Devotion to your work can easily be described in one word, Passion. We as humans naturally find passion throughout life as our days become weeks and our weeks become years. An individual’s unshaken attachment to what their mind can fixate on can range from the precision of a serial killer to the strokes of brushes across an artist’s canvas. These instinctual emotions all stem from the burning fire inside us all. Fluttering inside my bones, the work of Mangakas and their infatuating yet refreshing creation of manga flows into every piece I have created. Inspiration is an understatement after indulging myself in the ravenous seas of what storytelling through manga entails.

Manga, a style of Japanese comic books and graphic novels, is typically aimed at adults as well as children. Mangaka is the Japanese word for a comic artist or cartoonist. When you see these two definitions, I would imagine the speculation behind how one may find underlying themes or work behind a typical comic book.

It would work to your benefit to understand the major differences between a manga versus a comic book, besides the cultural differences. In America, our reading style for comics is information starting from the left side of a page following to the right then down again to another left panel. American comic books all hold this significant way to present the story. In Japan, upon picking up a manga you would be greeted with a ‘Wrong way’ page if you had started from the first left page. A manga flips the roles from American comic books requiring the reader to scan from right to left, as well taking in any important art to follow or certain speech bubbles. Manga is unique in this sense offering an immersive new way for a Mangaka to set their visual storytelling.

A panel is an individual frame, or single drawing, in the multiple-panel sequence of either a manga, comic book, or comic strip. These frames, besides holding unique art from our Mangaka, control the pacing of the story and are the backbone of structure for the reader. A Mangaka can use contrasting art and precise hierarchy, a principle that influences how we view visuals (“Visual storytelling through manga paneling” Lines in Motion 0:54–1:00), which allows the narrative to be clearer and simpler to follow compared to abstract hierarchies.

This however does not stop ambitious Mangakas, like Yoshihiro Togashi, in his creation of the compelling structure. Togashi utilizes the entire page in Chapter 353 titled “Devious” Pages 5–6 of his manga Hunter x Hunter to present us with an impressionable portrayal of the action scene.

Utilization of full-page (Page 5)

The character utilized, Hisoka, takes over the panel with his ability bungee gum shooting up to the top of the page. Once you move on to the next scene, we view the following action taken from Hisoka where he reaches the roof of where his ability landed in the previous scene. Togashi continues to prioritize the main actions of the characters in this specific fight while also showcasing their abilities stylistically. Structure and paneling are just one part of the passionate work these Mangakas put into their series. A manga is not colored, only appearing in black and white, which the Mangaka must consider when placing these abstract arts next to each other without causing overlapping or confusion.

The next action is shown on page 6 taking a course

Colorless art is assumed to be weaker in comparison to utilizing an array of opportunities the color spectrum allows to portray emotion in a scene or character. Mangaka must take this into account because only the chapter covers and certain scenes are colored in a volume. Much of our story will be purely black and white. This is where another famous Mangaka, Hajime Isayama, creator of “Attack on Titan” shines with the psychological usage of his lines. Isayama utilizes this black and white only color scheme to emphasize the emotional turmoil our characters must face in the harsh conditions that are the world of Attack on Titan.

Facial expressions, rough scratchy line art, and dark shading shoot messages across from panel to panel building up suspense, while holding the reader’s interest to flip onto the next page. “The similarity of the artwork to that of courtroom drawings. The kind of drawing that’s done live in person trying to illustrate the flow of events as they happen as quickly and accurately as possible” (“The artistic evolution of Attack on Titan” AlexEnterprises 2:37–2:50) this statement from AlexEnterprises video “The artistic evolution of Attack on Titan” drives home another core aspect within Isayama’s usage of storytelling with his art style. Attack on Titan from start to finish immerses you into a tightly compacted documentation of an immersive narrative taking place right before your eyes. Storytelling is granted a new path as Isayama places each line to offer this fictional piece a glanderous feeling of realism. Hidden meanings behind our character’s expressions allow room for foreshadowing and each visual straying away from the scratchy line art grants the reader through a sudden breath of fresh air. This individual leaping from rough shading to practically flawless scenery that lacks the dark shadows of the panel before offers a deep appreciation for what is shown. Isayama contrasting the gruesome feelings elicited by each plot point sitting neatly next to outlined skies of fields desperate with hope is what Attack on Titan does best. This manga, colored or not, is only one example of the lengths Mangaka must envision before daring to have the pencil reach its first draft.

Court house sketching

The Art of a Mangaka’s work, just like many authors, cradles the same justification for a human being’s creative and imaginative passions reaching fulfillment. Suffering, agony, achievement, and glory are all accounted for once the underlying root of passion pumps through the veins of these storytellers. Each impactful moment constructs a lens through which to view reality itself anew. Manga has not only allowed for personal escapism but has paved a fresh road into the consistent passion that comes from veiled meanings in art or abstract storytelling.