When it comes to Goodreads, it is amusing to see how lately, many of the top spots in the current most popular manga list are actually occupied by a non-manga – Avatar: The Last Airbender furthering a debate about *what* we define as manga and anime that has been rumbling on for years now.
TOKYO GHOUL THEME SONG IN JAPNES THEN IN ENGLISH SERIES
This equivalent of Netflix bingeing means that whereas in the past Goodreads would see a rapid switch-up in the most popular manga volumes at any given time, now the Top 40 there remains relatively static, occupied mainly by the comprising volumes of the given ‘most popular’ series at the time (right now, it’s The Promised Neverland). We are all strapped for time, so why waste it on anything less than the ‘best’ series? We want satisfaction guaranteed, before we even know what we want to read.Īnd thus, as seen with Kimetsu No Yaiba, we see an interesting trend emerging, where readers hang back, of sorts, and then splurge on a series and ‘catch up’ once it becomes popular. Booksellers have to become more curatorial with precious shelf space, and by extension, so too do readers. We are so flooded with content, that it becomes hard to choose what we actually want to consume. As with anime and the amount offered on streaming services, we are simply spoiled for choice. With the current format of volume-centric manga releasing having existed in the English speaking world for around 20 years now, the sheer volume of manga ‘out there’ is bewildering. Only time for the ‘very best’ – or ‘The best… and the rest’ The fate of this series is in fact highly indicative of a number of key market trends that have emerged over the past three years. This happened to such a degree that in terms of annual total volume sales, the series actually eclipsed perennial bestseller One Piece for a time. It was the series’ anime that really transformed the fates of this series, seeing many of its previous volumes flooding the Japanese bestseller charts as fans looked to ‘catch up’ on the story. It is easy to forget now, but this is a series that was initially passed over by the English version of Shonen Jump – the English release of the first volume did not come until two entire years after the Japanese original. What is more interesting is the runaway success of Kimetsu No Yaiba (Demon Blade). Even back in 2017, this series looked set from the start to be destined for success, and following its anime adaptation, it has gone from strength to strength – compelled by some of the most intelligent writing and pacing Shonen Jump has seen in a long time. Looking to Goodreads as an indicator of current popularity, the undoubted number one right now is The Promised Neverland.
Attack on Titan looks set to meet a similar conclusion too, in both its manga and anime incarnations.
Tokyo Ghoul’s follow-up ‘Tokyo Ghoul re.’ finished up in Japan in July 2018, while its anime adaptation was met with a highly mixed response from fans. Back then, Tokyo Ghoul was striking in its sheer dominance, with series like My Hero Academia and Attack on Titan following hotly on its heels. What struck me first is how much the most popularity of the top series in 2017 have faded away. What kinds of manga are we reading right now? Have the trends I observed back in 2017 changed? Have the most popular series’ changed? Three years on, we are in the midst of the current ongoing Coronavirus pandemic which has, on one hand, disrupted distribution schedules for all kinds of popular media, but also given time to many to while away the housebound hours reading. Recently, I was looking back at a piece I wrote in May 2017 about the current state of the English language manga market and how it was characterised by an increasing trend toward luxury, ‘graphic novel’ style releases.