Manga Radar, 18 November 2012

this week’s charts
about the charts
The last Manga Radar column was 13 weeks ago. ouch.

So welcome back to the most recent installment of the very occasional feature: Manga Radar. Here I share with you some of the bleeding-edge preorders I’ve been discovering while compiling my manga bestsellers, and also taking some deeper dives into all this data, to either make sense of what’s happening or just gawk at it.

The current online performance of Sailor Moon is interesting to me for two reasons: First, of course, it’s Sailor Moon. In a mangaverse supposedly ruled by Shonen Jump, it’s amazing as both a Kodansha and shoujo title, and really shows what a couple of decades of pent-up demand will get you.

Secondly, though: its online performance isn’t really all that different from Naruto, Death Note, or Bleach – in profile, particularly now in it’s first year of release, it’s a good way to illustrate what sales of a top-tier manga look like:

Before I get too deep into the discussion, note the y-axis and its scale: logorithmic means the top 3rd [1-10] is given equal weight as the middle third [10-100] and the bottom third [100-1000] – this is a bit of necessary compression, else the chart would be way too tall and the Top 10 would be compressed to a single, illegible line.

That explanation out of the way: Notice how ordinary the graph looks, and how little it has changed over the past 15 weeks: the individual titles ebb and flow a bit, but there are always 5 Sailor Moons in the top 10 and a dozen in the top 100. The rather slow fall of Codename: Sailor V is more indicative of what we’d expect, actually; the other volumes of Sailor Moon didn’t actually follow suit until about 4 weeks ago.

Surprising, however, is the meteoric rise of the Vols 1-6 Box Set. The sharp upward slope of its ranking is even more impressive when I remind you the y-axis is logorithmic – in 9 weeks it has gone from barely registering (#1171) to a top 10 title. However, since the books themselves have been available all year (volume one released September of last year, volume six has been out since June) this means that a whole new group of fans are now “buying in” to this series – not just the Superfans who have driven sales to date but a new second wave. I’ve noticed this before on things like Death Note – when both the box set and the ‘black editions’ drove additional sales – but in the case of Death Note and the similar VizBig editions: these sales bumps occurred only after the series was completed, or to goose sales of early volumes that had been released years before.

Sailor Moon is like watching a Shonen Jump release but on a more intense, shorter timescale.

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With the analysis part done, now it’s time for the eye-numbingly-long lists. (this is my forté)

Also, please note that each week I post the ranking pre-orders, both in my Top 10s summary post, and the full Top 50 in the extended reports. You all know I post more than just a Top 10, right? There are seven ancilliary rankings and a full Top Manga 500 ranking that posts each week – this is where the fancy numbers come from for the fancy line graphs, like the one posted above.

Ranking Preorders, September 2012 and forward:

Itazura na Kiss 9 – DMP, Sep 2012
Love Chemistry Lab – DMP Digital Manga Guild, Sep 2012
Merry Men – DMP Digital Manga Guild, Sep 2012
Want To Be Happy? – DMP Digital Manga Guild, Sep 2012
Weekend Of Dreams – DMP Digital Manga Guild, Sep 2012
I Want a Love Story – DMP Digital Manga Guild, Sep 2012
Paradise Kiss 1 – Vertical, Sep 2012
Arata the Legend 11 – Viz Shonen Sunday, Sep 2012
Fluffy Fluffy Cinnamoroll 5 – Vizkids, Sep 2012
Jack Frost 6 – Yen Press, Sep 2012
Raiders 8 – Yen Press, Sep 2012
GA: Geijutsuka Art Design Class 4 – Yen Press, Sep 2012

The Garden Where The Ivy Plant Grows – DMP Digital Manga Guild, Oct 2012
A Taste of Honey – DMP Digital Manga Guild, Oct 2012
Fever (yaoi) – DMP Digital Manga Guild, Oct 2012
Spider – DMP Digital Manga Guild, Oct 2012
Love Is Like a Hurricane PLUS – DMP Digital Manga Guild, Oct 2012
Longing for Spring – Enjugroup, Oct 2012
Kitchen Princess Omnibus 2 – Kodansha Comics, Oct 2012
Heroman 1 – Vertical, Oct 2012
Bloody Monday 8 – Kodansha Comics, Oct 2012
Air Gear 26 – Kodansha Comics, Oct 2012
Dracula Everlasting 2 – Seven Seas, Oct 2012
Limit 1 – Vertical, Oct 2012
A Devil & Her Love Song 5 – Viz Shojo Beat, Oct 2012
Jiu Jiu 2 – Viz Shojo Beat, Oct 2012
Toriko 12 – Viz Shonen Jump, Oct 2012
Slam Dunk 24 – Viz Shonen Jump, Oct 2012
Kekkaishi 34 – Viz Shonen Sunday, Oct 2012
Black God 17 – Yen Press, Oct 2012
The Infernal Devices 1 – Yen Press, Oct 2012
Demon Consort (novel) – Yaoi Press, Oct 2012

