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#Post#: 261--------------------------------------------------
What manga should we be inspired by?
By: Lumaria Date: January 13, 2016, 5:20 pm
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Ive seen too many amateur writers get inspired by the wrong
series. Thats not to say that the manga they take inspiration is
bad manga. But some people take inspiration at it from a purely
shallow level.
One Piece, Dragon Ball, and Naruto are the common shonen manga
stories that people want to take inspiration. Usually for the
wrong reasons. Specifically, the main character. Most of these
characters have an off putting, happy-go-lucky, and annoying
quality. What many amateur writers tend to ignore is adding the
thing that keeps us writing. Thats the skin-deep but it's the
core features that make these characters work. One Piece and
Naruto's main both share the quality of loyalty and
determination. Naruto has the added benefit of being more of a
delinquent and not generally accepted as to why he acts the way
he does.
Here's another example for artists who want more detailed
artstyle. Bleach tends to be a common inspiration when it comes
to Ichigo. But certain amateur artist only grasp the "too cool
to care" attitude. Which isn't bad, but there's no originality
added to it. This archetype makes it harder to relate to and
slower to find out information.
Here are manga and even anime to get inspired from:
Fullmetal alchemist. This series in terms of abilities is very
unique. Its basic, but offers limitless potential. But it is
also not overpowered. There's a certain "science" to it that
works. Additionally, these characters have a stretched goal but
they have a clear path. This is what most amateur writers don't
overcome.
Death Note. This series more on how clever and how detailed the
planning gets. Also by turning impossible situations and
realistically turning it around. One more is how characters
work. Specifically the supporting characters. They we're more
grounded to reality.
Also wanted to note for both Fullmetal Alchemist and Death Note,
both of them do not waste their characters. All their characters
become more and more relevant as they continue. Even seemingly
forgotten characters return. I know other series do it, but
these two do it so apparent.
But this is a workshop. So what manga do you believe writers
should be inspired from and not inspired from?
#Post#: 264--------------------------------------------------
Re: What manga should we be inspired by?
By: Paipis Date: January 14, 2016, 1:38 am
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I'm convinced that if there is something an artist likes about
any piece of art, they can't write it off, even if they choose
not to use it because it's overused or something of the sort.
It's a key part of developing voice and style. If you think
about how you even start writing, it consists mainly of
imitating these things. Even professional writers do this,
actually. The difference, however, is that good professional
writers are more preceptive readers and watchers. They are more
attuned to the precise, deeper things that work for them which
allows them to steal things without imitating. For instance, it
may be a contrast between the happy-go-luckiness and the deeper
traits of characters like Naruto or Luffy that a writer likes,
but instead of imitating that exact model they might plug in
different superficial and deeper traits.
I guess my main point in this is that it doesn't matter quite as
much what works, specifically, you take influence from, but your
perceptiveness as a reader and watcher. What helps is to
experience many works in many genres, particularly lauded ones.
Reading and watching things in many different genres can give
insight into old favorites and provide more points of reference
for future readings/watchings.
So yeah, if anybody hasn't watched Fullmetal Alchemist and Death
Note, they should. There are also loads of great works they
should experience as well that aren't within the Action Shonen
or Shonen umbrellas. Or even the manga/anime umbrella. The Human
Centipede, for instance...
...is definitely not one of them.
#Post#: 265--------------------------------------------------
Re: What manga should we be inspired by?
By: Lumaria Date: January 14, 2016, 1:42 am
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Definitely, but there are certain mangas to take inspiration
that are rigged with traps. The opens i mentioned above. It
would be good it make those traps more apparent.
EDIT:
Also, you almost had me at Human Centipede.
#Post#: 268--------------------------------------------------
Re: What manga should we be inspired by?
By: Paipis Date: January 14, 2016, 2:11 am
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Agreed, that's why it's good to compare and contrast them with
other lauded works. I haven't read as much manga as I've seen
anime, to be honest, but, along with FMA and Death Note,
Urasawa's works stand as highlights among what I've read, even
though he tends to stave off development of the main character
and resolution of the conflict a little too long just so he can
introduce a hundred other characters. But he does provide a good
bit of background on those characters which grounds them pretty
well. He also has a great deal of not-attractive characters,
which I find interesting. I think he also does open endings
effectively, in that they generally compel the reader to think
back through the plot and piece things together, even though
sometimes he leaves a little to much to the imagination. Still
they're fun reads. I've been waiting for a 20th Century Boys
anime for a while now.
#Post#: 271--------------------------------------------------
Re: What manga should we be inspired by?
