'Really the best thing made in Korea': Korean educational comics take Japan by storm, selling 15.5 million copies

Educational comics in Japan, long dominated by history titles, are expanding into new territory — finance, science, English and beyond. Korean-made educational comics are leading the charge, injecting fresh energy into the Japanese market.

According to the Nihon Keizai Shimbun (Nikkei) on Monday, the Japanese educational comics market has recently broken away from its long-standing focus on history — traditionally considered the genre's mainstream — and is branching out into science, English, mathematics and other subjects, driven largely by Korean works.

Booksellers are noticing the shift firsthand. A children's books buyer at a large bookstore in Yokohama said the growing variety of topics in science, finance and English is changing the dynamic: titles are moving from "books parents buy for their children" to "books children pick out themselves."

History titles have long dominated Japan's educational comics market. But analysts say children are increasingly put off by the need to follow historical content in chronological order, fueling demand for science, math and English titles that let young readers choose based on their own interests.

The series most credited with driving this trend is the "Survival" series by Korean publisher Mirae N I-Seum. Set in extreme environments — a deserted island, the Amazon, a desert, a glacier — the stories follow protagonists who use scientific knowledge to overcome crises.

In Japan, Asahi Shimbun Publications has been releasing the series under the title "Science Comics Survival" since 2008. Word of mouth pushed cumulative sales past 15.5 million copies in Japan, and the series has since grown to more than 90 volumes across 59 subjects.

Asahi Shimbun Publications said the books became so popular that library wait times grew too long, prompting more children to buy their own copies. Popularity climbed further after an anime adaptation aired in 2024.

Reader responses have been enthusiastic. Parents have posted comments such as "It's a comic, but it's genuinely great for learning — you can never borrow it from the school library" and "My child finished it the moment it arrived and keeps reading it over and over."

Industry observers cite fast-paced storytelling, humor and a natural approach to conveying knowledge as the key strengths of Korean educational comics. An Asahi Shimbun Publications official told Nikkei that the books are "not something you force yourself to pick up for studying — they're structured so that knowledge accumulates naturally as you enjoy the comic."

Japanese publishers are investing heavily in identifying proven Korean content and adapting it for local audiences. Nikkei noted that educational comics are blurring the line between studying and entertainment.