Manga Mania

By: Allen Divers
Date: Monday, May 26, 2003

I've collected comics in one form or another since 1982. It started with a weekly trip to the local Magic Mart and later moved to a little comic book specialty store called Gulf Coast Comics. I think it's safe to say I have a bit of an affinity for the comic book format. Being a fan of Anime, then it should come as no surprise that I happen to like Manga. For many of the Anime series in existence, Manga is the origin. Often starting as a weekly serial in one of the major Japanese anthologies, a series garners attention, gains a fan base then hits the small screen as a weekly animated series. The process isn't really different than what occurs in North America, when you sit down and think about it.



Of course as the Anime industry in North America grows and evolves, it comes as no surprise that the supplemental markets also change. While Manga's history in North America is long established, it's the last year and a half that true growth has really appeared. Many readers credit the success of the current market of Manga to a design decision by the folks over at TOKYOPOP. The introduction of the 100% Authentic Manga line proved that the main stream market could handle the unflipped and untranslated Manga that many of the hardcore fans craved. The price break on the line, from $15 to just under $10 helped a lot as well. So much so, that Viz, the long time King of the Hill, revamped their entire line up of books to under $10 as well.




The entire Manga market has also seen another major shift, the move away from the traditional monthly comic book format. Last year saw the end of many of TOKYOPOP's comic releases, and in the last month, Viz announced the end of their comic book line. While the comic book market helped draw in the established comic readers to the world of Manga and Anime, most of those fans moved to the world of Graphic Novels (Tankoban). The smaller format, larger page count and economic price made Graphic Novels easier to swallow for the average collector.



One other change to the market that has helped revitalize the entire Manga scene is the release of successful regular anthologies. Anthologies are nothing new to the Manga market. They have shown up in many different forms and styles over the last few years. Of the many entries into the market over the years, it really feels like only one has managed to stay afloat: Viz's Animerica Extra. So what changed that allowed one upstart and the King of the Hill to find success straight out of the gate?



For one, it was the strength of a name. Shonen Jump in Japan is a weekly anthology. Focusing on action oriented adventures Shonen Jump has launched many successful titles such as Dragonball, Naruto and One Piece into the mainstream of Japan. Viz built up the right buzz for their monthly version of Shonen Jump by handing out preview copies at last year's San Diego Comic Con, the largest mainstream comics' event in North America. With huge, high profile series, Shonen Jump has hit the million issue print mark with every monthly release. On top of that, Shonen Jump is left unflipped, meaning the mainstream market is actually reading the anthology backwards!



The other major shift in the market comes in the form of a weekly anthology entitled Raijin Comics. Coamix, also known as Gutsoon, is a very different company from the others in the North American Manga market. Based in Tokyo, Japan, Gutsoon has made it their mission to keep the creative staff of each series involved in the process of bringing their series to a North American audience. This philosophy is reminiscent of the move made by many North American artists in the early 90s when they decided to form their own company, Image. While the creators at Gutsoon aren't handling all aspects of marketing of their titles, they are involved with the creative decisions made in translation and presentation. While still only available in a small part of the market, Raijin has steadily grown, attracting major distributors. Now being distributed by Diamond, Raijin is sure to infiltrate further into the market.



So, it's easy to say that Manga continues to grow in North America. As the market expands, and interest continues to grow, the Manga market may evolve in a similar line with the Anime market where the gap between Japanese release and North American release becomes ever smaller. The success of two major anthologies should also pave the way for other anthologies over the next year, with Viz already announces plans to revamp Animerica Extra. Overall, it only gets better from here!



Now you're asking, why am I talking about many things you already know? Well, this is the first of what will be a regular feature here on Anime on DVD. Similar to my Lost in Translation column, this column will be a place for me to share commentary about the state of the industry, write up reviews of recent releases, discuss major news events and even throw out the occasional interview with those involved in the Manga industry. I'll even do what I can to answer your questions about various series, and the process involved with bringing over a Manga series.



So to start things off right with this new column, I'll share my thoughts on some recent releases. This week, its 4 recent releases, 2 from TOKYOPOP and 2 from Viz. In the future, I will include releases from other distributors as I pick them up. You can also read reviews on the upcoming Raijin releases that I did in a recent issue of Lost in Translation.



The Big 0 - Volume 2



The work that inspired the series, Big 0 tells the story of Paradigm City, a place where 40 years ago, something occurred that wiped the memories of all the inhabitants. Roger Smith is a negotiator, a man that will solve any problem for the right price. When things get too tough, Roger has an ace up his sleeve, the Big O. Described as Batman meets Gundam, Big O has a deep story that the Anime hinted at in its first 13 episode run. The artwork is very stylistic, with a retro futuristic look. Much of the technology and mecha design looks like something out of a 1940s world fair. There's also a bit of flair towards the old noir detective stories, with many visuals reminiscent of the Maltese Falcon. In comparison to the Anime designs, the artwork will feel a bit primitive. Volume 2 opens with the last chapter of the Dorothy story arc. Throughout each of the remaining stories, come more hints and questions as to main back-story of what happened to everyone's memories. The strength of the Manga comes in the form of the story. There's a dark back-story at work, but that running plot line is balanced by a bit of humor and solid action as Roger and Dorothy barrel through their cases. The Big O is an exciting tale filled with mystery and giant robot action. The Manga provides more depth than the Anime, giving readers plenty to chew on as they flip the pages. The only downside with Viz's release is the fact that they flipped the pages. As the comic version comes to an end, maybe Viz will release future volumes unflipped, but considering they've already established this format for Big O, it will probably stay this way.