By: John Will Date: January 14, 2016, 4:14 am
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You have a good point, Lumaria. The worst manga in circulation,
in my opinion, is Black Clover. It blatantly and shamelessly
imitates One Piece and Naruto. It should be important that we as
creators move away from taking inspiration from drained ideas as
to not perpetuate unoriginality.
The biggest tragedy of today's storytelling medium is that there
hasn't been a brand new, distinctive genre in over a century (or
more?). Sure there's sub-genres and crossovers, but the fact
that we have a mental block on creating something completely
new, even as an impossibility, is sad. Maybe it is impossible, I
mean, a genre can be seen as something a story simply falls
under. I don't know about any of you, but to me I don't think I
can even comprehend anything new.
Anyway, I do have some suggestions:
Osamu Tezuka: Honestly, anything by him is important. He
invented the 'Story Manga', which has immortalized manga as what
it is today. He's touched on (and built structures for) every
genre and done it better than anyone else. He isn't called the
"God of Manga" in Japan for nothing.
Akira: This classic has amazing direction and it's story is epic
and mind boggling at times.
Dragonball: I know, maybe the most torn to shreds of em' all.
The reason I bring this up is that putting aside dragonball's
bad rep, it has many redeeming qualities. For one: It's
depiction of action. Most manga these days have very unclear
action depictions, they can take lots of time to realize what is
actually on the page. But dragonball's action is very clear, and
I think that is very important. Also the flow of action is very
precise and smooth.
Other than that I really can't suggest much more, personally my
inspiration has turned from manga to other things such as
movies, art, books, and even music. I believe that in order to
nourish and grow the quality of today's manga we need to look to
outside mediums and integrate them.
Another important endeavor is to study and question manga in
depth, don't just think "That's cool, I'm going to use that"
while studying manga, but instead take some time and ask
yourself why you find it cool, it's use, and how you can use it
or even tweak it to your own style.
In closing, here are some movies I'd like to suggest as
inspiration:
Alien: It's important to study the classics of a certain genre,
and when it comes to sci-fi and suspense what is more suiting
than the classic Alien? I recommend you take time and analyze
the cinematography, pacing, momentum, and how they introduce and
depict their characters (I think they are done quite
brilliantly).
Citizen Kane: Everything.
Mad Max Fury Road: This is an amazing source of amazing action
and it's sequences are ruthlessly gripping.
The Dark Knight: I'm not a fan of Chistopher Nolan's Batman, but
damn this movie is a masterpiece. It's interesting to see how a
bizarre character like The Joker can enter any situation and
completely imbue it with intrigue and surprise.
Whiplash: The cinematography and character progression is mind
blowing in this modern classic. You will leave this movie so
full of energy and inspiration that you'll burst out into dance!
But on a serious note it is important to observe how the
characters grow in the movie and how their inner personalities
come out to play.
That is all I have for now, I hope it helps someone.
#Post#: 275--------------------------------------------------
Re: What manga should we be inspired by?
By: Paipis Date: January 14, 2016, 1:35 pm
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Still need to watch Citizen Kane. It's an embarrassing gap in my
watching experience (not that there aren't a lot of those), and
I love Orson Welle's other most lauded film, The Third Man.
Whiplash is definitely a great movie for all the reasons you
say, but it is also an interesting study in accurately conveying
its subject, in that it absolutely does not do that. It seems
not interested at all in realism, not even specific emotions,
but tension, and exaggerates whatever it needs to to build up
tension. (A 20-minute drum solo is that last thing that would go
over well at a jazz education conference, Fletcher is the
furthest thing from a good jazz educator, Andrew Neiman never
practices with a metronome and only practices double-time
swing).
By contrast, a quick look at the author bio and thank you's in
Memoirs of a Geisha reveals how much research actually needs to
go into those subject sometimes. Arthur Golden had, himself, a
Masters in Japanese history, and talked with several experts,
geisha, and other people who simply lived during the
Depression/World War II. It's attention to historical detail is
stunning and its realism lends its emotional properties weight.
Both Memoirs and Whiplash ask "how much research should a writer
do?"
New genres, hmm. Does post-modernism count? It's not
particularly new, but less than a century old. Then there's
post-postmodernism. Seems like someone should come up with
better names.
#Post#: 278--------------------------------------------------
Re: What manga should we be inspired by?
By: John Will Date: January 14, 2016, 9:09 pm
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I need to get my hands on Memoirs of a Geisha, I hear so much
about it. Usually when I buy books I go straight to the classics
section and only pick from there, but I can assume memoirs of a
geisha would be amongst them.
#Post#: 282--------------------------------------------------
Re: What manga should we be inspired by?