The Name Of Love – DMP Digital Manga Guild, Nov 2012
Sailor Moon vols 1-6 box set – Kodansha Comics, Nov 2012
Animal Land 6 – Kodansha Comics, Nov 2012
Queen’s Blade: Visual Collection – Vertical, Nov 2012
Limit 2 – Vertical, Nov 2012
Neon Genesis Evangelion vols 1-3 collection – Viz, Nov 2012
We Were There 15 – Viz Shojo Beat, Nov 2012
Strobe Edge 1 – Viz Shojo Beat, Nov 2012
Oresama Teacher 11 – Viz Shojo Beat, Nov 2012
Rin-Ne 10 – Viz Shonen Sunday, Nov 2012
March Story 4 – Viz Signature, Oct 2012
Thermae Romae 1 – Yen Press, Nov 2012
Haruhi Suzumiya The Melancholy of Suzumiya Haruhi-Chan 6 – Yen Press, Nov 2012
Shoulder-a-Coffin Kuro 3 – Yen Press, Nov 2012
Umineko When They Cry Legend of the Golden Witch 1 – Yen Press, Nov 2012
Nabari no Ou 12 – Yen Press, Nov 2012

Kurosagi Corpse Delivery Service 13 – Dark Horse, Dec 2012
Vampire Hunter D (manga) 7 – DMP, Dec 2012
Attack on Titan 3 – Kodansha Comics, Dec 2012
Heroman 2 – Vertical, Dec 2012
Natsume’s Book of Friends 13 – Viz Shojo Beat, Dec 2012
Bakuman 17 – Viz Shonen Jump, Dec 2012
D. Gray-Man 23 – Viz Shonen Jump Advanced, Dec 2012
Arata the Legend 12 – Viz Shonen Sunday, Dec 2012
Itsuwaribito 7 – Viz Shonen Sunday, Dec 2012
Kaoru Mori: Anything and Something – Yen Press, Dec 2012
Pandora Hearts 13 – Yen Press, Dec 2012
Higurashi When They Cry 20 Massacre Arc 2 – Yen Press, Dec 2012

Oreimo 2 – Dark Horse, Jan 2013
Missions of Love 2 – Kodansha Comics, Jan 2013
Fairy Tail 23 – Kodansha Comics, Jan 2013
Limit 3 – Vertical, Jan 2013
GTO: 14 Days in Shonan 7 – Vertical, Jan 2013
Loveless vols 3-4 collection – Viz, Jan 2013
Jiu Jiu 3 – Viz Shojo Beat, Jan 2013
Haruhi Suzumiya The Disappearance of Nagato Yuki-Chan 3 – Yen Press, Jan 2013
Soul Eater 12 – Yen Press, Jan 2013
Book Girl and the Undine Who Bore a Moonflower (novel) – Yen Press, Jan 2013

Gantz 26 – Dark Horse, Feb 2013
See Me After Class 1 – DMP Project H, Feb 2013
Tender Hearts – DMP Project H, Feb 2013
Kitaro – Drawn & Quarterly, Feb 2013
Kitchen Princess Omnibus 3 – Kodansha Comics, Feb 2013
Stepping on Roses 9 – Viz Shojo Beat, Feb 2013
Inuyasha VizBig Edition 14 – Viz Shonen Sunday, Feb 2013
Tenjo Tenge: Full Contact Edition 11 – Viz Signature, Feb 2013
Pokemon Diamond & Pearl/Platinum 7 – Vizkids, Feb 2013
Umineko When They Cry Legend of the Golden Witch 2 – Yen Press, Feb 2013
Pandora Hearts 14 – Yen Press, Feb 2013

