The scale of the Japanese manga market for digital manga has reached 342 billion yen, which has accounted for 55% of the total manga sales, making it one of the most significant sales models in the manga market.
Tokyo, JP (Periodical News) – People no longer only use the APP to play games or social activities, and using the APP to read comics has become the primary way of reading. As a result, in 2020, the sales volume of Japan’s digital comics market was approximately 342 billion yen, an increase of nearly 83 billion yen over the previous year, with a growth rate of 32%. Notably, digital comic sales in 2020 accounted for 55% of total comic sales. This data shows that digital comics have become the primary sales model in the comics market. In addition, the success of “Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba” and the increase in entertainment demand due to the coronavirus pandemic have contributed significantly to the growth of the comics market in 2020. The comics sold more than 150 million copies, of which digital comics accounted for a large proportion.
The Japanese manga market consists of printed manga books, printed manga magazines, and digital manga, including digitally published manga magazines. As the Internet has gradually become an indispensable tool in people’s daily lives, online reading has slowly become a habit, making Japan’s print media generally declining, while digital publishing products are becoming more and more popular. Although the sales value of printed comic books and magazines has been declining over the years, due to the boom of “Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba” and the coronavirus pandemic, the demand for online reading of comics has increased, prompting the emergence of a significant digital comics model in 2020 increase.
Like other parts of the Japanese media industry, the Internet has had a huge impact on the publishing industry. In 2020, the scale of the digital comics market in Japan will be approximately 342 billion yen, an increase of nearly 83 billion yen over the previous year, with a growth rate of 32%. As far as comics are concerned, various apps cater to readers, such as Piccoma, LINE Manga, or Shonen Jump+. In recent years, the competition of cartoons APP has become more and more fierce. This new reading method has created challenges for many traditional printing publishers. APP adopts different charging ways, but usually, some chapters are provided as trailers for free. The increasing popularity of this new form of content distribution will gradually make digital comics an essential role in comic marketing and sales.
Demon Slayer has published more than 150 million copies, the digital version accounted for the primary mode of sales, becoming the best-selling manga series in Japan during that period. The sales volume was about ten times that of the second-ranked series “Kingdom.” Critics praised it because of the distinctive characters and the rapid and orderly rhythm of the plot. It has won numerous awards and is considered one of the best anime of the 2010s. The popularity of manga has led to the boom in peripheral products. The sequel movie “Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Movie: Mugen Train” was released in October 2020, becoming the highest-grossing anime movie ever in Japan. As of December 2020, the total sales of the Demon Slayer franchise in Japan are estimated to be at least 1 trillion yen ($8.75 billion). It has become one of the highest-paid media franchises in history.
Despite the gradual changes in the comic market and readers’ reading methods, the comic exhibition is still one of the most popular exhibitions. The Tokyo Bay area hosts Comic Market (Comiket), a self-published comics exhibition twice a year, attracting hundreds of thousands of visitors each summer and winter. The comics traded at the show include original works and derivative works based on franchise rights. At the event site, many fans practice cosplay by dressing up as their favorite characters. The performers who participate in the dress-up activities are generally called cosplayers or closer for short. They are common in these activities and attract the attention of many tourists.
Japanese manga is valued by the Japanese and welcomed by people from all over the world. Many interesting manga tours have resulted in products that combine manga elements: food, clothing, accommodation, transportation, and entertainment. UNIQLO’s Japanese clothing brand often cooperates with many comics, allowing consumers to wear their favorite comic characters on their bodies to increase their life interest. HOTEL TAVINOS is a metropolitan hotel chain built on the theme of Japanese comics. The design of the lobby, restaurant, and even the room implements the piece of comics, creating a non-daily fantasy space so that travelers can feel happy and excited during their stay.
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