I was going to write a response to this sooner but damn girl, that's a lot of questions to answer at once. I could write a paper on each of them.
Manga certainly has artistic integrity. Certainly some works are more commercial than others, but the form itself lends to it as much as any artform does. Try telling me Nausicaa isn't art. I'll stab your eyes out with a grapefruit spoon probably.
What appeals to me about it? For manga in particular, the juxtaposition of text and art, it's one of the simplest mediums to communicate through. It's the viewpoint of another culture. Specifically, I like a variety of styles. Give me something original that I haven't seen before. Or just do whatever's available really well. Mediocrity is a grave sin.
The depth of meaning of manga/anime is the same as any other medium. It has as much as the creator is willing to give it. Evangelion is rife with meaning. There's tons of Freudian things in there and the whole "writer having a nervous breakdown" thing is illustrated vividly. Dragonball, not so much beyond the usual boys fiction themes of "persevere and you will win" and "make friends of your enemies".
How various themes are portrayed aesthetically. Hm. It differs greatly from artist to artist. Someone like Hayao Miyazaki glorifies simplicity, freedom and nature and it shows in his wide expanses and hazy, soft pencils. Katsuhiro Otomo takes a more technical approach to his art, possibly to reflect the dark, serious, close-to-reality feeling of his stories.
I hold writers and artists that were influenced by manga/anime to the same standards as any other. Is the work itself any good? It's probably not the format or certain artstyle that makes up my mind.
It is a new style, we've already seen it come and go with artists like Joe Madureira and Jim Lee. Now, people aren't just drawing big eyes and hair. I see people use page format, panel layout, story pacing that's more similar to manga than American comics. Warren Ellis talks about 'decompression' as a technique he learnt from manga. I see American comics being repackaged in 'digest' editions that are very similar to manga. Perhaps it's better to say it's a synthesis rather than a new wave.
I haven't seen that piece of art. So, no opinion.
Hmm, I wrote too much methinks. Ask me more in person and I'll go on and on forever.
Manga certainly has artistic integrity. Certainly some works are more commercial than others, but the form itself lends to it as much as any artform does. Try telling me Nausicaa isn't art. I'll stab your eyes out with a grapefruit spoon probably.
What appeals to me about it? For manga in particular, the juxtaposition of text and art, it's one of the simplest mediums to communicate through. It's the viewpoint of another culture. Specifically, I like a variety of styles. Give me something original that I haven't seen before. Or just do whatever's available really well. Mediocrity is a grave sin.
The depth of meaning of manga/anime is the same as any other medium. It has as much as the creator is willing to give it. Evangelion is rife with meaning. There's tons of Freudian things in there and the whole "writer having a nervous breakdown" thing is illustrated vividly. Dragonball, not so much beyond the usual boys fiction themes of "persevere and you will win" and "make friends of your enemies".
How various themes are portrayed aesthetically. Hm. It differs greatly from artist to artist. Someone like Hayao Miyazaki glorifies simplicity, freedom and nature and it shows in his wide expanses and hazy, soft pencils. Katsuhiro Otomo takes a more technical approach to his art, possibly to reflect the dark, serious, close-to-reality feeling of his stories.
I hold writers and artists that were influenced by manga/anime to the same standards as any other. Is the work itself any good? It's probably not the format or certain artstyle that makes up my mind.
It is a new style, we've already seen it come and go with artists like Joe Madureira and Jim Lee. Now, people aren't just drawing big eyes and hair. I see people use page format, panel layout, story pacing that's more similar to manga than American comics. Warren Ellis talks about 'decompression' as a technique he learnt from manga. I see American comics being repackaged in 'digest' editions that are very similar to manga. Perhaps it's better to say it's a synthesis rather than a new wave.
I haven't seen that piece of art. So, no opinion.
Hmm, I wrote too much methinks. Ask me more in person and I'll go on and on forever.
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