Oricon ME conducted an online survey between May and June 2023 to explore the profile of online manga readers in Japan. Check out more below!
Search results
The information revealed that 61.5% of participants preferred to read manga for free, while 38.5% chose to pay, although the distinction between service subscriptions and the purchase of digital manga was not completely clear.
When analyzing the age group, only 6.2% of teenagers (aged between 15 and 19 in the sample) consumed paid comics.
Surprisingly, among respondents aged between 50 and 59, 50.5% said they paid for services.
Surprising research shows the online consumption of manga by Japanese people – Image: Miika Laaksonen/Unsplash/Reproduction.
It is important to highlight that, although this data suggests significant engagement among readers in their 50s, it does not necessarily reflect the proportion in the general Japanese population.
The robust interest of older people in digital services is evidenced by the fact that 51% of them said they read practically every day.
Readers aged 40-49 also exhibited a high engagement rate, with 45.9% reading almost daily, while the percentage for readers aged 60-69 was 50.6%.
The explanation for this phenomenon lies, in part, in the increased use of smartphones by people over 50 years old.
According to an article by J-CAST News Biz, after an interview with the Oricon ME team, 70% of manga readers in Japan use apps, and digital services are accessible and convenient for different generations.
The financial stability of these older readers also contributes to their acceptance of payment for these services. Another crucial factor is the comprehensive range of services, which is not limited to the latest news.
Many classic series, full of nostalgia for older fans, are available in digital format. This way, they can revisit manga that marked their childhood, in addition to exploring new works.
Despite the notable number of readers older people willing to pay for services, the general preference still leans toward free access.
This demonstrates that the majority of readers choose free services compared to paid subscriptions, a phenomenon observed on platforms such as YounJan (by Young Jump) and Shōnen Jump+.
Such platforms offer free access to part of the series, with the option of subscribing to a broader catalog.
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