Senseless or Sensible?: The Values of Manga (Japanese Comics) as a Popular Cultural Product in the Thai Society
Keywords:
manga, Japanese comics, popular cultural productAbstract
“Stop reading manga. It’s useless.” is a common sermon preached by parents to their kids. To many parents, manga is not a book worth reading but imaginative, shallow and nonsense reading material. Manga is often condemned as the cause of social problems in relation to kids and teenagers. Although Japanese manga and animation have gained popularity among Thai children since 1970s, it is merely recognized for the entertainment and economic values for manga and animation importers. These values are usually limited to the publishing industry, media, and character merchandising. Nevertheless, every coin has two sides. For the Japanese studies, manga reflects culture, how Japanese view and understand the world, and historical context at the time of publication. For other disciplines, the studies of manga which reflect other kinds of values are still limited. To identify that manga has contributed to Thai society in other aspects, related literatures are reviewed. This paper discusses values of Japanese manga for Thai society, namely, psychoanalysis, young adult literature, alternative sexuality, religion and philosophy, marketing, and innovation. Ultimately, it is this paper’s objective to ignite a spark of interest in the study of manga from multidisciplinary perspectives.
References
เอกสารภาษาไทย
วีรยุทธ พจน์เสถียรกุล. (2562). หยินหยาง เพศสภาพลื่นไหลดุจสายน้ำ--แค่สาดน้ำก็แปลงเพศได้กับ “รันม่า”. สืบค้นเมื่อ 28 กรกฎาคม 2562 จาก https://thepeople.co/ranma-gender-man-woman
Translated Thai References
Podsatiangool, W. (2019 [2562]). Yin Yang Phet Saphap Luen Lai Dut Sainam--Khae Sat Nam Ko Plaeng Phet Dai Kap “Ran Ma”. Retrieved July 28, 2019, from https://thepeople.co/ranma-gender-man-woman
เอกสารภาษาอังกฤษ
Bouissou, J-M. (2010). Manga: A Historical Overview. In T. Johnson-Woods (Ed.), Manga: An Anthology of Global and Cultural Perspectives (pp. 17–33). New York, NY: Continuum.
Brienza, C. (2009). Books, not Comics: Publishing Fields, Globalization, and Japanese Manga in the United States. Publishing Research Quarterly, 25(2), 101–117.
Brienza, C. (2014). Did manga conquer America? Implications for the cultural policy of 'Cool Japan'. International Journal of Cultural Policy, 20(4), 383–398.
Brophy, P. (2010). Osamu Tezuka’s Gekiga: Behind the Mask of Manga. In T. Johnson-Woods (Ed.), Manga: An Anthology of Global and Cultural Perspectives (pp. 128–136). New York, NY: Continuum.
Chambers, S. N. I. (2012). Anime: From Cult Following to Pop Culture Phenomenon. The Elon Journal of Undergraduate Research in Communications, 3(2), 94–101.
Chen, A. C. (2011). Japan's Illustrated Storytelling: A Thematic Analysis of Globalized Anime and Manga. Keio Communication Review, 33, 85–98.
Chen, A. C. (2012). Cartoon Planet: The Cross-Cultural Acceptance of Japanese Animation. Asian Journal of Communication, 22(1), 44–57.
Cohn, N. (2010). Japanese Visual Language: The Structure of Manga. In T. Johnson-Woods (Ed.), Manga: An Anthology of Global and Cultural Perspectives (pp. 187–203). New York, NY: Continuum.
Cole, P. B. (2009). Young Adult Literature in the 21st Century. Boston, MA: McGraw-Hill Higher Education.
Drummond-Mathews, A. (2010). What Boys Will Be: A Study of Shōnen Manga. In T. Johnson-Woods (Ed.), Manga: An Anthology of Global and Cultural Perspectives (pp. 62–76). New York, NY: Continuum.
Ewen, R. B. (2010). An Introduction to Theories of Personality (7th ed.). New York, NY: Psychology Press.
