Digital Journal — Their faces look oppressed, sad, scared or determined. They are drawn with thin, defined cheekbones and minimal jaw lines. On each cover, they look up at you, diluted pupils in massive brown or blue eyes. These are the faces of Japanese comic book stars. And now, they are the faces admired by millions worldwide.
The latest craze called manga (“comic” in Japanese) has gained incredible popularity with young boys, and shojo (manga for girls) has become one of the hottest markets in the book business today.
“I think that manga deals with a lot more thought-provoking and compelling stories than conventional North American entertainment,” says Kent Lam, President of the University of Toronto Anime and Manga Association (UTAMA). “It can appeal to a wide variety of audiences because of its topics.”
Derived from Japanese anime, manga usually comes in beautifully bound volumes or printed in serial form inside weekly magazines. For a long time, the foreign comic was only carried in specialty and comic book stores. But because of its growing popularity, manga can now be found in most major bookstores across North America.
While its wide focus allows the books to have a large following, some particular topics have some people very concerned; among the best sellers are stories that involve cross-dressing boys, characters who magically change genders and teens having sex with 10-year-olds. Other stories in the popular shojo genre — nicknamed “big eyes save the world” — deal with stories of love and social problems such as bullying and peer pressure.
The most popular manga series requested in some areas of the United States is called “Fake”. It features graphic sex scenes, including one in the latest volume that depicts the heroes in bed together. In many book stores, that volume is shrink-wrapped and stamped “mature” for ages 18 or older.
Surprisingly, publishers of these popular titles say they encounter most resistance from independent booksellers rather than parents. They are also surprised to see that young girls are interested in this particular subject matter. According to The New York Times, manga’s strongest readership is among girls aged 12 to 17. It has become so popular that CosmoGIRL! has joined shojo craze, debuting its monthly manga strip “The Adventures of CG!” which profiles a spunky college sophomore. And by December 2005, Harlequin will publish six manga adaptations of its top-selling titles. It will be available in two lines — one for younger readers, and the other for more sophisticated ones.
The manga industry is booming in North America, and the United States has seen its business more than double since 2002, with sales growing to a whopping $125 million from $55 million three years ago.
“What draws people to manga is the artistic style,” says Lam. “Manga effectively takes you into another world. It just gives you an experience and a sensation that I have not received from anything in North America.”
American companies like Tokyopop — the largest publisher of manga in the U.S. — have been successful because they maintain the Japanese style; manga emphasizes lines rather than form in its artwork, and the book is read from right to left, back to front. Storytelling and panel placement differ from Western comics like Archie, and if you begin reading in the wrong direction, publishers have included messages such as: “Stop! You’re going the wrong way!”
The manga trend is rapidly growing across the globe and has influenced people’s lives all over the world. People want to do the things they see in manga.
For example, a manga story published in Japan has led to an unprecedented boom in job applications to the Japanese Coast Guard. Umizaru or “Sea Monkey” focuses on 14 recruits to the Japanese Coast Guard’s elite team of salvage and rescue divers. Published weekly for almost three years, it has sold more than four million copies.
Along with related animated films, TV series and licensed products like dolls and action figures, the manga market is worth more than $5 billion and continues to grow.
