Highlights: Manga pavilion of the Angoulême international comic strip fair, the 51st edition of which ends tomorrow, Sunday January 28, 2024. One in seven books sold in France is a manga. The Blue Lock series alone sold more than 8 million copies last year. More and more young French authors are investing in the manga genre and aesthetics. With the dream of arriving, like Tony Valente, to be published in Japan. The year 2023 saw sales of manga stall, especially those of manga, these small formats from Japan that are read from right to left.

For more than 50 years, authors, publishers and comic book fans have met in Angoulême. Fans go there by the tens of thousands to have books signed, discover exhibitions…

Culture: France, the other country of manga

For more than 50 years, authors, publishers and comic book fans have met in Angoulême. Fans go there by the tens of thousands to have books signed, discover exhibitions or new authors. It is also an opportunity for professionals to take stock of the market. The year 2023 saw sales of comic books stall, especially those of manga, these small formats from Japan that are read from right to left. The reason: the increase in prices.

The Manga pavilion of the Angoulême international comic strip fair, the 51st edition of which ends tomorrow, Sunday January 28, 2024. © https://www.bdangouleme.com/

By: RFI Follow

Despite everything, France remains a stronghold for these Japanese comics, with some 40 million copies sold. France is even, after Japan, the country most fond of this type of comics. One in seven books sold in France is a manga.

Mangaka Hiroaki Samura in Masterclass! 🗓️

Saturday January 27 📷 11:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. 📷

— Angoulême Festival (@bdangouleme) January 26, 2024

The Blue Lock

series alone

, about a revolutionary training center for young footballers, sold more than 8 million copies last year. This shows that this segment of the comics sector weighs heavily and can attract desire.

In Angoulême, the Franco-Belgian publisher Dupuis announced a strategic partnership with the Japanese company Kadokawa, which is taking over 51% of its subsidiary Vega. Each publisher has its manga branch. This is the case of Glénat which publishes the

RedFlower series,

created by the

Franco-Ghanaian Loui

“I

discovered manga through One Piece,”

he explains to our special correspondent in Angoulême,

Sophie Torlotin

Little by little, looking at the authors that attracted me, I picked out the elements that appealed to me. Then afterwards, I also wanted to keep a trace of West African culture. So we're going to find it in the features, in the patterns, in the hairstyles of the characters, in the baobabs, in the jungle... All of that is stuff that we haven't yet seen in the manga because, Quite simply, it's a culture that the Japanese haven't shown much in their works

. »

More and more young French authors are investing in the manga genre and aesthetics. With the dream of arriving, like Tony Valente, to be published in Japan.

Culture: France, the other country of manga

Culture: France, the other country of manga

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