Autism and manga

Manga can cover many topics in life that prefer not to be said. It can cover issues of war, politics, Gender roles, discrimination and much more. But there is one topic in particular I would never thought I'd see in manga format. Autism. You didn't see that one coming did you? Neither did I. For me this is a very intriguing topic to see in manga, mostly because I can relate it it a lot. My niece, who's turning three in may, is diagnosed with Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD-NOS) and I have been diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD) since I was three. Both my niece and I are part of the Autistic spectrum (ASD). Surprise!
Funny thing, I've learned from past experiences that anything associated with the word "Autistic" is a conversation-stopper. Like one time, In Japanese class I had to tell my teacher to be patient with me and my need for extended time on tests because I had ADHD. I could tell she rarely worked with special students. Or another time, I was arguing with my art teacher over my involvement with the art show manager and I yelled "Does she have an Autistic niece that she helps take care of?!", his expression was priceless and automatically he shut up and listened to me. I find it funny to see their faces.
As you can see, seeing the topic of autism in manga is very interesting to me. I've only seen hints of it in manga, but I've never seen it as a major part of manga. For example, in the popular manga "Death note" the detective "L" has certain actions and body language, like holding his knees in a chair and being very intelligent but social inept, points to Asperger syndrome. It's only a rumor but it's very likely that "L" has it. But aside from that I've rarely seen characters with special needs in manga. That is, untill I discovered this manga book that widened my eyes.


MANGA REVIEW: With the light: Raising an autistic child

Art and story by: Keiko Tobe

This is probably the first manga I read that focuses on autism as part of the comic. Which is a big deal to me. It's a beautiful story. It centers around Sachiko, who gives birth to her first born child Hikaru (japanese for "light"). As a baby she notices how he isn't developing like a normal baby and seeks a doctor to help. The doctor diagnoses Hikaru with autism. Sachiko goes through many trials and errors taking care of Hikaru, first her mother in law was frustrated with Hikaru because she couldn't understand why he was like that, and sachiko's husband was too busy with work to notice. But eventually, the husband is forced to take notice and instead of distancing himself from Hikaru, he begins to spend more time with his family to help his wife and understand Hikaru. As Hikaru grows up the mother begins to learn more about him like his fear of loud noises, his high sensitivity and the things he does like, like trains. Eventually Hikaru has a little sister and starts to take to her like a big brother. The manga progresses with Hikaru going through everyday life and going to different schools. At times the story seems dark by the reactions and protests of other people to Hikaru's actions. But there are light and funny moments. Like when one he is in junior high, he invites some of his friends to his house. Sachiko comes in the room because she's excited to see her son's friends and how they're doing. Hikaru then holds his mom's hand and starts to lead her. She wonders with excitement where he is leading her to. They step out of the room, Hikaru let's go of her hand and goes back inside. She then realizes her son was embarrassed by her and escorted her out, Just like a regular kid!
I really like this story because when I read it I wonder about my niece Violet. It makes me wonder how she sees and feels the world. And by the way Hikaru talks, it gives me hope that Violet will also talk. Right now she usually hums, shouts, giggles or signs with her hands. But I wait for the day Violet walks up to me with a piece of paper and a pencil and says "Draw mickey mouse." (I did the same thing to my big sister. I always asked her to draw sonic the hedgehog) I wont mind if she doesn't say "please". "With the light" is a very beautiful story, I once cried after reading it. I really like the manga for portraying Autism in a realistic manner. It shows Japan's special education services and their manner of teaching. It shows the many difficulties with taking care of an autistic child, but it also shows the hidden joys that comes with it. A good example of this, is when Hikaru, randomly walks up to Sachiko, grabs her apron and says in a clear voice "Mommy". Now all I have to do is make Violet say "Auntie". Which is hopefully very soon.

Can you even make manga "Realistic"?

Hey guys, long time no see. I haven't been blogging too much because I'm hard at work on my art portfolio for college. A few days ago I had to overcome one of my many weaknesses in art. Proportions. I have never been so frustrated to get a single pose anatomically correct in my LIFE. I've been really hitting the books on my anatomy (including one book and a male art mannequin that my brother got for me) and I've been really studying proportions. I've learned that the average human is about 8 1/2 heads tall. So now I've been working on my figures and measuring them to make sure they're 8 1/2 heads tall. So I guess I've been making my characters more "Realistic". I've also been looking at how to draw comic and how to draw manga books for figures and they don't follow regular proportions. Some characters are only 7 heads tall (which is the size of a 12 year old) and some are 9 heads tall (like the super buff American super heroes).

I think it's very hard to make characters "Realistic" when you're trying to maintain a manga style, which is characterized by insane proportions and super deformed characters. The manga I've seen that follows realistic proportions are mostly Senin or "Mature" manga. Like "Ninja scroll" or "Vagabond". Manga gears towards mature audiences generally follow a realistic style that to be comically deformed like manga for younger audiences. I've seen only a few teen manga that follow realistic proportions. But it's hard to follow realistic proportions, because it's a lot of work. But I think realistic proportions can make the characters seem more realistic and more believable than a small chibi character. It may have nothing to do with manga but the movie "Avatar" follows very realistic proportions in their design of the Na'vi. The bodies are over 9ft but they are proportional like a human. Even their faces can mimic real human expressions. It goes to show you that by making your characters realistic, the reader can relate to them as if they were real. Here's one manga that follows that.

MANGA REVIEW: Death Note

Story by: Tsugumi Ohba

Art by: Takeshi Obata

Anyone who knows manga definately knows this super popular series. For those who hate it, I won't force you to read the rest. For those who don't know it, it's about a teen, Light Yagami who stumbles upon a black notebook called a death note. When he reads it. He learns it is a tool used by Shinigami, Death gods, to write the name of a fated person and kill them by natural causes or accidents. Light is forced to use it when a person is in danger and then has to bear the weight of killing a human being. But as he begins to use it more often to kill criminals, he begins to become a godlike figure called "Kira". He is then Visited by the owner of the notebook, Ryuk, who is amused by light and how he has used the notebook. Light tells him how he will use the death note to create a new world order filled with justice. As bizarre killings go on in japan, a special detective called "L" investigates and tries to track down the man called "Kira". The whole manga is a super natural game of "Cat and mouse". The story is good and the scenes do get talkative but what I really like about the series is the art. Obata uses a realistic style of manga to help draw the story and match it's mature themes. The charatcers are drawn in realistic proportions with no distortion (except for the shinigami, who scream "Hot topic") and the settings are hyper detailed. Like, Light's room looks like a real room, not too tall, not distorted. It almost reminds me of the detailing in Hirohiko Araki's "Jojo's bizarre adventure". The facial expressions do have a "manga" feel, but they're also realistic. Obata's style of "Manga Realism" really brings out the mature capabilities of manga (the manga itself is for 16 and up), That it can accurately portray human figures and human emotion correctly. That's what makes Death note a good read for aspiring manga artists hoping to go for a more realistic style.