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-I want to see and understand the outside world! I don't want to die inside these walls without knowing what's out there!-
-I want to see and understand the outside world! I don't want to die inside these walls without knowing what's out there!-
-Eren Yeager (Attack on titan)-
Hello everyone and welcome to my page!
Have you ever felt strange just to look at or read something , which for others is out of the ordinary? Do you sometimes feel insecure about your passions?
Well you don’t have to worry, because I will bring justice to this world that for many is labeled bizarre!
I will talk about the culture of manga and anime and everything related to it...
So if you want to get a little culture, go ahead!
Culture and curiosities about the Japanese world of animated and paper entertainment!
Culture and curiosities about the Japanese world of animated and paper entertainment!
If you want to know more about manga and anime, check out my article!
If you want to know more about manga and anime, check out my article!
Manga and Anime: Introduction...
Manga and Anime: Introduction...
Those who spent their childhood and the early years of adolescence in the 80s and 90s, will certainly remember the first cartoons broadcast on TV, whose protagonists are still remembered with distant nostalgia in our hearts. From Lady Oscar to Heidi and even Mazinga, which to many people’s great surprise are some of the many Japanese animes broadcast in Italy that have kept us company daily. But you have to take into account that there is much more to know about the Japanese world of entertainment.
The world of manga and anime is very varied and rich and to understand its characteristics well may seem difficult, but to simplify, we can say that the term "manga" indicates comics in general, and the word "anime", which comes from the English term "animation" refers to Japanese cartoons, which are often inspired by manga stories, but not always,an example of which is the Japanese production company Kyoto animation, of which most animated anime have no paper basis. (such as Free and Violet Evergarden)
For those who approach Japanese culture, however, it is important to understand a substantial difference when comparing it to Western culture: if in many countries comics and cartoons are a genre which is 'underestimated and purely aimed at children or at least young people, for the Japanese manga and anime have an important cultural role, which leads them to consider them as a form of artistic expression on an equal footing with that of literature and cinema, and for this reason they are aimed at all age groups, dealing with different topics based on the target to which they are addressed. It is not uncommon to see young people and adults reading manga on public transport, in parks or in libraries and find large sections dedicated to comics in bookstores and newsstands.
Getting into the world of manga and anime is a fundamental step to understanding Japanese culture, because in the plots there are many references to traditions, religion, habits and mentality of the Japanese. To help you better understand this world, let’s see in detail the characteristics of manga and anime.
Giulia Cesaro
Manga and their genres
Manga and their genres
Many people do not know the manga in detail and their genres or even do not even know what the term "manga" itself means. fortunately here you will find the essential information to have a basic knowledge about manga
The term "manga" which in Japanese means "free or extravagant images" in the West is used exclusively to indicate a particular kind of comic, that is Japanese, whereas in Japan "manga" indicates comics of any nationality and genre. Japanese comics are usually published in black and white, although there are some colour publications, such as some editions of Dragonball, and include a wide variety of genres: adventure, romantic, sports, historical, comedy, science fiction, fantasy, etc. This heterogeneity is at the basis of manga’s popularity precisely because it is possible to satisfy the tastes of a larger number of readers.
In Japan, comics are published in comic books (or graphic novels) each of which is dedicated to a particular series, or in specialized magazines that publish one or more chapters of different stories on each issue.
The genres and characteristics of manga
Based on the audience for manga, there are several genres.
Those dedicated to children are called Kodomo and among these there are for example the famous Dragonball, Astro Boy or Doraemon. The style used by designers in this case is very simple and uses figures with childish and tender traits to better capture the hearts of small readers; at the same time the protagonists are characterized by very large eyes, similar to western rather than eastern traits. This peculiarity plays a very precise function: through a big eye the author is able to better express the emotions of the character. As it happens in every children’s story, for example in Disney fairy tales, the protagonist is faced with a series of trials and difficulties through which he grows and learns new things and, above all, discovers great values such as friendship. Each comic therefore aims to provide a moral teaching. Japanese children’s manga, unlike Western manga, also deals with complex themes such as death, bullying, and also respect for animals and the environment, such as Hello Spank.
