Meet the Fabulous '49ers (The "Year 24 Group" Primer)
Manga
The Year 24 Group (24-nen Gumi/Nijuuyonen Gumi, also called the Fabulous Year 24 Group/Hana no 24-nen Gumi or the Magnificent Forty-Niners), is a group of manga artists who rose to prominence in the early 1970s. They are credited with introducing complex themes such as psychology, sexuality, and politics into shoujo manga, which until that point was primarily simple stories for little girls written by men who would migrate to male demongraphics as they gained notability.
Their name comes from the year 1949, or the 24th year of the Showa era, in which several members were born. Which artists merit inclusion is a matter of opinion, with the strictest including as few as just Hagio, Oshima, and Takemiya, and the most liberal including mangaka influenced by them and those who worked as their assistants.
Inclusion of titles in this list is based on a combination of popularity, notability, acclaim, availability in English, and (my) personal taste. Don't read too far into it if I missed a series you like.
Their name comes from the year 1949, or the 24th year of the Showa era, in which several members were born. Which artists merit inclusion is a matter of opinion, with the strictest including as few as just Hagio, Oshima, and Takemiya, and the most liberal including mangaka influenced by them and those who worked as their assistants.
Inclusion of titles in this list is based on a combination of popularity, notability, acclaim, availability in English, and (my) personal taste. Don't read too far into it if I missed a series you like.
