Progenitor or Mere Predecessor: A Study of Ukiyo-e's Place in the Development of Modern Manga Through the Works of Rumiko Takahashi
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In their efforts to understand the history of manga, or Japanese comics, scholars have struggled determining the timeline of this art form. While some historians begin their narrative as far back as the twelfth century with examples of art that might be classified as "pre-manga," some academics choose to cite the start point manga's timeline in the nineteenth century with the first usage of the term "manga." Others researchers are even more conservative, beginning their scope of manga's history with the techniques developed during the mid-twentieth century which yield artwork recognizable to today's aesthetics. The study of manga is still in an embryonic state, and the scope of this genre of art is vast; these two factors create a challenge in establishing a timeline for manga' history. Although it would be convenient to consider the history of Japanese illustrative art as a timeline that leads directly to modern manga, the myriad of genres and styles complicate the researcher's ability to make claims about the pertinence of any specific point on that timeline to the development of manga as it is known today. The most poignant example of this is ukiyo-e, or nineteenth-century Japanese woodblock print art. Speaking of manga as a whole, it is impossible to reconcile the exact role of ukiyo-e as a parent (or if not father, perhaps an uncle of sorts) to today's manga. At present, the state of the scholarly literature on this remains noncommittal, refusing to admit fully or deny completely whether or not manga owes its history to the woodblock print art of nineteenth-century Edo. The objective of this research is to open the discussion about the roles the ukiyo-e played in the development of modern manga. This may be achieved through the study of the works of one mangaka, or artist-author of manga, Rumiko Takahashi (1957--). Through studying Takahashi's work, one may recognize the ways in which ukiyo-e was essential to manga's development. There are elements of Takahashi's work that could not exist if it were not for the influence and developments that source from nineteenth-century woodblock prints. Through the microscope of the work of one prolific and popular mangaka, it is possible to initiate a discussion of ukiyo-e’s participation in manga's timeline. And perhaps art historians may broaden the acceptance of these concepts to apply to manga as a whole
Table of Contents
Abstract -- List of images -- Acknowledgments -- Introduction - Manga and Ukiyo-e discussed - Ukiyo-e's place in Manga's development -- Ukiyo-e's relationship to modern Mange -- Conclusion -- Images -- Glossary of terms -- Secondary source bibliography -- Primary source
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MA (Master of Arts)
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Open Access (fully available)