Con felt bitter, for I was expecting a slightly better infrastructure to be in place. Events were even as I arrived getting delayed and pushed back. The events that were occurring seemed to be competing for an audience that was mostly disinterested. I suppose the venue being in Noida took away a chunk of the anime fans from far parts of Delhi and Gurgaon. Add to that the rainy weather and it is understandable if many of the diehards chose to stay in.

Not.

Why are they still calling themselves diehards? An anime con touches down in your city, and you miss out on it? Poor form Otaku-wannabes. Poor form indeed! Genshiken a recently founded anime appreciation club was present, nice to see. Although the much publicized Gaming Arena was a damp squib, with one console, one TV and a perpetual line coiled around it. The workshops were useful, however imparting knowledge at a festival has always put me off. I want anime and manga around me and I want it in the bucket loads. Where is the cosplay? Where are the comics? Where is everybody? My spirits by this time were sinking fast. They sunk further when the hyper expensive bento available at the Ai cafe proved to be another disappointment.

Relenting to the energy that seemed nearly palpable in the very air around us, I too was about to write off Anime Con as a badly mashed together festival sorely lacking in its target audience, all in all a poor excuse for me making the two hour trip from Gurgaon to Noida. However at that moment something caught my eye,

Mon... Err.. Tuesday Manga Madness: The Bare Neccesities III

Lets talk about Akira.

It was once upon a time (quite a while ago) when I was going through the inexhaustible information that is the internet, that I came across a particular poster. It was not something out of this world. Looked like a standard Sci-fi poster to me. But something about it caught my eye. Perhaps it was the slick looking bike that instantly attracted my vision, or perhaps it was the mysterious Capsule logo on the back of the protagonists jacket. Or maybe was it the cracked road underneath hinting possibly at an apocalypse.

The iconic poster

Either way I did what any sensible anime fan would do upon encountering such a poster - devote my meager resources to hunting down and watching the movie. Needless to say, my mind was blown.

Monday Manga Madness: The Bare Neccesities - II

All hail the Samurai, for his sword is swift and true. Countless tales have been written about the precision of the way of the sword. Countless romantic sagas, recording the brave deeds and the ideals of the Samurai. Tales abound of Bushido, the warrior's way. The code of conduct and chivalry by which ancient Japanese swordsmen lived, and died. But they are all tales, stories, fables...untrue.

Pick up any one of them, give it a long hard stare with a questioning eye and you will see it as a story and little more. Fitting and perhaps even grand to read, but in no way possible in the realities of life. And then there is Shigurui. Literal meaning Death throes. This aptly titled manga is truly one of the most underrated works out there. Not many know of it, even amongst those who do know of it, not many have managed to finish it. It takes a strong stomach to read through this manga. Surely not for the faint of heart.

Monday Manga Madness: The Bare Neccesities - I

I have been talking about a wide variety of manga in this little writing space. We have ranged from swords to fantasy and onward to more diverse topics. Most of the recommendations have been generic and I am certain an avid manga reader would have managed to recognize more than a title or two. In addition I try and stay away from grading a manga on any scale, for simplicity's sake. Considering how subjective the very idea of manga and it's appreciation is, grading stuff would lead me down a sticky slope I am not very keen on sliding. However this one time I will be breaking from convention, no not by grading anything. But instead by recommending manga that should absolutely, most definitely, under no circumstances be missed by any fan of manga anywhere.

And yes, when I say anywhere I mean the realm of the Elder Gods too.

Right, so here it is. This isn't my list of favorite manga mind you. I'm not sure I like them too much. I prefer my manga more light hearted and funny, and these are pretty serious in both content and delivery. But these manga, have surpassed the norms and cliches that hold down other more commercially viable manga out there. These works have transcended into a realm where they are now truly without exception masterpieces of fiction. Each series presented here is a hallmark blend of brilliant story writing and excellent artwork. They are surreal, and moving to such a degree that I assure you....go through this list of manga and you will not come away unmoved.

Let us begin.

Oh yeah, I went there.

Click on the image to view full size

Manga Madness: On Dinosaurs...

Today on Manga Madness, I would like to invite you all to the Jurassic era. A time when Dinosaurs roamed the earth. A time when ferocious monsters ruled this very land. A harsh time. And unfortunately a time of which we know little. All denizens of that age perished in some unknown doom that visited Earth all those years ago. But wait, what if one survived? What havoc would it unleash upon the unsuspecting next age of the Earth.

