The de Young Museum in San Francisco opened its doors to a unique cultural celebration as hundreds of manga enthusiasts, dressed in elaborate cosplay costumes, flocked to the debut of "Art of Manga," one of the first large-scale exhibitions in the United States to showcase manga as a legitimate art form. The exhibition, which opened on Saturday, transformed the museum's basement gallery into a vibrant showcase where fans became part of the spectacle alongside more than 600 original drawings and artworks.
Jyke Telmo and Sam Bell exemplified the enthusiastic response, traveling from Alameda to Golden Gate Park dressed as Jotaro Kujo and Noriaki Kakyoin from their favorite manga series, "JoJo's Bizarre Adventure." "We love the JoJo franchise," Telmo explained, "but the fact that I also recognize a lot of these mainstay manga artists and their techniques – the way that they formulate all of these pieces – it's just so beautiful, so immaculate. I really believe that manga is an art, and it's always been an art – even though my family will say otherwise."
The exhibition addresses this very question of legitimacy that has long surrounded manga in Western art circles. Through its comprehensive display, the show traces the medium's evolution from early postwar creators through today's digital platforms, presenting manga as a global art form as pervasive as it is dynamic. The gallery walls have been transformed with sketches, comic strips, murals, and digital art, many of which are being displayed outside Japan for the first time.
Fans attending the opening day demonstrated the deep personal connections they have formed with manga characters and stories. Kyo, cosplaying as Jolyne Cujoh from "JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Part 6," shared her emotional connection to the character: "I met this character when I was 12, and at that time I'd never seen a girl character as tough as her, so I was really shocked and moved by how amazing she was. She overcomes every single obstacle. She's literally thrown in jail and she escapes."
The exhibition's scope extends far beyond popular mainstream titles, embracing the full spectrum of manga's diversity. Like a survey of Impressionism through Monet and Degas, "Art of Manga" highlights the defining artists and milestones of a genre that now spans humor, romance, absurdism, and queer narratives wrapped in psychedelic, if occasionally overbusy, design. This inclusivity is reflected in works like Tagame Gengorou's homoerotic stories, which helped push mainstream Japanese comics toward greater LGBTQ representation, and in Yamashita Kazumi's painterly, oil-like pages that soften the rigidity of neighboring artists.
For Telmo, who started reading manga at age 10, the exhibition's inclusive approach felt particularly meaningful. "I really recommend Rumiko Takahashi – she's the godmother of that genre of shojo anime and manga," he said. "This exhibit has queer, LGBTQ manga. They have such a big emphasis on that. It's wonderful that, because we're in a city that is very open, we can have these kinds of attractions, too."
The exhibition also serves as an educational experience, offering visitors a behind-the-scenes look at manga production. Okamoto Kinpachi Masashi, curator of the One Piece section, emphasized this educational component: "Nowadays, many people read One Piece on their smartphones, but they don't know how they are made in the factory with printing plates. We want to keep and archive them. With this exhibit, we can show people how the printing machine works and how it is made."
Upon entering the museum's ground floor, visitors encounter an atmosphere more reminiscent of Pop Mart than a traditional museum, with dozens of Japanese vending machines creating an immersive cultural experience. This playful approach extends throughout the exhibition, where the boundary between high art and popular culture becomes beautifully blurred.
The diverse array of cosplayers at the opening reflected manga's broad appeal across different demographics and interests. Leslie Xiong attended as Trish from "JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Golden Wind," explaining her character choice: "She's the daughter of the final boss so she goes through this journey of being a young adolescent and then basically discovers herself and goes against her own dad. She's basically finding her own path so that's what I really like about it." Meanwhile, other attendees included Brianne as Iggy, Kim as one of the sex bullets, and Brena as Gyro Zeppelli, all from various "JoJo's Bizarre Adventure" series.
For many attendees, the exhibition represented a full-circle moment in their relationship with manga. Kelsey Malinzak, who began reading "Inuyasha" at age 10, described the experience as deeply personal and nostalgic: "This was a real full-circle moment. Being an adult, living in the city now, seeing the original prints of these things that I fantasized over and got lost in as a kid – it's pretty mesmerizing."
The exhibition's impact extends beyond individual nostalgia to broader cultural recognition. The show presents manga not merely as entertainment but as a sophisticated art form worthy of museum display and scholarly attention. This represents a significant shift in how Western institutions approach Japanese popular culture, acknowledging its artistic merit alongside its commercial success.
Among the notable cosplayers were Peter and Emi, dressed as Princess Peach and Mario respectively, with their son as Luigi. "I grew up playing Mario a lot as a kid," Peter explained, while Emi added, looking at their son, "And hopefully he will too!" Other standout costumes included Brey paying homage to Dio Brando from "JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Phantom Blood," describing the character as "probably one of my favorite villains. He knows what he wants, he has a lot of charisma so he's just very fun to cosplay."
"Art of Manga" represents more than just an exhibition – it's a cultural milestone that validates manga as a legitimate art form while celebrating the passionate community that has grown around it. As fans continue to flock to the de Young Museum, the show demonstrates how manga has transcended its origins to become a global phenomenon that bridges the gap between popular entertainment and fine art, creating a space where both longtime enthusiasts and newcomers can appreciate the medium's artistic achievements and cultural significance.
