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Archive-name: manga/faq
Usenet manga Glossary
version 1.2
January 1998
originally compiled by Iain Sinclair (axolotl@socs.uts.edu.au)
Copyright (C) 1995 Iain Sinclair
This FAQ, as well as the other anime/manga newsgroup FAQs and info
articles written by Steve Pearl, are available from the Official
Anime/Manga FAQ page at
http://www.cybercomm.net/~starbuck/FAQ.html
The FAQs on that page are always the most recent version (The monthly
posts are posted directly from that directory!)
This is a monthly list of questions that have been frequently asked in this
newsgroup. This article can be freely distributed for non-commercial use, as
long as all credits and notices remain intact. If this is used in any
publication, including APAs & CD-Rom Collections, a copy must be sent to:
Steve Pearl
PO Box 11044
New Brunswick, NJ 08906
Please send all additions/corrections/comments to:
Steve Pearl
PO Box 11044
New Brunswick, NJ 08906
Internet: starbuck@cybercomm.net
This glossary lists important terms relating to manga and the manga industry.
It was compiled as a bare-minimum reference for Usenet, intended to resolve a
large number of questions and repetitive discussions. While it is not by any
means an exhaustive reference, those subjects most often discussed on the net
are dealt with in reasonable detail.
Entries are listed in alphabetical order, and JIS code is given for most
Sino-Japanese words. The glossary can be read sequentially, or browsed
randomly; if you can't find a specific term, try the index, listed at the end.
Many entries provide background information and pointers to other sources.
Some good general net references for those interested in manga terminology:
* Jim Breen's Japanese page lists many links to electronic Japanese-language
resources. Jim Breen is the compiler of the on-line Japanese-English
dictionary EDICT and the kanji dictionary KANJIDIC, both of which are
comprehensive, useful, and in the public domain.
* The sci.lang Japan FAQ briefly deals with colloquial Japanese used in
manga.
* A Guide to Japanese Culture for Role Playing Games contains several
introductory articles on subjects that are found often enough in manga:
Japanese mythology, religion, history, traditional weapons, and the
yakuza.
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amecomi ^[$@%"%a%3%_^[(B
Contraction of "American comics". The term variously describes any comic
originating in the West; the short 20-40 page booklet or "comic book"
format of Western comics; and the styles and graphic devices popularly
ascribed to them. The word "manga" is never used to describe any of these.
Some amecomi are known to the Japanese public, mainly classic titles such
as Superman, Spiderman and Peanuts - the Japanese editions of the latter
exceed 100 volumes. Parts of X-Men and Ghost Rider have been translated
into Japanese by Shougakukan Productions and Take Shobou, and manga using
X-Men characters has been published. Original English editions of some
lesser-known amecomi, such as Marshal Law, also enjoy a very small cult
following.
However, despite the limited awareness of some titles, it should be
understood that amecomi are regarded as a very minor cultural curiosity,
at most. The world of manga and American comics has been totally dysjunct
for several decades. Japanese audiences regard amecomi as ugly, cliched
and difficult to follow (with manga, the reader is not supposed to take
more than about 15-20 seconds per page). The proportion of manga
personalities who know anything about amecomi, or who want to, is
negligible.
One of a handful of exceptions is Ono Kosei, a well-known Japanese critic
and amecomi authority. As a child, Ono read American comics left behind by
the post-WWII US Occupation forces. (Most amecomi fans in Japan were also
exposed to amecomi in this way, and few have appeared since this era.) He
has contributed English-language articles to digests such as Raw and
translated many amecomi titles, including Fritz the Cat, The Fantastic
Four, Mighty Thor, Incredible Hulk, Spider-man, Doonesbury, and Maus. (Ono
regarded Yiddish-accented English as a translation challenge.) Such
translations have found only miniscule readerships in Japan; Ono believes
this is because Japanese readers, who are used to the fluid storytelling
of manga, regard amecomi as unreadable.
See also: Comics 'n' Stuff
anime ^[$@%"%K%a^[(B
Animation. The word "anime", NOT "manga", is now used to describe any type
of cel-based animation. (Before the 70s, the term "TV manga" or "manga
eiga" ^[$BL!2h1G2h^[(B was sometimes used.) Manga (and novels, to a lesser
extent) have traditionally been the source material for nearly all of the
Japanese animation industry's output since the early '70s. Most animes
take considerable liberties with characters and storylines, and often
assume some knowledge of the original manga.
Contrary to the belief of some Western fans, most anime is intended for
children or teenagers, where the marketing dollar lies. The anime industry
has always been more or less a merchandising subsidiary of the manga
industry. A few animes have been been targeted at college-age fans, but by
and large, manga's large adult readership is unconcerned with anime. Anime
seems to have reached the height of its economic viability in the late
80s; the popularity of manga and anime are now losing ground to video
games.
