CoroCoro Comic (コロコロコミック, KoroKoro Komikku) is a Japanese Shōnen manga published by Shogakukan.[3] It was established in 1977 and several of its properties, like Doraemon and the Pokémon series of games, have gone on to be cultural phenomena in Japan.

Quick Facts Categories, Frequency ...
CoroCoro Comic
Thumb
Thumb
Monthly CoroCoro Comic (September 1983 issue)
CategoriesChildren’s manga[1]
FrequencyMonthly
Circulation1,000,000
(November, December 2017)[2]
First issue1977
CompanyShogakukan
CountryJapan
Based inTokyo
LanguageJapanese
Websitecorocoro.jp Edit this at Wikidata
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The name comes from a phenomime korokoro (ころころ) which means "rolling" and also represents something spherical, fat, or small, because children supposedly like such things. The magazine is A5-sized, about 6 cm (2+14 in) thick, and each issue is 750 pages long. CoroCoro Comic is released monthly with new issues on the 15th of each month (or earlier if the 15th falls on a weekend). CoroCoro Comic sold 400 million copies as of April 2017, making it one of the best-selling comic/manga magazines.[4]

The magazine has three sisters: Bessatsu CoroCoro Comic (別冊コロコロコミック), CoroCoro Ichiban! (コロコロイチバン) and CoroCoro Aniki (コロコロアニキ). Bessatsu and Ichiban! are published bi-monthly, while Aniki, which targeted an older audience, was released quarterly. On November 20, 2020, CoroCoro Comic cover designer Tariji Sasaki was recognized by Guinness World Records as the longest-running cover designer for a children's magazine.[5] CoroCoro Aniki ended publication in March 2021.[6]

History

The magazine was launched in 1977 as a magazine for Doraemon, which is one of the most popular manga in Japan. Before then Doraemon had been serialized in 6 Shogakukan magazines, targeted to students of 6 elementary school grades, that target audience has now increased. It collected stories of Doraemon from these magazines. It celebrated its 30th anniversary in 2007 with an exhibition at the Kyoto International Manga Museum.[7]

Tie-ins

CoroCoro regularly promotes toys and video games related to their manga franchises, releasing stories and articles featuring them. Pocket Monsters/Pokémon's big success in Japan owes to this in a way; the Game Boy game Pocket Monsters Blue was sold exclusively through the magazine at first, which helped CoroCoro's sales as well. CoroCoro is also often a source of information about upcoming Pokémon games and movies.

Other successful tie-ins include:

Manga series currently being serialized

Manga titles currently serialized in Monthly CoroCoro Comic

Manga titles currently serialized in Bessatsu CoroCoro Comic

  • Super Mario-kun (Since February 1991)
  • Pokémon Pocket Monsters (Since February 1997)
  • Denjyarasu Jiisan Jya! (Since June 2010)
  • Duel Masters Victory (Since June 2011)
  • Animal Crossing: New Leaf (Since October 2012)
  • Lapis Lazuli (Since October 2012)
  • Big Gathering! We are Oreca! [ja] (Since December 2012)
  • Pokémon Torretta (Since February 2013)
  • A Penguin's Troubles Plus (Since April 2013)
  • Friendship Attached! Foot Burst (Since April 2013)
  • Nyaemon (Since April 2013)
  • Really!! Majime-kun! (Since June 2013)
  • Super Conversion War Mojibakeru G Beat! (Since June 2013)
  • Story of Duel Masters: Outrage (Since June 2013)
  • Cosmos Stamp (Since August 2013)
  • Orecabattle Oreca-Monsters Adventure-Retsuden [ja] (Since October 2013)
  • Puniru Is a Cute Slime (Since March 2022)

Manga titles currently serialized in CoroCoro Ichiban

Formerly serialized manga

This is a list of all manga that had been serialized by CoroCoro Comic at one point, but currently no longer.

1960s

1970s

1980s

1990s

2000s

2010s

2020s

Circulation

More information Year / Period, Monthly circulation ...
Year / Period Monthly circulation Magazine sales
1987 1,400,000[9] 16,800,000[9]
1988 1,100,000[9] 13,200,000[9]
1989 1,100,000[9] 13,200,000[9]
1990 880,000[9] 10,560,000[9]
1991 600,000[9] 7,200,000[9]
1992 670,000[9] 8,040,000[9]
1993 500,000[9] 6,000,000[9]
1994 450,000[9] 5,400,000[9]
1995 630,000[9] 7,560,000[9]
1996 1,350,000[9] 16,200,000[9]
1997 1,800,000[9] 21,600,000[9]
1998 1,650,000[9] 19,800,000[9]
1999 1,260,000[9] 15,120,000[9]
2000 1,240,000[9] 14,880,000[9]
2001 1,260,000[9] 15,120,000[9]
2002 1,260,000[9] 15,120,000[9]
2003 1,350,000[9] 16,200,000[9]
2004 1,270,000[9] 15,240,000[9]
2005 1,090,000[9] 13,080,000[9]
January 2006 to August 2006 963,334[10] 7,706,672[10]
September 2006 to August 2007 932,500[10] 11,190,000[10]
September 2007 to August 2008 885,000[10] 10,620,000[10]
September 2008 to August 2009 911,667[10] 10,940,004[10]
September 2009 to August 2010 950,834[10] 11,410,008[10]
September 2010 to August 2011 837,500[10] 10,050,000[10]
October 2011 to September 2012 697,917[11] 8,375,004[11]
October 2012 to September 2013 595,000[12] 7,140,000[12]
October 2013 to September 2014 768,334[13] 9,220,008[13]
October 2014 to September 2015 1,014,167[14] 12,170,004[11]
October 2015 to September 2016 840,833[15] 10,089,996[15]
October 2016 to March 2017 803,333[16] 4,819,998[16]
April 2017 to June 2017 776,667[16] 2,330,001[16]
July 2017 to September 2017 763,333[17] 2,289,999[17]
October 2017 to September 2018 757,500[18] 9,090,003[18]
October 2018 to September 2019 621,667[19] 7,460,004[19]
May 1977 to September 2018 418,840,006[4][17][18][19]
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Rivals

Corocoro has had many rival magazines in the past, with one of them, Comic Bom Bom, closing down due to declining sales. The current competition includes V Jump and Saikyo Jump.

Past rivals

  • Shōnen Challenge [ja] (January 1979–February 1982)
  • 100-Point Comic [ja] (January 1981–January 1983)
  • Comic Bom Bom (November 1981–December 2007)
  • One-Pack Comic [ja] (November 1985–January 1989)
  • Comic Bun-Bun [ja] (January 2004–October 2009)
  • Kerokero Ace (December 2007–September 2013)

Current rivals

Foreign adaptations

  • CO-CO! (Hong Kong)
  • CoroCoro Monthly (Taiwan)
  • Dragon Comic CORO-CORO (China)

See also

References

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