With support from the publisher, Shelf Awareness celebrates the 40th anniversary of VIZ Media, the preeminent publisher and licensor of Japanese anime and manga in North America, shaping global pop culture through storytelling that transcends borders.
From its beginnings in 1986, VIZ Media has been a gateway for Japanese storytelling in the West and is now the leading English-language manga publisher and leading global licensor of manga and anime--and is also co-producing content.
VIZ Media has become a cultural, lifestyle force that shapes how manga and anime fans live, what they wear and eat and read and watch, and how they experience Japanese pop culture, which continues to grow in popularity around the world. VIZ Media has built connections and relationships with key Japanese creators and guides partners and fans to the right stories and makes the market even larger.
Consider some of the company's recent moves. It has expanded to doing location-based entertainment and live events that include, for example, a 60-city symphonic tour and collaborations with Major League Baseball and the National Hockey League as well as collaborations with such companies as Converse, Burger King, and MrBeast. It offers apparel, collectibles, food, beauty, and immersive fan experiences around the world.
The market is astounding: the worldwide anime market is estimated to be between $35.6 billion and $41.7 billion. (Grand View Research provides the most detailed reporting.) Japan is the single-largest market at a little more than 40%, but North America is the fastest-growing market. The global manga market is estimated at between $11.9 billion and $17.5 billion.
VIZ Media was formed in 1986 in partnership with Shueisha, Shogakukan, and ShoPro. Forty years ago, the market was much different. As Hope Donovan, VIZ Media's editorial director, states, "Manga and anime fandom in the U.S. began as a subculture, and fans from 1986 would be shocked to see manga and anime today in malls and stores across the country, with media, merchandise and apparel widely available." They'd also be shocked, she continued, to see "well-stocked manga sections in bookstores and libraries, and streaming anime!"
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| Hope Donovan | |
Donovan notes "the immense role" libraries play in accessibility. "Manga series can be long and hard for a young person to purchase in their entirety. That's where a library can come in. It's also helpful to have a curated space to help find titles now that the manga industry has grown so much."
Manga continues to grow, and some genres that have been underrepresented in the past, including horror and LGBTQ+, are growing the fastest. Strangely, an early misconception that manga is all porn has persisted somewhat. As Donovan points out, "There are tons of genres and stories for readers of all ages. Right now there's more variety available in English than ever before, and hopefully exposure to tons of different kinds of manga has been chipping away at that misconception."
VIZ Media works diligently to translate manga for an English-speaking audience in a way that retains the originals' intent and meaning. For example, "we retouch sound effects, which gives readers of our books the same immediacy of understanding as Japanese readers," Donovan observes. "Each localization is its own work of art, created through the efforts of experienced translators, letterers, designers, editors, and other people who care a lot about manga." The efforts make for the most immersive reading experience for English-speaking fans.
Still, there are areas for expansion for VIZ Media. The main audience for manga and anime continues to be age 30 or below. As Donovan notes, "We have yet to cultivate a sizable audience of older readers in the U.S. interested in manga created for older readers in Japan."
In addition, as manga and anime become more mainstream, there are "casual fans" that VIZ Media can make more "part of the ecosystem," something akin to how "sports fans run the gamut from casual to hardcore," Donovan says.
For people who have never read manga, Donovan recommends titles that "match a person's existing interests," she says. Thus, "if someone likes Sarah J. Maas, I'd recommend Yona of the Dawn. If someone likes action movies, then titles like My Hero Academia will appeal to them." And depending on the readers' ages, some broadly accessible titles are Frieren: Beyond Journey's End, Minecraft: The Manga, Pokemon, and Dragon Ball.
1986: VIZ Communications is founded in San Francisco, the first company dedicated to introducing and selling manga to American audiences. Its mission: to bring authentic Japanese storytelling to the West.
1987: In floppy comic book format, the first VIZ manga titles appear in U.S. comic shops. The titles include The Legan of Kamui, Mai the Psychic Girl, and Area 88.
1988: VIZ publishes Hayao Miyazaki's Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind in serialized comic format (with 27 issues). This marks VIZ's first collaboration with Japan's most celebrated animation studio, Studio Ghibli.
