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On Friday, December 1, 2023, the official X (formerly Twitter) handle for Kanehito Yamada and Tsukasa Abe's Frieren manga announced the manga has sold 7 million copies since the anime's release, taking the total figure to 17 million copies in circulation worldwide.
Undoubtedly, the anime adaptation of Frieren manga has taken the series' popularity to new heights. Under Madhouse Studios' fabulous production, the series has wowed fans with breathtaking animation quality and background music. As such, the peak in viewership was bound to affect manga sales, which it did.
Frieren manga has 17 million copies in circulation as of December 2023
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The official X account for Frieren manga, @Frieren_PR, disclosed on Friday, December 1, 2023, that the manga has added 7 million copies to circulation in two months since the anime's release, taking the total figure to 17 million copies sold.
While it's not surprising due to the anime's growing popularity, it's still an impressive achievement for Kanehito Yamada and Tsukasa Abe's series. Notably, Frieren manga debuted back in April 2020 in Shogakukan's Weekly Shonen Sunday Magazine.
As of this writing, the manga has released 117 chapters, with no dates announced for the 118th yet. Interestingly, the manga garnered a tremendous reception from Japanese fans due to its unique take on the fantasy genre.
While it wasn't overtly popular in the West, the anime adaptation has changed the entire scenario. Notably, the anime adaptation of Frieren manga, Frieren: Beyond Journey's End, aired its first episode on September 29, 2023.
At that moment, the manga had 10 million copies in circulation. However, Madhouse Studio's resurgence as an anime production studio breathed life into the series and enthralled the audience. Within just two months, the manga sales figure soared to 17 million.
It only shows how an anime adaptation can affect manga sales. Previously, Oshi no Ko met the same fate with the anime increasing its manga counterpart's popularity to meteoric heights. While the same cannot be said about Undead Unluck, Frieren manga has certainly benefitted from its anime adaptation.
About the anime adaptation and plot
Produced by Madhouse, Frieren: Beyond Journey's End anime premiered on September 29 with a two-hour length special episode on NTV's Friday Roadshow timeslot. Keiichiro Saito is directing the series at Madhouse while Reiko Nagasawa is handling the scripts.
Reiko Nagsawa is in charge of the character designs, while Evan Call is composing the series' music. YOASOBI performed Frieren anime's opening song Yusha (Hero), while Milet sang the ending theme, Anytime, Anywhere.
Viz Media describes the plot of Frieren manga as thus:
"The adventure is over but life goes on for an elf mage just beginning to learn what living is all about. Elf Mage Frieren and her courageous fellow adventurers have defeated the Demon King and brought peace to the land. But Frieren will long outlive the rest of her former party.
It continues:
How will she come to understand what life means to the people around her? Decades after their victory, the funeral of one of her friends confronts Frieren with her own near immortality. Frieren sets out to fulfill the last wishes of her comrades and finds herself beginning new adventure..."
Keep up with more anime news and manga updates as 2023 progresses.
