A Sociology of Japanese Ladies' Comics

This book is a study of the content and functions of ladies' comics, the most recent addition to the modern manga scene in Japan. Ito demonstrates that action, melodrama, erotica, and even educational themes have a place in ladie's comics. The author uses visual sociology which examines "visual information" rather than verbal and written data and proides readers the first full-length study of Japanese manga comics studies, ladies' comics. Ito shows how female protagonists are human beings who become aware of their sexuality and immerse themselves in carnal pleasures as subjects, not objects.