Manga

Ranma- Rumiko Takahashi

Typically I’m not a fan of this style of artwork. However, in saying that, Ranma was certainly an enjoyable read. The cultural differences between American comics and manga really aren’t that far apart. Though the styles are different the layout and compositional elements hold a lot of similarity for me. I’m definitely a fan of the way space was handled in this work especially during action scenes and indeed scenes that are a little more intimate. The idea of arranged marriage is something that is probably unheard of in this country, however I could relate I that there is a large influence of Indian tradition in South Africa, who have similar customs to those mentioned in the story. There are some places where artistic license has been used to its full extent, by way of the nimble “kung-fu” panda character and sex changing pools. Though the concepts may seem far-fetched, it is still within reach for the reader to fill in the blanks and make the story more readable. I really enjoyed the way that Takahashi created dynamic compositions, full of depth and movement. The spaces are interesting by way of placement and varied shapes of the frames.

 

Buddha – Osamu Tezuka

The story of a boy who is sent south to find a mysterious man is very intriguing. The story entails the details of the boy’s travels, including his mother being kidnapped and is threatened to be sold. The style of this work is very interesting; I do feel that at times there were two distinctive voices of artwork coming through. One is more stylized and one more representational and rendered to a further lever. These contrasting styles create a sort of transition of the work. The usage of space and placement and shapes of frames is highly effective. This is a very fast moving coming with plenty of action and that’s the way its intended to be read, in my opinion.