[redbean]

Hi guys,
For my asian art class, I have to write an essay about the differences between Japanese and American comics.
So far, I've jotted down:
-fashion style
-faces (particularly the eyes)
-mangas are read from right to left
-color
Are there any more differences that you soompiers would like to share?
I don't know much about comics, so any help would be appreciated. ^___^

[crackednut]

American comics' artwork features more on accurate anatomy and the people are typically done more realistically (obviously not counting ones like Archie, Calvin and Hobbes, Peanuts aka CHarlie Brown, etc)

True, with Marvel, the characters are REALLY buff, but there are people that buff...its more a case of the musculature being more accurate to real life than in manga.

I've also noticed that American comics don't feature as much romance as Japanese manga. Like, there's some, but not to the extent of manga, which has themes that are typically more softer in nature.

[aznsweetie143]

i'd say... colr and romance.. T_T all I read are shojo mangas, and I just can't get that experience with american comics. -////- I'ma girly girl, huh?

[flyhigh1030]

do sound effects.....
american comics are like "pow!" or "kaboom!" or something like that-___-
but japanese comics have an onomatopia for everything...like hitting, wind blowing, silence, this and that

sry i can't explain better>_<

[nobody knows]

American comics are more supernatural powers and heros and heroines like Spiderman and Superman


but manga are somewhat more realistic, (but can have super powers) and have more variety in choices


also, manga are thicker than Marvel comics

[flipdragn]

the audiences are definitely different. comic books are mainly aimed at guys while mangas are pretty much evenly split or might even be more geared towards girls than guys.

[AntKun]

American comics usually feature supeheroes while Mangas usually feature regular people (With strange happenings occuring)

[Take Five]

there's the obvious one...american newspaper comics use around 4 panels for a strip, are published every day, and typically don't have a continuous storyline. manga is longer, runs in specifically manga magazines, only comes out once a week or longer, and usually has a continuous storyline.

i dunno if you're talking about those comics or marvel and stuff so yeah.

[LucasBunny]

I read both
soooo I dunno what to tell u.

[lisaloveu]

the content is complete diff.. manga usually focus on love, relationships etc and the characters r usually drawn to be 'perfect' with the whole big eyed, small nose (or non at all) and pretty mouth. manga is usually abt 'kawaii' with the *sweatdrops* and all the asian facials.

american r just simple.. i'd say they r not really going to the cute and pretty thing, well not the 'pretty' that most asian would see it as. it is more like a realisitic pretty, e.g in the pop art period, if u look up litchenstien or wteva..(cant spell his name) u can find a lot of difference.

[TyneeTom]

Let's not forget characters in manga are usually unbelievably powerful.

Theoretically Kenshin would be able to slice through captain america's shield and pwn him.

And Takumi can definitely probably beat the Batmobile on Mt. Akina.

[LucasBunny]

Let's not forget characters in manga are usually unbelievably powerful.

Theoretically Kenshin would be able to slice through captain america's shield and pwn him.

And Takumi can definitely probably beat the Batmobile on Mt. Akina.

Lol love the sarcasm

So stupid, I hate characters like that
like Domone Koshu from G-Gundam,
and I hated Majin Buu from DBZ, hmmmm who else, oh man I know this aint really manga, but remember when they made Pikachu beat a Dragonite on pokemon?? OMG HOW?? That's when I left Pokemon alone.

[MinWoo4ever]

wow

i think that for american comic, there's the same pattern.
don't you think so ...
someone who's geeky and ordinary enough, who have superpower ... usually in disguised but no one noticed it's him who save the world ... and mostly american comis is about superhero ....

and for the bad guy, they usually have a really2 eccentric style and bad taste for clothing --;

Love,
ingrid~

[disfunktional.]

American comics aree all bout "ACTION" and "PUNCHING" "KILLING" lol u get the point BUT japanese mangas aree "ROMANCE" and "COMEDY" and " BUBBLY" and "CUTE" hahaz.