Vampire Hunter D (novel) 19 – Dark Horse, Mar 2013
Blade of the Immortal 26 – Dark Horse, Mar 2013
Genshiken Second Season 2 – Kodansha Comics, Mar 2013
Fairy Tail 25 – Kodansha Comics, Mar 2013
Dark Hunters Infinity 1 – St. Martin’s Griffin, Mar 2013
Paradise Kiss 3 – Vertical, Mar 2013
Neon Genesis Evangelion vols 4-6 collection – Viz, Mar 2013
Fushigi Yugi Genbu Kaiden 11 – Viz Shojo Beat, Mar 2013
Skip Beat! vols 10-12 collection – Viz Shojo Beat, Mar 2013
Higurashi When They Cry 21 Massacre Arc 3 – Yen Press, Mar 2013
Durarara!! Saika Arc 1 – Yen Press, Mar 2013

Oh My Goddess! 44 – Dark Horse, Apr 2013
Ray’s Days – DMP Project H, Apr 2013
Missions of Love 3 – Kodansha Comics, Apr 2013
Arisa 10 – Kodansha Comics, Apr 2013
Fairy Tail 24 – Kodansha Comics, Apr 2013
Dawn of the Arcana 9 – Viz Shojo Beat, Apr 2013
Library Wars: Love & War 9 – Viz Shojo Beat, Apr 2013
Kimi ni Todoke 16 – Viz Shojo Beat, Apr 2013
Kamisama Kiss 13 – Viz Shojo Beat, Apr 2013
Yu-Gi-Oh! 5Ds 4 – Viz Shonen Jump, Apr 2013
Blue Exorcist 9 – Viz Shonen Jump Advanced, Apr 2013
Itsuwaribito 8 – Viz Shonen Sunday, Apr 2013
Pandora Hearts 15 – Yen Press, Apr 2013
Spice & Wolf (novel) 8 – Yen Press, Apr 2013

Gantz 27 – Dark Horse, May 2013
Sailor Moon 11 – Kodansha Comics, May 2013
Fairy Tail 26 – Kodansha Comics, May 2013
Zero’s Familiar Omnibus 1 – Seven Seas, May 2013
Neon Genesis Evangelion vols 7-9 collection – Viz, May 2013
Black Bird 16 – Viz Shojo Beat, May 2013
La Corda d’Oro 17 – Viz Shojo Beat, May 2013
Claymore 22 – Viz Shonen Jump Advanced, May 2013
Inuyasha VizBig Edition 15 – Viz Shonen Sunday, May 2013
Alice in the Country of Joker Circus & Liar’s Game 2 – Seven Seas, May 2013
Haruhi Suzumiya The Disappearance of Nagato Yuki-Chan 4 – Yen Press, May 2013

Sailor Moon 12 – Kodansha Comics, Jul 2013
Kisses, Sighs, and Cherry Blossoms Pink – Seven Seas, Jun 2013
Sleeping Moon 1 – SuBLime, Jun 2013
Puella Magi Kazumi Magica 1 – Yen Press, Jun 2013
Pandora Hearts 16 – Yen Press, Jun 2013
Higurashi When They Cry 22 Festival Accompanying Arc 1 – Yen Press, Jun 2013
Highschool of the Dead Color Omnibus 2 – Yen Press, Jun 2013

I Don’t Like You At All, Big Brother! vols 5-6 collection – Seven Seas, Jul 2013
Twin Knight (Princess Knight) – Vertical, Jul 2013
Naruto 62 – Viz Shonen Jump, Aug 2013
Rosario+Vampire Season II 12 – Viz Shonen Jump Advanced, Aug 2013
Kimi ni Todoke 17 – Viz Shojo Beat, Aug 2013
Rin-Ne 12 – Viz Shonen Sunday, Jul 2013
Until Death Do Us Part 4 – Yen Press, Jul 2013
Black Butler 14 – Yen Press, Jul 2013
Spice & Wolf (novel) 9 – Yen Press, Aug 2013

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I’ve omitted certain DMP titles, which have been delayed (and as noted here DMP Project H titles are *not* being delayed), but that’s a ton of books in a market ‘niche’ that is supposedly in decline. I think I might also have to double-dip, and get the Kitchen Princess omnibi – if only to see if Kodansha added some additional extras to the Del Rey releases.