Big Comic Superior
Encyclopedia
is a semimonthly seinen
manga magazine published since 1987-07-01 by Shogakukan
in Japan
. Its target audience
is somewhere between the audience for Big Comic Original
and Big Comic Spirits
.
Superior was originally a special issue of Big Comic Original, published twice monthly on the 1st and 15th. However, since it was selling just as well as the main three magazines (Big Comic
, Big Comic Original, and Big Comic Spirits), it began to be released every other week. It is currently released twice monthly on the second and fourth Fridays. Superior has a circulation of about 250,000 for each issue.http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2011-01-17/2010-japanese-manga-magazine-circulation-numbers.
The magazine has published works by a number of well-known manga artists
, including Ryoichi Ikegami
, Mochiru Hoshisato
, Yū Koyama
, Yūji Aoki
, Fumi Saimon
, Norifusa Mita
, George Akiyama
, and Buronson.
Seinen
is a subset of manga that is generally targeted at a 20–30 year old male audience, but the audience can be older with some manga aimed at businessmen well into their 40s. In Japanese, the word Seinen means "young man" or "young men" and is not suggestive of sexual matters...
manga magazine published since 1987-07-01 by Shogakukan
Shogakukan
is a Japanese publisher of dictionaries, literature, manga, non-fiction, DVDs, and other media in Japan.Shogakukan founded Shueisha which founded Hakusensha. These are three separate companies, but are together called the Hitotsubashi Group, one of the largest publishing groups in Japan...
in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. Its target audience
Target audience
In marketing and advertising, a target audience, is a specific group of people within the target market at which the marketing message is aimed .....
is somewhere between the audience for Big Comic Original
Big Comic Original
is a Japanese seinen manga magazine published by Shogakukan, aimed at an older adult and mostly male audience. It is a sister magazine to Big Comic, the biggest difference being that it goes on sale twice a month in the weeks Big Comic doesn't. Cover artwork usually features a dog or cat, and a haiku...
and Big Comic Spirits
Big Comic Spirits
is a weekly Japanese seinen manga magazine published by Shogakukan and aimed at males 20–25 years old. It originally launched on October 14, 1980. The culture of food, sports, love relationships, and business provide the themes for its featured series, which often question conventional values...
.
Superior was originally a special issue of Big Comic Original, published twice monthly on the 1st and 15th. However, since it was selling just as well as the main three magazines (Big Comic
Big Comic
is a semimonthly seinen manga magazine published since 1968-02-29 by Shogakukan in Japan. It was originally launched as a monthly magazine, but switched to twice monthly on the 10th and 25th beginning in April 1968. It is paired with sister magazine Big Comic Original, going on sale in the weeks...
, Big Comic Original, and Big Comic Spirits), it began to be released every other week. It is currently released twice monthly on the second and fourth Fridays. Superior has a circulation of about 250,000 for each issue.
The magazine has published works by a number of well-known manga artists
Mangaka
is the Japanese word for a comic artist or cartoonist. Outside of Japan, manga usually refers to a Japanese comic book and mangaka refers to the author of the manga, who is usually Japanese...
, including Ryoichi Ikegami
Ryoichi Ikegami
is a manga artist. He was assistant to manga artist Shigeru Mizuki in 1966. In 2001, he won the Shogakukan Manga Award for general manga as the artist of Heat. He became a professor at Osaka University of Arts in 2005...
, Mochiru Hoshisato
Mochiru Hoshisato
is a Japanese manga artist. His simple drawing style reflects the gentle nature of his often romantic tales of modern young Japanese salary-men. While Living Game has been favorably compared to Rumiko Takahashi's Maison Ikkoku, Hoshisato's Yume-ka mo Shinnai and Honki no Shirushi contain fewer...
, Yū Koyama
Yu Koyama
is a Japanese manga artist. After graduating from the University of Shizuoka he moved to Tokyo and in 1968 took a job with Saito Productions, the company run by Takao Saitō...
, Yūji Aoki
Yuji Aoki
was a Japanese manga artist born in Fukuchiyama, Kyoto, Japan. He is best known for , for which he won the 1992 Kodansha Manga Award for general manga and the 1998 Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize Award for Excellence.Takahiro Kochi was his assistant....
, Fumi Saimon
Fumi Saimon
is a female Japanese manga artist and novelist. She is best known for the series Tokyo Love Story, which was adapted as a live-action television series. She won the 1983 Kodansha Manga Award for general manga for P.S. Genki Desu, Shunpei and the 1992 Shogakukan Manga Award for general manga for...
, Norifusa Mita
Norifusa Mita
is a Japanese manga artist who is best known for Dragon Zakura for which he received the 29th Kodansha Manga Award.-References:...
