General Category > General Discussion
Does anyone here read Japanese Manga?
jfglade:
I've read manga and I think some of it is very good, especially "Barefoot Gen" and "The Grave of the Fireflies" but I found most of it either so simplistic (e.g. the Naruto material) or so utterly foreign ("One Piece") that I can't get worked up about it. Most of it seems like nothing other than attempts to produce material which will be used for Japanese made-for-television cartoon and I really don't like made-for-television cartoons.
vaillant:
--- Quote ---but I found most of it either so simplistic (e.g. the Naruto material) or so utterly foreign ("One Piece") that I can't get worked up about it. Most of it seems like nothing other than attempts to produce material which will be used for Japanese made-for-television cartoon and I really don't like made-for-television cartoons.
--- End quote ---
That’s just because most of the more significant material (especially that preceeding the television boom, and the serialization of animated versions, TV anime) has never been properly published neither in the US or in Europe.
I assure you holding in hand a 1950s original Atom suplement makes the same effect as holding an american golden age book or an italian, or french equivalent of the same era. Only, with Japan they got to a modern conception slightly after the war, so it’s a little shifted, but a manga from the 1950s has the feeling of a 1940s western publication (and the same historical weight). Gotta love 'em, like my Lou Fine which I just discovered! :)
jfglade:
--- Quote from: Yoc on February 29, 2012, 07:52:04 PM ---Barefoot Gen is one I read that truly shocked and moved me. A real life child survivor of Hiroshima shows us his experiences. I highly recommend it.
--- End quote ---
"Barefoot Gen" has to be the pick of the Japanese litter, Yoc. It has been translated and published in scores of countries and there are version in something like nineteen languages. It's a milestone book, in the same way as "Maus." Significantly neither is like the bulk of comics/manga from their respective nations.
Yoc:
So I gather Jon.
It's annoying my library system only had the first four volumes. It was certainly hard to read at times due to the subject and gore but I'd still recommend it to everyone. I found The Grave of the Fireflies to be even more depressing that Barefoot with the ending about as sad as could be imagined. I guess that was the point though. Having seen fairly recent documentaries on Hiroshima it doesn't feel like Barefoot or Grave were exaggerating on anything.
watson387:
Grave of the Fireflies is excellent. The Ghibli-made movie is great too if anyone is interested. It's animated, but very far from a cartoon. EDIT: Sorry. I see now that you WERE talking about the anime and not the live action film.
On another note, I really like Junji Ito's (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Junji_Ito) horror mangas. That guy writes some really freaky, weird stuff. Uzumaki is a good place to start if interested.
Navigation
[0] Message Index
[#] Next page
[*] Previous page
Go to full version