Hi all!
As you already understood, Children's and Youth Book Week has begun, yuck. And I don’t know whether I’ll surprise you or not, but I really like reading books hehe. And I started reading literature much earlier than manga, hee hee. Even though I am an anime fan to the core (a funny disease to be honest), even now I continue to read books for teenagers, desu.
As you, I hope, remember, I have already discussed the differences between manga and comics, and indeed there were. Well, today we will talk (as you already understood from the title) about the differences and similarities between the book and the manga.
You may ask: what could they have in common? At first glance, there really is absolutely nothing. Books are written and manga is drawn. Basically, books are made in hardcover, but manga is always soft. Books are written all over the world, but only the Japanese draw good manga. But, if you think about it, both activities can be called art: after all, not every person can write good book and draw manga. This requires special skills and life experience, because the plot should pull in the readers whether it is a manga or a book.
In a book, the hero’s feelings are described with words, phrases, and sometimes also illustrations, while in manga there are certain symbols that show the characters’ emotions. Also, we must not forget about facial expressions, so if you do not know these symbols, do not worry, ignorance will not make it difficult to read the manga. In addition, in the manga, as in the book, it can be described inner world a person: his sufferings and experiences - and this is really a very exciting read, no worse than a book. I really read a lot of manga of different genres: from psychology and thriller to romance and humor.
The very first book (which I read on my own) that gave rise to all this love for literature was the well-known (I hope) “Mary Poppins.” Well, the first manga, after which I generally began to immerse myself in this world and learn something new about it, was “Fruits Basket”. I won’t describe the plot, if you get interested, just google it, boo-ha-ha-shenki.
Greetings, children of Nemesis, indescribable heroes of the mythical world!
The animatic, if it disappears, does not disappear forever. Like a moth, I return again and again, buzzing in your mind until you completely renounce yourself. I'm so persistent. And arrogant. And the topic today indirectly concerns anime, but is still worth attention, because many people still do not understand the value of manga as literary source. Especially in comparison with the comic products that captivated the minds of teenagers on the other side of the Pacific Ocean.
So, manga and Western comics, the main differences.
If you read one of my earlier episodes, “Why Is Every Anime Based on Manga?”, you already know that manga is predominantly black and white (cheaper) and is read from right to left. But these are only superficial external differences. The fault runs much deeper. And as always, it is connected with nation and ideology.
Cultural differences
One of the main divides between Western comics and manga is pacing. The plot in the manga develops much more slowly, with noticeably less emphasis on action. Manga artists make a small amount of money, which depends on the number of pages and chapters, so it makes sense for them to take their time to reveal the main story for as long as possible. “Tightening the rubber”, to put it rudely. Also, unlike Western comics, which devote pages primarily to fast-paced action scenes, manga strives to reproduce various emotional reactions characters. This often turns the series into a soap opera.
Thematic differences
While Western comics center around superheroic existence, the daily struggle between good and evil, manga deals with more risqué material such as sex, violence, mental disorders. The reason for this freedom of expression is rooted in religious affiliation Japan to Shintoism and Buddhism, for which sex is not an embodiment of shame. This allows the Japanese to be more liberal in exploring their own sexuality than most Americans, who are ideologically stuck in adolescence.
Style differences
In Western comics, key frames are placed centrally to take up the entire first scene of the story. But the mangaka chooses bottom part pages. The manga also uses a more cinematic storytelling style, which tends to depict characters in dramatic poses, with different angles and plans. The mangaka builds the scene frame by frame, in sync with the dialogue or words of the author. Western comics and graphic novels are visually more straightforward and do not necessarily combine panels of words and corresponding actions. Well finally reviewed by me chibi the style according to which manga characters are portrayed as small children with exaggerated emotions is one of the features of this type of mass literature.
Manufacturing differences
The amount of manga that hits store shelves each year is much greater than the number of comic books in America. Manga accounts for more than 30 percent of all published magazines and books in Japan. In addition, 40 percent of films produced in Eastern country is an anime that is, by and large, the moving, illustrated equivalent of manga. While Western comics are aimed more at teenagers, manga is read by a much wider audience. As I described in one of the earlier episodes, a person of any age can find a manga or anime to suit their liking and worldview, without fear of being accused of infantilism or arrogance.
That's it, good people. I hope your doubts, if any, have been dispelled, and you will plunge headlong into the beautiful, albeit black and white, world of manga. And my muse for the day, Hishiro from the popular manga ReLife, will help you.