As for teenagers, there are two types of manga, the one aimed at girls, called Shōjo and the one for boys, called Shōnen.
Shōjo manga deal with various themes, especially love and friendship, and among the most famous titles are Georgie, Candy Candy, etc. ; in some manga the figure of the girl or woman "warrior"also emerges, as the fighter dressed in the sailor Sailor Moon, which was very successful in Italy.
Manga that are aimed at a male audience address various issues based on the age of readers: some belong to the action-adventure vein, others are police, such as the one starring the sympathetic Lupin or the most famous detective in Japan and beyond, Conan; others are related to sport, such as Holly and Benji, science fiction or sexuality. Manga for men over 18 are usually referred to as Seinen, as "Jojo’s Bizarre Adventures".
There are also some comics set in the past that tell the story of Japan through the deeds of samurai, ninja and even soldiers. An honourable mention should be made to Golden Kamui, a manga set after the Russian-Japanese war that took place around 1906, which tells the story of the protagonist Saichi Sugimoto and his adventure partner Asirpa.
What Japanese manga fans love the most is the mix between reality and the fantasy world: in many Japanese series also popular in our country, such as Sailor Moon or the Knights of the Zodiac, the protagonists are seemingly normal guys who lead an ordinary life but suddenly discover that they have particular powers or abilities; this allows readers to feel closer to their favorite characters ,to identify with them and allow them to feel at least once part of "something" that goes out of the ordinary. Giulia Cesaro
Manga and comics
Manga and comics
The terms manga and comics (Western comics), are often used incorrectly as synonyms. However, manga and comics have profound differences, both stylistically and narrative. To distinguish one literary product from the other, it is not only the colors, the way of reading the cartoons or the format of the volumes: the discrepancies also concern the different way of telling a story, as are the different cultures from which they are born and which they represent
The "physical" differences between manga and comics
The first big difference between comics and manga is that they are two different publishing products: manga are pocket-sized with over a hundred pages, comics, on the other hand, are large-format notebooks, which hardly reach fifty pages large-format notebooks, which hardly reach fifty pages.
The visual impact is also different for the use of color. Japanese drawings are represented in black and white, while comics are coloured.
The meaning of the reading is also different: in one case, from left to right, according to the western canons, in the other from right to left.
An obvious detail that characterizes manga are the eyes of the protagonists.
Some people think that the reason why all the characters are endowed with such big eyes, is the fascination that the Orientals feel for the eyes of us Westerners having their own small and black eyes. Others attribute this peculiarity to a technical defect because, in the past, the brushes with which they drew were too big for small details. Still others think that the reason is purely cultural, in fact the oriental eyes consider the mirror of the soul.
The different narrative modes
Another difference between manga and comics is the work done on storytelling. If Western comics unfold according to the succession of action-driven and dynamically represented events, the manga focuses on the emotional part of the protagonists and interprets external reality on the basis of such feelings. This eases the identification of the reader, who, as an external observer, will pass to be a participant in the emotions of history.
The target of reference
If Western comics are strictly dedicated to younger comics, the same principle does not apply to their Japanese "competitors". The latter, in fact, enjoy a much wider audience, ranging from children to businessmen, from housewives to teenagers.As a result, even the issues addressed are not limited to the story of fantastic superheroes, but can instead be more elaborate and introspective.
Giulia Cesaro
Some curiosities about manga
Some curiosities about manga
The manga, unlike our typical comics overseas, have had many awards worldwide. here you will find some curiosities about manga and how they have depopulated thanks to their popularity
How to read a manga:
The Japanese manga is read in contrast to the Western comics, that is from the last to the first page and even the cartoons are read from right to left, from top to bottom. In addition, unlike Western comics, which contain many long sentences and speeches, the text in the manga is minimized and greater importance is given to images, through which the story is told; It is not uncommon therefore to find silent sequences and images without cartoons, because according to Japanese culture, silence is also important and this must also be told.