As it turns out, it can unleash quite a lot of havoc. Welcome to the world of Gon. The pint sized dinosaur who has a big attitude. And a bite to match. A hilarious manga based around the adventures of said dinosaur. Each chapter delves into the exploits of Gon. As he interacts with the paleolithic world around him. A new world, a changed world. Interactions wary from villainous predators who underestimate Gon at their own peril, to even newly made friends, and even an adopted family. A rich beautiful world ripe for exploration is explored. As Gon can be spotted in a myriad of places, the setting continually changes. One can expect a tropical rainforest in one chapter, and a savannah in the next. But Gon's role itself surprisingly keeps changing. From tormentor of lions, to forming a posse of abandoned cubs who have lost their mothers. The manga is mature in content. For Mother Nature is cruel if impartial. Many times the outcomes are gory, and death is pretty graphic when touched upon. But that should not keep you away from the manga. For their is comedy too.

The comedy in the manga is exceptional, with some scenes so good that you will be in splits. And that's not the only great thing about this manga. Gon has absolutely no dialogues. Since for obvious reasons, a manga dealing with a dinosaur's interaction with different animals would have no need for dialogue. Such a simple implementation of basic fact renders infinite beauty and depth to this manga. I know I hanker on about depth to no end. But depth is important to a manga. For now without dialogue, the artist has to work that extra mile to convey emotions. And boy does the artwork deliver. It is a treat, a unique visual experience which feels very fresh as opposed to traditional manga art. A lost world unfolds before the reader. A world where man has no place. A world of animals and an age of nature. Now gone forever.

Gon is almost an experimental read of a manga. And perhaps the fanatical manga reader will not enjoy it. But if you like comic books, then you will fall in love with the adorable dinosaur. But dont be fooled, step on his tiny toes even a moment and he will take a BITE out of you.

Delinquint Soul Part 2

(Continued from part 1)



Beezlebub

Beezlebub is a delinquent manga with a twist. Oga, the brutishly strong student of a high school is one day trapped into making a contract with Beel. Beel being a baby demon, and the son of the King of Demons. Oga now has to look after Beel, and keep him safe until he grows up. At which point he will destroy the world.

Quite the twist isnt it?

However despite the apparently morbid tone of affairs this manga is nothing but a laugh riot. From chapter one it is clear that this is a comedy manga. And boy does it deliver. I found myself giggling nearly constantly as I read through chapter after chapter in my quest to find out for myself, what happened next to Oga on his adventures. The characters are not too deep, but then depth is not something you would want out this manga. They sure as hell are funny, newer stronger challenges are introduced to Oga who grows of course at typical shonen pace. Ranging from tough delinquents who wish to take a swipe at Oga's growing reputation, to Demons come out from hell wishing to take down the Baby Beel before he can fully mature.

All through Oga protects his ward and finds out that there might be benefits to allying himself with the prince of demons after all. Drawing on Beel's powers Oga can amplify his strength to even greater levels allowing him to wreak havoc and destruction to any foolish or unfortunate enough to get in his way.

A laugh riot with a magical twist. Delinquents and demons and a baby for good measure. This one is a must grab.

Further reading

Cromartie High School, a manga that essentially is a gag manga on Delinquency. It makes fun of the concept with an intensity that is hard to match. The protagonist an honor student forced to enroll in a high school famous for its delinquents adapts to life around him in a series of hilarious adventures.



Kyou Kara Ore Wa!

The title of the manga translates to “From today on, its my turn”. And that’s exactly what the manga is. Two students moving into a new town and a new school, greatly impressed by manga and stories of Banchos and Delinquents decide to become the greatest delinquents ever in their lives. From today onwards of course. Hoping to get an image that matches their heart's desires they both head to a barber to get some badass hairstyles. And that is how the saga of Itou and Mitsuhashi of Nan High begins. They meet at the barber shop, then again at school in class. And from there their wild adventures takes them off to dizzying heights. For despite the fact that neither of them knew a thing about being delinquents they were both naturally strong fighters. So when push actually comes to shove, they find out that on teaming up they are nigh unbeatable.

An uneasy friendship develops between the honorable Itou and the devilishly evil Mitsuhashi. And the two of them carve out a reputation for themselves in the entire town. Of course not before they have their fair share of pain, heartbreaks and challenges. When I found Beezlebub I was greatly amused and thought it would be hard for a comedy manga to top this. But Kyou Kara Ore Wa! Is exactly that. A manga so good at its core that it will have you hooked from the first chapter. It is a laughter bonanza. You will be laughing so hard that your stomach will hurt. With Mitsuhashi, the Devil contributing to most of the laughs. The characterization in this manga is surprisingly rich with an elegant balance between the comedy and the drama. Of course at its heart it is a comedy manga and that should not be forgotten. The art might turn off a few people but trust me on this, the art is not this series high point. Its the story and the never-ending laughs. This is a not a manga you ought to miss.

