Manga began to actively develop in 1945. Since then, there have been many famous and talented manga artists who not only created best-selling works, but also changed the very direction of manga.
Choosing the very best from a large number of manga masters is an almost impossible task. However, we tried to include in this list those names that left the most indelible mark on the manga industry, and which you probably know, of course, if you are into manga.
Yumi Hotta / Takeshi Obata (Yumi Hotta and Takeshi Obata)
Before Yumi Hotta's manga was made into an anime, the board game Go was primarily a game for old people. However, when Hikaru no Go premiered in 1998, many people immediately fell in love with this anime about a reckless child who became obsessed with the traditional board game Go. But the anime didn't just tell his story, the authors also managed to easily explain the rules and the very concept of the game of Go, thereby encouraging many people of all ages to start playing it. Since then, Yumi has not been able to come up with anything more or less worthwhile. However, Obata worked on two other works with great success.
see also
- Wikimedia Commons has media related to Mangaka
- Terms and concepts of anime and manga
- List of Japanese artists
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| Otaku culture | Cosplay • AMV • Anime Festival • Moe • Fanservice • Terms and Concepts | |
| Portal about anime and manga — current information about Japanese animation and manga on Wikipedia pages. | ||
Eiichiro Oda (Eiichiro Oda)
One Piece manga was one of the best-selling manga of all time. She breathes new life into the shonen genre with an art style that ranges from weird to highly effective and exciting. Despite the fact that the title of best-selling manga was awarded to One Piece by the New York Times several years ago, this work by Eiichiro Oda is still in great demand.
Osamu Akimoto (Osamu Akimoto)
This mangaka is not particularly known outside of Japan, because Osamu Akimoto’s most famous work, entitled “Kochikame,” was published only in the Land of the Rising Sun. It should definitely be noted that the manga appeared in the late 70s and is still published in Weekly Shounen Jump. And taking into account the periodic health problems that arise among artists, one can only be amazed at their perseverance and ability to work, thanks to which manga has been published without interruption since 1976.
[edit] Mangaka and followers
Who is he?
From the very beginning, Mangaka's work was recognized as a creative Anon, and a sea of fan art of varying quality followed, what is most surprising is that this quality is often (and almost always) better than the art of Mangaka himself. Manager-kun almost always hangs out next to the Mangaka - a huge oldfag who generates tons of texts every day. Omsk and attention whore. Has a habit of writing about himself in the third person. Known for his semi-fucking posts. Mangaku does dirty PR on all the vats he sees. There is also a certain Scanner-kun - a piece of a neymphag, a smileophage and a pogromist. Why it is needed is unknown.
Junji Ito
“Fish” (Gyo) is a truly creepy manga, and this is not surprising because it is not for nothing that Junji Ito is considered one of the most famous horror manga artists. From the mysterious girl "Tomie" to "Spiral" (Uzumaki), a very strange and chilling story, all of Ito Junji's works are memorable for both the plot and the grotesque art. If you like the horror genre, then you simply must read this mangaka.
[edit] Manga formats
Table of Emotions
The vast majority of manga in Japan is first published in thick (from 200 to a thousand pages) magazines, of which there are about fifty in Japan. These are, for example, “Shonen Sunday”, “Shonen Jump”, “Weekly Jump”, “Flower Comics”. Most of these magazines are published weekly, but there are also monthly publications. In common parlance, these magazines are called “telephone books”, as they are very similar to them both in format and print quality. In such magazines, several (about a dozen) manga series are published simultaneously, with one chapter (about 30 pages) in each issue. In addition to series, magazines also publish “singles” (mangas consisting of one chapter) and four-frame yonkoma. Magazines, by their focus, like manga itself, are divided into many categories based on age and gender - for example, there are magazines with manga for boys and girls, for men and women, for children.
Popular manga series are later republished in separate volumes called tankobon. Tankobon, as a rule, has about 200 pages, is the size of an ordinary pocket book, has a soft cover, paper of higher quality than in magazines, and is also equipped with a dust jacket. Of course, there are both manga that were immediately released in the form of tankobons (for example, hentai), and those that were never released in the form of volumes (not successful enough).
