International "I'm still thinking that Japan is still the best in the world ..." The real status of the "Japanese manga world" talked by a "salaryman manga artist" who moved to China.

　Speaking of Japanese comics, it is a world -renowned culture, and it is no exaggeration to say that it is a content that leads Cool Japan with animation works.Nevertheless, there are men who jumped out of Japan and became a salaried worker in China.What is the difference between the daytime manga world that he witnessed?

[Photo] See photos of this article (2)

　Here, a part of the book, Ryo Takeuchi, a documentary director living in China, Ryo Takeuchi, "The Japanese with the second hometown of the online," (KADOKAWA).Introducing the current state of the Japanese manga world that Tatsuya Asano talks about by Tatsuya Asano, a salaryman manga artist living in China.(Read the first time / the second part in total)

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What is a Chinese -style manga business?

　Mr. Asano is a so -called office worker who goes to work and draws manga.The salary is basically a fixed amount.

"How much is your salary?"

"It is 12,000 yuan (about 200,000 yen)"

　In Japan, it is rude to ask people who meet for the first time, but in China it is not so rude.When I talk to my aunt who I don't know, I often hear it.

　By the way, my wife manages all my salary and I don't know how much it is ...

　To put it back, Japanese manga artists serialize magazines from the publisher to receive a manuscript fee for each page, and receive royalties and margins depending on the book or animation, but this company is a little different.If the basic fixed salary is 5000 yuan, if the number of pages drawn is less than 5000 yuan, the amount of the fixed salary will be paid, and if the number of pages exceeding 5000 yuan is drawn, the amount added to 5000 yuan is added.Payed.A margin is included when the character is made into goods.

Many people who like Japan in China now are "after 90"

　When I entered the workplace with Mr. Asano, I was surprised at the amount of manga spreading all over the room.Most of them are Japanese manga.From "One Piece" to "Dragon Ball", "Captain Tsubasa", which I liked as a child, to the latest manga that I didn't know, there were a lot of books in the east and west manga.

Compared to Japan, which has countless manga magazines, such as boys' magazines such as "Jump" and "Magazine", girl manga magazines such as "ribbon" and "Margaret", and youth manga magazines such as "Morning", are counted in China.There are only manga magazines.Therefore, magazines are not major.So, until now, it was a manga equal Japanese manga in China.The 90s born in the 1990s are reading and raising Japanese comics as a child, so they are more familiar with Japanese manga than Japanese people.

　Many people who like Japan in China now are "after 90".They are not affected, no matter how much adults in their 50s and 60s deny Japan.

　The impact of Japanese manga on hundreds of millions of young people in China is immeasurable.In a way, I think he made a contribution to the Nobel Peace Prize.

　Looking at the manga on the bookshelf, the lines are, of course, Chinese.However, the quality of printing is poor, and the picture is rubbing in some places.

"It's a stolen product (copy product)."

The end of a business model that sells copy goods

　What taught me was Asano's colleague's elephant (pen name).A company that sells voyage is probably printed in Japan, scanned all books, erased the Japanese lines, and printed in Chinese.Readers may think "again" when you hear such a phenomenon, but this is a slightly older business.In China today, the crackdown on copyright is strict, and the business that can no longer be copied by copying the copyright holder so far is no longer possible.The manga on the bookshelf was sold a few years ago.

　Of course, China is called, "If there is a policy on the top, there are measures below."Some people use all the ways to reprint Japanese manga without permission and publish them online.However, the method is mainly advertising revenue, as the site called "Manga Village" became a problem in Japan.Cartoon is free to browse for free (this is, of course, a problem).The era of business that sells copies in the market has ended in China.

　Most of the comics in the workplace were manga bought by employees, but only Asano's bookshelves in one corner had different hair colors.There are not many Japanese manga.There are comics from all over the world, such as China, France, and Singapore.

"The only Japanese manga in the world is not so. There are many interesting manga in the world. I just don't know Japanese."

