Manga Why is Anime more Popular than Manga?

[winstein]

This topic was originally found in my blog, but upon some thinking, this topic could fit here, and there could be more responses as a result.

First off, I need to clarify that this is an observation of mine, and not an absolute truth. This is so that you keep this in mind when I reasoned some things, and if you object to these, please do so in a sincere manner.

So, this is probably one thing I do notice: when it comes to talking about a Japanese story of any sort, it will be the anime that will be the focus. Take Yu-gi-oh, for example. It started as a manga, but the anime is more popular. Interestingly, the sequel series started as animes, though a teaser for GX was originally from the manga. It probably helped the anime that there exist the Abridged series, which essentially sustained the anime's popularity.

It's probable that the exposure of the anime is greater, because that's how I knew about Doraemon: through the second series anime. I was exposed to the manga later, but of those two, I prefer the manga. This is likely a bias on my part when I said I prefer the manga, but since I know more about Doraemon through the manga, my preferences are manga-based (this is why I like the artstyle of the third Doraemon anime compared to the second one).

As for Mushishi, the manga that I am into now, I realised that TVTropes used Episodes to illustrate examples rather than Chapters, which is to say that the anime is used as a basis for examples rather than the manga. That is a sign that the anime is not only popular, but more noticed by people. I am going to further mention that Mushishi will be known for the anime more than ever because there is a second series of Mushishi episodes in the anime airing currently.

When I searched Google for the question "Why is Anime more popular than Manga", the search results are more towards things like "Why is Manga better than the Anime" or "Which is better: Anime or Manga", with only one result that satisfies my question. That's clearly not enough (because it's from the US perspective), which is why I decided to bring this discourse here: to get some answers.

There were some responses by a few people who posted in my blog. In general, television is a huge factor that plays when it comes to exposure because its content is readily accessible, not to mention how easily consumable the content is when you can look at the moving pictures and hear what's going on, whilst the manga requires quite a bit of imagination to get to. The fact that the development team had made the going-ons found in the manga better understood meant that you don't have to think as much another reason for anime's popularity, in the case of manga-first stories. What about the anime-first stories? Well, they probably need to be popular first before having the manga, which would already mean that the anime is popular than the manga.

I should point out that even if I prefer the manga, I don't have any ill thoughts on anime. It's just that with the manga, less time is consumed to know the story, even if I miss out on voice acting, music and colour. Therefore, it goes without saying that both forms of media have their strengths, even if the anime seems to edge out more in terms of quality and exposure.

Thanks for reading.

 

[Almonds]

To explain my point on the 'manga taking a long time to read' on your blog, anyone who's read Death Note, Detective Conan, or any similar mystery genre would have come across a few chapters where the pages are full of speech bubbles almost filled up to the brim, with the characters just barely visible in a cramped panel. Manga books are generally smaller than the average book and imagine all those words squeezed into that small page (sometimes, even the font gets smaller). Also, the content in such genre requires a lot of concentration because they explain details behind the murder scene, the relationship between the victim and the murderer, or scientific facts. Unless you're a fast reader, you'd have to continuously go back to check the content you missed by skimming if you want to understand what was going on.

An average Detective Conan case file takes three to four chapters by reading the manga. That equals approximately one or two anime episodes. If there's a lot of content, it takes more than 20 minutes for me to read one chapter. In this case, I'd choose the anime.

 

[Serpentsounds]

To explain my point on the 'manga taking a long time to read' on your blog, anyone who's read Death Note, Detective Conan, or any similar mystery genre would have come across a few chapters where the pages are full of speech bubbles almost filled up to the brim, with the characters just barely visible in a cramped panel. Manga books are generally smaller than the average book and imagine all those words squeezed into that small page (sometimes, even the font gets smaller). Also, the content in such genre requires a lot of concentration because they explain details behind the murder scene, the relationship between the victim and the murderer, or scientific facts. Unless you're a fast reader, you'd have to continuously go back to check the content you missed by skimming if you want to understand what was going on.

An average Detective Conan case file takes three to four chapters by reading the manga. That equals approximately one or two anime episodes. If there's a lot of content, it takes more than 20 minutes for me to read one chapter. In this case, I'd choose the anime.

