Abstract
Starting from the eighties, the market of the Manga comics has developed also in western countries. A number of subcategories of Manga comics exists and several characters, mainly derived from the Japanese culture, could be identified and remembered. Notwithstanding, the role of comics such Manga is scarcely documented in scientific literature, particularly when determining its relevance and diffusion among readers. The present work is aimed at estimating whether and how manga comics are perceived in Italy. A total of 240 participants in the age range of 16–55 year-old answered to the survey, while 151 of them declared to read and appreciate manga. In the main task, they expressed their degrees of appreciation and identification with a set of manga types and characters, selected among the most representative ones. Shonen was the most known and appreciated manga type, while, among the characters, Bakedere and LoneWolf were the most known and appreciated, respectively. The research has shown which manga are known and appreciated by the readership of Manga, providing crucial information for both cartoonists and the market.