· Manga in the world
Manga has influenced the comics and cartoons industry in various parts of the world, particularly in China, Hong Kong, Taiwan and South Korea. France was also overwhelmed by the influence of manga, and this resulted in the birth of a new comic genre called "nouvelle manga" homonymous example of Radiant work written and designed by Tony Valente, a French cartoonist who managed to coin his dream, or publish his manga. The term "Amerimanga" was coined in the United States, to indicate the manga produced nationally and some experiments were also made in Italy , which gave rise to the series "spaghetti manga".
· Discovering manga in Japan
With the popularity of manga and the rise of fans around the world, some places were born in Japan where you can discover this world and get closer to Japanese culture. An example are the manga cafés, bars where you can have a snack or a coffee and in the meantime read the comics made available to customers; in some of these cafes you can also sleep at night. For those who wish, you can also visit some museums dedicated to manga in various cities of Japan, such as the Kyoto International Manga Museum or participate in the comic book fairs held on various occasions in Tokyo, or visit one of the most famouses district of Tokyo, Akihabara. Then there are locations around the world, such as Lucca Comics, one of the most important fairs in Italy where every year thousands of fans of the world of anime and manga come together in this great event.
Giulia Cesaro
Anime
Anime
Many of the cartoons of our childhood are subconsciously rare pearls of Japanese animation, hence Anime. just think of Heidi, Sailor Moon and many more. here you will find some general information on the culture of anime
Anime are cartoons that are inspired by the most famous manga, although not all of them: some are inspired by video games and one example is Pokémon. Anime can be produced in different formats: for television as a TV series, directly on DVD and for cinema as feature films or short films. Obviously the creation of an anime involves more work, which sees an animation studio and also numerous artists at work, including the singers who compose the cartoon acronyms. In the wake of the success of the anime, even many singers have become popular thanks to the acronyms, which usually become hits, honourable mention should be made to the singer Lisa, who sang the theme song and theme for the award-winning anime Kimetsu no yaiba.
One of the most important and famous cartoonists and animators is undoubtedly Hayao Miyazaki, who has received numerous international awards for his animated films, including "The Enchanted City" and "Totoro" and "The Wandering Castle of Howl". Miyazaki is appreciated for his unique, often counter-current style: the protagonists are usually strong and independent women and the character traits are more similar to the Oriental. Miyazaki’s themes are also very important: his films are inspired by the legends, myths of Japan and books, but they deal with modern issues, such as the importance of protection and respect for the environment.
If in Japan there are anime for all ages, as well as manga, in other countries, such as Italy, cartoons are intended for an audience of children and young people and this has led in the past to several operations of adaptation of imported cartoons, with censorship of some scenes deemed too violent or unsuitable for an underage audience; such as Goldrake, who received much criticism for the nature of the content of the work which according to the opinion of journalists and politicians. At the time of the release of the cartoon in 1978, the robot protagonist was considered a real demon that fueled hatred and violence in children.
Giulia Cesaro
The Ghibli Studio
The Ghibli Studio
The Ghibli Studio is a Japanese animation studio founded by Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata in 1985 that produces feature films and animated short films.
It was the extraordinary success of the public and critics of Nausicaä della Valle del Vento that gave the impetus for the creation of the Studio Ghibli, in 1985. Tokuma Shoten founded the Studio together with directors Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata. That same year, Ghibli produced Laputa, the castle in the sky. When they start working on their first film, Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, their aim is to concentrate all efforts and energies on this work, making sure that the budget and time are sufficient to not have to compromise the quality of the film.
Miyazaki and Takahata want to be project managers, not just studio financiers or business executives.
In this first phase, the Studio, rented, is located in a building in Kichijoji, on the outskirts of Tokyo. It is Takahata who implements the policies of the new Studio, it is he who produces Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind and it is his ability as a business manager to make a strong contribution to the start of Ghibli. Nausicaä came out in 1984 and brought almost a million people to the cinema.
Giulia Cesaro
What does «ghibli» mean and how do you pronounce it?
«Ghibli» is the name that, during the Second World War, the Italian pilots in North Africa gave to a hot desert wind coming from the Sahara Desert, and it is also the name used to indicate their reconnaissance planes.
