Mangas are graphical comic books that originated in japan. The word Manga is a combination of two words man means “fanciful” and ga means “pictures”. Manga is very popular around the globe.
By 1995, the Japanese Manga market was valued at 586.4 billion yen ($6-7 billion), with yearly sales of 1.9 billion Manga volumes and Manga periodicals (equivalent to 15 issues per person) in 2020.
It hit a new record of ¥612 billion yen due to the increasing sales of digital manga as well as the printing of Manga.
The history of Manga is very old. Many believed that the first Manga was created in the 12th century which was “Choju – Giga”. A scroll drawing that was typically four scrolls long.
In the image above, you can see a monkey thief fleeing from a troop of animals after stealing some form of food or a stick.
Manga has gained a lot of popularity in recent years and the western media has also taken a lot of inspiration from these Mangas.
Although, Mangas are in the Japanese language many international and Japanese publishing companies are working on English versions of Mangas.
In this blog, I will discuss what the English versions of Mangas are and why they are being created.
Are Manga and Comics the same?
Both of them have a strong storyline and never fail to interact with the readers with their content, but there are a few differences between Manga and comics.
If we talk about Manga, they mostly appear in black and white colors only special chapters are released in color whereas all chapters and volumes of comics are presented in different vivid colors.
Manga has always been successful in gripping more audiences than comics, it is mainly due to their character building.
The characters in Manga become stronger over time. On the other hand, the superheroes in comics have the same power level and only upgrade it once.
The Manga presents a very slow yet rich storyline than its rival. Because there are only a few dialogues and more images. If we talk about comics, there are more dialogues in them to keep the reader hooked to the story.
Manga always comes up with different stories while comics give the same superhero content which often makes the reader bored.
| Difference | Comic | Manga |
| Presentation | Colored prints on good-quality paper | Black and white printed on newspaper-quality paper. |
| Majority of readers | Children | Adults and teenagers |
| Genres | Very few Genres | Plenty of genres based on age and content |
| Plot | No depth to the plot | A deep and engaging plot |
The contrast between the two above shows clearly Manga’s supremacy over American comics. Manga provides everything a reader seeks: diverse genres, a compelling plot, a logical conclusion, and depth. American comics are a good place to start. Manga, on the other hand, is more enthralling.
What is Manga in English?
The English version of Manga is called OEL Manga or Original English-Language Manga.
As far as the actual content of OEL Manga, it varies greatly. Some stories are faithful adaptations of Japanese Manga, while others take liberties with the source material.
The most popular example of OEL Manga is “Avatar: The Last Airbender,” which was adapted into a Nickelodeon animated series of the same name.
OEL Manga is generally written by westerners, who are often American or British. The stories are often set in the west, and they reflect western culture and values but the art style is inspired by Manga.
In English, people refer to Manga as Japanese comics or simply Manga. Because Manga is a part of Japanese culture, it’s often hard for non-Japanese speakers to understand
While there are Manga stores all around Tokyo, it might be difficult for foreigners and non-Japanese readers to locate Manga in English or any other language.
Many popular Manga volumes have been translated to appeal to a worldwide audience, although they are not always accessible in every Japanese bookshop.
Important Manga works are frequently spread throughout continents and nations before being localized into numerous languages shortly after the release of single series of book volumes in Japan known as Tankbon.
Tankbon is most commonly used to refer to separate volumes of a single Manga book. From the mid-twentieth century until the present, most series began as individual chapters in well-known Japanese magazines such as Weekly Shonen Jump, Weekly Shonen Magazine, and so on.
What is Manga called in America?
Manga is just called Manga in America since the term is mainly considered an identity for the Japanese comic industry.
Manga is an Anime and Manga style of Japanese comics. Manga has been popular in Japan since the early 20th century, but it wasn’t until the 1970s that American and other western audiences became aware of it. Today, many Mangas are translated into English and distributed worldwide.
Many have suggested that this is due to the drastic decrease in the production of American comics when compared to Manga. Also, in contrast to American comics, Manga is easy to follow, whereas mainstream superhero comics have a complex continuity of reboots and retoolings that change all the time.
Several publishers shared examples of how a rising number of younger readers are finding Manga through streaming services like Netflix or Crunchyroll.
What are the different types of Manga?
Manga has a plethora of genres, with divisions depending on age and then content. Although, in a few cases, the distinction between the two disappears.
Since the Japanese have distinct notions about what are age-appropriate topics, degrees of complexity and violence for different age groups, practically all of these are targeted at older audiences when localized in the west than they are in Japan.
Division based on Age group
- Shonen Manga is geared toward young guys. This is usually about action, adventure, battle, camaraderie, and occasionally superpowers. Popular shounen definitely includes some Manga you’ve heard of, such as One Piece, Death Note, Attack on Titan, Naruto, Fullmetal Alchemist, and so on.
- Seinen Manga is for adult males, this genre has some gore, action, pretty bloody fights, and mature themes.
- Shoujo is aimed at young females. The narrative usually contains romance and highly emotional storylines, generally centered on a bumbling girl who is drawn into some type of fanciful or far-fetched circumstance involving one or more gorgeous young men. The art style is adorable, delicate, and graceful, with fine lines and a plethora of patterned screen tones. Sailor Moon, Fruits Basket, Cardcaptor Sakura, Ouran High School Host Club, Orange, and other popular shoujo include:
- Josei is aimed at adult females. They also deal with mature themes like seinen. Because a lot of josei discusses topics that may not appeal to “Manga aficionados,” it is rarely published in the west. Josei tales are often serious emotional stories situated in the ordinary world with just minor degrees of magical realism rather than Fantastic elements.
- Kodomomuke Anime is aimed at children. This does not necessarily imply that the character(s) are children, or that an anime with a child as the primary character(s) is acceptable for this genre. It covers the typical topics and stories for children under the age of seven, with adorable graphics and basic text.
Conclusion
- The key takeaways are that the English version of Manga isn’t a genre in and of itself, but rather a catch-all term for Manga that has been translated into English.
- It’s simply one way to get your hands on Manga outside of Japan or the other countries where it’s most traditionally used.
- The main caveat is that this usually applies to Manga series that have already been recognized by larger Manga publishers, whether in Japan or otherwise.
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