Graphic novels have been a dominant force in the Comic Book Publishing industry for years, accounting for 65.2% of industry revenue in 2020 (latest data available).
A huge reason for that success has been Japanese graphic novels, also known as manga, which generated nearly $250.0 million in North America, according to online trade magazine ICv2.
Additionally, according to NPD Bookscan (NPD), a leader in point-of-sale tracking for the US Book Publishing industry, manga sales were up $218.0 million year over year in 2021, as the demand skyrocketed following a surge in 2020.
Furthermore, manga sales by units were estimated to be 24.4 million in 2021, up 15.0 million from the previous year. NPD states that manga was the top-growing print book category in 2021, responsible for 25.0% of all growth in the US Book Publishing industry.
While manga originates in Japan, the license for the series is available to be picked up by US publishers, who then translate and publish the books domestically.
Streaming services bolster demand
Prior to 2020, manga sales were generally less than $150.0 million, once reaching more than $200.0 million in 2007. However, the sudden demand for manga can be attributed to the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic.
Due to quarantine regulations, individuals were forced to stay at home, increasing demand for video streaming services such as Netflix and Hulu. As more people were bored at home, many began to watch Japanese animation shows, or anime, many of which were directly based on manga.
These shows are often broken down into seasons, meaning consumers would have to purchase the original source material if they wanted to continue the story.
This curiosity, combined with increased disposable income due to stimulus checks, became the catalyst for manga sales across the United States.
In an interview with Kevin Hamric, the Vice President of Publishing Sales for Viz Media, one of the largest manga publishers in the United States, he stated that new animated seasons of popular manga led to an uptick in sales.
Additionally, in 2020, Viz Media reportedly exhibited a 70.0% increase in the US market. The manga phenomenon spilled over into the movies industry, as "Demon Slayer the Movie: Mugen Train," an animated movie based on the original manga "Demon Slayer," broke box office records, becoming the biggest foreign language debut in US box office history and generating more than $21.0 million in revenue.
Supply chains remain an issue
While manga sales broke records in 2020, they were still hindered due to supply chain disruptions that affected the publishing industry as a whole.
Paper shortages and pandemic regulations, alongside high unemployment rates, pushed back release dates for many popular titles. Due to these disruptions, publishers were not able to reprint books fast enough to keep up with excessive demand.
While this hurt overall physical sales, overall demand was strong enough to boost digital sales as e-books are often readily available.
Manga provides a compact chronological story at an inexpensive price point, with physical volumes labeled with a number corresponding to their order in the story. As a result, customers interested in this as a new interest can easily pick up the first volume in a series without breaking the bank.
With this increased popularity, it is not a surprise to see retailers Barnes & Noble and Books-A-Million likely expanding their manga sections across multiple bookshelves.
While demand is expected to slow from the highs experienced in 2020 and 2021, the newly gained popularity should make manga a force in the industry for years to come.
