Shōjo manga

Magazines such as Ribon, launched by Shueisha in 1955, carried the category. In the 1970s a new generation of artists, later called the Year 24 Group, changed it. The name refers to Shōwa 24, that is 1949, though only a few of those associated with the group were born that year. Their stories centred on the psychology and inner life of the characters, and widened the field to science fiction, fantasy, history, and horror. On the page they broke with the rows of rectangles then standard: panels overlap or lose their borders, and figures and backgrounds merge into one composition. Flowers, ribbons, fluttering dresses, and finely drawn eyes carry feelings, memories, and inner monologue.

In front of a black-and-white original page, find a place where a panel has no border, or where panels overlap, and see how a figure or the background crosses from one to the next. Then read the page through in its reading order and notice how time flows across it.

Where on this page does time seem to slow down?