Glaus, M. (2014). Text Complexity and Young Adult Literature: Establishing Its Place. Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy, 57(5), 407–416.
Goldstein, L., & Phelan, M. (2009). Are You There God? It’s Me, Manga: Manga as an Extension of Young Adult Literature. Young Adult Library Services, 7(4), 32–38.
Grigsby, M. (1998). Sailormoon: Manga (Comics) and Anime (Cartoon) Superheroine Meets Barbie: Global Entertainment Commodity Comes to the United States. Journal of Popular Culture, 32(1), 59-80.
Hofstede, G., Hofstede, G. J., & Minkov, M. (2010). Cultures and Organizations: Software of the Mind: Intercultural Cooperation and Its Importance for Survival. (3rd ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.
Imaoka, L. B. (2010). Consuming and Maintaining Difference: American Fans Resisting the Globalization of Japanese Pop Culture. disClosure: A Journal of Social Theory, 19, 73–82.
Ito, K. (2005). A History of Manga in the Context of Japanese Culture and Society. The Journal of Popular Culture, 38(3), 456–475.
Iwabuchi, K. (2002). Recentering Globalization: Popular Culture and Japanese Transnationalism. Durham, NC: Duke University Press.
Kaya, P. H. (2015). Joseph A. Schumpeter’s Perspective on Innovation. International Journal of Economics, Commerce and Management, 3(8), 25–37.
McCraw, T. K. (2007). Prophet of Innovation: Joseph Schumpeter and Creative Destruction. Cambridge, MA: The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press.
Mínguez-López, X. (2014). Folktales and Other References in Toriyama’s Dragon Ball. Animation, an Interdisciplinary Journal, 9(1), 27–46.
Natsume, F. (2004). East Asia and Manga Culture: Examining Manga-Comic Culture in East Asia. In R. G. Abad (Ed.), The Asian Face of Globalisation: Reconstructing Identities, Institutions, and Resources: The Papers of the 2001 API Fellows (pp. 95–106). Tokyo, Japan: The Nippon Foundation.
Neely, A., Filippini, R., Forza, C., Vinelli, A., & Hii, J. (2001). A Framework for Analyzing Business Performance, Firm Innovation and Related Contextual Factors: Perceptions of Managers and Policy Makers in Two European Regions. Integrated Manufacturing Systems. 12(2), 114–124.
Nilsen, A. P., & Donelson, K. L. (2009). Literature for Today's Young Adults (8th ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson.
Phornprapha, J., & Podsatiangool, W. (2019). Revisiting The Notion of Innovation and Its Impact on Thailand’s Economic Policy: A Case Study of Japanese Manga. JATI-Journal of Southeast Asian Studies. 24(1), 97–116.
Piatti-Farnell, L. (2013). Blood, Biceps and Beautiful Eyes: Cultural Representations of Masculinity in Masami Kurumada's Saint Seiya. Journal of Popular Culture, 46(6), 1133-1155.
Podsatiangool, W. (2017). Why Do Americans Say No to Doraemon?: Examining Power Relations Between American and Japanese Popular Culture in Intercultural Communication through the Lens of Semiotics. Journal of English Studies, 12(2), 71–105.
Poitras, G. (2008). What is Manga. Knowledge Quest, 36(3), 49.
Prough, J. (2010a). Marketing Japan: Manga as Japan's New Ambassador. ASIANetwork Exchange, 17(2), 54-68.
Prough, J. (2010b). Shōjo Manga in Japan and Abroad. In T. Johnson-Woods (Ed.), Manga: An Anthology of Global and Cultural Perspectives (pp. 93–106). New York, NY: Continuum.
Ranyard, J. (2006). Japanese Anime and the Life of the Soul: Full Metal Alchemist. Psychological Perspectives, 49, 267–277.
Roland, K. (2006). Japanamerica: How Japanese Pop Culture Has Invaded the U. S. New York, NY: Palgrave Macmillan.
