Everyone nowadays realizes that manga has become a favorite form of entertainment for many, and a considerable number of talented Arabs are now creating their own manga, thanks to the spread of social media sites, which allow publishers to publish their comics.
Hence the question arises: despite the existence of Arab manga artists, Arab manga, and publishing houses, why does Arab manga still suffer from marginalization and weakness? We will find out now.
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Enthusiasm for creating manga that resembles the Japanese style
We all know that manga originated in Japan, from where it spread throughout the world, often reaching us in pirated or translated form. With the growing number of manga fans, many are now creating their own manga, driven by enthusiasm and a love of art, especially given the large audience eagerly searching for fully Arabic-language manga.
The problem here is that many are initially swept away by enthusiasm and enter this arena seeking fame and recognition, rather than offering a unique story to the audience. Therefore, the vast majority of Arab manga artists resort to shonen stories similar to Dragon Ball or Naruto, and so on.
Then they dream of climbing the ladder of success in this way, thinking that they will replicate the Japanese pattern of fame and expansion, and this is the biggest mistake that the majority of new mangaka make.
Especially since most of them have no prior experience in comics, let alone writing. Instead of climbing the ladder step by step, they start with a story that requires a lot of effort in both the script and the illustrations.
Unique plot and modest art
I've read many Arabic manga, and I've always been drawn to strong, well-crafted stories, but the art quality is often poor and doesn't match the narrative. This can be discouraging, and I stop reading manga afterward.
Undoubtedly, the plot is far more important than the art, but poor art does the story a disservice and diminishes its impact. Therefore, every mangaka must diligently search for an illustrator, even one with modest abilities, in order for their story to see the light of day.
The difficulty here lies in the accuracy of drawing the scenes. We need to draw the characters several times during a single chapter, not to mention drawing the backgrounds, which requires considerable time and effort.
But a question arises: Is there a shortage of Arab manga artists? And even if the required number exists, many may not consistently draw chapters month after month. Or perhaps the vast majority are simply looking for financial compensation for drawing manga, something manga authors don't provide, since most are amateurs without any support.
Despite this, there are Arab manga artists who have produced a high level of drawing, and I have seen two or three of them so far, but their works are few, or they have stopped publishing for a while.
Stopping halfway
Have you ever read a Japanese manga that reached 200 chapters? Some might answer yes. This is because the manga industry holds a prominent position in Japan, which is why you rarely find a comic that suddenly stopped after several chapters, as is common in the Arabic manga industry.
Most Arabic manga stop after only the first chapter, as if it was just an attempt or experiment, or that the mangaka got bored and did not want to continue producing new chapters, or that life's responsibilities preoccupied him.
However, I suspect that the majority are shocked by the lack of public support, or that the manga didn't achieve the expected success. Therefore, they choose to withdraw and not continue the comic.
But there are a few who take the matter seriously, and continue the manga and release updates and chapters successively, despite the delay and being busy, but their number does not exceed the fingers of one hand.
Insufficient income
There is only one official entity I know of that legally publishes Arabic manga, and that is "Manga Arabia." They even publish multiple chapters of both Japanese and Arabic manga. That's when I felt hopeful, or rather, that my dream had finally come true, and that we could now read 100% Arabic manga regularly.
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This applies to official entities, but independent manga artists receive no financial compensation for their work. They simply publish their stories online for free, which discourages many from entering this arena, as they might emerge financially unprofitable.
This is what I concluded from my reading of the Arabic comic, but there is a glimmer of hope on the horizon, and this does not mean giving up at all, but rather trying to revive Arabic manga and push it forward.
Thank you for reading the blog post, and I will see you soon, God willing.
