manga

noun man·ga \ ˈmäŋ-gə \

Definition of manga

plural manga also mangas

:Japanese comic books and graphic novels considered collectively as a genre

The characters' faces beam the big-eyed, manically jolly winsomeness that in anime and manga signals contentment.
—Peter Schjeldahl

; also :an individual comic book or graphic novel of the manga genre

This black-and-white manga is based on the Japanese animated TV series of the same name …
—Library Journal

Recent Examples of manga from the Web

Ghost in the Shell with Scarlett Johansson was also slammed for whitewashing, as Johansson’s character is Japanese in the original manga.

— christopher rosen, PEOPLE.com, "Ed Skrein Leaves Hellboy Reboot After Whitewashing Controversy," 28 Aug. 2017
But the myriad ways in which these deceptively simple rules complicate the plot is precisely what made the original manga so interesting.

— clio chang, New Republic, "How Not to Adapt a Manga Classic," 28 Aug. 2017
Ghost in the Shell, a live-action remake of the Japanese manga starring Scarlett Johansson, faced criticism for her casting ahead of its opening in March.

— sara m moniuszko, USA TODAY, "Whitewashing backlash rolls in over 'Hellboy' casting of Ed Skrein," 23 Aug. 2017
Live-action adaptation of the hugely influential 1995 Japanese manga movie of the same name, with Scarlett Johansson.

— chris foran, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "New on DVD this week: 'The Circle,' 'Colossal,' 'The Lovers' and more," 1 Aug. 2017
Miller showed up to the Justice League panel wearing what looked like cosplay for manga character Edward Elric, donning a long, red coat and a blonde wig.

— eliana dockterman, Time, "Justice League's Ezra Miller Is Having Way More Fun Than Everyone Else at Comic-Con," 22 July 2017
Netflix also used the convention to of Death Note, its feature film adaptation of a popular Japanese manga comic series.

— tom huddleston, Fortune, "Everything You Need to Know From Netflix’s Big Weekend at Comic-Con," 20 July 2017
Tajima’s Comic-Con week special Naruto Ramen, named for the Japanese manga series, is available through Sunday.

— michele parente, sandiegouniontribune.com, "5 places to eat like a superhero during Comic-Con," 17 July 2017
More recently, Scarlett Johannson played the main role in 2017's Ghost in the Shell, a movie based on a Japanese manga series.

— nina bahadur, SELF, "This Excuse for Why 'Game of Thrones' Lacks Diversity Isn't Good Enough," 14 July 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'manga.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of manga

Japanese, comic, cartoon, from man- involuntary, aimless + -ga picture

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: circa 1951

See Words from the same year

Other Publishing Terms

annotate, dreadful, emend, expurgate, factoid, jump, lobster shift, redaction, referee

MANGA Defined for Kids

manga

noun man·ga \ ˈmäŋ-gə \

Definition of manga for Students

:a Japanese comic book or graphic novel

Learn More about manga

Spanish Central: Translation of manga Nglish: Translation of manga for Spanish speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about manga

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manga

Definition of manga

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