Matsumoto Katsuji and the kawaii style
Matsumoto Katsuji belongs to the next generation of artists and designers after Takabatake – at this stage, the thin, graceful fragility of boys and girls from the illustrations of girls’ magazines began to take on pretty, “cartoon” forms. In addition, Katsuji is one of the pioneers of the manga genre among those who influenced the formation of Japanese comics in their modern form.
While still at school, Matsumoto Katsuji began working as an assistant designer in a magazine, and at eighteen he entered the Kawabata School of Design. At the same time, he independently studied various drawing techniques, looking back at his more experienced colleagues. In 1928, Katsuji made his debut as an illustrator for girls' magazines and his easy, charming style quickly gained popularity. Along with Junichi Nakahara, Katsuji was the most popular artist of his time. In addition to covers and illustrations for magazines, Katsuji's illustrations for Japanese and Western works (for example, he illustrated European fairy tales), as well as his manga, were highly praised.
Katsuji's work is extremely diverse – he was able to flexibly adapt his style to what he specifically illustrates. He was excellent at both realistic paintings in the Art Nouveau style and cute cartoon heroines. Katsuji's paintings were distinguished by their brightness and cheerfulness, in addition, it is clear from them that the artist had a wonderful sense of humor, which gave his works a special charm. Katsuji's talent was appreciated – in 1940 he became the chief illustrator of a major magazine for girls, Shojo no Tomo (Girls' Friend).
In Katsuji’s work, one can clearly see how the initially more restrained and realistic style of Japanese Art Nouveau began to take on the “kawaii charm” with childishly pretty, big-eyed heroines. This is especially noticeable in the manga of Matsumoto Katsuji. He created a number of short or serial stories in the manga genre, which had a great influence on the development of the shoujo genre – Japanese comics for girls (now books, games, and a lot of other content are published in this genre).
In addition to Japanese artists, Matsumoto was also influenced by the Western style of toys and comics for children (for example, from the “Kewpie” dolls of Rose O'Neill or the illustrations of Grace Dreiten, it is clear that such a style was no longer new at the time of Matsumoto – however, he skillfully adapted it to suit Japanese audience and own style).
Katsuji's most famous manga was the series of short stories about Kurumi-chan, which he began in 1938. They were published in magazines for thirty-five years (with a break during wartime). Kurumi-chan can be called the first “kawaii” heroine created in Japan. Many readers throughout Japan watched with interest the everyday life of this bright, cheerful and fashionable girl.
Initially, Matsumoto drew Kurumi in a more realistic manner – like an ordinary teenage girl, but gradually came to a style that was later called “chibi” in the anime – a grotesquely large head with a small body, a slightly sketchy image of the face – a cartoonish, childish charm characteristic of many modern anime heroines, especially in humorous works. The Kurumi series has become so popular that even fake merch with it has appeared on sale.
In addition, Kurumi clearly shows how the life of Japanese girls had changed by the thirties: the heroine flaunts European outfits, dates a boy and leads a lifestyle that her Japanese peers would never have dreamed of just half a century ago, when the country was more traditional and patriarchal.
In addition to the manga about Kurumi, Matsumoto’s sixteen-page manga “Mysterious Clover” is interesting – the story of a young girl who freed poor villagers and farmers from cruel aristocrats. This is one of the first manga to use unusual camera angles and different frame sizes. To this day, Katsuji’s manga series “Pichiko and Chako” about a brother and sister and their cheerful everyday life looks very lively and dynamic.
OR
After the war, in the fifties, Katsuji Matsumoto left his work in magazines and focused on illustrating children's books and working with design. The artist loved children very much (he himself had seven of them!), and sincerely enjoyed creating children's books – he illustrated many Japanese and foreign works for young readers. In addition, Katsuji came up with various tricks to make books for children more interactive and unusual – for example, he created books with “pop-up” voluminous paper illustrations.
The artist also left his mark in the design of children's products. So, in the 1960s, he created charming characters named Hamu and Moni for a set of children's dishes from the Kombi company. Many children of the 60s and 70s grew up with just such dishes. Katsuji continued to work with his old heroes, such as Kurumi. Children's toys, board games, stationery and much more were produced with Katsuji's illustrations.
In 1971, Katsuji opened his own art studio in Izushi City, Shizuoka Prefecture, where he mentored a younger generation of artists. Until his last days, the artist skillfully combined in his illustrations his love for traditional Japanese culture and Western modernity and subtly intertwined them in his work. Katsuji Matsumoto lived a long life and died in 1986 at the age of 81. His heirs founded a memorial museum named after the artist in Tokyo.
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