Retro boom sees adults buying nostalgic comic books

A book cover of "Full House" / Courtesy of YES24

By Kwak Yeon-soo

Shortly after the recent craze over Pokemon bread, which had been popular in the past, a new trend revolving around retro-themed comic books seems to be gaining in popularity as evidenced by the sharp increase in sales.

In the 1990s and 2000s, popular anime and comic books such as "Sailor Moon," "Slam Dunk" and "Doraemon" caught on with a generation of children in Korea. Now they are back in time for the country's retro boom, driven by adults who are often nostalgic for things and experiences from their childhood.

Sales for the three comic books leaped by 15.4 percent in February compared to the previous month, and another 14.7 percent in March compared to February. About 80 percent of the consumers were in their 30s and 40s ― who generally account for 56.7 percent of all comic book purchases.

Sales of the reprint edition of "Full House" (1993-1999), written and illustrated by Won Soo-yon, surged by about 11 times in February compared to the prior month, right after the drama series "Twenty Five, Twenty One" started airing on tvN. In March, the sales were again up 24.3 percent from February. About 80 percent of the customers were female readers.

In the drama series, "Twenty Five, Twenty One," which is set in the late 1990s to early 2000s, Na Hee-do, Ko Yu-rim and all the girls in high school are obsessed with "Full House," a 16-series comic book popular at the time. The comic book often gives clues to the characters and holds a secret meaning that translates into the drama.

From left, book covers of "Sailor Moon," "Slam Dunk" and "Doraemon" / Courtesy of YES24

Comic books are seen as a tangible asset among adults in their 30s and 40s, according to the country's leading online bookstore, YES24.

"Comic books, especially the original version of popular anime series that aired in the 1990s and early 2000s, have shown a steady increase in sales since February when the 'newtro' trend went viral," said Seo Hyun-jeong, an official at YES24. "Newtro" is a Korean buzzword combining the words new and retro.

"I think that people want to own physical items because they want to indulge in nostalgia and, now, these adults can afford to buy the entire collection of such books," she added.

Not just comic books but children's books that had a great impact on the youth of the early 2000s, including "Harry Potter," "Sherlock Holmes" and "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them" are enjoying renewed popularity as collectibles by adults in their 30s and 40s.

In fact, streaming services have also been quick to capitalize on the popularity of nostalgic animations which have gone on to become some of the biggest hit shows. Local over-the-top (OTT) player Watcha has added Japanese animations "Cardcaptor Sakura," "Sailor Moon" and "Detective Conan." Another local OTT platform, Wavve, revealed that the time spent watching "Pokemon Pocket Monsters" nearly tripled after the recent craze for Pokemon bread.

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