Mangaz are more interesting and deep xP

[Shukumi]

http://www.tokyopop.com/142.html

This article does a pretty good job explaining what the differences are between Japanese Manga and Americanized ones.

[crackednut]

wow

i think that for american comic, there's the same pattern.
don't you think so ...
someone who's geeky and ordinary enough, who have superpower ... usually in disguised but no one noticed it's him who save the world ... and mostly american comis is about superhero ....

and for the bad guy, they usually have a really2 eccentric style and bad taste for clothing --;

Love,
ingrid~

manga and american comics alike follow certain patterns and archetypes...thats because those things WORK
superhero comics like the marvel comics are built around the hero archetype and epic adventure

likewise I've read a bunch of shojo short story mangas, and there are definitely recurring themes and sequence of events...devilishly handsome (and often naughty) guy, awkward girl, etc
also, the earlier manga and anime series were much like the american ones with the sci fi and hero stories, ie Captain Harlock, Gundam, Sailor Moon (but with the added girly twist), and Space Cobra

I think both have their strong points, though

I like a lot of manga like Blade of the Immortal because it isn't as schmaltzy as a lot of the popular shojo manga thats out there...not that it isn't deep, just not necessarily in the love sense
but stuff like Azumanga Daioh is also very cute and nice to read for fun...sort of like my Archie for japanese manga
American comics also have a wonderful reputation for rich detail and color...its amazing how much depth they can put in their comics...I was never a big SPAWN fan, but McFarlane's artwork is just unreal

[Tetra]

Typical elements in japanese manga.
They over-exaggerate things, whereas in american comics you don't see as much.

Here

[MythnoonA]

the audiences are definitely different. comic books are mainly aimed at guys while mangas are pretty much evenly split or might even be more geared towards girls than guys.

depends on the manga. There are kind of-categories. Shonen/shounen type is geared more towards male people (stuff like Dragonball, Blade of the Immortal, Vagabond [a lot of blood and guts])--even though there are girls who like or love it too, and shoujo is geared more towards girls...Alice 19th, Ayashi no Ceres, Marmalade Boy; Sailor Moon. There are guys who read both shonen and shoujo, and girls like me, who like both too. There's manga and manhwa I read that I can't tell who it's really geared for, Like Inuyasha and Ranma 1/2, which I love. I just read what I like. I think most people do. I haven't read American comics for a looooong, but I like/d Batman.

Manga also has other classifications like yaoi and shounen ai (boy's love)-male x male (Gravitation, Fake), yuri and shoujo ai (girl's love)--girl x girl (The Rose of Versailles). Shoujo ai and shounen ai are gentler than some yaoi is. Yaoi is geared towards females, and yuri,boys--but like with other manga (and manhwa), there are people who read both.

I don't know if anything like this even exists in American comics.

and there are some good-looking guys in American comics--but Japanese comics have bishonen... men who have 'pretty' faces, or may sometimes be mistaken for girls--but their beautiful faces don't mean they aren't masculine (which some people have a hard time understanding or believing about real men -____-) I guess the differences also have to do with culture.

[lee-chan]

The culture is a big factor in a manga and american comics. The style of drawing and the elements. Both are unique in their own special ways.

[shir0-chan]

Well...I dont read American comics at all, but I do notice that Manga has softer lines drawing lines. The American uses harder/bolder lines.
The eyes of the Manga is much more exagerated with the amount of lights in the characters' eyes. Emotions are sometimes portrayed through the changing sizes of the eyes.
Speed lines in Japanese manga tend to be more thinner, I think~. Japanese manga also has a lot more humour too. The drawing styles changes from time to time, one minute the pictures would be all detailed to help support the serious mood of the story and the next the drawing would become very 'animated' and a character would get pound by a strong fist and come back alive with a big bump on the head. So to make it short, Japanese manga is more 'dramatic'. But it depends on the manga artist.

That's my two cents...