Manga, anime: what is the difference?
Manga are illustrated and printed stories. Anime are animated stories in the format of short films, series or movies for cinema, traditional or digital television.
The difference between manga and anime is the format. However, both are considered narrative and artistic expressions originating in Japan.
| Sleeve | Anime | |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Illustrated and printed stories. | Animated stories in traditional or digital format. |
| Source | Japan, 13th century. | Japan, early 20th century. |
| Formats | Magazine. |
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| Types |
According to demographics:
According to the narrative genre:
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According to demographics:
According to the narrative genre:
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| Examples |
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What is manga?
Manga is a way of telling stories in print. Within Japan (where this expression arose), the term is used to refer generally to what in the West we would call comics or comics.
However, outside of Japan, manga is considered an artistic expression of that nation, so it is only used to refer to stories illustrated under Japanese parameters.
Manga has multiple classifications, but it can be grouped into two broad categories:
Types of manga according to demographics
It is the most popular classification of publishers. It refers to the categorization of stories according to the age of their readers:
- Kodomo sleeve: children's stories, such as Doraemon.
- Shōnen sleeve: stories for male teens, such as Dragon ball
- Shōjo sleeve: stories for female teens, such as Kaichou wa Maid-sama!
- Seinen sleeve: stories for grown men, such as Ghost in the shell.
- Josei sleeve: story for adult women, like Nana.
Types of manga according to the narrative genre
There are multiple genres of manga, and it is very common for them to mix with each other as the stories progress, hence it is difficult to list them all. However, these are some of the most popular:
- Nekketsu: the protagonist defends values such as love, friendship, perseverance and hard work. It has many action scenes. Sleeves like Dragon ball Y Naruto are classic examples of nekketsu.
- Spokon: stories focused on sports. Champions it was the first manga of this style.
- Gekiga: dramatic stories for adult audiences, such as Onward Towards Our Noble Deaths.
- Wick: the story is centered on giant robots. Mazinger Z It is one of the classics of the genre.
- Mahō Shōjo: girl or young man with magical abilities, such as sailor Moon.
- Kemeno: humans with animal features, such as Tokyo Mew Mew
- Meitantei: Police-themed stories, such as Death note.
- Virtual reality: the story takes place within an online video game, such as in Sword Art Online.
Manga history
Manga is a word of Japanese origin that can be translated as "doodles" or free drawings. Manga has centuries of history, and one of the oldest expressions is believed to be a satirical depiction of animals called Chōjugiga, attributed to the author Toba no Sōjō and published in the 13th century.
However, the painter and printmaker Hokusai (famous for his illustrations of the sea and the views of Mount Fuji) the creator of the term manga, when including it for the first time in one of his texts, the Hokusai Manga.
The first manga
Officially, the work is considered Tagosaku to Mokube no Tokyo Kenbutsu, by the artist Rakuten Kitazawa as the first manga, in the terms that characterize this format today.
This work was published in 1902 and related the stories of some peasants who go to Tokyo to visit and behave in a crude way, compared to the ways of the big city.
Astroboy and the manga industry
Two decades later the manga with children's stories began to be produced and popularized, but it was in 1947 when the aesthetic and narrative foundations of what we know today as manga were laid with the publication of Astroboy, created by Osamu Tezuka.
In the sixties, Tezuka would sell the rights to his work to the American network NBC and would begin not only the expansion of the manga in the West, but also the diffusion of the anime.
What is anime?
Anime are all the stories in animation format, either with drawings made by hand (traditional technique) or with digital resources.
The anime is characterized by having a peculiar style in which large eyes stand out, a range very limited movement for the lips, the use of bold colors and narrative lines complex.
Many anime are the animated version of popular manga. However, this is not an essential requirement. That is why it is possible to find animes that are original productions.
Generally speaking, anime is classified the same way as manga: by demographics and by genre.
Types of anime according to demographics
According to the age of the readers, the animes are classified into:
- Kodomo sleeve: children's stories, such as Pokemon.
- Shōnen sleeve: stories for boys, like Dororo.
- Shōjo sleeve: stories for girls, like K.
- Seinen sleeve: stories for grown men, such as Gungrave.
- Josei sleeve: story for adult women, like Paradise Kiss.
Types of anime according to genre
While anime and manga share the same genres, there are some that are particularly popular in anime, such as:
- Comedy: As the name implies, the stories are held in humor, triggered by the funny actions of their protagonists. An example is Aho Girl.
- Cyberpunk: the frames are a direct or indirect consequence of technological advances, as occurs in Silent Möbius
- Gekiga: adult dramas, such as Golgo 13
- Wick: in this case the protagonists are giant robots that can work in a realistic or fantastic way, they are usually handled by humans. Mazinger Z is an example of this type of anime.
- Isekai: the protagonist is transferred to a magical or parallel world where the plot takes place. An anime example isekai it is Zero no Tsukaima.
Types of anime according to the format
Animation studios can create animes in various formats, depending on the medium chosen for transmission.
T.V. series
It is the classic format of anime. The story is divided into chapters that air weekly. In some cases they are also organized seasonally. Astroboy It was the second anime series and the first to have worldwide success.
Television specials
They show some aspect of a television series from a different point of view than usual. They are usually broadcast on special occasions and are considered an added value to a series.
In 1988, Japan broadcast Goku Fire Department, an educational special in which the characters of the series gave advice on fire prevention.
OVA
They are productions made for direct video distribution (original video animation). It was a popular format in the 1980s and early 1990s with the rise of audiovisual technologies such as Betamax, VHS, and DVD. Bubblegum Crisis it was one of the first Japanese OVAs.
ONA
They are productions for transmission on the internet (original net animation). They are those that are produced especially for chains of streaming. An example of ONA is The King of Fighters: Another Day.
Anime history
Unlike manga, which already had years of history, anime only became known at the beginning of the 20th century, in parallel with the advances of the audiovisual industry. In principle, the manga was influenced by Disney productions (more aesthetically than narrative).
In the sixties, anime began to develop its own style from the hand of the first study of animation in Japan, called Toei, who decades later would be responsible for productions such as Spirited Away or Mazinger Z, which turned out to be a success not only within Japan, but in the West.
Another great decisive influence for the anime world was Studio Ghibli, a Japanese company whose creators Hayao Mizayaki and Isao Takahata were commissioned to catapult anime as a new mass entertainment format and as works of art, due to its technique, narrative and aesthetics cared for.
Some of the most representative titles of this study are The Castle in the sky, My neighbor totoro, Kiki's address Y The fireflies's grave, to name a few.