Genre and Readership Mapping

In recent years, 2.5D musicals, which are based on manga and anime, have taken root. These stage productions include not only protagonists but characters that are in fact more popular than the protagonists themselves. In addition, manga and anime fans include not only fans of the works but also many fans of the characters living in those fictional worlds, so the 2D-musical scheme is arguably similar to the trends of idol fans. As fans of the idols and actors who play the characters become interested in manga, anime, and 2.5D musicals through the characters, it leads to the development of a wider readership. 

As the number of available manga titles increases, many rankings and manga awards based on the perspective of readers have taken hold as a guide to facilitate encounters with works. Although there are various counting and selection methods, ranking high in terms of certain influential awards—such as the Manga Taishō (the Manga Grand Prize) that started in 2008, in which bookstore clerks who sell comics at their stores are heavily involved—is likely to lead to increased sales. 
In particular, bookstore clerks in charge of comics want to recommend works that are new in that they depict things in new ways or use new approaches. This tendency is also highly compatible with niche studies and offers the advantage of making it possible to quickly uncover such works. At the same time, works that can be enjoyed by anyone are unlikely to be praised, so the number of classic works has decreased. 

Up until now, the adaptation of live-action television shows based on manga has played a role in attracting new readers from among youths and adults who did not read much manga before. However, in recent years—due to the spread of smartphones and tablets—manga has resurfaced as a type of content that can be immediately enjoyed while traveling. Because there is a need for manga works that are both easy to read and compelling, essay manga is gaining popularity among readers that are not that familiar with fiction, as are easy-to-read, touching situation comedies and panic horror stories that keep readers turning every thrilling page. 

Masterpieces and the development of sequels for them play a role in recapturing former manga readers. Although this has been going on for a long time, the spread of manga apps has made it easier to create opportunities to reread past masterpieces, so the number of people reading sequels is increasing. In addition, this can be useful for family communication when people who first read masterpieces as children grow up and then enjoy those masterpieces and their sequels with their own children. 

Due to the current flood of information, there is an increasing need for a way to efficiently acquire and learn information. The images and stories in manga represent an optimal technique for gaining knowledge before you know it while enjoying the learning process. As a result, works that emphasize realism and enable readers to acquire accurate knowledge—such as Akane Shimizu’s Cells at Work! (Kodansha, 2015) and Riichiro Inagaki’s/Boichi’s Dr. Stone (SHUEISHA Inc., 2017)—are starting to appear among mainstream works. 

As a result of the subdivision of interests and preferences, the diversification of values, and the desire to more efficiently acquire knowledge, the nature of classics is changing. Satoru Noda’s Golden Kamuy (SHUEISHA Inc., 2014) is a smash hit work for adults, and it was used as a key visual at the British Museum’s manga exhibition. This work meticulously details the customs of the Ainu people, the history of the war, and survival techniques, all of which enable readers to enjoy the work while acquiring knowledge. In addition, due to the appeal of the shapes of the characters as well and the way this is emphasized by the art, each character has a lot of fans. Basically, the work appeals to each segment of its diverse readership in various ways, making it suitable for all of them. In this way, Golden Kamuy represents the birth of a new classic style. 

Koyoharu Gotouge’s comic Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba (SHUEISHA Inc., 2016) achieved a circulation per volume of over two million copies. That makes this manga the biggest smash hit since Hajime Isayama’s Attack on Titan (Kodansha, 2009) around ten years ago. The story of a polite, decisive protagonist slaying demons is a familiar classic plot as far as Japanese people are concerned. Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba did not achieve popularity overnight. Instead, the work gradually amassed fans after it was adapted as an anime, which peaked during the work’s climax. Perhaps one could argue that this is proof that everyone has secretly been wanting a truly classic work. The work also includes many important characters who have strong beliefs and values, which responds to the needs of character fans. If Golden Kamuy is a new type of classic, then one could say that Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba represents an evolution of the classics.