Everhart1

AbbyEverhart

Caruso

1103UWRT

17November2015

ComicBooksVsManga

Aheatedquestiononmanygeeksmindslatelyhasbeenwhatsbetter:Comicbooksor
manga?Istherearightanswertothisquestionorcanasimpleoptionjustsuffice?Tofinda
solutiontothislittledilemma,Icreatedachesssetallowingcomicandmangaenthusiasttoduke
itoutinabattleoffactsandwits.Byusingfactsaboutculture,artstyleandhistoryplayerswill
beabletotakeasideoftheirchoiceandplayuntilawinnerisdeclared.Eventhoughthisis
technicallyanopinionatedtopic,researchhasstartedtoshowotherwise.Meaningwiththischess
andpapertheageoldwaragainstcomicbooknerdsandotakucanfinallybeputtorest.
Artisthemostnotablecharacteristicintheargumentregardingmangaandcomics.
Comicsarepraisedfortheirboldcolorchoicesandinksaturatedpagesinvokingasenseoffast
motion.Whilemangaaregenerallycompletelyblackandwhitewiththeexceptionofspecial
colorededitionslike
JojosColoredAdventure
(Gettinger).Mangaisstereotypicalcharacterized
asoversizedeyes,exaggeratedfacialexpressions,unrealisticbodyproportionsandcrazy
hairstyles.ThereasonforthesehyperrealisticartstylesisbecauseJapaneseartistwanttoshow
thereadertheflatteringcharacteristics.Largeeyegirlswithlonglegsandbigbreastlacking
nostrilsandacen.Theseexaggerationscreateafantasyworldforreaderstoimmersethemselves
in(
Nadav).
Comicsareontheoppositesideofthespectrumwithrealisticartthatmakesthe


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superherosseemalmostreal(Remmell).ButasJapaneseinfluencesintegratethemselvesmore
andmoreintoAmericanpopcultureandsocietyitleadstoaveryinterestingquestion.How
muchofinfluencedoesJapanesemangaandanimehaveonAmericancomicsandcartoons?
Japanesecultureisveryrichandintriguingsotofindouthowitmangahasinfluenced
Americancomics,wefirstmustseehowimpactfulitisinitshomecountryofJapan.Throughout
Japan,animeandmangaarewatchedandreadbyvastmixtureofpeopleranginginageand
gender.Onereasonforitpopularityistheuniquestoriesthatdrawinreaderswithamazing
artwork.TomanyyoungpeopleinJapan,animeandmangaareseenasanescapetooltohelp
themescapestressorsintheirlivesbutalsoinsomecasegivethemasenseofpassionor
inspiration(
Alian)
.
TengenToppaGurrenLagann
isoneofthebestexampleofinspirational
animethatsparksmotivationandcreativityintojustaboutanyonesheartbyprovingjusthow
muchhumanitycanachievethroughperseveranceanddetermination.Animeandmangahave
evengoneasfarastoinfluencethefashionworld!FashionsstyleslikelolitaandHarajuku
originatedinJapanbuthasnowspreadglobally.Cosplay,dressingasone'sfavoriteanime,
manga,game,etc.character,hasbecomesuchapopulartrendintheworldthatpeopleare
actuallymakingprofessionsoutofit(
Alian
).Whatsevenmoreimpressiveisthewholefashions
showsandlineshavebeencreatedwiththethemesofcreationanimesormangas.September
2013,beautyexpertTadashiHaradacreateawholefashionshowdedicatedto
JojosBizarre
Adventures
receivingexceptionalreviews
(Blaster)

.
Americaisknownasthemeltingpotofculturessomangaandanimemusthavehad
someimpactoncartoonsandcomicculture,right?Peopleliketoarguethatanimehasnothingto
dowithcartoonsbuttheseargumentsbecomeinvalidbysimplyglancingattheartstylesof


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showslikeTheBoondocks,AvatartheLastAirbenderandTeenTitans.Eachofthesecartoons
showapparentinfluencesfromanimesbutthatleadstotheargumentofcartoonsaremeantfor
childrenandanimeisnot.FamilyGuyandAmericanDadarebothcartoonsbutareformature
audiencesdebunkingthattheory.AnimeistheJapaneseformofcartoonssojustlikeAmerican
cartoonsitcaterstoalargerangeofaudiencenotjustchildrenoradults.Butsadly,havingan
animeartstyledoesnottechnicallymakeitananime.Animesincorporateintricateplotswith
layersofplotallbundledupwithexceptionalanimation(
"AnimeVsCartoons:IsThereReallyA
ClearDistinction?")
.
MangaandanimehavehadanexceptionalamountofinfluenceonAmericanartstyles
buttheirtruedifferencelayinthestoryandcharacters.Maincharactersinmangatendtobe
youngersoasthestoryprogressesyouwatchacharactergrowandmature.NarutoandLuffy
from
OnePiece
haveseriesthathavebeenrunningforover15yearsandwithinthattimespan
readershavewatchedcharactersageandfacechallenges.Mangacharactersworktowardgoalsto
achievestrengthandtaketheirpowertohigherlevels.
DragonBallZ
isinfomaceforshowing30
episodemontagesofGokuandVegetatrainingandscreaminguntiltheyreachthenewhighest
levelofsupersaiyan.Magicispredominantlyusedinanimeandmangaasacharactermeansof
power.
FullmetalAlchemist,

