Giga Town: The Guide to Manga Iconography

(Paperback)

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Description

"Manga symbols manpu in Japanese - are iconic or symbolic expressions used uniquely in manga, such as sweat drops, popping veins, and smoke puffs. Giga Town: A Guide to Manga Iconography! is (probably) Japans first guide to this manga iconography, collecting and explaining these symbols, with a short manga featuring the frolicking animals of the famous Japanese scroll Choju-jinbutsu-giga to explain each one! Giga Town: A guide to Manga Iconography includes an informative afterward that teaches the flow of manga reading, a great addition for beginning manga readers!"

Reviews

A fresh and intriguing manual of tremendous use for English-language manga fans. * Kirkus *
All the gags throughout are charming snippets of slice-of-life that dont overshadow the books main purpose. For aspiring manga creators, or those just intrigued by iconography, these images and the short descriptions make a practical reference guide. * Booklist (STARRED) *
All the gags throughout are charming snippets of slice-of-life that dont overshadow the books main purpose. For aspiring manga creators, or those just intrigued by iconography, these images and the short descriptions make a practical reference guide. * School Library Journal *
a great guide/short comic collection to introduce the genre. * YA Book Central *

Author Bio

Fumiyo Kono is a critically acclaimed manga artist from Hiroshima, Japan, known for her gentle art style and emotionally powerful storytelling. Born in 1968, she began drawing manga in junior high and made her professional debut in 1995. Her most notable works include Town of Evening Calm, Country of Cherry Blossoms and In This Corner of the World, both of which explore the everyday lives of people affected by the Hiroshima atomic bombing. These stories have earned multiple prestigious awards and cemented her reputation for humanistic, historically grounded narratives.

In addition to her narrative manga, Kono demonstrated her versatility with Giga Town: The Guide to Manga Iconography, a humorous and educational work that explains common visual tropes in manga using anthropomorphic animals. The book draws inspiration from Japans oldest manga, Choju-jinbutsu-giga, blending tradition with modern manga literacy. In 2025, she released a new short story collection and held her largest exhibition to date, showcasing the depth and range of her artistry. Konos work continues to resonate for its warmth, humanity, and cultural insight.