, George Akiyama
George Akiyama
is a Japanese manga artist known for dealing with controversial and incendiary topics in many of his works.-Biography:Akiyama quit high school and moved to Tokyo to become a manga artist. After working briefly as a book wholesaler, he became an assistant for manga artist Kenji Morita...
, and Buronson.
Currently serialized
These series appear according to a regular schedule in the magazine.- AibōAibōis a Japanese television detective series that first aired on TV Asahi on June 3, 2000. It has been adapted into three films, including Aibō The Movie.-Seasons:-External links:*...
(相棒), by Tamayo Koyasu - Shin Aji Ichi MonmeAji Ichi Monmeis a cooking manga written by Zenta Abe and illustrated by Yoshimi Kurata. It was published by Shogakukan in Big Comic Superior from 1986 to 1999 and collected in 33 bound volumes. The series chronicles the lives of the staff and customers of a restaurant called Fujimura, owned by veteran chef Kumano...
, by Yoshimi Kurata, Yoshita Abe, and Yukie Fukuda - Ankō: Kaizuri Kaijō Sōsasen
written by Masaki Kitahara, illustrated by Hideki Akiyama, assistance from Fishing Graph - AzumiAzumiis a Japanese manga series created by Yū Koyama in 1994. The manga was originally published by Shogakukan and serialized in Big Comic Superior, and was later adapted to two feature films starring Aya Ueto, a video game and a stage play. Azumi received an Excellence Prize at the 1997 Japan Media...
, by Yū KoyamaYu Koyamais a Japanese manga artist. After graduating from the University of Shizuoka he moved to Tokyo and in 1968 took a job with Saito Productions, the company run by Takao Saitō... - Hannari!, by Fumi SaimonFumi Saimonis a female Japanese manga artist and novelist. She is best known for the series Tokyo Love Story, which was adapted as a live-action television series. She won the 1983 Kodansha Manga Award for general manga for P.S. Genki Desu, Shunpei and the 1992 Shogakukan Manga Award for general manga for...
- Higake Kin'yūden Komanezumi Shussemichi
written by Toichi Akizuki, illustrated by Kōji Yoshimoto, supervised by Yūji AokiYuji Aokiwas a Japanese manga artist born in Fukuchiyama, Kyoto, Japan. He is best known for , for which he won the 1992 Kodansha Manga Award for general manga and the 1998 Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize Award for Excellence.Takahiro Kochi was his assistant.... - Kiichi!!Kiichi!!is a manga by Hideki Arai. It tells the story of the main character's life beginning at the age of three. Serialized in Big Comics Superior for nine volumes, went on a prolonged hiatus before returning with a new title, as Kiichi VS.- Story :...
, by Hideki AraiHideki Araiis a Japanese manga artist. He received the 38th Shogakukan Manga Award for general manga in 1993 for Miyamoto kara Kimi e... - LordLord (manga)Chō-Sangokushi -LORD also known as LORD is the manga drawn by Ryoichi Ikegami and written by Buronson .Lord marks the fourth time this creative team have worked together on a manga...
, written by Buronson, illustrated by Ryoichi IkegamiRyoichi Ikegamiis a manga artist. He was assistant to manga artist Shigeru Mizuki in 1966. In 2001, he won the Shogakukan Manga Award for general manga as the artist of Heat. He became a professor at Osaka University of Arts in 2005... - Maihime: Diva, written by Ryō Kurashina, illustrated by Tomoya Ōishi
- Money no Ken, by Norifusa MitaNorifusa Mitais a Japanese manga artist who is best known for Dragon Zakura for which he received the 29th Kodansha Manga Award.-References:...
- Moonlight MileMoonlight Mile (manga)-Music:*Original soundtrack: Kan Sawada*1st Ending theme: "Scarecrow" by the pillows*2nd Ending theme: "BOAT HOUSE" by the pillows-Licensing in the United States:...
, by Yasuo Ōtagaki - Ojuken no Hoshi
scenario by Mayu Sugiura, illustrated by Kenjū Imatani, created by Nozomi Hashira - Okuribito, by Akira Sasō
- Radio Jikan, by Radio Wada
- Rāmen Hakkenden, written by Rokurō Kube, illustrated by Tan Kawai
- Sekai no Chūshin de Kuda o Maku, by Inosuke Rodriguez
- Shakaijin Misaki Satoru, by Yasuyuki Kunitomo
- Team Medical DragonTeam Medical Dragonis a seinen manga about Japanese medical care written by Akira Nagai and drawn by Taro Nogizaka, under medical supervision by Mie Yoshinuma. It has been adapted into the television drama Iryu, Iryu 2, and Iryu 3. The first volume of released on September 30, 2002 in Japan.- Summary :"Team Medical...
, written by Akira Nagai, illustrated by Tarō Nogizaka