Anime/Manga's increasing popularity(cool news!)

Madpierrot · Post by **Madpierrot** » Mon Jul 12, 2004 3:02 pm

For a first time ever a graphic novel has topped the USA today top 150 bestsellers list! Those being Viz-published Shonen Jump graphic novels Naruto vol. 3 and Rurouni Kenshin vol. 4.
I think that this is great to see. If manga is becoming this popular hopefully it means that anime compaines will be much more willing to bring more over. I'd take this as a little sign that perhaps it's becoming more main stream and we'll get to see more and more different anime and anime products here in America.
What do you guys think?

HeartbreakerByZep · Post by **HeartbreakerByZep** » Mon Jul 12, 2004 3:09 pm

Well I do fear the possibilities, but right now I don't see what bad could come of it, so hurray for Anime! Lord knows I'm happy about the current popularity, I just found out that this little bookstore in the mall has more manga than Suncoast, and even Borders.

Jimmy Balls-O-Steel · Post by **Jimmy Balls-O-Steel** » Mon Jul 12, 2004 3:27 pm

When it comes to getting ahold of anime, it fucking sucks to live in Canada. All of our DVD's have to get imported from the US (except for Manga Entertainment stuff), Chapters (our only real nationwide book store chain) carrys fuck-all for in-store manga, considering how big their stores are (not to mention the fact that most of the spines are bent to shit), and the only anime we see on TV is the Americanized crap (you know something's wrong when Inu-Yasha says "everyone has their own cross to bear" in the dub), despite the fact that we technically have no real censorship laws ( I remember a long time ago seeing uncut Ninja Scroll on late-night TV). FOR FUCK'S SAKE, TELETOON ONLY SHOWS FUCKING CARDCAPTORS!!

AbsoluteDestiny · Post by **AbsoluteDestiny** » Mon Jul 12, 2004 4:00 pm

Jimmy - that isnt adding anything to this discussion...

paizuri · Post by **paizuri** » Mon Jul 12, 2004 4:23 pm

Well, manga is perhaps more mainstream than American (or other types) comic books in the United States. Stores that don't carry American comic books or graphic novels like FYE and Suncoast carry manga. I even read a news article last year about Walmart starting to carry manga. And if Walmart doesn't have it, you don't need it!

And it's starting to go the other way too. Waldenbooks, which is traditionally just a bookstore, offers DVDs right next to their manga section.

And I think anime companies are certainly bringing a lot of titles over now that were unthinkable five years ago. Back then, who would have ever thought that shoujo series like Marmalade Boy or Kodocha would ever come out here on DVD? And yet both are now. Kodocha was even licensed by Funimation, purveyor of everyone's favorite fighting show Dragonball Z! How is that for diverse?

I just hope that this doesn't turn into a blind craze where companies think that EVERYTHING that is anime or manga is good. I mean, sure there are a lot of great manga and anime series out there, but there are just as many, if not more, that are really bad. But as long as companies keep a discerning eye and pick the better shows out there, I don't think we'll have to worry about an oversaturation of mediocre or simply bad products.

Moonlight Soldier · Post by **Moonlight Soldier** » Mon Jul 12, 2004 5:31 pm

Hmmm I have pros and cons over anime becoming more mainstream, but one of the greatest pros is that availability rises as things become more popular.

This can lead to happiness for people such as V

Jimmy Balls-O-Steel wrote:When it comes to getting ahold of anime, it fucking sucks to live in Canada. All of our DVD's have to get imported from the US (except for Manga Entertainment stuff), Chapters (our only real nationwide book store chain) carrys fuck-all for in-store manga, considering how big their stores are (not to mention the fact that most of the spines are bent to shit), and the only anime we see on TV is the Americanized crap (you know something's wrong when Inu-Yasha says "everyone has their own cross to bear" in the dub), despite the fact that we technically have no real censorship laws ( I remember a long time ago seeing uncut Ninja Scroll on late-night TV). FOR FUCK'S SAKE, TELETOON ONLY SHOWS FUCKING CARDCAPTORS!!

Jimmy, depending on where you live, it's actually not that difficult to find anime/manga (even at reasonable prices) if you know where to look.

Chapters has become much better for carrying a wider variety of manga nowadays, they even have artbooks in stock depending on the branch. Really though, the best place to search for manga is at a comic shop. Or a store that focuses on collectibles. (That's where I get most of my stuff). Not to mention, I always feel better about buying from a smaller business since they appreciate MY business better.

Look in your yellow for a collectible shop, something that carries things like cards, comics, D&D stuff etc, that's a good place to start looking

Not to mentions conventions!

Trident · Post by **Trident** » Tue Jul 13, 2004 12:10 am

Not to mention amazon.com or other online stores. I assume those places deliver to Canada too...

*shrug* If manga and anime do become mainstream, I just hope that they remain mainstream--or, at the least, they don't become just another phase. Specifically anime--television tends to go through different phases. Right now we're in the reality TV phase--we've been through the game show phase already, and most forms of entertainment cycle through styles in a similar manner. Whereas the subgenres of anime can change for all I care, I don't want people to look back in twenty years and say, "Remember when anime was the big thing to watch?" Here's hoping that if manga and anime become integrated, they stay integrated into the American media culture...

someperson · Post by **someperson** » Tue Jul 13, 2004 2:06 am

That's awesome that manga is going more mainstream. I just hope stuff from Dark Horse comics would get more publicity ( those of you who know me some what well know where this is headedBlade of the Immortal)

Hopefully, we'll start seeing some tokyopop titles up on the top 150. Naruto and Kenshin are good, no doubt about that, but there are better mangas.

Yukina_Raven · Post by **Yukina_Raven** » Tue Jul 13, 2004 10:25 am

Hey, I'm glad anime is getting some popularity. However this thought makes me cringe.

It gives the idiots in the world a perfect oppertunity to jump at it and say "Look! This stuff is EVIL!"

Because, as I'm sure you've all realized, everytime something becomes popular with the world, there are people out there who have to make up something wrong with it.

someperson · Post by **someperson** » Tue Jul 13, 2004 10:36 am

Those people are seriously bored. They're the type of people who say that Harry Potter is evil.