Multicolored books cover each wall like ivy on a castle. Timeless American comics like “Infinity War,” “Batman: Year One,” and “Giant-Size X-Men” practically beckon you to read them. So, when Elle, a student employee at Daydream Comics, asked if I had read “Trigun” — a series from Japan — I was surprised. However, I shouldn’t have been.
Japanese comics, or manga, have taken the Western world by storm. In 2020, manga sales eclipsed American comics five times over, making $5.6 billion, according to Comichron.
This wasn’t a fluke either; it was a harbinger for what the new normal would be. Since then, manga has consistently outsold American comics not just internationally, but domestically. Even with the home-court advantage, American comic publishers are struggling to keep pace with manga.
Manga is nothing new for fans of the niche, but for a long time, mainstream culture was perplexed by it. For one, the books are read from right to left. The art is also more angular and stylized than your typical pseudo-realistic comic. And due to the books’ Japanese target audience, some cultural references don’t carry over.
Beyond all else, anime cemented manga as the current comic juggernaut it is.
Anime is the animated counterpart to many manga series. Think of “Batman: The Animated Series” and how it adapted the Caped Crusader’s comic. Shows like “Naruto,” “Attack on Titan,” and “Demon Slayer” adaptations of manga of the same name.
Characters in these stories have touched the hearts of millions. Whereas many comics have become too stagnant or conversely too convoluted, manga has created stories for everyone that keep fans coming back.
People see themselves in Naruto, a boy cast aside by his peers who desperately wants to make something of himself. Or take Eren, the main character of “Attack on Titan.” All his life, he and his people have been the victim of cruelty, and now he finally has the opportunity to make a change.
The world of manga is full of stories like these. The best part is the stories end.
It’s hard to get invested in a story when you know everything will return to normal by the end. This is an unfortunate problem comics run into.
Sure, certain runs will take established characters on completely character-changing journeys.
However, due to editorial control, characters are forced to return to the status quo so new issues appeal to readers.
New authors are given creative control over them as well, making certain character actions inconsistent across runs.
Manga, on the other hand, is handled by one author throughout the entire series. Character arcs are more impactful because they have permanence. Deaths carry more weight.
Although anime was always popular in certain crowds, the pandemic catapulted it into the current cultural zeitgeist. Stuck at home with nothing to do, many young Americans turned to streaming to escape their struggles. Luckily, one of anime’s biggest strengths is escapism.
Kohei Obara, the head of anime at Netflix, stated that 111 million subscribers watched some form of anime during the 2021 lockdown. This number was half of the subscriber base.
Obara also said that Netflix experienced a 20 percent increase in hours spent watching anime compared to 2020.
Since quarantine, several anime have become household names. In a recent global anime interest index, the U.S. showed an interest of 83 out of 100 in 2024. Seventy-two percent of the nation watches it regularly.
With figures like these, it’s no wonder manga has overtaken comics in domestic sales.
Meanwhile, many fans of superheroes have become disillusioned with comics’ stop-motion counterparts.
Fans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe — an indomitable powerhouse in years past — are tired of newer films. They have been called formulaic, uninspired, and directionless. Box office bombs like “The Marvels” illustrate this sentiment.
Marvel movies headed by Sony have consistently failed to meet fan expectations. with movies like “Morbius” and “Madam Web” leaving fans confused as to how they were even greenlit.
Although the world of comics is entering a new age of readership, the abysmal performance of “Joker: Folie a Deux” proves that a super villain name drop alone cannot outperform bad writing.
Manga has even bled into circles beyond drawn entertainment. Several athletes have posed as their favorite characters before or after competitions. Noah Lyles posed as the titular character Goku from “Dragon Ball Z” after winning the 100-meter race in the 2024 Olympics.
R&B singer Usher infamously spoiled a major plot point in “Jujutsu Kaisen” while promoting his new single “Standing Next to You” on TikTok.
In an ever-changing media landscape, manga may be here to stay.