The manga market - France (2024)

1.2 The global market: the case of Japan and the rise of Korea

The case of Japan:

According to the AJPEA (***), the manga market in Japan regained some color from **** onwards, with growth of **.**% in value between **** and ****. The covid pandemic was beneficial for the manga market, as evidenced by the market 's exceptional **.**% growth in value between **** and **** .

on a global scale, the distribution of manga is proving very important for the country of the Rising Sun. The first reason is geopolitical. The concept of "Cool Japan", born after the Second World War with the success of Japanese Soap Opera , implies that culture is a tool of the country's Soft Power. The government currently funds manga-related cultural production via a creative industry promotion office, whose budget reached €*** million in ****. The second reason for exporting copyrights internationally is economic. Exporting copyrights becomes an important additional resource, generating ** M€ in ****.

Sales of various digital media Japan, ****, in billions of yen and % change Source: ****

evolution of the consumption medium: the new hegemony of the digital format:

Since ****, we've seen digital sales take on an increasingly important share of manga sales by value, with paper sales declining since ****. Theyear **** marked a turning point for the manga industry, where for the first time the value of digital sales ...

1.3 A French market slowing down after strong post-pandemic expansion.

France is considered the world's second-largest manga market by volume, according to the press. [***]. While this information is difficult to verify, it nevertheless remains true that France is one of the largest markets for this product, as demonstrated by the popularity of manga in France.

Development of the Comics/Manga sub-sector within the Literature sector :

In ****, the BD/Manga segment - to which manga naturally belong - will account for **.*% of total literature sales by volume, after peaking at **.*% of the market in ****. It is the second-largest segment of the literature market, after general literature, accounting for **% of sales volumes in ****. The BD/Manga segment is increasingly popular with the French. It saw an increase of **% between **** and ****, representing a CAGR of **.**% over these * years. However, this increase in sales volumes was mainly achieved between **** and ****, when this sub-sector's market share by volume rose from **% to **.*%.

Market share of the Comics/Manga sub-sector within the Literature sector ****-**** GFX

A comics/manga sub-sector dominated by the manga segment:

If we analyze the breakdown of sales in the comics/manga sub-sector in ****, we can see that manga accounts for **.*% of the sector's sales, estimated at *** million euros in ****. The manga segment alone ...

2.1 Consumer typology

Consumer typology:

According to a joint study by GFK - Growth From Knowledge - and the Syndicat National de l'Édition, in ****, the average buyer is characterized by his or her young age - more than **% of readers are under ** - and by its tendency to be more male - **% of readers are men, while they represent only **.*% of the French population according to INSEE. However, aimed at young people as well as those from the "Club Dorothée generation", manga appeals to everyone thanks to a varied range of stories, genres and styles. Nevertheless, the profile of the typical manga consumer changed between **** and ****. In ****, **% of readers were under **, compared with **% in ****. This shows that manga is tending to diversify within French society.

The graphs opposite show the percentage response according to gender and age to the following question asked in ****:"Have you read a manga in the last ** months?".[***]There is a trend towards over-representation among French readers aged ** to **. The evolution of readers between **** and **** accentuates this over-representation. In ****, **% of **-** year-olds had read a manga or comic in the last twelve months (***). The proportion of manga/comic readers decreases as age increases.

Distribution and evolution of manga ...

2.2 The rise of scantrad

Any cultural work can be stolen and copied. Illegal downloading has made headlines in the media, with Game of Thrones breaking records in this area. Manga is no exception to this phenomenon, quite the contrary. Scantrad is a process that involves scanning pages from chapters published in Japan in specialized magazines such as Weekly Shônen Jump, and then translating them for publication on the Internet.

How do you explain the success of scantrad in France and abroad? Although illegal, this process enables millions of readers to access chapters simply, quickly and free of charge, unlike tomes, which bring together several chapters, charge a fee and take several months to be published. For the Jaimini's Box site alone, one estimate puts the cost of damage at between €*.* and €*.* million per month.

Much more than just a phenomenon, scantrad makes it possible to introduce many mangas to the general public, giving them the chance to try them out and find out whether they like them or not. The act of buying a "physical" manga would, after all, be no more than an act of kindness and recognition for the mangaka, and not intended for genuine reading-discovery. This situation can even be compared ...

2.3 A fast-growing market that is now stabilizing.

A market with three phases in ten years:

If before the covid period, the manga market seemed to be running out of steam, with stagnant growth and a drop in the number of "manga" searches on the Internet - see graph below - it now appears that the pandemic period reversed this trend. The graph below shows that during the pandemic, the number of searches for the term "manga" on the Internet began to rise again, with growth of **.**% between **** and ****. After this strong growth from **** to ****, there was a stagnation followed by a decline in "manga" searches from **** to ****. As previously stated, this stagnation and decline is explained by the drop in sales for "millionaire" star series.

