Manga as a style

While 'manga' is defined as "a Japanese comic book or graphic novel",^[4] some people contend that manga defines a style rather than a country of origin. This viewpoint can most predominately be seen by the manga publisher Tokyopop, which markets original English-language manga.

"Manga is like hip-hop. It's a lifestyle. To say that you can't draw it because you don't have the DNA is just silly."
—Stu Levy, Tokyopop CEO^[1]

However, like any artistic medium, there is no true set style for manga. Manga can range from the realistic to super deformed. Therefore, when manga is referenced as a style, it generally is specifically referring to the moé style of manga common to the fantasy genre and the most familiar style of manga to foreign readers.