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To The Manga Dreamers: Don’t Underestimate The Power of Storytelling
As a manga fan from North America, I’ve been getting a kick out of reading Deb Aoki’s posts on “Making a Living in Manga”. The third part, entitled “The Skills to Pay the Bills: The Manga Training Gap”, had an interesting quote from someone who worked in the Japanese manga industry about the lack of writing ability in American manga creators. And it goes like this:
“One problem I’ve noticed among American ‘manga’ creators is that they tend to put artwork above interesting characters/storytelling. What I always loved about manga was the storytelling. The most successful creators tell great/interesting stories, even if they can’t draw well (look at Rumiko Takahashi). Some good artists (Tanemura Arina) are popular at first, but become obscure when they fail to produce stories with good storytelling. Almost nobody talks about her manga anymore and instead she has artbooks.”
- Jamie Lynn Lano (@jamieism), Expatriate American comics creator, now living in Japan, former assistant on the Tennis no Oujisama (Prince of Tennis) manga
For those aspiring manga artists that get criticized for an inability to tell a good story and are agitated over it, do you want to know why telling stories is about as powerful as (or even more powerful than) putting out pretty pictures? Here are some pretty good reasons as to why:
- Stories shared through others creates meaningful connections and helps bridge gaps with people.
- Stories provide ideas on how to make sense of things in life.
- Stories provide structure that certain folks may not get or experience. Everyone wants a sense of structure in their lives.
- People tend to interpret stories as real experiences that have a great deal of meaning in their lives.
- Stories help to unlock people’s imaginations. Imagination -> inspiration -> creativity. A win for everyone.
If you still don’t believe that storytelling is very important, I’ll give you two extremely notable examples of popular manga that don’t have the “greatest art”(according to certain fans): One Piece and Gintama. While the artwork may turn off some fans, both series contain some of the most memorable and well-thought-out characters you will ever see in manga. Each series has a number of wacky and emotional moments that get people talking and caring. Just read both series thoroughly and try to understand how subtlely has gotten them the huge followings they have in Japan.
Here’s another example that will get you going “WHAT!? Really!?”. Japanese mega pop-star, Kyary Pamyu Pamyu, decided to collaborate with Jigoku no Misawa, the mangaka of “Kakko-Kawaii Sengen!!” for a manga in JUMP SQUARE. For those who know about Kakko-Kawaii Sengen!!, the artwork is quite strange and looks unappealing to many. However, the comedic aspects of the manga along with the wacky art have managed to hit it off with a variety of people in Japan. Case in point: this April Fool’s 2012 joke video Shueisha and Aniplex did by having Blue Exorcist drawn in the style of Kakko-Kawaii Sengen!!
So, what do we need to teach prospective manga artists trying to make it big about storytelling? Perhaps the key thing to teach is empathy, because it seems that some manga artists don’t have any. This is mostly to their false sense of self-entitlement (which parents/peers/media need to stop encouraging). A lack of empathy can also mean that they are not experiencing things outside of their own circle. In this day and age, empathy is a huge key in how to create a story and making it work with an audience. There’s also the added benefit of making artists’ own lives more enriching.
Another important thing that needs to be stressed is that artists should be taught to be able to speak to others publicly. They also need to listen to how others speak and present themselves. By understanding how people communicate with each other, artists can draw some ideas on how to present their narrative.
My final point is this: we’re all storytellers. We need to be able to tell and shape stories to survive. Everything we say and do can be made into a story to affect the people around us. A conversation is also a story. Think about that thought. Hell, I’m trying to tell a story right now.
For those who can write well, but believe their art is crappy, here’s a quote I hope will keep your spirits up.
“Writing is THE most important part of the whole. If your art is so-so, but your writing shines, you’re golden. Reversed, give up.”
- Jon Krupp (@WEKM)
A picture may be worth a thousand words, but it never tells the whole story.
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Happy White Day! Who Would You Give Chocolates To? (And More!)
Yes, that picture is 3 years old, but it is still relevant today.