Srimaneekulroj, K. (2015, August 21). Down with Comics. Bangkok Post. Retrieved from https://www.bangkokpost.com/life/social-and-lifestyle/664448/down-with-comics.
Yamato, E. (2012). Accumulating Japanese Popular Culture: Media Consumption Experiences of Malaysian Young Adults. Media Asia, 39(4), 199–208.
วีรยุทธ พจน์เสถียรกุล. (2562). หยินหยาง เพศสภาพลื่นไหลดุจสายน้ำ--แค่สาดน้ำก็แปลงเพศได้กับ “รันม่า”. สืบค้นเมื่อ 28 กรกฎาคม 2562 จาก https://thepeople.co/ranma-gender-man-woman
Translated Thai References
Podsatiangool, W. (2019 [2562]). Yin Yang Phet Saphap Luen Lai Dut Sainam--Khae Sat Nam Ko Plaeng Phet Dai Kap “Ran Ma”. Retrieved July 28, 2019, from https://thepeople.co/ranma-gender-man-woman
เอกสารภาษาอังกฤษ
Bouissou, J-M. (2010). Manga: A Historical Overview. In T. Johnson-Woods (Ed.), Manga: An Anthology of Global and Cultural Perspectives (pp. 17–33). New York, NY: Continuum.
Brienza, C. (2009). Books, not Comics: Publishing Fields, Globalization, and Japanese Manga in the United States. Publishing Research Quarterly, 25(2), 101–117.
Brienza, C. (2014). Did manga conquer America? Implications for the cultural policy of 'Cool Japan'. International Journal of Cultural Policy, 20(4), 383–398.
Brophy, P. (2010). Osamu Tezuka’s Gekiga: Behind the Mask of Manga. In T. Johnson-Woods (Ed.), Manga: An Anthology of Global and Cultural Perspectives (pp. 128–136). New York, NY: Continuum.
Chambers, S. N. I. (2012). Anime: From Cult Following to Pop Culture Phenomenon. The Elon Journal of Undergraduate Research in Communications, 3(2), 94–101.
Chen, A. C. (2011). Japan's Illustrated Storytelling: A Thematic Analysis of Globalized Anime and Manga. Keio Communication Review, 33, 85–98.
Chen, A. C. (2012). Cartoon Planet: The Cross-Cultural Acceptance of Japanese Animation. Asian Journal of Communication, 22(1), 44–57.
Cohn, N. (2010). Japanese Visual Language: The Structure of Manga. In T. Johnson-Woods (Ed.), Manga: An Anthology of Global and Cultural Perspectives (pp. 187–203). New York, NY: Continuum.
Cole, P. B. (2009). Young Adult Literature in the 21st Century. Boston, MA: McGraw-Hill Higher Education.
Drummond-Mathews, A. (2010). What Boys Will Be: A Study of Shōnen Manga. In T. Johnson-Woods (Ed.), Manga: An Anthology of Global and Cultural Perspectives (pp. 62–76). New York, NY: Continuum.
Ewen, R. B. (2010). An Introduction to Theories of Personality (7th ed.). New York, NY: Psychology Press.
Glaus, M. (2014). Text Complexity and Young Adult Literature: Establishing Its Place. Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy, 57(5), 407–416.
Goldstein, L., & Phelan, M. (2009). Are You There God? It’s Me, Manga: Manga as an Extension of Young Adult Literature. Young Adult Library Services, 7(4), 32–38.
Grigsby, M. (1998). Sailormoon: Manga (Comics) and Anime (Cartoon) Superheroine Meets Barbie: Global Entertainment Commodity Comes to the United States. Journal of Popular Culture, 32(1), 59-80.
Hofstede, G., Hofstede, G. J., & Minkov, M. (2010). Cultures and Organizations: Software of the Mind: Intercultural Cooperation and Its Importance for Survival. (3rd ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.
