"Hating Things South Korean"

MSN-Mainichi Daily News: WaiWai: "Japan seemed to have developed an enormous love affair for things Korean over the past couple of years, but now a manga has appeared on the market to suggest that things have not quite been as they looked on the surface, according to Shukan Shincho (05/11-18).

'Kenkanryu,' the manga whose title translates directly as 'Hating Things South Korean,' became a bestseller the moment it went on sale on July 26, topping charts run by Amazon Japan and other online bookstores.
'Our first print was 30,000 copies and we have already ordered a second printing of 70,000 copies. It's already a 100,000 copy print,' a spokesman for Shinyusha, publisher of the controversial book, tells Shukan Shincho."

Byon Jil-il, managing editor of the Tokyo-based "Korea Report," says he is not surprised that a book like this has come onto the market.

"Even I thought the South Korean boom that started with (Korean TV drama) 'Winter Sonata' was too much. The resistance to this boom has deep roots," Byon tells Shukan Shincho. "This manga has effectively tapped into this sentiment. And I think that's why it's selling so well." (By Ryann Connell)

Kim chee anyone?

Mark Alderwood
The Anime Times

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