March 14 marks White Day, the famous holiday where men in Asia give chocolates to women who have given them the lucky honor of receiving chocolates on Valentine’s Day. As most of you know, Valentine’s Day works very differently in Asia than in North America and Europe.
Here’s a couple of questions that’s sure to get some fun responses: which female characters would you want to give chocolates to?
I’m not going to leave the women out either (thanks to the above photo). To the women: which male characters do you want to give you chocolates?
If you want my opinion, here’s my top 3 female characters I would give chocolates to:
Rukia Kuchiki (BLEACH)
Tsukuyo (Gintama)
Nico Robin (One Piece)
What? You think I was going to list the girls from K-ON!? Nope, I’m not into moeblobs. I like my female characters to be quite refined.
Now, for more fun, here’s my top 3 choices for male characters I want to give me chocolates if I were a woman.
Shinsuke Takasugi (Gintama)
Onizuka Eikichi (Great Teacher Onizuka)
Ryosuke Takahashi (Initial D)
Intrigued, aren’t you? If you understand what makes these characters popular, then you’ll probably know what makes me tick.
I made my choices known. So, great lovable anime/manga fans, what are yours?
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One Treasure Worth Hunting For - The One Piece Gold Edition PS3
From the Sony booth at JUMP Festa 2012 at Makuhari Messe.
Words cannot explain how amazing this system looks. I expect the PS3 to completely dominate video game sales next year because of Luffy and company. Also, here’s the trailer for the upcoming One Piece Pirate Musou game.
Nice to see the Zoro fangirls react to seeing their precious swordsman. After all, he’s the 2nd choice for anime male characters they want to marry. I do admit that I find it a little disappointing that the game will be hack-and-slash (a la Dynasty Warriors) like BLEACH: Soul Resurrecion. Though there’s a possibility this game will be 10 times more epic than the BLEACH game, given the nature of the One Piece story.
That reminds me: I want to take a look at a One Piece character. Either Roronoa Zoro or Nico Robin. Those two stand out to me the most out of the Straw Hat Pirates. Which character do you guys want to see an analysis of?
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“J-Pop America Fun Time Now” Comes Back With More Anime-ru
Oh man, Saturday Night Live. You never cease to surprise me with your skits sometimes. I think anime fans might make this much funnier.
You know what they need to do. Since weeaboos (which the cast are parodying) seem to hate other weeaboos, their next skit has to involve them criticizing each other.
If you watch at the skit, there’s merchandise from Soul Eater, Negima!, and One Piece, according to Anime News Network.
Does anyone think that the audience really gets (or even cares about) most of the jokes in the J-Pop Talk Show skit?
You can watch the video here.
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Sweet Anime/Manga Characters That Love Sweets
If you’re a sugar lover, you might find this interesting. A study published in the Journal of Personality & Social Psychology states that people who love sweets tend to be nice people overall. They are more likely to help others & are more sociable than those who don’t like sweets. With that said, this study makes me wonder about anime/manga characters who love sweets and are sweet-natured. Let’s look at a few notable characters that fit the mode of loving sugar and giving some sugar.
Mitsukuni “Honey” Haninozuka (Ouran High School Host Club)
He LOVES cake. Honey is generally a happy, go-lucky character who would be nice to you if you don’t piss him off. If you like cute things, he will be your best friend for life.
Gintoki Sakata (Gintama)
The only hero in Shonen Jump that needs sugar before a big fight with bad guys. He’s often seen eating parfaits and sweet red bean rice bowls. Also, the word “sugar” is put as a banner in his office. Despite his lackadaisical & goofy nature, Gin is an honorable man who deeply cares about the people in his life.
Tony Tony Chopper (One Piece)
His wanted poster has him listed as “Cotton Candy Lover” Chopper. What more can I say about his cute & courageous behavior? Chopper can be a coward at times, but his goal to become the best doctor drives him to help sick parents.
Usagi Tsukino (Sailor Moon)
She eats a lot of food, which includes sweets. Usagi is a very caring friend to those who are fortunate to associate themselves with her.
Xerxes Break (Pandora Hearts)
Probably one of the biggest sugar fiends in all of anime & manga. He is very protective around Sharon Rainsworth and her family.
