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Post by Kyubey on Nov 10, 2014 13:59:15 GMT -5
So. It's over. As Naruto definitely kept on going after its glory years had ended, and became something of a parody of itself by the time it was done, it's easy to remember the series as the punchline of Shonen Jump. For a good few months, one of the most fun things about the chatbox was riffing on whatever dumb new development was in the latest chapter. Still, one cannot deny that, while not a good series, Naruto was an important one. At the height of its popularity, it was the singular poster child of the infamous "Anime Bubble," and even now is distinctly evocative of a certain part of anime culture, again, not really a good one, but still a piece that can't just be ignored. And of course, there was the surge of often-forgot series littering the pages of Shonen Jump that blatantly tried to coast of its success. The biggest, dumbest giant is still a giant, and should be recognized as such. It ending, therefore, is a huge deal, and one that is sure to shape what is to come. But what really is there to expect? As I pondered this question, a certain bit of news caught my eye. The Japanese Shueisha website has posted, for free, the entire issue of Jump where it first began, fifteen years ago. It's all in Japanese, but you can relive the nostalgia here: plus.shonenjump.com/client_info/SHUEISHA/html/player/viewer.html?tw=1&lin=1&cid=SHSA_JP01WJ1993043D01_57 Funny enough, this issue also contained the final chapter of Rurouni Kenshin, an ending that shares a few things in common with Naruto's own conclusion. Ah, all the memories I have are beautiful in my mind... but they don't feed the hunger deep inside my soul. After the nostalgia trip you no doubt just experienced, this brings up a few questions. The big ones being, in what ways, if any, are today's Jump issues different from the ones at the time of Naruto's first release? What exactly has changed since then? And, now that it's all over, what will the next fifteen years be like? Will some new work take up the mantle as everyone's Shonen Jump Darling? Can a story like that even survive in today's climate? Is battle shonen a beast that's finally begun to die? Can it be revived? Following a tradition set by CJ, I will refrain from answering my own question until others have posted. This is not a topic with any easy answers, so there's no limit to speculation. Please, tell me your thoughts! |
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Post by Morcombe on Nov 10, 2014 19:14:49 GMT -5
battle shonen are looking screwed in recent jump, it's all gag manga that are taking over: assassination classroom (I think, only read chapters 1-16 and they were comedy focused mostly), Psi Kusou Saiki, Isobee or sport manga: Haikyuu, Hinomaru Zumou
Boku no Hero is doing really well, it's first volume sold out but av only read chapter 1 and dunno exactly what kind of manga it's gonna be yet.
But personally I hope that there is no next giant at least for a while, I'd like the votes from Naruto to be evenly distributed throughout the magazine so that hopefully the toc jumps around so much that Jump cannot outright cancel a series at least not if its under chapter 20 like they have done in the last decade. I know jump is cutthroat but you need far more than just 2 volumes develop a good story.
Hopefully this would also make sure that series end around the 15-40 volumes mark, only 5 manga have went beyond 50 volumes in jump and One Piece is the only one that is still good after that point and I was worried for a while because Fishman Island was a horrible arc to me and Punk Hazard was pretty average and dragged on to long thankfully Dressrosa has been great imo, Bleach has sucked since volume 28 and Naruto gets poor after Pain's invasion and then awful once Tobi is revealed to be Obito, Gin Tama I dropped at volume 13 because I hate it's gag arcs but it's serious arcs where really good, just not a big fan of gag manga and Kochikame isn't translated and at 190+ volumes I'd probably never read it anyway.
When I look purely at volume 1 and 2 of Naruto, Bleach and One Piece then Naruto would be my fav out of them. Mainly because I hate Koby and the Morgan and Buggy arcs are pretty average and I dislike the Bleach end of volume 2 that introduces Kon. So I guess from Volumes 1 and 2 One Piece would be in 3rd position for me, where as now after so many volumes each I now consider One Piece to be the greatest manga of all time.
So yeah really just hope the votes are more spread around so that the manga can last longer and really get a chance to establish themselves cause losing Sensei no Bulge, Takamagahara, Iron Knight, Illegal rare and probably now after the latest toc Hi-Fi Cluster just sucks, these all had great potential to be something big but never got the chance.
wishful thinking I know but I can dream.
