Manga Anthology Circulations 2004-2006

topMagazine Data 2007, the 2007 edition of the Japan Magazine Publishers Association (JMPA)'s guide guide ti Japanese magazines, was released at the end of November.

The data book comes with data on 436 magazines from 57 publishing companies in Japan. The guide lists each magazine's format, forms of publication, dates, price and more, with each magazine categorized by genre. Moreover, each entry includes a brief description of the magazine from its Editor-in-Chief.

The Honkawa Data Tribune, preparing for the release of the latest Magazine Guide, has compiled a list of the 2006 manga anthology circulation figures, each magazine's publisher and circulation number based on data released by the JMPA last year in Magazine Data 2006. Below is a translated figure:

Circulation Chart

Below is a table with each magazine's circulation numbers taken from September 1st, 2005 to August 31st, 2006 (a "*" indicates the magazine's circulation has been confirmed):

Magazine Publisher Circulation
Shonen Weekly Shonen Jump Shueisha 2,839,792 *
Weekly Shonen Magazine Kodansha 2,151,354 *
Weekly Shonen Sunday Shogakukan 1,003,708 *
Monthly Shonen Magazine Kodansha 987,083 *
Korokoro Comic Shogakukan 963,334 *
Weekly Shonen Champion Akita Shoten 500,000
Monthly Shonen Jump Shueisha 376,667 *
Monthly Comic Dengeki Daioh MediaWorks 250,000
Dengeki Comic Gao! MediaWorks 200,000
Comic Bonbon Kodansha 98,000 *
Shonen Ace Kadokawa Shoten 80,833 *
Monthly Pre-comic Bunbun Poplar 80,309 *
Ultra Jump Shueisha 72,000 *
Dragon Age Kadokawa Shoten (Fujimi Shobo) 35,250 *
Sunday GX Shogakukan 35,167 *
Monthly Magazine Z Kodansha 32,750 *
Seinen Weekly Young Jump Shueisha 1,006,875 *
Young Magazine Kodansha 998,198 *
Big Comic Original Shogakukan 905,500 *
Big Comic Shogakukan 580,750 *
Weekly Manga Goraku Nihon Bungeisha 500,000
Morning Kodansha 437,232 *
Big Comic Sprits Shogakukan 394,042 *
Weekly Manga Times Houbunsha 380,000
Business Jump Shueisha 375,208 *
Super Jump Shueisha 355,417 *
Kairakuten Wani Magazine 350,000
Manga Pachisuro Fighter Wani Magazine 350,000
Big Comic Superior Shogakukan 318,959 *
Weekly Manga Sunday Jitsugyo no Nihonsha 300,000
Young King Shonen Gahosha 268,000
Shitsurakuten Wani Magazine 250,000
Manga Action Futabasha 240,000
Manga Times Houbunsha 240,000
Young Sunday Shogakukan 214,878 *
Weekly Comic Bunch Shinchosha 214,190 *
Evening Kodansha 213,417 *
Comic Ran Leed 204,230 *
Young Animal Hakusensha 196,334 *
Gundam Ace Kadokawa Shoten 195,500 *
Young Champion Akita Shoten 180,000
Afternoon Kodansha 127,417 *
Young Comic Shonen Gahosha 117,000
Shonen Fang Leed 100,000
Dengeki Moeoh MediaWorks 90,000
Monthly Comic Tokumori Shueisha 78,334 *
Monthly Comic Beam Enterbrain 25,000
IKKI Shogakukan 18,584 *
Shojo Ciao Shogakukan 1,008,500 *
Nakayoshi Kodansha 418,500 *
Ribon Shueisha 400,000 *
Bessatsu Margaret Shueisha 325,000 *
Hana to Yume Hakusensha 289,375 *
Shojo Comic Shogakukan 260,218 *
The Margaret Shueisha 198,333 *
DX Margaret Shueisha 190,000 *
LaLa Hakusensha 171,750 *
Betsufure Kodansha 167,834 *
Margaret Shueisha 162,826 *
Cheese! Shogakukan 148,167 *
ChuChu Shogakukan 128,112 *
Betsucomi Shogakukan 107,667 *
Bessatsu Hana to Yume Hakusensha 94,000 *
One more Kiss Kodansha 77,000 *
ASUKA Kadokawa Shoten 45,834 *
Josei Cookie Shueisha 228,334 *
YOU Shueisha 202,750 *
Be Love Kodansha 199,292 *
Kiss Kodansha 176,958 *
Dessert Kodansha 172,084 *
The Dessert Kodansha 169,416 *
Chorus Shueisha 164,583 *
Elegance EVE Akita Shoten 150,000
For Mrs Akita Shoten 150,000
Judy Shogakukan 120,667 *
office YOU Shueisha 120,000 *
Petit Comic Shogakukan 111,833 *
The Betsufure Kodansha 87,167 *
Silky Hakusensha 86,500 *
FEEL YOUNG Shodensha 64,167 *
Comic B's-LOG Enterbrain 50,000
Flowers Shogakukan 49,084 *
Comic AQUA Oakla Shuppan 25,000
CIEL Kadokawa Shoten 23,250 *

