Manga: Beyond Comics

Transcription

1 Manga: Beyond Comics Manga has a very unique grammar a visual grammar that is more than just pictures; it is a meaningful construction of unique symbols. Reading manga is very different to reading any other type of text, including Western comics and cartoons. Traditional Japanese texts are read from right to left. Manga pages are often laid out the same way. There are many different genres of manga. These include: Shojo TYPE TARGET DEMOGRAPHIC Traditionally, females aged Shojo means girl in Japanese. STYLISTIC FEATURES A strong focus on human relationships, romance and emotions. Strong female lead roles and heroines. Visually: flowers, big eyes, soft lines. EXAMPLES Sailor Moon, Toyko Mew Mew. Shonen Chibi style Traditionally, males aged 10+. Shonen, loosely translated means boy s comic. Not generally used on its own elements within other genres of manga. The word comes from Sailor Moon s daughter, Chibi Usagi (Little Rabbit). Humourous plots, high action. Male protagonist as hero figure, camaraderie of boys in sports teams, fighting squads etc. Attractive female characters also common. Visually: less flowery, strong, bold lines, action Super-deformed (usually over-sized heads), cute, childlike or young versions of characters. A popular technique for scenes which are cute or humourous. Astro Boy, Yu-Gi-Oh!, Dragonball. Sailor Moon s daughter. Signs: Indexical and Symbolic Indexical signs express meaning by an indicative or causative relation, such as the index finger when pointing. In contrast, symbolic signs convey meaning through cultural agreement alone, such as most words. These characteristics are not rigid categories either a mixed sign, like a weathervane, might be iconic to a rooster, yet indexical to the wind in the direction it points.

2 Think, pair, share In the table below, list three examples of indexical signs, and three examples of symbolic signs. INDEXICAL SYMBOLIC Meaning making in manga Sweeping lines show emotion Flowers or sparkling lights to set a mood Rage or anger common to see characters grow fangs and/or claws, fire erupts behind them Blood nose for lust Sweat drops embarrassment, nervousness Super-deformity (hyper-cartoon style) spontaneous lack of seriousness (Chibi) Discussion point Do these symbols cross cultures, or is there a specific Japanese discourse operating within manga?

3 Motion Lines and Subjectivity Rather than showing lines trailing the moving object, manga often show the moving object statically with lines streaming behind it. The result makes the reader feel as though they are moving at the same speed as the object, and it is argued that this technique gives a more subjective viewpoint. Study the images below: do you agree or disagree?. Macloud s Theory on Panel Transitions 1. Moment-to-moment show a short amount of time passing 2. Action-to-action show a whole action occurring 3. Subject-to-subject show a shift from character to character 4. Scene-to-scene shift between two different environments 5. Aspect-to-aspect step outside of time to show aspects of the environment 6. Non-sequitur have no logical relationship between panels Narrative Representation Panels can be categorized into varying types based on how much information they contain. Macros are panels that show multiple characters or a whole scene, while Monos show only individual entities. Micros contain less than a whole entity, such as in a close-up of a character where only part of the person is shown at a time. Finally, Polymorphic panels depict whole actions through the repetition of individual characters at various points in that event. How might these tools be used to create tension or suspense in the narrative of manga? Information and images from Cohn, N. (2010). Reading Manga. In Johnson-Woods, T. (Ed.), Manga : An Anthology of Global and Cultural Perspectives (pp ). Continuum. Retrieved April 26, 2012, from

4 Appignanesi, R., and Li, N. (2009). Twelfth Night: Manga Shakespeare. United Kingdom: MetroMedia.

5 Talking Twelfth Night Respond to the following questions in your books. 1. Look carefully over the excerpt from Nana Li s 2009 manga of Shakespeare s Twelfth Night. Take five minutes to survey the imagery and make some notes about things that stand out to you, or look interesting. 2. Discuss with a friend Shojo, Shonen and Chibi styles. Which do you think best fits this extract? Justify your response in full sentences, using the information provided. 3. Is this manga read from right to left, or left to right? Why? 4. Identify an indexical, symbolic or mixed sign within the text. How does this create meaning? 5. What visual codes convey the emotions of Sebastian and Antonio? To what extent are they effective? 6. Examine the duel between Antonio and Orsino s soldier. Why do you think the artist chose to manipulate the motion lines in this way? 7. How do the panel transitions impact upon the narrative? Make reference to Macloud s theory and the different panel categories (micro, mono, macro, polymorphic) in your response.