Kodansha to release Young Magazine manga edition in U.S.

Asahi Shimbun

2 days ago

Kodansha Ltd. will publish the first U.S. edition of manga anthology Young Magazine in August, the publisher announced, as it seeks a new foothold outside Japan.
A total of 30,000 copies of the one-time extra issue will be distributed for free in the United States.
The publisher is seeking to create a new demand and use the special edition to expand its business outside Japan.
The U.S. edition will be released as Young Magazine USA.
"The habit of reading manga has become more widespread thanks to the worldwide popularity of anime, and there is a growing number of customers who want to read manga in wide-ranging genres," said Hidemi Shiraki, editor-in-chief of Young Magazine USA. "We want to bring out more potential readers."
The publisher intends to produce hit manga works in North America and bring them into Europe and other regions, he added.
Having marked its 45th anniversary in June, Young Magazine is intended for young adult men and has a strong following in Japan.
The anthology has been home to many manga works that won critical acclaim in and out of the country, including "Akira," "The Ghost in the Shell" and "Initial D."
The special issue features an illustration drawn by "Ghost in the Shell" author Masamune Shirow.
20 TITLES, 1,000 PAGES
Young Magazine USA will feature 20 manga works.
While some will be one-shot stories, many are new series beginning with the first episode.
They are mainly drawn by rookie artists selected from talents recruited by the publisher to create comics for overseas readers.
The U.S. edition also offers works by popular artists, including "Spriggan" writer Hiroshi Takashige and "My Little Monster" creator Robico.
Copies will be distributed for free at Anime NYC, a large convention opening in the U.S. state of New York on Aug. 21, bookstores and elsewhere.
The magazine will also hold a readers' vote for 16 titles on a special website and through X (formerly Twitter), and the five most popular works will be serialized and published in compiled volumes.
The winning titles will run on K Manga, Kodansha's app for overseas readers, as well as on the website, simultaneously in Japan and the United States, to sustain readership interest.
GAUGING THE MARKET
The publisher aims to ascertain the needs of U.S. readers more accurately with Young Magazine USA.
The special edition is intended to serve as an antenna to explore what overseas readers want, a representative said.
The U.S. content market was worth $508.3 billion (74.699 trillion yen) in 2022, accounting for more than half of the world's market share.
But normally, a manga title becomes a hit after it is adapted into animation for video streaming services or in other limited circumstances.
Japanese manga is catching on outside Japan.
According to research firm Humanmedia Inc., overseas sales of publications in 2023 totaled 320 billion yen, 2.3 times more than the figure for 2013, which was 141.3 billion yen.
Manga is believed to have accounted for the most sales.
Japanese anime titles have become popular after they were streamed on Crunchyroll, Netflix and other platforms, and their original comics have also attracted attention more frequently.
But it appears there are not many instances where manga itself proved to be a hit before it was adapted into anime.
JUMP'S TRAILBLAZING EFFORTS
Meanwhile, Shueisha Inc. has started exploring the possibilities of producing hit manga titles.
The company publishes Weekly Shonen Jump and other comic anthologies in which many popular works are serialized.
It launched the Manga Plus by Shueisha app and website for overseas readers in 2019.
The service is currently available in nine languages including English, Spanish, Vietnamese and German.
About 100 titles serialized in Shonen Jump and its sister magazines are streamed on Manga Plus.
"When I attended manga and anime events outside Japan, there were many enthusiastic fans in cosplay. But as I stepped out of the venue and went around towns, I didn't see comic books as widespread as in Japan," said Yuta Momiyama, editor-in-chief of the Shonen Jump + service who is in charge of Manga Plus and was also involved in setting it up. "We wanted to fill the void in demand and have them read manga like we do in Japan."
Manga Plus currently has about 5.5 million active monthly users.
"In many cases overseas, (manga titles) become popular after they are adapted into anime, but we are seeing some works that are popular from the first episode," Momiyama said.
TRANSLATION DIFFICULTIES
However, only major publishers with strong financial foundations can make a foray into overseas markets on a certain scale on their own accord.
In many cases, foreign publishers signed licensing agreements for Japanese comic books before selling them in overseas markets.
And it is even hard to say major publishers are successfully marketing their comics toward a wide range of readers across the world.
One hurdle in expanding their businesses overseas is translation.
According to several sources close to the publishing industry, translating a manga requires an understanding of the cultural background of the country in which it will be sold.
And because characters deliver distinctive and short lines many times in each work, advanced translation skills are necessary to translate a manga without ruining its worldview.
The government intends to develop the content industry, including manga, into a key industry alongside the automotive and other sectors.
In its report on the Entertainment and Creative Industry Strategy compiled in June, the trade ministry noted there is a shortage of comics that are translated and distributed outside the country.
There are also challenges to overcome, including a scarcity of highly skilled professionals who can translate expressions unique to manga, as well as localization costs.
For that reason, the government will support the development of industrial infrastructure tools that can contribute to translation and provide other assistance.
(This article was written by Sho Ito and Shiki Iwasawa.)