Manga habits of the Japanese: part 1 of 2

goo Research recently released a wonderfully detailed survey into manga (comics), from which I learnt quite a lot. I hope you enjoy it as much as me.

Demographics

Between the 15th and 17th of May 2012 1,939 members of the goo Research online monitor group completed a private internet-based questionnaire. 60.9% of the sample were female, 6.8% between 15 and 19 years old, 16.5% between 20 and 24 years old, 16.6% between 25 and 29 years old, 16.8% between 30 and 34 years old, 16.5% between 35 and 39 years old, and 17.0% between 40 and 44 years old.

I would have to say I’m on the fence about manga. I’ve read a few here and there, mostly of the illustrated essay type, and I’ve enjoyed them all, but I don’t go and hunt them out. I’ve tried reading some of my wife’s ordinary manga books, but the genres don’t appeal to me, and I cannot read them fast enough so it always feels like an unrewarding chore.

Research results

Q1: Do you like manga? (Sample size=1,939)

	Love it	Like it	Neither like or dislike	Dislike it
All	32.7%	41.7%	19.1%	6.4%
Male 15-19 N=131	33.6%	41.2%	16.0%	9.2%
Male 20-24 N=118	41.5%	42.4%	11.0%	5.1%
Male 25-29 N=90	42.2%	35.6%	17.8%	4.4%
Male 30-34 N=110	35.5%	40.9%	18.2%	5.5%
Male 35-39 N=132	33.3%	46.2%	13.6%	6.8%
Male 40-44 N=177	23.2%	43.5	7.7%	5.6%
Female 15-19 N=194	43.8%	31.4%	18.6%	6.2%
Female 20-24 N=201	46.3%	34.3%	12.4%	7.0%
Female 25-29 N=231	35.9%	42.9%	13.9%	7.4%
Female 30-34 N=215	25.6%	47.4%	21.9%	5.1%
Female 35-39 N=188	21.3%	44.7%	25.5%	8.5%
Female 40-44 N=152	15.8%	48.7%	30.3%	5.3%

Q2: Do you normally read manga? (Sample size=1,939)

	Often read	Sometimes read	Never read
All	30.7%	47,5%	21.8%
Male 15-19 N=131	37.4%	43.5%	19.1%
Male 20-24 N=118	39.8%	47.5%	12.7%
Male 25-29 N=90	46.7%	37.8%	15.6%
Male 30-34 N=110	35.5%	45.5%	19.1%
Male 35-39 N=132	34.8%	45.5%	19.7%
Male 40-44 N=177	23.7%	50.3%	26.0%
Female 15-19 N=194	36.6%	44.8%	18.6%
Female 20-24 N=201	44.8%	36.8%	18.4%
Female 25-29 N=231	29.4%	54.1%	16.5%
Female 30-34 N=215	18.6%	53.5%	27.9%
Female 35-39 N=188	18.1%	51.1%	30.9%
Female 40-44 N=152	18.4%	51.3%	30.3%

Q3: Do you buy manga magazines, weeklies to read? (Sample size=1,939)

Yes, buy and read	24.7%
Read, but don’t buy	6.4%
Don’t buy manga magazines, weeklies	68.9%

The next question was for people who regularly read manga magazines, although the figures for reading frequency were not reported.

Q4: Which manga magazines, weeklies do you regularly read? (Sample size=603, regular magazine readers)

	Male N=332	Female N=271
Weekly Shonen Jump	66.0%	55.7%
Weekly Shonen Magazine	44.6%	15.5%
Weekly Shonen Sunday	29.8%	16.2%
Weekly Young Jump	27.4%	5.9%
Young Magazine	25.0%	7.4%
Morning	17.2%	8.1%
Monthly Shonen Magazine	15.4%	4.1%
Weekly Shonen Champion	16.9%	1.8%
Big Comic Spirits	12.0%	3.3%
Big Comic Original	8.4%	3.3%
Big Comic	7.8%	1.1%
Evening	6.3%	2.6%
Bessatsu (Supplement) Margaret	0.9%	17.7%
Hana to Yume (Flowers and Dreams)	0.3%	13.3%
Cookie	0.3%	8.5%
LaLa	0.0%	8.5%
Ribon	0.3%	7.4%
Shojo Comic	0.0%	7.7%
Kiss	0.0%	7.0%
BE.LOVE	0.0%	5.5%
Deluxe Margaret	0.0%	4.8%
The Margaret	0.0%	4.8%
Chorus	0.0%	4.4%
Other	25.5%	19.9%

The next questions were for people who regularly buy manga magazines, although the figures for buying frequency were not reported. I also don’t know why this question was asked of buyers, not readers.

Q5: Where do you read manga magazines, weeklies? (Sample size=478, magazine purchasers)

	Male N=260	Female N=218
Commuting to school, work	25.8%	8.3%
Lunch, other break times	23.8%	12.8%
When I have free time when out	20.0%	8.7%
When lazing about at home	63.8%	87.2%
In the bath	1.9%	7.8%
Before sleeping	11.9%	22.9%
Other	0.4%	0.0%

Q6: What do you do with manga magazines, weeklies after you read them? (Sample size=478, magazine purchasers)

	Male N=260	Female N=218
Soon throw them away	16.9%	9.2%
Keep them for a while, then throw them away	58.8%	64.7%
Give, lend them to people	13.8%	11.9%
Pull out the bits I live, then throw the rest away	4.6%	13.8%
Keep almost all of them	12.7%	10.1%
Other	0.8%	0.9%