While the retrospectives are running rampant, I think it’s probably time to look forward to next year, and make a few resolutions, as well as some wishes for the manga industry.
I wish for…
1. The continued success of Yen Press, and the continued publication of Yen Plus. This manga publishing newcomer is doing a lot of things right, and I hope that they continue to do well in this depressed market. I also hope that Yen Plus eventually becomes more profitable.
2. Manwha to gain more acceptance in the manga community. There are many great books out there just waiting to be published. Yen Press is starting to push some pretty good manwha into the manga market through Yen Plus, and hopefully titles like Black God will convince manga readers that manwha is just as readible as manga.
3. Better, more cautious, and hopefully more successful management of TokyoPop and its manga titles. The giant fell this year, and while once it was the only true competitor to the manga powerhouse that is Viz Media, it’s now shrunk in size and is slowing down production. It is my hope that the company works out of this slump, and continues to invest in good manga, albeit with a bit more caution, and a better eye for potential moneymakers.
4. News from ADV. We’ve been kept in the dark for long enough. ADV’s lack of candor about its financial status has been the highlight of this year’s manga woes. We know that ADV is continuing to print manga from their back catalog, but we still haven’t heard anything about any of their ongoing series. It’s my wish that ADV becomes a bit more transparent and gets back on its feet.
5. A stabilized manga market. Things are in flux right now, and for good reason. Hopefully, the economy can settle itself, and we will hopefully be able to see a stable and growing manga publication market.
And, it wouldn’t be the New Year’s season without a few resolutions.
I resolve to…
1. Read some shojo, and see what the fuss is about: I’ve had a few run-ins with the genre, most notably Song of the Hanging Sky and a 2 volume stint with Sensual Phrase, which turned out alright. Yen Plus has helped me get used to the conventions of the style, so I think I might be ready to try out Fruits Basket or Kitchen Princess.
2. READ MORE MANGA! There are so many amazing series I haven’t had a chance to read or finish, some terrific, older series. Ai Yori Aoshi, Shaman King, Fullmetal Alchemist, Monster, and many more are just waiting for me to read them, and I haven’t. This year, that is all going to change.
3. Catch up on my reviews. This is more of a blogging thing, but I’ve read so much manga these past 6 months, and I haven’t had nearly enough time to catalog all of my impressions and thoughts. I’m going to work harder as a blogger and as a manga fan to produce better, more consistent reviews.
4. Try and get to a convention. I’ve never been to an anime or manga convention, and I’d love to try one out. I’m sort of afraid of the consequences of showing up to a convention hall where people can dress up like characters of Fullmetal Alchemist and be perfectly acceptable, but I’m willing to take the chance.
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I’m sure I’ll be adding to my list as we move through the new year; what are your resolutions and wishes for 2009?
I doubt TP are going to last much longer TBH, or atleast not in their current incarnation.
Word has it that they’re on the verge of completely closing the UK side of the company, and they’re planning to reduce the US releases of next year, again. They’ll either collapse or sell out to another company and be merged IMO.
ADV is dead and gone, and i think everyone knows ot. Only people who don’t seem to know it are ADV themselves. It’s nigh on impossible for them to make a successful come back now.
Also, Sensual Phrase is not shojo, and i dont care what classifaction it official has, it’s smut bordering hentai
It’s far from the best introduction to shojo you could read. I recomend you start with the classics, such as Fushigi Yuugi, Ayashi no Ceres, Tail of the Moon and of course Fruits Basket.
Oddly, the Kaikan Phrase anime was awesome, because they toned down the sexual devience and focused more on the band as a whole. It worked really well and was one of the best anime i’ve seen to date. Shame it’s so out dated now, and no one has ever finished or done a follow up for it.
Manhwa does actually have a steady fan base it’s just not as publicised as manga. Most of the big companies meld manga and manwha together, so people can go years without realising their favorite series isnt manga. Viz and TP are the prime criminals in this. A friend of mine loved Cursed Sword, and for years thought it was manga.
I think the manga market is going to get worse before it gets better though. Several of the smaller publishers will go under, and some of the larger ones will shrink. I think in the end only Viz will really be unaffected, and thats due to them being to big and diverse.
For shojo, I’d also recommend Skip Beat, High School Debut, or if you want a manhwa, Goong. They’re all well-written, funny series, & Skip Beat’s a rare blend of shojo & shonen. The first two volumes (the weakest of the series) turn off some readers, but it’s worth muddling through.