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LL Issue 10 01 0nothingShonen Jump & the 'Mainstream'
Written by Olivia S.
Most of what we see of anime on North American television is all cut from the same mold. Bleach, Naruto, Yu-Gi-Oh!, One Piece, and Dragon Ball Z is the brunt of what we've seen over the years. What do all these series have in common? They were all originally run in the same weekly manga publication: Shonen Jump.
Shonen Jump is a weekly publication that showcases manga from only the most talented *manga-ka they have taken under their wing. Shonen Jump has not only pumped out some of the most famous manga in existence, but they've been doing so since 1968! Shonen Jump mainly targets male readers, but in recent days have been doing work to satisfy both adventurous boys and girls.
Shonen or Shounen, literally means "Boy", and is a specific genre of manga usually showcasing characters with inhuman strength, special abilities, and are usually action driven. While there are different sub-genres in the Shounen genre, such as mystery, sci-fi, racing, you name it, the most popular is what is called "battle manga"; series' like Dragon Ball Z and Yu Yu Hakusho, where most of the fun in it is watching the battles and getting psyched up. Dragon Ball Z (which debuted in 1988) was a manga unlike any other at its time in that is wasn't all fights or all story. It was a perfect balance of both, and set the standard for all battle manga of the future. Extremely talented in art and writing, Akira Toriyama was a force to be reckoned with-- and still is.
The manga-ka who work under Shonen Jump are geniuses at the least; they crank out a minimum of 30 pages fully inked and penned in every week! When there are colour printed splash pages expected, they put out 30+ black and white pages AND 4 or 5 full colour spreads. While some have assistants, it's still insane.
So if Shonen Jump only collects and runs the "best of the best", what does that mean for the anime and manga scene in general? It's not all positive.
Because Shonen Jump is, effectively a business at heart, they only run what they think will make money. This often means that manga-ka that come to Shonen Jump hoping to make their mark on the anime and manga world have to curb their stories to be less original, more run of the mill, unless they completely fit the bill. They often turn down unique, cerebral works because they know that a big portion of their audience is very young. North American companies, as a business as well, only take up and translate series' they think will make money-- which nine times out of ten is a series from a big time manga anthology publication like Shonen Jump.
Bleach and Inu-Yasha, while they seem like very different stories, have one trope in common; a hero who can wield a blade no one else can. While Ichigo and Inu-Yasha as heroes seem like totally different characters, they are both anti-heroes who are both the 'chosen ones'. Yu-gi-Oh!, One Piece, Naruto, Bleach, even Pokemon, they all have one thing in common; the heroes all want to "the very best". Naruto wants to be the best ninja. Ichigo wants to be the next best Shinigami. Yugi wants to be the best card-game player. Monkey D. Luffy wants to be the best pirate. These are all very common tropes in Shounen manga, which are traditions Shonen Jump are okay with having because they sell. This doesn't make these series' anything less, but it makes them more predictable, and often less original.
And that, is what we call 'mainstream' anime and manga.
North American companies grab onto anything that's a hit in Japan and makes it a hit here. And that is what most people see of anime.
So not only is it a very small glimpse into the world of anime and manga, but it is the one most people get. And how can you interest anyone in anything else from that scene when they're convinced "they've seen it all and it sucks"?
This is why the **otaku scene, while it is ever-growing, is still more of an underground scene, hugely populated with fans of mainstream series.
I should also mention that there is a North American version of Shonen Jump, where they translate and run the english versions of the Japanese Shonen Jump issues. I have very fond memories of this, as I grew up in the middle of nowhere; it was my biggest excitement as a kid. While Shonen Jump in Japan is a weekly publication, it is monthly in Canada. I remember waiting until that special day of the month, never knowing when I'd get the next one to catch up with my buddies Monkey D. Luffy and Yusuke Urameshi, hanging on by the edge of my seat just dying to know what happened next.
Then one special day, I'd be lazing around in my room late at night, and my dad would knock on my door to hand me the next issue, which he picked up on the way home from work. It made me incredibly happy, and still holds this strange, bittersweet (but mostly sweet) nostalgia when I stare at that massive pile of Shonen Jumps in the corner of my room. Not only did it always make my week, but I had a feeling the happiness kind of trickled everywhere. My dad was happy to see me so excited and tearing the plastic wrap off of it, my mom the same, and my sister waiting to read it after I was done.
Only now in 2011 are they thinking to make a weekly english language Shonen Jump like it's Japanese counterpart.
If you're looking to expand your knowledge and experience in manga and anime, research some of these genres and find out which ones you like best!
Here are some terms that define certain genres, that are unique to the anime and manga world:
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Shoujo: Literally meaning "girl", it is a genre that is usually along the lines of slice of life, whether it's fantasy, sci-fi, or set in present day time. They are based around relationships and their complications, people and how they interact, friendships, and drama. Shoujo isn't just for girls though, it's for anyone who loves to read character-driven, philosophy-filled adventures.
Seinen: Stories made for a more mature audience. Seinen series' are the kind of series' you read or watch when you're in the mood for a lot of introspection and deep-thinking-- but they're not all serious either. A lot of comedy series' such as Sayounara, Zetsubou Sensei are considered seinen because it takes a more mature audience to fully understand the humor.
Sengoku: Anime or manga centered around the historical period of Japan's history, called Sengoku Jidai, or "Warring States Period".
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Remember, anime and manga come in all the same genres we're used to! Sci-fi, Fantasy, Post-apocalyptic, Psychological Thriller, Horror.. The sky's the limit! Dig a little deeper, and that's when you'll find the real gems. The pictures below are from Alichino by Kouyu Shurei, one of my all-time favourite (discontinued) manga series.
Click here to follow me on twitter! Feel free to message me if you have any anime, manga, or J-gaming questions!
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*Manga-Ka: The creator of a manga series. It usually means they are a writer and an artist, as most manga creators do both. There are, however, teams or duos that put out manga with the help of one another-- these are usually called "circles" or if there are only two, a duo! Duo's usually go by an alias that describes both creators at once. An example of this would be how the two main characters in the anime "Bakuman" (an anime about making manga) choose to call themselves "Ashirogi Muto". Ashirogi Muto is a mash-up of the two characters names, and translates to "Dreams come true". A good example of a circle would be CLAMP, an all girl team that has made nothing but iconic history-making series' together, including CardCaptor Sakura, Magic Knight Rayearth, X/1999 and more.
**Otaku: See my other article here for an explanation.
