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Is it more important the art or the story?

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7:55 am, Dec 22 2021
Posts: 1


Hi everybody,

I'm new here and I have a question for all of us.

Yesterday, I was arguing with my friend if, in a manga, it's more important the art of the drawings than the story or if it's more important the orinality of the story than the art.

In my opinion, I give great important to the story, to the setting, to the worldbuilding.

For example, I'm following an amateur battle shonen manga on Webtoon (Flare, have you read it?): the art isn't made by a pro mangaka, but the world building is very interesting and I can't wait to read how the story will go on.

Moreover, the original "Onepunchman" has questionable drawings, but it became famous for the story, for the screenplay, for the comic scenes.

So, I know we all have different point of view but... what's your opinion?

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9:47 pm, Dec 22 2021
Posts: 3


Either of those being bad would hurt my enjoyment of a series. However, I'd say that story is more important than art. I can tolerate less-than-ideal art if the story is great, but usually not the other way around.

Manga, anime, and light novels are just different mediums for telling a story, and the purpose of good art is to support that storytelling. The images help convey a story, but if that story isn't good, then you're just left with boring eye-candy.

Last edited by MoFried at 10:05 pm, Dec 22 2021

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3:17 pm, Dec 23 2021
Posts: 18


I want say they need both be equal in someway, for me even if the story good I can't really enjoy it if the art is off or not appealing

While if the story isn't as good but the art is gorgeous I can still continue reading

Quote from MoFried
The images help convey a story, but if that story isn't good, then you're just left with boring eye-candy.

I totally agree with this

Post #794626
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9:12 am, Jan 20 2022
Posts: 186


As a fan of OPM/someone with lots imagination, I think the story is the most important. If the author is able to correctly convey the story I'm usually able to imagine the rest of the details. For me I'ts enough with having a consistent story with a main plot that advances/ character progression even if certain aspects aren't done so well ,

For example I really like :Wortenia Senki(WN) even though 1 on 1 battles are dragged out or an extreme example would be me liking 'Regressor instruction manual' even though the author is terrible at making the MC seem intelligent in plotting against others / being a clear example or the author making the rest of the characters static whilst the MCs think.

Though I must say most mangas usually have appalling settings (slow start) and tend to add new "common sense" elements that weren't mentioned. Sometimes the whole theme/art changes after 20 chapters, so it's difficult to judge focusing on the initial art. to start a series I usually read the description and skim latter hapters before starting the first chapter. I guess that's what made my judgement so twisted. I am quite picky with the art so if I were to discard series for it I wouldn't even read any manga. 😕

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5:35 pm, Feb 15 2022
Posts: 205


I don't think art makes or breaks a series in the same way writing does
sometimes ugly artwork is refreshing;
although other times having two hairs on a character's head inexplicably look like antennae, and be immovable, even in gale force winds makes for maddening frustration

art can definitely turn a 7/10 into a 10/10
Sakamichi no Apollon music choices for the animated adaptation does more to convey feelings and intent than brush strokes could ever
in my best Marshall McLuhan: the art is the message

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10:01 pm, May 7 2022
Posts: 23


Depends. Some art can help bear the weight where writing sags, but it can't completely salvage it.* A story can help some people look past art that they find off putting, but if it doesn't 'fit' what's being told, it doesn't fit - ex. If an action centric story has consistently dull or confusing action, then the only way the writing can help is if the story changes to be less action heavy (or 1. the artist changes how they're drawing and composing those scenes for the better 2. maybe the artist get's more skilled at presenting what they wanted to portray).
You also have to keep in mind that in comics visuals doesn't just refer to the drawing's aesthetics or level of stylization** (aka how far or close it is to realism) but also speech bubble placement and shape, "camera work", page flow, panel shapes and placements, framing or no framing, "editing",*** gutters (or lack there of), lettering...
Towards the end of the video 'Which Art Style is “Better”: Stylised or Realistic?' Lines in Motion mentions how some manga had the effect they do due to the mangaka using aesthetics & such correctly parried with what they wanted their story to convey. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t2gPGrczhTQ Her video 'Witch Hat Atelier: Visual Storytelling through manga panelling' touches on some of the visual elements I mentioned above. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GDQrr9OkimQ
*Even comics nearly or completely devoid of text have a narrative. But since it all needs to be delivered by the imagery, the drawings have to be well planned out. Think of it sorta like watching silent films (after you took out their text segments).
** Explains some of these 'other' things https://www.moma.org/magazine/articles/621 There's something mentioned at the bottom of the article which Paru Itagaki does rather well in Beastars & Beast Complex.
***Some of the text in Mangaman - by Barry Larry & Colleen Doran - allude to this with minimal dialogue, but so does this brief article https://wallflyer.wordpress.com/2017/03/08/editing-scene-transitions-and-making-comics/

Last edited by Enuj at 9:15 am, May 9 2022

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12:23 am, May 8 2022
Posts: 113


For me, I think it's story over art but there is a limit. Initially the art is part of what attracts you to a manga/comic. If I don't like the cover art, I may not ever find out about the story.

Post #797009
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6:24 am, May 8 2022
Posts: 53


I would usually choose art over story. majority of the time when I'm trying to find manga to read I never read the synopsis, if I see a cover I like I would just read it. But I would drop a manga if I really don't like the story, no matter how much I've liked the art

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10:30 am, Jun 30 2023
Posts: 24


I think both are important. If a bad picture - it will annoy me. But if it's a bad story, then why read it at all?

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2:48 am, Jul 1 2023
Posts: 187


For any graphic novel, story gives the art purpose. Even if there was no text, as long as the images conveyed a good story, it would be a good story. Thus, no matter the quality of the art, story will always matter more in comparison.

I have enjoyed manga with reviews that said the art was bad because I liked the story. I have dropped several manga with beautiful art and interesting character designs I wanted to see more of because the story was nonsensical.

Don't get me wrong, there is a floor for how bad both story and art can be, and hitting that in either category will spell doom for the graphic novel. But there is much more room for art than for story.

Also, art can be redrawn without changing the story. The story cannot be changed without redoing everything.

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10:32 am, Jul 1 2023
Posts: 50


I tend to consider the story more important than art as I hate poorly planned plots, clichéd ones and plot holes.
That’s said, both art and plot are vital in visual media as they use images to convey their story and the plot gives reason to the images, hence why the artstyle must befit the story or the way it’s being told and the plot must make sense.

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