The exposition, which was held at the Taipei World Trade Center Exhibition Hall 2 between Aug. 13 and 18, was first launched in 1995 and has been staged annually since 2004. Complete-set collections of manga, posters, DVDs and other anime paraphernalia ensured the show lived up to its billing as this summer's must-see event with devotees of Japanese comics.
Wu Zong-yu, a university freshman who visited the fair with two classmates, described himself as "loyal" to "Naruto"--a manga series illustrated by Masashi Kishimoto that tells the story of Naruto Uzumaki, a hyperactive adolescent aspiring to be the most powerful ninja in his village.
The show proved extremely popular with the 10-to-25 age group, and in one corner of the hall, a group of youths sat on the floor poring over their newly bought comics. One of them, Lee Yun-jen, said she loves "Gintama," pointing to the book she was reading. "Gintama," which literally means "silver soul," follows the adventures of a broke samurai who has to deal with aliens moving into his hometown. "This is my second visit. I first came here on Saturday [Aug. 16] and the whole place was swarming with people," the senior high school student added.
According to Roger Kao, secretary-general of the Chinese Animation and Comic Publishers Association, the number of visitors to the 6-day show hit 475,000, up from last year's 450,000. Kao noted that 40 local comic book publishers, animation companies and other related firms participated in the fair, the highest number in the event's history. "More exhibitors wanted to join but we did not have enough stalls," he said. "This year's turnover reached US$33 million, around the same amount achieved in previous years."
Something that has not changed from previous years' events is the dominance of Japanese manga, Kao stated, with over 90 percent of all exhibits from this genre of anime. "The show is one of the largest of its kind in the world not only because of attendance figures, but also because it brought together many renowned Japanese and domestic comic artists. Taiwan is an important export market for Japanese manga, and that's why the artists attach great importance to this occasion."
One of the exhibition's highlights is the autograph sessions where artists can meet with their fans. To balance the exposure of local and Japanese illustrators, organizers scheduled 17 meetings for artists from Japan and another 17 for their Taiwanese counterparts.
Zeno Zhen, a show planner for Tong Li Publishing Co., which is committed to developing Taiwanese comic artists, expressed optimism about the prospects for local manga creations. "Four out of the seven autograph sessions we hosted in this fair were for Taiwanese artists. What they need is more publicity and opportunities to meet with their fans," she said.
Recognizing the government's efforts to foster the Taiwanese comics' industry through holding annual competitions, Xiao Jun, a local artist known for her series "The Journey of Hsu Hsia-ke"--a tale that chronicles the life of Ming dynasty (1368-1644) geographer Hsu Hsia-ke--said publication of award-winning illustrations in these contests is key to strengthening local manga's share in the market.
"If these high-quality works do not get published, they are just a flash in the pan," she said. "Taiwan's manga artists need more encouragement and it is also vital to establish alliances between domestically created comics and other industries, such as the video game sector, to expand the commercialization of this art."
Xiao cited the decade-long censorship of comics imposed by the government through the National Institute of Compilation and Translation in 1966 as one of the primary reasons why Taiwan's industry still lags behind Japan's. "In those days, most people just read pirated Japanese manga as local creations were nearly non-existent."
The artist conceded that while Taiwan's comics resemble their Japanese counterparts, she explained this was because many readers are accustomed to the illustrative style and demand similar offerings. "Locally produced titles should incorporate more aspects of the island's culture," Xiao said. "The use of Japanese words and objects such as kimonos in a Taiwanese comic series looks very strange."
In addition to the call for increased local content in Taiwan's manga offerings, debate over the genre's educational value continues to be an issue both on the island and abroad. As a way of changing the commonly held perception that the pop-culture form of the books equates with literary-lightweight status, organizers at the Taipei expo decided to showcase manga titles that have educational value. "We hope people will understand that these books are not just for fun and can actually broaden the readers' knowledge," Kao said.
The secretary-general named "Black Jack"--created by legendary Japanese animator Dr. Osamu Tezuka (1928-1989), who was also responsible for "Kimba the White Lion" and "Astro Boy"--as an example of "smart" manga featured at the show. "'Black Jack' follows a doctor's medical adventure and 'Bartender' [by Araki Joh and Kenji Nagatomo] educates readers about wine," Kao explained. Other "smart" manga include "Detective Conan" by Gosho Aoyama, Ai Yazawa's "Paradise Kiss"--a story about the fashion world, and Takeshi Konomi's "The Prince of Tennis."
"Hopefully, by showcasing 'smart' manga at this year's expo, we have demonstrated the genre's value as an educational tool," Kao said. "Learning by reading comics is an easy, stress-free way to acquire knowledge."
Write to Melody Chen at melodychen@mail.gio.gov.tw