The Semiotic Concept of Natsume Fusanosuke in the Study of Manga Expressions

Abstract

The article discusses the concept coined by Japanese manga researcher Natsume Fusanosuke. In comparison with other researchers who pay attention to the plots in manga, Natsume Fusanosuke paid his attention to the visual components: signs and symbols in manga, as well as the type of lines and functioning of the panel. This approach is related to the field of semiotics. We will try to understand the essence of this approach, also known as “manga grammar” (manga bunpō). The main object of the study for us will be Natsume’s book Why Is Manga So Interesting? (Manga wa naze omoshiroi no ka, 1997), the first section of which is compiled from the previously written book The Science of Manga by Natsume Fusanosuke (Natsume Fusanosuke no manga gaku, 1985). In his 1997 book, the researcher refers to the works of various manga authors — Tezuka Osamu, Saito Takao, Azuma Hideo, Tanioka Yasuji, Tsuge Yoshiharu, etc., who have their own unique graphic style, and then proceeds to analyze manga expressions. The article pays close attention to the integral elements of manga and their interpretation by Natsume Fusanosuke. The function of each of these elements is described in more detail: the function of lines, the function of panel, the function of text, the function of sound effects (onomatopoeia), the function of symbols (manpu). The article also shows how Natsume Fusanosuke’s semiotic concept, where all elements are analyzed and systematized, is based on the concepts of other researchers — for example, Kandinsky’s theory of abstract drawing described in “Point and Line to Plane” (1926).