Imaoka, L. B. (2010). Consuming and Maintaining Difference: American Fans Resisting the Globalization of Japanese Pop Culture. disClosure: A Journal of Social Theory, 19, 73–82.
Ito, K. (2005). A History of Manga in the Context of Japanese Culture and Society. The Journal of Popular Culture, 38(3), 456–475.
Iwabuchi, K. (2002). Recentering Globalization: Popular Culture and Japanese Transnationalism. Durham, NC: Duke University Press.
Kaya, P. H. (2015). Joseph A. Schumpeter’s Perspective on Innovation. International Journal of Economics, Commerce and Management, 3(8), 25–37.
McCraw, T. K. (2007). Prophet of Innovation: Joseph Schumpeter and Creative Destruction. Cambridge, MA: The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press.
Mínguez-López, X. (2014). Folktales and Other References in Toriyama’s Dragon Ball. Animation, an Interdisciplinary Journal, 9(1), 27–46.
Natsume, F. (2004). East Asia and Manga Culture: Examining Manga-Comic Culture in East Asia. In R. G. Abad (Ed.), The Asian Face of Globalisation: Reconstructing Identities, Institutions, and Resources: The Papers of the 2001 API Fellows (pp. 95–106). Tokyo, Japan: The Nippon Foundation.
Neely, A., Filippini, R., Forza, C., Vinelli, A., & Hii, J. (2001). A Framework for Analyzing Business Performance, Firm Innovation and Related Contextual Factors: Perceptions of Managers and Policy Makers in Two European Regions. Integrated Manufacturing Systems. 12(2), 114–124.
Nilsen, A. P., & Donelson, K. L. (2009). Literature for Today's Young Adults (8th ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson.
Phornprapha, J., & Podsatiangool, W. (2019). Revisiting The Notion of Innovation and Its Impact on Thailand’s Economic Policy: A Case Study of Japanese Manga. JATI-Journal of Southeast Asian Studies. 24(1), 97–116.
Piatti-Farnell, L. (2013). Blood, Biceps and Beautiful Eyes: Cultural Representations of Masculinity in Masami Kurumada's Saint Seiya. Journal of Popular Culture, 46(6), 1133-1155.
Podsatiangool, W. (2017). Why Do Americans Say No to Doraemon?: Examining Power Relations Between American and Japanese Popular Culture in Intercultural Communication through the Lens of Semiotics. Journal of English Studies, 12(2), 71–105.
Poitras, G. (2008). What is Manga. Knowledge Quest, 36(3), 49.
Prough, J. (2010a). Marketing Japan: Manga as Japan's New Ambassador. ASIANetwork Exchange, 17(2), 54-68.
Prough, J. (2010b). Shōjo Manga in Japan and Abroad. In T. Johnson-Woods (Ed.), Manga: An Anthology of Global and Cultural Perspectives (pp. 93–106). New York, NY: Continuum.
Ranyard, J. (2006). Japanese Anime and the Life of the Soul: Full Metal Alchemist. Psychological Perspectives, 49, 267–277.
Roland, K. (2006). Japanamerica: How Japanese Pop Culture Has Invaded the U. S. New York, NY: Palgrave Macmillan.
Srimaneekulroj, K. (2015, August 21). Down with Comics. Bangkok Post. Retrieved from https://www.bangkokpost.com/life/social-and-lifestyle/664448/down-with-comics.
Yamato, E. (2012). Accumulating Japanese Popular Culture: Media Consumption Experiences of Malaysian Young Adults. Media Asia, 39(4), 199–208.
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Published
2019-12-30
How to Cite
Podsatiangool, W., & Phornprapha, J. (2019). Senseless or Sensible?: The Values of Manga (Japanese Comics) as a Popular Cultural Product in the Thai Society. Thai Journal of East Asian Studies, 23(2), 384–398. Retrieved from https://so02.tci-thaijo.org/index.php/easttu/article/view/241357
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Section
Special Section: Popular Culture in Thailand and Beyond
