- Team Mojarto
One of the most popular cultural export from Japan is Japanese manga art. The manga was conceptualised for the specific audience of teenagers and young adults. The history of manga art traces back to the twelfth century amid the emakimono (picture scroll) period. However, many historians argue that manga flourished in the nineteenth century US-occupied Japan when the Americans brought their comics and cartoons to Japan.
In reaction to that many Japanese artists revived their cultural art. The term ‘manga’ refers to all kinds of comics, cartoons and animation. The word literally means ‘man’ which means whimsical or impromptu and ‘ga’ means pictures.
Widely, ‘manga’ refers to only comics whereas ‘anime’ covers cartoons and animated comics. Anime is the animated version of the manga. The art developed and popularised as a part of ‘otaku’ culture. It focused on every aspect of Japan- history, romance, life, science fiction and other inevitable identities of Japanese culture. Manga flourished as the space for creativity and exploration which spread the knowledge of the country’s culture across the planet.
The uniqueness of manga art lies in its adaptability, where it gets transported to different local cultures and adapts its distinctive features. Manga is a fascinating hybrid between different sensibilities and psyches. Artist Osamu Tezuka is often known as the God of Manga and the Godfather of Anime. The characters have uniquely differentiated features with spiky hair, oval eyes and pouting women in their bright kimonos. Today, manga characters have been diversified to every possible culture.