Manga magazine that had the highest circulation is Shonen Jump, with a circulation of 2,840,000. Shonen Jump's circulation is the highest among all the magazines (even non-comics magazines), and is more than three times that of Weekly Bunshun, which had the highest circulation of the non-comics magazines. Shonen Jump is followed by Weekly Shonen Magazine, Ciao, Weekly Young Jump and Weekly Shonen Sunday.

Below is a table of manga anthology circulations from 2005, compiled by Ultimatum:

Magazine Publisher 2004 2005 Circulation Increase/Decrease
Afternoon Kodansha 144,583 133,834 10,749
Bessatu CoroCoro Comic Shogakukan 240,000 223,333 16,667
Big Comics Shogakukan 677,916 627,083 50,833
Big Comic Original Shogakukan 1,030,000 958,958 71,042
Big Comic Spirits Shogakukan 460,354 416,625 43,729
Big Comic Superior Shogakukan 370,400 339,000 31,400
Business Jump Shueisha 416,875 376,667 40,208
Comic BomBom Kodansha 186,666 136,417 50,249
Comic Bunch Shinchosha 259,271 238,568 20,703
Coro Coro Comic Shogakukan 1,198,333 1,085,000 113,333
Comic Ran Leed 191,201 200,975 9,774
Comic Ran Twins Leed 134,571 146,325 11,754
Dragon Age Kadokawa Shoten 55,667 46,167 9,500
Evening Kodansha 266,250 229,125 37,125
Gundam Ace Kadokawa Shoten 211,416 209,292 2,124
Magazine SPECIAL Kodansha 107,083 110,750 3,667
Morning Kodansha 584,167 462,979 121,188
Monthly Tokumori Shueisha 99,166 90,834 8,332
Monthly Magazine Z Kodansha 46,041 36,584 9,457
Monthly Shounen Jump Shueisha 446,666 417,500 29,166
Monthly Shounen Magazine Kodansha 1,041,417 1,009,167 32,250
Shounen Ace Kadokawa Shoten 59,167 68,917 9,750
Shounen Sunday Super Shogakukan 41,000 39,333 1,667
Sunday Gene-X (Sunday GX) Shogakukan 39,167 39,000 167
Super Jump Shueisha 370,000 357,917 12,083
Ultra Jump Shueisha 72,000 72,000 0
V Jump Shueisha 149,833 178,334 28,501
Weekly Shounen Sunday Shogakukan 1,160,913 1,068,265 92,648
Weekly Shounen Jump Shueisha 2,994,897 2,953,750 41,147
Weekly Shounen Magazine Kodansha 2,721,633 2,365,306 356,327
Weekly Young Jump Shueisha 1,136,666 1,081,459 55,207
Young Animal Hakusensha 201,083 201,209 126
Young Magazine Kodansha 1,044,489 1,012,209 32,280
Young Sunday Shogakukan 245,417 230,479 14,938
ASUKA Kadokawa Shoten 38,000 35,750 2,250
BE???LOVE Kodansha 206,875 203,750 3,125
Bessatsu Fureindo (Betsufure) Kodansha 203,333 190,417 12,916
Bessatsu Hana to Yume (Betsuhana) Hakusensha 106,166 94,334 11,832
Bessatsu Margaret (Betsuma) Shueisha 378,333 355,833 22,500
Betsucomi Shogakukan 101,833 106,833 5,000
Cheese! Shogakukan 174,833 155,833 19,000
Chorus Shueisha 151,250 145,833 5,417
Ciao Shogakukan 1,065,000 1,033,333 31,667
CIEL Kadokawa Shoten 23,417 23,833 416
Cookie Shueisha 203,333 204,167 834
Dessert Kodansha 221,666 195,750 25,916
FEEL YOUNG Shodensha 72,458 68,396 4,062
Flowers Shogakukan 58,000 54,417 3,583
Hana to Yume Hakusensha 300,416 295,208 5,208
IKKI Kodansha 33,916 29,000 4,916
Judy Shogakukan 156,833 135,833 21,000
Kiss Kodansha 202,583 183,208 19,375
LaLa Hakusensha 166,750 173,583 6,833
LaLa DX Hakusensha 71,833 69,500 2,333
Margaret Shueisha 209,565 173,913 35,652
Margaret DX Shueisha 218,333 208,334 9,999
Nakayoshi Kodansha 457,083 457,500 417
Office YOU Shueisha 129,333 124,667 4,666
One more Kiss Kodansha 99,166 90,660 8,506
Shojo Comic (Sho-comi) Shogakukan 301,956 299,565 2,391
Silky Hakusensha 86,833 80,167 6,666
Petit Comic Shogakukan 121,250 117,583 3,667
Ribon Shueisha 729,167 537,500 191,667
Ribon Original Shueisha 101,666 82,500 19,166
The Dessert Kodansha 197,083 182,750 14,333
The Margaret Shueisha 216,666 200,000 16,666
YOU Shueisha 234,166 214,167 19,999