Cardcaptor Sakura - Master of the Clow - Volume 4



Any work by CLAMP is sure to garner major attention, so it's no surprise that Cardcaptor Sakura has found a strong audience in North America. The Manga takes on a completely different feel than the Anime with a lot of focus on "pretty" shots. Characters and scenes are framed in an almost pin-up style, with lots of emotional trademarks such as flower petals floating in the background, frames of flowers and well, lots of sweet Sakura goodness. The story is winding down as Eriol continues to manipulate Sakura into changing more and more of the Clow cards into Sakura cards. While it still isn't clear what his final motivation is, the overall affect is allowing Sakura to continue to grow. As the story progresses in volume 4, Sakura learns more about her own feelings for those around her, as well as a bit about Clow Reed. The overall impact is a story that is a light read, with beautiful artwork and some nice character development for everyone involved. Cardcaptor Sakura remains a strong title that can appeal to a wide audience. It's a must have for collectors that enjoy strong artwork and a solid story.



GTO - Volume 11



GTO is what I consider to be one of the ultimate guilty pleasures in Manga. On one level, it is very base, delving into a variety of perversions mixed in with plenty of potty humor. On the other hand, it exposes real human emotions as the characters move through each chapter lead by the ultimate honest human being. Volume 11 continues Onizuka's latest trial, as he's still searching for the money needed to fulfill his promise. Just when he seems on the verge of victory, something else appears that causes him to be right back where he started. Even through this, Onizuka proves that being true to himself, and keeping in line with his own personal philosophy allows him to win in the end. The artwork for GTO remains intriguing, with a lot of focus on facial expressions. The writing and dialogue remain top-notch and the situational comedy remains high. For fans of the Anime, events unfold a bit differently for the cast of the Manga as the second half of the GN featuring Tomoko doesn't even have Onizuka in it. For those that consider the Anime to be base, then the Manga will really drive them wild as it takes the perversion one step further. As I said, GTO for me is a guilty pleasure, and will continue to be a regular in my collection.



Ranma ½ - Volume 22



Honestly, the one that started it all for me, Ranma has been a major part of my Manga collection for years. It represents the first series I went all out to collect each volume religiously. Volume 22 is the first new novel in the Ranma series to be released in the new smaller format. After 21 volumes of a certain size, it's a bit of a let down as this new book doesn't quite look right with the rest on the shelf. For those with the extra cash, Viz is re-releasing the previous volumes in the new style. Volume 1 and 2 are currently available, with the rest on to be released every few months. The one downside though, is the pages remain flipped even in the revised versions of volume 1 and 2. With a long standing tradition of flipping the artwork, it'll be some time before more of Viz's titles stick with the original Japanese style.



Volume 22 starts up a new storyline as Ranma encounters members of the Musk Dynasty. An ancient clan of Martial artists, the Musk Dynasty uses the cursed springs to gain more power for themselves. Members of the Dynasty have come in search of a lost treasure, and Ranma and his friends are forced to fight for their lives. The story, dialogue and artwork are all typical Rumiko Takahashi, and a bit predictable. Of course, fans of her work continue to read because of that fact. Ranma ½ is solid read, with plenty of humor, action and romance to keep the audience entertained. Volume 22 continues that tradition and is a welcome part of any collection.



The Japanese scene



Ah, just to tease you, I also plan to discuss a bit about the Japanese Manga scene, as information comes my way. CLAMP continues to tease and thrill fans with their works in a variety of Japanese publications. Borrowing a page from a North American comic book staple, CLAMP is creating quite a stir with a few crossover events. One of their new series, Tsubasa, will be making guest appearances in a few of their other works such as XXXholic. For long time CLAMP fans, Tsubasa is causing quite a stir with a cast built around alternate versions of the cast from Cardcaptor Sakura.



As I said, North American comic fans are no strangers to the crossover concept. It's been a marketing strategy for many years, building up buzz with titles such as Batman vs. Superman, Spiderman vs. Batman and even Batman vs. Predator. The irony with CLAMP doing it, is the connotation that the story feels like a doujinshi. Of course, that's how they got their start, so it really shouldn't be a surprise that their true nature comes out in their professional work. What will be interesting to see is how those stories will translate to the North American market. If the crossovers continue through other CLAMP properties, North American fans may be left out of the loop as licensing agreements may prevent the printing of those particular chapters. It's still a ways off for us, so hopefully the legal powers that be can work out something that will sit well with the fans.



Parting shots



There's something I wanted to leave you thinking about. Shonen Jump has made many promises that have major impact on the market. One is the promise to bring in more recent series currently appearing in its Japanese counterpart. While the format of North America's Shonen Jump is still in flux, it's clear that a large gap will still exist between Japanese and North American releases. At the current rate of 3 chapters a month, it will take the series Naruto nearly 5 years to catch up to what is currently being released in Japan right now. Is there a way to close that gap? Is it really desirable to close that gap? Considering the fact that the Anime will probably be licensed sometime this year, and we can expect to see those episodes sometime in 2004, Viz may want to rethink the frequency of their magazine. Raijin, Viz's major competition in the regular anthology market, has begun testing the waters with rumors of another regular anthology. With the amount of material being generated in Japan and the waiting dollars in North America, someone will surely seize the day. So a challenge goes out to Viz. Will you rest on the success of Shonen Jump, or will you continue to try and innovate to help build the market?



Well, that's about it for this time. I'm already hard at work generating ideas for future columns. Got questions, comments or suggestions? Email me at boxie@azraelproductions.com. I'm always open to feedback, and may even share it with everyone in this column.



Thanks for reading!



Allen Divers

Freelance Adventurer

boxie@azraelproductions.com