See also:
o rec.arts.anime FAQs
o Anime & Stuff @ Berkeley
o Siggraph Artist's Connection
circle ^[$B%5!<%/%k^[(B
A group of doujinshi artists or writers. Many circles have been
established for years, and have a large number of loyal readers. A small
proportion of circles do business by mail order, and will send their
catalog on request. For those enquiring from outside Japan, the following
should be enclosed to maximise the chances of a reply:
o at least two International Reply Coupons, or the equivalent in
current Japanese stamps;
o self-addressed envelope or adhesive label;
o a letter written in Japanese.
comiket ^[$@%3%_%1%C%H^[(B
Short for "comic market". Comiket is Japan's largest market for manga
doujinshi, established since the late 70s, and held twice per year over
two days. It is a gathering of epic proportions, now featuring nearly
20,000 doujinshi sellers at each event. Its current character and success
has largely been due to the efforts of Yonezawa Yasuhiro.
The bulk of doujinshis are devoted to whatever manga and anime is popular
at the time, but a vast range of tastes are catered for, with doujinshis
devoted to video games, pop music, animals, machines, novels, movies,
RPGs, and much more. A comprehensive catalogue of attendees goes on sale
some months before each event.
Japan has many other comic markets, which are generally tolerated by
publishers because they are thought to increase sales of manga and anime,
not decrease them. But this tolerance is not without limits - in one major
incident, Japan's second biggest comic market, Comic City, was cancelled
in August 1994 after official warnings that Chiba police would check
doujinshis for breaches of censorship laws.
doujinshi ^[$BF1?M;o^[(B
Literally "same people publication", where "same people" refers to a group
of people who are interested in the same field. The word "doujinshi" came
into use among literary groups that wrote in the style of a particular
author or classic work, and is not specific to the world of anime and
manga. A group of doujinshi artists or writers is called a "circle". In
the manga world, "doujinshi" today refers to any amateur, self-published
manga, especially those based on existing manga or anime.
There is a large fan culture associated with the contemporary doujinshi
scene. Manga doujinshis are advertised and reviewed in some magazines, and
sold en masse at "comic markets". Most manga doujinshis are at the level
of Western fanzines, though a significant proportion are of remarkably
high quality. These sell thousands of copies, and some people can make a
living drawing doujinshi alone. Popular doujinshi artists often go on to
become professional manga-kas (eg. Sonoda Kenichi, Ozaki Minami). On the
other hand, some professional manga-kas have been known to publish
doujinshis, often under assumed names, parodying their own work (eg.
Hagiwara Kazushi, Ueshiba Reach).
See also: List of Internet Manga Creators (in Japanese)
G-pen
G-pens are distinctively shaped ink pen nibs, held in wooden shafts. Their
name comes from the small "G"-shaped indentation at the base of the nib.
G-pens are bought by the dozen, since they wear out fairly quickly. They
produce a variety of line widths and effects, and are an essential tool
for most manga artists. Other popular types are kabura pens and maru pens.
gensaku-sha
Story writer; someone who writes a story or synopsis to be drawn by a
manga-ka. By far the most prolific gensaku-sha is Koike Kazuo, who has
penned stories for hundreds of mangas. Royalties are usually split 50/50
between gensaku-sha and manga-ka.
gekiga ^[$B7`2h^[(B
"Drama pictures". As its name implies, gekiga is straight, serious
storytelling much like traditional theatre and cinema. It is characterised
by direct, literal narrative, pictorial realism, and uncomplicated
character drawing. Artists such as Shirato Sampei and Saito Takao, the
latter influenced by Kurosawa films, popularised gekiga in the 1960s.
Subsequently, even Tezuka introduced gekiga elements into some of his
stories (eg. Eulogy to Kirihito). However, gekiga is now in decline, and
is regarded as a subset of manga. It hardly ever appears in today's
shounen manga magazines, although the style still sells to readers in
their 40s and above.
H-manga (H, ecchi, hentai) ^[$@%(%C%A!$JQBV^[(B
"Hentai" means "abnormal/perverted" and lately, just "pervert" or
"perverted sex". "H" or "ecchi" is a slang abbreviation for "hentai", and
refers to sexual activity of any kind. Mangas featuring explicit sex or
other erotic content are called "ero-manga", or "H-manga". The degree of
sexual perversion in any manga is sometimes described as its "H-factor".
