Did you know that the manga of One Piece has over 930 chapters? That makes One Piece one of the longest Japanese manga so far. But, where does manga originate?
Today, we’re going to give you a crash course on the history of manga. Additionally, we’ll tell you the best Japanese manga titles to read to this day.
Early History of Manga
Santō Kyōden (岩瀬 醒) was the first to coin the word “manga” in 1798 when he created Shiki no Yukikai (Seasonal Passer-by), which was a nihonga (Japanese painting). He used the word manga to describe his creation. But, it wasn’t until 1814 that another Japanese artist would use the word manga as the title of his nihonga called Hokusai Manga.
Then, with the rise of Japanese Imperialism, the empire would create propaganda in the art style of manga. And as the Japanese culture adopted more western ideologies, especially after World War II, the world of anime and manga started to shape into what they are today.
Birth of Modern Day Manga
One aspect that influenced manga heavily was that of American comic books. Companies like Action Comics and Detective Comics were hugely popular in Japan after World War II. One person who especially loved reading them when he was young was the legendary manga writer Tezuka Osamu.
Tezuka merged some concepts of American comic books with the artistic style of manga. Tezuka Osamu’s first creation was the popular Astro Boy manga storyline. Astro Boy became the first modern version of manga and was a huge success in Japan and worldwide.
Modern Day Manga
After the success of Astro Boy, the director of the national newspaper for Japan put in charge Machiko Hasegawa in creating a manga storyline for the national newspaper. As you can imagine, that made manga available to even more people and added more fans to the already growing manga fanbase. As more people became interested in manga, some artists started to create shōnen (manga aimed at boys) and shōjo (manga aimed at girls).
Nowadays, a lot of manga storylines have been made into anime and manga films. So, what are some of the most influential and best manga storylines? Let’s take a look at a few.
Inuyasha- Rumiko Takahashi
If you love to read manga with lots of romance, then this is the manga for you. It’s about a Japanese schoolgirl who stumbles into a well at her family’s altar and finds herself in the Sengoku era. That’s where she meets and falls in love with a half-boy half-demon that helps her find her way back home.
Naruto- Masashi Kishimoto
Without a doubt, you’ve heard about Naruto, since it’s one of the most popular anime series of all time. But, as you can expect, there are more details in the manga series than the anime one, so if you want to learn more about Naruto and his journey to becoming Hokage (village leader), you’ll want to read the manga storyline.
History of Manga Made Easy
Hopefully, you now understand the history of manga and why it has become such a global phenomenon. But, of course, there are hundreds if not thousands of manga titles to read, and each one has its own unique style. So, don’t waste any more time and start reading manga!
Which manga storyline is your favorite? Let us know down in the comment section! And if you want to read more posts related to manga or anime, be sure to check out our other topics!
