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.
Yoshihiro Tatsumi is considered a pioneer of gekiga.
This gekiga realistically depicts the dark side of postwar Japan.
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
In the early Showa period, children looked forward to the gekiga of kamishibai.
The novel was later adapted into a gekiga.
His illustrations are known for their gritty, gekiga-style touch.
紙芝居 refers to the street storytelling performance itself, while the dated sense of 劇画 refers only to the illustrated boards used in that performance.
gekiga-style; dramatic manga style
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.