Manga << MONG guh or MANG guh >> are Japanese comics. Manga enjoyed a surge in popularity in Japan during the mid-1900’s and have since gained an important place in Japanese culture. Manga’s popularity has spread to many parts of the world, including the United States.
Manga are traditionally serialized in anthology magazines that feature several titles gathered together by theme or target audience. The more popular stories are then collected and published in small books. In manga, the panels and text on each page are read from right to left, and the reader moves from page to page in right-to-left fashion as well.
Manga is also known for narrative and visual style shared by the most popular titles. As a result, many manga characters have large eyes, small mouths, and giant heads of oddly colored hair. The characters may display exaggerated emotions. Demonstrations of anger, grief, or humor can take over a character’s entire body. Action may be depicted in an explicit, even gruesome way. The length of many manga serials allows for an elaborate presentation of important physical events and emotional high points.
Many types of manga exist. For example, shonen manga are action-oriented stories aimed at males 10 years old and up. Shojo manga are lighter and typically emphasize romance. Seinen manga have more adult themes, often involving violence or sexual material. Josei manga are directed at women, and kodomo manga are aimed at children.
The manga style and subject matter have strongly influenced Japanese animated cartoons called anime. Most popular manga are eventually made into anime, and the two forms share many broad stylistic quirks. See Animation (New diversity).
