Japanese comics come calling
Cartoon characters such as Doraemon and Shinchin are every child’s fantasy. And even teenagers are growing up on games like Metal Gear Solid and Naruto. They have one thing in common: all of them are of Japanese origin. Even our home-grown animation movie makers are not behind — the recently released Arjun: The Warrior Prince is an example. Keeping in mind the considerable Japanese pop-culture influence in India, two like-minded friends have made an effort to take these cultural ties a few steps forward. Supriya Suri and Nitesh Rohit of 13 BCD, a cine gallery at Haus Khas Village, are showcasing Manga Café, an exhibition of comics created in Japan.
The show has comic works by Japanese artists, conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th century. Unlike Western comics, Manga is not entirely focused or targeted towards children. The history of Manga is also highlighted in the gallery. “We have always had our own set of comics and heroes. But Japanese comics, Manga, are slowly getting popular among enthusiasts in Delhi,” says Rohit.
“The Manga Cafe was born out of the necessity to understand the ideas that are purely formal in nature and defines the origin, inspiration and influence of Manga across the world,” says Suri. Further she adds, “We love Manga and it’s deeply influenced our works so we decided to come up with the show.”
Talking about how Indian comics differ in style from Manga, Rohit says, “In India comics pre-dominantly cater to the young, or so called ‘youth’. Manga in Japan is written for a wider adult audience too. Unlike comics, Manga is a lot more stylistic in terms of elements. And uses less text to convey ideas and emotions and more cinematic techniques.”
For instance, the most popular characters such as Naruto and Gundamn attract everyone for their smart accessories and gadgets.
A few Manga anime adoption films were screened at the cafe. The film, Boys on the Run drew a large audience. “We will be holding our third annual Anime Convention in Delhi and Manga would be a bigger part of it this time. And we are working to get Japanese publishers and collaborators here,” says Suri.
The show has comic works by Japanese artists, conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th century. Unlike Western comics, Manga is not entirely focused or targeted towards children. The history of Manga is also highlighted in the gallery. “We have always had our own set of comics and heroes. But Japanese comics, Manga, are slowly getting popular among enthusiasts in Delhi,” says Rohit.
“The Manga Cafe was born out of the necessity to understand the ideas that are purely formal in nature and defines the origin, inspiration and influence of Manga across the world,” says Suri. Further she adds, “We love Manga and it’s deeply influenced our works so we decided to come up with the show.”
Talking about how Indian comics differ in style from Manga, Rohit says, “In India comics pre-dominantly cater to the young, or so called ‘youth’. Manga in Japan is written for a wider adult audience too. Unlike comics, Manga is a lot more stylistic in terms of elements. And uses less text to convey ideas and emotions and more cinematic techniques.”
For instance, the most popular characters such as Naruto and Gundamn attract everyone for their smart accessories and gadgets.
A few Manga anime adoption films were screened at the cafe. The film, Boys on the Run drew a large audience. “We will be holding our third annual Anime Convention in Delhi and Manga would be a bigger part of it this time. And we are working to get Japanese publishers and collaborators here,” says Suri.
The exhibition is on till tomorrow. Entry free
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