A Medium With Ancient Roots

The word manga (漫画) is often translated as "whimsical pictures" and is commonly attributed to the great ukiyo-e artist Katsushika Hokusai, who used the term in 1814 to describe his sketchbooks of miscellaneous drawings. But the visual storytelling traditions that would eventually produce modern manga stretch back even further — to the emakimono (picture scrolls) of the Heian period (794–1185 CE), which depicted narratives through sequential images in a format strikingly analogous to today's comics.

The Meiji Era and Western Influence

Japan's Meiji period (1868–1912) brought rapid modernisation and significant cultural exchange with the West. Western-style political cartoons and comic strips arrived with foreign publications, and Japanese artists began synthesising these styles with local traditions. Satirical magazines emerged, and a distinctly Japanese cartooning culture began to take shape in newspapers and periodicals.

By the early 20th century, manga as we might roughly recognise it — sequential comic panels in printed publications — was firmly established in Japanese popular culture.

Osamu Tezuka: The God of Manga

No single figure shaped modern manga more profoundly than Osamu Tezuka (1928–1989). Inspired by Walt Disney animations and European cinematic techniques, Tezuka introduced dynamic panel layouts, expressive character designs with large eyes, and genuine narrative ambition to manga. His works — including Astro Boy, Black Jack, and the epic Phoenix — established conventions that still define the medium.

Tezuka also pioneered the concept of manga for adult readers, demonstrating that sequential art could carry complex moral and philosophical themes. His influence on both manga and anime (which he also helped shape) cannot be overstated.

Post-War Boom: Demographics and Diversity

The post-World War II period saw manga explode in popularity alongside Japan's economic recovery. Publishers developed distinct demographic categories that persist today:

  • Shonen — targeted at young male readers; action, friendship, growth (e.g., Dragon Ball, Naruto)
  • Shojo — targeted at young female readers; emotion, relationships, coming-of-age (e.g., Sailor Moon, Fruits Basket)
  • Seinen — for adult men; wider tonal range, often darker or more complex (e.g., Berserk, Akira, Vinland Saga)
  • Josei — for adult women; nuanced romance and everyday drama

This segmentation allowed the industry to grow in multiple directions simultaneously, producing an extraordinary diversity of styles and stories.

The 1980s and 1990s: A Creative Golden Age

The era that produced Akira was also the era that gave the world Dragon Ball, Sailor Moon, JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, Berserk, and dozens of other titles that remain cultural touchstones. Manga's willingness to take risks — with genre, with violence, with sexuality, with political commentary — gave it an artistic vitality that Western comics of the same period rarely matched.

Global Reach in the 21st Century

The 2000s brought manga to Western bookshops on an unprecedented scale. By the 2010s and 2020s, anime adaptations of popular manga were driving global streaming numbers on Netflix, Crunchyroll, and beyond. Titles like Attack on Titan, Demon Slayer, and One Piece have become globally recognised franchises with fanbases on every continent.

The rise of manhwa (Korean comics) and manhua (Chinese comics) — often distributed digitally through platforms like Webtoon — has further expanded the global sequential art market, though manga remains the dominant form in terms of cultural influence and industry revenue.

From Heian-era picture scrolls to billion-dollar media franchises: manga's journey is one of the most remarkable in the history of any art form.