The editors behind three of the biggest global manga apps shared the stage at New York Comic Con to talk about how quickly the worldwide audience for manga is growing. The "Taking Manga Global: MANGA Plus and K MANGA in the U.S." panel took place on October 8 at the Javits Center, bringing together Yuta Momiyama of Shueisha's MANGA Plus, Yuta Hiraoka of Kodansha's K MANGA, and Nobuhiko Muranaka of Square Enix's Manga UP! The biggest takeaway came near the end, when Muranaka said he believes the United States could have more manga readers than Japan within the next ten years.
Momiyama is the editor-in-chief of Shonen Jump+ and the manager of MANGA Plus, and he both presented and moderated the panel. Hiraoka is the head of K MANGA and the deputy editor-in-chief of Weekly Shonen Magazine, while Muranaka is the director of Square Enix's global publishing division. The three spoke through an interpreter and answered questions about how the growing interest in Japanese manga outside of Japan is changing the way they work.
Closing The Gap With Japan
For a long time, English releases of manga chapters and volumes lagged well behind Japan, and these apps were built to shrink that gap. Shueisha launched MANGA Plus worldwide in January 2019, Square Enix released the global version of Manga UP! in July 2022, and Kodansha launched K MANGA in the United States in May 2023 with a promise to release the latest chapters for Japanese and American readers at the same time.
Muranaka summed up the shared goal by saying, "We're all trying to spread manga from Japan as fast as possible." Hiraoka said Kodansha wants K MANGA to recreate the smooth and easy reading experience that readers in Japan already have, on a global scale.
Feedback In Real Time
One of the biggest changes these apps have brought is how fast creators can hear from fans. Hiraoka explained that creators used to have to go through licensing teams to find out what readers outside of Japan thought of their series. Now many of these apps have comment sections where anyone can leave feedback in real time, and publishers and creators can check it right away.
Momiyama said editors can see that feedback as it comes in and bring it straight to the mangaka they work with. Muranaka added that hearing directly from global fans is very motivating for creators, and that it also gives publishers a lot of immediate data on what is popular around the world.
Manga Can Be A Hit Before The Anime
Momiyama pointed out that manga has the power to rally a movement of fans even without an anime adaptation. He used SPY x FAMILY and Kaiju No. 8 as examples, since both were already hugely popular before their anime aired, and both benefited from the traction they built through simultaneous publication. He also brought up Kagurabachi, whose international engagement helped turn it into a cultural moment among manga fans.
Hiraoka said that manga is always better when everyone is reading it together, because it gets fans talking to each other. Muranaka noted that engagement is especially high when a series is published simultaneously, and that when a chapter comes out after its Japanese release, the closer it lands to the Japanese date, the higher its numbers start.
Global Readers Like What Japan Likes
When asked whether the flood of global attention has changed which genres are popular, the answer was mostly no. Muranaka said that school life series used to struggle overseas, but these days what is popular in Japan also tends to be popular in the West. "It's great to see that the North American audience appreciates the same manga we love in Japan," he said. Hiraoka agreed, comparing it to superheroes: "We also like Spiderman in Japan, so it makes sense that popular things get popular anywhere."
There are still a few differences. The panel noted that gag manga can be difficult to translate for a global audience, while some series, like Tsuyoshi Takaki's Black Torch, are more popular in America than they are in Japan. Overall, though, publishers have not seen a big shift in what is popular even with a much bigger audience reading.
Looking For The Next Generation Of Mangaka
The three also made it clear that these apps are about finding new talent as well as releasing existing series. Hiraoka spoke about the Kodansha Manga Academy, which teaches creators how to make manga that can get serialized in Japan, and said there are a lot of people out there who are really great at drawing. He shared that more than 2,000 people from over 30 countries submitted entries to Kodansha's most recent award. Kodansha's KMA Award: Mangaka Discovery, which accepted original 8 to 60 page manga in English or Japanese from April 20 to July 22, offers a grand prize of 300,000 yen, a trip to an awards ceremony in Tokyo, publication on K MANGA and Comic DAYS, and a dedicated Kodansha editor.
Muranaka pointed out that 90% of Clip Studio Paint users live outside of Japan, and hinted that Manga UP! is also thinking about running a similar contest soon. Momiyama encouraged aspiring creators to submit to the MANGA Plus Creators Monthly Awards, where works are ranked by views, likes, and favorites, and Shueisha editors pick the winners from the top 20. The Gold Award comes with publication on Shonen Jump+ and MANGA Plus and 1,000,000 yen in prize money.
Momiyama also answered a fan question about whether overseas readership will be factored into which new manga get serialized in Japan, and said that is already happening. Really good art that builds a strong world is seen as the key to overseas appeal and can help fast track an artist to serialization. The panel was also honest that the industry is not quite at the point where a series that is popular overseas but not in Japan can get serialized yet.
The Next Ten Years
Asked what global manga will look like ten years from now, Muranaka made his prediction that America could pass Japan in manga readers, pointing to how much bigger the United States is than Japan. Hiraoka said he hopes there will be many more North American readers who truly love and appreciate manga.
For fans who want to help, Hiraoka had a simple answer to the question of how readers can best support their favorite series. Word of mouth goes a long way, so posting about what you like and sharing it with friends helps build an organic fandom, and the editors and artists do read the comments. The panel wrapped up with a giveaway of goods from Square Enix, Kodansha, and Shueisha series, ranging from Fullmetal Alchemist to The Fragrant Flower Blooms With Dignity.
Do you think the US will really have more manga readers than Japan within the next ten years, or will Japan stay the center of manga readership for a long time to come?
Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.