Yui Hirasawa (K-ON!)
When she gets depressed, sweets really cheer her up. Yui is very affectionate towards her friends, especially Azusa.
Misaki Shima (Futaba-kun Change!)
Her love of sweets is a running gag (i.e. anything she cooks becomes sweet) in the series. Misaki loves Futaba and grows to accept his female form. She even joined the wrestling club alongside Futaba to watch over his female form (although this was before she realized that Futaba was also a girl).
That’s about it for now. I know I didn’t list certain characters, like L from Death Note. He’s not really that nice of a person.
Regarding the study, I do think that a decent amount of sugar can do some good for people. Face it, if we don’t satisfy our sweet indulgences from time to time, then we could end up killing ourselves mentally.
If you know any other characters that love sugar and are friendly, list them in the comments below!
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The Awesomeness of Redheads in Anime & Manga
Well brunettes are fine man
And blondes are fun
But when it comes to getting a dirty job done
I’ll take a red headed woman
~ Bruce Springsteen – Red Headed Woman
Earlier this week, I read an interesting entry on the psychology of redhead harassment or as some people call it, “gingerism”. Redheads haven’t always gotten the most respect from a majority of people. They have been sexualized, teased, and portrayed as outcasts. There is also the infamous episode of South Park where redheads are described as beings with no souls. However, in anime & manga, there are quite a large number of redhead characters that have had a profound impact in fans’ lives & Japanese pop culture. Let’s take a look at some of the more notable anime/manga redheads that kicked ass & have made their mark.
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The Popularity of One Piece Among Adults
(The latest volume of One Piece: Volume 61, which set another record in copies sold.)
About a month ago, popular Japanese TV channel, NHK, conducted a survey on people who read Eiichiro Oda’s super-popular manga series, One Piece. And this was the result of their study.
Apparently, 88% (rounded to 90%) of adults in Japan read the manga frequently. The teen demographic appears to not read One Piece or might not care enough to end. Though here in the West, you don’t see too many teenagers read or talk about One Piece.
Let’s take a look at why One Piece is supposedly more appealing to adults than teens/children.
(For those unfamiliar with One Piece, you can visit the One Piece Wiki for more information.)
Deep Story Behind The Humor
The story of One Piece is often very humorous. But, it does have some very emotional & sometimes dark moments. Need some good examples? Read the Water 7 (Volumes 34-39) & Impel Down (Volumes 54-56, the most recent storyline to be translated by VIZ) arcs.
Compelling Characters
The Straw Hat Pirates are a wacky cast of characters and all diverse. But most importantly, they are a FAMILY. The antagonists of the series are seriously great as well because their behavior doesn’t always reflect their personalities & vice-versa. Mr. Crocodile (a well-known antagonist in One Piece), Buggy the Clown (the first major antagonist), & Aokiji come to mind.
Very Western
The character designs look very Westernized. Japanese adults may find the artwork very different & appealing from other manga series because it doesn’t look “Japanese” or heavily Asian-influenced.
Growing Up With One Piece
One Piece started serialization way back in 1997. Adults in Japan most likely grew up with the series and may have a better appreciation of the stories much more than the younger audience does.
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Now, why is that the younger audience might not be reading One Piece (both Japan & also in the West)?
4Kids Fiasco
For those who don’t know, the American cartoon company, 4Kids, licensed One Piece years ago and heavily edited it to fit the Saturday morning cartoon audience. Unfortunately, this drew the ire of many fans and also scared off potential new fans of it. This has some ramifications to this day as I recently heard a teen say that One Piece is not one of her favorite anime series because of the 4Kids localization.
Lack of Teen Angst
This is probably a huge issue. A few people have told me that the teen market in the U.S. usually loves stories with lots of teen angst & drama. One Piece doesn’t seem to have too many situations like that. It’s sometimes hard for them to relate to certain adult emotions & situations that the One Piece characters have experienced.
