noun
gekiga; dramatic pictures
A style of Japanese comics that emerged in the late 1950s, characterized by realistic, often cinematic art and serious, mature storylines aimed at an adult audience. Contrasts with the more cartoonish, child-oriented manga of the time.
辰巳ヨシヒロは劇画の先駆者と見なされている。
Yoshihiro Tatsumi is considered a pioneer of gekiga.
この劇画は戦後の日本の闇をリアルに描いている。
This gekiga realistically depicts the dark side of postwar Japan.
noun
kamishibai; paper theater
Dated term for a form of street storytelling using illustrated boards, popular in the early-to-mid 20th century. Now largely historical, though occasionally revived for educational or nostalgic purposes.
See also: 紙芝居
昭和初期、子どもたちは紙芝居の劇画を楽しみにしていた。
In the early Showa period, children looked forward to the gekiga of kamishibai.
Coined in the late 1950s by manga artists seeking to distinguish their serious, adult-oriented work from mainstream children's manga. The term combines 劇 (drama) and 画 (picture), literally 'dramatic pictures'. The dated sense referring to kamishibai boards predates this coinage and is now rare.