Best manga of all time that everyone should read
Though manga is currently experiencing a popular renaissance thanks to countless Netflix adaptations, the artistic storytelling medium has a long history.
Where it was once considered a relatively niche interest in the Western world, you’ll now find extensive manga sections in your local Waterstones with releases both old and new for English-speaking enthusiasts to explore.
Though contemporary manga was largely inspired by comic books left by American GIs following the end of the occupation, the history of graphic storytelling in Japan goes back centuries. Manga as we know it is said to have originated from emakimono dating back to the year 1200AD.
An anonymous artist produced a series of painted handscrolls, otherwise referred to as emakimono, depicting anthropomorphic animals engaging in very human activities – from wrestling and horse riding to bathing. Handscrolls of Frolicking Animals (ChÅjÅ« giga), is RyÅko Matsuba and Alfred Haft for The British Museum.
