But the world of manga is so much bigger than “Shonen Jump.” You don’t need to look that far afield to find comics in the vein of “Chainsaw Man.” The work of Shuzo Oshimi, whose breakthrough “Flowers of Evil” was published alongside “Attack on Titan” in Bessatsu Shonen Magazine, is similarly preoccupied with adolescence, sexuality, and the apocalypse. Elsewhere, Weekly Shonen Sunday has been serializing Q Hayashida’s “Dai Dark,” which features grotesque monster designs and a quirky sense of humor “Chainsaw Man” fans might recognize. Hayashida’s earlier series, “Dorohedoro,” was adapted into an anime produced by “Chainsaw Man” studio MAPPA in 2020. All of these works are now available in translation for English-speaking audiences. They might not be available in a web app, but you may be able to find them at your local library.
The great strength of Japanese manga is its variety. There are comics about cooking, business management, and soap. There are award-winning series for children and adults filling every possible niche. Many of these do not sell as well as comics published in Shonen Jump or other heavy hitters of the manga industry. But many sell just enough to establish themselves as viable alternatives. Each small success empowers the business as a whole. This same dynamic can be seen in countries like France, where comics are treated as a medium rather than a genre. Shonen Jump is famous there, but they’ve also published avant-garde artists like Atsushi Kaneko. Not to mention that France has its share of comic legends, including Jacques Tardi and Manu Larcenet.
