Women Love Shonen Manga

How can we measure the audience of a specific manga? Usually, we rely on companies to provide this data, but sometimes there are alternative ways to gauge a series’ popularity.

A recent study analyzed Twitter interactions for six popular shonen manga to determine the gender distribution of engaged fans. The findings were surprising: women dominate online interactions about shonen manga!

Women Love Shonen Manga

The study focused on the following series:

• Kimetsu no Yaiba
• Dragon Ball
• Haikyuu
• One Piece
• My Hero Academia
• Jujutsu Kaisen

Let’s take a look at which series have a predominantly male audience and which ones attract more female fans.

Manga with More Male Engagement

According to the research, only two series had more male interactions than female ones: Dragon Ball and One Piece.

• One Piece: 59% of interactions came from men, while 41% were from women. The majority of the audience is in their 30s. Despite the male dominance, the female presence remains strong, especially with the ongoing manga and the live-action adaptation.
• Dragon Ball: Showed the biggest gender disparity, with 87% male interactions and only 13% female. The main demographic is also in their 30s, which aligns with the fact that the original series ended years ago.

Now, let’s look at the titles that are more popular among women.

Manga with More Female Engagement

The remaining series all had a higher percentage of female interactions, showing a strong female fanbase:

• Demon Slayer: 56% female and 43% male interactions. The majority of fans are in their 30s.
• My Hero Academia: Attracts a younger audience, mostly in their 20s. The gender ratio mirrors Kimetsu no Yaiba, with 56% female and 43% male interactions.
• Jujutsu Kaisen: No surprises here—66% of interactions came from women, while only 34% were from men. This series has the highest female engagement, with most fans in their 30s.
• Haikyuu: Follows a similar pattern to Jujutsu Kaisen, with 65% female and 35% male interactions, but with a younger fanbase, mostly in their 20s.

What Do These Findings Reveal?

This analysis highlights several key points:

• Most online interactions about shonen manga come from adults, primarily people in their 20s and 30s.
• Women make up the majority of the audience for many popular shonen series, showing that these stories resonate beyond their original target demographic.
• Online engagement reflects consumer interest, meaning that many of these fans have the financial independence to purchase merchandise related to their favorite series.

These insights help us better understand fan behavior and how the industry can adapt to this reality. Even though these series are traditionally marketed toward young men, shonen manga have won over a huge female audience!

via Você Sabia Anime