Recently, Asuka.fr pioneered it's new "Lolita" label that really brings up how French companies choose to market their lineups versus how the Us does it. Within the US manga market, there's always been the respective sub labels based on who's supposed to be buying- shoujo, shounen, etc., but France is seeing something the US is not- further diversification within these sub categories.
Take, for example, Asuka's labels targeting girls- there's the "Collection Ladies," which features more everyday slice of life shoujo titles with a lean on josei. Then you've got your "Collection Shoujo" section, with the more fantasy romance titles. Now, the new "Collection Lolita" grouping features mature shoujo. A look through the catalog of other publishers reveals similar sub labeling, with categories for seinen and even a "Collection Tezuka" just for the mangaka's works. Switch over to the US Viz subsite, and you'll be greeted by two kinds of shoujo and two kinds of shounen labels, both largely indistinguishable in terms of content. I find it baffling that US companies don't split things up a little more- a reader who liked a few books in a much more niche category will probably be more likely to pick up the other titles also under that label when browsing the manga section. If it's only three of four series under that label, all the better. Let's be honest, when was the last time you picked up a copy of Bleach and thought that hey, Bleach was good , so I'll probably like and subsequently buy the 23 other series in this label too!
Monday, January 15, 2007
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2 comments:
I am happy to see that even if you are very far from france, you are very active and inform about our release, if you want to be update of our collections and publications, here is my email raf@asuka.fr
thank a lot !
I have always wondered why the US has not attempted to use demographics a little more.
I know I read shoujo titles and there are plenty of women who read Shonen Jump, but I really think this could help some of the publishers out there especially the smaller ones and even TP (since so much of their catalog is practically unknown). It would at least help target that specific audience that would read a BECK or a High School Girls. Hmmm.
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