MadokaMagica
and
AonoExorcist
areallcentralizedinaworldof
magicmakingspellsandenchantedweaponsastaple.Themostdefiningtraitthatmangamain
charactershavethatmostsuperheroeslackisasensepuritymostlylikingstemmingfromthem
beingofayoungerage.
OnePiece
and
FairyTail
showcasethemostprevalentthemeinmanga:
friendshipispower.Manymangafocusgroupsofpeopleformingstrongfriendshipsthatgive


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themstrengthandasenseofbelongingmakingiteasyforthemacceptanychallengethrown
theirway(
Nickquest)
.
Whenanalyzingsuperherostraitstheideasoflonewolfs,scienceandunearthlypowers
comestomind.Unlikemangacharacters,mostsuperheroesarebornwiththeirpowersorsimply
createtheminlabs.Supermanwasbornwithallhispowerssoheneverhadtotraintoachieve
hisgodlikestrengthandabilities.Spidermanwasbittenbyaradioactivespidergrantinghimthe
powerstoshootwebsandsticktowalls.Batmanistheexceptiontothisallbecauseunlikethe
othersheisanordinaryhumanwhoactuallyhadtotraintoachievehisgoalsofbeingahero.
Comicsalsotendtoleanmoretowardtheideaofscienceratherthanmagic.Alternateworlds,
aliens,robots,timetravelandpowerscreatinginlabsarethemesexpressedinmostcomics.
Although,
Hellboy
and
Dr.Fate
aresomeofthebestcomicsthattakeplacesinmagicalrealms
withmagicanddemonswovenintothestory.Friendshiptendstotakecenterstagewhenit
comestomangaandanimebutcomicherostendtofacethecoldhandofisolation.Heroesare
sudden,tooscaredtosharetheiridentitywiththeworldsotheymustconcealit.Thiscreate
strainsonrelationshipsleadingmanyheroestopushawayorloselovedones.Heroesdonthave
timeforcompanionshipandfriendsmeaningtheymustgainstrengthfromothermeans.Heroes
musthavestrong,nobleheartstosurviveinthecruelworldtheylivein.Heroesmustendureand
overcomemanychallengesincludingtheirownflawsbeforetheycanfullybecomeahero
(
Nickquest)
.
Inrecentyears,superheromovieshavebecomingthenewpopculturephenomenon
basicallyrevampingthecomicbookhype.Thisismakingmanyoldfansofcomicshappytosee
theirfavoritecharacteronthebigscreenbutalsoitisconcerningatthesametime.Movieslike


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TheDarkKnight
and
TheAvengers
arecreatingsomuchmoneyforfilmindustrybutwillall
thiseventuallyburnout?Eventually,peoplewilltireofherosandwantatasteofsomethingnew
duetothemovieindustrygoingthroughcycles(
Sargent)
.
UnlikeAmerica,Japanhasneverlosttheirtasteforanimeandmanga.Mangaandanime
classicsarestillhighlyregardedtillthisdayfortheirculturalsignificance.Ghiblimoviesare
someofthemosthighlypraisedduetotheirgorgeousanimationandbeautifulstorytellings.
BecausemangaandanimearesotightlywovenintoJapaninfrastructure,itcouldneverbetossed
asideandforgottenunlikehowcomicsaretreatedinAmericansociety(
Giles)
.
Eventhoughcomicbooksandmangaareverysimilarinmanyaspectstheyarestilltwo
differenttypeofbooks.Japanesesocietyhasmoreloveandrespectforwhatmangahasdoneto
shapetheirculturewhilecomicsstillhaventbeenfullyrecognizedbytheAmericanpeople.
MangahasinfluencedtheworldnotjustJapaninmanywaysincludingtvshowsandfashion.
Whilecomicshaveseemstogainingnewgroundwiththeproductionofsuperheromoviestheir
famecanonlylastsolong.Whetheronelovescomicsormanga.itseemsthatmangahasan
upperhandinthisbattledueitvasthistory,richplotandrangingartwork.


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Reflection
ThisprojectwasrelativelypainlessandIbelieveIcreatedsomeverygoodproducts.Thechess
setIcreatedmakesmesoproud.Ispenthourssculptingouteachcharacterandpainteachsquare
ontheboard.Sadly,IdontthinkIwilleverlivedownthefactthatIwroteComisinsteadof
Comicsontheboardthefirsttime.Itfeltreallynicetobeabletobecreativeinaclassagain
sinceallofcollegehasbasicallybeennotes,testsandpapers.Thehardestpartwasfindingnew
informationonmysubject.OntopofthatIwasalsotryingtomakesureitwasscholarlybutthat
didntworktoowell.IdothinkIfoundsomenicearticlethoughsohopefullyeverythingcame
togethernicely.AllinallthiswasmyleaststressfulUWRTprojectthusfar!


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