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Post by CJ on Nov 11, 2014 1:03:52 GMT -5
battle shonen are looking screwed in recent jump, it's all gag manga that are taking over: assassination classroom (I think, only read chapters 1-16 and they were comedy focused mostly) From what I've read, Ass Class has gotten a little more serious. I really do need to catch up though. I can't agree with this statement more. I really would like to see better series come out of the wood works. Bit of a tangent, but I actually prefer Bleach's beginning of the three. I feel like it's the most organic and the most logical. Then, I prefer Naruto and after that One Piece. One Piece starts out really, really weak but it evolves into something so much more after that, so I can't help but respect its humble roots. Honestly, I don't have high hopes for the manga industry after this. Attack on Titan's essentially the new Naruto at this point, but the manga isn't that big of a selling point. As much as I adore Isayama's story, his art doesn't hold up well, especially in the first few volumes. Naruto's always been on best seller lists and it'll be a huge dent in Viz profits when it goes. I'm sure things will be fine though. Like American comics, manga will always have its place. We might see a lack of physical manga and more on the digital side to make profits, but if that's how it's going to be... ah well. My hopes are that new mangaka look to take shonen in more unique directions like Ass Class. I'm tired of swords and tropes. Of course, because I'm CJ, I'd also like to see more women take starring roles like Mako from Soul Eater. |
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Post by Kyubey on Nov 12, 2014 5:00:58 GMT -5
As Naruto's era ends, what's become more apparent than anything else is, the lack of new material of its kind. Gone are the days when Fairy Tail could be considered new, and Toriko more directly follows much older manga traditions than its contemporaries. The shonen battle market has always favored old long-runners than prospective new talent, and while a lot of this has to do with publishers sticking to the familiar, I believe it also has to do with the changing moods of both readers and artists alike. The concept of a "Big Three," having been so long accepted as some sort of universal fact in the manga world, is a concept that is dead and buried, as sales and public attention can attest to. There have been signs that the old techniques are still in play, like World Trigger, but it's incredibly doubtful that it will ever reach the same level as its predecessors. This is not a point against World Trigger's quality, as much as it is a point against its timing. More so than the ending of Naruto alone, where we are right now is important as a moment of great potential change. This isn't just Naruto's conclusion, with this, Bleach's upcoming close, and the lack of a clear replacement this is a sign of the slow end to the era that Dragonball Z began. One Piece is still going strong, but as of right now, it's looking to be the last great example of Toriyama-derived works.
As for what the next thing is, CJ pretty much nailed that Attack on Titan's the hot new manga that everyone's attention is on, with similar levels of fervor. Whether or not the art holds up, or if it's a classic for the ages or if it is set for a fall, one cannot understate the impact that both the manga and the anime are making at this point in time, right now. One need only see the number of cosplayers in brown jackets at every convention for confirmation of that. Even the crowds that normally don't check out anime are looking into Attack on Titan, and who could blame them? That opening is really catchy! But more than that, it's also indicative of a style that's far removed from the battle shonen we've come to know and love since fifteen years ago when One Piece was hitting its stride and Naruto just began. It's darker, bleaker, and with action scenes quite different from the conventional idealistic "call out attacks and win with friendship" formula. Regardless of if it's a truly good series or not, it's an alternative that people are flocking to, a sign of changing tastes across the board.
Even in Jump, the change couldn't be clearer, and I think the best example of that would be Ass Class and Gintama. While the latter is not a new series by any means, in recent years is when it's really started to flex its narrative muscles, and has gotten a fair deal of recognition for that, while Ass Class is rising steadily to fame with several adaptations, and impressive ratings to boot. Not quite as marketable as the "Big Three" ever were, what they do have in common is a strong, often contrasting, blend of comedy and drama, and highly unique story structures, while still staying recognizably shonen. There's something distinctly experimental about these two works, that kind of suggests that their authors are, more than anything, freely making things they want, without worrying about seeming "weird" or "different," and the response has been favorable. I suspect that we'll be getting quite a few more of these sorts of explorations in genre, before a more definite trend sets in place. Such is the way it goes, in times of transition.
Manga, in general, is still a very, very young art form, and one that is so varied, it's hard to say whether a genre or demographic will ever stay in one place too long. But it is growing, and with growth comes a wider audience, and with that calls a need to mature. This does not mean that everything need take itself as serious as Attack on Titan does, but it does mean that there's cause, now more than ever, to venture outside the familiar and reexamine what this art form even is. Even anime is in the process of something of a renaissance right now, that started with Madokes and is continuing right along with shows like Kill la Kill and Space Dandy. There's too many directions we can go in right now, so, more than what will happen, I think we should speculate on what can happen, and even more importantly, the part we play in shaping that. With all these new ideas and different directions, what sells and what doesn't is vital. And heck, even if we're not going in a good direction right now, that can always change. Will anime and manga die? One day, probably, but we are far, FAR from that point. Lamenting is fun, but only for a while. It's much more rewarding to watch something grow.
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