Pornographic mangas account for a staggering 25% of the manga industry's
output. They are as available to the consumer as any other type of manga,
though they are technically age-restricted and are often wrapped in
plastic. H-manga boasts a large fandom; there are several sub-genres of
H-manga, and the degree of artistry varies widely. Exceptional H-manga
artists sometimes, but not always, move to mainstream publishers. Many
minor publishers specialise in H-manga and are closely associated with
pornographic game software, CDROMs and the doujinshi scene.
See also:
o H Manga homepage - ambitious.
o Team H's CD-ROM directory
o Evil in Your Mind - contains lots of links to other H sites.
-hoka
"et al", "and others". Used to denote that the author is a contributor to
an anthology.
illust-shuu
"Illustration collection", a deluxe-format book of illustrations by a
particular artist (or on a particular theme). Their price usually ranges
between Y1000-Y4000.
image album
A CD of "mood music" for a particular manga (or novel, video game, etc).
Hundreds of image albums are released every year. Image albums based on
mangas are also known as "manga CDs" or "drama CDs".
japonisme
A term used to describe the influence of Japanese culture on the West.
Rutgers University hosts the International Center on Japonisme at the
Zimmerli Art Museum in New Brunswick, NJ.
kara-settei ^[$@%-%c%i@_Dj^[(B
"Character design", the construction of personalities for manga, anime,
movies, games or anything else. This usually includes costume design, and
significant physical and psychological traits. The balance or overall
quality of a character sketch is known as "dessin" ^[$B%G%C%5%s^[(B, after
the French for "sketch".
ketsuekigata ^[$B7l1U7?^[(B
"Blood type". In Japanese pop culture, blood type is thought to be related
to personality. This belief became popular in the early '80s. Profiles of
manga artists or characters from manga will often include blood type along
with other statistics like age and place of birth. A very rough guide to
blood types:
A nervous, introverted, honest, loyal
B outgoing, optimistic, adventurous
AB proud, diplomatic, discriminating
O workaholic, insecure, emotional
kakioroshi ^[$B=q$-2<$7^[(B
Describes manga which were never serialized on magazines, but instead were
published first in tankoubon form.
kodomo-manga ^[$B;R6!L!2h^[(B
Children's manga. The bulk of kodomo-manga is simple and unpretentious,
aimed at 6-11 year olds. Stories with robots and fantasy settings are
popular; there can sometimes be unusual levels of violence, by Western
standards. Successful kodomo-mangas are almost always made into anime and
merchandised to the hilt. The really popular kodomo-mangas, such as
Doraemon, retain readers well into adulthood. Kodomo-manga styles and
cliches are sometimes used for comic effect in other manga genres. The two
monthly magazines are Korokoro Comic and Comic Bonbon.
lady's comic/josei ^[$B=w@-^[(B
Manga aimed at the over-20s female market, particularly housewives and OLs
(office ladies). They fulfil a similar role to Western pulp romance
novels. A proportion of lady's comics are fairly racy.
lolicom/rorikon ^[$B%m%j%3%s^[(B
Contraction of "Lolita complex". A Lolita complex (named after the
character in Nabokov's novel) is an unhealthy desire for very young girls;
the Japanese word is more slang and less clinical, but means more or less
the same thing. The sub-genre of H manga featuring young-looking girls is
known as "loli-manga". In the world of H-manga, the words "Lolita" and
"bishoujo" ^[$BH~>/=w^[(B (pretty girl) are often used interchangeably.
mah-jong ^[$BKc?}^[(B (maajan)
A whole sub-genre of manga centres around the Chinese tile game of
mah-jong, which became popular in Japan about a century ago. Mah-jong
mangas appeared in the late '70s, and their growth was propelled mainly by
the work of artist Kitano Eimei ^[$@KLLn1QL@^[(B. The readers of mah-jong
mangas are mostly in the 18-25 age group, and the market currently
sustains about four magazines. One of the most popular mah-jong mangas of
recent times is Naki no Ryuu ^[$@S-$-$NN5^[(B (by Nojou Jun'ichi
^[$@G=[j=c0l^[(B, serialized on Bessatsu Kindai Mahjong 1986-91, 9
volumes/Y530).
manga ^[$BL!2h^[(B
Etymology
"Manga" is loosely translatable as "cartoon" or "caricature", or
literally, "involuntary pictures". The term was coined in 1814 by the
famous artist Katsushika Hokusai, and conveys a sense of free-flowing
composition and quirky style. In Chinese and Korean, it is pronounced
"manhwa", but is written with the same characters. First applied to
scrolls and illustrations, the word "manga" does not mean "comic" or
"comic books" any more than "karate" (lit. "empty hand") means "boxing".