The basis for the classification of manga (in any format) is the gender of the target audience, so manga for young people and manga for girls are usually easily distinguished by their cover and located on different shelves in a bookstore.
Manga cafes are also common in Japan, where you can drink tea or coffee and read manga.
Naoko Takeuchi (Naoko Takeuchi)
Naoko Takeuchi's Sailor Moon manga debuted in 1991 and has become one of the most popular and recognizable all over the world. Initially, manga was created for girls, but over time, boys also became interested in it. And with the advent of Sailor Moon Crystal, the mangaka definitely wants to bring back the popularity of his characters by attracting a new generation, and, of course, to please old fans of the series.
Notes[edit]
- Ivanov B. A.
Introduction to Japanese animation. — P. 37. - Anime Companion - G (English). Sources: Amano Masanao.
Manga Design, p. 570 . Anime Companion. Archived from the original on August 22, 2011. Retrieved September 13, 2010. - McCarthy, Helen.
500 Manga Heroes and Villains. — P. 14. - Sparrow, AE
SDCC 08: An Audience With Bleach's Creator. IGN (August 1, 2008). Archived from the original on August 22, 2011. Retrieved February 10, 2009. - Ivanov B. A.
Introduction to Japanese animation. — P. 86.
Mitsuru Adachi (Mitsuru Adachi)
Mitsuru Adachi's first work was the manga Kieta Bakuon, published in 1970. His more recent work "Mix" is a prequel to "Touch", which he created in 1981. Adachi is one of the most prolific old guard artists still working in the manga industry. The mangaka loves to convey humor through the subtle facial expressions of his characters, which is quite difficult to do. That's why it's difficult to find a similar drawing style among other modern manga artists.
Riichiro Inagaki / Yusuke Murata (Riichiro Inagaki and Yusuke Murata)
American football, one of the most popular sports in the United States, is relatively new to Japan. The manga and later the anime series “Eyeshield 21” contributed to the popularization of this sport in the country of samurai. Manga artists Riichiro Inagaki and Yusuke Murata not only managed to clearly explain the rules and all the intricacies of the game of American football, but also showed the development of a character who was at first rather frail and pitiful, but who knows how to run fast. Despite the initial unpopularity of this sport in Japan, this manga managed to win the hearts of readers and successfully existed for 7 years.
[edit] Notes
- Pruflink.
| [ + ] Mangaka-kun is a creator! You're just jealous. | |||||||||
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Tohru Fujisawa (Tohru Fujisawa)
There are several manga dedicated to studying, but none of them are as eccentric as Fujisawa's GTO, which appeared in 1996. Thanks to this manga, you can meet a physically developed, gloomy former gangster named Eikichi Onizuka, who decides to become a teacher. As a result, he will have to teach the most problematic class in the school, for which he uses the accumulated experience of his past life (and power) to control and mentor his students. GTO mainly deals with aspects of growing up such as bullying, social pressure and friendship.
[edit] History
Engravings by Hokusai
The first mention of the creation of stories in pictures in Japan dates back to the 12th century, when the Buddhist monk Toba (another name is Kakuyu) drew four humorous stories telling about animals depicting people, and about Buddhist monks who violated the rule. These stories were four paper scrolls with ink drawings and captions. Nowadays they are kept in the monastery where Toba lived.
As manga developed, it absorbed the traditions of ukiyo-e and Western techniques. After the Meiji Restoration, when the Japanese Iron Curtain fell and the modernization of the country began, artists also began to learn from their foreign colleagues the features of composition, proportions, color - things that were not given attention in ukiyo-e, since the meaning and idea of the drawing were considered more important, rather than form. Manga in its modern form began to emerge during and especially after the Second World War.
During the war, manga served propaganda purposes and was printed on good paper and in color. Its publication was funded by the state (unofficially it is called “Tokyo manga”). After the end of the war, when the country lay in ruins, it was replaced by the so-called. “Osaka” manga, published on the cheapest paper and sold for next to nothing. It was at this time, in 1947, that Osamu Tezuka released his manga “Shin Takarajima” (“New Treasure Island”), which was destined to create a real revolution. With this work, Tezuka defined many of the stylistic components of manga in its modern form. It was the first to use sound effects, close-ups, graphic emphasizing movement in the frame - in a word, all those graphic techniques without which modern manga is unthinkable. “New Treasure Island” sells a fantastic circulation of 400,000 copies for a completely ruined country. During his life, Tezuka created many more works, acquired students and followers who developed his ideas, and made manga a full-fledged (if not the main) direction of mass culture.