I think this touches on the issue of "reading speed vs. listening speed." Most everyone will be able to process spoken language much faster. Of course, if you're watching subtitled anime, there is still a bit of reading involved. But it's ONLY for vocabulary. I imagine in manga, the reader is left to broadly interpret the tone and expression of dialogue based on a few still images and the text around it. I think these are much more easily delivered in anime, because you 1). have moving images to convey these much more dynamically, 2). have plenty of sound cues such as voice that adds a whole new dimension, and 3). you can consume all of this simultaneously. These sources of information might also make some of the text superfluous, so there ends up being simply less to read/listen to.

Not only does this sometimes result in a more expedited experience, but because there are more dimensions to the content, it's often much more immersive than a manga. I think for many people, this may seal the deal if they're given the choice.


That's not to say manga doesn't have its own advantages. A few that come to mind are 1). it's more mobile/accessible, in that you don't need several expensive electronics with you to enjoy it; you just open up the book. This is great for people who, for example, find themselves commuting frequently. Another is 2). because it's in book format, the reader is in complete control of the pace, which won't happen in an anime. This is more of a preference but could definitely come out as an advantage to some. Finally, 3). anime based on manga are merely adaptations. There are often minute changes to details, and sometimes entire plots/subplots are omitted or redirected. Some people will seek to read the manga just to experience the original story as intended by the author.

 

[lovandra]

Because people all generally lazy.

Holding book, flip pages, read words are 'need more effort' than sit down in front of TV and exposed themself with the moving grafics and voices/musics.

 

[winstein]

Finally, 3). anime based on manga are merely adaptations. There are often minute changes to details, and sometimes entire plots/subplots are omitted or redirected. Some people will seek to read the manga just to experience the original story as intended by the author.

Yeah, when it comes to the transition from the manga to the anime, things might change. For example, in Doraemon, some of the original stories are short, so there is a need to add to the story so that the story lasts a quarter-hour. This might include including characters not originally featured, or expanding on the plot to make it longer.

I imagine if it's the other way around where the anime's popularity begets a manga adaptation, the latter won't be as popular, compared to where the manga begets the anime, in which they both have their own merits. One example I can think of is Yu-gi-oh, in which all but the original series are all anime-based. I can see why that is the case: animation fits the card battle format very well. The manga versions, on the other hand, doesn't seem quite as popular, despite having different stories.

In regards to your "immersive" point, it is possible that several series fit the anime really well that it's considered the definitive version (such as Attack on Titan, as Yato had mentioned).

Because people all generally lazy.

Holding book, flip pages, read words are 'need more effort' than sit down in front of TV and exposed themself with the moving grafics and voices/musics.

That's a possibility. Indeed the anime provides the least resistance when it comes to enjoyment on the same content. The requirement to just pay attention to the characters and settings on-screen is something quite a lot of people could easily do, compared to the requirement of literacy on the reader's part to read the manga (mostly).

In my experience, I feel the opposite. I feel lazy to watch the anime because it's half-hour long when I could read the manga, which takes less time (unless it's anime-exclusive). Would you say that, because people think something like "I don't feel like reading the book and figure out what's going on, but rather watch the story in action" that makes anime popular as it is?

Thanks for reading.

 

[Dorothy]

Same reason cartoons are more popular than comics. More accessible and convenient medium.

 

[lovandra]

@winstein
I also find it interesting that most of certain series 'otaku' or 'geeks' prefer original manga/comics/books than anime/cartoon/movies.

Maybe 'reads' for fanbase, created group of people with deep understanding and have huge potensial to become 'fixate' to the series. While 'watch' just for general viewers, like people who sometimes want to 'run' from real life and find anime/cartoon/movie amusing but usually forget them after a while and generally just watch and critics things and compared them with other audiovisual materials. But sometimes they also 'amuse' too much and start looking for the reading material and become fans of certain series.

Even though there also general anime otaku that love anime more than manga. I just don't seems find this group of people often and they usually interest in the reading materials but have reasons that they can't read them. Short of in grey area.

 

[Robo-Floatzel]

Same reason cartoons are more popular than comics. More accessible and convenient medium.

