As the global Covid-19 Pandemic hit the world, popular Japanese manga and anime started to become mainstream and more widespread. Anime from older generations such as Cowboy Bebop, Neon Genesis Evangelion, and Dragon Ball, coupled with the Big Three, Naruto, One Piece, Bleach, and new-gen anime like Jujutsu Kaisen, Black Clover, and My Hero Academia all have grown in the vast majority. Each anime show brings forth a unique story filled with an emotional roller coaster and plots unique to the creative minds of manga authors. Not only do the manga chapters bring forth rich writing, but through modern technology and expanding budgets, animation studios such as Mappa can highlight the beauties of the anime through brilliant animations. New generation anime Demon Slayer is notable through the anime community not for its story (though the story is brilliant) but for its animation quality. With the rise of anime in western culture and its influence spreading, what’s next for the future of anime? Well, anime animators and manga writers just have to continue what they are doing, continue producing quality content that surpasses the previous generation of anime.

Many factors impact the growth of anime. The largest one is manga sales. The phrase “The Big Three,” which contains Naruto, One Piece, and Bleach, came directly from their current manga sales during the older anime generation.

Comic Data

The impact of The Big Three extends through all of the modern shounen. Even in the new era of rising shounen manga such as Jujutsu Kaisen, My Hero Academia and Black Clover, The Big Three remain dominant in total manga sales. This being said, we cannot give too much credit to The Big Three in the success of rising new generation manga.

Jujutsu Kaisen, a new generation manga, is the prime example of the success modern anime has.

Comicbook

The manga sales for volume 13 of the manga indicate a progression throughout. The Jujutsu Kaisen manga has only been in production for three years, starting in 2018, and just received an animated adaptation in 2021. The sheer amount of manga sold in 4 weeks surpasses the manga sales of The Big Three, paling them compared to the manga chapters sold per volume. Older anime like Naruto and One Piece have been in production for a long, long time, since 1999. Competing and winning against Naruto, One Piece, and Bleach, who have a 20-year head start in terms of manga sales, proves that the future of anime and manga is in the right hands. Jujutsu Kaisen and other anime such as Attack on Titan have demonstrated their excellence and success in manga sales.

Manga Updates

Regardless of the anime generation, anime and manga have been widely popularized across the world in the past year and a half. Lockdowns and other socially isolating policy implementations by schools and governments open an entirely new front to entertainment. One of those fronts is anime and manga.

Anime Motivation

Crunchyroll sees the highest surge they’ve had (as far as Google searches) since 2019. It’s rising steadily and shows no sign of slowing down. The lockdowns and quarantines, coupled with boredom and the need to explore new things, boomed the rise and mainstream movement of anime, causing anime streaming to become a “trend.” All in all, anime and manga provide brilliance towards modern television entertainment. The widespread popularity and attention it sees now bring forth a new and even better source of entertainment for people around the world.

Sources

Ellis, T. J. (2020, May 20). Why The Coronavirus Has Made Anime More Popular Than Ever. Anime Motivation. https://animemotivation.com/coronavirus-has-made-anime-more-popular.

Backa-Updates Manga. (2021, July 7). Baka-Updates Manga - Stats. Backa-Updates Manga. https://www.mangaupdates.com/stats.html.