IN Western languages It is customary to distinguish between manga (Japanese comics), manhwa (Korean comics) and manhua. However, in the languages of these countries themselves, all these words are written with the same hieroglyphs and refer to comics in general. If, for example, a Chinese person wants to emphasize that he is talking about manga and not manhua, then he will say “Japanese-style comics (manhua)” (日式漫画). The word first appeared in Japan in early XIX century and literally means “grotesques”, “strange (or funny) pictures”.
So, how do manhwa, manga and manhua differ from each other? Let's figure it out!
We all know very well what manga is, but let me briefly remind you:
Manga(Japanese: 漫画, マンガ, ˈmɑŋgə) g., skl.- Japanese comics, sometimes called comedian(コミック). Manga in the form in which it currently exists begins to develop after the end of World War II, experiencing strong influence Western tradition, however, has deep roots in earlier Japanese art. In Japan, manga is read by people of all ages and is respected as a form of visual arts, and as a literary phenomenon, therefore there are many works of various genres and on a wide variety of topics: adventure, romance, sports, history, humor, Science fiction, horror, erotica, business and others. Since the 1950s, manga has evolved into large industry Japanese book publishing, with a turnover of $500 million in 2006. It has become popular in the rest of the world, especially in the United States, where sales as of 2006 were in the region of $175–200 million. Almost all manga is drawn and published in black and white, although there is also color, for example, “Colorful”, the name of which is translated from English as “colorful”. Popular manga, most often long manga series (sometimes unfinished), are made into anime. The script for film adaptations may undergo some changes: scenes of fights and fights, if any, are softened, or too much is removed explicit scenes. The artist who draws manga is called a mangaka, and is often also the author of the script. If script writing takes over individual, then such a screenwriter is called gensakusha (or, more precisely, manga-gensakusha).
Manhwa(Korean: 만화) - Korean comics. The term in Korea means both animated cartoons, comics, and caricature, and outside of it it is usually used to refer exclusively to Korean comics.
Korean manhwa is very similar to Japanese manga and Chinese manhua. They have a lot common features, but each has its own characteristics - the text and graphics are consistent with the culture and history of the respective countries. The manhwa was influenced by heavy modern history Korea, this influenced the variety of forms and genres. Starting from the mainstream, which copied the features of manga, manhwa developed into the author's mini-stories, graphically oriented work and manhwa series distributed via the Internet. On this moment long internet manhwa series on special portals(for example Media Daum) and personal pages are a popular resource among younger generation Korea.
Manhwa is read in the same direction as books in Russian - horizontally from left to right, because Hangul text is usually written that way, although sometimes it can be written the same way as Japanese and Chinese - vertically from right to left. Both options are read from top to bottom.
Unlike Japan, animation based on manhwa is still rare in Korea (a few notable hits in the late 80s and early 90s - Dooly the Little Dinosaur And Fly! Superboard). However, the manhwa last years often adapted into television series and films. Full House, 2004, and Goong, 2006 - examples of the best television series of this kind for Lately.
Manhua(Chinese trad. 漫畫, ex. 漫画, pinyin Manhua) - Chinese comics. This concept includes all comics published in China (including Taiwan and Hong Kong), as well as translations of Japanese manga into Chinese. Despite the significant growth in manhua production in mainland China, most comics are still produced in Taiwan and Hong Kong. It is believed that the first author of the manhua was Tomasu Chew.
In his book Hong Kong Comics: A History of Manhua Wendi Xuyi Wong writes that Chinese comics "include caricatures, comic strips, and lianhuantu (the traditional Chinese illustrated picture story book) various forms and styles." Lianhuantu (连环图 - literally “chain of pictures”, “connected pictures”) differs from traditional comics in that the pictures in them occupy the entire page and are accompanied by simple captions without “bubbles”.
Drawings reminiscent of modern comics and caricatures have existed in China since ancient times and throughout its history. The most ancient examples of such images have been preserved in the form of stone bas-reliefs and drawings on pottery, as well as in the form of satirical drawings of the Ming (1368-1644 AD) and Qing (1643-1911 AD) eras. The period from 1867 to 1927 is usually considered to be the time of origin of traditional Chinese manhua. Traditional manhua actively developed until “ cultural revolution"(1966-1976), which actually interrupted the natural cultural development China for 10 years. At the same time, modern manhua began to actively develop in Hong Kong and Taiwan, largely under the influence of Japanese manga.
