Gotta catch 'em all !
What is a spin-off product ?
When a manga is very successful, it is necessary to take advantage of it in the most complete way possible. Thus we find the adaptation of a series of paper manga for example in video games, cartoons, sometimes cinema, figurines, cards or other stickers.
The best-known franchises
A franchise is a means of marketing products in the form of a brand. Since manga managed to break into the international market in the 1990s, its business has only increased.
Pokémon, for example, tops the list of the most lucrative manga franchises. This is thanks to the anime, of course, but above all to the video games (which have come back in force since their release on Nintendo Switch) and the famous Pokémon cards, some of which are sold at gold prices.
Hello Kitty follows, here mainly thanks to the fashion world, because the little girl (yes, her creator has decided, so she is a little English girl) has collaborated with major brands of ready-to-wear clothing and cosmetics. A sector that pays off enormously, especially with a character that is very popular with girls and women.
Dragon Ball has overtaken One Piece, Yu-Gi-Oh! and Naruto, especially when it comes to video games, figurines and artbooks.
Conventions
These gatherings of fans in a place where they can meet authors or creators, as well as all the merchandising of their favourite franchise have become very popular. At these events, the importance of merchandising is obvious. Many stands with plush toys, posters, T-shirts, typical objects of a series (the Naruto headband or the Death Note, for example) fill the fans with joy. These objects make it possible to feel closer to the universe they love, to make it more concrete.
Conventions of this type also allow one to attend conferences, cosplay contests (the art of creating a costume in the image of a fictional character and performing in it). These are moments that no fan of manga/geek culture should miss.
Derivative products, making the universe concrete ?
In all possible products, we can find a form of materialisation of the universe that makes us dream. They allow us to take a character out of the paper or the TV screen as a figurine, to play the same game thanks to cards, to dress up as our favourite hero, or to cover every square centimetre of our home with plush toys and posters.
Finally, it can be said that merchandising brings a new dimension to your favourite manga. Some collect them, others keep them intact, and others dream of another life. One thing that is undeniable is that they don't leave you indifferent and that everyone can find something to their liking, because there is so much variety.
If you want to surround yourself with other manga fans and be interested in diving deeper into the world of manga, Apolline offers guidance during her Manga courses in Lausanne, Etoy and Montreux.
For a more intensive training over a week, don't hesitate to sign up for the February 2022 courses - BD/Manga, held in Lausanne, Montreux, Etoy, Genève, Neuchâtel, Yverdon, Sion and Fribourg.