Manga in Theory and Practice: The Craft of Creating Manga

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A lot of the advice here is specifically for the Japanese manga market, because this is just a translation of a Japanese book for a Japanese audience, not an edition for foreigners.

ASIN:0971633800 Panel One: Comic Book Scripts by Top Writers (Panel One Scripts by Top Comics Writers Tp (New Prtg))]] (Compilation book) That is not to say that I do not recommend purchasing this book. The insights into the mind of a mangaka is interesting to read about. At first, I thought he was telling you how his way was the only way, only to find out that he wants you to take what you have learned in his book and do better. Be original. Follow certain paths, but create something brilliant. ANN: Your fansassociate JoJo's Bizarre Adventure with high fashion.Can you take us through the process by which you create unique costumes for your characters? True, with admitted exception and alternative or fringe forms, of other mediums. Whether it be Jay, Gatsby, and Daisy; or the Xenomorph, the Babadook, the velociraptor of Jurassic Park. Could go on; characters are, often, key. I could name a ton of exceptions but the case is still a strong one. Especially if the metric result is 'popularity' or 'success' (often the same thing to some.)

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Agree. Again, not just attributed to art. For me, art also acts as a time conduit by which to extend an individual's life. Let's say an author spends eight years on a book you can read in four hours and then reiterate the gained knowledge of: the author has dilated time required to achieve those epiphanies. It's my belief that this is why our societies grow 'wiser' - as they accelerate ascertainment of knowledge and improve the time required to share the information. Sometime after you begin drawing regularly, there will come a point when you think, “This just isn’t working out lately.” When this happens, you may become somewhat worried, but if you keep drawing, you’ll be able to break through it. The very fact that you’re worried about it means that you’re trying. [...] Now, while the book is poorly translated in places, and the advice itself fairly vague or common (with exceptions, of course), I'd still recommend an admirer of Araki read this work. It is overflowing with enthusiasm and passion by someone who truly adores the form in a way few living mangaka do. It's filled with great tips for ALL artistic expressions - even a dancer might take something from his words. However, it's not for one who is unfamiliar with him, and would come of as simplistic, perhaps pretentious.

The chapter that puzzles me the most is the one about characters. I agree with Arawi that they are at the core of the plotting, more than the story itself. But the view on the subject of the author feels quite strict. Arguments are of the kind: SJ: How do you come up with the Stand powers? Do you come up with the character or their powers first? But sometimes the difference between good and evil may depend on your readers’ viewpoints. As I’ve grown older, I’ve found that good and evil are not so easily delineated, and I’ve taken more interest in the reasons why people do bad things." Overall if you are interested in writing manga, this would be a good book for you as it contains a lot of information when it comes to arranging and creating your manga. It is also an interesting look into the author's life and motivation when it came to creating their own work. Though I am not part of this audience, I did find these points interesting and a neat insight when it comes to the creator of JoJo.

If [...] the manga successfully finds a large audience, the creator’s ambitions will be fulfilled, the passion to create will wane, and the manga will arrive at a dead end. The mangaka will begin searching for a new path, and be beset with doubt. If you view creating manga as a temporary business endeavour, that result might be good enough for you. He explains basic story structure as “ki-sho-ten-ketsu, or Introduction (ki), development (sho), twist (ten) and resolution (ketsu),” and explains what each section should accomplish and how it should relate to the other parts of the story. While he remains focused on manga, many of Araki’s precepts could be applied to Western comic books, graphic novels and story development for animation. If you were to sum up what makes my art distinctive in a single word, it would probably be the posing of figures, and that is something I acquired on that trip. And since you can’t draw a character posing from their face alone, I always draw sketches for fans as bust illustrations with the shoulders indicating a characteristic pose." In conclusion, Araki wants readers to know about his Golden Way to manga craftsmanship, without feeling beholden to any narrow specifications of what it means to make manga, and yet he wants only the best, most long-running manga out of you. In short, he has good ideas for how to make successful manga, but his ideas of success could use some qualifying. This is one lesson not taught in his art of mangacraft, perhaps better suited for his editors: know your reader. When Araki talks about sending his first winning submission to a shonen weekly at the age of sixteen, I can picture someone of the same age reading Manga Theory and Practice. They may be startled to see he had mastered a style so early on, but rather than be intimidated, a young reader will almost certainly be encouraged to start writing immediately. And that’s what makes Araki so special: he has a voice that is easy to relate with as a young reader. But then in his conclusion he says good writing is like drinking a fine single malt Scotch. I picture the 16 year old, emboldened to draw manga, studying guns, gulping a glass of Balvenie and spitting it out, confused. There’s some solace in knowing the teenager will know how to depict it accurately now. The original Japanese cover in question. Are among the reasons Araki is one of the best mangakas of all time. He's a honed automaton with more emotion than most, and you can feel it from the drawings, his expression through figures in passionate motion - he's always having fun, and keeping his love of art afloat. I don't think I've seen a truly, truly lazy drawing from him. Especially in his later years.