And it does not mean "sequential art" (for which there are many other
words, such as "renga"), or "graphic novel" (a great deal of manga is
neither fictional nor in novel format).
The "man" character ^[$BL!^[(B in "manga" is composed of the radicals for
"water" and "expansive" ^[$BRX^[(B. It previously meant "flooding", and
later, "inexorably" or "indiscriminately". By association, it came to mean
"involuntary" and "random". Publicity material from Western companies with
"Manga" in their names (who distribute translated anime, not manga) states
that "manga" means "irresponsible pictures"; this is utter, misleading
nonsense.
History
A 12th-century drawing, the choujuu giga ^[$BD;=C5:2h^[(B ("birds & beasts
frolicking pictures"), is conventionally regarded as the first work in the
Japanese manga tradition. It was drawn by the Buddhist monk Toba, and
light-heartedly depicts animals behaving like humans. Nowadays, it is
regarded as a cliche and has been frequently satirised.
Related traditions include "zenga" ^[$BA52h^[(B, caricatures of Zen monks
used as aids to enlightenment; Shumboku Ouka created "Toba-e" (c.1702);
there were "Ootsu-e" ^[$BBgDE3(^[(B, popular comical drawings, named after
the place of their origin; "kyouga" ^[$B682h^[(B ("crazy pictures"),
single-panel scenes of strange events; and explicit, erotic woodblock
prints, called "shunga" ^[$B=U2h^[(B ("spring pictures"). (The latter are
well known to the West, but due to censorship laws, cannot be fully
reprinted in the country of their origin.)
The 19th century saw the re-emergence of ukiyo-e and the appearance of
satirical drawings such as "tanuki-e" and "namazu-e" ^[$BrP3(^[(B
("catfish pictures"); the catfish being associated with social upheaval.
The magazine Punch came to be particularly influential, with a Japanese
version appearing in 1862. The word "ponchi-e" subsequently came to
describe European-style caricatures. In the same style, but more local and
innovative, was the Marumaru Chinbun ^[$BT%T%DAJ9^[(B, released in 1877.
It used speech balloons and some Western drawing techniques. The first
4-panel strip, featuring typeset speech, was published in 1902. The
American comics explosion of the 1920s influenced many Japanese
cartoonists and had some impact at the popular level, although most titles
had to be re-drawn for Japanese audiences.
Manga did not enjoy widespread popularity until after WWII, when Tezuka
Osamu began his experiments in the early 50s. Tezuka drew on many artistic
traditions from Japan and elsewhere, searching for the most effective
techniques. He was particularly interested in cinema, and all his manga
have a highly developed cinematic quality. Tezuka was also interested in
animation, and eventually studied at Disney studios in the late 60s.
(Ironically, Disney's 1994 movie, The Lion King, is widely believed to
have copied Tezuka's 1960s manga Jungle Emperor.) But rather than
slavishly copying Disney's aesthetic, Tezuka strived to understand the
relationship between character drawing and economical storytelling. His
success led to a new, distinctly Japanese form of graphic narrative, and
paved the way for the rapid growth of the manga industry. Many prominent
artists in the 60s and 70s were former assistants of Tezuka.
Outside Japan
In Taiwan, translated Japanese manga and anime have been popular for many
years. This growth was in part made possible by the proliferation of
bootleg translated mangas, which were very cheap, widely available and
closely resembled the originals. Their crude translations and
correction-fluid censorship did nothing to dampen buyers' enthusiasm. The
1992 crackdown on manga piracy in Taiwan (and other Asian countries, where
the situation was similar) catalysed the pirates into quickly buying
translation rights and "legitimising" themselves. (The translation quality
of the official versions is said to be variable, but generally better.)
Today, manga in Taiwan is booming, with many dedicated bookstores and
libraries. Shoujo manga, doujinshi and Japanese cult artists (such as
CLAMP) have considerable followings. Seinen-manga is said to be less
popular because of compulsory military service. The local manga scene has
produced some accomplished manga-kas, such as Tsai Chih Chung and Chen
Wen, who have both had their work translated into Japanese; some Taiwanese
manga-kas now draw exclusively for Japanese magazines.
The weekly Hong Kong magazine Family Comics, which for years carried
informed manga news, reviews, and translations of several cult titles,
ceased publication in 1993; a mad scrabble for Japanese manga rights
ensued. Today, the price and quality of manga translations has increased
markedly, and manga translation has become big, legitimate business.
Shounen mangas such as Dragonball and Slam Dunk, which are well-known
throughout Asia, are especially popular in Hong Kong.
