Manga for the masses in L.A.
By Paige Parker
Nov. 23, 2008 10:07 p.m.
Although quick to list Dragon Ball and Naruto as their favorite Japanese comic-book series, neither Woojae Kim nor Bryan Yu anticipated that they would ever work at ““ let alone own ““ a Japanese comic-book cafe.
Both UCLA alumni, Kim and Yu started their own manga cafe ““ manga is Japanese for comic book ““ called Nix Manga in September of this year. Kim studied biochemistry at UCLA and is now a resident doctor while Yu studied political science.
“If you were to tell me six months ago that I’d be running a manga cafe, I would have told you you were crazy,” said Yu, who graduated in 2006. “So just keep your doors open. And whatever comes at you, don’t just kick it out because you don’t think it’s what you wanted since you were little. Just be open to it.”
Manga cafes are popular in countries such as Taiwan, Japan and Korea, and although places such as Koreatown and Little Tokyo in Los Angeles have a few manga cafes, they hold only comics written in Japanese. Located on South Sepulveda Boulevard, Nix Manga is the first all-English manga cafe in Los Angeles.
“Woojae just brought it up, and I kind of brushed it off at first because I didn’t think it was a very viable business idea,” Yu said. “Then we started talking about it, and I kind of liked the idea because it had never been done before.”
With manga comics often consisting of a series of 20 or more books, each one costing $8 to $10, being a manga reader can be expensive. The cafe allows customers to read manga in the shop for a reasonable $2 an hour and to rent at a cost of $2 for five days.
“We were thinking, you know what, the economy is bad, but at the same time this is a cheap way to get entertainment,” said Kim, a 2002 UCLA graduate. “This is a very economical way to spend time and have fun at the same time.”
Both Kim and Yu noticed that every year Barnes & Noble appeared to add a new shelf designated to manga. And they often saw young people sitting near the shelves reading, getting their fill of the newest book in a series. Realizing the expanding presence of manga in chain bookstores, Kim recognized the demand and began brainstorming with Yu.
“We thought this would be a very simple store, a very simple concept. Come, read, and that’s it,” Kim said.
With more than a little help from their friends, Kim and Yu now own a small and welcoming space full of neatly arranged black comfortable chairs, bright blue walls, and shelves filled with a colorful array of manga series.
“A lot of (starting the cafe) had to do with connections, how many people you know,” Kim said. “It’s not just us, but it was a project made by a whole mass of people contributing little ideas here and there.”
The pair’s friend, who is a graphic designer, designed the flyers, and an acquaintance and street graffiti artist designed the Nix Manga logo.
“One thing we learned is that we can’t do everything by ourselves. We’ve got to ask for help,” Kim said. “Surprisingly, there’s a lot of help around, you just need to ask.”
In terms of publicizing, the term “manga” has been a challenge considering that the majority of Angelenos are unfamiliar with its meaning.
“The concept of manga cafe, people just don’t get it. So that was something we are still having difficulty with,” Kim said. “We are advertising, but people still don’t get it unless they come and we explain it.”
Aside from attracting customers who just happen to pass by the cafe, Kim and Yu have passed out flyers at UCLA, posted ads on Craigslist, made a Facebook group and advertised in local college newspapers.
Despite the challenges that come with starting up a business, for Kim and Yu the experience has been worth the effort.
“I think it’s a good age for us to start (the business) because we don’t have too much financial obligation so we thought it’d be a good experience,” Yu said. “We have basically nothing to lose.”
Kim insists that building a business from scratch is something that not even a master’s degree in business administration can teach, although his time at UCLA did expose him to the diversity of people’s capabilities.
“I think going to UCLA, you meet so many people with different backgrounds you just get exposed to different ideas,” he said. “I think that was encouraging to see that we go to the same college, and people do different things, and it’s OK if you try different things.”
In terms of long-term goals, Kim and Yu hope to see Nix Manga expand to different parts of Los Angeles. Kim compares manga to Pinkberry’s popularity, hoping it will become the same kind of cultural phenomenon.
“We want this to be a cool, safe place for people to hang out. Just another place to kick it with friends,” he said.
The pair also view manga as a fun way to motivate young people to read. They plan to organize a kind a fundraiser or event with schools that would encourage children and teenagers not just to read, but to enjoy it.
“We think manga will be a good way to really get them to start reading ““ not necessarily learn everything from manga, but a gateway for them to really get hooked on reading so they can read more,” Yu said.
“For me, I’ve always had the idea that manga is kind of like sushi,” Yu said. “You can never really go in and have raw fish by yourself. You always have to be introduced by your peer. I think manga is the same thing.”