I agree with you, many people don't have time to go out and buy manga volumes, they can just watch it on TV or online and get their share of a series from there. Keep in mind the manga of an anime not only tends to be more far ahead, but can also sometimes differentiate drastically from it's anime adaptation, and in some cases the manga can be better than the anime.

 

[Dorothy]

Same reason cartoons are more popular than comics. More accessible and convenient medium.

I agree with you, many people don't have time to go out and buy manga volumes, they can just watch it on TV or online and get their share of a series from there. Keep in mind the manga of an anime not only tends to be more far ahead, but can also sometimes differentiate drastically from it's anime adaptation, and in some cases the manga can be better than the anime.

Not just time, money. Most manga volumes run $10+. It's an expensive hobby, and not everyone has that kind of cash.

 

[Robo-Floatzel]

Same reason cartoons are more popular than comics. More accessible and convenient medium.

I agree with you, many people don't have time to go out and buy manga volumes, they can just watch it on TV or online and get their share of a series from there. Keep in mind the manga of an anime not only tends to be more far ahead, but can also sometimes differentiate drastically from it's anime adaptation, and in some cases the manga can be better than the anime.

Not just time, money. Most manga volumes run $10+. It's an expensive hobby, and not everyone has that kind of cash.

I did say "buy manga volumes" as well as saying they don't have time to do so. Anime is much more accessible both on TV and online regardless of how much the manga costs, and watching the anime instead of reading the manga does have it's benefits and it's costs.

 

[winstein]

@lovandra;

You're saying that the general viewer takes notice to the anime the most, which is why it's popular? This is a valid point. It's interesting because comics* is something only an enthusiast would take notice of, whether it's a comic fan or a fan of the series. It kind of brings up the thought that when it comes to browsing for potential favourites, it is easier to check out what's on animation on account that TV Guides provide you with the necessary info which you can look forward to at home, while going to the bookstore for any potential manga is not as easy because you have to go there to preview what you want to see.

*I used comic here because it also applies to any comic, not just manga.

You also have a good point that the anime acts as a gateway to getting people interested in the manga, especially ones that originate from them in the first place. In my perspective, this is my start as a Doraemon fan. If the anime didn't catch up to the coverage of the source material, it might even get people interested in it. For example, there's Mushishi, which currently has an anime airing now, is probably covering the rest of the material, but if people wish, they could pursue the rest of the volumes to see the rest of the adventures if they can't wait.

For your last paragraph, are you saying that there are manga otaku that, even though they are very interested in the manga they claim they love, they don't necessarily read those reading materials?

Same reason cartoons are more popular than comics. More accessible and convenient medium.

Looking at this point, it reminds me of superhero animation. In the public, the Batman animated series (all of them, including Brave and the Bold) are quite popular and readily watched. I imagine this is most true if a series is popular enough that a certain series is more known for their animation rather than the comic they are based on. Perhaps if they knew a comic existed and they are interested in pursuing the material further, they would get the comic as well.

Same reason cartoons are more popular than comics. More accessible and convenient medium.

I agree with you, many people don't have time to go out and buy manga volumes, they can just watch it on TV or online and get their share of a series from there. Keep in mind the manga of an anime not only tends to be more far ahead, but can also sometimes differentiate drastically from it's anime adaptation, and in some cases the manga can be better than the anime.

Not just time, money. Most manga volumes run $10+. It's an expensive hobby, and not everyone has that kind of cash.

Pricing is different in places. If you look at the West, you are sure to notice that each volume is expensive, but in the East, quite a lot of areas have cheap manga. Japan's manga is something like 420 Yen (around $4.10 USD), while in Malaysia, if you are going for a Chinese or Malay version, it's rather cheap, which I think it's something ranged from RM4 to RM7.5 (around $1.20 to $2.30 USD), but English versions are more expensive (English versions of manga material are ALWAYS expensive here). As much as I lamented the lack of English versions here, I appreciate the lower price points in other languages here.

When you are talking about watching anime online, you are referring to sites where you can watch shows as long as you are in the US, right? This is the impression I get. If that's the case, it's possible that in the US at least, the benefits of anime is much clearer, and its overall cheaper access of entry makes it a lot more attractive to them.