It can be clearly seen that, although a few publications enjoyed rising sales, the circulation of most magazines dropped between 2004-2005, and again between 2005-2006, especially Weekly Shonen Magazine, Morning, and Ribon. Even Weekly Shonen Jump, despite it being the top ranked magazine, saw a drop in sales over the years.

Below is a comparison of circulation figures from 2004, 2005 and 2006 of some of the top ranked magazines from various publishers:

Magazine Publisher 2004 2005 2006
Weekly Shonen Jump Shueisha 2,994,897 2,953,750 2,839,792
Weekly Shonen Magazine Kodansha 2,721,633 2,365,306 2,151,354
Weekly Shonen Sunday Shogakukan 1,160,913 1,068,265 1,003,708
Weekly Young Jump Shueisha 1,136,666 1,081,459 1,006,875
Young Magazine Kodansha 1,044,489 1,012,209 998,198
Big Comic Shogakukan 677,916 627,083 580,750
Ciao Shogakukan 1,065,000 1,033,333 1,008,500
Nakayoshi Kodansha 457,083 457,500 418,500
Ribon Shueisha 729,167 537,500 400,000
Cookie Shueisha 203,333 204,167 228,334

Extra:

For those who are interested, below is the circulation numbers and ranking of popular non-comics magazines from last year.

Monthly:

  1. Bungei Shinju -- 620,850
  2. Ushio -- 434,767
  3. Fujin Koron -- 212,400
  4. Seiron -- 87,155
  5. Syokun! -- 82,058
  6. Shincho -- 45 40,975
  7. Chuokoron -- 40,975
  8. Forsite -- 33,348
  9. Voice -- 32,475
  10. Ronza -- 19,084

Weekly:

  1. Shukan Bunshun -- 798,340
  2. Shukan Shincho -- 765,713
  3. Shukan Gendai -- 690,398
  4. Shukan Post -- 608,681
  5. Friday -- 409,082
  6. Shukan Playboy -- 390,209
  7. Shukan Taisyu 353,356
  8. Flash -- 339,783
  9. Shukan Asahi -- 319,562
  10. Shukan Jitsuwa -- 300,000
  11. Shukan Asahi Geino -- 283,745
  12. SPA -- 245,928
  13. AERA -- 27,858
  14. Shukan Diamond -- 165,959
  15. Sunday Mainichi -- 147,521
  16. Yomiuri weekly -- 114,122
  17. Shukan Toyo Keizai -- 108,161
  18. Shukan Economist -- 85,000

Women's Weekly:

  1. Jyosei Seven -- 556,396
  2. Josei Jishin -- 519,464
  3. Non-no -- 440,870
  4. Shukan Josei -- 378,329
  5. AN-AN -- 280,673

Translation by T. Ohara

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Ahh...

Ahh, Big Comic dropped to 580,750 in 2006 and didn't gain another 300,000 readers >.< though I would be glad to see manga magazines gaining 300,000 readers, but that doesn't seem to be happening >.< manga magazines are dying in a horrible slow death >.<

Opps ^^; fixed.

Opps ^^; fixed.