Summary
Multiple manga series made August 2024’sNew York Times Best Seller list, includingJujutsu Kaisen, just ahead of the series' ending. Every week or so, the NYT News Surveys department compiles a sales list. However, the list does not only include one genre or media format. Business, Young Adult Paperback, and Audiobooks are given a spot on the best seller list.This month, August 2024, 3 manga made the list, taking up a fifth of the 15 spots available.
Anime has taken the world by storm these past few years. While manga has always been popular in Japan, it seems the United States has a new-found appreciation for comics.In February 2017, the New York Times pulled the Graphics, Comics, and Manga category from publication on their best seller list. The category was first introduced as an experiment in 2009 but was later pulled to make room for other content. However, due to backlash from the illustrated content community, the list was published for the first time in 2 years in November 2019.
My Hero Academiawas the first mangato make the top 3 of the newly reinstated list, with its 21st volume sitting at number 3. This month,in August 2024, manga continues to make history on the NYT best seller list with series such asJujutsu Kaisen, Berserk,and more.
Jujutsu Kaisen Ending Soon is the Best Thing That Could Happen to the Series
It will be sad to see the beloved series go, but it’s best for Jujutsu Kaisen to end on a high note, with the pre-planned ending Akutami has chosen.
The NYT Manga Best-Sellers for August 2024 Include Old Classic and a Modern Masterpiece
Three Manga Series Have Made the Top 10 On August 2024’s Monthly Graphic Books And Manga Best Seller List
First and foremost,One Piecehasclaimed its rightful spot on the NYT best seller list’s top 5, with its 106th volume sitting at number 4. As one of the world’s best-selling pieces of literature of all time, it only makes sense thatOda’s iconic manga seriesis within the highest of placements.
Just below the top five is the first volume of a new deluxe edition of Kentaro Miura’s classic,Berserk, sitting at number 6. Last but not least, it should come as no surprise thatJujutsu Kaisen,volume 1, has made the rankings at number 13 on the NYT’s list, following the anime series’ explosive 2nd season.
106
4th
1
6th
13th
What Qualifies as a New York Times “Best Seller”
The NYT Has Been Ranking U.S. Literature Sales Since 1931
Reports are obtained from selected samples of independent and chain bookstores and wholesalers throughout the United States. The New York Times claimed that the list does not include wholesalers, but this has yet to be confirmed. Once the data is analyzed, the top 15 best-selling books arepublished on the NYT’s website.
Each grouping lists the top 15 most popular series or individual books, and the list is updated each month. In order to make the NYT best seller list, a book is estimated to sell anywhere from 1,000 to 10,000 copies per week.
4,000-8,000
2,000-6,000
10,000-100,000
Per Year
With the reinstatement of the New York Times’ Graphics and Manga category in 2019,manga are sure to continue making the list each month. The popularity of anime and manga, especially within the past few years, is unprecedented but much deserved. Manga artists and authors are among the best storytellers in the world, combining complex illustrations with heartfelt stories of every genre.
WhileOne Piecestill dominates the market worldwide, and the inclusion ofBerserkproves the enduring popularity of this series, having the first volume ofJujutsu Kaisenin the NYT best selling list shows that the relatively recent series has truly taken the world by storm.Jujutsu Kaisen’s popularity is only going to increase now thatthe upcoming end of the manga has been announcedand fans will want to pick it up in volume form, so expect to see Gege Akutami’s masterpiece on the NYT list for many months to come.
Sources:NYT Monthly Graphic Books & Manga List;The New York Times: Best Sellers List
Jujutsu Kaisen
Jujutsu Kaisenis a Japanese anime and manga series created by Gege Akutami. The story is set in a world where Cursed Spirits, born from negative human emotions, prey on humanity. It follows high school student Yuji Itadori as he becomes entangled in the world of Jujutsu Sorcery after swallowing a cursed talisman—Ryomen Sukuna’s finger—and becomes the host for one of the most powerful curses. Yuji joins the Tokyo Metropolitan Magic Technical College to learn how to combat curses while searching for the remaining fingers of Sukuna to exorcise him permanently.
