Manga Lecture #6

I’m going to tackle seinen and jousei together, as while they tend to be large and important in their own right, they tend to discuss the same subjects.
These are the two mature manga sections, where much of the best material (in my own opinion) is created and located. While these often have subject matter meant for mature audiences (sex, violence, gore, cursing, drug use, and a whole host of other crazy stuff), this is also the place where authors tend to discuss religion, philosophy, world views, politics, and other issues that would not be appealing to young boys or girls. The way that seinen and jousei differ is slight, usually resulting in a difference of focus. Both are character and thematically driven, unlike their action counterparts, and both tend to focus more on the grey areas of choice and decision, as aside to the black and white world view presented in shonen or shojo.

There are also several sub genres within the two mature genres as well. Gekiga is a subgenre that can best be described as Japanese style noir and more grounded pieces as well. Detective stories, gangster tales, and common everyday occurrences would fit into these categories, These are almost without fail a serious telling of a story, with little to no humor, and a darker tone. It usually encompassed only what could be found realistically, not the fanciful tales of the other genres.

Shonen and Jousei Manga

Phoenix*

20th Century Boys*

Hellsing*

Nodame Cantabile*

Honey and Clover*