Shojo show

It’s worth checking out just for the manga-ized drawing of Rosie the Riveter with the slogan, in Japanese and English, “Not just for boys,” but there’s also some worthwhile reading in this article about a shojo manga themed art exhibit at California State University Chico. The curator of the show, art professor Masami Toku, observes

When Japanese students are asked to draw a picture of their family, they are likely to create a drawing like a photograph, with the important people in the center and the less important people cut off on the edges.

In comparison, American children will draw a one-dimensional picture including only the most important people.

“When Japanese children are asked to draw a playground, they will create an exaggerated hand with a ball,” she said.

They draw that way because manga has a great influence on children’s artistic abilities.

I’m seeing a little of that at home. Another of Toku’s comments explains the cheery optimism of many shojo heroines:

Manga grew out of what Toku calls the devastation of Japan from World War II to the present. Manga offers a way to cope.

“Imagine Japan’s male-dominated society,” she said. “Japanese manga encourages girls to keep their inner hope.”

I suppose that’s a good thing, although a healthy dose of assertiveness would be a boon to most of the girls I’m reading about. Anyway, I think Chico State must be about the coolest university on earth, and if I were 17 again, I’d go there.