Japanese manga and magazines are becoming increasingly widespread in South
Korea. Korean manga pirates have also disappeared recently, with royalties
being paid for all translations of Japanese manga. The Korean market
currently has about twice as many shoujo-manga magazines than
shounen-manga magazines. Martial arts mangas are also popular. and Korean
manga-ka I Jie-Hak ^[$BM{:\U\^[(B was commissioned to draw the wuxia manga
Ryuugin Houmei ^[$BN66cK1LD^[(B for Kodansha.
In Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysia, many 60s-era mangas have been
translated for local audiences. Original Japanese and Chinese-translated
manga can be found in all major Malaysian cities. Several children's manga
(e.g. Doraemon) have been translated into Malay. However, in general, one
cannot obtain manga containing 'gratuitious sex and graphic violence' in
Malaysia. The situation in Singapore is similar, but pages are sometimes
torn out of imported Japanese magazines, in accordance with local
censorship laws.
Manga has been slowly gaining a readership in many Western countries. In
most cases, Westerners have been introduced to manga via anime, which is
now fairly accessible via mainstream outlets. At the moment, mangas are
particularly popular in Spain, Italy and France, where a wide range of
titles have sold well. In the United States, translated manga has been
trickling into comic shops for the best part of a decade, witht some
minimal impact. They have been largely released in 30-page comic-book
format, which most Japanese call "honyaku komikkusu"
^[$BK]Lu%3%_%C%/%9^[(B (translated comics) or "eigo-ban" ^[$B1Q8lHG^[(B
(English version), not "manga". Comic artists such as Adam Warren and Ben
Dunn have used anime as the main inspiration for their work, the former
releasing licensed adaptations of the Dirty Pair and Bubblegum Crisis
animes. (Usually, only titles with an accompanying anime are considered
for adaptation.) Some American fans have drawn anime doujinshis and sold
them at Comikets, and a few superficial, cosmetic aspects of manga art are
now being appropriated by "mainstream" American comics.
See also:
o fj.rec.comics Comic Lists - a hugely useful reference, listing all
manga titles, artists, publishers and prices since 1987. (in
Japanese).
o Database of Manga Bookstore in Japan - (in Japanese).
o Tezuka's Jungle King and Disney's Lion King - some images and
several useful articles.
o Index of Anime and Manga information - an index of vaguely
manga-related links.
o The AFS Manga Gallery - a couple of scans from various manga.
manga-ka ^[$BL!2h^[(B^[$B2H^[(B
Anyone who creates manga; a manga artist. Manga-kas are typically
responsible for layout, pencilling, character design, and supply
assistants with "art direction" information. about inking, screentone,
sound effects and other details. In addition, the great majority of
manga-kas write their own stories and dialogue. (Those who write stories
for manga are called "gensaku-sha".) The professionalism of a manga-ka is
often measured by the number of mangas they have running concurrently.
In Japan, many manga-kas have celebrity status comparable to popular
novelists or film directors in the West. They are often household names,
and can command handsome salaries, especially if their work is animated or
otherwise merchandised. (For example, Akira Toriyama's Dragon Ball was
licensed by over 70 companies for nearly 700 different kinds of products.
Toriyama is reportedly paid 50,000 yen for each page.) Publishers stand to
gain millions of yen if one of their artists' manga becomes a hit - as
with Takeuchi Naoko's Sailor Moon, which more than doubled the circulation
of Nakayoshi magazine within a few months of its debut. But until
recently, even the most successful manga-kas usually had fairly informal,
trust-based relationships with their publishers. (In 1993, Shougakukan
paid Takahashi Rumiko a 7 million yen "loyalty" fee.)
The most prolific manga-kas of recent years, in terms of numbers of
tankoubons published (including reprints), are: Fujiko Fujio, Mizushima
Shinji, Tezuka Osamu, Ishinomori Shoutarou, Tachihara Ayumi, Yokoyama
Mitsuteru, Chiba Tetsuya, and Yagisawa Kimio.
See also:
o Peter Evans' favourite manga-kas
o Hiroyuki Hironaga's favourite manga-kas - with pictures.
manga library
The first dedicated Japanese manga library, located in Kawakami (Okayama
Prefecture), was opened in May 1988. It boasted about 100,000 mangas,
exhibits of original mangas, and antique manga magazines.
There are few manga libraries in Japan, where the price and availability
of manga makes them mostly unnecessary. However, manga rental libraries
proliferate in Korea, Taiwan and Hong Kong. A handful have also appeared
in some Western countries. These libraries usually stock thousands of
tankoubons and the latest issues of best-selling magazines, along with the
occasional CD or video collection. Most of these can be borrowed overnight
or read on-site for as little as a few cents, charged by the hour or by
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