According to the Research Institute for Publications, Japan’s manga market has experienced a 6.6% drop over the last year, the largest decline in history, reports W. David Marx, Tokyo editor of cnngo.com. Analysts blame the lack of hit titles, general anemic consumption stemming from the recession, and the proliferation of manga fans reading titles at manga cafes rather than purchasing magazines and books at stores. The decline of the manga market may well affect other niches of the entertainment industry: anime, live-action tv, and feature films get creative inspiration from manga. “With fans' sales as the only way to measure popularity,” said Marx, “producers may not know which new comic series to adapt to another medium. Hence, we can expect lots and lots of remakes of old manga in coming years.”
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