When we talk about manga , works and demographics from the commercial circuit immediately come to mind. Much of the success of manga and anime in Brazil came with the popularization, from the 90s onwards, of productions such as Knights of the Zodiac and Dragon Ball Z, so this association is natural. However, the history of Japanese pop culture is extensive and encompasses much more than just the genres and productions we routinely consume. Examples of this are gekigá manga , little known compared to types like shounen or shoujo. Therefore, in this post we will explain what gekigá manga are and we will give you some reading tips to familiarize you with the genre.
What is gekiga?
Gekigá manga emerged in Japan around the 1960s, bringing mature and realistic narratives aimed at an adult audience. The term gekigá means something like “dramatic figures” or “dramatic images” and emerged from artists who wanted to differentiate their manga from children's works. Not only the stories, but the layout and style of the gekigá movement are also realistic. Thus, these mangas moved away from the cartoonish characteristics of other works of the period. Over time, gekigá gave way to seinen.
Therefore, this type of work is an important part of the history of Japanese pop culture. Thus, much of what we see today in certain manga and anime was influenced by gekigá. However, as they are not part of the large commercial circuit of the manga industry in the West, these works are not as popular in Brazil. Furthermore, as it is a slightly older movement, gekigá does not always appeal to all audiences. But even so, there are good manga of this type published in Brazil that are worth reading.
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The Price of Dishonor: Kubidai Hikiukenin
Japan. Shogunate. At a certain point, the struggles fought in the conflicting territories began to be negotiated and gained economic contours, when honor, tradition and glory were replaced by pure and simple commerce. Through bargains made during a sword fight on the battlefield, the defeated could keep their head on their neck... as long as they paid the right amount to do so.
The Price of Dishonor is written by Hiroshi Hirata and is published in Brazil in a single volume by Pipoca & Nanquim .
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Satsuma Gishiden
After the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600, Japan experienced a long period of peace. However, this peace is only apparent... Wars on the battlefield ceased, but new types of conflict emerged in the souls of the inhabitants of the country's provinces, especially among the samurai, who lost their purpose in life overnight. After all, what does a warrior do without war?
Also by Hiroshi Hirata, Satsuma Gishiden has three volumes published by Pipoca & Nanquim.
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Message to Adolf
In this story we follow the lives of three Adolfs. The first of them is the son of a Nazi officer at the German consulate in Japan. The other is a Japanese son of Jewish immigrants. And the third is… Adolf Hitler. Three completely different people, with only their name in common, whose destinies are intertwined with that of a Japanese reporter named Souhei Touge, holder of a valuable document that holds a serious secret about Hitler.
Message to Adolf has two volumes and is also published by Pipoca & Nanquim.
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Golgo 13
Robust and unfriendly, Golgo 13, also known by the pseudonym Duke Togo, is a ruthless professional killer. Extremely cold and competent, G13 never fails in its missions. In the first adventure, Golgo 13 needs to kill a former double agent sentenced to death in the United States. In the second story, he becomes involved in a conspiracy to kidnap the then Pope John Paul II.
Golgo 13 is from JBC and has three volumes.
These are just some of the countless gekigá manga, but they can already give an idea of the characteristics of the old movement and, who knows, win over new fans.
