University in Kyoto to offer 1st graduate course on manga

Wednesday 15th July, 06:14 AM JST

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TeruSensei at 12:42 PM JST - 15th July

The manga industry has suffered greatly in recent years through the proliferation of the new media.

When I read this article, I didn't think "dumbing down" I instantly thought "the future of manga is being saved" by having knowledgeable and skillful professionals out there assuring that quality and worthwhile manga is being created, the medium, and art form, which has been such a vital part of society, can continue to grow and thrive in the next century.

Don't be such cynics! I've studied units on manga and society at an Australian university, and it isn't "dumbing down" - there are worthwhile lessons that come out of the study.
soldave at 01:13 PM JST - 15th July

Japan finally has a course equivalent to "Media studies"!
whynothow at 02:12 PM JST - 15th July

...speechless...
telecasterplayer at 02:16 PM JST - 15th July

Well, if anyone is going to be well-positioned for survival in tough economic times, it'll be legions of nerds drawing comic books. And I'll bet those North Korean troops across the water are looking to Japan and thinking, "man.. what bad-asses!"
whynothow at 02:18 PM JST - 15th July

>

When I read this article, I didn't think "dumbing down" I instantly thought "the future of manga is being saved" by having knowledgeable and skillful professionals out there assuring that quality and worthwhile manga is being created, the medium, and art form, which has been such a vital part of society, can continue to grow and thrive in the next century.

Thank God....manga is saved.. Just one question tho..Worthwhile manga? hell.....lifesaving basball tickets...forgiving winter tires....footlong sentences that mean squat.... life suppressing napalm..... educational car dealerships...mind numbing filth for the dumb masses....
whynothow at 02:24 PM JST - 15th July

Man i hope you were shooting for sarcasm
bushlover at 08:02 PM JST - 15th July

Long live Manga. What will the world be without it?
kirakira25 at 08:09 PM JST - 15th July

Love the "Faculty of Manga" thing. Just like the "Ministry of Sound" in London!

Would love to leave a raft of sarcastic comments about this, but being a Brit I am hardly in a position to comment with all the drossy "degree" programs so many of our universities are offering now. BA in Dance with German and Egyptology anyone??!
Mark_McCracken at 10:14 PM JST - 15th July

GRADUATE level. Unbelievable.

Really? There seem to be plenty of graduate programs available in cinema studies, film making, script writing, film and television. I don't find the availability of a MA program in Manga to be particularly surprising.
smithinjapan at 11:11 PM JST - 15th July

Damn!! McCracken beat me to it!

Anyway, listen guys... I'm as tempted as the lot of you on here to crack jokes about this, and I still will, I'm sure. But we don't know anything about the specifics of the course, and it's possible that it offers some benefits, just like a specialized course in screen play (don't forget story-boards, kids!), do costume design (which involves drawing pics and making swatches, etc.) for Drama, etc.

Let me hear about the specs., first. If it turns out it's just reading comics and 'analyzing' them, well... we may have more to joke about given that it's supposed to be for a Master's degree. I can see where there are some pretty interesting possibilities in terms of studying adaptation, WRITING adaptations (screen, TV), cultural studies, etc.
nandakandamanda at 11:30 PM JST - 15th July

Well, one of their aims must have been to get people talking, and in that they have surely succeeded. Plenty of free advertising.

But actually Kyoto Seika have been teaching Manga, and they've had famous cartoon artist professors there in the Art Department since about 1970. What's in a name?
sf2k at 01:01 AM JST - 16th July

is there mandatory cosplay?
ratpack at 09:33 AM JST - 16th July

Do they offer a degree in manga reading as well??? This whole country would be prime for that one. They could get the 1st year elementary students to get a degree years ahead of their time....and the old geezers on the train could front up as well so long as porno manga was offered!!!hahaha
Shaolin7 at 12:41 AM JST - 17th July

If the coursework consists of something beyond simple "analyze and interpret" esoterica, and has parallel drawing / painting / writing foundation classes paired up with it, then it has real value. Some animation and manga trainees lack traditional, fundamental training in the basics of life drawing, human morphology, and writing.

Then again, after seeing the kind of indentured servitude those poor animators endure, it's a wonder anyone is signing up for those courses!
NatsuNeko at 04:11 AM JST - 17th July

Bushlover... your comment is myopic. Manga is simply another form of art combined with literature. So it's not to your liking. It's obviously not going to be a degree in which you will seek and that is okay. However, some can benefit from such a degree. As with any student, they try to improve and develop any skills they wish to aquire or already have in college to make a living doing something they enjoy.

If you happen to notice, manga is multi-million dollar industry that offers a unique form of entertainment and should not be considered any different than bookreading or moviegoing. The media and presentation are different, but its genre has its niche in the market.

Don't be surprised if in the future someone with a Ph.D in manga earns more than you... they are just smart enough to realize people pay a lot of money for this past time. If they didn't, there would not be a huge Gundam standing in Odaiba ne!