Or Lord Mitsuhashi is gonna get you.

Further reading

Angel Densetsu, the tragic tale of Seichirou Kitano born with the scariest face imaginable but a golden heart. A comedy manga that traces Kitano's attempts at becoming recognized by his fellow students as an equal and the hilarious ways in which they get freaked out by his every effort to approach them.

So as you can see, there is a lot of manga to be read. A lot of stories to be heard, a lot of art to be seen. So what are you still doing here?

Time's a wasting.

Delinquent Soul Part 1

It is from our subconscious habit of grouping manga into categories that we have arrived at the various genres we know of. However, to categorize something as diverse in itself as manga is a catch 22 situation, a situation that resulted in genres with weird names and descriptions, such as Slice of life etc. One such oft ignored and little read genre is the Delinquent Manga genre.

Delinquency is a huge problem in the Asian education system. We have entire generations of kids disillusioned by the prospect of rote study techniques and overtly competitive entrances exams for higher studies turning their backs on society as a whole. Forming into groups, gangs and syndicates from middle school onwards. Bōsōzoku (literal translation, 'Violent running tribe') evolved as an entire subculture of biker gangs in Japan. And as with all things Japanese they evolved completely differently than their western counterparts.

Keeping pace with real life, manga also evolved in the only direction possible. Manga dealing with High School Delinquents and Banchos (Leaders) became increasingly popular. Now allow me to be clear, these arent the type of manga a typical fan of the comic art form reads. The art is not always top notch, even amateurish at times. But the story is always top notch. These artists though their comics have spun grand tales of violence, crime and redemption. Drawing upon real life as an inspiration and sometimes even glorifying the idea of gang honor, and honor among the fallen.

These manga take their protagonist and make it clear that he cannot stand within the bounds of society, they show him as an outlaw outcast. Yet he is shown to be an honorable man, a person who sticks to his convictions no matter the personal cost.

A Bancho. In the truest sense of the word.

I took a shine to these comics a while back and had the good fortune of getting hands of copies of the real masterworks in the genre. But then Ive always had a liking for the crime genre. Hell two of my favorite movies off the bat are The Godfather and Goodfellas. And Im sure there are a lot of other people around like me. So this review is for all you people, who like me get caught up in semi romantic and pseudo idealistic fancies of honorable Banchos and gang loyalty, of hierarchies and generations and the tight world of crime that operates on the twin principals of respect and fear.

Allow me to present, the best of the Delinquents.

Crows.

Suzuran is the school of rejects. The most violent of all the region’s schools. The school meant for outcasts of the education system. Those deemed unfit for education anywhere else are sent to Suzuran. They call it the school of Crows. But there is another side to this story. To the students themselves, Suzuran is a shrine of the strong. The only school in the region which has never been dominated by a single person. The school of Crows which stands casting a lofty shadow on all the other schools in the reigon as the strongest, despite being divided in itself. To the students of Suzuran, it is better to be a free Crow than to be a bird of paradise trapped within a gilded cage. And free they truly are.

An epic story full of deep and surprisingly rich characters that details the rise of Harumachi Bouya, a newcomer to Suzuran. The story will sweep you off your feet, be it with the emotional and brilliant storyline or be it with the hilarious comedy it is interspersed with. Hiroshi Takahashi's first manga, Crows became a massive hit in Japan and Korea. And with good reason. There are many many dynamics in the city of Crows. Including rival schools who would love to take Suzuran down a notch, a gang of badass bikers who will stomp down anyone who dares stand up to them, and delinquents from neighboring regions vying to see who is truly strongest. As Bouya's reputation continues to soar, the list of Suzuran's enemies continues to grow. The roller coaster ride will take you up and not let up for even a second.

Read this comic book and I assure you, your blood will be burning from start to finish. I wont be too surprised if you feel like punching someone and go “HORRRRAAAA!” by the end of it.

Further reading

Hiroshi Sensei is pretty much on top when it comes to the Delinquent genre. Crows was just the beginning for him. After Crows and the Gaidens, he wrote another brilliant series called QP. And after that he came out with Worst, another manga based in Suzuran serving as a spiritual sequel to Crows. Read them all without fail.

