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  1. #1
    Twirling dragon Maciamo's Avatar
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    Post What European Manga do you know/like ?

    Many of you here surely know at least a few Japanese manga. But what about European ones ? I suppose that everyone must know "Tintin", which has been translated in about 40 languages (including Japanese). Each episode has become an anime and 3 original stories have been made for movies with real actors. It also has fan shops (esp. clothes) to its name around the world (also in Tokyo).

    Most European will also know the French comics "Asterix". The story takes place in 50BC France ("Gaul"). The little blond-haired and moustached Gaul and his friend Obelix fight the Roman invadors thanks to the magic potion prepared by the druid Panoramix. The stories are highly stereotypical of modern European nations and very funny in French, but unfortunately difficult to translate because of the numerous puns.

    Asterix's first book was published in 1961 and still continues. It has been translated in virtually all European languages, including several dialects as well as in Latin and Ancient Greek !
    In addition to anime adaptations, 2 recent movies starring all the most famous French actors have been immensely successful in France (highest spectator turn-out ever).

    I am particularily interested in what non-European member know.

    The most famous European manga/comics, like Tintin, are from Belgium. Naturally, a tiny country like that (smaller than Kyushu) cannot compete with Japan in number, but the quality is undeniable. I have linked them to the Wikipedia when articles where available.

    Among those I know are :

    - Spirou & Fantasio (& Marsupilami) : one of the most famous. It started in 1938 and continued till the author's death in 1997. Spirou has its own magazine (le journal de Spirou).
    - Gaston la gaffe : a simple-minded friend of Spirou who cannot helping "gaffing" all the time. Humouristic.
    - Les Schtroumpfs (The Smurfs) : the famous litle blue creatures living in mushrooms have had their adventures translated in nearly 30 languages. Mostly for children, though.
    - Bob & Bobette : known as Spike and Suzy in the UK or Willy and Wanda in the USA, it is one of the only famous Flemish (i.e. Dutch-spaking Belgian) comics. However it has over 200 books, which makes it one of the longest.
    - Le Scrameustache : a sort of human-like cat coming from another galaxy on a UFO. With his newly made human friends, he goes around the world (or to other planets inhabited by little green people, with his UFO), that in mixed historical, archeological and science-fiction story.

    Interestingly, quite a few Belgian comics have stories based in the (faraway) US.

    - Lucky Luck : the well-known cow-bow that shoots faster than its shadow. He is a fierce protector of justice and pass most of his time swarting the 4 vilainous Dalton brothers plans.
    - Les Tuniques Bleus : adventures of a sergeant and corporal of the US army fighting the confederates during the American Civil War. Comedy and historical adventures. One of my childhood's favourite.
    - Yakari : adventures of a young native Indian in the great plains and forests of the US/Canada before colonization.

    You can find a more detailed list of European Comics here

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  2. #2
    You SPAM/We BAN !
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    I Hope We Get To American Comics!!

    I started reading them in 1955!!

    Frank

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  3. #3
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    I know Les Schtroumpfs, Tintin, Astérix et Obélix and Lucky Luke

    I know more but I forgot there titles, they were popular at my elementary school library but I didn't rent them since I didn't actually read books just look at the pictures so I rented out Mazinger Z and Capitaine Albator aka (Captain Harlock) since they had kooler pictures. I didn't know they were japanese comics since they were in french.

  4. #4
    Traveler of eternity dreamer's Avatar
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    As for me I began with things like Pif & Hercule , Tintin, les schtroumpfs, Johan & Pirlouit(Johan & peewit) , le scrameustache,Benoit Brisefer and Yoko Tsuno
    One of the most adventurous things left for us is to go to bed. For no one can lay a hand on our dreams....

  5. #5
    iami5o4
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    I never heard or read any European mangas.

  6. #6
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    European Manga

    am from the u.k and i think that european manga is rubbish. Japanese manga is much better. Its just best to make manga in japan the true home of manga. am a fan of anime/manga.

  7. #7
    Hentai Koutaishi Lina Inverse's Avatar
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    None of those you listed are manga, they're all comics.
    An example for an European manga would be "Dragic Master", which is drawn by a German artist:
    Dragic Master #1


    If you want to talk about European comics, the title is very misleading, and the thread doesn't belong here at all.
    There are still two famous series missing from your list:
    Blake & Mortimer - The Secret Service agent Francis Blake and the nuclear physicist Philip Mortimer are solving mysterious cases.


    Yoko Tsuno - The adventures of the electronics specialist Yoko Tsuno who met an alien race called the "Vineans". Despite what the name might suggest, this has nothing to do with manga as well and is also drawn in the french-belgian comic style.