Thanks for reading.

 

[lovandra]

@lovandra;
For your last paragraph, are you saying that there are manga otaku that, even though they are very interested in the manga they claim they love, they don't necessarily read those reading materials?

I rever for more fanbase for certain animations or tv series *I guess you familiar with term 'cult movie'* and general animations 'like ghilbi fanbase/Frozen fanbase/bronie'.

There are still reffer as 'fanbase' for certain series and 'otaku anime' in general. I also interact with them in some forums and find they are more 'interest' in moving pictures of their series than avaibility reading materials for some reasons, like:
1. The moving pictures are the original
2. Comics/Books are the original but the movie/anime is what first I see and after try read the books, I can't get it *some LoTR movie's fans*
3. I have reading problem *can't argue with this.
4. And some other reason.

They are short of in grey area, I guess.

 

[Doormat]

Manga don't have soundtracks.

 

[winstein]

@lovandra;
For your last paragraph, are you saying that there are manga otaku that, even though they are very interested in the manga they claim they love, they don't necessarily read those reading materials?

I am referring to the fanbase for certain animations or tv series *I guess you familiar with term 'cult movie'* and general animations 'like ghilbi fanbase/Frozen fanbase/bronie'.

There are still referred to as 'fanbase' for certain series and 'otaku anime' in general. I also interact with them in some forums and found that they are more 'interested' in moving pictures of the series than available reading materials for some reasons, like:
1. The moving pictures are the original
2. Comics/Books are the original but the movie/anime is what first I see and after try read the books, I can't get it *some LoTR movie's fans*
3. I have reading problem *can't argue with this.
4. And some other reason.

They are short of in grey area, I guess.

I see. It seems that there are stronger reasons to believe the animation takes up the better of the imagination of the consumer rather than reading. The first reason is the strangest reason of them all because it implies that they either do not acknowledge the reading material or that is the one they are most attached to. I suppose the film version or the animated version will usually be the most popular version because the appeal in visual presentation for the moving pictures is a lot more easily understood to be able to draw in viewers compared to a book, where you have to read to understand the appeal.

Manga don't have soundtracks.

Based on this point, you are saying that soundtracks are a deciding factor in what people like, I believe? That makes sense. When talented singers sing beautiful songs, it pleases the ears and pleases the viewers. It could work both ways, where you will get to like singers in the anime you like, or if a singer you like has a song in an anime you don't know yet, there is a potential interest in that unexplored anime.

Thanks for reading.

 

[Almonds]

Manga don't have soundtracks.

Based on this point, you are saying that soundtracks are a deciding factor in what people like, I believe? That makes sense. When talented singers sing beautiful songs, it pleases the ears and pleases the viewers. It could work both ways, where you will get to like singers in the anime you like, or if a singer you like has a song in an anime you don't know yet, there is a potential interest in that unexplored anime.

I'd like to add that I've read the Pokemon manga adaptation of the Darkrai movie a few years ago, and it felt really barren without the Oracion music at the climax.

Music not only pleases the ears and viewers, but it also contributes to the plot a lot. Most music-based anime (Nodame Cantabille, La Corda d'Oro, Sakamichi no Apollon etc) heavily relies on music to show how the story goes on. Other anime such as the Darkrai movie (the Oracion), and the Jirachi movie (Chiisaki Mono) wouldn't be the same if there weren't any music. There's a limit to what manga can deliver with simply pictures and words when music can deliver so much more without saying anything.

 

[winstein]

Manga don't have soundtracks.

Based on this point, you are saying that soundtracks are a deciding factor in what people like, I believe? That makes sense. When talented singers sing beautiful songs, it pleases the ears and pleases the viewers. It could work both ways, where you will get to like singers in the anime you like, or if a singer you like has a song in an anime you don't know yet, there is a potential interest in that unexplored anime.

I'd like to add that I've read the Pokemon manga adaptation of the Darkrai movie a few years ago, and it felt really barren without the Oracion music at the climax.

