I'm kinda open-minded on this one..as long as the story's good and the art is still mangaish, I'm up for it!

And what's with the 'manga needs to have chibis to be manga'? Of course not.

(Reply to this) (Thread)

That's good. People need to be open minded about it. ^_^-

That's how I felt. I was like "DD= Svet! Why did you add that little line?" I absolutely hate it when people say. "oh manga? The stuff with that 'chibi' in it?" Same with anime. orz

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

This is tricky. I think there are storytelling techniques that are more essential to manga than the presence or absence of any one art style, like chibis. If an English speaker consciously uses a "manga style" and does a good job, I think we can call it manga.

Here's a thought: what if a Japanese artist drew a comic in total "western" style and it became popular in the U.S.? Would we still call it manga? Obviously the Japanese would, since manga is just their word for comics, right?

(Reply to this) (Thread)

*bows* That is an awesome example and so true... what would people say if western style comic came from Japan... I think it would make people in America heads explode.

And thank you! I believe that too! I feel Dramacon is definitely a series that is worth mentioning as a manga!

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

ha, i refer to everything as comics and cartoons, much to some people's displeasure.

but what really annoyes me is when people start saying that "Anime and Manga are soooo much better than comics and cartoons". because they're the same damn thing.

There are bad cartoons and there are bad animes. saying that one is better than the other only because it was originally in Japanese is the most unintelligent thing a person can say (well, one of them anyway). It completely overlooks numerous titles that have not been influenced by Japanese style comics, yet still manage to be works worthy of receiving awards normally destined for traditional novels.

I do think that where the Japanese have an advatage over the rest of the world is that they have long used cartoons and comics in a way that went beyond the superhero and gag stories that the rest of us have become accustumed to. It is far more likely to find a manga with the same plot and character depth as an english novel, than to find an western comic with that same depth. But that does not prove the nonexistance of such comics.

if i refer to comics and manga as just "Graphic Novels" i avoid the whole problem. XD

the best graphic novel series i have ever read was "The Sandman" by Neil Gaiman. that includes all that manga and comics i have ever read. the second would be "Watchmen" by Alan Moore (though i'll admit that "Death Note" is trying really hard to take it's place in my heart.)

i'm not sure that this really has to do with what you asked, but if anything, i place all comics on the same basis, i don't care much for what art style they use of what language they're originally speaking. as long as the story is good and entertains me in some way, i'll read every chapter, watch every episode. and if i piss people off in the process....that's just a bonus. XP


[edit, i deleted this comment and reposted just now because of some misplaced words...it should be slightly better now...]

(Reply to this) (Thread)

My opinion is that if a foreign comic or whatever comes across as [I'm sorry for a lack of a better word here] "Japanese" enough then I don't have a problem with classifying it as manga. I.e. it has a very manga-influenced art style, its plot deviates from your average superhero comic book, and just the general traits that make me A LOT more obsessed with manga than the average comic. Same applies to anime.

I'll admit that I have a certain prejudice against wacky gaijin comics claiming to be manga...but if it's a good enough comic I'm willing to ignore these prejuddices and accept the label of "manga".

(Reply to this) (Thread)

As you already know, I believe that such things should just be called "American manga" and "American anime". Yes, in Japan, all animation is referred to as anime and all comics are referred to as manga, but just as we have taken the word otaku, which is something interpreted differently in Japan, we have taken the words anime and manga to define those certain products from Japan.

It draws the line there, I think. Because, honestly, talking about pizza and karate and whatever is different from something that has defined differences. It's how we separate what is made in America and what is made in Japan, in terms of animation and comics.

However, I'd like to know something. Why do these artists strive so deeply in wanting their creations to be called manga? I don't get it. Why can't everyone just call them comics, seeing as that is what it all means in the long run? They seem to be the ones with a purist type of mind, if you ask me. They act as though their material can't be called a comic, because -- LOOK AT IT. Clearly, it is manga!!1! They are putting the term into a state of higher caliber than what it should ever be. Take a step back and think about it.

.... which I find funny, because the only reason I don't call those products as such is because of where they came from. That's all.

(Reply to this) (Thread)

True, but I know if I made an "OEL manga" and it was produced by a big corporation like Tokyopop and if some little snot started saying it's not manga, it's not manga... I'd feel a little bit offended... I mean, yeah, if you want to look at it that way, it's not manga... but if the story and art are in the manga style, it's still an American manga, and at least deserves to be called as such.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)