An ICv2 release.  ICv2 has announced the release of the ICv2 Retailers Guide to Anime/Manga #13, which is being distributed to the trade by Diamond Comic Distributors, Alliance Game Distributors, AAA Anime, and TMZ Distribution.  The Guide will also be given away to retailers attending the trade show portion of the New York Comic-Con.

 

On the anime side the ICv2 market report indicates that unit sales were flat in 2005, a tough year for anime companies that began with a wave of returns from major retailers and ended with the closing of Musicland's Media Play stores followed by Musicland's filing for bankruptcy protection in early 2006.  We also note some positive trends from 2005 including the growing popularity of anime movies, increasingly sophisticated marketing by American anime companies as well as some blockbuster releases that should increase anime's market share of the overall DVD market, which also flattened out in 2005 after years of steady growth.

 

The manga side of the new publication discusses the effects of the increasing availability of manga-influenced character goods, video games, and card games as well as the sterling success of a number of anime and manga-related novels, which were released in 2005.  We look back at the chief market trends of 2005 and forward to a growing number of manga releases for 2006.

 

This useful information source, which includes an analysis of new manga and anime releases for the months of March, April and May, is available free to retailers by sending an email request to DViau@icv2.com.  It is also available for a small charge to non-retailers from the ICv2 store (click here).
 
For a more detailed look at the extensive coverage of anime and manga in the new Retailers Guide along with listings for the Top Ten Anime and Manga properties (in the actual Guide ICv2 identifies the Top 25 Anime properties -- movies and TV series -- and the Top 50 Manga properties (see 'More Manga Releases in 2006').