San Francisco Frontiers - Manga's roots and influence celebrated in Paris exhibition

"Manga. An Art of its Own!" opened Wednesday at the Guimet Museum in western Paris, which specialises in Asian art.

Organisers have chosen to present ancient artefacts alongside some of the world's most famous modern mangas such as "Dragon Ball", "One Piece" and "Naruto".

Noh theatre masks, kamishimos (samurai outfits) and katanas (swords) are displayed next to original drawings, with the layout intended to reflect the creativity of modern comics that have taken the world by storm.

"This is not a comic book exhibition like the others: it's an exhibition that places comic books in parallel with the Guimet's collection," exhibition co-curator Didier Pasamonik told AFP.

In one instance, visitors can see a real "dragonball", a statue which was offered by a Japanese shogun to French leader Napoleon III, Pasamonik said.

"This will allow young readers who know Dragon Ball (the best-selling manga) to discover that it doesn't come out of nowhere," he added.

Elsewhere, visitors are invited to discover the origins of the word "manga", formed from the Japanese terms "man" (spontaneous) and "ga"(drawing).

It also explains how Japan's encounter with the West in the late 19th century through trade and cultural exchange helped give birth to the art form.

Japanese artists seized on the European tradition of newspaper caricatures and adapted it to their culture, adding Japan's rich mythology and using it in kamishibai, a form of traditional street theatre.

Different manga styles are represented, from shojo -- works originally geared towards girls that later gained huge popularity -- to the gekiga movement, a darker and more realistic style intended for adults.

- Hokusai influence -

A whole room is devoted to famed Japanese Katsushika Hokusai's "Great Wave off Kanagawa", created with woodblock prints in 1831.

The artwork's "clear and structured lines" already "foreshadow the aesthetics of comic books", said Pasamonik.

While giving the visitors keys to understanding the history of manga, the show also attempts to explain the medium's impact.

Series like "Astro Boy", "Naruto" and "Akira" have played "a fundamental role in the process of Japanization of European popular culture", Bounthavy Suvilay, a lecturer at the University of Lille, writes in the exhibition catalogue.

They have created "a transnational community of fans, transcending linguistic and cultural boundaries," she added.

The world of manga can also be seen in video games ("Super Mario", "The Legend of Zelda"), animated series ("Grendizer", "Captain Harlock") and Pokemon cards.

It has even influenced fashion, as shown by Louis Vuitton, Gucci and Julien David outfits on show at the Guimet Museum.

N.Flores--SFF