Japanese manga—graphic novels and comics—have assumed an increasingly important role not only in Japanese popular culture but worldwide. Reflecting its growing popularity and complexity was World of Shōjo Manga: Mirrors of Girls’ Desires, a 2015 exhibition at the College’s Mishkin Gallery.
Modern manga developed in Japan during the Occupation and the post-Occupation years (from 1945 to the early 1960s) as entertainment for children and split and developed across gender lines. The narratives and themes of Shōjo (girls’) manga originally focused on love and now reflect women’s changing roles and expectations in that country.
“Manga is read by people of all ages in Japan and around the world and is a socially significant art form,” says Baruch Assistant Professor of Modern Languages Shige (CJ) Suzuki, who teaches a course on Japanese pop culture and who moderated the show’s mini-symposium, “Globalized Manga Culture and Fandom.” The show and symposium were sponsored by the Japan Foundation, New York.
—Diane Harrigan