  8. #8
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    Quote Originally Posted by Lina Inverse
    None of those you listed are manga, they're all comics.
    Wo! this sudden news just blew my mind! I though they were mangas!!

  9. #9
    Traveler of eternity dreamer's Avatar
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    actually they're not really called comics nor manga in france but "bande dessinée" or BD (drawn board in english)
    We tend to use comics for american stuff and manga for japanese stuff ^^

  10. #10
    Baka
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    I would consider anything from Japan to be manga, no matter it's style. Same for anime.

    The worldwide/generic term would be "comic" but as they are from Japan they get to be called the name from their original language.

    Same for anime and cartoons.

  11. #11
    Hentai Koutaishi Lina Inverse's Avatar
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    No that doesn't make any sense. Manga is exclusively defined by its style, just like anime, and not by its origin. Clearly not everything that comes from Japan is manga or anime, and likewise not anything from outside Japan is no manga or anime.
    If you didn't classify it like this, you could forget about it altogether and call everything manga or comic

  12. #12
    Twirling dragon Maciamo's Avatar
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    Exclamation

    Quote Originally Posted by Lina Inverse
    No that doesn't make any sense. Manga is exclusively defined by its style, just like anime, and not by its origin.
    That is your opinion. My Oxford Dictionary defines manga as : "a Japanese genre of cartoons, comic books, and animated films, typically with a science-fiction or fantasy theme".

    I don't really like this definition because for me "anime" is only the video (TV, cinema, etc.) while "manga" only refers to books. What is more most of the modern manga have romance, everyday-life or even samurai stories in addition to sci-fi and fantasy (which are more common in video games actually).

    I used the word "manga" in my original question because I seriously doubt that all the forum members would have understood the real term, which is "bande dessinee" (BD), as most of them are (French-speaking) Belgian or French.

    If you want to be strict, "comics" only refers to the American books (superman, x-men, spiderman, etc.), because the word itself is originally US English.

  13. #13
    Tadaima! okaeri_man's Avatar
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    hmm this thread is confusing me. is it possible to have non-japanese manga? what about non-japanese anime? i think no for manga, yes for anime. essentially any cartoon that is a continuing story i think is anime. eg ninja turtles (the cartoon) isn't anime since every episode has a definite ending.
    "The people who vote decide nothing. The people who count the vote decide everything." - Stalin

  14. #14
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    Sorry, I am never interested in European or American comics.

  15. #15
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    but "spawn" is a very good comic

  16. #16
    The Akita Hachiko's Avatar
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    I've read the first few volumes of Chrono Crusade in French, before getting my hands on the first English volume a few days ago. Also had exposure to GALS! in Italiano.

  17. #17
    Seeing is believing Minty's Avatar
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    ~Bump~
    Hmmm I always thought manga is Japanese comic books or graphic novels.

    I suppose that everyone must know "Tin tin", which has been translated in about 40 languages (including Japanese). Each episode has become an anime and 3 original stories have been made for movies with real actors. It also has fan shops (esp. clothes) to its name around the world (also in Tokyo).
    Yes TinTin, one of my husbandfs favourite cartoons when he was young. I actually donft know this cartoon until he introduced to me, the thing is there are too many out there for us to read or watch. We got a collection of Tin Tin at home. He says there is one problem with Tin Tin, why he doesn't have a girlfriend?

    Most European will also know the French comics "Asterix". The story takes place in 50BC France ("Gaul"). The little blond-haired and moustached Gaul and his friend Obelix fight the Roman invadors thanks to the magic potion prepared by the druid Panoramix. The stories are highly stereotypical of modern European nations and very funny in French, but unfortunately difficult to translate because of the numerous puns.
    Asterix's first book was published in 1961 and still continues. It has been translated in virtually all European languages, including several dialects as well as in Latin and Ancient Greek !

    In addition to anime adaptations, 2 recent movies starring all the most famous French actors have been immensely successful in France (highest spectator turn-out ever).
    Yes Asterix, one of my favourite comics when I was a teen, I have read most of them.

    I really appreciate the ingeniousness of the allusions and wordplays that glitter within the texts.

    They are making a new cartoon based on the comic gAstérix et les Vikingsh/Asterix and the Vikings, probably already in cinema, or coming soon.

  18. #18
    Vagrancy Philip's Avatar
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    Well they have been mentioned a few times. Asterix and Obelix, Tintin, The Smourphs (dunno how to spell it), Mumi Troldene.

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