Graphic Novels vs. Manga

I was curious on why American graphic novelists and Japanese manga writers have a common style. I wondered if this was for any design reason and researched on that fact.

I found that American designers choose a more gritty, hard style using older characters like Spider-man or Batman. The characters usually have larger than normal builds and huge bodies. The action is often assisted by dialogue and sound bubbles.

Japanese designers, however, use a softer, more idealistic style. The characters are usually very young and have large eyes and pointed chins, as well as spiky hair. The action is focused on more than the actual dialogue and is often exaggerated. 

I asked a few artists, and looked up a few references, and found that the styles are done for specific reasons. The American style has a more realistic, hard-edged feel because that appeals to an older male audience, people that the readers can look up too. The Japanese style however, has a softer, feminine feel and has characters that the young audience can relate too. (I also noted that this helps confirm my earlier blog on line art)

I personally love both styles, but I prefer Japanese manga for its over the top action and its unique idealist style. That doesn't mean that I don't read a good graphic novel every now and then, which generally have more immersive story lines than manga does.