1992: The breakout hit of Ranma 1/2, the martial arts comedy by Rumiko Takahashi, paves the way for the greater acceptance of Japanese manga and anime by American audiences. The comics are colorized until it becomes clear that readers embrace manga's black-and-white format.
1993: VIZ launches Animerica, a monthly magazine dedicated to anime and manga reviews, features, and fan culture. In following years, VIZ adds Animerica Extra, PULP, GameOn! USA, and Manga Vizion, expanding the company's media footprint and community of readers. (Shojo Beat magazine, sister magazine to Shonen Jump, launches in 2005.)
1998: VIZ publishes The Electric Tale of Pikachu, the first Pokémon manga in the U.S., in tandem with the anime's wild success on TV.
Also in 1998, Inuyasha by Rumiko Takahashi makes its debut. The series inspires anime, movies, video games, and devoted fans, and is another critical and commercial hit.
2000: Starting with Dragon Ball and a collector's edition of Neon Genesis Evangelion, VIZ becomes one of the first U.S. publishers to release manga in its original unflipped, right-to-left format, setting a new standard for authenticity.
2001: Uzumaki and Gyo introduce U.S. readers to Junji Ito's signature brand of psychological horror, cementing him as a cult icon. In 2021, his legacy is crowned with an Eisner Award for Best Writer/Artist, the first for a Japanese mangaka.
2002: VIZ launches the U.S. edition of Weekly Shonen Jump, introducing serialized chapters of Dragon Ball Z (part of Akira Toriyama's Dragon Ball property, with more than 250 million sold); One Piece, the bestselling manga of all time, with more than 516.6 million copies sold (close to surpassing Harry Potter's 600 million sold); Yu-Gi-Oh!, with more than 40 million copies sold; Yuyu Hakusho, with more than 78 million copies sold; and Sand Land, another Akira Toriyama hit with an animated film and video game).
Also in 2002, VIZ publishes Vagabond, which goes on to sell more than 82 million copies.
2003: Masashi Kishimoto's ninja Naruto makes its U.S. debut, creating one of the most enduring fandoms in modern pop culture. The anime premiered shortly afterwards on Cartoon Network. More than 250 million copies of the manga have sold globally.
2005: Fullmetal Alchemist by Hiromu Arakawa is launched and goes on to sell more than 80 million copies.
2007: Bleach by Tite Kubo is launched and goes on to sell more than 130 million copies.
2008: Slam Dunk by Takehiko Inoue is launched and goes on to sell more than 170 million copies.
2009: 20th Century Boys by Naoki Urasawa is launched and goes on to sell more than 127 million copies.
2010: The digital manga era begins when the VIZ Manga app launches, with titles including Naruto, Blue Exorcist, and Vampire Knight. Manga now thrives in both print and digital formats. (Today VIZ Manga's digital service is optimized for Android and iOS; is available in the U.S., Canada, the U.K., Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand; and offers more than 10,000 chapters of VIZ Media's manga.)
2012: Shonen Jump magazine shifts to a digital-first format, addressing growing piracy concerns while adapting to the rapidly changing media landscape. Latest chapters are now free for a limited time, attracting new readers, driving fans to the official platforms, and, with its low-cost subscription, proving wildly successful.
2013: One-Punch Man by ONE and Yusuke Murata is launched and goes on to sell more than 30 million copies.
2014: VIZ relaunches the Sailor Moon anime, with a new uncut English dub and new voice cast, introducing the series to a new generation of fans as well as restoring it for longtime fans.
Also in 2014, Food Wars written by Yūto Tsukuda and illustrated by Shun Saeki is launched and goes on to sell more than 20 million copies.
2015: My Hero Academia by Kōhei Horikoshi is launched and goes on to sell more than 85 million copies; Black Clover by Yūki Tabata is launched and goes on to sell more than 19 million copies; Tokyo Ghoul by Sui Ishida is launched and goes on to sell more than 50 million copies; Yona of the Dawn by Mizuho Kusanagi is launched and goes on to sell more than 15 million copies.
