World Building in Indie Manga

So, how do you build a world for your manga? You just need to start out simple. The basics of your world should be solidified right along side your major story arc.

When J and I were creating the setting of Downhome Little Planet, we wanted a world that would give our little indie manga endless opportunities for story ideas. World Building in Indie Manga can be a lot of fun. The concept was simple: anything can happen as long as we have an explanation for it. We wanted an environment that would develop and grow, much like any of our characters. For us, that involves the city’s chaotic decline, but all that chaos just gives us more opportunities for hijinks!

While the dying planet of Acies Gemma is our main world, the comics center stage is Yokaro, a sleepy backwater city slowly waiting out the end of days. While world building, I had been watching a lot of Galaxy Express 999. I loved the variety of planets they visited. It made me realize that, even though the world was based in a run down urban sprawl, it didn’t have to stay there. We could do whatever we damn well pleased, and boy, we have.

That being said, I wanted Yokaro to have a familiar feel, at least at first glance. Readers could relate to it’s crumbling alleyways, only to get caught off guard by it’s quirky sci fi elements. Adding in sub space and cyber worlds quickly expanded our options too. With world building, having a multitude of diverse places can give you options when you feel your story is getting stale.

Characters, their world and the events that transpire need to work together. They don’t necessarily need to compliment each other, though. The point could be showing how the characters are a contrast to their world, rebels or outcasts. But good world building in indie manga is like a recipe. Everyone’s going to add their own flavor to the basics and make it their own. Now get cooking!