.Shônen Manga article published in Animerica Extra Vol. 4, No. 7, June 2001
This article was written by and is copyrighted to Patricia Duffield and may not be reproduced in part or whole without permission.

Most manga fans have a good idea how different comics are in Japan. With an incredible variety of graphics and stories unlike anything available elsewhere, those differences are the primary reason for the popularity of manga outside of Japan! The unique history of Japan's comic market is responsible for the development of such a lushly creative industry. With weekly phonebook- sized anthologies, some containing more than two dozen titles, the diversity and sheer volume of comics available in Japan is a whole level of magnitude greater than that of the U.S. In Japan, success is not measured in tens or even hundreds of thousands of issues sold --there, success is measured in millions. The highest selling anthologies have typically been shonen manga. These collections, originally aimed at school boys, now entertain readers of all ages and sexes. For a look inside manga's money-makers, here's a peek at some of the most successful publications in the world.

THE BASICS
Before exploring what makes these anthologies different from one another, we must first explain how they are the same. All of them have lots of advertising. The ads are aimed at young men: video games and electronic goods; hair, acne and other personal care products; and advertisements for various works by the same publisher. Since shonen manga anthologies tend to be a publisher's best-selling collection, the excess of advertising is understandable, especially when it comes to promoting the company's other publications. Printed in black-and white on pulp paper to keep them affordable, there are typically only a few color pages at the beginning for ads and a color introduction for the first story of the anthology. Averaging well over 400 pages per issue, there are usually more than 20 titles to choose from.

The content of shonen manga anthologies is fairly predictable. There are always some sports, some martial arts, and some gag (humor) comics. Action is the primary theme for the majority of titles, and the leading characters are almost always young men, usually with dark hair and eyes. Despite the limitations of the content, there's a lot that can be done within such general guidelines.

SHONEN JUMP
Shonen Jump has been the top selling comic anthology --shonen or otherwise-- for over twenty years. Manga heavyweights Akira Toriyama (Dragon Ball, Dr. Slump), Masakazu Katsura (Video Girl Ai, DNA2), and Tsukasa Hojo (both o's long) (Cat's Eye, City Hunter) are just a few of the popular talents who have filled the pages of Shonen Jump. Long-lived favorites such as JoJo's Bizarre Adventures (see Animerica Extra 4.4) and Kochi-Kame (see Animerica Extra 4.1) thrive alongside up-and-coming talent and new story trends which are constantly being tested.

The cover of the issue I reviewed had a blinding collage of characters from all of the stories within, plus a slightly larger image of Rufi --the boy who wants to become the world's greatest pirate-- from the top-of-the-charts series One Piece, the first story in the anthology. Inside were comics ranging from the striking and gruesome martial arts fantasy Naruto, to the slightly disturbing art and humor of Junjo (long o) Pin (Simple-hearted Pin), to the beautiful, cerebral Hikaru no Go (Hikaru's Go --as in the classic Japanese game). It was the kind of range expected of Shonen Jump. Even so, the Western Gun Blaze West was a surprise. Westerns are rare in Japanese comics, despite their being a perfect setting to accommodate the Japanese fascination with guns. Filled with comedy and action, Gun Blaze West was fun, though probably better suited for a preteen audience.

Shonen Jump was the only anthology to have color introductions to several stories. The best-selling Hikaru's Go and a haunting short story by Katsura had four color pages each. Along with One Piece, there was also a color cover for Tennis no Oji (long o) (The Prince of Tennis), one of Shonen Jump's four sports titles. Of all the anthologies, Shonen Jump had the fewest sports and most gag comics --six including Kochi-Kame. With perks like extra color pages, female-audience-pleasing creators like Yoshihiro Togashi (YuYu (both u's long) Hakusho, Hunter x Hunter) and Yumi Hotta (Hikaru's Go), old favorites and new trend setters, it seems the years of carefully phrased reader response cards have come to fruition. Shonen Jump keeps innovating to maintain its success.

SHONEN SUNDAY
Shonen Sunday, Shogakukan's best-selling manga anthology, has been home to as many big-hitting artists as Shonen Jump, including the ubiquitous Rumiko Takahashi; the eternally popular Mitsuru Adachi, whose name is synonymous with sports comics; and one of their more recent best-sellers, Gosho (both o's long) Aoyama, author of the long-running hits Yaiba and Mei Tantei Conan (Detective Conan, see Animerica Extra 3.2). Unlike Shonen Jump, all of Shonen Sunday's top artists are currently being published in the anthology.

