Hyderabad: The influence of East Asian culture in Hyderabad extends beyond just anime, K-pop, K-drama, and Korean cuisine. Japanese manga comics have seen a surge in popularity, now noticeable at the second-hand book bazaar at Abids, where both the demand and sale of Japanese manga is higher than ever.
Manga enthusiasts tend to prefer hard copies over e-books. Compared to other books and novels, manga has been the fastest-moving genre in recent years.
“Our sales overall are not great. People are shifting towards e-books, which are easily accessible anytime and anywhere. Our business is slow because of e-books, but the demand for manga in our store is always high,” Mohamed Farooq, a book stall owner, told Deccan Chronicle.
Some of the popular comics include ‘Professor Ashwatthama’, ‘AL-Zebra’, ‘The Adventures of Chahal Pahal’ and ‘Watakattu’.
“We also have regular customers for manga books. These books are the fastest-selling in our shop,” Ishaq, who works in another book stall, said.
“I like reading them because they are totally different from others. They focus more on family and emotions in each relationship, and their stories are unique. They care about each other, their lifestyle, food, and dressing. I love the way they dress; I find them very cute,” said Bansari Trivedi, a teaching professional.
Saahil S. Sharma, a professional film, graphic novel, and comic book writer, explained, "Most teenagers go crazy over manga books. Once they get attached to a character, they start collecting stickers and hard copies of manga books, adding them to their collections."
