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Forum - View topicManga Takes 10 of 15 Spots on NYT February Bestseller List for Graphic Novels, Manga
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jr240483
 Posts: 4385 Location: New York City,New York,USA |
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which is why amazon and other western stores are using draconain measures concerning light novels and manga for they knew that in a few years or so, the manga industry will completely overtake the western comic industry.
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Mr. sickVisionz
 Posts: 2173 |
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The Japanese know how to make and sell comic books but their film adaptations usually don't perform like American comic adaptations do.
US companies get CRUSHED by manga in comic book sales but they can take this non-selling content and make billion dollar movies from it on a regular basis. Seems like some type of partnership or think tank on how to make comic books people are willing to buy and how to adapt comics into movies could benefit everyone. |
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livin_large
Posts: 107 |
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Manga's been outselling comics for a long time now |
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jr240483
Posts: 4385 Location: New York City,New York,USA |
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which is why youe seeing reports from other anime sites where amazon are basically telling what types of manga and light novels can only be sold on their platforms like a similar version of censorship. they claim its to keep the platform with suitable materials, but otakus more or less realise its basically big tech companies like amazon trying to keep a failing woke industry afloat by putting restrictions on the industry. when you got BS restrictions that amazon are doing to certain manga and light novels, you really cant blame mr akamastu for deciding to become a politician to reduce western influence and the wokenees from companies like amazon! |
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Loli-Knight
Posts: 5 |
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Honestly it's not surprising. When you look at the super hero movies the US has been putting out it largely follows what people who SPEND MONEY actually like- not being preached to, quality action, good looking outfits, corny one-liners, etc. But then you look at the comics they're sourced from over the past couple of years and... it's all literally the opposite outside of Batman (which has been doing really good still, actually). The heroes are constantly preaching to the reader, the main characters are made completely unlikable, characters are killed off to give rise to new versions that nobody asked for or even wants after the matter, redesigns look horrifically uninspired and sanitary, Mary Sues (and some Garys) are the only things being promoted, sweeping changes to established character personalities (that end in them falling into that completely unlikable territory), plots that are noticeably worse takes on things they've literally just been repeating for decades, overly sanitized style and tone, and the list goes on. But when you look at a lot of the artists and editors that have taken over it all makes sense- most of them tout themselves as literal activists that hate <insert name of property they're now working on here>, and hate the existing fanbase just as much (or in extreme circumstances, tell them things like they should go die or disappear because this stuff "isn't for them" anymore). Meanwhile you have anime and manga that give zero shits about being sanitized and politically correct. They're throw as much violence, raunchy lewdness, batshit insane characters, and taboo subjects with vibrant and inspired designs at us as it takes to make money. Granted, it helps that the people making these things very clearly have a passion for the mediums whereas currently the opposite is not true by almost any means. |
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AmpersandsUnited
Posts: 633 |
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The top 6 movies of Japan's box office last year were all anime and manga-oriented. The top 4 were Evangelion, Detective Conan, Jujutsu Kaisen, and Belle. 5 and 6 were live-action Tokyo Revengers and Ruruouni Kenshin films. Maybe you mean those 1 billion dollar worldwide movies like Endgame, but to that I say no thanks. That's why we get those bad western adaptions like Cowboy Bebop and Ghost in the Shell in the first place: they're trying to replicate that success by heavily altering and dumbing them down like Marvel and DC movies do. But manga doesn't need to be a live-action movie factory. I'd much prefer they make good, animated movies that are true to the original manga and even fit into their continuity rather than chase the cinematic universe trend of Hollywood. Maybe that limits their worldwide appeal by aiming strictly at fans, but why would we want movies not to be aimed at fans in the first place? |
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09jcg
Posts: 524 |
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dm
 Subscriber Posts: 1375 |
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I assume the Marvel movies do well because they feature characters who have been in comics for fifty to sixty years. There are grandparents who grew up with Iron Man, Spider Man, and Captain America.
