• last year
Manga – inspiring creators worldwide

Manga cover so many genres they appeal to every kind of reader, and now that manga has become popular around the globe, there’s a growing number of overseas manga creators too. We talk with Åsa Ekström from Sweden who created a manga about her experiences living in Japan that became a major hit with Japanese readers. At the annual Japan International Manga Awards ceremony for overseas manga creators held by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, first prize this year went to Weili Joming from Taiwan for a manga on a serious topic – how we face death, seen through the eyes of a young funeral director.

VIDEO BY MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS OF JAPAN

Subscribe to The Manila Times Channel - https://tmt.ph/YTSubscribe

Visit our website at https://www.manilatimes.net

Follow us:
Facebook - https://tmt.ph/facebook
Instagram - https://tmt.ph/instagram
Twitter - https://tmt.ph/twitter
DailyMotion - https://tmt.ph/dailymotion

Subscribe to our Digital Edition - https://tmt.ph/digital

Check out our Podcasts:
Spotify - https://tmt.ph/spotify
Apple Podcasts - https://tmt.ph/applepodcasts
Amazon Music - https://tmt.ph/amazonmusic
Deezer: https://tmt.ph/deezer
Stitcher: https://tmt.ph/stitcher
Tune In: https://tmt.ph/tunein

#TheManilaTimes
#DailyNews
#Japan
#Manga
#Mangaka
#Creator
#Drawing
#Worldwide

Category

😹
Fun
Transcript
00:00 [Music]
00:07 The Japanese are famous for their love of manga.
00:16 There are manga covering almost every conceivable genre.
00:22 There's plenty of fantasy, stories of imaginary worlds.
00:26 Stories of young love and romance are immensely popular.
00:31 Manga help students grasp historical topics.
00:35 And for adults, manga illustrate ways to cope with work issues.
00:40 Old or young, male or female, whoever you are, there's sure to be a manga to suit your tastes.
00:49 Recently, manga made by foreign creators have become popular with Japanese audiences.
00:54 This is Åsa Eikström from Sweden.
00:58 Discovering manga as a young child changed her life.
01:04 That manga was Sailor Moon. I was amazed that such things even existed.
01:09 I'd always loved writing stories and drawing pictures.
01:12 And reading Sailor Moon started me thinking that I could create manga myself.
01:17 It was a revelation for me.
01:21 After coming to live in Japan, the first manga she created were simple four-frame stories.
01:28 These stories of her experiences in Japan caught the eye of a major publisher and won her a book contract.
01:37 Her debut books described excitement of first seeing the cherry blossoms,
01:44 adjusting to life in Japan, and making friends here.
01:50 Japanese readers liked seeing their own country through fresh eyes, and her books were a big hit.
02:00 Every year, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan holds an awards ceremony for overseas manga creators.
02:09 Manga are a unique Japanese development.
02:13 Because of the great importance it places on stories and scenarios,
02:17 the manga form really encourages and allows all kinds of creativity.
02:22 That's probably why it's become such a rich and diverse medium.
02:27 Manga have inspired creators worldwide. 383 entered for the awards this year.
02:37 The judges are all professional manga creators and editors themselves.
02:43 It's perfect. Design, backgrounds, layout, everything.
02:47 Wonderful.
02:49 This year, the 14th time the awards have been given,
02:52 first prize was won by Taiwanese manga creator Wei Li-Ju Ming.
02:58 You can see how passionate she has always been about the form.
03:00 Her bookshelves are lined with manga from Japan.
03:07 From reading manga, I learned how important it is to work hard to realize your dreams.
03:14 It's thanks to that I became a manga creator myself.
03:20 Previously, Wei Li had focused on making manga for teenagers.
03:25 This time, however, she tackled a more serious topic,
03:28 a meditation on the life of a mortician as she copes with her somber work.
03:34 The ultimate theme, how we face death.
03:39 Manga have a powerful emotional impact.
03:43 As I create a manga, I'm always fully emotionally involved.
03:47 And of course, I imagine readers also project their own feelings into the story as they read.
03:56 The prize-winning works are exhibited at the Kyoto International Manga Museum
04:00 and at the Yoshihiro Yonezawa Memorial Library of Manga and Subcultures in Tokyo.
04:09 There are no borders in the world of manga.
04:11 It doesn't care for differences in nationality or gender.
04:15 I encourage everyone thinking about becoming a creator to just get out there and do it.
04:20 Write, draw, make works that show your dreams.
04:24 Amaze the world with your creativity.
04:29 Entries for the Japan International Manga Awards are accepted from April to June.
04:35 Each year, the event showcases unique works from artists around the world.
04:39 [Music]
04:41 [Music]
04:43 [Music]
04:45 [Music]
04:47 [Music]
04:49 [Music]
04:51 [Music]
04:53 [Music]

Recommended