Tag Archives: comic it

Out of the Shadows: Ogiue Maniax Status Update for April 2015

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A few months ago in the February status update, I mentioned that I tend to keep a few posts in reserve and then never get around to posting them for one reason or another. Recently though, I’ve had a lot of crazy things happening in my life all at once (mostly good things, I assure you). It’s made me a bit short on time, and because of that, I’ve had to pull some of those pieces out of the old filing cabinet (I have never actually used one of those), such as Internet Culture, Fandom, and the Tendency to Offend.  I think a part of me always felt unsure about it, but it’s turned out to be quite a popular post, so maybe I should’ve sent it out into the wild sooner. I sometimes strike when the iron is lukewarm, as might be the case with my post on the new female otaku-oriented manga magazine, Comic it, which touts itself as not being so obsessed with romance.

I also had the opportunity to attend the New York International Children’s Film Festival for the first time in years, and it felt good to write reviews of both When Marnie Was There and Mune. I actually have one more film left to review, but due to the above circumstances I haven’t been able to get around to it. Look forward to it in April.

This month’s special Patreon sponsors are:

Ko Ransom

Alex

Johnny Trovato

Though they aren’t listed, I’m quite happy to say that I’ve received a few new sponsors this past month. These recent patrons have declined to be included on the official list of patrons above (even if they’ve contribute enough to qualify), but their support is very much appreciated.

In relation to what I’ve talked about above, I have to ask what my readers think about the times where I post on a subject well after it’s been in the spotlight. I guess this sort of relates to the previous month’ s topic of mid-season vs. end-of-season reviews, but when it comes to very current events, I think I might as well let a Shellder clamp on and force me to evolve. At the same time, I think there’s a certain value to being able to take my time with a subject. I might be falling into that Patreon trap of wanting to write what people want now, but we’ll see how it goes.

Thoughts on “Comic it,” the New Manga Magazine for Female Otaku, and Its Target Demographic

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comicit-issue1-cover

Last month, the publisher Kadokawa Ascii Media Works announced a new manga magazine. Comic it advertises itself as a publication for “adult otaku girls” who “want more than just romance in their stories.” As if to emphasize its defiance of the common trope that manga for women revolve around love stories, its first issue came out on Valentine’s Day.

I find a few things fascinating about the premise behind Comic it. I’ve often seen readers, male and female, criticize shoujo and josei manga for being so focused on romance, that it seems to come at the exclusion of other possible and interesting narratives. However, it is quite intriguing that the demographic that is assumed to be most dissatisfied with the state of manga for female readers would be otaku, hardcore fans of manga. This also assumes that for many non-otaku readers, the state of manga, and romance in manga, is fine. Of course, the idea that there should be “more than just romance” also implies that the manga in this magazine will still feature love and relationships.

There’s another aspect of their advertising, however, that is less apparent. The term “adult otaku girls,” or onna otaku joshi, essentially indicates grown women who are otaku, but are still girls at heart. Though they continue to age, they’ve never let go of the thrill of being otaku. In a way, this seemingly feeds into the celebration of you that is common to Japanese culture and its portrayal in anime and manga, but I wonder if it’s also a jab at it, that youth is a product of the mind, rather than the body.

Below I’ve translated a chart included with the article on Natalie Comic linked above, which is designed to help readers figure out which stories in Comic it they’d enjoy. Note that all of the possible results emphasize the word “girl” instead of “woman” in the same manner as described above, and that there are some… interesting… yes/no questions on this chart.

comicit-chart-translation

According to the article, these categories indicate the following.

Kizuna Girl: You’re into families and brothers, and are moved by connections and bonds.

Mama Girl: You’re into helpless guys and the dramatic joy of seeing them change, as if you were a mother or older sister.

Fujoshi: You’re into buddy stories and past connections, and special relationships between guys

Subculture Girl: Though you appear to be just like everyone else, you’re actually a little peculiar, and you’re interested in philosophies of love that are a bit different.

I’ve yet to read Comic it, but I’m highly interested in doing so. I’ve already ordered a volume, and  plan to review it for Ogiue Maniax in the future.

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