Apparently this Naruto thing is going pretty well: All three of the October volumes are on the USA Today bestseller list once again, with vol. 21 at number 39 (up from 69 last week), vol. 20 at number 54 (up from 77), and vol. 19 at number 77 (up from 82).
Also, ICv2 just released a new Anime/Manga Guide, and that means it’s list time. After the cut, their top ten manga properties for the third quarter of 2007.
1. Naruto
2. Fruits Basket
3. Bleach
4. Kingdom Hearts
5. Death Note
6. Pokemon
7. Vampire Knight
8. Tsubasa
9. Full Metal Alchemist
10. Millennium Snow
Surprised? I’m not, at least with the top half of the list. I have to admit the Pokemon manga phenomenon has been flying below my radar, probably because my kids are too old for it. As always, the list shows a nice mix of genres, with Death Note perched comfortably next to Kingdom Hearts.
The ICv2 folks are definitely on board the Naruto bus: According to the guide, the three volumes released in September took the top three slots on the Bookscan graphic novels list for four weeks straight. The guide also notes the popularity of manga for older readers and has an article about josei manga.