¶ … Manga A Comparison of Shoujo and Shounen Manga

Manga and anime have become popular, not just in their original country of Japan, but around the world. This type of animation carries on the tradition of ancient Japanese drawing techniques that have been observed since antiquity. Within the form of manga are types that have specific meaning to the people who are watching the resulting art. These types, shoujo and shounen, have differing characteristics that are both gender specific and demonstrate different techniques. This essay seeks to inform the reader regarding specific differences in the forms, as well as what their distinct features and characteristics are.

The two animation art forms in Japanese culture are manga and anime. Manga is a form of drawing that is descended from some of the traditional wood block art that has been popular in that country for centuries. Anime is the Japanese word for animation and it is a more recent adaptation specifically for film use. Manga is seen more as the comic book form because of its artistic heritage. Although the two forms differ in usage, they have basically the same visual elements that distinguish them from Western animation.

The two types of manga mentioned, shoujo and shounen, are distinguished...

Shoujo manga is meant to appeal to teenage women from the ages of ten to 18. The term shoujo literally means "little female." On the other hand, shounen manga is targeted at boys aged ten and up. The literal meaning for that term is "few year." The different types of animation have specific features that endear them to the specific group at which they are targeted.
Shoujo manga is not all that different from other types of manga when it comes to the actual drawings, but the subject matter is very different. As in most cultures, the girls of Japan are seen to be more interested in more emotional and relational subject matter. For this reason, starting in 1903, Japanese artists began to develop magazines that specifically dealt with subjects that appealed to a young female audience. Unfortunately for the female fans of the form, publishers of animated magazines did not originally see this as a profitable venture. So, there were not very many shoujo manga magazines for young girls to buy. This changed after the Second World War. Spurred by new economic growth, Japanese consumers, especially women and girls, realized a freedom they had not previously enjoyed. Because of this fact, the producers of shoujo manga realized…