The influence of manga in today's Japan cannot be compared with the influence that comics have in other countries - it is felt in one form or another in almost every aspect of modern Japanese life. Manga accounts for between a third and half of all printed matter published in Japan. It is respected both as a form of fine art and as a literary phenomenon, and since manga authors are not limited in any way by the flight of their imagination, there is a great variety of works of various genres and for all ages.
Takehiko Inoue (Takehiko Inoue)
In the manga Slam Dunk, a tall, red-haired high school student who has been rejected by many girls finally finds a girl he loves, who in turn likes basketball. Instead of building a relationship with the girl he likes, the young man begins to devote more time to the game and gives his all, playing basketball with his teammates.
Based on the real life of Takehiko Inoe, this basketball manga has become one of the best-selling basketball mangas in history. Even though the basketball discussed in the manga was very far from professional, the main thing in the work was precisely the character who fell in love with many readers and sank into the soul for a long time.
Of course, every manga lover has his own favorite manga artists, and they may differ radically from our top. Therefore, we are waiting for your comments on this material with a list of your favorites and your favorite works.
<Manga that is definitely worth reading
Difference between manhwa and manga>
Russian manga artists: interviews with the authors of the comic strip Mona 1,618
How long have you been drawing manga? First of all, we want to say that we are a team of authors. Each of us has our own experience in creating manga and is responsible for a certain stage of the work.
Manga drawing is actually not a very accurate term. In Japan, we say “write manga,” which means working on an idea, a script, and a drawing at the same time. In Japan, manga artists are seen as writers first and artists second.
There are currently 3 people working on Mona 1.618 manga. Andrey Burmakin is responsible for the original idea and concept. The creative duo from the Manga Guild, Yulia Novikova and Maria Pruger, took over the script and art parts. Julia is responsible for the script and plot twists. Maria is for the visual component. Both girls have been making manga for many years and have their own art studio.
Is Mona 1,618 your first comic or were there other creative endeavors before this? Mona 1.618 is the first manga published under the pseudonym Neobel, which united three authors. So yes, in this regard the first.
Where can I read you online? You can purchase our manga “Mona 1.618” in electronic form on amazon.com and in the usual paper form from the Editus publishing house by ordering the book on their website. The print quality is excellent.
Who are your favorite manga authors? Each author has his own preferences. Andrey, for example, loves the manga “Death Note”. He likes the authors' drawing style and level of artistic skill. Julia is more attracted to romantic stories such as “Skip Beat!” Yoshiki Nakamura and the work of mangaka Arina Tanemura. She also loves the work of the CLAMP studio, which works in the fantasy genre. Maria prefers realistic drawing when it comes to graphics. That's why she likes authors like Itagaki Keisuke and Inoe Takehiko with his works "Slam Dunk" and "Vagabond". But among other things, Maria also highlights the Korean author Hwang Mi Ri, who works in the romance genre.
What genre of manga are you personally interested in? If we analyze the favorite works of all three, the fantasy genre is the genre in which everyone likes to work. Therefore, Mona 1.618 is a fantasy adventure manga with elements of comedy and drama.
Tell us a little about the main concept of your manga? The main character Jukka is on the verge of despair: he and his younger sister are terminally ill. Having heard that the Mona Lisa painting has magical healing properties, he decides, by all means, to check these rumors. After all, this is his last chance.
But the incredible happens in the museum! The picture takes Yukka and his random companion, the art critic girl Di, into a parallel world. It turns out that on the other side of reality the heroes have been waiting for a long time for a young boy who knows more about the picture than any researcher. Why does he call himself Leonardo and how is he related to the great Leonardo before Vinci - the author of the Mona Lisa? Will Yukka be able to find a cure for herself and her sister in this high-tech fairy tale world? And why does the legendary painting look like a strange set of symbols here?