Also not be missed the movies Crows Zero 1 and 2, set in the Suzuran universe before the events of the comic. The movies are an epic telling of the sagas that unfold in the school of crows.

Epic being the keyword.

(To be concluded)

An Introduction to Manga - Part 3

(Continuing from Part 2)

The Genre Conundrum

Manga has the widest variety of genre you can ever find in any media and not to mention the convenient categorization of each genre in a way that gives you an idea of the contents of the story before beginning to read it. The categorization depends on various factors too. Sometimes it depends on the target audience, at other times themes that our now considered tropes for the industry mark out the genre. Sexual orientation of the mangaka's target audience matters. As does the type of story itself.



Based on the theme of the story, manga is categorized as

• Shojo (Themes that appeal to girls like romance, fantasy, school life etc.)
• Shonen (Themes that appeal to boys like action, mecha, robots etc.)
• Seinen (Extreme gore and violence)
• Hentai (Adult themes, usually for boys)
• Children (Themes that appeal to little children, usually revolving around fantasy and simple action themes)
• Josei (Drama and slice of life manga made for older or working women)

Based on Sexual orientation,

• Straight
• Yaoi or Shonen Ai (Gay themes)
• Yuri or Shoujo Ai (Lesbian themes)

Based on story type

• Drama
• Tragedy
• School life
• Supernatural
• Psychological
• Martial Arts
• Sports
• Slice of Life
• Sci fi
• Comedy
• Historical

One could go on forever. Keep in mind, that this listing is only a broad classification of the genres manga can touch. It is estimated that there are around 3000 professional manga artists in Japan. All of these individuals have published at least one volume of manga, but most of them make their living as assistants to famous manga artists or have some other supplementary source of income.

Only 300 of these, or ten percent of the total, are able to make an above-average living from manga alone. In addition, there are also a great number of amateur manga artists who produce small magazines intended for private circulation, called dojinshi. Ever artist strives to make his manga as unique as possible, for individual traits are what make a manga great and memorable. Thus what you have is a comic book style that ultimately defies genres outright.

I firmly believe that manga should simply be made a genre in itself and all this clutter should be done away with it. This is not a fool's myopic viewpoint that I ask for, rather the farsight of seeing the whole picture with all its colorful details intact. Genres are after all essentially classifications. And a you can quite honestly ignore them completely if you want to. Just go from cover to cover and read the brief to see which storyline actually attracts you. Or flip through the pages until something catches your eye.

Eye is caught.

Impact.

The three largest publishing houses producing manga are Kodansha, Shogakkan, and Shueisha. In addition there are some ten odd publishing firms which come in at a close second, including Akita Shoten, Futabasha, Shonen Gahosha, Hakusensha, Nihon Bungeisha, and Kobunsha. This does not take into account the countless other small-scale publishing firms. As we can clearly see Manga is a force to be reckoned with. Its a massive industry with solid roots reaching well back into time and with each passing year it only grows.

In India, a country as far away as could be possible from the conventions and norms of Japan, a following is now slowly yet surely developing for manga. That in itself is a triumph for everyone involved. Fans come together across the globe in Comic Conventions dressed up as their favorite character. Such is its reach in the world. And the beauty of it all is, manga has nowhere near realized its full potential for growth yet.

The impact if global and the entertainment moguls of the civilized world no longer ignore this comic book juggernaut from Japan. They simply cannot afford to.

So step right up... into the world of manga, you know of it enough. Pick a series, any series you like and read it a chapter or two.

If you dont like it, pick another one,
eventually you shall find one that will surely click.

A story will be found, a story so familiar and attuned to your tastes.
A story that you will instantly love, and then you will for a moment begin to doubt,

If the author knew you, knew what you were all about.

And that is how it begins.
After all, no introduction to manga ever ends.

An Introduction to Manga - Part 2

(Continuing from part 1)

The Rise of Manga
Despite the rapid growth and prosperity displayed in today's manga world, in truth, manga didn't see significant growth until World War II. Back then Japan was still struggling under the strains of the war and was undergoing a period of economic upheaval. Disillusioned hungry masses looked to distractions. Cinema began to flourish as the talkies became an easy escape from the harshness of life. Under the influence of the great manga artist Tezuka Osamu (1928–1989), manga too began to gain not only national but also international recognition with works such as Astro Boy, Black Jack, Buddha, and many more. In the midst of a post-war economic struggle, Tezuka's manga adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson's Treasure Island sold 400,000 copies to become the nation's top-seller.