From the skeleton of the story to the ending, you can understand everything by reading one volume

　Certainly, as Asano pointed out, I have hardly read comics other than Japan.I thought that Japanese manga was the best in the world, and I never wanted to find comics from other countries.

　Furthermore, when I looked closely at Asano's bookshelf, I found a mysterious phenomenon.There are various comics, but all have only one volume.Why.

"I heard that there were up to 200 comics brought from Japan to China from Japan, and as a result, I brought only one volume of all manga. The manga is all about one volume.I will do it. From the skeleton of the story to the ending, you can understand everything by reading one volume. "

　The company to which Mr. Asano belongs is headquartered in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province.A major comprehensive entertainment company with branches throughout China.There are about five employees at the Beijing branch, and they draw manga from morning till night.Asano is one of them.

　Currently, the device where the most manga in China is reading is definitely a smartphone.　

　Most of the comics on smartphones are free.

"Japanese manga is the best in the world"

"If it is distributed for free, isn't the business established?"

"Our manga production department is simply a leading investment division. The company does not think about making money alone. The headquarters has a movie and drama production department, and they make money.I am. Now that the number of dramas and movies based on manga in China is increasing, if you have a manga production department in -house, you do not need to pay a huge amount of money and buy the right to make a movie.

　Character goods sales and events can be easily expanded.The company believes that manga is the most cost -cost IP production method that can be created with one writer and one editor.

　The extreme story is that if you draw 100 comics and hit one, you can get enough. "

　After hearing the business model of this company, I thought it was a Chinese -like idea.You can draw a paid manga and make a small and reliable profit.But that doesn't spread throughout China.If so, it will be distributed for free and make a big profit by performing media mixing of popular works."Investing a lot and making a big profit" is a unique idea of the mainstream Chinese business.

　When I asked Mr. Asano, "What is the difference between the daytime comic business?"

"The Japanese manga world is now completely galapagos. In this internet era, we haven't been able to get out of business models that sell manga magazines yet. It's just an e -book, and the basics are no different from the old days.The manga magazine has been very prosperous and has not been able to get out of the successful experience 30 years ago. "

Galapagos for the whole of Japan

"There are many Japanese people who still think that Japan is the best in the world, but I don't think so. Of course, there are many interesting and wonderful works in Japanese manga.However, the quality of Chinese manga has evolved on a daily basis, and many works beyond Japan have already appeared. Japanese manga is the highest in the world without knowing foreign comics.Only "

　I have a lot of agree.I have been in the video industry in Japan and China, so when it comes to the technical level of video production, I think Japan is already superior to China in many parts.The video taken by China is now very beautiful and cool.I feel that special effects and CG technology are more amazing than in Japan.However, many Japanese video creators do not know that, and Japanese images still have a high level worldwide.

　Perhaps this is a phenomenon that applies to all industries.There is no doubt that Japan as a whole is becoming Galapagos.However, it is not a simple story of Galapagos = evil.The fact that the unique culture remains without being destroyed is not only a bad aspect, because it is very attractive to foreigners.

Why is the manga artist who can't sell a small person in Beijing?

　Mr. Asano, who is always afraid, "I'm sorry, will I interview me and the program will be established?"A person who takes a lot of time to decide.However, he said that he had no hesitation or fear to leave Japan and move to Beijing, China.

　Asano came to China in 2015.Until then, Mr. Otsuka mentioned earlier at a university in Kobe (editor -in -case note: Mr. Asano studied under many hits, creators and critics, Hideji Otsuka, and learned the history of manga at university and draw.While he was an assistant for), he was drawing a manga.I first visited China in 2013.He was invited to a Chinese university and was in charge of a course for "how to draw manga."

