Bleach party

ICv2 notes that Bleach appears to be benefiting from the “Cartoon Network effect,” with volume 1 of the series (first released in June 2004) hitting number 7 on last week’s Bookscan chart and volume 2 rising to number 20. (The Bookscan charts, for those of you who don’t follow these things obsessively, measure sales of graphic novels sold in bookstores.) Altogether, seven of the 14 volumes are somewhere in the Bookscan top 50.

This is happening, of course, because the Bleach anime debuted on Cartoon Network on September 9, so the speed of the effect is impressive.

Does this mean Bleach is the next Naruto? Probably not, according to ICv2, because Bleach has twice as many volumes out as Naruto did when it made its TV debut, 14 versus 7, and because Naruto was, let’s face it, a phenomenon: Volume 1 alone has sold over 70,000 copies, and all 11 volumes are currently in the Bookscan top 18. At Love Manga, David Taylor is guardedly optimistic:

Personally I think it probably can do well maybe not on the same scale but just one look at Naruto shows that no matter what happens when each volume comes out it just keeps selling better every time.

David also gives the Bookscan top ten in order, which ICv2 seems honor bound not to do. A glance at the chart tells the story: five of the ten spots are volumes of Naruto, with volume 1 at number 3.

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Comments

  1. Bleach to me is more appealing to older teens. It has a “cool kids” mentality to it.

  2. ICv2 is so wrong on Bleach. Not as hot due to # of volumes? Are they high on crack? Gosh they really have zero understanding of the manga world. If any, if will make the Bleach invasion even more impressive. Kids hooked on Bleach is not going to STOP buying bleach cus there are too many friggin’ volumes. ICv2 should stick to what they do best, which is serving the middle-aged, balding super-hero fanbois market.

  3. Tivome, I’m inclined to agree with you on the number of volumes. I think a good series is addictive, and you’ll keep reading no matter how many volumes they put out. I don’t think the kids will say “14 volumes! That’s too many!” and walk away. I think they read it one volume at a time. Plus, those Shonen Jump books have the advantage of being cheap. I just wish they’d put a shoujo anime on Cartoon Network so the distaff side could get a bit of lovin’.

  4. True enlightenment will be upon all the day Cartoon Network shows “Honey and Clover”….

    … But then we’ll see all this lolicon debate on the infamous adult swim forums… oh well, nevermind that.

    True enlightenment will be upon all the day Cartoon Network shows “Hana Yoru Dango”. There, much better.

  5. ShadowBeast says

    Truth be told, I agree with Brigid when she says that kids aren’t going to NOT get into a manga just because it has too many volumes. Kids will get hooked on a good manga and keep buying it, as Brigid said, volume by volume. I’ve started a steady BLEACH collection of mangas and already have 13 straight volumes. Plus, Shonen Jump is quite cheap to suscribe to, but as compromise, you read less of the one manga you’re interested in. That’s why I borrow them off a friend.

    Although I am a greater fan of shonen, I am quite fond of shojo anime like Ouran High School Host Club and occasionally Full Moon o Sagashite. I should like to see that on Cartoon Network…although I must admit, the original Japanese versions are far better than the English dubbed ones…

  6. Well honestly, I just about five days ago picked up the first two volumes in the Manga and thought they were really good, and then two days later I went and bought three more. But, it isn’t the kids who really say it is too many volumes, I find that it is more the adults who have to pay for it. Like my mum, she found out that there are 53 volumes in InuYasha and she almost fell over. But then again think about it thats like $530 just for that series…not only that, one the manga is popular around teens because it does have viloence which teens tend to like. Over all it is a everyone Manga….I haven’t met anyone yet that has said they hated it.

  7. i still loooove bleach but i gotta say there is alot of series. but even so i like the fact that there is bc when i finish things i tend to get tired of them…but there’s like 40 series so far and thats waaaaaay to much money, and i can barely ever find them any were, like at one store theres 1,3, an 4…. but at another there’s 23,24,25,26, an 27.. its kinda agrivating with all the series its almost impossible to find the whole series so far since were i live most people, pretty much every one hates manga an anime, and the cost would lower my chances of my parents ever getting me all that manga. but still its a hard dissison diciding if i dont like alot of series bc i like to always know what happens next….