Whenever people think of the art-style associated with manga, most people will probably think of large eyed, attractive (if male, spikey haired) characters with realistic proportions. While it’s true that much of the art of manga is drawn in this style, it’s worth noting that not all manga is drawn in this fashion. Knowing that, I thought it might be worth discussing a few manga titles whose art has been amongst the most distinct I’ve ever seen.
While it would be very easy for me to point to older manga series as being distinct artistically, I will be trying to remain aware of the context of their creation. What I mean by that is that I could point to many of Osamu Tezuka’s earlier titles for having a distinctly Western animation look but, given that that was how manga was typically drawn at the time, I would avoid giving that example. Instead, I’m going to take a look at manga art that was distinct from other titles even within the time of publication.
When I think of the most distinct manga art I’ve ever seen, my mind tends to jump to the work of Kyoko Okazaki, in particular, Pink. Looking at Pink’s art-style, you’ll notice that the characters have a much less realistic look than in most manga with scratchier linework. While some may look at the art and believe it to be crudely drawn, I find myself surprisingly taken with the art-style as I believe that the way the characters are drawn not only allows them to be surprisingly expressive but that it also strips away some unnecessary detail of some of the more unpleasant aspects of the story such as the sex scenes and the food which the crocodile devours (some of which is living). This, along with the characters and story, makes Pink one of my favourite manga I have ever read.
If Pink has a less realistic look than most manga then I would argue that the art-style of Goseki Kojima is nearly the opposite. Best known for drawing the art for Lone Wolf and Cub as well as for Samurai Executioner and Path of the Assassin (which I have not read yet), I’ve always described his art-style as a mixture of realism and traditional Japanese art. His characters are very realistically proportioned (including their eyes) with highly detailed, semi-realistic backgrounds. However, this does not restrict the ability of the characters to emote with many exaggerated expressions easily displaying their feelings. In addition, there is some very stylised shading that makes use of hatching and intense motion lines for when action takes place. I have to say that Goseki Kojima’s art is beautiful and it makes reading any manga he had involvement in a treat.
I mentioned earlier how I wouldn’t point to earlier Osamu Tezuka titles as the art style was quite typical for the time period. However, I think it’s fair to say that Osamu Tezuka’s interpretation of gekiga (which would have been around the late 60s onwards) stood out from the rest. Osamu Tezuka had always been known for his cartoony art-style but as the gekiga movement began to grow in popularity, he decided to adopt aspects of their art-style, primarily their move towards realism (which can particularly be seen in the highly detailed backgrounds). However, the result was an art-style that was more proportionally correct than his earlier work but not to the same extent as other gekiga titles. Many of his characters also retained some of the more cartoony elements that made them stand out in his previous work such as the way their eyes are drawn or the shapes of their bodies. As much as I like the art-style of earlier Osamu Tezuka titles, it is this artwork that I’ve found most appealing which, along with the darker themes of the era, often leads me to regard his later works more highly than his earlier titles.
Finally, I’d like to talk about the art-style of Shigeru Mizuki. Shigeru Mizuki originally lost his left arm during World War II in Papua New Guinea. However, this did not stop him from creating some truly incredible and distinct artwork. Many of Shigeru Mizuki’s characters are notable for having large, almost egg shaped heads atop squat bodies. This very cartoony character design stands in sharp contrast to some of the most detailed backgrounds I have ever seen in a manga. In some of Shigeru Mizuki’s more mature titles such as Onward Towards Our Noble Deaths, this can result in a sudden shift to highly detailed character art to make certain aspects (which in the case of Onward Towards Our Noble Deaths usually means death and suffering) stand out in a way that a more consistently realistic manga could not.
While it’s true that there is a very common manga art-style, it’s important to remember that not all manga is made the same way with many artists able to convey their thoughts, emotions and themes through their unique artwork. Manga can be truly diverse when you get past the most mainstream and popular modern titles and I can only hope that this article has piqued your interest in finding manga with atypical art-styles. Let me know your thoughts on some of the most distinct manga art I’ve ever seen, what are some of the most distinct manga that you’ve read, your thoughts on manga artwork in general and any additional information you might have on the topic.
Hopefully you have found this article interesting and informative and, if you wish to seek any of the works I mentioned, don’t hesitate to use amazon.co.uk or amazon.com for all of your needs!