It always amazes me how different the tastes are between Japan and the West when it comes to anime and manga. Perhaps no better example shows this than the difference in popularity of 4-koma manga.
4-koma (also known as yonkoma) refers to manga that is organized as 4 equal vertical panels (although there are some examples of left to right yonkoma). They are read from top to bottom and are derived from Kishōtenketsu, an East Asian style of storytelling.
The first panel is called Ki and is used to establish the story. The second is Shō and continues to develop the story established in the first panel. The third is Ten and introduces a twist in the story. The final panel is Ketsu which concludes the story. While 4-koma can be used to tell all sorts of stories, comedy is by far the most popular 4-koma manga genre.
4-koma is extremely popular, being found in major Japanese newspapers, specialist magazines etc. It is also worth noting that the most popular anime in Japan, Sazae-san, is also based on a 4-koma series. Despite this popularity in its home country, it feels like 4-koma is uncommon in the west.
An obvious exception to this is omake. Omake, in regards to manga, are extras added to the compiled volumes of a series. While this often includes bonus artwork and author notes, a common omake to include is a 4-koma featuring some characters from the series. The vast majority of the time, these 4-koma are gag-based and are usually irrelevant to the main plot.
One of my favourite manga series is called Azumanga Daioh, a series that follows a cast of high school girls and their teachers over the course of 3 years. The series is absolutely hilarious with endearing characters and simple but pleasing artwork. As far as I’m concerned, Azumanga Daioh represents the very best of what 4-koma has to offer.
It feels rare to hear discussions about 4-koma and I would love to hear your thoughts on it. Let me know what 4-koma series you have read and what you think of this style of storytelling.
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 bookdepository.com for all of your needs!
I absolutely love Azumanga DIaoh! I also remember laughing really hard at the 4-koma strips at the end of the FMA volumes, (which I believe has now been compiled into its’ own volume
I do wonder who the market for that volume is. Maybe people who have seen the show, don’t want to read the manga but still want to pick up the 4-koma?