MANGA 1/2
In Japan, manga are not a genre or style, but are so called comics of any target, and even nationality issue, then possibly divided into "Manga Nihon no", "no Itaria manga", and so on.
Outside of Japan, manga is instead used the term simply to indicate Japanese comics, even if their spread in the rest of the world has meant that some of the manga graphic conventions have become so over time influence the characteristics of the style Cartoon abroad, leading to the creation of similar works in South Korea with "manhwa" and in China, Taiwan and Hong Kong with "Manhua". In France even born "nouvelle manga", ie a current comic book that ties together the bands dessinée (Franco-Belgian comics) with the same manga, the United States was coined the term "Amerimanga", to indicate the U.S. manga.
Features
Basically identifies the comic in Europe with a production for children and teens. The manga, with their figures often childish traits (such as large eyes) to the untrained eye, give rise to some confusion initially. The origin of this feature is a cultural borrowing that goes back to 1946 when the famous author Osamu Tezuka (1928-1989), nicknamed the god of manga saw published his first manga (Ma-chan no nikki). He himself, a great admirer of Walt Disney, admits he was inspired by the manga Kimba the White Lion (????, Jungle Taitei) the style of Disney's Bambi (Disney curiously later, because of some controversy on similarity between The Lion King and Kimba the White Lion, admitted she was inspired to turn to the work of Tezuka). However, it is hard to consider the style of drawing as "manga", as numerous publications have styles drawing very different, for example Angel Heart or Berserk. The most obvious difference between manga and Western comics lies in the way of storytelling, directing, layout and the relationship that the story with the characters.
The cage has a Japanese comic book layout wider than Western (180x270mm) size standard of workmanship is the standard JIS B4 (257 × 364 mm) for professional books and A4 (210 × 297 mm) for doujinshi, Instead the West is generally prepared on a large format, dall'A3 up. While the western is formed by a pattern of the cage formed by 12 squares, the manga is developed on an average number of 6-8 square, (such as the balloon Disney) apart from exceptions such as in shonen or fast scenes, which have a scheme with more square and is now nearly the frequency of squaring the West.
The layout and structure of the page
The Japanese manga is read in reverse to the comic western, that is the last page first (according to Eastern custom), with the binding to the right of the player and pages "free" to the left. Even the cartoons are read from right to left, from top to bottom. However, there are some manga that are read from left to right, that is, according to Western custom.
Over time there have been some changes in the disposition of the cartoons. Initially, the vertical arrangement prevailed, and then, in the late forties, was also introduced in the horizontal arrangement, the current one. In the stories more accurate from the point of view of style, these two provisions overlap and are both used, creating a reading path rather complex for the habits of the Western reader, but with a definite stylistic intent. In fact, a Japanese player, not trained to read alphabetic, can more easily than a Western reader to orient novice in this universe of signs, where he was offered a path to freedom. His eyes roam the page initially taking some details, first choose to dwell on certain types of text and then others, obtaining in the end, an analytical reading of content, but a compelling general impression of what is happening.
To differentiate from other manga comic style is above all the importance given to the atmosphere, emotions and introspection of the characters. There is a deeper study of the layout, based on cuts and shots: these are the same used in any other comic book style, with the exception of the action plan, which is almost never used. With regard to the cuts of cartoons, we can divide them into:
Order of reading a manga.
Horizontal: used in the same time to create a gap between the pattern in two vignettes side by side, then to guide better the look of reading, but also for a reading rate slower. (In the case of balloon Japanese reading. As regards the western reading is the opposite)
Vertical: the opposite of the cartoons in respect to the horizontal pace (do not forget to read the West is the inverse).
Brace: single or combined with equally inclined shots, create an atmosphere of emotional stress and may be declining or ascending. A second of the two, the situation "rushes" or calms down, fading into a situation less tense.
Vignette closed or open: almost free from Western comics, comics in Japan are vital, as a cartoon guide to Tachikiri almost certainly the reader to the next page and is useful for scenes very important, contrary to the cartoons closed.
Initially, the manga published in Italy had a sense of western reading (the tables were then turned over first, and then edited). It was the Kappa Boys to introduce here the sense of reading the original, with the publication of Dragon Ball to Star Comics, including by original publisher Shueisha who did not appreciate the overturning of the tables.
The balloon
The dialogues (though the manga tends to "show" and not "explain") are placed in the balloon variable, ranging from very small to very large. This difference may be given by the volume which the dialogue at that time, rather than by the importance that has the same in the scene. A shocking phrase will be more important than a background, that will be placed in a very large cloud (in Western comics on the importance of the phrase is usually dall'evidenziare with an inscription in bold). We prefer short dialogues, so that the reader will intimidate in the face of a long story and jumps, also in Japan prefer to write by hand, rather than with some vector tool, widely used in the West. The captions are rare.
The technique
Usually in Japan using materials made specifically for this type of comic, like sheets in cyan boxes (not visible in color scanning black and white), with various modulations pens, rulers, specially prepared for the kinetic lines, patterns and tools to apply them. Generally, the board is neither manga color or grayscale, but in black and white, a choice that comes from using the volume manga: being initially a product container to be published in magazines in Japan are rarely preserved and to avoid unnecessary printing costs, we prefer to use an inexpensive black and white printing, in addition to this, the magazine housing is a kind of "preview" to attract support for a title from readers, and then in a future print volumes tankobon reserved to it. The shadows, even keeping the white and black, are rarely given by blacks and more easily filled by scratchable screens, the colors of any color pages of magazines and special editions are basically made in china or Pantone (the most famous and used are Copic). In the West you do not mind too much what material to use and delivery times are much wider, allowing the cartoonist to afford to use higher technical choices and larger instruments.
Style and genres
The manga is aimed at various targets, in Rising Sun, which first allowed a wider spread of the genre. It is mainly divided into:
Kodomo: with a minimalist and stylish, no frills and possibly be understood by an audience of children. Often it comes to comics with zoomorphic figures.
Shojo: manga for girls. He talks about love, feelings and problems of adolescence. Very often takes place in the classroom or in normal life, while in others it is intertwined with the genre majokko. The drawing style is elegant and richly decorated, and generally much softer environmental backgrounds are just mentioned, leaving room for ornamental wallpaper with flowers, lace and other things suitable for a female audience, a feature that enhances the characters apparently .
Shonen: addressed to a male audience, the style of drawing is the most dirty and often prefer the use of the net hatch. The shots often have a perspective cut, the drawing style is more geared to emphasize the anatomy and backgrounds appear more, giving a solid and visible battleground.
Seinen: for adult and male. Not to be confused with hentai, separate genre. Covers issues and for the most serious psychological and style of design is much more mature and sophisticated.
Gekiga: dramas aimed at an adult audience.