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Kanai is the editor program - in - chief ofWeekly Afternoon- a babe publication ofKodansha’sWeekly Shōnen Magazinethat focuses on seinen manga content . Kanai has been in the manga commercial enterprise for three decades , serving in a salmagundi of editor in chief positions , include overseeing such title of respect asVinland Saga , Planetes , andFragile .
Shōnen manga caters to manful teen and older kids , while seinen manga is aimed at older male teenagers and youthful adult men .
In a May 2024 interview with the community - driven manga fan projectManga Passion , Kanai shared his opinion on various topics within the manga industriousness , drawing from his experience as both a creator and an insider . Kanai ’s thoughts on the connections between food for thought , drugs , and manga came as a reaction to a question asking why he thoughtWeekly Afternoonwas special and his opinion on the magazine ’s status within the Japanese manga manufacture .
Nowadays, Shōnen Manga Is Like a Happy Meal For The Mind
Weekly Afternoon Doesn’t Deal With Bland"Cookie-cutter" Manga
While Kanai urinate percipient his appreciation of the continuing popularity of his powder store , he also takes nuisance to aim out that his position emanates from his perch inseinen manga as opposed to shonen . According to Kanai , seinen is a bit more resistant to marketplace - driven element of the manga business , and more take of less pop but more interesting content . Accordingly , Kanai argues that what makes his magazine special is its focussing on delivering quality capacity - like the " delectable food " one vex in a o.k. dining establishment . In doing so , it has obviate the industry ’s focus on producing easy and convenient " fast food " substance .
I call up that Japanese publisher – because those manga sell so well – need to be like a firm food chain .
Under Kanai ’s analysis , the rush to monetize the grow need for manga has led to more than a few publishers and content creators trying to get as much cognitive content out as soon as they can . He likens this to the fast food for thought industriousness - where the focus is not on creating quality , hand - crafted meals with as much individualization as possible , but rather on create easily replicated repast that are addictively tasty but ultimately have no nutritionary economic value . The appropriate manga equivalent would becreating a dazzling floor that a rooter forgets minutes after they cease reading it .
Kanai: Today’s Mangas Are Great But Keep The Reader Craving More
Expanding on the habit-forming nature of fast intellectual nourishment , Kanai further argues that the current state of the industry make manga akin to a drug and that the current trend in the industriousness is to " crowd " out titles that give lector a momentary euphoria . While it may feel satisfying at the second , it does not chip in to the intellectual growth of the manga devotee or follower . extend engagement in this behavior could potentially have more harm than sound .
Of course , it ’s like drugs or fast intellectual nourishment . These whole kit and boodle sell very well and become swelled hits because they stimulate the libido of the reader , and that ’s absolutely all right . But if you consume it all Clarence Shepard Day Jr. , every daytime , then you likely stop thinking .
Kanai indicate that there ’s plenty of calibre content that ’s being ignored by the industry ’s direction on big and popular franchise . On the one hand , it is detrimental to little , less promoted titles . On the other hand , it can deceive referee into get word real lifespan in the same absolute terms that are vernacular in manga chronicle .
nestling or readers are in all probability educate in such a way that they can only take sides when a problem arises .
finally , Kanai suggest , these types of story can be reduced if publishing company have the wherewithal to simply say no . Naturally , this is a “ heavy ask ” when a title is doing so well commercially .
To resist this pressure , Kanai describe attending to hisWeekly Afternoonmagazine . While prevent the destination of progress to money in brain , he and his editorial faculty place a higher focal point on calibre entertainment . That entertainment includes telling write up that do n’t always have happy endings , where good does n’t always exuberate over evil , and the girl does n’t always get the guy in the end . While " happily ever after " tale can be fun , Kanai debate , they " are prevarication " . Conversely , Weekly Afternoonfocuses on bid " the material pile " stories for anyone willing to take the chance to enjoy them . It ’s the perfect opportunity formangato wholesomely blow up its footprint - sustainably .
Source : Manga Passion of Christ
