In Russia, a surge of interest in Asian comics has coincided with a rise in piracy within this niche. Industry reporting, including coverage from Kommersant, highlights how book market participants and informal marketplaces are wrestling with new challenges tied to this growing demand.
Komilfo, a division of Eksmo-AST, noted that February 2023 saw a marked jump in demand for Asian publications, with year‑over‑year growth reaching two hundred percent. Within the broad manga category, titles in the Shounen genre are particularly popular, and there is a noticeable expansion in related formats such as Chinese manhua and Korean manhwa. This trend mirrors broader shifts in consumer appetite for serialized storytelling and graphic novels that blend action, fantasy, and contemporary culture.
Yandex.Market has also recorded rising interest in Asian comics, reporting that first‑quarter 2023 sales on the platform surged by about twenty times compared with the previous year. The data point underscores the rapid pace at which collectors, casual readers, and new fans are seeking out translated editions and original works from East Asian creators, fueling a dynamic and sometimes competitive marketplace.
Commentators from the industry emphasized that the heightened demand has unfortunately spurred piracy in this segment. A source from a translation agency noted that some participants in piracy programs import printed copies into Russia or acquire digital files online, only to commission professional translations from agencies or to rely on ready‑made translations produced by hobbyist communities on the internet. These illicit products are then distributed through marketplaces and private social networks, often marketed as used items to evade scrutiny. The pattern reveals a complex ecosystem where demand for Asian comics intersects with unauthorized distribution and imperfect enforcement across digital and physical channels.
In a broader context, the Russian market has also seen notable moments of technological experimentation in the manga space. Reports indicate that one of the first manga titles in Japanese industry history was drawn entirely by an artificial intelligence model, with the work released to the public on a specific date in early spring. This milestone has sparked conversations about the role of AI in creative production, the implications for quality and originality, and how readers perceive machine-assisted artistry alongside traditional hand-drawn work.