One Thousand Years of Manga
Brigitte Koyama-Richard translated by David Radzinowicz Flammarion 2008

Manga, Japanese comic books, are born out of a rich artistic tradition. This is the subject of the engaging yet ultimately uneven One Thousand Years of Manga by Brigitte Koyama-Richard.

Originally published in France as Mille ans de manga in 2007, this updated English translation by David Radzinowicz is lavishly illustrated by images of scroll paintings, wood block prints, quick educational sketches (what manga originally referred to), and cartoons, comic strips, and comic books (what manga currently refers to).

Koyama-Richard places the kernel of manga, either quick sketches or comic books, with caricature graffiti hidden away in a temple. The other kernel of manga, from the other end of the art spectrum, is narrative scroll paintings.

The famed 18th and 19th century artist Hokusai was the first mangaka (creator of manga). In addition to his famous ukiyo-e wood block printings and massive ink paintings, Hokusai originated quick sketches for educational (and financial) purposes. The development of manga in the early nineteenth century (and the arts of the Edo period in general) are described in the most engaging single chapter of the book.

From that starting point, the manga of today gradually developed out of Western influences like newspapers and magazines that incorporated early cartoons and comic strips.

The book’s narrative of the development of manga falters and becomes uneven with modern manga. Osamu Tezuka, the mangaka whose works (including Astro Boy, Princess Knight, and Phoenix among many others) revolutionized manga to such an extent that he is called “the god of manga”, receives his due coverage, but that coverage is watered down and, honestly, minimized. The same minimizing can be said for the contributions of Akira Toriyama (Dragon Ball), Eichiro Oda (One Piece), Masashi Kishimoto (Naruto), and Rumiko Takahashi (Inuyasha), all of whom get a quick mention or plot synopsis accompanied by a few token images (at least One Piece, the most popular manga in the last twenty years, gets three images!).

Equally frustrating is the lack of focus paid to the development of the manga magazines. Yes, magazines like Weekly Shonen Magazine and Shonen Sunday are mentioned, but in nowhere near the depth that the first run publication of modern manga deserves.

The chapter titled “Selected Manga Artists and Titles” is by far the most uneven, though not the most disappointing, chapter in the book. This is, of course, natural in a chapter that rapid-fire introduces a plethora of mangaka and their work in brief discussions. The mangaka and series mentioned are enticing, but some mangaka are discussed in greater depth and passion than others, while some others are not mentioned at all

The best part of the book is not an individual chapter, but discussions of how certain mangaka and their work are influenced by and refer back to their artistic antecedents that are interspersed throughout the book. A perfect example of this is the extended attention paid to Shigeru Mizuki, who adapted the work of numerous ukiyo-e artists by adding his cute yokai-inspired characters into those famous scenes. Not to be outdone, Kotobuki Shiriagari has an entire series of pastiches of Hokusai’s work, to which Koyama-Richard pays loving attention.

It may or may not be accidental that many of the mangaka whose work Koyama-Richard gives the most critical attention to are those she interviewed for the 2007 edition. These interviews include Shiriagari and the married mangaka Leiji Matsumoto and Miyako Maki among a few others.

Not interviewed, but no less given a significant place in the narrative is the work of Hinako Sugiura, whose work by and large is heavily influenced by the art and culture of the Edo period. Sugiura’s work appears throughout the narrative, not only in the chapters about modern manga but also in the chapters dealing with the Edo period.

One Thousand Years of Manga is, in the end, a fascinating introduction to the art of Japan and discussion of how contemporary Japanese artists are inspired by and use the art of Japan’s past. But as an introduction to manga, namely Japanese comics, the book falters in the shallows as the narrative focuses on other subjects.

-James Holder has a BA in English Literature. He lives in Texas.