Yonkoma
Encyclopedia
, a comic-strip
format, generally consists of gag comic strips
within four panels of equal size ordered from top to bottom. (They also sometimes run right-to-left horizontally or use a hybrid 2x2 style, depending on the layout requirements of the publication in which they appear.) Though the word yonkoma comes from the Japanese
, the style also exists outside of Japan in other Asia
n countries as well as in the English-speaking
market.
(who wrote under the name Yasuji Kitazawa) in 1902. It was entitled Jiji Manga, and was thought to have been influenced by the works of Frank Arthur Nankivell
and Frederick Burr Opper
. Jiji Manga appeared in the Sunday edition.
. This word is a compound formed from the following Japanese Kanji characters:
magazines, graphic novel
s, the comics section of newspaper
s, game magazines, cooking magazines, and so forth. The plot often ends within the four panels, although some serial
development may pass on to future installments, creating a more continuous story. Some yonkoma also tackle serious topics, though most do so with humor. Some manga occasionally use yonkoma, usually at the end of a chapter or bound volume, as a non-canon joke to complement the story.
) caught the attention of the notorious Futaba Channel
. Yonkoma have since been adapted to many Internet memes, and the original The Reaction Guys image has inspired countless spoof
s as well.
Comic strip
A comic strip is a sequence of drawings arranged in interrelated panels to display brief humor or form a narrative, often serialized, with text in balloons and captions....
format, generally consists of gag comic strips
Gag cartoon
A gag cartoon is most often a single-panel cartoon, usually including a hand-lettered or typeset caption beneath the drawing. A pantomime cartoon carries no caption...
within four panels of equal size ordered from top to bottom. (They also sometimes run right-to-left horizontally or use a hybrid 2x2 style, depending on the layout requirements of the publication in which they appear.) Though the word yonkoma comes from the Japanese
Japanese language
is a language spoken by over 130 million people in Japan and in Japanese emigrant communities. It is a member of the Japonic language family, which has a number of proposed relationships with other languages, none of which has gained wide acceptance among historical linguists .Japanese is an...
, the style also exists outside of Japan in other Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
n countries as well as in the English-speaking
Anglosphere
Anglosphere is a neologism which refers to those nations with English as the most common language. The term can be used more specifically to refer to those nations which share certain characteristics within their cultures based on a linguistic heritage, through being former British colonies...
market.
Origin
The first Yonkoma was produced by Rakuten KitazawaRakuten Kitazawa
, better known by the pen name , was a Japanese manga artist and nihonga artist. He drew many editorial cartoons and comic strips during the years from the late Meiji era through the early Showa era...
(who wrote under the name Yasuji Kitazawa) in 1902. It was entitled Jiji Manga, and was thought to have been influenced by the works of Frank Arthur Nankivell
Frank Arthur Nankivell
Frank Arthur Nankivell was an Australian artist and political cartoonist.Nankivell was born to John and Annie Nankivell in Maldon, northwest of Castlemaine, Victoria in April, 1869. He was a book illustrator in New York circles of the 1910s and 1920s on such publications as Puck, which was...
and Frederick Burr Opper
Frederick Burr Opper
Frederick Burr Opper is regarded as one of the pioneers of American newspaper comic strips, best known for his comic strip Happy Hooligan...
. Jiji Manga appeared in the Sunday edition.
Structure
Traditionally, Yonkoma follow a structure known as KishōtenketsuKishotenketsu
describes the structure and development of Chinese and Japanese narratives. It was originally used in Chinese poetry as a four-line composition, such as Qijue, and is also referred to as . The first Chinese character refers to the introduction or , the next: development, , the third: twist, ,...
. This word is a compound formed from the following Japanese Kanji characters:
- Ki: The first panel forms the basis of the story; it sets the scene.
- Shō: The second panel develops upon the foundation of the story laid down in the first panel.
- Ten: The third panel is the climax, in which an unforeseen development occurs.
- Ketsu: The fourth panel is the conclusion, in which the effects of the third panel are seen.