THE FOUNDERS OF THE GHIBLI STUDIO
Hayao Miyazaki
Hayao Miyazaki
Hayao Miyazaki was born in Tokyo in 1941. As an animator, Miyazaki has worked on many television series and feature films, often in collaboration with Isao Takahata. Among the best-known TV series, Miyazaki directed The Future Boy Conan in 1978 and, among the feature films, The Castle of Cagliostro in 1979. In the early 1980s, Miyazaki lived in Los Angeles to study animation.
In this period Miyazaki also wrote and illustrated the graphic series of Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind, much appreciated by critics. Miyazaki founded Studio Ghibli in 1985 along with Takahata and has since directed eight feature films. Spirited Away broke every record at the Japanese box office and won numerous awards, including the Golden Bear at the Berlin Film Festival in 2002 and the Oscar for Best Animated Film in 2003.
In September 2005, the Venice Film Festival also gave him the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement, the first ever for an animated film director. Miyazaki has also published numerous books with poems and drawings, designed palaces, including the Ghibli Museum, in the Mitaka Park in Tokyo.
Isao Takahata
Isao Takahata
Isao Takahata was born in Mie Prefecture, although he spent much of his childhood and adolescence in Okayama Prefecture. This feature marks the beginning of a common journey with my friend and colleague Miyazaki. Starting from this film Isao Takahata sets his films according to the contribution of Miyazaki and the private and professional collaboration between the two artists deepens more and more, also raising the quality of the works as in the case of Dobutsu Takarajiama, known in Italian with the name The merry pirates of the island of the treasure.
Although precisely because of their artistic ambitions both Miyazaki and Takahata become bulky figures at Toei and so they accept Otsuka’s invitation to join them at A Production, a subsidiary of Tokyo Movie. The artistic complicity that has been established between the two becomes evident in the two medium-length films Panda kopanda , directed by Takahata for the studio A Production between 1972 and 1973, on the wave of popular enthusiasm aroused by the gift from China of two pandas, housed in Ueno Zoo in Tokyo. In 1984 Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind, produced by Takahata and directed by Hayao Miyazaki, was a huge success, but pushed the director to clash with the requests of the producers about his upcoming films.
THE SUCCESS AND THE FIRST FILMS OF THE STUDIO
The next two films produced by Studio Ghibli are Miyazaki’s My Neighbor Totoro and Takahata’s Firefly Tomb. The simultaneous release of the two films directed by the two most talented Japanese directors is hailed as a sort of event. Tokuma rarely visits the Studio, not out of disinterest, but because he believes that productive and creative decisions should be left to the directors, of whom he trusts blindly. Organizing the exit of My Neighbor Totoro and The Firefly Tomb proves more difficult than expected. Studio Ghibli began to be known in the Japanese film industry, though not yet to the public. Totoro, moreover, can count on an unexpected profit. Ironically, thanks to Totoro’s sales, Studio Ghibli was able to cover the deficit in the production costs of his other films.
THE SUCCESS OF THE STUDY
The Japanese film industry is not particularly thriving. Nevertheless, it is undeniable that the films of Studio Ghibli were successful. Above all, there is the high quality and the perfectionism of the directors. Without this focus on technical quality, you could not achieve any real success, however accurate the marketing plan may be. The second reason lies in the continuity of the Studio’s work, which allowed the public to familiarize themselves with a certain style of animation. Spirited marketing of a film includes much more than just advertising. In the case of Studio Ghibli, whose budget is somewhat limited, not too expensive methods are used, such as matching advertising campaigns.
THE AWARDS OF THE STUDY
Studio Ghibli’s films have received many awards and have been acclaimed by critics and animation specialists around the world. The Enchanted City won the Golden Bear for Best Film at the Berlin Film Festival in 2002 and then the Academy Award for Best Animation Film. Howl’s Wandering Castle won the Osella for Best Technical Contribution to the Venice Exhibition in 2005. International critics praised Studio Ghibli’s films.
Giulia Cesaro
A famous shopping area dedicated to the world of anime and manga, where fans of this world can find everything they love!
So...if you are passionate about Japanese world, i suggest you take a look at these genres where you might find something that will attract your interest!
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