Manga is an iconic industry in the rise of Japanese culture.
Since the 1970s, Japanese comics have gradually shifted from the all-age market of the "Osamu Tezuka era" to the more segmented boys and girls market.
The four comics published in the first issue of "Dragon JUMP" just fit in with this major trend.
Especially on the eve of girls' comics not yet occupying an important position in boys' magazines, it was the first to launch a girls' comic "Sailor Moon" with fashion elements.
It can be said that the entire Japanese girls' comics market was taken into its pocket in one fell swoop.
At this time, if the sales of a newly launched comic magazine could reach 100,000 copies in the first issue, it would be considered a "good performance". If it exceeded 200,000 copies, it would be regarded as a "dark horse" with the potential to break into the top ten in sales.
In just one morning, the 200,000 copies of "Dragon JUMP" that were in stock at major bookstores were sold out.
The remaining 300,000 copies in stock were snapped up by major bookstores within an hour.
This means that sales of 500,000 copies in just one morning are a foregone conclusion.
Wow!
What is the concept?
It can be said that this has completely created a record-breaking first issue release in the Japanese comics industry.
The best-selling comic magazine in its first issue only sold 260,000 copies, and even this number is quite exaggerated.
so……
Everyone who works in the Japanese comics industry knows very well what the first issue sales of 500,000 represent.
What's more, the sales volume of 500,000 is just the limit of inventory, not the limit of the purchasing enthusiasm of "Dragon JUMP" readers.
As the former chief editor of "Weekly Tomorrow Manga", Kento Tanaka's brain is now in complete confusion.
Everything that was happening before his eyes was truly beyond his comprehension.
How could someone, from being a complete layman, achieve initial sales of over 500,000 copies for a new publication in such a short period of time?
"It's fake! It must be fake!"
Kento Tanaka still wanted to deceive himself, but more and more readers came to the bookstore to ask about "Dragon JUMP", which once again completely shattered the last bit of luck in his heart.
"How good was the manga published in the first issue of Dragon Jump? How could so many readers who only glanced at it on the train flock to it?"
After being forced to accept this fact, Kento Tanaka became extremely curious.
Unfortunately, all the copies of "Dragon JUMP" in bookstores have been sold out.
Assuming that the situation was similar in other bookstores, Kento Tanaka did not run around, but stayed in front of the bookstore in front of him.
It was not until after one o'clock in the afternoon that the two thousand copies of "Dragon JUMP" newly ordered by the bookstore owner finally arrived.
At this time, there was already a long queue in front of the bookstore.
There were as many as one or two hundred people. In order to be able to buy the restock of "Dragon JUMP" as soon as possible, some of them asked for leave from the company, and some even skipped work.
"Crazy! These people are really crazy. Could it be that they even neglected their work just to read a comic book?"
Listening to the excited conversations of the office workers around him who were waiting to buy comics, Kento Tanaka really felt like he was in a dream.
"It's in stock! Everyone, don't crowd. Each person can only buy three copies at most. Don't buy more, or the people behind you won't be able to buy any."
The boss's mouth was full of joy as he looked at the long queue in front of the bookstore. He hadn't seen such a grand scene for a long time.
The last time was the finale of a certain hot-blooded manga in Weekly Shonen Jump, which sold nearly three million copies in Japan.
The queue was even longer than it is now. His bookstore sold 8,000 copies of Weekly Shonen Jump on that day alone!
Now, seeing the long queue in front of the store, the boss suddenly felt that the 2,000 copies of "Dragon JUMP" they had bought in were a bit too few.
However, it was no use for him to regret. When he called Dragon JUMP magazine to place an order, the existing stock was already insufficient.
If you want to order more, the remaining goods will only arrive tomorrow or the day after tomorrow.
"Why are there only three? I have to buy them for half of my colleagues in the company."
"Yes! My boss gave me special permission to line up here, and I am here to help a dozen of my colleagues."
"Three is fine! After I get them back, I can just split the four comics and read them in turn..."
…
Although the boss stipulated that each person could only buy three books, it did not reduce the enthusiasm of these people to buy.
Kento Tanaka looked at the customers in front of him. Once they bought the book, they couldn't wait to open it, turned to the page where they had stopped, and then began to read it intently.
"Is it really that good? Doesn't that mean that Keiko Kobayashi really succeeded? Where did she find these four comics? And why did she act so quickly?
In such a short time, even if the plot and setting of the comics are good, the pictures should be sloppy and perfunctory, right? "
With all these doubts, Kento Tanaka paid for a copy of "Dragon JUMP".
But as soon as I got it, I was attracted by the exquisite cover, with a giant dragon spanning the entire cover and all kinds of cute Pokémon, which made my heart melt at first sight.
Kento Tanaka immediately realized that his previous guess was probably completely wrong.
The illustrations in this first issue of "Dragon JUMP" are not perfunctory at all, but incredibly exquisite.
He couldn't wait to look through the contents and was instantly absorbed in it. The story of Dragon Ball was suitable for all ages and was very attractive from the very beginning.
Kento Tanaka now completely understood why these readers who read comics on the train were so crazy.
nice!
It’s really beautiful!
This Dragon Ball is simply amazing.
There are also later "Fist of the North Star", "Pokémon" and "Sailor Moon".
That is to say, Kento Tanaka is not very interested in comics for girls like "Sailor Moon", but the graphics of "Sailor Moon" are very delicate. Even if he does not have much feeling for the plot, looking at the beautiful female characters and sexy and fashionable clothes, Kento Tanaka feels that his eyes feel quite pleasant.
"Amazing! It's really amazing. Ms. Kobayashi Keiko is really a hidden talent!
Any of these exquisite and top-notch comics can be called the top comics in Japan.
But she came up with four films in one go, which was obviously not something that could be achieved in a short period of time.
She had planned this in advance, and had been preparing for at least a year, or even several years. She had a huge comic production team behind the scenes helping her create these four comics.
Otherwise, it is impossible to explain where she got these four top comics from..."
…
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