Manga and Japanese Socioeconomic Development

The art of manga, Japanese anime, is unique for its style of drawing and its themes which reflect Japanese socioeconomic development. After studying Japanese contemporary culture, I noticed that manga is perhaps the best known Japanese pop culture worldwide. Today it is common to find whole sections of manga in bookstores in the United States. Considering my analysis of Inside the World of Japanese Popular Culture, manga are successful worldwide because they are considered not just superficial entertainment, but also reflect Japan's socioeconomic development. I decided to select some manga representing different phases in Japanese society. Starting from after World War II until the 1990s, the manga I have chosen to analyze are Astro Boy, Speed Racer, My Neighbor Totoro, and Sailor Moon. I also connect them to David J.Lu's book Japan: A Documentary History, a comparison that illustrates how manga and the Japanese socioeconomic development are connected, I noticed that manga themes are inspired by trends in Japan's socioeconomic development.

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