Music not only pleases the ears and viewers, but it also contributes to the plot a lot. Most music-based anime (Nodame Cantabille, La Corda d'Oro, Sakamichi no Apollon etc) heavily relies on music to show how the story goes on. Other anime such as the Darkrai movie (the Oracion), and the Jirachi movie (Chiisaki Mono) wouldn't be the same if there weren't any music. There's a limit to what manga can deliver with simply pictures and words when music can deliver so much more without saying anything.

I've never head of the Pokemon movie providing complementary music that sets the mood, so that sounds interesting. It reminds me of the Doraemon manga on the long stories based on movies, where there will be a double page spread with lyrics of a song. At that time, I didn't know why there are lyrics since you don't know how to sing it, but I realised that those manga are based on the Doraemon films. I guess it's supposed to accompany the movie, but it doesn't seem to have too much purpose. While it's great that they have the manga (it's my preferred style), it doesn't provide the whole experience. Maybe that's why there aren't any Doraemon manga based on the films anymore.

And yeah, the anime has proven its worth by showing us things it can only provide, with the benefit of the soundtrack to accompany music-themed stories being one of them. I wonder if this sort of thing works well as an audio show, since those are some music-based stories there.

Would you say that a bad or inappropriate soundtrack in an anime would have made the manga version preferable, or would the fans still stick to this version because of the natural popularity of the anime version despite that?

Thanks for reading.

 

[Almonds]

I've never head of the Pokemon movie providing complementary music that sets the mood, so that sounds interesting. It reminds me of the Doraemon manga on the long stories based on movies, where there will be a double page spread with lyrics of a song. At that time, I didn't know why there are lyrics since you don't know how to sing it, but I realised that those manga are based on the Doraemon films. I guess it's supposed to accompany the movie, but it doesn't seem to have too much purpose. While it's great that they have the manga (it's my preferred style), it doesn't provide the whole experience. Maybe that's why there aren't any Doraemon manga based on the films anymore.

And yeah, the anime has proven its worth by showing us things it can only provide, with the benefit of the soundtrack to accompany music-themed stories being one of them. I wonder if this sort of thing works well as an audio show, since those are some music-based stories there.

Would you say that a bad or inappropriate soundtrack in an anime would have made the manga version preferable, or would the fans still stick to this version because of the natural popularity of the anime version despite that?

Thanks for reading.

Since anime is half sound, half visuals, I'd say bad/inappropriate soundtracks/music would make the anime less enjoyable. For example, if they used heavy metal music at the scene where Jirachi goes to sleep near the end, it would had been very disappointing, and I'm pretty sure it would have thrown off the entire mood built up to that moment. If they used such unfitting music, then I would have preferred the manga adaptation lots more.

I guess if the anime is popular enough, people would still watch it even if it had bad music. But the thing is, an anime that is popular enough to have fans watch the anime despite of bad music (like Naruto, One-Piece, etc) rarely uses bad/inappropriate music in the first place.

 

[Muur]

Who wants to read

 

[PyroPokeman]

Wow, I never noticed that, but you are right. Most of the friends I have are into anime, but no manga, I only know like 3 friends who actually go and read manga. I guess it is because it sets scenes into motion, numerous panels displaying the characters speaking and doing awesome Shonen things, or awesome Shojo things. They don't want to read it, they just want to experience it with sound and voice.

As for me, I love to read, and so I love manga as much as I watch anime. It doesn't matter if it doesn't have defined voice or music, but you can feel the tone of the story your own way with your imagination.

 

[AuraSoul93]

Anime is more popular than Manga due to it being the superior media. Anime gives fans a much more vibrant, almost tangible experience. You can discover & learn about the world that particular story is about better because of the striking sounds, splashing colors & movements made by those on screen. The characters get their chance to come off to fans as actually being alive & their own person. With Manga you put in your interpretation of what's occurring, which is a mixed bag at best. While it's nice to see things in your own way, it might not actually be true. Stories have (or atleast they're supposed to have) structure. And Anime usually does a better job of showing that structure to fans of said story than Manga does. Plus that structure is one set up by another person (the one who made it) who (hopefully) has a plan in mind with the story. I think some people who like Manga over Anime do so because their preferred interpretation of the story exists only when reading it in Manga form, whereas Anime is usually more concrete & official in what's what, most likely conflicting with something the fan has in their headcanon.