Average "manga" google trends France, ****-****, index Google Trends

The weakness of the market prior to the covid period can be explained by the maturing of certain flagship works that have driven growth in this market over the past decade. November **, ****, marks the publication of the last volume of Naruto. **** also sees the arrival of the last volume of Fairy Tail. However, it would be ingenuous to analyze the growth outlook for the manga market in France solely in relation to the main ...

3.1 Market organization: Value chain and player margins

Currently fragmented into a number of players in France, the manga market is a sub-section of the publishing market as a whole. As a result, a few major groups have positioned themselves against others, independent or not necessarily successful in emerging, whose market shares remain minor.

A study by MangaMag shows the shares of each player in the book chain:

Rightsholders receive a variable sum from sales excluding taxes, plus a fixed commission on all sales. This fee is generally between *% and **% of the price of the manga. This sum is used to finance the activities of the publishing house that co-owns the copyright, and to pay the mangakas for their work. The role of a publishing house is to identify talent, publish their work and promote it to the public, which can involve significant costs. Generally, mangaka co-own their work with a publishing house - One Piece is owned by Eiichiro Oda and Shûeisha. This is a major expense item that publishers would like to reduce by nurturing their own talent. The manga produced is then printed by printing companies. This represents * to **% of the price of the manga

The publishing house translates, corrects and redraws manga chapters, and ...

3.2 Distribution and broadcasting

Representing more than half the sales costs of a manga volume, distribution and diffusion play an essential role in the book chain. The first stage is completed by distributors and diffusers. These are large companies with substantial sales - €*** million for Interforum Editis. This concentration is somewhat forced, since the role of distributor and diffuser is a demanding one: you have to be able to produce, store, sell and transport substantial quantities of books, and do so profitably. So it's hardly surprising that * distributors control the manga market : Hachette, Interforum Editis, MDS and Delsol. The trust placed in these distributors also stems from the demand for quality and responsiveness on the part of publishers, who want their manga to be available to consumers, on time and in good condition.in a world where the first wave of sales is the most important - the major distributors can produce several thousand copies of a book in a day and a half. Publishers can also recommend copies at any time, which requires them to assess their own stocks.

The market shares of publishing houses dependent on these distributors in **** can be broken down as follows:

Breakdown of value sales in the manga sector ...

3.3 Main publishing houses

Source: ****

This market is controlled by a few major publishing groups, Glénat or Pika Éditions, whose core business is not necessarily manga distribution. Other independent publishers also share a relatively small share of the market - **.*% in ****.

3.4 Conventions: a privileged means of communication

The main conventions take place in Paris

Paris Manga is a bi-annual convention that attracts ***,*** people every year. Traditionally held at the Porte de Versailles exhibition center, the latest edition was held at Paris Nord, Villepinte. Celebrating Japanese culture in its entirety - manga, anime, merchandise, music and fashion - numerous eventsevents, including a cosplay competition - a disguise representing a fictional character - and book signings and meetings.

Japan Expo, held every June, was interrupted in **** and **** due to the covid pandemic, before reopening in ****. It welcomed nearly ***,*** people in ****. Also a celebration of Japanese culture, its main difference from its competitor is its size and its desire to have a European reach. Visitor numbers have tended to stagnate since ****, but the convention continues to attract well-known figures from the world of manga, such as Tetsuo Hara, creator of Ken the Survivor. The parent company, Sefa Event, generates annual sales of * million euros.

Japan Party, less well-known and smaller than the two previous conventions, also offers events focusing on Japanese pop culture.

Initially dedicated to video games, Paris Games Week is an annual trade show that increasingly attracts manga fans. More and more games are being adapted from flagship manga ...

3.5 The gradual growth of French manga

French-style manga, also known as Manfra or Franga, are comics produced by French-speaking authors whose work is inspired by the codes of Asian comics.

The manfra segment is very young, but is only just beginning to develop. In ****, out of *** mangas sold by Glénat, only ten or so were by French-speaking authors. [***]

The first manfra date back to the early ****s, but failed to target traditional manga readers. There are several reasons for this failure. Firstly, a lack of know-how. For a long time, French authors simply imitated Japanese mangakas, sometimes with inferior technical skills. Secondly, publishers' distrust of "self-taught" French authors led them to source only Japanese manga. Finally, the perceived value of French works to consumers was considered inferior to that of Japanese manga.[***]

However, this trend seems to be gradually changing. For example, the manga Radiant, created by Tony Valente, was published and animated in Japan despite fierce competition and the superior technical skills of Japanese mangakas. [***] By ****, ***,*** copies had been sold in France, including **,*** for the first volume.

New generations of authors and consumers have contributed to the emancipation of manfras. An increase in the technical skills of French authors, as well as a new type ...

4.1 Types of manga

Manga is sold in volumes, each containing several chapters. The story of a manga is broken down into arcs, each sold in one or more volumes. The story thus has a meaning, and generally continues chronologically. There are several categories of manga:

Kodomo, aimed at children under **, the story is often very childish and entertaining. Shônen for boys aged * to **, with a story often full of action and adventure, and a main character who is usually young and male. Shôjo for girls of the same age, with a more romantic and much less violent orientation, generally evoking school life. Seinen for males over **, often more violent than shônen and using more psychological springs. Josei for women over **, which takes up the fundamentals of shôjo but is "darker" - sex, drug-taking.. Seijin for adults, with more developed and complex stories - political, police, historical.. Erotic manga - Yaoi, Yuri, Hentai - which can be more or less pornographic and are aimed at an adult audience.