2016: Demon Slayer by Koyoharu Gotouge is launched and goes on to sell more than 150 million copies; The Promised Neverland by Kaiu Shirai and Posuka Demizu is launched and goes on to sell more than 42 million copies); Boruto: Naruto Next Generations, part of Masashi Kishimoto's Naruto property, is launched and goes on to sell more than 250 million copies; Dragon Ball Super, part of Akira Toriyama's Dragon Ball property, is launched and sells more than 250 million copies; Komi Can't Communicate by Tomohito Oda is launched and goes on to sell more than 16 million copies.
2017: Dr Stone by Riichiro Inagaki and Boichi is launched and goes on to sell more than 13 million copies.
2018: VIZ launches the on demand/simultaneous publication SJ (Shonen Jump) Service.
Also in 2018, Jujutsu Kaisen by Gege Akutami is launched and goes on to sell more than 80 million copies, and Chainsaw Man by Tatsuki Fujimoto is launched and goes on to sell more than 26 million copies.
2019: Fashion company Coach and actor, producer, and global face of Coach menswear Michael B. Jordan team up to launch a collection inspired by Jordan's cultural influences, community, and lifelong love of Naruto.
Also in 2019, Spy x Family by Tatsuya Endo is launched and goes on to sell more than 31 million copies.
2020s: With the global anime and manga boom, titles Demon Slayer, Jujutsu Kaisen, Chainsaw Man, and Spy x Family lead a surge in manga sales and anime viewing around the world. VIZ's PR and licensing strategy evolves to align with simultaneous digital releases, global streaming platforms, and high-profile media coverage.
2020: Kaiju No 8 by Naoya Matsumoto is launched and goes on to sell more than 11 million copies.
2021: Demon Slayer creator Koyoharu Gotouge is named to the TIME 100 list, the first manga and comic artist to receive the honor and a testament to VIZ's position as a cultural tastemaker, bridging Japanese and Western media.
Also in 2021, Jordan brand/NIKE, NBA superstar Zion Williamson, and Naruto together create a line of Air Jordans inspired by Williamson and Naruto's parallel paths of overcoming adversity.
2022: VIZ Media makes its first global anime distribution deal, securing worldwide streaming and promotional rights outside Asia for Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War, based on Tite Kubo's manga series Bleach. This revival of one of shonen's most iconic franchises cements VIZ's evolution from manga publisher to global anime powerhouse.
Also in 2022, VIZ Media creates the Shonen Jump shop, which features apparel and accessories with popular Shonen Jump characters.
2023: ZOM 100: Bucket List of the Dead is VIZ Media's first anime co-production, developed in partnership with Shogakukan and Shogakukan-Shueisha Productions. The series--part zombie horror and part life-affirming comedy and based on the manga by Haro Aso and Kotaro Takata--makes Netflix's Global 10 with its first episode and marks VIZ Media's expansion from licensing to creative collaborator.
Also in 2023, Frieren: Beyond Journey's End written by Kanehito Yamada and illustrated by Tsukasa Abe is launched and sells more than 24 million copies.
2024: The American anime-inspired series RWBY becomes part of VIZ Media, marking the expansion of the company into original animation.
2025: Nana and Vivienne Westwood collaborate on a global collection of clothing and accessories, a partnership that celebrates the enduring cultural influence of Nana and brings its punk-inspired aesthetic from manga and anime to fashion runways around the world.
2026: VIZ Media marks its 40th anniversary as the leading publisher and global licensor of manga and anime in North America. With thousands of titles, millions of fans, and decades of innovation, VIZ continues to shape the future of global pop culture through storytelling that transcends borders.
The Amazing Digital Circus Vol. 1 by Glitch Productions and Gooseworx, illus. by Sakura ($11.99, 9781974716937, September 8, 2026)
When a young woman puts on a strange headset in an abandoned building, she finds herself transformed into a cartoon jester named Pomni inside a glitchy, wild world called the Amazing Digital Circus. This darkly comedic manga is adapted from an Australian animated web series with nine episodes that ran from 2023 to 2026. The series was originally released on YouTube, where it received more than 25 billion views, and is now available on Netflix. The ninth and final episode of The Amazing Digital Circus had a special theatrical release in early June and earned $25 million on its opening weekend.
