Social network analysis of manga: similarities to real-world social networks and trends over decades
Abstract Manga, Japanese comics, has been popular on a global scale. Social networks among characters, which are often called character networks, may be a significant contributor to their popularity. We collected data from 162 popular manga that span over 70 years and analyzed their character networ...
| Váldodahkkit: | , |
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| Materiálatiipa: | Artihkal |
| Giella: | English |
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SpringerOpen
2023-11-01
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| Ráidu: | Applied Network Science |
| Fáttát: | |
| Liŋkkat: | https://doi.org/10.1007/s41109-023-00604-0 |
| _version_ | 1827724057200558080 |
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| author | Kashin Sugishita Naoki Masuda |
| author_facet | Kashin Sugishita Naoki Masuda |
| author_sort | Kashin Sugishita |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Manga, Japanese comics, has been popular on a global scale. Social networks among characters, which are often called character networks, may be a significant contributor to their popularity. We collected data from 162 popular manga that span over 70 years and analyzed their character networks. First, we found that many of static and temporal properties of the character networks are similar to those of real human social networks. Second, the character networks of most manga are protagonist-centered such that a single protagonist interacts with the majority of other characters. Third, the character networks for manga mainly targeting boys have shifted to denser and less protagonist-centered networks and with fewer characters over decades. Manga mainly targeting girls showed the opposite trend except for the downward trend in the number of characters. The present study, which relies on manga data sampled on an unprecedented scale, paves the way for further population studies of character networks and other aspects of comics. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T22:09:28Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-87dc15b33aa4421fa14ffcf3a4fec8ad |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2364-8228 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T22:09:28Z |
| publishDate | 2023-11-01 |
| publisher | SpringerOpen |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Applied Network Science |
| spelling | doaj.art-87dc15b33aa4421fa14ffcf3a4fec8ad2023-11-19T12:42:02ZengSpringerOpenApplied Network Science2364-82282023-11-018111710.1007/s41109-023-00604-0Social network analysis of manga: similarities to real-world social networks and trends over decadesKashin Sugishita0Naoki Masuda1Department of Transdisciplinary Science and Engineering, Tokyo Institute of TechnologyDepartment of Mathematics, State University of New York at BuffaloAbstract Manga, Japanese comics, has been popular on a global scale. Social networks among characters, which are often called character networks, may be a significant contributor to their popularity. We collected data from 162 popular manga that span over 70 years and analyzed their character networks. First, we found that many of static and temporal properties of the character networks are similar to those of real human social networks. Second, the character networks of most manga are protagonist-centered such that a single protagonist interacts with the majority of other characters. Third, the character networks for manga mainly targeting boys have shifted to denser and less protagonist-centered networks and with fewer characters over decades. Manga mainly targeting girls showed the opposite trend except for the downward trend in the number of characters. The present study, which relies on manga data sampled on an unprecedented scale, paves the way for further population studies of character networks and other aspects of comics.https://doi.org/10.1007/s41109-023-00604-0MangaCharacter networksTemporal networks |
| spellingShingle | Kashin Sugishita Naoki Masuda Social network analysis of manga: similarities to real-world social networks and trends over decades Applied Network Science Manga Character networks Temporal networks |
| title | Social network analysis of manga: similarities to real-world social networks and trends over decades |
| title_full | Social network analysis of manga: similarities to real-world social networks and trends over decades |
| title_fullStr | Social network analysis of manga: similarities to real-world social networks and trends over decades |
| title_full_unstemmed | Social network analysis of manga: similarities to real-world social networks and trends over decades |
| title_short | Social network analysis of manga: similarities to real-world social networks and trends over decades |
| title_sort | social network analysis of manga similarities to real world social networks and trends over decades |
| topic | Manga Character networks Temporal networks |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1007/s41109-023-00604-0 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT kashinsugishita socialnetworkanalysisofmangasimilaritiestorealworldsocialnetworksandtrendsoverdecades AT naokimasuda socialnetworkanalysisofmangasimilaritiestorealworldsocialnetworksandtrendsoverdecades |