When it comes to manga and anime, East and West fans have very different perspectives and tastes. Some works that are revered in Japan don't get the same impact in the West (and vice versa), so it's always interesting to know what Japanese fans think.
In recent weeks, the hashtag # 私 を 構成 す る 5 つ の マ ン ガ (# 5MangasQueMeDefinen) has been trending in Japan on Twitter, in which manga fans listed and positioned their favorite manga works. The results were listed by @WSJ_manga, an unofficial account that collected posts between March 21 and April 02 from over 600,000 Japanese users, to create a "Top 50".
Top Ten
The manga that occupied the first ten positions include: Fullmetal Alchemist by Hiromu Arakawa; One Piece by Eiichiro Oda; Hideaki Sorachi's Gintama; Hunter x Hunter by Yoshihiro Togashi; Takehiko Inoue's Slam Dunk; Naruto from Masashi Kishimoto; Haikyuu !! Haruichi Furudate; Bleach by Tite Kubo; Katekyo Hitman Reborn! Akira Amano; and Cardcaptor Sakura from CLAMP.
Two recurring names
Most of the subsequent titles occupy the expected positions. With One Piece one of the best selling manga of all time, together with Naruto and Bleach forming "The Big Three" from Shueisha's Weekly Shonen Jump magazine. Slam Dunk, meanwhile, is renowned for popularizing the sport of basketball in Japan, while Fullmetal Alchemist is recognized worldwide as the best manga ever written.
However, it is quite unexpected that a play like Dragon Ball, sometimes regarded as the most influential shonen manga in history, has been ignored in the top ten positions. While Haikyuu !! and Gintama are popular for good reasons, it's really interesting to note how they are more recognized in Japan than Dragon Ball itself. Furthermore, it is also important to note that Cardcaptor Sakura has outperformed the Sailor Moon series, especially due to the continued popularity of the latter series.
Another interesting result indicates the affection that the Japanese public has for two authors: Yoshihiro Togashi and Rumiko Takahashi. Both are the only authors with more than one manga on the list. Togashi got 4th and 14th position with Hunter x Hunter and Yu Yu Hakusho, while Takahashi got 22nd and 30th position with Ranma 1/2 and Inuyasha.
What makes it even more interesting is the absence of widely recognized names in the industry with several popular titles under its belt. Osamu Tezuka, known for works like Astro Boy, Ribon ni Kishi, and Jungle Taitei, has only one title in this listing: Black Jack. Similarly, the CLAMP circle, despite its prolific works, only managed to include Cardcaptor Sakura in this listing. It must be reiterated, that this does not list the success of the works, but was carried out by the readers through personal and subjective criteria.
Recognized authors
On the other hand, it comes as no surprise that shonen demographics dominate the list. Of the top ten positions, eight are or were published in Weekly Shonen Jump magazine.
However, a variety of titles from the shoujo demography are also present, as well as those written by women. The Fullmetal Alchemist manga was written by a woman, as well as Katekyo Hitman Reborn! and Ranma 1/2 and Inuyasha, the latter two written by Rumiko Takahashi, one of the most recognized authors in the industry. Regarding the manga aimed at female audiences, classics such as Cardcaptor Sakura, Fruits Basket, Sailor Moon, Hachimitsu to Clover, and Ouran High School Host Club stand out.
Low spots and shocking omissions
Despite the fact that many well-known names made their appearance in this list, there are several that are far below the list (or that were conspicuous by their absence), such is the case of Death Note, a fairly popular manga in the West that barely reached position # 44. Also, Pokémon Special, despite being part of one of the most prolific franchises in history, barely reached # 33.
Some omissions that leave much to think about include the Berserk, 20th Century Boys, Kaze no Tani no Nausicaa, Akira and Ghost in the Shell manga. While Hellsing and Saiyuki are still worthy representatives of the demographic, the absence of more titles from this demographic is shocking.
The biggest surprise? Clearly it is the absence of Hokuto no Ken (Fist of the North Star) and Saint Seiya, despite being two of the most influential titles in history. Of course, the sample of fifty titles taken for this listing could be omitting them, but it is still enough to know the perspective and preferences of Japanese readers.
Source: CBR
© Akira Toriyama / Hiromu Arakawa / Rumiko Takahashi /