Ninjas Are Better Than Pirates
Yes, this might sound a little silly. But, some people take this very seriously. A notable example would be Naruto. It seems to be more popular than One Piece to the younger demographic. You can credit that to the anime being shown on Cartoon Network in the West. Pirates are commonly seen in Western pop culture, while ninjas provide something different, foreign, and unique in the West. You can say the same regarding the idea of “death gods” (shinigami) in BLEACH, another popular series.
Preference of Magazines/Scanlations over Tankobon
There are teens who probably do read One Piece. They’re just not bothering to buy all the volumes or catch up on past material. Kids are either reading copies of Weekly JUMP or reading chapters online. You would figure that with teens craving instant gratification, they might actually go back and read past volumes/chapters. But, there’s the problem of information overload and/or not enough disposable income to buy volumes.
The Art
A lot of people can’t seem to get into the art style, both in the anime & manga. Yes, it can be pretty unusual. However, the art style is original and it stands out above a majority of manga titles out there. Not everyone wants all art styles to look the same, right? One’s personality can reflect his/her art style. Oda’s love of pirate comics and wanting to draw what he wanted is probably why the art is the way it is.
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One thing you have to wonder is why NHK decided to conduct the survey (even though it’s probably apparent). Was it because of the numerous records the manga has broken in terms of sales? Did they want to show that manga isn’t just for kids? Are they trying to tell Shintaro Ishihara that he shouldn’t regulate One Piece? NHK is an educational channel, after all.
The thing that One Piece does well better than a LOT of series is capture the spirit of adventure, which practically a majority of adults can relate to. The world we live in is full of challenges. We’re not always satisfied with certain things and we try to reach new heights. Everyone’s definition of adventure is different, but we’re all seeking it, in any shape and form. Another point is that One Piece provides a great appreciation for the outdoors, something that is somewhat lost in the post-industrialized world we live in today & something that people should experience because being out in nature teaches us many things about ourselves & the world.
Finally, One Piece teaches us that we should be able to do as we please. Japanese adults are sick and tired of living under supposed “perfect conditions”. In the story, all the main characters are basically wanted criminals by the World Government (a group that defines what is “good” and what is “evil”). They don’t care, because as long as they have each other and keep doing what they believe is right, then things will be fine. I don’t know if it’s just me but I see some real-life One Piece in the recent Egyptian & Tunisian protests. (This could be a subject I might actually have to research. Any helpers?)
I did not get into One Piece until after the time-skip and boy, what was I missing. Absolutely hilarious, heartwarming, & very well-written. I was one of the many fans who didn’t like it first, but got into it again after some thought. Guess I’m now part of the club that loves pirates bonding and showing the world how to pursue your dreams & goals.
Say it with me, I…WANT…TO…LIVE.
Special thanks to Thomas for his help on this entry.
A great summary of an NHK World segment on One Piece’s impact on adults can be found here.
One Piece was December 2010’s manga for the Manga Movable Feast. A great list of entries on the series can be found in the One Piece MMF Archive.
For more One Piece goodness, you can check out the Unofficial One Piece Podcast.
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Eiichiro Oda Makes 2 Billion Yen & NarutoxUNIQLO
It was reported that One Piece mangaka, Eiichiro Oda, made 2 billion yen ($24 million in U.S. money) this year. He earned about 740 million yen ($9 million) in royalties. Very impressive given the current status of the manga industry as a whole & the threat of scanlations. Oda is truly a genius & he is a reminder that creativity can still kick ass in bad times.
Source: Anime News Network
And in other news, Kishimoto Masashi’s NARUTO will be featured in a collaboration with UNIQLO starting January 1. There will be NARUTO t-shirts sold throughout Asia. Every purchase of a Naruto t-shirt will come with a special anime DVD (while supplies last) featuring a special rendition of the song, “Mayonaka x Orchestra” by J-rock band, Aqua Timez. This DVD will be coming in extremely limited quantities.
Source: Music Japan Plus
Is it safe to say that both of these series are protected from the dreaded “Bill 156”?
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A Look Back At 2010 (Part IV: October to December)
Previous entries in the series: Part I, Part II, Part III
Alright, the final stretch. Good god, this December was one month that really had some crazy moments. Here’s the final part of the 2010 year-in-review: October to December 2010!
