ABSTRACT

The popularity of shōjo manga from the 1950s to the present day, and its social significance, not only as a form of entertainment, but also its role in allowing girls and young women to form communities and find self-expression, indicates its importance to scholarly discourse on Japan and on pop culture in general. A significant turning point for shōjo manga was Mizuno’s series Fire! (1969–1971), which introduced 1960s counterculture ideals of personal liberation. This chapter discusses Mizuno’s early career, and Fire! in particular, in comparison with American and British romance comics of the same era, to show how the genre developed.