Throughout the world the generation that grew up in the 1990s found in manga, anime, and their game spinoffs a mesmerizing universe. On the one hand, they saw young protagonists achieving justice where their elders had been unable to do so, in dynamic environments ranging from sci-fi planetscapes to verdant, mythical never-pasts of our own world. On the other, violence and suffering were central tenants of the genre, heightening the torments that adolescence can bring upon us. This variety can be a foil for politically charged themes such as sexuality, freedom, history, and gender issues, with built-in cultural references and associations that provide rich ground for exploration. Contemporary artists have certainly noticed, and in the right hands, this can be as liberating as it is challenging. The result is a genre of great diversity. Three major artists drawing from its codes - Cajsa von Zeipel, Ai Yamaguchi, and Makoto Aida – give a sense of its breadth, complexity, and substance.