You are not the first author to use the works of Leonardo da Vinci in his work. Why was this choice made in your case? Do you really like this artist's work? Yes, we agree that the idea of using Leonardo da Vinci's works in works of art is not new. In Mona 1.618, the original Mona Lisa painting is used only to set up the plot. The main emphasis is on its digital copy in a parallel world. We would like to note that the digital Mona Lisa (Mona 1.618) exists in reality. The author of this picture asked not to disclose his name. But this painting has been successfully traveling around the world for a long time and participating in exhibitions.
We are also very interested in the personality of Leonardo da Vinci himself, what he was like and... what he could become in the modern world. And by making him younger, we made him closer to the reader. We hope that in the course of history we will be able to show our Leonardo as we see him: a young and ambitious, brilliant inventor.
Why is the manga in English? Is this done on purpose? Do you want to work only for Western audiences or is there a similar Russian version of your manga? We are counting on Western audiences and the Russian market at the next stage.
Who is your reader? How do you imagine it? We think that the main reader of Mona will be young people: the same age as the main character or a little older than him. But, judging by the reviews already received, Mona 1.618 is liked by people of different age categories. We hope it stays that way in the future.
Tell us about your collaboration with Editus publishing house. How did they help you publish your book? Editus Publishing House provided us with full support at all stages of publication. We ordered a test print run from them, and they also helped us release an electronic version of the book. We express our deepest gratitude to the publishing house employees and look forward to cooperation in the future.
What are your creative plans for the future? New books, literary projects? We plan to continue publishing Mona. This story will be quite lengthy.
In addition, we may be releasing some singles in the near future that are not related to the main story.
How did you find each other? Julia answers this question: We met Andrey a year ago, when he came to our Manga Guild workshop with a request to help bring his idea to life. At first, Maria and I didn’t take him seriously. Unfortunately, we are often sent scripts and ideas that, to be honest, for the most part, you can’t look at without tears.
But Andrey’s idea seemed viable to us. After some time, the script was born in the form in which it exists now. That’s when we realized that there would be a story after all! We're glad we created Mona.
How do you create manga together? Any secrets of teamwork? Working in a team, on the one hand, is very difficult, but on the other hand, it is much more productive. By dividing responsibilities, we can devote ourselves entirely to one part of the work, rather than scattering our energy on everything at once. The most important thing in teamwork is to listen to each other, be able to negotiate and compromise. In the end, all the most intractable disagreements can be resolved through negotiations.
How do you distribute roles? Who is responsible for what? As we said earlier, each of the authors is responsible for their own stage of work.
Andrey is our dear ideological inspirer and the author of the original concept of the manga. Thanks to him, the idea of both a digital Mona and the parallel world itself - a city in the rocks - appeared. Andrey is constantly bursting with new thoughts about the details of the script, follows every stage of the work, tries to delve into everything himself and is ready to take part in the process at any moment. He also mainly promotes the book.
Julia is our screenwriter. The person who combines Andrei’s ideas into a single plot, corrects them, discarding everything unnecessary and adding his own plot moves and options for the development of events. She first puts the script into verbal form, and then draws a storyboard based on the finished text version. Also engaged in developing characters' personalities and writing dialogues in accordance with these characters. Among other things, Julia helps our artist with tinting and final processing of finished pages.
“When working on a script, you always need to pay special attention to the logic of the narrative and try to imagine each scene well before trying to describe it in words,” says Yulia.
Maria does everything related to drawing and working with annual pages. During the script creation stage, she develops character designs. After which Maria works with Yulia’s script and storyboard, transfers the pencil sketches to the final copy, completes them and inks them. After which there remains one more important stage - tinting. Maria considers it important to pay attention to detail in her work; she painstakingly and carefully draws faces, costumes and backgrounds, as she believes that the artist’s task is to convey the atmosphere of the story as vividly as possible.
We create our manga 99% by hand, so computer processing comes down solely to inserting text into the finished bubbles. We are of the opinion that real manga can only be drawn on paper, using pencil and ink, the way the masters do it in Japan.
