Young Girls Gather for the “Eternal Shoujo Manga Exhibition” [2/2]

The Eternal Shoujo Manga Exhibition featured reproductions of pivotal works in the shoujo manga genre from 14 of the genre’s top authors on display. The manga on display spanned the entire history of the genre and included such works as Hideko Mizuno’s Fire!, Keiko Takemiya’s Toward the Terra, Suzue Miuchi’s Glass Mask, Jun Mihara’s Hamidashikko, and Minako Narita’s Hana Yori mo Hana no Gotoku. The lineup on display was enough to make any fan of shoujo manga drool. Works by Nobumasa Konagai, an editor who helped many authors of the genre mature in their craft, were also introduced. Speaking of Konagai, she recently won the Acheivement Award for her contributions as an editor at the 2013 Media Arts Festival.

The age range of female attendees at the exhibit spanned from those in their teens to those in their 60s. The young female manga fans were able to discover for the first time the shoujo masterpieces of the past. On the other hand, the older female manga fans were able to reconnect with works that guided them in their past, and experience the nostalgic feelings of returning to their youth.

Manga such as Naruto and One Piece may be popular overseas, however, shoujo manga have been largely responsible for supporting the world of Japanese manga. These works too are definitely considered otaku, and many have no doubt stumbled upon the enjoyment of otaku life through them.