ACG Steals the Show at Shanghai Book Fair

Forget quiet reading areas; this year's Shanghai Book Fair is alive with shelves stacked with manga, walls splashed with character art, and aisles alive with gaming demos.

The 2025 ACG (animation, comics, and games) showcase includes books, memorabilia and creative displays.

The book fair feels more like a pop culture carnival than a literary event with aisles of limited-edition art, rare imports, and immersive themed sections showcasing Japan's hottest new manga and light novels and Chinese classics reinvented for a new generation.

Matsuzaka Shooku (松阪书屋)

Matsuzaka Shooku, the Japanese section of Shanghai Foreign Language Bookstore (上海外文书店), brought a Fate mobile game 10th anniversary inflatable "Shield Hero" Mash Kyrielight prop, Detective Conan mosaic-style jigsaw puzzles, and a Pokémon-themed environment with nostalgic decorations to ACG. Over 500 manga, light novels, game artbooks and photo collections are available in their Japanese-import sector, with discounts on whole series like Frieren, Too Many Losing Heroines!, and Medalist. Books about music like "Girls Band Cry" and "BanG Dream! It's MyGO!!!!!" also are featured prominently.

BOOCUP (现代书店)

In the foreign comics section, BOOCUP, the retailer of China National Publications Import & Export Shanghai Co (中国图书进出口公司), offers classic and modern hits like "One Piece," "Detective Conan," "Slam Dunk," "Honkai Impact" and "Genshin Impact." Taiwanese editions for all ages without linguistic obstacles are heavily stocked. Detective Conan Complete Works (1994-2025), a new Rumiko Takahashi artbook, and Blue Archive's manga series are among the highlights.

Tianwen Kadokawa Animation and Comics (天闻角川)

Along with books, Tianwen Kadokawa holds literary events. Fans of "Lord of the Mysteries" can meet author Cuttlefish That Loves Diving, who is launching "Lord of the Mysteries 9." Author Mei Hachimoku debuted with "An Endless Winter, A Broken Dreamland" during the book fair.

Juvenile & Children's Publishing House (少年儿童出版社)

Zhang Leping's comic character Sanmao turns 90 this year, and Juvenile & Children's Publishing House is celebrating. A full-color picture book of "Sanmao's Adventures," a collector's edition of "Sanmao Joins the Army," and "Sanmao Learns from Lei Feng" are the new releases. To keep Sanmao relevant for the next generation, the publisher is exploring multimedia options, including AI-driven initiatives.

Shanghai Ancient Bookstore & Dai Dunbang Art Museum (上海古籍书店&戴敦邦艺术馆)

For Dai Dunbang fans, the Shanghai Ancient Bookstore has exclusive items in partnership with the Dai Dunbang Art Museum. Collectors are interested in his "Twelve Chinese Zodiac" illustrations on bags, perfumed gift sets and brass postage stamp-style bookmarks.

CITIC Press Group (中信出版)

CITIC Press Group is highlighting major Chinese IP spin-offs, such as a derivative work from the "Black Myth: Wukong" universe and titles connected to the animated film "Ne Zha." Their strategy centers on leveraging popular IP to maximize public attention.

Shanghai Animation Film Studio (上海美术电影制片厂)

Classic Shanghai Animation Film Studio characters are featured in "Animation Partners." "The Black Cat Detective: National Security Education Picture Book Series" by China Welfare Institute Publishing House combines entertaining stories with cybersecurity, biosecurity and data protection lessons in three volumes. An opening-day reader event attracted big crowds.

"Yao-Chinese Folktales," "Havoc in Heaven," and "Calabash Brothers," together with new items and stamp activities, are in the "Find Childhood Here" zone. "The Art of Film 'Nobody'" by Zhejiang People's Fine Arts Publishing House includes concept art and creator comments, while Dook Book brings families the film's official picture book and themed stamps.

Portal Books (次元书馆)

Portal Books' collections of popular Japanese manga and card-based collectibles stand out. Top attractions include "Frieren: Beyond Journey's End," a slow-burn tale with deep character development; "Spy x Family," a family-friendly espionage comedy; "Medalist," a touching figure skating serial; and Cthulhu-inspired comics. Visitors can also find embossed and holographic tarot and playing cards and special-edition comics with exclusive cards. Based on Bilibili trending data, titles with youth appeal are chosen.

MANCOOL&POWER TIME (漫库&力潮)

Visit MANCOOL&POWER TIME to browse manga and licensed goods. Check out "Girls' Last Tour," "Wotakoi: Love Is Hard for Otaku," and "Danganronpa: Kirigiri." Manga fans should visit this booth for unique merchandise and a Falling Mermaid-themed gift with qualifying purchases.

Beijing Science and Technology Publishing Co (北京科学技术出版社)

Beijing Science and Technology Publishing Co will bring a variety of Pokémon-licensed books to the Shanghai Book Fair, from "Pikachu and Eevee's Creative Sweets" to the Pokémon Illustrated Encyclopedia 1025, which covers over 1,000 Pokémon from Kanto to Paldea. A guaranteed-win lottery with any Pokémon book purchase, a Xiaohongshu (Rednote) activity to stamp an exclusive full-color design, and a limited-time stamp station with beautiful picture book characters are among the interactive events.

Changchun Publishing House (长春出版社)

Changchun Publishing House released a book-fair-only "Detective Conan: The Scarlet School Trip" manga. It is selling at the Changchun Publishing booth at the Shanghai Exhibition Center and 4th floor of Shanghai Book City.