While in the Western world manuscripts of comics, so-called comic art, have become the object of desire for collectors, in Japan manga manuscripts, so-called genga, have been considered merely materials necessary to make comics, never meant for the eyes of readers, usually ending up in storages, if not disposed of after release. However, in recent years manga manuscripts have gained attention with the increasing number of manga related exhibitions, and they have also been recognized as an important part of manga culture to be collected and protected in museums. Regarding genga the role of manga in exhibitions and the preservation of materials have been the main points of interest, but what else can manga manuscripts offer to manga discourse?

After a short overview of how the position of genga has changed from disposable materials into institutionally protected properties, I will explore the potentials and limitations of research on genga. The most obvious significance of genga is, that they contain information about the process of manga making from drawing techniques to printing, but they also provide information regarding publication history and the media of manga. In relation to this I will examine how genga relate to the final print products of manga, including the occasional edits between the initial serialization in manga magazines and subsequent publication in paperbacks due to different publishing practices and the materiality of manga.