Myths, Monsters, and Manga: The Art of Fantasy in Asia delves into the immersive worlds of fantasy, manga, and anime through an exploration of the evolution of Asian visual culture and its global impact. This is a beautiful, visually rich, image-led publication, and an informative resource. It invites readers to immerse themselves in the vibrant world of fantasy within Asian visual culture. Each chapter features captivating illustrations, photographs, and artworks that reflect a dynamic interplay between historical and contemporary influences.
Myths, Monsters, and Manga begins with premodern artistic traditions that established fantasy as a foundation of visual culture in China, India, Japan, Korea, and beyond. It traces the spread of surrealism through Asia, along with the postwar emergence of anime and manga, examining how fantastical aesthetics shaped art and pop culture across the region in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Later chapters then delve into the contemporary worlds of popular culture, exploring the evolution of anime and manga in Japan from the postwar period to the present day, with a final chapter celebrating the diverse work of carefully selected contemporary practitioners.
The book uniquely spotlights the golden age of Asian popular culture in the 1980s and 1990s and its global impact. Diverse in thematic scope and illustrated with striking visuals, Myths, Monsters, and Manga shows how anime played a vital role in reshaping the global entertainment landscape and its enduring impact across art, design, architecture, film, fashion, video games, and digital culture in the twenty-first century.
Contributors
Ulanda Blair
Author
Ulanda Blair is the curator of moving image at at M+ Museum, Hong Kong.
Isabella Tam
Author
Isabella Tam is the curator of visual art at M+ Museum, Hong Kong.