By: Lumaria Date: January 15, 2016, 2:57 am
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If we're going to use Dragon Ball, i highly recommend the manga
format over the anime. Here's reasons wy. Although it was the
anime that really turned shonen into a genre of its own (even
though its not), it pushed for more.
I also do NOT recommend Mad Max: Fury Road. At least in terms of
story. Mad Max barely got away with its story. barely. and it
was because of the action it presented. But just like "Avatar",
people will see the flaws, and soon forget the movie.
#Post#: 283--------------------------------------------------
Re: What manga should we be inspired by?
By: John Will Date: January 15, 2016, 3:19 am
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Yes, the manga has the quality that the anime lacks due to it
catching up with the manga (as well as each chapter being 14 or
so pages long, Toriyama got away with it because he started it
as a gag manga, those usually be that short)
And I agree about mad max, action is the only focus, which
works, but the story is bland and uninteresting. It's amazing
that even with a weak story a lot of the best movies shine past
it with fantastic quality elsewhere. Still, with a bad story you
will always walk away from the movie feeling that something is
missing, or disappointing, regardless of how much you are blown
away by everything else.
#Post#: 439--------------------------------------------------
Re: What manga should we be inspired by?
By: Crackhead Johny Date: February 20, 2016, 4:44 pm
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Naruto Bleach Z is a great inspiration and serves as an example
of what not to do. I speak from a quality stand point and not
form a success/profit standpoint. You want to make money with
garbage here is a step by step guide on how to make Naruto
Bleach Z,
HTML http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/SoYouWantTo/WriteAShonenSeries
For art inspiration There are the likes of Otomo and Miyazaki
and others who get imitated. There there are others like Yukito
Kishiro who do not get imitated as it would take too much work.
I'd love to see more Kishiro imitators. From an art stand point
the big thing is first learn how to draw real people, really
well and then adapt them to manga look, this will help prevent
the "teenage American manga artist" look. You know the look, you
have seen it on desks and school folders.
When it comes to story telling drawing inspiration from just
manga is a huge mistake. While you have people like Satoshi Kon
turning out good fresh stuff in his anime (not any more) most
manga is imitation of bad original content.
As manga is just a medium it would be best if you had a broad
experience with all stories and thus have more to draw from.
If you thought those Mocking Jay movies were garbage, go hit up
the manga that got ripped off Battle Royale.
As for Citizen Kane it is the most over rated movie of all time.
There is a very good reason for this. It is the movie where
Hollywood fought the power and won. They will spend eternity
patting themselves on the back about that, even though they have
become the evil power to be stood up against, just like when
Orson Welles stood up against the insane power of William
Randolph Hearst. See RKO 281 id you watch Kane.
If you want to be a critic you have to love it (those are the
rules) and you have to pat Hollywood on the back.
Watch Being There.
Watch Blade Runner
Wathc Mamaro Oshis's stuff
Wathc Satoshi Kon's stuff
Watch Otomo's stuff (especially his collections, Neo Tokyo,
Short Peace, Robot Carnival, and best of all Memories.)
Miyazaki stuff
M Night shamalamadingdong brought the plot twist front and
center and shows the dangers of being a one trick pony.
Watch Star Wars and The Hidden Fortress back to back to learn
how to rip off other's work.
The magnificent 7 and The 7 samurai back to back to learn how to
rip off and regionalize/retell.
Watch A Clock Work Orange
Read 1984, A Brave New World, Animal Farm, Fahrenheit 451
(original asbestos cover if you can find it :) ), READ Harrison
Bergeron to understand tumblr, A wizard of Earthsea (not the
anime!!!!!), Neuromancer (to learn awesome prose), Snowcrash,
Aristoi (a new way to write stories), KW Jeter's NOIR ( a modern
1984. heck, read most of his books, he has fresh ideas). The
Sandman Slim series to learn how to drip cool on your stuff. A
Fire on The Sun/When Gravity Fails (learn you some Islam!). The
Moon is a Harsh Mistress,
Watch Once Upon a Time in the West and old spaghetti westerns to
refine your baddest man alive/man on a mission.
Most of all, live life, do new stuff and always talk to people
as well as just watch them.
As a story teller, if you want to make manga by being inspired
by manga, you are in a closed loop and are just waiting to rip
off the next big thing. It is like digging through the toilets
of people who just ate at 3 Michelin star restaurants and
thinking what you take from there and serve will allow you to
open your own 3 star restaurant.
As an artist, once you are good at real humans and real humans
in action, then it is time to learn to do everyone's style, like
an art forger. Then just draw for a few years and see what your
style looks like.
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