Uses
These comic strips appear in almost all types of publications in Japan, including mangaManga
Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...
magazines, graphic novel
Graphic novel
A graphic novel is a narrative work in which the story is conveyed to the reader using sequential art in either an experimental design or in a traditional comics format...
s, the comics section of newspaper
Newspaper
A newspaper is a scheduled publication containing news of current events, informative articles, diverse features and advertising. It usually is printed on relatively inexpensive, low-grade paper such as newsprint. By 2007, there were 6580 daily newspapers in the world selling 395 million copies a...
s, game magazines, cooking magazines, and so forth. The plot often ends within the four panels, although some serial
Serial (literature)
In literature, a serial is a publishing format by which a single large work, most often a work of narrative fiction, is presented in contiguous installments—also known as numbers, parts, or fascicles—either issued as separate publications or appearing in sequential issues of a single periodical...
development may pass on to future installments, creating a more continuous story. Some yonkoma also tackle serious topics, though most do so with humor. Some manga occasionally use yonkoma, usually at the end of a chapter or bound volume, as a non-canon joke to complement the story.
Internet Popularity
Yonkoma eventually found a place with online communities after Gaijin 4Koma (also known as Reaction Guys, a title originating from 4chan4chan
4chan is an English-language imageboard website. Launched on October 1, 2003, its boards were originally used for the posting of pictures and discussion of manga and anime...
) caught the attention of the notorious Futaba Channel
Futaba Channel
, or Futaba for short, is an internet forum in Japan. It is a popular Japanese imageboard dealing in otaku and underground culture.-Origin:Futaba Channel was set up on August 30, 2001, as a refuge for 2channel users when 2channel was in danger of shutting down...
. Yonkoma have since been adapted to many Internet memes, and the original The Reaction Guys image has inspired countless spoof
Parody
A parody , in current usage, is an imitative work created to mock, comment on, or trivialise an original work, its subject, author, style, or some other target, by means of humorous, satiric or ironic imitation...
s as well.
Examples of Yonkoma Manga
Well-known manga drawn using the yonkoma style include:- Sazae-sanSazae-sanis a Japanese comic strip created by Machiko Hasegawa. It was first published in Hasegawa's local paper, the , on April 22, 1946. When the wished to have Hasegawa draw the comic strip for their paper, she moved to Tokyo in 1949 with the explanation that the main characters had moved from Kyūshū to...
- Nono-chanNono-chanis a yonkoma manga series begun in 1991 by Hisaichi Ishii originally serialized as in the Asahi Shimbun in Japan. When the series first began, it was generally focused on all of the members of the Yamada family. As the series progressed, the daughter became the most popular character among...
- Kobo, the Li'l RascalKobo, the Li'l RascalKobo, the Li'l Rascal, also known as , is a manga created by Masashi Ueda. Kodansha published the book in a bilingual Japanese-English edition, and Kodansha America distributed the book in the United States....
- Baito-kunBaito-kunis a yonkoma manga by Hisaichi Ishii serialized in the Kansai area information magazine beginning in 1972. This was Ishii's debut professional work...
- Azumanga DaiohAzumanga Daiohis a Japanese comedy manga by Kiyohiko Azuma. It was serialized by MediaWorks in the shōnen manga magazine Dengeki Daioh from 1999 to 2002 and collected in four bound volumes...
- Lucky Star
- SketchbookSketchbook (manga)is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Totan Kobako. First serialized in the April 2002 issue of Comic Blade, the individual chapters are collected and published by Mag Garden. Chapters have also appeared in Comic Blade Masamune. An anime adaptation, under the title Sketchbook ~full...
- K-On!K-On!is a Japanese four-panel comic strip manga written and illustrated by Kakifly. The manga was serialized in Houbunsha's seinen manga magazine Manga Time Kirara between the May 2007 and October 2010 issues. It was also serialized in Houbunsha's magazine Manga Time Kirara Carat...
- KanamemoKanamemois a Japanese four-panel comic strip written and illustrated by . The strip has been serialized in Houbunsha's seinen manga magazine Manga Time Kirara Max since June 19, 2007...
- Sunshine Sketch (Hidamari Sketch)
- .hack//4 Koma.hack//4 Koma.hack//4 Koma is a monthly set of 4 panel manga serialized in the monthly magazine .hack//G.U.: The World. Most of the 4 Koma are short gags, centering mostly around the main characters of the first and second series of .hack videogames...
- Neko RahmenNeko Rahmen, also known as Neko Ramen, is a Japanese four-panel comic strip manga created by Kenji Sonishi. The comedy centers around a cat and his encounters while running a ramen shop....
- Nyorōn Churuya-san