Brussels: The Taiwanese manga artist known as "Monday Recover," whose real name is Shih Chia-yu, received an enthusiastic response at the Foire du Livre, a French-language book fair in Brussels, Belgium. With four of her comic books translated into French, Monday Recover's presence as a featured artist attracted significant attention, drawing many visitors to her book-signing events and forums held from March 13-16.
According to Focus Taiwan, Shih, who creates works in the "girls' love" genre, engaged with her audience during a forum, answering questions about her inspirations, future projects, and advice for budding comic artists in Taiwan. Shih is perhaps best known for her book "Sea You There and Us," and she noted that though "girls' love" is a niche genre, it maintains a dedicated following. She mentioned that while earlier works depicting same-sex relationships often had sad endings, there is now a demand for teen stories with happier conclusions, prompting her to continue creating in this genre.
Shih's participation at the event marked the second consecutive year of collaboration between the French online manga subscription service mangas.io and Taiwan's government-funded Taiwan Creative Content Agency (TAICCA). Nazca, a French publisher with over ten Taiwanese comic titles, also partnered with mangas.io and TAICCA to promote their works.
Damien Mercier from Nazca highlighted the appeal of Taiwanese comics in the French market, where about 200 titles are introduced monthly. He noted that Taiwanese comics are appreciated for their unconventional plots and diversity, which suit the tastes of French readers.
Yun Inada, chief content officer for mangas.io, commented on the platform's recent addition of four Taiwanese comic titles thanks to a collaboration with TAICCA. He emphasized the thematic relevance of Shih's works, which focus on self-identity and feminism, aligning with the book fair's interests. Inada observed a growing demand for manga genres beyond the popular "shonen manga," which typically targets young men and boys. This trend presents an opportunity for Taiwanese comics to make a significant impact on the French market.
Inada also pointed out differences in readership behaviors, noting that female readers are more inclined to purchase comic books and explore various genres compared to their male counterparts, who often consume pirated content. He added that Taiwanese comics are distinguished from Japanese works by their "hybrid culture" influences, making them particularly intriguing.