The manga and anime industry continues to grow by leaps and bounds. A phenomenon that has been with us globally for decades, but that in recent times and accompanied by the rise of social networks and streaming platforms is beginning to be on everyone’s lips and has become a mass consumption product. Works like ‘Kagurabachi‘ and many others have been popular in the West since the beginning of their publication as manga, a notable change compared to a past in which until an anime came out, a work was not known outside of Japan. This global popularity can cause both companies and publishers to begin to take the West into account when designing a work, and that is what he has spoken about Akira Kanaithe editor of ‘Vinland Saga‘, the manga of Makoto Yukimuraone of the most popular seinen of recent times.
Kanai has been interviewed by the German media Manga Passion, and has spoken about the success of manga in the West and the way in which it can influence his work as an editor: “I do not allow myself to be influenced by the so-called political correctness abroad and I design the works accordingly. Generally, the stories will be understood, regardless of whether you come from Africa, Chile or Greenland. I think there are no fundamental differences in the population in terms of what they perceive as important, whether in Japan, Germany, China or South Korea. Stopping a work because it deals with a problem that is too Japanese, or specifying that something must be done… that almost never happens.”
Manga and a growing success in the West
Throughout the interview, Akira Kanai uses the romantic comedy series ‘Skip to Loafer’ as an example, noting that it is about “a girl who comes from the Japanese countryside and moves alone to the city of Tokyo to study at a good institute. . I think people around the world will understand her feeling of insecurity the same way. That is why these types of works usually attract an international audience.”
The future will tell how some publishers face the Western impact, and with the rise of digital and services like Manga Plus it is increasingly noticeable that the international reader plays a greater role in the manga industry.
