Gender and the Manga Industry.

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Gender and the Manga Industry

The manga (aka comics) industry makes up about 40 percent of all publications in Japan. In fact, Japan`s comics industry is probably the largest in the world. Whether is is sci-fi, adventurue, baseball, romance, gourmet cooking or S&M, one can always find a manga catered to his or her personal interests. Coming from a western perspective, where comics were traditionally written for boys, it intrigues me how important a role mangas play in the Japanese way of life. Whether it is on the train, in salons, or coffee shops, one can always see a person sneak a peak at a manga of his or her own choice. Therefore, I can`t help but think that such a powerful medium must have a huge influence on gender in the Japanese society. In such a highly gender differentiated society, how does the widely popular medium of manga reflect the female role in the culture? Can we see mangas as a reflection of society`s gender status (through the characteristics of girl and boy manga)? Do females also behave according to the way gender is portrayed in the mangas?

In my essay, I will analyze the difference between Shonen and Shojo mangas, what underlying message they convey, what Shojo manga is specifically about, why women (old and young) enjoy reading it and lastly, what does it say about the reality?

Although mangas can be traced as far back as the 12th century, it is during the 19th century that mangas became an important part of people’s lives in Japan.  Manga is a realm where artists reflect social change through the creation of new ideograms and fashionable stories.  In such a repressed and regulated society, mangas were first used as a form of complaint.  In this medium, artists were able to express their personal attitudes towards the society.  In addition, mangas also function as a means of entertainment and relaxation.  Japan`s lifestyle can be hectic and stressful, leaving no time for the people to incorporate leisure activities with their families.  Mangas, therefore, became a cheap way to forget about the stringent society Japanese people must conform to.  Through humor, science fiction, romance and sexually and violently oriented stories, the constantly repressed citizens can escape, at low cost, this over-informed consumer society.

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        So what does mangas reflect about gender issues in the Japanese society? First of all, mangas are divided into 2 main types - Shonen manga and Shojo manga. While Shonen manga is written mainly for boys and tends to focus on action, Shojo manga is more concerned with feelings, moods, relationships and situations. Shojo manga focuses on young ladies and the relationships they encounter in life. This main difference in the style of the mangas obviously reflects the personality of men and women.  The tone of the mangas is different for different genders to educate them differently and offer different ...

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