During the golden age of the manga industry in Japan, new manga titles often sold hundreds of thousands of copies on their very first day of release. In recent years, however, we have seen the dominance of One Piece from Shueisha’s Weekly Shōnen Jump, leading the charge.
As One Piece continues to capture the hearts of readers, with sales consistently exceeding one million copies on its release day, other titles like Naruto have also made impressive debuts, selling around 600,000 copies for each new chapter. In contrast, Bleach has seen lower figures, with about 300,000 copies sold upon release.
In the past, the stories of classic series are still relevant today, but the landscape has changed significantly. With Naruto concluded and Bleach having also bid farewell to its audience, One Piece remains the sole survivor in the Japanese manga market, leaving experts in the comic industry concerned about the future.
Recently, analysts have warned that the manga industry in Japan is facing potential risks of decline, particularly if One Piece, created by Eiichiro Oda, comes to an end. This concern is underscored by recent statistics showing a drop in manga sales and magazine circulation over the past few years.
The manga sales ranking chart indicates that One Piece has a significant lead over other titles.
As seen in the recent manga sales ranking in Japan, it is evident that One Piece has achieved remarkable sales, surpassing 2 million copies within three weeks of the release of volume 83. This number is greater than the combined total of the next nine titles in the top 10, showing that One Piece dominates the market.
The apprehension of industry analysts regarding the Japanese manga production sector remains palpable. The market currently lacks new titles that possess significant substance and appeal. The audience does not seem to resonate as strongly with new works, leading to lower sales figures when compared to established titles from previous years.
Even Attack on Titan has lost its allure…