GalaXic Baseball League, Vol. 1 by Acky Bright ($14.99, 9781974772582, October 13, 2026)
In a distant spacefaring future, baseball has become an interplanetary sport with participants from all over the galaxy. Earth's team, however, has fallen on hard times, and will need the help of real-life baseball stars like Aaron Judge, Shohei Ohtani, Fernando Tatis Jr., Jazz Chisholm Jr., Kyle Schwarber, and Paul Skenes to rescue baseball and the galaxy itself from a sinister plot. Acky Bright is a world-famous manga artist from Japan who is also known for his live drawing sessions in which he completes large works with a single pen and no planning.
Set Sail: The Art and Making of One Piece by Mike Avila ($40, 9781974760916, June 23, 2026)
This comprehensive behind-the-scenes book explores the making of seasons one and two of Netflix's One Piece, a live action adaptation of the long-running manga by Eiichiro Oda. Created in 1997, One Piece is the bestselling manga of all time and has sold nearly five million copies in the U.S. It follows pirate captain Luffy and his crew's search for a legendary treasure called One Piece. Set Sail: The Art and Making of One Piece features on-set photography, costumes, sets, stunts, and exclusive interviews, including a foreword by Netflix series co-showrunner Joe Tracz.
Jujutsu Kaisen, Vol. 30 by Gege Akutami ($11.99, 9781974763405, May 12, 2026). Jujutsu Kaisen is a bestselling manga about a high school student who joins a secret society of sorcerers after unwittingly becoming host to a powerful spirit. More than 150 million copies of the series have been sold worldwide and it is a consistent BookScan Top 50 bestseller. An anime adaptation released on Crunchyroll in 2020. In 2022, the theatrical release of Jujutsu Kaisen 0: The Movie made $17.7 million on opening weekend. Volume 30 is the final installment of Jujutsu Kaisen, but other works in the same setting, such as Jujutsu Kaisen: Modulo, are ongoing.
The Marshal King, Vol. 1 by Boichi ($11.99, 9781974716876, August 4, 2026)
This new series from the illustrator of Dr. Stone and One Piece: Ace's Story follows Jimmu Godspeed, son of an infamous wild west outlaw who rejects his father's legacy by joining the Western U.S. Marshal Training Institute. Four seasons of the anime adaptation of Dr. Stone are available across Netflix, Crunchyroll, and Hulu.
The Apothecary Diaries: Maomao's Notes on the Inner Palace, Vol. 1 by Hyuganatsu, illus. by Minoji Kurata ($22.99, 9781974768714, October 20, 2026)
An apothecary is abducted and forced to work as a maid in the emperor's palace, where her skills and intelligence make her a consort's lady-in-waiting. The Apothecary Diaries is a manga adaptation of a series of light novels (short, conversationally written works featuring scattered illustrations popular with young adults). Two seasons of the anime version are available on Crunchyroll and Netflix with a third season coming this fall. The first volume of the Apothecary Diaries manga includes a double-sided color frontispiece and a bonus story written by the author of the original light novel.
The Horror Picture Book Series pairs popular horror and fantasy authors with accomplished manga illustrators to create deceptively simple yet sinister stories. There are currently 14 titles available in Japan. The first three will be published in the U.S. on October 6, 2026:
Horror Picture Book: Looking at Me by Soshichi Tonari, illus. by Junji Ito ($19.99, 9781974762729)
Faces appear all around the world, but no one else seems to notice. Features oil paintings by the grandmaster of horror manga (and 2025 Eisner Hall of Fame inductee) Junji Ito.
Horror Picture Book: A Bad Book by Miyuki Miyabe, illus. by Hisanori Yoshida ($19.99, 9781974762484)
A sinister book promises to impart "bad" knowledge on its reader. Miyuki Miyabe's novel Brave Story won the Mildred L. Batchelder Award for Best Children's Book in Translation.
Horror Picture Book: Is It There or Not by Natsuhiko Kyogoku, illus. by Naoko Machida ($19.99, 9781974768820)
Something seems to be lurking in the shadows above the rafters at grandmother's house.
