The culture of production is distinctly Japanese. Manga-ka (creators) face brutal deadlines; the suicide of prolific creator Yoshihiro Togashi’s contemporaries is a grim industry reality. Yet, the "media mix" strategy is a masterstroke of IP management. A manga runs in Weekly Shonen Jump ; if popular, it gets an anime adaptation; if that hits, a live-action movie, then video games, trading cards, and "pachinko" slot machines.

TV remains highly influential, though facing streaming disruption.

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