Manga art evolution... or lack thereof

Lightweight · Post by **Lightweight** » Sun Jun 17, 2007 6:12 pm

I just got off an argument with a girl in another forum over how manga style rarely evolves and stuff. Needless to say, it left me peeved, especially since I couldn't defend myself well enough.

It all started with some "perverted" fanart of a female videogame protagonist. She went off saying that's why she hated manga, because all manga artists were perverted and sick (Should be obvious now that she thinks all manga is nothing but "TEH EBIL"). I try to deviate her from the thought, but she begins her rant about how manga as a whole is a style blockade, and there's no individuality. I tried to explain that while similar, the details and personal styles within the artist make a distintic look from manga to manga, she simply rebutted by saying that "since it's still based on ONE scheme, the differences between manga drawings and other manga drawings are actually blurry.

To further prove her point, she compared how Doland Duck has evolved through all these years, while Edward Elric has remained the same. My answer: Donald's been around for over 75 years. FMA was created in THIS millenium. Her answer to that?

"Meh, as if I care."

I WANTED to bring up the storytelling aspect, but since she's set to become an artist, I wanted to keep it at an drawing art level.

Wat do you think? Do you agree with her? Do you feel manga has evolved much, or little?

(And sorry for the little inconsequential story I brought up as example, but she left me in a knot.)

Post by **Tiff** » Sun Jun 17, 2007 7:10 pm

Well, for starters, I wouldn't have had such an argument with somebody who obviously knows NOTHING about manga, and also openly admitted she couldn't give a damn =P

However, I'll bite.

You can easily open a manga from, say, the 80's or early 90's, and a manga today, and see how entirely different the art styles are. Even individual artists evolve as they become more popular, develop their talent, etc. Just yesterday at Borders, I picked up a new manga by Watase Yu, who also writes the well-known and dated Fushigi Yuugi and Ayashi no Ceres, and didn't even recognize it was hers until I read the name on the cover.

The animation/manga styles change considerablly from decade to decade, artist to artist...but unless a person is well-versed evne just a little bit on the subject, they probably wouldn't notice (or as you illustrated, wouldn't care to notice)

Cardcaptor Takato · Post by **Cardcaptor Takato** » Sun Jun 17, 2007 9:32 pm

If your friend insists that all manga uses the same art style, just show her One Piece and that'll shut her up.

DreamEmpress · Post by **DreamEmpress** » Wed Jun 20, 2007 3:13 am

I've always felt that CLAMP is a good example of style evolving and changing over time. Their early works are very beautifully done and almost look like an anime right there on the page. Where as their latest works have been very stylized and fun. Yet still retain the same beautiful quality. I almost didn't recognize them when Suki came out. But this just proves to me that no matter what style they are using, they always give off amazing stories.