. ▁ ▁The ▁first ▁historical ▁over view ▁of ▁Japanese ▁com ics ▁was ▁Se iki ▁H os ok ib ara ' s ▁ ▁in ▁ 1 9 2 4 . ▁ ▁Early ▁post - war ▁Japanese ▁criticism ▁was ▁mostly ▁of ▁a ▁left - wing ▁political ▁nature ▁until ▁the ▁ 1 9 8 6 ▁publication ▁of ▁Tom of usa ▁K ure ' s ▁Modern ▁M anga : ▁The ▁Complete ▁Picture , ▁which ▁de - emph as ized ▁politics ▁in ▁favour ▁of ▁formal ▁aspects , ▁such ▁as ▁structure ▁and ▁a ▁" gram mar " ▁of ▁com ics . ▁ ▁The ▁field ▁of ▁ ▁studies ▁increased ▁rapidly , ▁with ▁numerous ▁books ▁on ▁the ▁subject ▁appearing ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 9 0 s . ▁ ▁F ormal ▁theories ▁of ▁ ▁have ▁focused ▁on ▁developing ▁a ▁" m anga ▁expression ▁theory ", ▁with ▁emphas is ▁on ▁spatial ▁relationships ▁in ▁the ▁structure ▁of ▁images ▁on ▁the ▁page , ▁distingu ishing ▁the ▁medium ▁from ▁film ▁or ▁literature , ▁in ▁which ▁the ▁flow ▁of ▁time ▁is ▁the ▁basic ▁organ izing ▁element . ▁ ▁Comics ▁studies ▁courses ▁have ▁pro l ifer ated ▁at ▁Japanese ▁univers ities , ▁and ▁ ▁was ▁established ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 1 ▁to ▁promote ▁com ics ▁scholar ship . ▁ ▁The ▁publication ▁of ▁Freder ik ▁L . ▁Sch od t ' s ▁M anga ! ▁M anga ! ▁The ▁World ▁of ▁Japanese ▁Comics ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 3 ▁led ▁to ▁the ▁spread ▁of ▁use ▁of ▁the ▁word ▁m anga ▁outside ▁Japan ▁to ▁mean ▁" J apan