Kyary Pamyu Pamyu is the reason why the Japanese are weird but here is one reason why I love them

I read manga when I was younger and I am shameless in mentioning this. I used to draw and paint a lot because I was inspired by the art (in manga) ; the Japanese have a characteristic aesthetic that I am very fond of, owing to its minimalist approach.

Two of my favorite mangaka (authors of manga) are Ai Yazawa (Paradise Kiss, NANA) and Mika Yamamori (SUGARS, Hirunaka no Ryuusei). Although I have stopped reading anything Japanese that isn't Murakami or Kirino, I still check up on their work from time to time. Here are a few snippets:

Mika Yamamori

Sweet youth!

The main thing I love about Yamamori's art is the cleanliness. Her lines are never "sketchy" and the patterns are always where they are intended to be; nothing sticks out of the boundary. Although her technique is not as developed as Yazawa's, it already passes off as very advance. (Also, I have this mysterious attraction towards androgynous people and the male characters she draws look fairly feminine!)

(And as you can see, she draws men well.)

Even her sketches look clean.

Ai Yazawa

She could be an illustrator for Vogue Nippon.

Ai Yazawa's art is nothing short of amazing. She draws very meticulously, especially since her work is generally geared towards fashion. Her art is reminiscent of the Japanese Lolita culture (doll-like features) and pop art.

This is like pop art for kids, even though Paradise Kiss is not for kids.

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By the way, Paradise Kiss is one of the few stories in a manga that actually has depth. I would recommend it, but I have moved onto reading the -ism's of life, which compels me to maintain a very strict outlook on "art." (I kid.)