But those grandparents probably aren't buying comics (they probably aren't buying that much manga, either). Let's see... Manga is about 76% of the graphic novel market, superhero comics are about 7%, with the remaining 17% going to "other graphic novels". (https://www.comicsbeat.com/report-graphic-novel-sales-were-up-65-in-2021/) As to the NYT's graphic novel best seller list --- you have to realize you're talking about big fish in a pretty small pond. There were 16 million "adult graphic novels" sold in the US in 2020 (https://www.gamesradar.com/adult-graphic-novel-sales-figures-reveal-nearly-30-sales-jump-and-the-most-popular-comics-of-2020/) There were 751 million books sold in the US in 2020 (about half non-fiction) (https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/bookselling/article/85256-print-unit-sales-rose-8-2-in-2020.html) So graphic novels make up about 2% of the market. |
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Kicksville
 Posts: 1182 |
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I know when we talk about "Western" graphic novels, everyone's probably thinking cape comics, but it's worth noting the non-manga entries here are all Scholastic. So I don't think "Western" comics are completely incapable of competing, more that it's not the "Western" comics you might be thinking of. Last I checked Scholastic is just about tied with Viz for #1 in revenue. Chainsaw Man's biggest competition isn't Spider-Man or Batman, it's Dog Man.
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LegitPancake
 Posts: 1296 Location: Texas, USA |
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I’m surprised Maus isn’t on this list given its crazy upsurge in sales thanks to some school districts banning it. Unless this “February” list is actually January sales ranks.
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dm
Subscriber Posts: 1375 |
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The Times does Graphic Novels list on a monthly basis, not a weekly one, so it's a bit early to talk about February sales. |
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RockSplash
Posts: 495 |
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I really wish western and manga fans could co-exist. Not describing about how one is demolishing the other or anything. There are still plenty of people who refuse to read manga, just as manga fans for western material. One thing to remember is that manga has to be licensed. We really don't get nearly all the manga that is out in Japan because no one has an interest in licensing and translating due to little fan impact. In comparison, we see ALL the western comic industry that is released, both the good and the bad. Sturgeon's law is absolutely in effect.
I personally enjoy both equally, but manga fans assume you like overly "political" comics that don't succeed, vs comic fans who have understandable concerns about reading manga. |
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Beatdigga
 Posts: 4391 Location: New York |
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I’d bet good money Maus is in the Top 10 next month.
This list is a good example not of one country’s graphic moves dying but the industry widening with more genres on both sides of the pond. |
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Egan Loo
Posts: 1320 |
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As noted in a previous thread, there are some warnings about taking BookScan numbers at face value: 1. Comics Beat only analyzed the BookScan sales data. BookScan did not include the "Direct Market" -- in other words, almost all 2,000 comic book stores in the United States. 2. In addition to not counting graphic novel sales in almost all comic shops, Bookscan does not count periodical comics at all — that is, "floppies" or what most English speakers think of when they think "comic books." 2. BookScan's public data only included the top 750 titles. As Comics Beat noted before, "the top 750 represents about half of sales." animenewsnetwork.com/interest/2021-05-26/fact-check-did-demon-slayer-really-outsell-all-of-american-comics/.173234 |
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BonusStage
 Posts: 307 |
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To add to the BookScan VS Direct Market thing, you can track Bookscan sales because they're mostly chain based like Borders and Barnes & Nobles. You have to rely on estimates for the Direct Market because LCS are just simple hobby shops. Comichron unfortunately has less data to go on year after year and is only able to very loosely estimate numbers.. LCS distributors overall only list copies shipped to stores, not copies sold to customers, which unfortunately makes the true numbers a mystery.
I wouldn't say politics are the issue, so much as only one very specifical set of politics are allowed in the current market The biggest strength manga has is it's versatility and diversity. It's hard to let talent and profit flourish in a rigid system where most mangka would not be able to find work due to limitations. |
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