Kaijin Fugeki Manga Sees Explosive Sales Boost Thanks to Vtuber Botan Shishiro Effect
The first volume of Kaijin Fugeki, the latest manga by Air Gear creator Oh! Great, has seen a massive sales surge, with week-over-week figures increasing six fold for the period of September 29 to October 5, 2024. Kodansha, the publisher, announced that this unexpected spike in sales followed a collaboration with popular VTuber Botan Shishiro.
On September 29, Botan Shishiro revealed during her birthday live stream that Oh! Great had illustrated a special piece for her commemorative merchandise. The following day, Oh! Great’s official X account posted the illustration, which quickly went viral, gaining over 1.6 million impressions by October 11. The announcement of a reprint for Kaijin Fugeki's first volume on October 2 saw sales jump threefold overnight.
In response to this massive fan reaction, Kodansha has decided to feature Oh! Great's special illustration of Botan Shishiro in color in the 47th issue of Weekly Shonen Magazine, set for release on October 23. This issue will also include a handwritten message from Botan herself.
Kodansha’s sales team expressed excitement, stating, “It’s the best-selling debut volume among titles released in the past year in Weekly Shonen Magazine. We’re seeing the longest sustained sales growth of any series, and we expect even more success in the future."
Kaijin Fugeki, which began serialization in May 2024, is a fantasy story by Oh! Great. It tells the tale of "The Night," a force once considered a natural disaster. To combat these otherworldly occurrences, a group of boys must dance to calm "The Night" and save their world. The story follows a young boy named Jin, living in a quiet countryside town, who meets a displaced British soldier named Gao. As they enjoy peaceful days with friends, the threat of "The Night" looms once again.
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【お知らせ】お仕事情報です。ホロライブの獅白ぼたんさんの誕生日記念イラストをグレ吉くんが描かせていただきました。獅白さん、お誕生日おめでとうございます!ギネス世界記録もおめでとうございます!(グレスタ) pic.twitter.com/gVLufVRoWC
— 大暮維人 (Oh!great) (@ohgreatofficial) September 30, 2024
Source : ORICON NEWS