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What are those thick magazine-like comics at Kinokuniya?

Well, they're manga of course! Most comics aren't initially published as the books we pick off the shelves, but rather, as a series featured regularly in comic magazines like these. One such magazines will contain several regular series within, and each of these magazines will have its own regulars. For example, popular series like Gunsmith Cats and Ah! My Goddess! appeared regularly in the the comic magazine Afternoon, while Dark Angel and Five Star Stories are featured in Newtype.

The many manga titles we find in comic bookshelves are actually compilations of these series. This explains for the tight deadlines that many manga artists make fun of in their manga -- they're not rushing to meet a book's deadline, but rather, a magazine's.

A good comparison would be with the way TV series are later compiled into videos for sale.

The frequency these magazines get printed vary -- some monthly, some bi-monthly, while others weekly -- as do their audiences. Hana to Yume (left) from Hakusensha is aimed at a shoujo (young ladies) market, so naturally, the stories featured in this magazine will share similar traits. These magazines also target different age and social groups, like businessmen. For a look at the variety, try checking out this page at the Kodansha homepage.

Considered pulp magazine, these comic magazines have their equivalents in Taiwan, Hongkong and even Malaysia (eg, Man Hua Zhou Kan -- which legal status I'm unsure of).

'Hana to Yume' is copyrighted by Hakusensha.

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