In the 1980s the art of traditional manhua began to gradually revive, but in the early 1990s. Modern manhua from Hong Kong and Taiwan and Japanese manga began to penetrate into mainland China. They quickly conquered the Chinese market, leaving virtually no chance for traditional Chinese manhua. Now many in China, especially young people, associate the word “manhua” only with modern comics. In the 90s In the PRC, legislation regarding the rights to intellectual property, which led to the flourishing of pirate manhuas. The Chinese government responded with a large campaign to streamline the manhua market, in the heat of the fight against piracy, closing the first magazine in the PRC dedicated to manga and manhua, “The King of Comics” (《画书大王》). At the same time, to protect the market, the PRC government launched the "China Children's Manhua Development Project" (abbreviated as "Project 5155"), thanks to which many comic magazines and manhua artists appeared in China. At the same time, for the most part, Chinese mainland manhuas are still inferior in quality and quantity to manhuas from Hong Kong and Taiwan, which, along with translated Japanese manga are most popular among Chinese readers.
The classification of manhua is quite vague and largely overlaps with the classification of Japanese manga. In Chinese Wikipedia, manhua is divided into the following categories:
- By readership:
- Manhua for boys— differ in military, adventure or science-fiction themes. The main audience is boys and young men under 18, but among the readers there are many girls and adults.
- Manhua for girls- are distinguished by fine and clear rendering and themes of school or love relationship. The main audience is girls under 18 years of age, but among the readers there are many boys and adults.
- Youth manhua— aimed at young people aged 18 to 25 years. The content reflects issues of growing up and love (including sexual) relationships.
- Women's manhua- aimed at housewives or business women. The content reflects problems more adult life, the main characters are usually adult men and women.
- Manhua for adults— aimed at people over 18 years of age. The content covers various questions, such as politics, economics, history, culture, etc. They may also contain images of sex and violence.
- Erotic manhua
- Lolikun (lolicon)
- Zhengtaikong (shotakon)
- Porn manhua (hentai)
- Erotic manhua
- By number of images:
- Single manhuas- consist of one drawing, usually in color with the image of a person or landscape, very rarely contain a plot.
- Short manhua- usually consist of only a few pages; in journals they are usually published entirely in one issue.
- Long manhua— the length is practically unlimited; they can be published in journals in parts over several years or even several decades.
- By topic:
- Sci-fi manhua.
- School manhuas— a manhua about the relationships of schoolchildren or students.
- Fantasy manhua— the actions take place in a world completely different from ours.
- Danmei manhua(yaoi) - main target audience are girls and women, as well as some men. The main theme is homosexual relationships between men, as they may appear in a woman’s imagination. They initially appeared in Japan, but then spread to Chinese-speaking regions (including Taiwan and China), where the dojinjo movement (see dojinshi) is now actively developing.
- By place of production:
- Taiwanese manhua — distinctive feature is to add elements of traditional Chinese graphics gongbihua, as well as in black and white. Main representatives: Cai Zhizhong and Zheng Wen.
- Hong Kong manhuas— the themes of Hong Kong manhuas are, as a rule, wars, fights, mafia — that is, everything that in cinema is united under the concept of action. Hong Kong also produces a lot of comic manhuas. Main representatives: Wang Ze, Chen Mou, Huang Yulan and others.
- By rating age restrictions
：
- Manhua rated 1— suitable for any age, extremely limited content of violence and gender relations. There are no restrictions on their publication, import and export (with the exception of manhuas, which are prohibited for children under 18 years of age; for such products it is necessary to draw up a special declaration, as well as an obligation not to sell them to children under 18 years of age).
- Manhua rated 2— not suitable for readers under 21 years of age. They contain some content of sex and violence, but do not exceed the limits established by international rules.
- Manhua rated 3- Content of sex and violence exceeds international guidelines and is considered inappropriate for readers of any age. In many countries the publication and distribution of such products is prohibited.
According to the classification of Wendi Xu Wong, Hong Kong manhuas are divided into:
- Satirical and political manhuas
- Comic manhua
- Action manhua
- Children's manhua (manhua based on ancient Chinese legends)
What is the difference between Manga and Manhwa?
2) it means two things. firstly, Japanese manga, secondly, Korean comics themselves
3) well, I’m different... they differ a lot
4) Koreans, of course, are somewhat original, but, in fact, under a very strong Japanese influence
5) only Koreans will never admit to this)))
manhwa - color
Manhwa - Korea, left to right
Manhua - China
Korean manhwa is very similar to Japanese manga and Chinese manhua. They have many similarities, but each has its own characteristics: text and graphics are consistent with the culture and history of the respective countries. Manhwa was influenced by the difficult modern history of Korea, which influenced the variety of forms and genres 1. Starting from the main trend, which copied the features of manga, manhwa developed into author's mini-stories, graphically oriented works and manhwa series distributed via the Internet. At the moment, long Internet manhwa series on special portals (for example Media Daum) and personal pages are a popular resource among the younger generation of Korea.
