China's original comics have stumbled through many years, and now they have reached a situation that appears vibrant but is actually the last flicker of light. Perhaps my words are a bit excessive, and I might even get beaten for saying this on the street, but as a fool devoted to the comic industry, I feel I must express my thoughts, even if it endangers my life! ^o^\ So, what does Chinese comics need most right now? Talent?? It seems there is no shortage! Not long ago, I bought a luxury item called "Archives of Emerging Chinese Comic Artists" for the reason that it "might appreciate in value 100 years later"! It's called a luxury item not only due to its price but also because the content inside is extraordinarily luxurious, and the level is astonishing!! Honestly, many of the works in this book have far surpassed the ordinary level in Japan! So, it can be said that China does not lack talent! Money?? Haha, it seems many people say Chinese comics lack funds, and this seems to be true! But even without money, China's aspiring youth are still continuously pouring into this industry, where there is no visible "financial prospect"! Money is not the most urgently needed! Support??? Haha, this is probably the last thing Chinese comics lack! Countless comic fans are eagerly looking forward to the rise of Chinese comics; they are patriotic and also love Chinese comics! Even if they do not buy original comics, it is probably a form of support too! Just don't buy the bad ones! Social recognition??? Indeed, at the core, what Chinese comics lack is the recognition of the whole society. Adults think comics are merely children's reading material; the idea that they are a "plaything" is deeply ingrained, and restrictions on comics are layer upon layer: no pornography, no violence, no fabrication, and ridiculously, even no romance! Chinese comic creators and fans of Chinese comics are stuck in helplessness!\ I presumptuously concluded what Chinese comics need most, and probably physical suffering is unavoidable!\ If Chinese comics gain recognition, then the creative space will expand significantly, and with a larger creative space, content will become richer. As content enriches, such patriotic comic fans will buy original comics, and with more buyers, comic creators will earn money. With money, more talent can be attracted to create comics. With more creators, better works will be produced, and better works will further gain social recognition!This is a virtuous circle that even an idiot can understand! But how to form such a virtuous circle is probably still worth discussing! To form a cycle, there must be an entry point, and selecting this entry point is what we must do now! Talent, we have! Money, we are not in urgent need of! Support, we have plenty! Okay, what we lack is recognition! How to gain recognition? Through works, we must rely on good works to earn recognition! Haha, I seem to be talking nonsense again! Who doesn't know that Chinese comics are most lacking good works! But how can we make good works? In other words, what constitutes a good work?
Here I want to ask a question: Does 'Rurouni Kenshin' count as a good work? Does 'Dragon Ball' count as a good work? I think many people can list a bunch of flaws in these two works! But what I want to say is that they share a common advantage: their sales!! 'Rurouni Kenshin' is a work with very little originality, almost all character designs are copied, and it is completely lacking in storytelling; its so-called story is as simple as an ordinary fighting game! It uses the simplest tragedy (Yukishiro Enishi) to tug at the readers' tears and ends with the simplest comedy. Can't Chinese people think of such stories!? I doubt anyone would believe it! 'Dragon Ball' is a work with a strong start but weak finish, with huge differences between the beginning and the end; the story does fluctuate, but the range is perhaps too large!! ^^ From the perspective of comic creation itself, these are two completely failed works! But from a business perspective, they are probably both works that stand at the peak! 'Dragon Ball' has many editions, and the earliest edition sold nearly a million copies! And there were reprints! 'Rurouni Kenshin' also has several editions; the circulation is unknown, but according to bookstore owners, it is the best-selling work right now! Looking back at our original comics, the printed volume of 'Chinese Comics New Wave Original Artwork Archive' is 3,500!!! Just three thousand five hundred! Even the commemorative Macau return gold coins, claimed to be of limited issuance, are 5,000!!!
Many comic critics criticize commercial comics, saying that Japanese comics have been polluted by commercialism! This reminds me of movies: A friend once told me that if there were only Hollywood movies, they probably wouldn't hold up well. It is precisely because there are art films and alternative films that cinema's vitality is so strong, right?The same goes for comics; if there were only commercial comics, then the vitality of comics would not be very strong! I agree with this viewpoint, but now I am thinking about this question: if there were only artistic comics and alternative comics, I'm afraid comics would have no vitality at all! As a commodity, a mass consumer product, being too noble, too profound, too artistic is just not normal! What supports the development of an industry is still money, and in terms of comics, that means sales! Only a few people can appreciate noble, profound, artistic works. All ordinary people are, after all, common folk!\Comics are a commodity, and the largest consumer group of comics is people aged 12 to 18. Of course, adults read comics too, but relatively much less! To attract these readers under 18, artistic, profound, and noble works probably won't work! Look at some successful Japanese commercial comics; which one doesn't have a very ordinary storyline!?!? They just hold onto mechanics, superpowers, metaphysics, and mythology!!!!!! All of these are just old wine in new bottles! These authors have made money! But Chinese authors all cling to art, self-expression, and so-called ideals, then loudly proclaim: 'Chinese comics need money!!!!' If you need money, figure it out yourself!!! You talk about what's wrong with something like 'Rurouni Kenshin,' wait until your own work can surpass the influence of 'Rurouni Kenshin' before you say anything!\Although commercial comics have this or that flaw, if we want Chinese comics to take off, I think what's most lacking is a commercial comic that is irresistibly appealing! Just like novels by Wang Shuo or Wang Xiaobo! The working masses do not have such high aesthetic appreciation; they read comics just for entertainment, just for fun! Can't even this wish be fulfilled??? Shanghai seems to be leading China in this regard, so the comic market there also seems the most flourishing, which can be seen from the frequent comic exhibitions!