Closely linked to the manga market, derivative products also account for a significant share of publishers' sales, thanks to the sale of licenses. More often than not, successful manga are adapted into anime, ...

4.2 Prices

Impact of rising paper prices on manga prices:

Because of the inflation in the price of paper (***) such as Berserk, Dragon Ball or One piece from €*.** in **** to €*.** in July ****. Other publishers, such as Pika and Kurokawa, have already passed this milestone, with their standard manga priced at *.**€.

Relatively similar prices for different categories of manga:

The average price of a manga varies little. Most licenses whose publishers are confident of selling out - One Piece, My Hero Academia - benefit from preferential treatment, with a price below the average of around €*.*[***]. According to the FNAC website, the former sells for €*.** a tome, while the latter, a little cheaper, is priced at €*.**. Other mangas, such as Tokyo revenger and Jujutsu Kaisen, also sold for €*.** or €*.**. Finally, as stipulated by the LANG law, bookstores are aligning themselves on a single price, determined by the publisher. It's interesting to note that some very popular licenses, such as Naruto, sell their first three volumes for €*.

The simultrad offer, publishers' response to scantrad, is divided into two offers:

The definitive purchase, in ebook format, of a manga chapter or tome. Prices can vary, but range from a few dozen cents for a chapter of a ...

4.3 Sales rankings and comparison with Japan

Ranking of best sellers in France in **** on Amazon :

Source: ****

Several trends stand out in this best-seller ranking:

The predominance of historical series: One piece and Naruto appear in the ranking, while Naruto, released in ****, and One Piece, released in ****, are among the oldest mangas on the French market. While One Piece has still not been completed by its author, Naruto is a finished manga. The success of the first titles in the series: the *st volumes of Naruto and One Piece are particularly popular. The success of original editions. Released for the **th anniversary of One Piece, its original edition boosted sales of this manga by attracting consumers who are passionate about it. The success of new-generation manga, with the arrival of The Jojolands and Spy X Family in this top **.

Comparison with the Japanese market in **** :

Source: ****

Several points can be highlighted in comparison with the French market:

Shônen remains the queen category of all manga, whether in Japan or France; above all these manga are shonens. Japan tends to favor new series. * of the manga series favored by the Japanese were created between **** and ****. It would seem that the Japanese market is a forerunner of trends in ...

5.1 Regulatory framework

Manga meets the tax definition of a book: "a book is defined as a printed set, illustrated or not, published under a title, the purpose of which is the reproduction of a work of the mind by one or more authors for the purposes of teaching, the dissemination of thought and culture". as such, it is subject to a reduced VAT rate of *.*% in mainland France and *.*% in the French overseas territories. In the case of publications that meet the tax definition of a book, but whose violent or pornographic nature prohibits their distribution to minors, the applicable VAT rate is set at **%.

As manga is considered a book, its price is governed by the LANG Law of August ** ****. Its price is therefore not free, but subject to the price set by the author or importer. In addition, retailers may decide to increase or decrease this fixed price by up to *%. [***].

5.2 Growing scantrad regulations

The excesses of certain readers, and in particular scantrad, which represents a gigantic loss for Japanese publishing houses, have led them to take action against the illegal distribution of chapters. Shûeisha, Japan's leading manga publisher, has promised to deal "severely with any illegal copies found on the Internet".

The first method is to shut down Scantrad websites. In ****, ** Japanese and American publishers joined forces to wage war against one of the market behemoths in terms of Scantrad: OneManga. Ranked ***th worldwide in May, the site eventually shut down under pressure from publishers, who saw it as a source of lost revenue. However, shutting down websites can be a long and tedious process when they are hosted abroad, or even pointless when they reappear under a different domain name or are replaced like heads of the Hydra of Lerna.

More recently, Japan's Agency for Cultural Affairs deemed it necessary to crack down on piracy websites. A proposed text set the maximum penalty for illegal distribution of manga chapters on the Internet at * years' imprisonment and a €**,*** fine. An expert committee has proposed a more cautious approach, but discussions on the archipelago are underway.

6.1 Player segmentation

• Shûeisha
• Pika Édition
• Kana Editions (Dargaud Media Participations)
• Kurokawa Univers Poche (Editis)
• Kazé Crunchyroll
• Ototo Euphor
• Delcourt Groupe - Soleil Manga
• Nobi Nobi Pika Editions
• KiOon
• Komikku Éditions
• Delsol Diffusion
• Interforum (Editis Groupe)
• Scantrad
• Jaimini’s Box
• Media Participations
• Bamboo Edition
• Mangas.io
• Sony Music Entertainment France
• Shin Sekai
• Makassar