Manhwa is read in the same direction as Russian books, horizontally from left to right, because Hangul text is usually written that way, although it can sometimes be written the same way as Japanese and Chinese, vertically from right to left. Both options are read from top to bottom.
Unlike Japan, animation based on manhwa is still rare in Korea (a few notable hits in the late 80s and early 90s were Dooly the Little Dinosaur and Fly! Superboard). However, in recent years, manhwa have often been adapted into television series and films. Full House, 2004, and Goong, 2006 are examples of the best television series of this kind in recent times.
Anime is a Japanese animation designed for teenage and adult audiences and is highly popular in the world. The anime has very bright, memorable characters, unusual backgrounds, and a special plot structure. Anime dates back almost a century, from the characters created by Osama Tezuka, who were still the first attempts to transform Disney animation, to modern cartoons that are very popular around the world.
Originally, anime were intended for children, but over time they turned into something complex, with their own complex philosophy, with intricate plots, the problems discussed became more complex, so these cartoons slightly changed their audience to a more adult one. First, entire series appear, aimed at an audience of 14 years of age, then aimed at adults and the elderly.
Anime has its own characteristics:
1) specific genres of type fur, which are built according to their own laws.
Furs- a subgenre of anime, the main attribute of which is huge humanoid fighting machines.
2) Features of the drawing (for example, many characters in anime are distinguished big eyes, but the nose and mouth are depicted with ordinary wavy lines and the hair is most often separated by strands).
3) Features of anime plots. Firstly, this is their diversity, secondly, the predictability of some events, the crossing of genres (for example, detective and comedy), the cyclical nature of the plot, the element of fantasy plays a huge role and parallel worlds
4) Musical accompaniment usually occurs with the help of popular Asian performers.
5) Formats in which anime is produced (these are television series, films, OVA - anime created specifically for sale on video media and ONA - anime intended for broadcast on the Internet).
6) All anime have the same structure: introduction, opening screensaver, summary the previous part, the first part of the anime, interlude, the second part of the anime, the final video, stills from the next episodes.
Today anime is very popular in Russia. Today, people not only watch cartoons, they also copy the characters of these cartoons, which is called kasplay. In addition, Russia is creating its own anime studios. For example, XL Media, Mega-Anime, Reanimedia. All this suggests that anime is developing and gaining more and more coverage around the world. Among the popular anime we can name the cartoon “Naruto”, “Avatar: The Last Airbender.”
How is manga different from anime?
Manga- or in other words, “grotesques” are funny pictures. The emergence of this term is associated with the era of the late 18th - early 19th centuries. The famous artist Katsushiko Hokusai published a series of remarkable prints and called them manga. Manga outside Japan refers to comic books published in Japan. There are also analogues of manga in Korea, Taiwan, Korea, and Hong Kong, and they are called manhwa and manhua. These comics have also become famous in Europe: in France they are “new manga”, in America they are American manga, and in England they are manga of English-language origin.
Manga Features:
1) according to schedule and literary style different from Western comics. Manga developed under the influence of Western classic comics.
2) The frame layout in the manga is also special. In the visual part, the emphasis is on the lines of the drawing, and not on its shape. The drawing can range from grotesque to realistic. A similar point to anime is again the emphasis on the characters' large eyes. 3) Manga is read from right to left, like all others Chinese writing. Very often, manga is, as it were, “mirrored,” that is, made convenient for a European reader.
4) In some mangas, mangakas do not consider it necessary to define storyline and they make it so that their heroes build the same relationships in several works.
Due to its brevity and posterity, during the era of World War II, manga was used to promote the ideas of humanism and uniting the peoples of the world. Recently, the influence of manga has increased significantly. Manga develops in Canada, USA, Germany, France, Poland.
To summarize, anime is a type of Japanese animation, but manga is comic books. But we must pay tribute that anime is often built on the principles and ideas of manga. Thus they are interconnected. Manga, along with anime, are very popular in Russia. It should be remembered that these two concepts are inextricably linked, since they combine ideological and philosophical views Japanese culture. Another feature is that these two concepts have their own closed cultural layer, the purpose of which is to reflect the cultural and ideological symbols of Japanese culture. They also act as a way to overcome the international barrier.