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In the world of Shonen manga, some authors have stood out for their art styles. Of course, a worthy mention is Tite Kubo, the mangaka ofBleachwhose detailed drawings have pulled in many Shonen fanatics. From comedy to action sequences, Kubo adapts his art style to any given situation.
AsBleachprogressed, so did Kubo’s skills, which is evident in the more intricate detailing and character designs. His unique approach to paneling and character designs have inspired plenty of new generation mangakas. But who was the inspiration for Kubo?
Tite Kubo admits his artstyle is simple compared to a classic series
Tite Kubo‘s artstyle inBleachis often praised for its sharpness, attention to detail, and beautiful usage of negative space. Not to mention how often he gets cited for his attention to style. Kubo is one of the few Shonen authors whose love for fashion is apparent from the way he styles his characters.
“It’s just, I didn’t know how to apply…”: Tite Kubo Admitted Bleach Art Style Borrows Heavily from the Same Manga That Inspired Hunter x Hunter’s Yoshihiro Togashi
However, every artist is inspired by others, and so was Kubo. In a2012 interview with Viz Media, the popular mangaka revealed the real inspiration behind his decision to become a mangaka.
Gegege no Kitaro by Shigeru Mizuki was my earliest influence. It was the first manga whose characters I ever tried to sketch. I really liked his yokai (Japanese folk tale creatures) design, and his art has a unique flavor. My art style is so simple compared to Mizuki Sensei’s work, which is very detailed.
Created by Shigeru Mizuki in 1960,Gegege no Kitaro, has left its impact on the manga community. It popularized Japanese folklore monsters called yokai. Kubo also elaborated thatGegege no Kitarohas left some influence on his character designs. At the time of his interview, the author admitted that Mizuki-sensei’s art made him excited every time he came across it.
Gegege no Kitaroleft a definite impact on Tite Kubo andBleach
The interview with Viz Media wasn’t the only one in which Kubo mentionedGegege no Kitaro. In theJujutsu Kaisen official fanbookpublished in 2021,Tite Kubo couldn’t help but mention his fondness for the seriesagain.
When I was in second or third grade, I loved the GeGeGe no Kitaro anime. Then I became an avid reader of the GeGeGe no Kitaro manga, which influenced me to draw nothing but pointillist art—I even added dotted shadows to yokai sketches. The whole reason I got into drawing was to become a mangaka.
Gegege no Kitarois an influential manga, and its impact is not limited to the late 1900s but also to date. Plenty of supernatural anime and manga focus on yokai, including the current hit,Dandadan, but the addition of these spirit monsters was actually popularized by Shigeru Mizuki.
“I had to change the way things were made”: Tite Kubo Owes Everything to ‘Demon Slayer’ for Bleach That Made the Comeback of the Decade
The art style ofGegege no Kitarois also iconic due to the rough aesthetic sense coupled with the usage of negative space, which creates an eerie atmosphere. The yokai have unique and memorable designs which perfectly capture their essence. In fact, Mizuki did not use any particularly tough techniques and rather relied on clean lines and basic shading.
In the same vein,Bleachuses similar basic lines while focusing the usage of negative spaces as well. But whileGegege no Kitarohad a unique sense of foreboding plastered throughout the manga,Bleachfocuses more on sharp character designs and minimal clutter in the pages.
TheBleachmanga is available to read on Viz Media, and the anime is currently airing on Crunchyroll.
Aaheli Pradhan
Anime Content Writer
Articles Published :1556
Aaheli is an Anime Content Writer at FandomWire with 1300+ published articles. With five years of experience under her belt, she is a living, breathing encyclopedia for anime and manga. From Shonen and Shojo to the most niche anime, nothing escapes her radar. Her poisons of choice are Assassination Classroom, Gintama, Ouran High School Host Club and every Ghibli movie ever. She believes in living a slow life, surrounded by incomplete art projects and her beloved cats.
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