　Mr. Otsuka studied the world's manga and taught how to draw Japanese manga in the world, but as part of that, he was asked to dispatch a lecturer from a university in Beijing.At that time, it seems that Asano happened to have a white arrow.The university invited Mr. Asano is Beijing Denki Gakuin.Many famous stars and famous directors, including Chang Emou, have nested from Chang Emou at the number one film university in China.At that time, Mr. Asano did not know that he was such a very famous university, and went to Beijing as he was told and gave a lecture.

"It was shocking. The students were very enthusiastic, the passion for manga was odd, and I was in a question attack. Looking at their work, the level was so high that I couldn't imagine a student, like me.I was overwhelmed about what a Japanese untelled manga artist would teach them. Still, I lecture without being absorbed in trying to convey everything I have. "

　In the three -day lecture, the students responded very well, and they felt a sense of fulfillment that they had never felt before.

Interview with a 31 -year -old Japanese manga artist

　I wanted to see Mr. Asano's origin in China and invited him to go to Beijing Denki Gakuin.This is a common technique in documentary, but when you go to a place full of memories that are important for that person, you can suddenly revive and hear unexpected stories.

　When we arrived at Beijing Denki Gakuin, there was a crowd in front of the main gate.Like us, there were a number of media with a camera.From the main gate, tall beautiful girls come out one after another.

"Oh, today is a university entrance examination."

　Today, there is an acting department that young people who are aiming for the future star want to enroll, that is, the "Actor Department" exam.Speaking of Japan, it would be similar to the media gathering on the day of the passing announcement of the Takarazuka Music School.

　As the surrounding media pointed to the future stars and listened to their future dreams, we interviewed a 31 -year -old Japanese manga artist.

Reasons for coming to China

"Did you know such a famous university?"

"No, I didn't know at all. At that time, I had almost zero knowledge about China, and I only knew the language."

"Why did you just want to live in China just by teaching here?"

"In fact, at that time, I was shaken by her, who had been dating for many years, lost my father with illness, and was stuck in my life, without being able to draw the manga I drew.Stimulated by the enthusiasm of the students, something that was asleep was activated. After the lecture was finished, when I saw the graduates of graduates who were exhibited in the corridor of the school building, they were too high and their high level.I was shocked by the creativity and came to want to make a work with them. "

　It's a strange story, but on his first trip in China, the image of drawing a manga with Chinese friends clearly emerged in his brain.

　I don't know if I saw Mr. Asano's thoughts, but after a while after returning to Japan, Mr. Otsuka, his teacher, said, "Are you interested in the Beijing Foreign Language University?? "Mr. Asano applied without hesitation and decided to go to China.

　At that time, when I talked to a friend around me about going to China, most of the respondents said, "Why China?"Asano says behind the words, "What do you do when you go to China, which is lower than Japan?"

　The reason he came to China was that his life was stalled, the creativity of a young Chinese young man, but another reason.That was the limit of Japanese manga.

No matter what you say, it can only be the howling of a writer who can't sell

"I'm not a hot -selling manga artist, so I can't say something great, but I was still disappointed with the old success experience and I was disappointed in the Japanese manga world." Jump "and" Magazine ".It was a long time ago that manga magazines and books were sold, and the number of copies issued is now declining, but manuscript fees for manga artists are declining. Now there are many manga magazines with 1 page of manuscripts 8000 yen.If you can draw one page over two days and two days, you can't eat 8000 yen.

　Nevertheless, Japanese manga is not out of the successful experience of selling in the world, and I feel like I'm looking away from reality.I'm not a famous manga artist, so I think it can only be a howling of a writer who can't sell no matter what I say. "

　Mr. Asano, who moved to China in 2015, gave up in Japan, drew a manga while teaching Japanese at Beijing University of Foreign Studies in the first three years.

　In 2018, he was invited by the president of the current company to introduce a friend and became a salaryman manga artist.

[Read more] What is the decisive reason why Chinese companies hated Japanese "Shenzhen inspection" of Japanese people?

"I don't want to be visited by Japanese companies anymore."

(Ryo Takeuchi)