It was Detective Conan's title character who graced the cover of the issue I reviewed, along with 21 flesh and blood young ladies, many in bikinis. Why 21? To welcome in the 21stcentury with 21 idols! Although this might seem to be a special hook for the New Year's issue, babes in bikinis have popped up on Shonen Sunday covers more than once this year. Despite this apparent attempt to appeal to the baser interests of its Y-chromosome readers, after the initial barrage of ads, the anthology gets down to the business of entertaining readers with top-notch comics.

Despite the big cover image of Conan, the first story was a gripping, action-packed chapter of Inu Yasha. After that came a well-balanced mix of action, drama, humor, and even romance. With the Akira-esque techno-political intrigue of the top-selling epic ARMS and the engaging mysteries of Detective Conan, Shonen Sunday seems to appeal to an older audience than the rest. Mister Zipangu was the only title of the lot, other than Shonen Magazine's kendo title Ryuma e (long u) (To Ryuma (long u)), which had a historic setting. The grim samurai saga was an interesting departure from Takashi Shiina's previous work, GS Mikami (see Animerica Extra 3.8). With numerous comic veterans, a well-balanced selection, and complex plots, Shonen Sunday was the most polished and well-rounded anthology of the four.

SHONEN MAGAZINE
If you want sports and grit, Kodansha's Shonen Magazine is the anthology for you. This collection had the most sports and fewest gag comics of the four. Along with the typical baseball, soccer and golf comics (yes, golf --all four had golf comics), Shonen Magazine offered judo, kendo, boxing, skiing, rugby and pool. Considering Shonen Magazine has been home to such manly sports classics as Ashita no Joe, Kyojin (long o) no Hoshi (Star of the Giants), and Offside, there is certainly a historic precedent for their current selection.

A new title called Kunimitsu no Matsuri (Kunimitsu's Festival) was featured on the cover of the issue I reviewed. The story revolved around the exploits of a belligerent but good-hearted motorcycle punk named Kunimitsu. This first chapter offered enough hints at a larger plot to keep the reader intrigued amidst all of Kunimitsu's outrageous behavior. There was also a comic about the trials and tribulations of young police officers and a flinty mahjong story which ended with a potentially violent cliffhanger. Add to that several martial arts titles and a life-and-limb chapter of an engineering school comic, and you've got an action-packed anthology with attitude.

Breaking up the testosterone fest were a pair of shonen romances: Love Hina, a many-girls-after-one-guy romantic comedy which is regularly in top ten manga sales lists, and Boys Be... L CO-OP, third in the Boys Be series which seems to have been fashioned after --and later into-- dating simulation video games. With maximum young male gratification, and little or no effort to accommodate a female audience, this is definitely the shonen-est of shonen manga anthologies.

SHONEN CHAMPION
As might be expected from a younger publication, the comics in Akitashoten's Shonen Champion anthology were more diverse than the rest. The cover comic for the issue I reviewed was Full Ahead! Koko, a lushly-illustrated maritime fantasy adventure packed with humor, action, and plenty of interesting characters. Although Japan is an island nation quite dependant on the seas' bounty, there have never been many comics with nautical themes. Other than Monkey Turn, Shonen Sunday's powerboat racing title, Full Ahead! Koko was the only comic to involve the sea, which made it stand out even more.

Besides this unique comic, there were at least four titles with female leads and two comics about families --a relative rarity among shonen comics, if you'll forgive the pun. This is not to say the portrayal of women was completely wonderful --I found Oyama! Kiku no Suke (Oyama! Chrysanthemum Rescue*) downright offensive-- but one of the stories with a female lead, Tokko (second o long) Tenyo (long o) (Special Attack Goddess), was both surprising and touching. The chapter began with the heroine, Sho (long o), waking to a hangover the morning after a wedding. The story became slowly intense when it moved to a strife-torn Asian country, where Sho's (long o) friend, Mizuki, was searching to find the man she loves. The ending was quite powerful, no doubt more so for those who follow the story every week. No other title in the four anthologies touched on global issues, let alone offered a humanistic --instead of stereotypical-- portrayal of foreigners.

Shonen Champion also had the most science fiction titles, with four stories centered on different sci-fi themes. Overall, Shonen Champion accommodated the widest range of readers and offered the most thought-provoking titles.

Just as one episode is frequently not enough to judge a TV show, so too is one chapter not enough to judge a comic. Combine 20 or so single chapters, however, and you can get a fairly good view of an anthology. Few readers enjoy all of the titles in one collection, but even if you only like a few of the many stories, the Y230 price (about $2) makes anthologies an entertainment bargain. Unfortunately, with the addition of international shipping costs, a weekly manga anthology can be prohibitively expensive for readers outside of Japan. Still, such publications offer readers a chance to explore titles they might never find out about if they only buy collected volumes of well known series. There are so many great stories out there, it's good to pick up an anthology now and again to see what you might be missing.

 

*Or however you'd like to translate it. The title's on page 270.

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