Almost 99% Manga are written in Japan. Why is that so? Do they have any culture which support it? e.g. Naruto, One Piece, Death Note, Fairy Tale, Bleach etc.
Asked
Active
Viewed 213 times
-1
-
4Well ... Mangas are from Japan initially, so it already explain why they are the ones publishing the most of those. And I don't know for others country, but in France, manga were seen like very violent comics by parents and disliked during some time because of that. Now that Manga have a better place in France, I think we don't create that much our own because we don't have at all the same culture and rhythm that Japanese. For having read some French mangas, the style is totally different and each volume takes a lot more time to come out compared to Japanese series. – Ise Mar 21 '17 at 12:20
-
3As @Ise said, manga is Japanese, basically by definition (at least in English). Other countries produce comics, but they aren't manga basically by virtue of not being Japanese. – kuwaly Mar 21 '17 at 14:41
-
1Yes, even when some 'french mangaka' publish something like a manga, we're more gonna see it like a curiosity and class it next to the mangas but not with them as saying 'this is a french interpretation of a manga'. After I don't know why exactly it didn't became like comics more 'universal' but I'm pretty sure again that it comes from the Japanese culture which is totally weird for outsiders and can't be well imitated. – Ise Mar 21 '17 at 14:44
1 Answers
5
Japan makes the world's manga because, manga is, by English-language definitions, Japanese. In reference to manga published in the United States, Wikipedia states:
[T]he original parent loan word, manga, is still used by publishers such as Tokyopop, Harper Collins, and various small presses as a blanket term for all of their bound graphic novels—without reference to origin or location of its creator(s). The significance of the word, however, has mutated outside Japan as a reference to comics originally published in Japan, regardless of style or language. Merriam-Webster's dictionary defines the word manga as meaning "a Japanese comic or graphic novel", reflecting the change of the meaning this word has had once used outside Japan.
Because the word "manga" — being a Japanese loanword in English use – means comics initially published in Japan, there have been attempts to find more appropriate terms for the growing number of publications of manga created by non-Japanese authors. Beside the term “OEL Manga”, there is also the term “manga-influenced comics” (MIC) in use. For example, Megatokyo, which was scheduled to be published by the largest manga producer Kodansha, is still referenced as a "manga-influenced comic". (Emphasis mine)
Manfra is French manga-inspired comics, though, like original English-language "manga", it isn't what fits the common definition of manga used in the United States/in English.
Tl;dr: manga comes from Japan because that is the definition of manga. Western manga-inspired comics are sometimes referred to as manga but don't fit the commonly used definition.
-
There is also manhua which is Chinese, and manhwa, which is Korean. They do have their own styles which are distinct, but tend to have that style that reminds the reader of Manga. you could almost say that Comic Books are the Western equivalent, just that its not inspired by anything else. – Ryan Mar 23 '17 at 20:06