Although Chinese manhua is now well-ingrained in popular culture, it is still some way behind the Japanese manga.
The latter should be considered the trend-setter – think of it as the tutor while the Chinese manhua is the student. Japanese manga is catered for millennials aged under 35 while Chinese Manhua focuses largely on those in their late teens.
While Japanese manga tends to portray their cartoons in more realistic terms, Chinese manhua attempts to foster a dream-like, fairytale world for their readers to immerse themselves within. In terms of themes and topics, manhua do try and educate their younger audience about the rights and wrongs of 21st century society. Meanwhile, mangas are designed around a rating system, with different themes written to appease their multiple millennial audiences.
How does the content of Chinese manhua and Japanese manga differ?
The actual content of manga comics tends to be somewhat basic and lacking in-depth comments and feelings from specific characters. However, there are normally multiple subplots running through each title that help to cement the overall theme of a manga comic, whereas Chinese manhua are becoming increasingly focused on globalisation and the way in which China maintains its traditional roots and absorbs more western cultures.
Manga aesthetic beginning to reign supreme in online casinos
It’s worth looking at some of up and coming Chinese manhua that are hot on the heels of some of the most popular Japanese manga, despite the fact that Japanese anime characters still reign supreme. In fact, Japanese manga characters have even infiltrated online gaming industries such as the iGaming sector, where anime character LuckyNiki acts as the brand of an online casino. For instance, we’ve found a casino review telling about an attractive new offer from LuckyNiki for those who prefer to play roulette, slots and blackjack in a platform that follows the manga/anime theme.
As Japanese manga has grown in popularity worldwide, the online casino industry has also sought to develop anime and comic style video slots to tap into emerging popular cultures in the same way that live streaming has caused a wave of live casino action, offering immersive table games managed by real-life dealers and croupiers. Magical Stacks is a particularly popular anime slot release designed by iGaming software studio, Playtech. It has an arcade game feel thanks to the old-school graphics, while the alluring wild party girl anime characters work together to generate big potential prizes. Meanwhile, Ghost in the Shell is another video slot to feature a manga heroine, based on the hugely popular manga-turned-anime series of the same title.
Chinese manhua characters to look out for
Although Chinese manhua characters remain less popular in the iGaming scene and elsewhere in popular culture, there are many characters to put on your radar for the coming years. Keep your eyes peeled for Song of the Long March (Chang Ge Xing) featuring a stunning princess character who evolves into a war mastermind to survive after her father’s reign was overthrown. There’s also the epic title “The Legend and the Hero” (Feng Shen Ji) which is one of the most colourful Chinese manhua you are likely to see. Featuring emerging empires and battles with the gods, it’s a hugely immersive theme.
Manhua clearly draws elements of inspiration from Japanese manga, as well as North American comics. Marvel recently expanded into the Chinese comic market by developing new Chinese superheroes specifically for its China-based fans. As China continues to embrace popular culture and the topic of globalisation, it’s likely that manhua will reach your shores soon enough.
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