Abstract

This study is about Miwa Kentaro's Comics and Cinema: Theory of Panels and Time (2014). The aim of the essay is to find address the question of whether comics are cinematic. Japanese comics actively use encoded images; in addition, they convey messages and stories briefly and quickly. For a long time, most Japanese comics research was centered on the comic’s unique expression mode. The origin of this direction in Japanese comics was New Treasure Island (Tezuka Osamu, 1947). Some comics scholars have appreciated that Tezuka Osamu's direction was innovative and cinematic since 1990s. Now, many scholars argue that “cinematic expression” is characteristic of Japanese comics. Miwa reconsiders and criticizes various preceding studies. Furthermore, he adds his own new theory. As a result, he newly describes the features of comics' expression not as exhibiting a "cinematic method" but as representing "cinematic style." This article examines major theories of the history of expression in comics. Beyond this, it considers Miwa's appraisal of these theories and his theory on "panels," "gaze," and "time." Finally, it presents an analysis of the cinematic style of New Treasure Island. Miwa’s theory incorporates diverse analyses and considerations. In addition, he adds a new perspective to preceding studies on the question of whether comics are cinematic. This article demonstrates the significance of Miwa's book in the context of the theory of expression in comics.