October 2010
New York Comic-Con/New York Anime Festival takes place. Anime fans become pissed that their portion becomes relegated to the basement of the Jacob Javits Convention Center. There were some great screenings & panels, but it was more NYCC than anything else. Thinking about the retrospective piece I wrote on NYAF, I’m giving Reed a chance to fix things.
Kodansha USA takes over the manga titles they previously licensed to Del Rey Manga. Much speculation occurs when they were listed as having a panel at NYAF, but the listing disappeared. Turns out Kodansha never even submitted a panel to them. Weird.
The Comics & Digital Conference at NYCC took place. A report stated that the North American manga market dropped 9% in the first half of 2010. If the trend continued, the market would have dropped 20% for the whole year. A positive sign is that the digital comic market is growing. Publishers finally getting with the times, aren’t they?
X Japan, VAMPS, Puffy AmiYumi, & Boom Boom Satellites rocked the U.S. with various performances across the country (though Puffy only did the Far East to East Showcase at NYC). I can tell you that out of those bands so far, Boom Boom Satellites is planning another American tour next year. So look for them & the American release of “TO THE LOVELESS” in 2011. X Japan as well.
Ore No Imouto Ga Konna Ni Kawaii Wake Ga Nai (Oreimo) premieres in Japan (& streamed through Anime News Network) and becomes one of the most-talked-about anime series of the year. From incestous themes to otaku commentary to bitchy tsundere girls, the show has it all. A funny incident occurs when the 2nd episode of Oreimo was leaked the day before it was suppose to premiere in Japan.
November 2010
VIZ Media announces an app where you can purchase select manga titles onto the Apple iPad. Two questions: how many manga readers have iPads & how many iPad users even read manga? Nice try though.
One Piece Volume 60 sells 2 million in 4 days. Everyone loves Sanji’s cooking, EVERYONE.
Summer Wars begins its run for an Oscar nomination. If you haven’t seen the movie yet, please do so starting at the end of this month. It’s an amazing movie.
November 15 will be known as “Overdeveloped Teen Warrior Day” happens when VIZ announced it would publish Tenjho Tenge the way it was meant to be published. Crunchyroll also picks up Ikki Tousen for its anime catalog. Let the boobies hit the floor.
K-ON! sells over 424,000 Blu-Ray discs and 81,000 DVD volumes of the 2nd TV anime series. They have also taken over the Oricon music charts with hit singles from the Hokago Tea Time Band over the course of the year as well. Now with Yen Press publishing the manga and Bandai licensing the anime, will we see K-ON! Mania in North America?
December 2010
This month marked the beginning of what could be the end of anime & manga. Tokyo Governor Shintaro Ishihara pushes “Bill 156”, a bill that would ban any form of anime & manga that portrays sexually-related content in order to protect minors. It was originally an “anti-cartoon child porn” law which got rejected earlier this year. The bill got revised to target everything and it was officially passed by the Tokyo government a week ago. My thoughts on this whole ordeal will be coming pretty soon.
Square Enix opens up a digital manga store in North America. You can purchase a few of their hit titles for only $5.99. Will fans bite? We shall see.
Kodansha USA finally announces its lineup for Summer 2011 at Kinokuniya Bookstore NYC in front of an audience of anxious fans. Good to see them address certain issues & bring back fan-favorite titles from Del Rey.
Capcom’s Monster Hunter Portable 3rd was released for the Sony PSP. Did it do well? Quite the understatement. The game defied all expectations in terms of sales. 3.3 million copies were sold in 17 days. MonHun Portable 3rd is officially the fastest-selling PSP game of all time in Japan and also Capcom’s fastest-selling title. If the West & mature gamers weren’t so fascinated with shooting things, then maybe the PSP would have done so much better in the West.
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And that’s all she wrote for 2010! Quite the year & I hope you guys enjoyed the look-back. If you have any moments to share, please feel free to share below on the comments section! Let’s hope Japanese pop culture in 2011 becomes more awesome!
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